An intense battle was also taking place on the ancient battlefield above the Molten Cave.
The moment the Molten Cave was sealed by Abyss Energy, Su Muyu noticed that the connection with the Qingluan Divine Bird was lost.
Such a situation was rare, but it wasn’t the first time it had happened.
When she first entered the Ancient Tree Space, the Chongming Bird left outside lost its connection too.
However, there was no danger that time, so she didn’t worry about external matters.
Now it’s completely different, with Lu Heng and Terres sealed in the Underground Melt Cave, facing unknown dangers.
She tried several times to reconnect her consciousness with the Qingluan Divine Bird but failed each time.
Despite her concerns, this was a time for calmness.
Her skill set was strong but had a downside: many abilities were tied to the Qingluan Divine Bird. Losing it meant a significant drop in combat power and reconnaissance capabilities.
Aside from a few Elf Clan Dragon Hawk Knights left on the surface, only the three of her team members remained. Without their strongest combatant, facing high-level targets would be extremely dangerous.
So, she quickly made the decision to abandon the Qingluan Divine Bird in the Molten Cave and summon another one.
The Qingluan Divine Bird spread its wings and ascended into the sky, expanding its reconnaissance ability to retake control of the battlefield on the ground.
Skeletons continued to encircle them relentlessly, but their lower levels posed little threat.
The real threat was from afar — the human with the Fourth Transition Rank, Ke Yiming.
Su Muyu, worried about the situation in the Molten Cave, controlled the Qingluan Divine Bird to hover over Ke Yiming and asked, "What’s happening in the underground cave? You better be clear; otherwise, I’ll kill you right now."
Ke Yiming revealed a calm smile and said, "Without Lu Heng, are you sure you can truly kill me?"
He was, at present, the only human with a Fourth Transition Rank. Although his combat power couldn’t compare to Lu Heng, he was confident against others.
"You cocky rascal, do you believe I won’t shoot you in the head?" Lin Zeyu aimed at Ke Yiming’s head through a sniper rifle scope.
If it weren’t for needing to ask questions, he would have shot already.
Ke Yiming spread his hands and said, "I warned you earlier not to waste time here, but you just wouldn’t listen."
"What does he mean by that?" Lin Zeyu couldn’t understand.
When the team first arrived at the ancient battlefield, Ke Yiming did indeed tell them not to waste time here, but as enemies, even if they understood his words, they wouldn’t trust him.
Su Muyu understood the meaning behind his words because before the Underground Melt Cave was sealed, the Qingluan Divine Bird had seen that the "Bone Sovereign" in the black mist was Clyde Saville in disguise.
This was why she didn’t immediately strike at Ke Yiming; there were many questions she needed to clear up.
"Where is the Bone Sovereign now?"
Upon hearing Su Muyu’s question, Ke Yiming’s face showed no change in expression.
It was Lin Zeyu and Xie Shi’en who looked bewildered. They had no idea what had happened in the Molten Cave, nor did they know the Bone Sovereign down below was fake.
"Wait, isn’t the Bone Sovereign below?" Lin Zeyu pointed his finger at the ground beneath him.
"That one is fake, disguised by Clyde Saville. I had my suspicions from the start; we never saw Clyde Saville while pursuing, except once at the Ice Disaster Rift. I never expected the Bone Sovereign we were tracking was him in disguise." Su Muyu divulged this piece of intel.
Lin Zeyu and Xie Shi’en gasped in shock. If the Bone Sovereign below in the Underground Melt Cave was fake, things were far more severe.
Knowing the true location of the Bone Sovereign’s real body would directly influence the course of the battle.
If the Bone Sovereign had really set an ambush nearby, it would mean that the three of them would have to face an evil demigod head-on.
Given their current combat power, being able to hold out without being instantly defeated would already be an extraordinary performance.
Su Muyu was initially worried about the Bone Sovereign lurking nearby, so the first thing she did upon releasing the Qingluan Divine Bird was to scout within a three-kilometer radius.
Furthermore, logically, with Lu Heng and Terres trapped in the Underground Melt Cave, they would certainly try to break out.
If the Bone Sovereign were indeed hidden nearby, it would come to kill the three of them at the first opportunity, clean up the Dragon Hawk Knights, and then await Lu Heng and Terres for a final showdown.
Since the Underground Melt Cave was sealed, some time had passed, and the Bone Sovereign hadn’t appeared, indicating it was likely not nearby.
If the real Bone Sovereign wasn’t nearby, the answer was clear.
"The real Bone Sovereign must have gone to Kolos City, right?"
Su Muyu deduced the answer and immediately took out the Communication Treasure Pearl, relaying the information back to Kolos City to alert Queen Orelana.
Ke Yiming sighed and said, "Even if you’ve guessed correctly, it doesn’t matter. In the end, this battle belongs to the Bone Sovereign. I originally intended to just observe, but that’s unnecessary now."
As he spoke, he slowly raised his right hand, and a phantom of a blood-colored scythe appeared above his palm: "Don’t blame me; everyone wants to be on the winning side.
"If you’d won, I wouldn’t have acted, only hiding until it was time to return home.
"But since you’ve lost, I must do something to earn the right to survive."