Chapter 19: The Ambush Backfires

The Star-Dream Jellyfish truly looked much like the bioluminescent jellyfish found in the ocean.

However, it was filled with countless twinkling spots of light like stardust.

From a distance, the Star-Dream Jellyfish was magnificent and exquisite, possessing an indescribable, heart-stopping beauty.

The closer one got, the more staggering it became.

At the same time, a sense of trepidation instinctively rose from the depths of one’s heart.

Ding Ren looked solemn.

The Star-Dream Jellyfish exerted an extremely powerful pressure on him.

Ding Ren had spent over three hours bringing Xi Yu to the edge of the entity.

Now, they were less than a hundred meters away, and they could feel its terrifying aura even more clearly.

In front of the Star-Dream Jellyfish, the two of them were as minuscule as floating dust.

They watched as the creature expanded outward bit by bit at a very steady pace.

It wasn’t fast—only slightly faster than a human’s walking speed—but everywhere it passed, it was unstoppable, submerging everything in its path.

It was foreseeable that even a city with millions of people like Xincheng would be nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a carriage before it; eventually, the city would be completely consumed.

“It really is a Ghost Domain.”

Although this was the first time Xi Yu had seen this particular external manifestation of a Ghost Domain, he certainly wouldn’t mistake it.

“And this isn’t an ordinary one; the value of this Ghost Domain’s core must be quite staggering.”

“If it truly forms, it could even attract A-class or S-class ghosts to take up residence.”

If this Ghost Domain fully manifested, it would be no small matter; he definitely would have heard of such a high-level domain in his previous life.

Yet, in his memory, Xichuan Province had no such high-tier Ghost Domain, which suggested it was eventually destroyed.

However, if the Middle Continent had obtained the core, they could have certainly nurtured an A-class expert with their resources.

But in his past life, the first A-class expert of the nation didn’t emerge until several years later—coinciding exactly with the rapid rise of [Taotie].

This only indicated that in his previous life, the core of the Ghost Domain was ultimately obtained by Yao Yanyi.

“Is there any way to resolve this?” Ding Ren asked quickly.

“There is no other way but total destruction,” Xi Yu shook his head.

Technically, if they could accurately locate the core, a nuclear weapon could destroy it.

But that would be a pyrrhic victory; after using a nuke, the area would be uninhabitable, so they might as well just evacuate Xincheng City instead.

“Then we just need to hold out for a few days. The First Realm Guard should arrive within the next forty-eight hours.”

Ding Ren didn’t feel he had the power to resolve the Ghost Domain himself, and at the jellyfish’s current rate of expansion, they could definitely afford to wait for the First Realm Guard.

Although he knew Xi Yu also had the power to deal with it, the dragon’s body was still injured, so he didn’t want him to take action.

“Mhm.” Xi Yu nodded, not mentioning his plan to transform at all. “Let’s go. We should head back.”

“You don’t plan to go inside and look?” Ding Ren paused, appearing a bit distracted.

“There’s nothing to see; I only needed to confirm it was a Ghost Domain,” Xi Yu said.

“Alright, let’s head back.”

Ding Ren reached out, intending to wrap his arm around Xi Yu’s waist, but his movement was a beat slow.

His hand stopped just before touching Xi Yu.

Xi Yu looked at him in confusion.

Only then did Ding Ren pull Xi Yu close and carry him back.

Inwardly, however, he let out a silent sigh.

Xi Yu no longer seemed to be avoiding him.

Though this should have been a good thing, he didn’t feel happy about it.

Ding Ren didn’t know what was wrong with himself.

****

Being carried back by Ding Ren, Xi Yu didn’t have to exert any effort, so he began to review his plan.

He hadn’t done much, and in truth, he didn’t need to.

The key lay in Ding Ren’s actions; once Ding Ren’s behavior began to make Yao Yanyi wary, the trap he set earlier would take effect.

But the most important point was that he had told Guan Zhang where the Lamp-Skull Tree was hidden.

This news would surely cause Yao Yanyi’s composure to break.

Yao Yanyi was a clever man, so his actions would definitely be effective, and he certainly wouldn’t sit around waiting for death.

Now, it remained to be seen how he would act.

He was left with only two options: flee or risk everything in a desperate gamble.

Xi Yu hoped he would choose the latter, as he could then resolve both the Ghost Domain and the man at once.

Thinking of this, Xi Yu tilted his head slightly, looking at Ding Ren’s sharp, defined jawline.

“Captain Ding, be prepared when we get back. There might be a hard battle ahead.”

“Alright,” Ding Ren responded directly without asking questions.

Although Xi Yu hadn’t said it explicitly, Ding Ren knew the target he needed to be wary of was Yao Yanyi.

But he couldn’t help but be filled with doubt; Xi Yu had known Yao Yanyi was problematic with just one glance, even judging that he was related to the ghost siege.

He believed Xi Yu’s words, and he believed his own perception.

But because of this, he was more aware than ever that Xi Yu held many secrets.

Of course, Xi Yu didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding these secrets; it even felt as if he was intentionally showing off his abilities.

Admittedly, Ding Ren was coming to believe in Xi Yu’s capabilities more and more.

Even Zhang Qingyuan, who had been the most wary of the youth initially, was now completely conquered by him.

****

Yao Yanyi sat inside the temporary tent Guan Zhang had arranged for him, his face dark.

He was worried he was at risk of being exposed.

Guan Zhang had detained him, but not because he discovered any abnormality; rather, the man suspected Ding Ren’s team was the problem, and Yao Yanyi had been caught in the crossfire because he was forced to be near them.

Initially, he just thought Ding Ren was crazy—uncomfortable himself and wanting others to be uncomfortable too.

That was until he discovered Guan Zhang was arranging people to inspect the craters left behind on the battlefield outside the city.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of impending doom.

Especially once he learned that the person who told Guan Zhang that the Lamp-Skull Tree might be underground was that reserve Realm Guard next to Ding Ren.

Linking that to Ding Ren’s abnormalities, he could only suspect they had discovered something and were intentionally setting him up.

He was the mastermind behind the ghost attacks on Xincheng; he achieved this through the Lamp-Skull Tree he had swallowed with his innate talent.

He found the name Xincheng gave the tree to be quite fitting, so he had discarded the random name he’d given it and adopted theirs.

He possessed a talent that allowed him to devour ghosts and then control them.

The Lamp-Skull Tree was the most unique ghost he had ever controlled after devouring it.

Originally, it wasn’t strong, but after he nurtured it to this day, he was confident it could even entangle a B-class expert.

Driving ghosts to form a tide was naturally no difficult task for it.

Thus, upon discovering the Ghost Domain, he began implementing this plan to “drive the tiger to swallow the wolf” so he could reap the rewards as the bystander.

Everything had been going smoothly until he encountered Ding Ren’s team.

At this moment, Yao Yanyi tried his best to recall every detail of his interactions with them.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.

He remembered—during their first meeting, he noticed that reserve Realm Guard named Xi Yu was stealing glances at him, his expression seemingly tinged with panic.

At the time, he thought it was strange but didn’t overthink it, but now Xi Yu’s behavior seemed extremely suspicious.

As a stranger, why would Xi Yu be afraid of him, and why did he dodge away immediately after seeing him?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

‘Unless he knows me.’

A chilling killing intent leaked from Yao Yanyi’s eyes.

‘Or perhaps he possesses some extremely rare innate talent that allowed him to directly see the abnormalities on my person.’

Yao Yanyi immediately ruled out the first possibility.

He had killed many people over the years, but he had cleaned up every trace; there could absolutely be no accidents.

Then only the second possibility remained.

And today he indeed noticed that Ding Ren’s group was overprotecting Xi Yu, to the point where Ding Ren even took him along to inspect the Star-Dream Jellyfish.

If the boy didn’t have such a miraculous talent, why would someone of Ding Ren’s status care so much about an ordinary person who hadn’t even reached F-class?

That was why he could find the trail of the Lamp-Skull Tree and sense that something was wrong with him.

Moreover, Ding Ren’s targeting of him indeed began after the boy’s expression turned abnormal.

It was definitely him.

“I never would have thought…”

Yao Yanyi seethed with hidden hatred; his plan was actually failing because of a stranger he had never even met.

But Yao Yanyi didn’t complain too much; that was fate.

His own luck had been exceptional, solely because of his current Devour talent that brought him to where he was today.

And with so many people on Kun Star, there were bound to be those with better talents than his.

All he could do was try his best to keep everything in his own hands.

Fortunately, they likely hadn’t linked the Lamp-Skull Tree to him yet; otherwise, he definitely would have been finished this time.

However, since the existence of the Lamp-Skull Tree might be exposed, Yao Yanyi knew he couldn’t afford to be complacent. If he were actually discovered, he would be in absolute danger.

Luckily, he hadn’t been exposed yet, so there was still a chance.

Yao Yanyi thought rapidly.

Technically, he should just leave Xincheng immediately and go into hiding, waiting passively for the Middle Continent’s B-class to arrive.

But that method relied purely on luck; what if the Middle Continent decided to abandon Xincheng?

Or if they were on guard and sent more than one B-class expert?

The safest course was to simply give up this opportunity.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

If he missed this chance, it would be virtually impossible to find another Ghost Domain with such perfect timing and conditions.

As long as he could successfully devour this Ghost Domain, B-class experts would be nothing to him; he even had the confidence to become the first A-class expert in the Middle Continent.

At that point, the entire nation would be his backyard; he could do whatever he wanted.

“It hasn’t come to that yet; I absolutely cannot give up like this,” Yao Yanyi murmured.

He had to carefully reorganize his thoughts and find a new plan within this crisis that would be most beneficial to him.

Yao Yanyi pondered, scrutinizing every detail.

“Right!”

Suddenly, Yao Yanyi’s eyes lit up. “Xi Yu is my opportunity.”

“The unknown talent Xi Yu possesses must be incredibly important, otherwise Ding Ren wouldn’t value him so much.”

“If I can capture him, I can lure Ding Ren into the Ghost Domain and capture him as well.”

“With both of them in hand, the Middle Continent’s B-class will surely come to rescue them, and my plan can still succeed.”

The more Yao Yanyi thought about it, the more excited he became; there was always a way out.

Others didn’t matter, but Ding Ren was different.

He was hailed as the top seed most likely to become the Middle Continent’s tenth B-class expert; unless absolutely necessary, the nation would never abandon him.

As for whether he could capture Ding Ren, he truly wasn’t worried; he had absolute confidence in the Lamp-Skull Tree.

His greatest fear was actually that Ding Ren would choose to abandon Xi Yu.

Capturing Ding Ren directly would be the safest bet, but the madman carried a nuclear warhead—just thinking about it made him wary.

“Even if an accident occurs and too many B-class experts come, I can just give up then.”

“It’s better than not trying once; opportunities must be seized proactively.”

Now, he just had to wait for them to return.

As for Guan Zhang’s wariness toward Xi Yu, he dismissed it.

He had experience controlling ghosts himself and knew how difficult it was to control an entire group like Ding Ren’s while making their behavior seem perfectly normal; even B-class ghosts couldn’t do it.

If there really were a problem, how could they honestly allow themselves to be kept under Guan Zhang’s watch?

If it were him, Guan Zhang wouldn’t have even had the chance to make these arrangements.

****

Ding Ren returned with Xi Yu around three in the morning.

They had run into a group of D-class ghosts on the road, wasting a bit of their time.

As soon as they returned, they were spotted by the military guards Guan Zhang had assigned to patrol, while nearby, Yao Yanyi was smiling and saying something to them.

At the first sight of Yao Yanyi, Xi Yu knew the trap had been successful.

Yao Yanyi actually planned to block the main entrance openly.

A plan with no plan was the best method; Ding Ren and the others would surely never expect him to strike so directly.

However, upon seeing Xi Yu’s expression, he knew he was wrong.

Xi Yu’s gaze was very calm, lacking any of the panic he’d shown during their first meeting. Meanwhile, Ding Ren was on high alert; they were definitely prepared.

Yao Yanyi’s heart thundered; he knew today was destined not to end peacefully.

He no longer hesitated and prepared to strike.

But just then, a massive roar erupted from behind everyone.

“Catch Yao Yanyi! He is the Ghost Crying House!”

Thump.

This sudden turn of events instantly threw the camp outside the city into chaos.

Yao Yanyi, who was about to attack, was momentarily dumbfounded.

‘What am I? How did I become the Ghost Crying House?’

But during his moment of hesitation, people in the camp began pouring out at the sound, and even the city gates of Xincheng began to light up.

Yao Yanyi was both shocked and enraged; he had originally intended to ambush Ding Ren and capture Xi Yu.

But now he realized that all of his actions were being completely controlled by others, which was an unprecedented blow to his confidence.

Furthermore, he felt he was being framed; the Ghost Crying House had absolutely nothing to do with him!

At this moment, it was no longer a question of whether he would ambush them, but whether he could escape today.

Whether Xincheng discovered his connection to the Lamp-Skull Tree or mistakenly believed he was the Ghost Crying House, he couldn’t withstand an investigation. Once caught, he would be finished.

And given Guan Zhang’s caution, he would definitely investigate.

He had no way out and had to stake everything on a single throw.

“Die for me!”

A powerful aura soared into the sky as Yao Yanyi’s hidden strength finally erupted in full. His peak C-class combat power lunged toward Xi Yu without reservation.

But Ding Ren, who was already prepared, met him head-on without hesitation.

BOOM.

A powerful shockwave radiated outward from the two of them.

Both were forced back three steps, and for a moment, neither was able to overcome the other.

Everyone who saw this was instantly shocked; no one expected Yao Yanyi to be so powerful, actually matching Ding Ren.

Even more unfathomable to them was why Yao Yanyi would ambush Ding Ren and Xi Yu; they felt their minds couldn’t keep up.

“Yao Yanyi!”

Guan Zhang, who arrived in a hurry, was shaken to his core and couldn’t believe his eyes.

But no matter how much he suspected Ding Ren, he knew the problem with Yao Yanyi was clearly far more serious right now.

He no longer hesitated and charged forward to join Ding Ren in a pincer attack against Yao Yanyi.

However, at that moment, Xi Yu performed a move that no one could have anticipated.

Yao Yanyi, in particular, was left even more dumbfounded.