The atmosphere on the battlefield grew increasingly tense.
Blood stained the streets.
Yao beast corpses littered the ground.
The sounds of battle echoed endlessly throughout Ding Region.
Yet for a brief moment—
Neither side moved.
Lin Sheng's hand slowly slipped into his storage pouch.
Hidden inside were several thunder spheres.
One throw would be enough to instantly turn the battlefield into chaos.
Across from him, Bai Ling and the remaining alliance leaders stood silently.
Their eyes carried hostility.
Months of conflict had already made reconciliation impossible.
Only before either side could act—
A voice suddenly sounded from above.
"Hm?"
Everyone looked toward a nearby building.
Standing atop the rooftop was a cultivator wearing the robes of the Dan Dao Alliance.
The man appeared to be around forty years old.
Qi Refining Ninth Layer.
A late-stage cultivator.
He looked between both groups with confusion.
"Why are you all standing around?"
"There are still plenty of late-stage beasts nearby."
The tension instantly loosened.
With an outsider present—
Neither side could openly make a move.
Not during a beast tide.
Not while the market was watching.
Before the alchemist could notice anything unusual, Lin Sheng calmly withdrew his hand from his pouch.
Then he smiled.
"Nothing."
"We were just leaving."
The alchemist nodded casually.
His attention quickly returned to the distant battlefield.
Late-stage beast corpses meant contribution points.
Nobody had time for petty disputes right now.
Lin Sheng waved his hand.
"Let's go."
The group immediately began collecting the nearby corpses.
Several storage pouches flashed.
The enormous carcasses disappeared one after another.
As they passed Bai Ling's group—
Their eyes met briefly.
Neither side spoke.
Yet countless thoughts flashed through their minds.
Lin Sheng remained expressionless.
But inwardly—
He was calculating.
Right now...
He could probably kill Bai Ling with a single Spiral Thorn.
His spiritual attack had already surpassed most cultivators in the market.
Even some Foundation Establishment cultivators would suffer if caught unprepared.
But he dismissed the thought almost immediately.
Too risky.
Bai Ling wasn't some ordinary disciple.
She was one of the alliance leaders.
A peak Innate Outer Strength martial artist.
A future Xuan Gang candidate.
If she suddenly died from an unexplained spiritual attack—
An investigation would follow immediately.
Even worse—
There was no guarantee the attack couldn't be traced.
The Chip's calculations repeatedly showed uncertainty.
Thirty-eight percent probability of leaving traces.
Too high.
Far too high.
Besides—
Even if he could kill Bai Ling.
What about the others?
The remaining alliance leaders would certainly retaliate.
Lin Sheng could protect himself.
Lin Xiaolu could probably escape.
But Zhao Feng?
Lou Han?
Lin Shou?
They would become targets.
A single mistake could destroy everything they had built.
For now—
Patience was necessary.
The group left quietly.
Behind them—
Bai Ling watched their retreating figures.
Her eyes flickered coldly.
Then she turned away.
The battlefield once again consumed everyone's attention.
---
Several hours later.
The group had moved toward the poorer districts near the edge of Ding Region.
Most cultivators preferred fighting near the central battlefield.
The contribution points were plentiful there.
But so was the competition.
Lin Sheng intentionally led his group elsewhere.
The beast density remained high.
Yet the number of cultivators was much lower.
This allowed them to hunt efficiently.
By sunset—
Everyone's contribution token had already exceeded five thousand points.
Even Zhao Feng couldn't hide his excitement.
"We're more than halfway there."
Lou Han nodded.
"At this rate we might obtain the Gang Condensation Pill before the beast tide ends."
Lin Xiaolu smiled.
"We finally have a chance."
Yet despite the success—
The mood wasn't completely cheerful.
Lin Sheng noticed it immediately.
Everyone seemed distracted.
Worried.
He didn't need to ask why.
Their concern had a name.
Bai Ling.
The alliance leaders were stronger.
They possessed more manpower.
And most importantly—
They were already Peak Innate Outer Strength experts.
One step away from Xuan Gang.
If Bai Ling obtained a high-grade Gang Condensation Pill first—
Her breakthrough probability would rise dramatically.
Once she became a Xuan Gang Martial Master—
Everything would change.
The pressure she could exert would become overwhelming.
Zhao Feng finally voiced what everyone was thinking.
"What if Bai Ling breaks through first?"
Silence followed.
No one answered.
Lin Sheng simply smiled.
"Relax."
The others looked at him.
His confidence eased their worries slightly.
Yet none of them knew the real reason.
Because while they had been hunting—
Lin Sheng's Mental Field had been quietly monitoring the battlefield.
Bai Ling's situation wasn't as favorable as they imagined.
---
Several kilometers away.
Bai Ling's group was currently engaged in fierce combat.
The battlefield around them resembled ruins.
Multiple late-stage beasts surrounded the alliance leaders.
A giant black panther.
A horned rhinoceros.
Two earth wolves.
And a massive rat-type yao beast hidden underground.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Explosions continuously echoed.
Bai Ling's white spear flashed repeatedly.
Whoosh!
A streak of silver light pierced through an earth wolf's eye.
Puchi!
Blood sprayed.
The wolf collapsed instantly.
Before she could celebrate—
The ground beneath her suddenly exploded.
Boom!
A brown shadow shot upward.
The rat beast.
Its claws gleamed with terrifying sharpness.
Too fast.
Even Bai Ling reacted a fraction too late.
Slash!
The claw struck her back.
Clang!!!
The sound resembled metal crashing against metal.
Sparks erupted everywhere.
Bai Ling stumbled several steps forward.
Her face darkened.
A defensive artifact hidden beneath her robes had saved her life.
Otherwise—
That attack might have severed her spine.
The rat beast squealed triumphantly.
Unfortunately—
It had already made a fatal mistake.
Boom!
Peak Outer Strength True Qi erupted from Bai Ling's body.
A powerful spear momentum condensed instantly.
The surrounding air twisted.
Killing intent exploded outward.
"Die!"
Whoosh!
Her spear transformed into a silver streak.
Puchi!
The rat beast's chest exploded.
Crack!
Its ribs shattered completely.
The corpse flew dozens of meters before crashing into a building.
Dead.
Watching through his Mental Field—
Lin Sheng frowned slightly.
Using beasts to eliminate Bai Ling had a very low probability of success.
She was too strong.
Too experienced.
Too cautious.
Normal late-stage beasts posed little threat.
Even peak-grade beasts would struggle.
But then—
His perception expanded further.
And he noticed something strange.
Several unfamiliar figures.
Moving through the battlefield.
Their movements were careful.
Deliberate.
Their auras concealed.
Yet their concealment couldn't escape Lin Sheng's Mental Field.
Dark.
Cold.
Sinister.
Demonic Qi.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed immediately.
Demonic cultivators.
More than one.
At least seven.
Possibly more.
They moved between battlefields like hunters stalking prey.
And interestingly—
Their targets weren't ordinary cultivators.
They were specifically approaching talented individuals.
Peak Innate experts.
Promising disciples.
Future Foundation Establishment seeds.
Including—
Bai Ling.
Lin Sheng suddenly remembered the discussions regarding the missing people.
The dried corpses.
The contaminated remains.
The recent increase in killings.
Everything connected perfectly.
These demonic cultivators had never stopped acting.
The beast tide had merely given them a better hunting ground.
Around Bai Ling—
Three of the dark figures were already closing in.
Using the chaos as cover.
Waiting patiently.
Like venomous snakes preparing to strike.
Lin Sheng remained silent.
His gaze drifted toward the distant battlefield.
The corners of his mouth slowly rose.
Not because he liked demonic cultivators.
Far from it.
But because an old saying suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"When two tigers fight, one is bound to be injured."
Perhaps...
He wouldn't need to make a move himself after all.
The beast tide was becoming more interesting by the minute.
And somewhere in the shadows—
The real predators were finally beginning to reveal their fangs.