Chapter 1814: Who is following us?

"Getting old, can't walk much anymore." Ji Ruiguang stopped and sat down on a rock.

The entire team turned to glare at the Earthling, their expressions dark with irritation.

"Ji Ruiguang, what exactly are you trying to do?"

Ji Ruiguang chuckled and pulled open his clothes, revealing a wound that stretched from his left abdomen to his right chest—a gruesome gash over thirty centimeters long. Though it had scabbed over, fresh blood still seeped out with his movements.

"Got injured. Can’t keep up like you all."

The group fell silent.

In the recent battle, this Earthling had indeed played a pivotal role. His abilities and timing had been crucial in slaying that powerful parasite.

As a result, their team—comprising over twenty members from six different races—had earned a 135% bonus on their base points after hunting a parasite ranked 310th on the target list. The final tally? 230 points, distributed among them at 9 to 12 points per person based on contribution.

This was just a warm-up. They had already set their sights on a colony of parasites—lower-ranked but far more numerous. If successful, each member could net another 30 points or so.

Combined with the scattered gains along the way, they could easily rack up 40 to 50 points by day’s end.

They acknowledged Ji Ruiguang’s contributions, but he wasn’t indispensable. The only reason they tolerated him was that his presence as an Earthling boosted their point rewards by 5%. Losing him now would be a net loss.

Of course… by the time the battlefield’s deadline loomed, he might just become a walking point stash...

"How long do you need to rest?" rumbled a towering, giant-like lifeform.

Had Ye Zhongming been here, he would’ve recognized them—three members of the Numao Clan.

"Half an hour. Once the bleeding stops, we’ll move. You can use the time to hunt nearby, squeeze in a few extra points."

Ji Ruiguang smiled amiably.

The group exchanged glances and dispersed to scout for prey. Every point counted, especially since their current rankings were still dangerously low.

Alone, Ji Ruiguang sat motionless, seemingly lost in thought—but in reality, he was scrolling through his record log.

"Mu Hanyi, 38 points… huh, just gained three more? Not bad."

"Gong Chai’s score is pitiful—only six? Did something happen?"

"Kim Ri-seung’s doing alright, over twenty."

"And Ye Zhongming? Let’s see… damn, nearly fifty already. As expected of the former number one in China."

He scanned the rankings, noting the scores of every Earthling he recognized.

As the former leader of Zone C and de facto head of the Resistance Zone, Ji Ruiguang was a man of deep calculations. No one truly knew what went on in his mind.

In fact, his demeanor before and after reaching Nine Stars had become utterly unrecognizable—a shift many Resistance Zone officers had noticed.

The old Ji Ruiguang had been ruthless, pragmatic, and coldly efficient. But in the short time since ascending to Nine Stars, he’d adopted an air of detached serenity.

Some called it enlightenment. Others said his perspective had simply expanded.

This team was his creation, forged in his new mindset.

Of the twenty members, more than half had been personally recruited by him—strangers from different races, bound together under rules that allowed mutual slaughter. The difficulty of such a feat was staggering.

His injury? A calculated move—proof of commitment, a way to show these beings the benefits of cooperation.

A burst of combat noise echoed from nearby. Someone had stumbled upon prey.

"Such a target-rich environment… only possible in the Novice Battlefield."

Ji Ruiguang smirked.

"Safety in numbers." At least for now. As for later… well. Everyone had their own plans.

…………………………………………………………

"Ye, you feel that?"

Jie Kui didn’t wait for orders before starting to dismantle the corpse. Some habits stuck fast.

Ye Zhongming gave a terse nod, his expression turning grave.

Someone was tracking them.

From the moment they’d finished harvesting the Spirit Fire Rhinos, all the way through the first day of the Novice Battlefield, a group had been closing in.

Thanks to Ye Zhongming’s supernatural awareness and the Star-Eye Clan’s Detection Sense, they’d managed to evade each approach.

For now, avoiding conflict was key.

First, they were outnumbered and outgunned—these weren’t pushovers.

Second, killing now was pointless. The risk of counterattack was high, the points gained meager, and it’d only expose their location.

So they’d kept moving.

At first, they’d assumed it was just curiosity—other participants drawn by the battles. But every time they relocated, the same group reappeared.

That wasn’t a coincidence.

Ye Zhongming checked his record log. The kill trackers—those who’d slain three or more—numbered in the dozens now, but none were nearby.

Not hunters… yet they kept coming.

The most likely culprits? The Numao Clan. But a glance at the rankings ruled that out—their points had spiked recently, meaning they’d been fighting, not chasing.

Then who?

"Fight?" Jie Kui, now sitting at 40+ points, was practically itching for action.

Ye Zhongming shook his head—no need to reveal themselves yet.

Jie Kui shrugged and went back to butchering, leaving Ye Zhongming mildly exasperated.

"You’re a Nine-Star. At least offer some input?"

Soon, the corpse was processed. The pursuers were getting close.

"There."

Ye Zhongming pointed toward a denser stretch of rainforest, where the trees loomed taller.

"More prey?" Jie Kui’s eyes gleamed—he’d become a point addict.

"No." Ye Zhongming broke into a sprint, no longer hiding their trail.

"I just want to see who’s been following us."