As Calla, Reesha, and Sia sped towards Ruan and Liana, they noticed the increasing distance between them and their target.
Ruan, despite his apparent exhaustion, pushed himself to his limits. Liana followed closely, her mind racing with thoughts about Zen Pewlu and her brother’s mysterious death.
“I need to know the truth about my brother’s death,” she whispered to herself, her determination fueling her speed.
Ruan, sensing the closeness of his pursuers, used another talisman to boost his speed momentarily. Although he acted pitiful in front of his spectators, he seemed to have a lot of trump cards up his sleeve, which he would use at just the right time.
Of course, Liana and the enemy Foundation Building Experts didn’t notice anything wrong with Ruan’s behavior. After all, desperate times force everyone to use all their life-saving treasures.
It was only natural for Ruan to try to get rid of his pursuers using all the means at his disposal. Calla and her allies just needed to wait for Ruan to run out of his tricks and then finish him off quickly.
As for Liana, who seemed to be Ruan’s ally and was flying beside him, Calla didn’t think much of this newbie Foundation Building Expert. She could tell that Liana was not there to fight a life-and-death battle for Ruan’s sake; she had her own motives for being with him.
Liana would not go all out against them. She wasn’t desperate enough to put her life on the line for someone she might have met only tonight.
Furthermore, Calla’s side had three Foundation Building Experts, while Ruan only had two, including himself and Liana. As such, the former Purple River Sect elder didn’t consider the Lakir clan’s young and beautiful scion to be a serious threat.
“Don’t… don’t come near me. Otherwise, don’t… don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Ruan yelled out again in fear and desperation. It seemed that he was merely trying to deceive his enemies by giving them empty threats. His warnings sounded non-lethal and almost funny to Calla and the two ladies with her.
Soon, the sight of the boundless sea could be seen up ahead. The moonlight turned the sea water dangerously enchanting.
‘This… this should be enough. Neither Loshaar nor those pesky righteous sect elders would come to bother me here.’
At this point, Ruan couldn’t help flashing a genuine smirk. He had thought that Calla and the others would use their trump cards midway and force him to battle on the island.
However, seeing Ruan’s rapid talisman expenditure, they gave up on that idea and decided to maintain a sufficient distance from him. They wanted him to run out of his trump cards, which was a sound plan.
However, Liana and Calla didn’t know that Ruan was only pretending to be weak and desperate. He was drawing his pursuers away from the main group so that they wouldn’t be able to go back and ask for help from their respective allies.
Divide and conquer!
***
A few minutes later.
Ruan and Liana hovered in the sky, their 2nd-order flying artifacts shimmering beneath them as they faced off against Calla, Reesha, and Sia. Below, the sea waves crashed endlessly against a giant island, creating a symphony of nature’s power.
Flashes of light and Spirit spells erupted in the distance on the island, marking the fierce battle between Loshaar’s and Zeesham’s forces. The first battlefield was close enough for the Foundation Building Experts to faintly feel what was going on there. At the same time, it was distant enough for them to give up on any thought of intervention or aid assistance.
Calla didn’t waste time with empty threats. She gestured to her allies, and Reesha and Sia spread to her left and right, forming a strategic formation. Calla then took out a set of five swords that levitated around her, each blade gleaming with deadly intent as if they had a mind of their own.
Reesha conjured a flame whip that crackled with fiery energy, while Sia summoned an ice spear that glowed with a cold, blue light. Both prepared themselves for the imminent clash.
‘We were only trying to get our hands on the Bloodfiend manual. How did it come to this? Why am I fighting with the righteous sect hypocrites?
Haah! Forget it. I’ll deal with this suspicious fellow after we get rid of these hypocrites.’
Liana sighed, understanding the gravity of the situation. This wasn’t the time for idle chat about her brother’s death or her doubts about the man who called himself Zen Pewlu. She drew her sword, the blade glinting in the light.
Though she didn’t trust Ruan completely, she knew she couldn’t let him be killed by the righteous sect elders—not until she had all the answers she sought about her brother’s death and Ruan’s true identity.
Ruan’s expression was tense but focused. He glanced at Liana, his eyes briefly meeting hers. “Stay close and watch their movements,” he muttered. “We need to outmaneuver them, not overpower them.”
‘Hmph! Who are you to order me around?’ Liana thought to herself as she looked at Ruan with complicated expressions. However, she nodded nonetheless, her grip tightening on her sword. As a Foundation Building Expert, she was mature enough to realize what needed to be prioritized.
Liana could feel the tension in the air, thick and electric. The sea roared beneath them. It was as if it was hungry for some Foundation Building meat.
Calla’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s not waste time,” she said coldly. With a flick of her wrist, the five swords shot forward, slicing through the air towards Ruan and Liana.
For some reason, she found Ruan’s confident expressions to be unsettling. She liked him when he was freaking out while being followed by her and her allies.
‘Was all that an act to lure me away from Zeesham and others? But there are only two of them here.’
Calla said to herself before suppressing the distracting thoughts altogether.
Ruan reacted instantly, raising his hand to cast a defensive spell. A shimmering barrier appeared, deflecting the swords momentarily. “Liana, now!” he shouted.