161: Chapter 161

Soon, Gao De's orders reached the teams of Green Edge and Iron Pincer, who were on their way back.

The teams immediately turned around, gliding toward the periphery of the Cold Crystal Pool like ghosts.

Gao De himself also quietly left Qianjiao Cliff, using a Divine Ability to conceal his tracks as he followed far behind the teams, both to provide support and to be present on the scene to seize any fleeting opportunities.

At this moment, in the waters spanning hundreds of miles around the periphery of the Cold Crystal Pool, the atmosphere was solemn and eerie.

The Gyarados Dragon Aura faintly emanating from within the pool carried a trace of imperceptible weakness and irritability.

Outside the pool, a lingering scent of blood and chaotic spiritual energy fluctuations remained in many parts of the water, serving as a reminder of the intensity of the melee that had occurred not long ago.

Gao De and his elite subordinates were like the most patient hunters, lurking within the darkness and currents.

With Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery and the Formation concealment effects fully active, they almost merged into the surrounding environment.

Gao De's Divine Sense was like invisible tentacles, cautiously probing the surroundings.

Sure enough, just as Gao De expected, they were not the only "yellow oriole" waiting in the wings; or rather, there were many factions hoping to play that role.

The first he discovered was a small team of three Human Cultivators. Judging by their clothing and Cultivation Technique, they seemed to come from a certain cultivation Family—one at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and two at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

They were sneakily setting something up behind a reef, which appeared to be simple concealment and sensing Formations, likely intending to lie in wait and see if there were any easy pickings.

"Prepare to clear the field. Act immediately, be quick, I will cover you," Gao De's Divine Thought transmitted into Green Edge's mind.

"Everyone, follow me." Green Edge led the team and quietly dove down, approaching silently like underwater predators.

The three Cultivators had all their attention on the Cold Crystal Pool, completely unaware of the fatal danger coming from their flank and rear.

Not until a faint, dark chill flashed by did the Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator feel a coldness at his neck, his consciousness instantly plunging into darkness. When a Third-Tier Demon King ambushes a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, there are no accidents.

The other two turned back in alarm, only to see several figures already upon them. The combined power of the battle Formation erupted suddenly, giving them no chance to resist or sound an alarm before they were instantly killed.

"Clean up the traces, take the Storage Pouches and any useful items, and sink the bodies into the deep dark trenches," Green Edge ordered cleanly.

The entire process took less than ten breaths. Aside from a very faint scent of blood that was quickly dispersed by the current, there was no other sign of anything unusual.

Shortly after, they discovered a lone, injured Second-Tier "Iron-Backed Crocodile Demon."

It seemed to be a Demon General under the Thunder Tiger Demon King, separated from its team during the previous melee and currently catching its breath to heal in a patch of water weeds.

Naturally, it became the spoils of Green Edge's team.

As time passed, Gao De led his subordinates like scavengers hidden in the shadows, silently "cleaning up" those ill-intentioned or unlucky "small fry" on the periphery of the Cold Crystal Pool.

Although the gains were not as significant as hunting a third-tier Dragon-type Yao Beast, they still accumulated a good amount of Essence Blood, souls, and various miscellaneous cultivation resources. More importantly, they pieced together more information from soul-searching some captives and the seized Jade Slips.

"The leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult this time is suspected to be a 'Saint' candidate. He has obtained an Evil Dragon Bloodline bestowed by the Heavenly Demon and is extremely thirsty for dragon blood, needing high-quality dragon blood to enhance his cultivation..."

"The forces under the Thunder Tiger Demon King and another Fourth Order Green Water Mysterious Snake Demon King seem to have reached a certain understanding, dividing their search areas to temporarily avoid conflict, primarily targeting Human Cultivators and other rogue demons..."

"People from the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce have indeed opened a Temporary Market outside the Yunmeng Great Marsh, purchasing Dragon-Blooded Creatures' Materials at high prices, especially fresh Essence Blood and specific body parts..."

"There are rumors that the disturbances at the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye seem to be intensifying. The range of the leaking cold Death Qi has expanded, leading to the disappearance of many humans and demons..."

Just as Gao De felt that the small fry on the periphery had been mostly "cleaned up" and was considering whether to move a bit closer to observe the movements of the Heavenly Demon Cult or the Thunder Tiger Demon King's forces, a sudden change occurred!

At the core of the Cold Crystal Pool, that violent dragon aura which had never subsided seemed to sense approaching danger and suddenly erupted again, more intense than any previous time!

A brilliant silver pillar of light, mixed with incomparably sharp golden rays, tore through the pool water and shot upward, illuminating the hundreds of feet of water above in a silver glow!

Accompanying it was the roar of the Silver-Scaled Gyarados King, filled with pain and fury, as well as... another powerful aura that was cold, sinister, and filled with a desire to devour!

"It's the Heavenly Demon Cult! They've doubled back! And they used some special method to sneak directly inside!" Gao De judged instantly. His body tensed slightly while concealed, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the Cold Crystal Pool.

Within the soaring silver light and golden rays, the mixture of painful roars and sinister aura allowed Gao De to instantly clarify the situation—the Heavenly Demon Cult had used some trump card to bypass the outer warning zones and launch a fatal surprise attack directly on the injured Silver-Scaled Gyarados King!

"What ruthless methods, what decisive action!" Gao De felt a secret chill in his heart.

This move by the Heavenly Demon Cult was not only to seize the Silver-Scaled Carp King but also to take down this most valuable target in one fell swoop before other factions could react or while they were still watching, catching everyone off guard with their timing.

At this moment, the energy fluctuations in the core area of the Cold Crystal Pool were so intense that they could be clearly sensed even from dozens of miles away. Silver light and a murky black-red evil Qi intertwined and collided frantically, churning the entire body of water until it trembled.

Clearly, Silver Shuttle was fighting back with all its might, but the undertones of pain suggested its situation was very dire.

"Master, should we..." Green Edge's Divine Thought came through, carrying a hint of eagerness. The chaos before them seemed to present an opportunity.

Purple Lightning flashed rapidly in Gao De's dragon eyes as he instantly weighed the pros and cons.

The current carried the scent of blood, and muffled booms echoed from the center of the lake in the distance, faintly mixed with the sharp sounds of scales shattering.

He could not go any further.

If he moved any closer, he would almost certainly be detected by both sides of the conflict.

Since the Heavenly Demon Cult chose to strike at this time, they either had a backup plan to intercept outsiders or were confident they could end everything before reinforcements arrived.

Once he moved closer recklessly, the battle Formation of the Demon Soldiers might not escape their perception.

Facing off against this group of mysterious and ruthless individuals head-on was definitely not a wise choice at the moment.

And that Silver-Scaled Gyarados King was, after all, a Third Order Mid-Stage Demon King.

A Yao Beast's counterattack before death is the most terrifying, especially for such a ferocious creature. In its state of heavy injury and rage, the area within a hundred feet would likely be a death zone.

If he recklessly charged into the center of the battlefield, he could be targeted as a mortal enemy at any moment. If it self-exploded in despair, Gao De definitely did not want to experience that power.

The most chilling point—the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the yellow oriole behind.

The forces under the Thunder Tiger Demon King, the Green Water Mysterious Snake... in the depths of this Yunmeng Marsh, there was no telling how many eyes were currently fixed on this place.

If he acted now, regardless of success or failure, he would be pushed from the shadows into the light, becoming a target for everyone.

When that time came, he might just be doing the work for others while finding himself caught in an ambush from all sides.

Yet, the faint roars and the sounds of spiritual light bursting were like hooks, pulling Gao De's thoughts toward the depths.

If he could seize that one fleeting moment—the instant when the Heavenly Demon Cult's guard dropped after succeeding, or the moment when Silver Shuttle desperately dealt a heavy blow to its opponent and both sides' energies were depleted—and then strike suddenly with a violent ambush... it might truly be possible to snatch the chestnuts from the fire.

Silver Shuttle was a treasure from head to toe, and it was hard to say that the Heavenly Demon Cult Saint didn't carry precious items. Furthermore, that Evil Dragon Bloodline might also be useful to Gao De.

If he succeeded, the gains this time would far exceed the results of his previous cautious hunting trips in the marsh.

Thinking even deeper, if he could use this opportunity to heavily injure or even kill the leader of this Heavenly Demon Cult operation, it would effectively weaken their power and schemes in this region.

In the future, while traveling and seeking opportunities in this Yunmeng Marsh, the threats from the shadows might be reduced by a fraction, earning him a bit more breathing room and initiative.

However, Gao De's fundamental principle was to "know fear when one's strength is small, and not be greedy when there are gains to be had."

In the current situation, the risks far outweighed the controllable rewards.

The depth of the Heavenly Demon Cult's strength was unknown, Silver Shuttle's final counterattack was hard to estimate, and the other "yellow orioles" in the shadows were a massive variable.