The Oriole Wasn't the Last Hunter

"Don't you think it's a little early to be playing the fisherman?"

Zhang Hua gave a cold snort. He had already caught his breath, and a cold gleam rose on his sword again.

"You came out too early," Cao Ye said coldly.

"What, are you two going to rob your saviors?"

The leading Jin Family member brought his sword down, forcing the special Star Demon back as he spoke coldly.

"Saviors? More like people with ulterior motives."

Zhang Hua and Cao Ye's expressions were icy as they shook their swords and charged up.

"The remaining senior sisters can handle it."

The two golden-armored figures took a step back and blocked the two men's attacks.

Clang.

The longswords clashed, Star Power trembled, and all four of them took a step back at the same time.

"You two are already injured, so don't even think about interfering!"

The two golden-armored figures sneered. They had taken the special Star Demon's skill head-on, and they still wanted to jump around?

If the two had been at full strength, they definitely wouldn't have been able to stop them, but now things were different.

Zhang Hua and Cao Ye's faces were deathly pale. Their gazes shifted. "Ji Ziling, Ying Yanxue, make your move."

"We have to hold off the Star Demons. We can't spare a hand," the two said faintly.

"You two, think of Zhou Wen. Think of the grudges between the two schools."

Zhang Hua's expression darkened. "If they take the special Star Stone, the consequences will be hard to predict."

"Golden light as the boundary."

The two golden-armored figures shouted in low voices. A golden sphere fell, burst apart, and released a streak of golden light.

The golden light cut off both sides, separating the three golden-armored figures from them.

"We came prepared long ago. This golden light boundary will take some time even if all of you join forces."

The leading Jin Family member forced the special Star Demon back with one sword strike and spoke coldly.

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill your Kexiang people?"

Zhang Hua's face turned unsightly to the extreme.

This special Star Stone was extremely important.

If he couldn't get it, Cao Ye would come looking for trouble, and the others would also turn on him.

All of their Star Stones were counting on this special Star Stone being sold to make up the loss.

When the martial arts school students heard this, the sword qi they were using against the Star Demons drew in slightly. They seemed about to withdraw.

"If I obtain the special Star Stone, everyone's weapons will be replaced together. Those with peak second-tier weapons will get low-grade third-tier ones."

The leading golden-armored figure made a promise, his voice ethereal and pleasant.

The martial arts school students were tempted. Compared to that little bit of lost Star Stones...

Improving the quality of their weapons was clearly more attractive.

That little bit of Star Power simply couldn't buy good weapons!

"We'll only deal with the Star Demons. Weapon replacement."

Ji Ziling spoke. "If you deliberately let the Star Demons escape and fail to get the Star Stone, wouldn't we be taking a loss?"

When everyone heard this, they hurriedly said, "Senior sister is right."

"Good, I agree," the golden-armored figure said boldly.

Zhang Hua was so angry he almost fumed. "Ji Ziling, you..."

Ji Ziling cut him off in a rage. "Shut up. You don't get to speak here. I've been putting up with you for a long time!"

Zhang Hua: "..."

Did she not care whether Zhou Wen lived or died?

You damned cheaters actually betrayed him just like that?

"You want to..."

"Can you shut up?" Ying Yanxue said disdainfully. "Zhou Wen returned to the city ages ago."

Returned to the city?

Zhang Hua froze. He had returned to the city ages ago, yet they had kept listening to him? It had all been an act?

Cao Ye took two steps back. Wherever his sword light passed, a Star Demon died. "I'll deal with the Star Demons."

He was only a helper invited by Zhang Hua. Now that there was the benefit of having his weapon replaced, he obviously wasn't going to help him.

Low-grade third-tier—a Star Sea weapon.

Only an idiot would still help Zhang Hua. Of course they would help the filthy-rich Kexiang.

What the fuck...

Zhang Hua was so angry he wanted to curse someone's mother. Even Cao Ye had defected?

Chen Sanyan couldn't be contacted. Was it because Kexiang had made him a promise too?

Should he rob them or not?

In the shadows, Jiang Changkong was deeply conflicted. The target had changed now—should he still rob them or not?

He had no grudge against Kexiang. On the contrary, he even owed Kexiang a favor.

Zhang Xiaoyu had given him a phone and the Primordial Martial Compass. If he struck again, that would be a little improper.

Forget it. He would wait until they finished killing, then pick up the corpses and extract some essence, energy, and spirit.

While dealing with the Star Demon, Ying Yanxue said, "I wonder if you'd be willing to sell that special Star Stone?"

"This Star Demon skill suits you very well, but I'm not selling it."

The golden-armored man slashed the Star Demon with his sword and coldly refused.

A trace of disappointment flashed across Ying Yanxue's face, but she said nothing more.

If a trade was impossible, then forget it. She would look again in the future.

Ji Ziling couldn't help speaking up. "What if we don't take any payment this time, and only ask that you sell us the special Star Stone?"

The golden-armored man paused slightly. "Sorry, this concerns the college entrance exam."

Now Ji Ziling gave up as well. Since it concerned the college entrance exam, there was no room for discussion.

The special Star Demon was besieged and ravaged by the three golden-armored men.

It had the strength of Peak Nebula Level, but because of the earlier battle, it had used a special skill and consumed a great deal of energy, leaving it suppressed and beaten.

With the armor they wore, the three golden-armored men were not the slightest bit weaker than Peak Nebula Level.

Watching the inner demon being miserably ravaged, Zhang Hua's eyes flickered, and his left hand reached into his pocket again.

Roar.

More and more Star Demons gathered around them, and the students from both schools felt the pressure mounting.

Some people had already been injured.

Ji Ziling and Ying Yanxue both used their full strength, suppressing the Peak Nebula Level Star Demons as they fought.

Cao Ye shouted in a low voice, "End this quickly. We can't drag this out any longer."

"Finish it immediately."

The three golden-armored men answered at once. Sword light fell, directly severing one of the Star Demon's claws.

Golden light flashed, Star Demon Blood sprayed, scales fell away, and the special Star Demon let out a shrill roar.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous blast rang out, and the boundary of golden light shattered with a crash.

They saw that it had actually smashed through the golden-light boundary, its whole body radiating a powerful aura.

A golden pellet dropped down, and he pulled himself back and retreated.

"Zhang Hua, how dare you..."

The three golden-armored men's expressions changed drastically as they stared at that pellet in terror.

"Zhang Hua, fuck..."

The others' faces changed just as sharply. They no longer cared about the Star Demons and scrambled away in a sorry state.

Boom!

A tremendous crash rang out. Dazzling golden light erupted, and wild, violent Star Power surged in all directions, sending the three golden-armored men flying.

Dust and smoke churned. Terrifying waves of Star Power spread out, and Ji Ziling and the others were also caught in the blast. They spat blood and were flung away.

A few with weaker cultivation died on the spot, turning into corpses.

The nearby Star Demons were swallowed by the Star Power and blasted into fragments.

The Star Demons rushing over were startled badly and fled in panic.

Crack.

The golden armor shattered, and the helmets burst apart. Two young men bled from all seven orifices, looking utterly wretched.

The leading golden-armored man was slightly better off. His ink-black hair hung loose, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"So it really was you. You sold me information about the special Star Demon, then secretly followed me."

A ferocious look surfaced on Zhang Hua's pale face. "Impressive, truly impressive. But did you really think I'd be that stupid?

That I'd dare bring a group of people here without preparing a backup plan?

Are you satisfied with this repayment from Kexiang's third-rank low-grade Star Power bomb?"

"Star Power bombs were extremely expensive to make. Outside the Federation military, no one was allowed to possess or use them."

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. The golden armor on her body was already in tatters, and her fair face was filled with rage. "This is illegal!"

"Zhang Hua, you've really gone too far," Ji Ziling and the others said angrily.

He had actually brought a Star Power bomb here? That was Federation military equipment!

Zhang Hua swept a mocking glance over everyone, then turned his gaze to the special Star Demon.

The special Star Demon, already heavily wounded, had now been caught in the blast of the Star Power bomb and was on its last breath.

Not daring to delay, Zhang Hua charged forward at once and grabbed the special Star Demon. "I'll leave this place to you."

"Stop him!" Everyone was furious. Zhang Hua was abandoning all of them and leaving with the special Star Demon.

But the explosion just now had injured everyone, and they were too far away.

Only Kexiang's three people could stop him in time, and they did exactly that.

"Without your armor, you're no different from trash!"

Zhang Hua let out a scornful shout, and a streak of sword light flew out, forcing the three of them back.

"See you..."

Zhang Hua turned to leave, but in the darkness, a flash of saber light suddenly appeared—soundless, traceless, abrupt.

"Ah..."

With a scream, the left hand Zhang Hua had been using to grab the Star Demon was severed, blood pouring out. "Chen! San! Yan!"