Chapter 190

Chapter 190: The Stalk-capturing Mantis, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

At the edge of the formation, Zhou Luo walked leisurely forward, holding the formation disk in his hand.

The lake water falling from the heavens like sharp blades could not touch his body.

Though this was a dual-function formation, its creator, perhaps aware of the power of the previous space formation ahead, hadn’t set too many obstacles.

Thus, bypassing it proved quite simple for Zhou Luo.

Simple, but it didn’t necessarily mean he had to dismantle it quickly and leave.

Because he needed to hide his strength, and also because he needed to chip away at their strength.

Whoosh——

Ahead, the sound of something cutting through the air streaked past rapidly; a beam of rainbow light pierced through the void. Unhindered by the formation’s defensive barrier now, it appeared exceptionally swift.

Wei Qingtao could never have anticipated that Wu Gang would choose this precise moment to strike.

The moment his sister died, the balance he had with the other party shattered.

At that point, fleeing was his only option.

Fortunately, although attacks still rained down from the formation, the absence of the troublesome water screens offered him a sliver of hope for escape.

His entire body emitted an emerald radiance, like a breeze skimming the water’s surface, stirring ripples wherever it passed.

Wu Gang and Liu Tie followed closely behind, periodically unleashing attacks of spiritual energy to hinder his progress.

Zhou Luo silently stepped aside, watching coldly.

Earlier, using the formation disk, he had essentially grasped the operational rules of the entire formation.

Therefore, Wu Gang’s ambush on Wei Qinghong was also within his perception.

Precisely because of this, he chose to deactivate the formation’s defensive ability at that critical instant.

He brought Wu Gang’s assassinating of Wei Qinghong out into the open.

He had only one objective: to make these two sides break completely with each other.

Only then could one faction’s strength be reduced, paving the way for the next phase of his plan.

Indeed, he had succeeded.

Right now, Wei Qingtao was attempting to escape the formation.

Zhou Luo naturally couldn’t let him get away easily.

He channeled his mental strength onto the formation disk and, utilizing the formation’s own inherent power, reactivated its defensive functions.

In an instant, the water churned, and a water screen materialized once more, blocking Wei Qingtao’s path.

Not only that, water screens also appeared around Wu Gang and the others.

A formation’s power originates from its bases. As long as the bases remain intact, the formation can continue to operate.

Zhou Luo had merely used the power of the formation disk earlier to suppress the formation’s defensive capacity; he hadn’t destroyed it.

Therefore, when he released that suppressing force, the formation’s defenses activated again.

Moreover, with his thorough understanding of the formation’s operational patterns, while he couldn’t alter the entire formation, he was capable of making subtle adjustments.

For example, making the water curtain appear precisely in front of Wei Qingtao, or having it deliberately block Shangguan Qianxue’s view.

The thirty-foot-tall water curtain became an excellent barrier.

Wu Gang laughed loudly: "Haha, Heaven itself aids me!"

With that, he raised his sword and charged forward; Liu Tied beside him also made his move.

Wei Qingtao knew escape was impossible; fury twisted his face: "I’ll fight you bastards to the death!"

The long sword in his grasp blazed with a dazzling cyan light, engulfing his entire body. Wreathed in spiritual energy, he radiated a potent, surging might.

For a time, the two sides clashed fiercely.

Zhou Luo shook his head slightly.

Observing the three battling inside the formation, he found their actions somewhat baffling.

Under the triple threat of the Illusionary Power, the formation’s attacks, and the magical beasts lurking beneath the lake, their actions were practically indistinguishable from suicide.

In the end, it boiled down to Wu Gang’s greed.

Though even Wu Gang himself hadn’t anticipated Zhou Luo temporarily suppressing the formation’s defensive power, exposing his actions publicly and leading to this chain of events.

Under such circumstances, killing Wei Qingtao was his only option.

Fortunately, he still had companions.

So long as they could swiftly eliminate the other party, everything would still proceed according to his plan.

Wu Gang’s judgement was accurate.

He himself had consumed a potion to enhance his strength, and with Liu Tied’s assistance, dealing with Wei Qingtao posed no problem.

Afterwards, he could leave that top-grade magical artifact for Shangguan Qianxue, while he and Liu Tied monopolized the treasures of the second island – a perfectly happy resolution for everyone.

As for Zhou Luo, he could just sway him with a minor share later.

Considering the man’s meager cultivation at only the fifth layer of Qi Refinement, he probably wouldn’t dare resist anyway.

Of course, the prerequisite was solving the Wei Qingtao problem, ensuring he and Liu Tied gained control over the team’s command.

For this very reason, he held nothing back. Burdened by the formation’s effects and the Illusionary Power alike, he was determined to kill his opponent.

The three battled fiercely for a full quarter of an hour. Wu Gang even resorted to his last trump card.

It was an upper-level talisman. Originally, he had intended to save it for a future emergency.

But now, he had no choice but to use it.

It was precisely through the power of that talisman that he and Liu Tied were finally able to pool their full strength and slay their opponent.

Having dealt with Wei Qingtao, Wu Gang stood panting heavily on the water’s surface, his aura visibly diminished.

Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of Zhou Luo approaching them. Joy instantly flooded his features.

"Brother Xu, let’s break the formation and leave quickly!"

He knew escaping this formation still required the other man’s assistance.

Zhou Luo stood before him, a faint smile on his face. "Brother Wu, are you familiar with the saying ‘the mantis stalks the cicada, but there is also the oriole behind’?"

Wu Gang’s face instantly contorted in horror: "Brother Xu, what do you mean?"

"Nothing much. Only… I assume you both carry some valuable items?"

He recalled the formation disk. Spiritual light flashed in his right hand as a blue long sword materialized.

Wu Gang, heart pounding with dread, immediately raised his sword in a defensive stance, his expression turning savage: "Xu Changsheng, are you turning on me?"

"You turned on them," Zhou Luo countered calmly. "Why shouldn’t I turn on you?"

"Hah! Relying on your puny cultivation at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement?" Wu Gang sneered contemptuously, then added, "Lead us out, and I can pretend this never happened. Otherwise… we will ensure you remain here forever."

Zhou Luo replied with a tranquil smile, "Indeed, my cultivation is insufficient to kill you two. But this… should be enough."

As he spoke, he produced a talisman.

The moment the talisman appeared, a dreadful, terrifying might began to slowly emanate from it.

Wu Gang and Liu Tied’s eyes widened in disbelief and sheer shock, as if struck by lightning.

A top-quality symbol?

They could never have imagined the other man possessing something as formidable as a top-quality symbol.

How in the world had he obtained it?

He knew that even an upper-level talisman had been treated as his ultimate trump card.

Yet, his opponent casually pulled out a top-grade talisman.

In that instant, Wu Gang felt the chilling shadow of death envelop him. Desperately, he began to plead:

"Brother Xu, let’s talk this out properly!"

"How about this? We relinquish any claim to the treasures on the island."

"We’ll leave right now and pretend this entire incident never occurred."

"Spare us! I have a few hundred spiritual stones right here—you can have them all!"

Zhou Luo’s expression remained impassive as he stated slowly, "He who kills shall be killed."

"Had I lacked the strength, I surely would have met the same fate as the siblings of the Wei Family."

"If there’s blame to assign, direct it at this devouring world!"

He then tossed the top-quality talisman.

Upon the talisman, violet light erupted. It unleashed a terrifying might that illuminated the entire expanse of the sky.