Dividing the Battlefield

“Starlight, put me down! You can’t block an attack like that!” Seeing the incoming strike, Moen urgently tried to break free from Starlight’s embrace, but he held her tightly.

The prolonged, high-intensity spellcasting had left her exhausted. Combined with the sudden severance of her connection to the World Tree, even standing had become a struggle. Maintaining the Nature’s Blessing on the four of them was currently the absolute limit of her strength.

“Stay still! I have a plan for this guy! Noah, activate the soul link!” Starlight’s gaze was firm, filled with tenderness and resolve as he looked at Moen, before he issued a quiet but forceful command.

Noah understood immediately and swiftly cast the spell, binding the group closely together. Although this spell had many restrictions, Starlight had realized its convenience since the first time he used it; it significantly improved the efficiency of their communication.

“Po Kong, I’m leaving Ming Ye to you! Can you keep him pinned down for a while?” Starlight’s thought flashed through everyone’s minds, sounding clear and distinct.

“Little Star, who do you think you’re looking down on? What do you mean ‘pinned down’? I didn’t get to enjoy myself back in Night Lotus Valley, so this time, I’m going all out!” Po Kong chuckled, his voice brimming with confidence.

“Good! Xia Duo, you and I will handle this newcomer. Judging by his skills, he should be a spellcaster. I need your long-range support. At the same time, I’m entrusting Moen to you—ensure her safety at all costs!” Starlight nodded slightly and gave his orders to Xia Duo.

“No problem, it’s just...” Xia Duo’s gaze lingered for a moment on the mysterious person in the sky, a trace of elusive doubt flickering in her eyes.

“What is it, Sister? Did you notice something?” Moen keenly caught the subtle change in Xia Duo’s expression. To her, even the slightest detail about her sister could not escape her notice.

“I just feel like... that person looks a bit familiar... Maybe I’m just overthinking it.” Xia Duo shook her head slightly, quickly calming the inner turmoil and returning to her usual composure.

“Then let’s do this! Let’s give these two arrogant bastards a little shock!” Po Kong gripped his sword and shield, launching himself toward Ming Ye like a brilliant golden cannonball with unstoppable momentum.

Ming Ye clearly hadn't expected this young human to dare engage him in a one-on-one frontal confrontation. For a moment, a look of astonishment flashed across his face, though it was quickly replaced by rage.

He intended to offer another mocking remark, but Po Kong’s burly figure was already closing in like a lightning bolt, appearing before his eyes in an instant.

Although Po Kong had not yet reached the Saint Rank and could not fly through the air like Ming Ye, with the assistance of Starlight and Moen, he could easily leap dozens of meters into the air. Aside from having slightly less maneuverability in the sky, he was not significantly weaker in terms of speed.

Furthermore, bolstered by his domineering War God battle qi, the gap between the two was not as large as one might imagine—unless Ming Ye was willing to cast aside his dignity as a Saint Rank expert and focus entirely on dodging and fleeing.

Evidently, the already irritable Ming Ye was thoroughly enraged by Po Kong’s move, which he saw as a blatant provocation of his dignity as a Saint Rank powerhouse.

Consequently, he actually abandoned his previous flanking strategy and met the attack head-on.

As for the mysterious person hidden behind layers of thick black mist, he merely cast a nonchalant glance at the two parties locked in combat. Showing no intention of intervening, he commanded the now fully formed grey figure to press toward Starlight and Xia Duo’s position.

After exchanging a brief, tacit look with Xia Duo behind him, Starlight resolutely moved alone to face the replica of Ming Ye constructed from death power.

Xia Duo also understood the plan and took Moen to the side. Her longbow was instantly drawn to its limit, aimed at the flickering, mysterious figure in the sky.

A series of hums followed as a rain of arrows, woven from fire like an angry swarm of bees, poured toward the target in a dense, airtight formation.

This wave of attacks from Xia Duo was merely a simple probe, intended to completely box in the opponent’s movement path and prevent his main body from directly facing Starlight.

Most of her arrows contained only a faint trace of battle qi, with only a few truly potent ones hidden within the massive volley. This interweaving of feints and reality was a tactic that most people would find impossible to see through.

However, to their astonishment, the mysterious person in the sky merely performed a slight twist of his body. In a posture that defied common sense, he actually evaded every single arrow.

Following this, he lightly raised his hand and waved it leisurely in mid-air. Hundreds of dark shadow spikes seemed to spring from nothingness, sweeping back toward Xia Duo like a torrential downpour at incredible speed.

Facing the incoming storm of shadow spikes, Xia Duo did not choose to retreat. Instead, she drew her bowstring to the limit once more, opting for a frontal clash.

This time, the attack she released was entirely different. The long arrows, meticulously condensed from battle qi, exploded the moment they left the string, turning into a sky full of flying fragments. The entire sky was painted a vivid crimson, like a magnificent firework display.

Taking advantage of the chaos and cover created by the violent collision of black and red in the sky, Xia Duo pulled Moen along and quickly concealed her aura, preparing to find the right moment to deliver a fatal blow.

Meanwhile, Starlight was locked in a stalemate with his opponent constructed from death power.

After only a few exchanges, Starlight realized that this opponent was not merely a simple physical copy of Ming Ye. In terms of speed and strength, it was extremely close to the original fighting nearby.

The only difference was that the form created by this spell was far less fluid and natural in its movements than Ming Ye. Although its speed was equally staggering, every movement seemed to follow a fixed trajectory. This subtle difference undoubtedly provided Starlight with a precious opportunity for a counterattack.

Facing death power, which was essentially superior to the basic elements, Starlight actually had two ways to deal with it.

The first was to rely on the diverse mana he possessed, skillfully combining them to create composite magic with multiplied power, achieving an effect where one plus one was far greater than two.

The second was to take a more aggressive approach, attempting to fuse all elements and call upon a prototype of the Power of Destruction to launch a counterattack.

According to Noah’s assessment, this second path was theoretically the most effective. As long as it hit, it would be enough to pierce through the defenses of that death clone.

However, Starlight did not adopt this seemingly shortcut second option. Instead, he cautiously maintained a safe distance from the death clone, flexibly utilizing various composite magics to neutralize the opponent’s offensives one by one.

This was not out of underestimating his foe, but because he had keenly captured a hint of something strange during the intense battle—the mysterious person’s power seemed to have undergone a subtle change compared to when they clashed at the Council Chambers.

This indefinable sense of discord made it difficult for Starlight to pinpoint the exact cause, but he knew that in the face of the unknown, steadiness was the most valuable strategy. Thus, he chose the most secure path, hoping to find a weakness during the confrontation.

The intense combat of the group intentionally or unintentionally drew the battlefield toward a distant, open area, securing precious breathing room for the survivors who had escaped death inside the City Hall.

With the assistance of the squad led by Lira and Lian, the remaining members of the Ranger Force moved quickly, safely evacuating civilians and the wounded through the back door.

Shortly after they retreated, the City Hall completely succumbed to the erosion of the death power. The sub-tree that once symbolized vitality had now turned into a piece of rotten wood. The clash between Po Kong and Ming Ye leveled the once-grand building to the ground with shockwaves alone.

Having lost their only shelter, Lira, who remained at the rear of the group to guard them, looked toward the distant battlefield with a complex gaze.