Chapter 123: The Pursuit Battle

Sun Liang’s death was like a breach in a dam; the collapse happened in an instant. Though some brave warriors charged forward, most of the cultivators in the Li army followed Gu Feng’s order: retreat.

Mao Tai grabbed Jing Ling, whose eyes were already red with fury, and they turned to fly away.

"Pursue!"

The order came from the Seventh Princess, but both Chen Mingguang and Wu Gang hesitated for a moment.

"Don't worry about me. General Ji Lan has already won; there is no more danger here. Go, pursue them!"

The two exchanged glances, confirming their intent, and with two swift movements, they sped off after Mao Tai. The two enemies had already fled into the dense forest, which offered better cover, and they hacked down trees as they ran to create obstacles for those following.

"Be careful. They might turn back for a counterattack."

Chen Mingguang was cautious by nature and relied on his intellect. In his view, although the Li army had been defeated, they had managed to gain the upper hand against Mao Tai and Jing Ling in the three-on-two skirmish, but none of those blows had been fatal. Both Mao Tai and Jing Ling still possessed spiritual energy; a single moment of carelessness could lead to a deadly riposte.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

In the jungle, the figures of the pursuers and the pursued flickered incessantly.

"Wu Gang, do you feel like something is wrong?"

"Huh?" Wu Gang had been focused entirely on the battle and hadn't been thinking at all. To him, the battlefield required no thought—only the killing of those before him. His expression showed he completely failed to understand Chen Mingguang’s line of questioning. He simply threw himself into the high-speed pursuit.

Chen Mingguang trailed slightly behind him, a subtle difference in positioning that perhaps reflected their differing temperaments.

"During the time when only the Seventh Princess and I were at Desheng Pass, we often held councils with General He Jiang. I prefer to observe what a man does rather than listen to what he says."

Wu Gang asked, "So, what did he do?"

"I think..." Chen Mingguang’s eyes revealed a look of recollection, "I think he had prepared himself to die."

"The battle was imminent. A commander should naturally have the resolve to die. What of it?"

"No, the way he acted, it was as if he felt his death was certain, and there was only one reason: he could not defeat the Li army."

But the current situation did not align with that.

"Perhaps Shu Le has returned."

Wu Gang’s suggestion made sense. The return of a Return-to-Origin realm expert might have been enough to restore General He Jiang’s confidence. This was precisely why Chen Mingguang was wavering, unable to be certain.

"Regardless, General Ji Lan killing Sun Liang—the battle developing so smoothly—it is truly too easy. Even my most optimistic estimates were not this optimistic."

"Are you saying Sun Liang isn't dead?"

Chen Mingguang frowned, pressing his lips together in thought. He felt it unlikely that Sun Liang’s death was a ruse. With so many people present and three Return-to-Origin experts watching, deception would be difficult. Sun Liang was likely truly dead; in reality, he was no match for General Ji Lan. Ji Lan, hailing from the Luyang Academy, had been a legendary figure during her time there. Having been on the battlefield for so long, her mental fortitude alone made it difficult for ordinary people to gain an advantage over her. Thus, defeating Sun Liang was not surprising.

"But what if Sun Liang’s death is the trap itself?" Chen Mingguang made a bold conjecture. "If I were Gu Feng, knowing Desheng Pass is difficult to assault, I would know that conventional means wouldn't work. The best method would be to lure the people out of the pass."

"But He Jiang is a veteran who has fought for years, as is Ji Lan. They wouldn't be easily fooled. There must be a massive bait to induce the cultivators of Desheng Pass to chase them out."

"And this bait would have to be so significant that even He Jiang would be tempted—or unable to stop the others!"

Chen Mingguang spoke and analyzed silently. As he uttered the last word, his pupils contracted. His figure flashed, and he blocked Wu Gang’s path.

"Stop! We cannot pursue any further."

Logically, Wu Gang felt that Chen Mingguang’s words made sense, but there was one point worth questioning.

"Even if that is true, do you think the Li Kingdom would use the life of a Return-to-Origin expert as bait?"

Chen Mingguang was truly doubtful. He replied, "If the prize is Desheng Pass, then it is worth it."

"You are joking. Without Sun Liang, the Li army is bound to lose. How could they capture Desheng Pass?"

"Not necessarily. Even if they cannot stop General Ji, and can do nothing to her, what if they only intend to trap her temporarily? Do you remember how Shu Le went missing?"

Shu Le was also of the Return-to-Origin realm. That day, he had been taken away by Qing Feng using some mysterious method.

The more Chen Mingguang thought, the colder his back felt. If General Ji were to be dragged away from the battlefield at this moment, what would happen to those who had pursued them? "Go back!"

"What?"

"Listen to me! I am still your captain! Go back! Even if all my guesses are wrong, the Seventh Princess is still at Desheng Pass!"

*Clap! Clap! Clap!*

From behind a giant tree deep in the jungle, Mao Tai emerged, clapping his hands. "Luyang Academy is truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers reside. Not only is your talent for cultivation unparalleled, but your wits are also remarkably sharp. Chen Mingguang of Luyang Academy..."

"...If I don't kill you now and give you time to grow, once you enter the Return-to-Origin realm with such a sharp mind, you will surely become a formidable general in the future, and one who would certainly give our Li Kingdom a headache."

"Hehehehe." Beside Mao Tai, Jing Ling emerged, carrying his hammer. Furthermore, two masked figures descended from the trees with a *swish*.

Chen Mingguang was shocked. He had been extremely cautious, yet looking at the situation, how far had they been lured out?

*Stay calm! Stay calm! Don't panic!*

"So, everything I said was correct?!"

Mao Tai smiled wickedly. "More or less. Otherwise, how would we ever take Desheng Pass? You lot hide inside like turtles, which is always so irritating."

"To hell with fear! I'll hack them to pieces!"

Wu Gang was full of spirit; he was a man who lived to die in battle.

Chen Mingguang held him back slightly and said to Mao Tai, "Although I analyzed it that way, it is still astonishing that you would use a Return-to-Origin expert as bait. I didn't expect General Gu Feng to have such resolve."

"It wasn't his resolve. The Great Rain Palace helped him decide."

*The Great Rain Palace...*

"Shu Yu shouldn't be able to come, right?"

"The Great Rain Palace is full of talent. Even though Master Shu Yu is injured, we still have others."

This was a lie. Since leaving Luyang, Chen Mingguang had been collecting information about the Great Rain Palace. They were now down to only two Pavilion Masters, and regardless, with the Vice Dean in Xingyuan City, they could not leave. This was hardly "full of talent." Unless the Master of the Great Rain Palace had come in person.

Chen Mingguang shifted his gaze to the two black-clad figures who had just landed. "Who are you?"

"Two peaks give birth to twelve children, falling into the mortal world to become immortals. You two are dying here today because Emperor Xu said nothing, which led you, a clever man, to overlook us."

*Two Peaks...*

Chen Mingguang had never considered this. In truth, since encountering Qing Feng, he had heard some rumors about this lost sect from the Seventh Princess and Gu Yi. He just hadn't thought they would have allied with the Great Rain Palace. He had miscalculated; the Xu Kingdom was their common enemy...

The Great Rain Palace couldn't send people, but the Two Peaks could...

Desheng Pass was in danger! And the two of them were in even greater danger!

"Enough chatter. Do it. Don't cause complications like the others."

Hearing this, Wu Gang leveled his blade at his chest. "Want to kill us? How can you do that without losing two lives of your own?"

"Wu Gang, fly into the air first!"

Chen Mingguang knew the situation was urgent. He acted before Wu Gang, throwing out his flying sword; within a radius of several meters, there was nothing but sword light!

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The sword light forced the four opponents to retreat, shielding their eyes from the glare.

*Whoosh!*

Following Wu Gang’s ascent into the sky, Chen Mingguang followed closely behind. Seeing this, Mao Tai understood. "They want to escape! Pursue!"

As he spoke, he took a bow and arrow from his back. His body performed a series of sharp, concise flips before he settled on the tip of a tree. Under the sky, he drew his bow, spiritual energy surging.

*Bang!*

An arrow imbued with spiritual energy spiraled rapidly toward Chen Mingguang. The sound of the air being torn and the sense of danger had never been so close. Chen Mingguang glanced back and saw the arrowhead growing larger. He gritted his teeth and pulled sideways. Though he barely dodged it, the effort required to maneuver caused his speed to drop sharply.

Jing Ling and the black-clad figures closed in rapidly. If Mao Tai continued to shoot like this, he and Wu Gang would never escape.

In desperation, Chen Mingguang hurriedly pulled a spiritual talisman from his sleeve. Using his blood as a sacrifice and spiritual energy as a guide, he gripped the talisman with his right hand and pulled sharply. An eagle’s cry rang out, piercing the sky.

A massive, brown eagle burst from the talisman, flapping its wings, and began to circle in the air.

"Wu Gang, don't get bogged down in battle! Let's go!"

*Chirp! Chirp!*

Mao Tai, who was trailing behind, cursed and hurriedly followed. That beast was no ordinary eagle; it was a spiritual creature! The giant hawk had powerful wings and was skilled at flight, and this one, infused with spiritual energy, was not only massive but faster!

Wu Gang didn't know these details. "Is this the one the Pavilion Master raised, the Shehuang?"

Chen Mingguang surveyed the situation behind them. Their speed was still high—thankfully—and he answered his question, "It is not Shehuang; Shehuang was demoted to a chicken. This is Mengyi. Hawks are spiritual pets kept by the imperial family; our family was fortunate enough to be gifted one, and my father gave it to me when I left."

"Truly a lifesaver..."

Normally, anyone would have such a sentiment, but Wu Gang was no normal man. He was furious upon hearing this. "You had a way to escape this whole time?! And you were so afraid of these guys?! I wasn't afraid! Why are we running?! Let's go back and kill them!"

*Smack!*

"I just saved your life! Don't you thank me, why are you yelling at me?!"

Wu Gang’s head ached from the blow. If it weren't his captain, he certainly wouldn't have been so obedient.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The danger had not yet passed. Although the four behind them could not keep up, the Li Kingdom’s guardian-level experts in the sky seemed to have begun a full-scale counterattack. Consequently, there were people on both their left and right sides closing in with swords drawn. The two of them and the hawk were particularly conspicuous, and those with long-range abilities were already coming to claim their lives.

"Mengyi, accelerate!"

Chen Mingguang felt they could not afford to be entangled. The enemy was too numerous; if they were slowed down, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Mengyi was quite spirited; it flapped its wings and accelerated instantly!

"Ah!"

Wu Gang, who hadn't stood steadily, was almost blown away by the wind and momentum, but Chen Mingguang grabbed him just in time. Wu Gang clung to the eagle’s back, gripping its feathers.

*Chirp! Chirp!*

"Don't just pull those few feathers, you'll make the eagle bald!" Chen Mingguang seemed to sense Mengyi’s feelings.

"I know, I know, sorry, brother."

*Chirp! Chirp!*

"Mengyi, to the left!"

A rapidly approaching figure slashed out a threatening blade of light. Fortunately, Mengyi was fast enough to tilt its body to the right and dodge it. This repeated continuously, until Wu Gang felt like his stomach was about to turn inside out.

"Captain! Each time they approach, it's only one or two people. Do we really have to run? Why not let me go and hack them to pieces?"

Being pestered like a flea was indeed annoying.

"No!" Chen Mingguang kept shaking his head; he had to observe the situation on all sides.

"Why?!"

"First, we don't know if General He Jiang realizes this is a trap set by Gu Feng, nor do we know if he has considered the alliance between the Two Peaks and the Great Rain Palace. This information is vital. Mao Tai only spoke because he thought we were dead. We cannot die; otherwise, who will tell General He Jiang?"

"Second, if the situation at Desheng Pass is unstable, there will likely be heavy casualties. When that happens, no one will be able to look out for anyone else. What will you do about the Seventh Princess? I know you hate those people for what they did to your arm, and I hate them too, but brother, we must endure. This is war, not a time to show off brute courage."

As he spoke, Chen Mingguang patted his back, hoping his straightforward brother would show a little restraint. Wu Gang wasn't that stupid. Most of the time, he just preferred to solve problems with courage rather than intellect, but once told, he would follow through—and with more intensity than anyone else. Chen Mingguang’s strategy was clearly the optimal choice for the moment.

However, he had overlooked one thing: the Two Peaks.

The two masked figures from the Two Peaks were still in pursuit. Mao Tai and Jing Ling had actually fallen behind, as keeping up with Mengyi’s speed required a massive expenditure of spiritual energy for any individual cultivator. Even if they caught up, it would be meaningless, as they would be drained of energy and essentially walking to their deaths.

Because of this, even though other cultivators had rushed from various directions to intercept them, most gave up once they realized the target was too fast.

Only the two in black remained.

Chen Mingguang stood up and turned around, staring at the two figures struggling to approach them. The wild wind made his clothes snap violently. Gradually, Wu Gang’s attention was also drawn to the rear.

"What is wrong with them? Is their spiritual energy inexhaustible?"

Wu Gang’s question was exactly what Chen Mingguang was thinking. Moreover, as they looked down, they saw that above the forest, a vast amount of spiritual energy was converging from all directions, as if responding to the will of those two black-clad figures.

Chen Mingguang and Wu Gang felt a great shock in their hearts.

"Even with Mengyi, we still can't escape?!"