Chapter 151: Ugh, such a hopeless straight guy

"Damn it, what on earth is the background of this kid? Why can he do everything I can, and furthermore, all his techniques specifically counter mine?"

As the battle intensified, the monkey grew increasingly alarmed and began to panic. Ever since its debut, Qingcheng was the first person it had ever encountered who could make it feel so utterly helpless.

"Oh my god, this is too spectacular! The combat techniques these two are using are so similar, with an endless succession of transformations and divine abilities. This is even more thrilling than watching a grand theatrical play..."

The duel between the two sent the entire East Sea into a boiling frenzy, and the onlookers were stirred to the heights of excitement.

Qingcheng's formidable reputation was gradually established! From this moment on, an additional peerless master was etched into the hearts of everyone present.

The True Lord Who Manifests Sanctity, Erlang!

"Senior, out of these two, who will ultimately win?"

Above the Heavenly Abyss, Huaizhu asked in a soft whisper, and the others, equally baffled, turned their gazes toward Cao He behind them.

Cao He wore a frozen expression. How could he possibly understand this level of combat? He could only bite the bullet and reply, "Well, judging from the current situation, they are essentially tied. It's impossible to tell who will win for now!"

This entire drama of the Lesser Sage descending upon the Great Sage was directed by Ye Qiu, and Cao He thought to himself: surely Qingcheng wouldn't lose, right?

After all, based on his understanding of Ye Qiu, the latter would never do anything without absolute certainty. Qingcheng must be holding back a finishing move.

"Hey... kid, who on earth are you?!"

The monkey grew more panicked the longer they fought. Initially, it had been puzzled by the origin of Qingcheng's techniques, but now it was gradually beginning to understand.

Weren't these very moves the ones Ye Qiu had taught it back in the day? Damn it, could Ye Qiu be nearby right now?!

The monkey panicked, and the urge to retreat slowly took root in its heart! It feared neither heaven nor earth, but it harbored a deep dread of that young man living in seclusion within the desolate wilderness.

He was an insurmountable mountain; no matter how hard one tried, it was impossible to cross.

Over all these years, the terror Ye Qiu instilled in the monkey had penetrated deep into its bones. At this moment... it actually caught a glimpse of Ye Qiu's shadow in Qingcheng.

How could it not panic?! If this commotion continued, even if it managed to defeat Qingcheng, it would hardly escape being hunted down by Ye Qiu afterward.

"Haha... You damned monkey! Admit defeat, and I will spare your life..."

Qingcheng laughed in response, unleashing another flurry of transformations to continue suppressing the monkey. With the three-pointed double-edged blade in his hand, he wreaked havoc across all directions like a god of war.

The monkey had already lost its will to fight and showed no inclination to linger. It snapped back defensively, "Hmph! Such empty boasting! This old monkey has matters to attend to today, so I'll let you off the hook for now. We shall fight another day..."

With that, the monkey swiftly transformed into a small sparrow with a flick and darted up into the sky. Unwilling to let it go, Qingcheng instantly morphed into a giant eagle and gave chase.

"Let's go! Let's follow them and take a look..."

As the battlefield continuously shifted, the crowd followed closely behind, unwilling to miss a single moment of this magnificent battle.

***

Back in the wilderness, watching Qingcheng gain the upper hand, Ye Qiu smiled from the bottom of his heart.

"Hehe... It seems this kid still has a few tricks up his sleeve! Erlang Shen fighting the Monkey King? Interesting, getting more and more interesting. What a pity, though, that they let that pig get away..."

Ye Qiu shook his head regretfully and continued to fix his gaze on the battlefield. He had personally directed this play, and he certainly didn't want to miss any of the highlights.

Otherwise, wouldn't all his efforts over the past few days have been in vain?

Yuechan narrowed her eyes, glanced sidelong at Ye Qiu, and questioned, "Why do I have the feeling that this grand drama was self-directed and self-performed by you?"

She was already growing suspicious. Given Ye Qiu's expression and his various reactions, it was difficult for her not to doubt him.

However, she couldn't figure out what purpose Ye Qiu could possibly have in directing such a spectacle.

Could it be just for fun? Surely not; if that were truly the case, he would be far too bored.

"Ah?"

Hearing Yuechan's skepticism, Ye Qiu was momentarily stunned, then hastily shook his head and said, "How could that be! Am I really that bored? That monkey has nothing to do with me whatsoever, truly..."

"I didn't even ask you about the monkey. What are you getting nervous for?"

"Did I? No way, when was I ever nervous..."

Ye Qiu instantly lost his composure. What was wrong with him lately? Why did he keep giving himself away without even being interrogated?

Sigh, it seemed he had been too comfortable recently, leading to a slight lapse in vigilance. He really needed to readjust his state of mind.

Yuechan did not dwell on the matter or expose Ye Qiu's lie. Instead, she murmured softly, "Although I don't know what your objective is, I still feel it necessary to remind you: one hundred miles north of Penglai lies the Northern Nether Sea.

"That place has always been a cursed land. For millions of years, no one has ever emerged from it alive.

"If we let them continue fighting like this, I'm afraid... they might barge into the Northern Nether Sea. Once that happens, I'm afraid all tens of thousands of people will be dragged into it..."

"Hmm..."

Hearing these words, Ye Qiu furrowed his brow and fell into a brief contemplation.

Of course he knew that the Northern Nether Sea was a cursed realm; the monkey had accidentally stumbled into it once before.

However... Ye Qiu was not worried about the safety of Cao He and the others, because before they even set off, Ye Qiu had already calculated everything.

With a profound and meaningful smile, he said, "You are right! That place is indeed a cursed land, and furthermore... there are some rather interesting things hidden inside.

"This time, not only am I going to lift this layer of mist, but I also want to see what kind of unknown secrets are concealed within."

Ye Qiu's true motives were gradually being exposed. Upon hearing this, Yuechan's expression shifted, slowly freezing in place.

***

"He... went to such elaborate lengths to stage this wonderful play, simply to unravel the mystery of the Northern Nether Sea?"

At that moment, Yuechan was deeply moved. In her heart, she couldn't help but admire Ye Qiu for actually thinking of using such a method to uncover the enigma of the North.

Once this veil was lifted, the unspeakable horrors hidden within would be brought to light. When that time came... an all-out war might erupt ahead of schedule.

Yuechan suddenly felt that she could no longer quite understand Ye Qiu. Why was it that, despite never leaving this desolate wilderness, he was orchestrating so many grand maneuvers that affected the entire world?

Was this what they called winning a battle a thousand miles away while plotting within a command tent?

"How many... more secrets are you keeping from me?"

For the first time, Yuechan felt a sense of dread toward Ye Qiu—a fear born from incomprehension. She was unable to see through Ye Qiu's intentions, and that uncertainty triggered a deep sense of crisis.

Because his actions were simply too audacious—so audacious that one could hardly believe them.

"Haha... You're being far too cautious! What secrets could I possibly have? Even if I do, they aren't meant to harm you, so what are you worrying about?"

Ye Qiu smiled faintly, offering no further explanation. Hearing those words, Yuechan's heart softened, and the corners of her lips curved into a slight smile.

That's right! As long as he wasn't going to harm her, why bother questioning what he did?

Even if he did intend to harm her, Yuechan wouldn't resist, because her very life had been bestowed upon her by Ye Qiu in the first place.

Besides, Ye Qiu had no reason to harm her.

"Although I don't know what you are ultimately planning to do, I know one thing: no matter what you do, I will support you..."

Ye Qiu cast a surprised look at her, feeling a mixture of pleasant astonishment and a trace of apprehension.

"Is this woman confessing her feelings to me in a roundabout way? Hmm... that seems rather unlikely. Could it be that I've been daydreaming too much lately and started hallucinating?

"No, no, I'm not the protagonist; how could she possibly take a fancy to me?! It must be an illusion..."

Ye Qiu shook his head, wearing the quintessential smile of a dense, unromantic man, and replied, "Thanks, huh..."

And that was it?

Was there no other expression or sentiment?!

Yuechan stood there with a blank look of bewilderment. Was this guy doing it on purpose, or did he genuinely not understand the meaning of her words?

Ugh, what a hopelessly dense blockhead!