This dazzling outfit isn’t just for show; it boasts powerful defensive capabilities, making it a true armor that’s flawless in every way. Even when caught in a web of countless enemies, with strength, speed, and defense all diminished, this character is still not someone who can be easily taken down. In an instant, a fierce gust of energy erupted between the two, creating an energy field formed by their clashing powers.

Luo Yuzhu was momentarily stunned by the monstrous sound, causing her spiritual energy to go haywire. Before she could recover, she was hit again, spitting out a mouthful of old blood and fainting. In the center of the battle, Jiang Baiyu’s ears twitched slightly, but he didn’t have the extra energy to pay attention to Luo Yuzhu. The opponent was incredibly strong, far beyond the students of the Ascending Immortal Academy. After dealing with countless monsters and even killing their leader, the opponent’s offensive was still fierce and unyielding, showing no signs of fatigue.

As the opponent aimed directly for the monster’s life, completely disregarding Jiang Baiyu and Luo Yuzhu, Jiang Baiyu decided to use the opponent as a shield to escape, successfully creating a grudge between them. It wasn’t exactly a life-and-death feud; it was more like a tit-for-tat situation. Thus, exchanging blows was only natural.

The opponent’s eyes burned with intense battle intent, excitement coursing through him. The fierce fighting brought him immense pleasure, and the spiritual energy wrapped around his sword surged, unleashing an even stronger offensive. Jiang Baiyu refused to back down, increasing his spiritual energy output. The center of the Golden Crow Ring burst forth with the great Golden Crow, spreading its wings and letting out a high-pitched cry.

When their energies collided, it caused a massive explosion. The intense gusts of wind instantly spread outwards, stirring up a storm of sand that swept across the wasteland. Luo Yuzhu, who had fainted, was suddenly blown away, carried far off by the wind. Jiang Baiyu, quick on his feet, shot out a star chain to grab her.

Just a moment of delay made his back feel cold, and suddenly, a strong sense of danger surged within him, demanding attention. Sure enough, the opponent’s next attack came. Unhindered by the swirling sand, it aimed straight for Jiang Baiyu. It slammed into him hard, nearly causing him to spit out blood.

The opponent was clad in magnificent battle armor, but Jiang Baiyu wasn’t defenseless either; he had been wearing his protective gear all along. He could stow his weapon away in his bag and put it on in an instant when needed. Carrying it around would be too flashy, and his defensive gear was something he wouldn’t take off even while sleeping or bathing, as it wouldn’t hinder his movements.

It turned out that wearing it was essential; without that armor to withstand the blows, he would have been done for just now. The fighting style was extremely ruthless and decisive; if it could take a life, there would be no hesitation whatsoever.

Jiang Baiyu’s starry eyes grew deeper, sparkling like a galaxy, and his surroundings seemed to respond, lighting up with countless stars, shining brilliantly. Under the blazing sun of the Gobi Desert, the light was intense, and the stars’ glow was not diminished at all. It was as if the starry sky had descended from above, creating two distinct worlds with the Gobi.

As the sandstorm caused by the explosion subsided, the true form of the young man in the magnificent battle armor was revealed, drenched in sweat, struggling to stand as if a mountain were pressing down on him, feeling incredibly heavy. Beautiful, radiant stars surrounded him, shining brightly while concealing endless danger.

His gaze towards Jiang Baiyu was serious and scrutinizing, filled with deep wariness. The opponent was determined to kill him, and logically, Jiang Baiyu wouldn’t show mercy either. Being kind to an enemy was cruel to oneself, especially in his current state where he couldn’t afford any soft-hearted emotions; rationality overshadowed everything.

Keeping this person alive was for the sake of gathering information. Outside the oasis, there were only barren rocky mountains, and the wind and sand were overwhelming. This was the first person he had encountered. The spiritual energy around them was chaotic, completely different from that within the oasis. It was evident that they had crossed an endless space from the Tianquan Forest to a completely unfamiliar place, where even the structure of spiritual energy had undergone a tremendous change.

Not to mention Jie Yan, they had arrived one after the other with Jing Yanhang, yet even though the latter was flying with a sword, worried about Jie Yan’s safety and rushing ahead, there was no sign of him now. This was completely different from the initial plan; the four of them had split into two groups and had gotten separated.

The great Golden Crow soared out, letting out a high-pitched cry as it flew through the opponent’s body, circling in the sky before returning to the Golden Crow Ring. The young man, who had been suppressed, stiffened all over, his pupils constricting, and his complexion changed rapidly. Three seconds later, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire being wilting, his breath weak.

Having been pierced by the great Golden Crow, he was already gravely injured. Jiang Baiyu retracted the starry web; the stronger the power, the more spiritual energy it consumed, so he couldn’t keep it activated all the time. The star chain bound the opponent tightly, making escape no easy feat.

“Who are you, and what’s your purpose?” Jiang Baiyu asked sternly, his starry eyes making it impossible for the opponent to see his expression clearly.

“Do you know what it means to offend the Yan family… ah ah ah ah ah!” The crisp sound of cracking bones echoed, the sound of his finger joints breaking.

“Answer the question properly, don’t beat around the bush. This is a warning for you to recognize your current situation. Otherwise, do you believe I’ll break your legs and pull out your tongue, making you write on the ground like a dog to communicate with me?”

“…………………………”

“What’s your name?”

“… Yan Zhou.” He gritted his teeth, humiliation written all over his face. Blood seeped through the gaps in his smooth, radiant battle armor, dripping onto the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably.

The blow from the great Golden Crow had caused severe damage and would continue to affect him.

“What’s your purpose in coming here?”

“… To seek opportunities.”

Jiang Baiyu responded with a feigned smile, “What kind of opportunity could possibly stir the Yan family?”

He had no idea what the Yan family was; he was just trying to see if he could extract some useful information.

“…”

The opponent remained silent. Jiang Baiyu reached out, intending to grab the opponent’s hair to appear more villainous and intimidate him.

His deep starry eyes made him seem particularly inscrutable, and every move he made exuded a sense of danger in the opponent’s eyes.

The young man trembled suddenly, having to endure the humiliation and anger, along with a slight shiver, revealing a bit of the truth.

“It is said that there are ancient divine treasures in the Forbidden Wasteland, and the Yan family also wants a share…”

“Why are you the only one here?” Jiang Baiyu asked maliciously, “Did you sneak out alone, intending to monopolize the treasure?”

“Seeing you handle this so easily, could it be that you bear a heavy responsibility, leading the way for others?”

Regardless of which scenario it was, Jiang Baiyu actually didn’t care; it had nothing to do with him… no, he still had to care a little.

If the Yan family had many people with strong abilities, encountering them unexpectedly could lead to complications.

The opponent remained silent, and Jiang Baiyu asked the question he was most concerned about, “Have you seen anyone else?”

Yan Zhou replied, “No.”

He continued, “In this direction, I’m the only one. Besides you, I haven’t seen anyone else. The Yan family has sent many people this time; if they encountered others, they would either be killed or captured. If you kill me, you’ll be the enemy of the Yan family.”

Jiang Baiyu raised an eyebrow, “Very clever, hinting that you can help gather information from the Yan family. How do I know you won’t turn on us and lead us into a trap?”

Sweat dripped into Yan Zhou’s eyes, and he blinked, his vision blurring. The lingering feeling of being scorched inside made it seem like his blood was almost evaporating in an instant. His consciousness wavered, hazy, and he struggled to say, “You and I have no great enmity; today, I am simply outmatched.”

He gasped for breath, on the verge of collapse, “Killing me won’t benefit you; it will immediately alert the Yan family. If your companions fall into their hands, their situation will be dangerous. They will definitely be forced to reveal whether they have companions, how many came, and their strength.”

“Let me go, and we can consider it a non-aggression pact. As long as you’re not interested in the ancient divine treasures, I can ensure you leave safely.”

Blood flowed more profusely from the gaps in his armor, staining his inner clothes red. Although there were no obvious wounds on the surface of his body, every pore was pumping out blood.

Yan Zhou’s vision grew darker, and he finally couldn’t hold on any longer, losing strength and leaning forward to fall.

Jiang Baiyu looked up and saw Lin Zhao Ren appearing out of nowhere. The corpses of monsters that had littered the wasteland had vanished, and judging by his expression, the answer was clear. While he was interrogating the captive, he had absorbed all the monsters, turning them into energy essence.

His expression was filled with lingering desire as he glanced at the fainted Yan Zhou, his eyes glinting with a hint of hunger.

A quick glance at Jiang Baiyu made the eagerness in Lin Zhao Ren’s eyes disappear, returning to his usual demeanor, “How do you plan to deal with him?”

Jiang Baiyu replied, “I’ll first take a divination.”

He asked whether Jing Yanhang and Jie Yan had fallen into the hands of the Yan family.

The answer was affirmative and quite ominous.

It was strange; Jing Yanhang had only crossed the water pool slightly earlier than the two of them and had also fallen into the hands of the Yan family. When he and Luo Yuzhu had come out, they hadn’t discovered anyone else in the oasis. After circling around, they had found nothing, standing at the edge of the oasis, gazing at the desolate landscape outside.

When he took the divination about the whereabouts of the two, he encountered Yan Zhou.

Lin Zhao Ren scoffed, still looking down on divination, even expressing disdain. He walked past the fallen Yan Zhou and approached Jiang Baiyu, staring intently at him with an inscrutable expression.

Jiang Baiyu instinctively took a step back, and Lin Zhao Ren took a step forward, causing him to retreat again.

Lin Zhao Ren’s expression was flat, “Why are you backing away? Afraid I’ll eat you?”

“… Well, sort of.” Jiang Baiyu’s starry eyes had already faded.

Lin Zhao Ren mocked, “I see you’re quite bold. If you were really scared, you wouldn’t act like that.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his own expression changed, darkening ominously.

He growled, “Stand still and don’t move!”

Jiang Baiyu indeed stopped, looking at Lin Zhao Ren with wide eyes, obedient and pitiful.

Seeing this, Lin Zhao Ren’s expression grew even darker, practically turning into a pufferfish.

He stepped in front of Jiang Baiyu, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “You’re quite obedient.”

Jiang Baiyu shamelessly declared, “I’ve always been this cute and obedient. People call me the honest and reliable young lord, a loyal and kind-hearted person.”

Lin Zhao Ren scoffed, “Ha?”

He said ominously, “I’ve been thinking about how to deal with you. You don’t think that just slapping you twice will smooth over your offense, do you? Given your behavior, I should directly kick off the third leg of this debauched young man!”

Jiang Baiyu shivered; ever since he had experienced the pain of a certain part of his body, he had developed a psychological shadow.

“You won’t!”

He said firmly, “You clearly wanted to leave before, but you stayed. It’s because I’m just that charming and adorable, making it hard for you to resist!”

His shameless words shocked Lin Zhao Ren for a hundred years; he endured and endured but ultimately couldn’t hold back.

“Have some shame!”

A slap landed, crisp and loud.

Wanting to retort but not knowing how to respond to that statement, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and with a whoosh, he transformed into spiritual light and vanished.

Leaving Jiang Baiyu to wipe his sweat, relieved that he was clever!