Chapter 568: Soul Crystal!

Chu Liang had no choice but to form an alliance.

As he continued this weakened state, he became increasingly aware of his body's condition. His Sea of Qi was nearly shattered, and his tendons and bones were almost entirely broken. The fact that he could survive was simply thanks to his strong physique. Regardless, he couldn't possibly recover within a few days.

Thus, he needed to find trustworthy allies. Luo Yao and Pushan, the two who went on undercover missions with him, were not weak, but they were not strong enough.

Although he had enough crystals to divide between the three teams, there was no knowing as to whether they could protect these soul crystals and hold onto them during the last few days of the competition, in which things would be the most intense.

The brothers and sister from the Great Astral Sect had outstanding combat skills. They were obviously very loyal and were ideal allies. They were perfect to join the alliance.

Chu Liang could only rely on his mind, as the rest of his body was useless. Meanwhile, the brothers from the Great Astral Sect were skilled at everything except thinking. Together, they would make a great combination.

The reason Chu Liang offered to share all the soul crystals, keeping none for himself, was straightforward.

Since he was proposing an alliance, he had to show the attitude of willing to form an alliance. In his current state, even if he had ten thousand soul crystals, could he protect them?

They were willing to help him because they considered him a friend, but he couldn't expect them to help without getting anything in return. As the saying goes, "To take, you must first give." He had to show sincerity to earn their friendship.

After Chu Liang said this, Yun Chaoxian waved his hand and said casually, "Then let's leave these soul crystals as they are. We'll be sure to gather enough for all four of our teams in the end."

"Exactly," Ren Hongdao added. "We have the fewest soul crystals. If you offer to split these soul crystals between us right now, we would be bringing shame to the Great Astral Sect. If we're forming an alliance, that's fine. All that matters is that our sects can make it to the next round in the end."

To the team from the Great Astral Sect, this was an excellent choice.

They recalled how much they had suffered during the first four days. However, when Chu Liang arrived, he showed them many soul crystals. This meant they would find even more if they followed him.

They had learned this principle long ago.

Even if Chu Liang had only his brain left, as Yun Chaoxian put it, "Brother Chu's wisdom is just as great as mine; forming an alliance with him will be very beneficial."

Pushan had no objections either. Like Chu Liang, he was alone, and now he finally had the chance to team up with others. He was more than happy to agree.

Luo Yao was naturally reclusive and didn't care much for alliances. However, with the shiny soul crystals before her and Chu Liang and Pushan as familiar allies, she had no reason not to say yes.

Thus, the four teams decided to form an alliance to gather enough soul crystals to ensure that all of their sects could advance to the next round together.

Naturally, the paralyzed Chu Liang became the leader of the alliance.

"We can still use the enemy baiting strategy, but we need to change how we do it," Chu Liang said. "Some people might fall for it on the first or second day, but the teams that survived until now have been through so many fights and are extremely vigilant. It's unlikely they would fall for something so obvious."

He paused to think and then continued, "Having just one person as bait is too obvious. However, if it were a fight between two people, it would likely attract nearby teams."

As everyone thought about it, they agreed.

In the current situation, if someone were strutting down a main road by himself, it would be obvious they were setting a trap, and others would be cautious about approaching.

However, if two sides were fighting, many teams would be tempted to jump in as opportunistic onlookers, hoping to benefit as third parties.

"I'll be one of them!" Yun Chaoxian volunteered first. "Baiting the enemy is something I can handle."

"Our Great Astral Sect should contribute more," Li Fujian said, nodding. "I'll be the second."

"I'm in, too," Ren Hongdao and Tang Shi both chimed in.

"..." Chu Liang was silent for a moment before saying, "The people acting as bait can't all be from the same sect. They will recognize you..."

"Exactly, I thought the same," Yun Chaoxian said, nodding. "Senior brothers, just sit back and watch me in action."

"There's no rush in choosing the bait. Our main goal is to leave this place," Chu Liang said. "This plain may be open, but... our luck here might not be great."

"Indeed!" Yun Chaoxian agreed wholeheartedly.

...

The four teams moved a good distance away and reached the edge of a dense forest. Luo Yao took out a black gourd, removed the lid, and released a swarm of flies.

These curse insects couldn't fly far, but they were very sensitive to human scent and could quickly indicate the direction of any nearby individuals.

Before long, the flies returned one by one, and Luo Yao collected them. She then pointed northwest and said, "There are people in that forest."

Chu Liang observed their surroundings for a moment and then said, "The mountains are high, and the forest is dense. You should lure the enemies outside of the forest. If a team is inside, they'll likely come out."

"Got it!" Yun Chaoxian nodded firmly.

This time, Yun Chaoxian and Luo Yao took on the role of bait, while the others concealed themselves nearby, trailing far behind the two.

Luo Yao dashed forward, acting as if she were fleeing.

As they reached the edge of the forest, Yun Chaoxian charged forward, swinging his World-Dominating Halberd and shouting, "Where do you think you're going?"

Boom—

The Competition of a Hundred Sects was filled with experts, so simple acting wouldn't fool anyone. The two had agreed in advance to make it look real, as long as they avoided lethal moves.

Yun Chaoxian swung his halberd with full force, showing no mercy as he attacked Luo Yao with a fierce, whistling wind.

Luo Yao responded with equal intensity, her curved saber slicing through the air as she leaped like a ghost, fighting while retreating toward the forest.

As they got closer to the forest, they didn't see any teams trying to take advantage of them. Instead, they heard the soft melody of a guqin. The sound was soft. If they had been farther away, they would not have heard the melody clearly. As they approached, they felt that the melody made them feel slightly intoxicated. There was this strange and alluring pull to this melody.

With their cultivation levels, Yun Chaoxian and Luo Yao were naturally unaffected by the illusory technique. Knowing that a team was inside, they fought with even greater intensity, trying to get the team to come out.

The fight became thunderous and chaotic, creating quite a ruckus.

Yet, despite their fierce fighting, the melody of the guqin inside remained soft and continuous, showing no signs of stopping, as if it were tempting them to enter the forest.

So, they continued, fighting outside while the guqin played inside for quite some time.

Finally, Yun Chaoxian grew impatient and said to Luo Yao with the use of Voice Transmission, "Why don't we stop waiting for them to come out? We know they're inside, so let's just go in and take them out."

"That's exactly what's been on my mind" Luo Yao, who was already feeling frustrated from waiting, replied.

The two exchanged glances, and Luo Yao quickly darted deeper into the forest while Yun Chaoxian pretended to chase her. As they continued their game of pursuit, they spotted a gentle-looking woman sitting in the bamboo grove, playing a guqin, likely the source of the music.

The woman had skin as fair as ice, giving her an ethereal aura. She gently played the guqin beneath the rustling bamboo, creating a scene of remarkable beauty.

Even Luo Yao, a woman herself, was momentarily captivated, thinking to herself,

How beautiful.

Yun Chaoxian, holding his halberd upside down as he approached, saw the scene and couldn't help but beam with excitement.

He laughed loudly and exclaimed, "Soul crystal!"