Chapter 76 You’re Playing the Mantis Stalking the Cicada? Then I’ll Lie in Wait

In order to find Zhang Chu, Su Mingyue had to employ quite a few clever tricks. At first, she pretended to be unwell, letting the other members of the Shuangli Society leave ahead. Who would have thought that this group of men, full of chivalry, would insist on not letting her be left alone and risk danger? Su Mingyue’s obsession with Zhang Chu had reached a near-maniacal state. She could not allow Zhang Chu to outshine her—not even a tie would do!

Eventually, Su Mingyue had no choice but to deliberately attract a pack of four-star starbeasts, forcing the Shuangli Society into a pitched battle with the creatures. Amidst the chaos, she feigned disappearance. The moment she broke away from the team, she sought out Fang Danan. She had assumed Fang Danan would have already subdued Zhang Chu, allowing her to take her revenge. To her surprise, Fang Danan had nearly lost her life.

Su Mingyue spent the entire day tracking Zhang Chu’s whereabouts. Yet Zhang Chu moved swiftly and unpredictably. Every time she managed to lock onto the faint trace of his spiritual power, she would hurry there, only to find he had vanished again.

“Erha,” she called, “activate spiritual tracking mode, and engage the Shenluo Alliance’s advanced satellite precision positioning system!” Fortunately, Zhang Chu had only left less than two minutes prior. The GaoDe electronic dog—a high-tech tracking device provided in advance by the Shenluo Alliance—could rapidly pinpoint the trajectory of Zhang Chu’s spiritual energy and generate a highly detailed map for pursuit. Erha was the name of this electronic dog at her feet.

As soon as the words left Su Mingyue’s lips, the dog’s eyes projected twin beams of light, fluctuating before her as it rapidly drew the positioning map. “Woof woof! Target spiritual energy located. Now projecting precision map.” In less than ten seconds, the GaoDe electronic dog completed the high-precision mapping. Its eyes, like a holographic projection, displayed Zhang Chu’s movements before her—his speed, distance, direction, and even a danger alert mode.

“Activate starbeast alert mode,” Su Mingyue commanded, enabling the dog’s warning system and simultaneously disabling the positioning bracelet issued by the Shuangli Society. She hurried after the electronic dog. If Zhang Chu were here, he would have realized—Su Mingyue was unstoppable. The last time they met, she had advanced from a level four Shuangli Warrior to a one-star. In just two days since entering the starbeast burrow, she had already reached two stars.

As Su Mingyue set off, far away in the level six forbidden zone of Canglong Mountain, a small wooden cabin nestled amidst the wilderness.

Lounging on a recliner and sipping canned tea, Guan Zifang watched as a surge of energy flickered across the map on the opposite wall, a sly smile curling his lips. “You little rascal, I gave you the Mind Power Pearl because you caught my eye. Once this starbeast burrow business is over, you’d better come thank me in person!” If Chen Tianxiang from the Martial Affairs Bureau were to see Guan Zifang’s face at this moment, he’d probably fall to his knees. A level nine Spiritual Realm practitioner—such a person was a god in Binzhou.

From the latter half of the night until dawn, Zhang Chu ran tirelessly, feeling as if he were trying to chase down the sun itself. Near noon, as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, a vast, sparkling lake appeared before his eyes. Beyond the boundless waters stood a lush, mist-shrouded cliff, from which a waterfall refracted a rainbow of colors as it cascaded down. Yet before the waterfall could reach the lake, a powerful energy barrier diverted it, forming a massive water sphere a hundred meters in radius. This sphere hovered above the lake, supported by several faint blue pillars of light.

The badge stopped abruptly at the edge of Mirror Lake and descended swiftly. Quick as lightning, Zhang Chu snatched the badge into his hand. “Old Guan, could this be the formation’s core—the Spiritual Realm Angling Platform?”

“Warning: within five hundred meters, an ultra-high-level starbeast is approaching. Evacuate immediately!” At that moment, the positioning bracelet on his wrist sounded the alarm. Simultaneously, Zhang Chu sensed a terrifying surge of spiritual energy from ahead. Four swirling columns of water shot up from the tranquil Mirror Lake, as if a powerful starbeast was about to emerge from its depths.

No wonder, he thought—no one had ever found the Spiritual Realm Angling Platform. This creature was at least a four-star! Zhang Chu was no fool. With only two-star strength, facing a four-star starbeast head-on was suicide. “Better assess the situation first!” He quickly suppressed his spiritual power, retreated five hundred meters using the Silvershadow technique, and hid behind a massive boulder. He was certain—the Angling Platform lay within that water sphere, and where there was a formation core, there had to be a guardian beast. The aura he sensed could only be that of the guardian.

Before Zhang Chu could react further, Mirror Lake erupted in towering waves. A waterborne dragon, its body clad in gleaming white scales, half-emerged from the surface and released a thunderous roar.

Damn! That’s... the Five-Star Starbeast Whitewave Flood Dragon!

Zhang Chu’s heart quivered at the sight of the colossal beast. Every part of the Whitewave Flood Dragon was a treasure. Its horns could be forged into mighty weapons; its scales into high-level armor! And yet, as a two-star Shuangli Warrior, he still wielded the most basic, low-grade equipment. If he could slay a Whitewave Flood Dragon, he could re-equip himself from head to toe. But Zhang Chu was not reckless—this beast could devour a squad of one-star warriors with a single bite.

Just then, a true reckless soul appeared—a woman no less, and one whom Zhang Chu recognized. A black-and-white electronic dog was barking furiously at the gigantic Flood Dragon, and following behind it, drifting down with poise, was Su Mingyue.

How did she find me? Zhang Chu wondered, puzzled. Aside from cheating with the system, what other explanation could there be? The Shenluo Alliance, perhaps? Wait! Suddenly, Zhang Chu’s gaze locked onto the tattoo peeking from Su Mingyue’s neck—it was identical to Fang Danan’s.

So that’s it! No wonder she suddenly dropped out and progressed so quickly—she was a Shenluo Alliance plant in the Martial Arts Research Institute!

He recalled Zhang Xueying’s warning: when the starbeast burrow opened, beware of infiltration by the Shenluo Alliance. This time, not one but two had slipped in.

“A four-star starbeast, the Whitewave Flood Dragon... Is this the Spiritual Realm Angling Platform the leader spoke of?” Su Mingyue, staring at the behemoth before her, showed not a trace of fear—only delight shone in her eyes. According to her agreement with the Alliance Leader, if she found the Angling Platform and secured the Wisteria Wood for the Shenluo Alliance, the Mind Power Pearl would be hers. With it, she could transform herself, gaining at least the potential for the Spiritual Realm.

What is she thinking? Taking on a four-star Whitewave Flood Dragon with only two-star strength? She must be mad... Wait!

Before Zhang Chu could finish his thought, he saw Su Mingyue retrieve a red pill from her storage ring and swallow it. In an instant, her aura soared—straight to four stars!

Martial Affairs Bureau’s forbidden drug—Bloodburn Pill!

Su Mingyue, it seems the mantis stalks the cicada while the oriole lurks behind. Since you want to play, I’ll just lie in wait myself.

Settling behind his cover, Zhang Chu pulled out a packet of snacks...