Chapter 858: Buying Time

Chapter 858: Racing Against Time

Stop!

In the dark night, Hao Tian Xuan Zhen suddenly halted, his vast eyes scanning the surrounding void.

"What's wrong? Why did we stop?" From behind, Hao Tian Xuan Hai flew over, looking at Hao Tian Xuan Zhen with a puzzled expression.

"The atmosphere feels strange." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen furrowed his brow and said.

"Strange?" Hao Tian Xuan Hai raised an eyebrow and followed Hao Tian Xuan Zhen's gaze around the void. After a second or two, he turned back to Hao Tian Xuan Zhen. "What's strange about it?"

"It's a very bad intuition."

"You're just too tense." Hao Tian Jing Shan and the others caught up. "We haven't seen any pursuers for so long; we've already broken out of their encirclement. In three more hours, we'll reach Huang Quan Mountains, and once we cross them, we'll be in the mortal world. Then, the Hao Tian family will have survived this catastrophe."

"No, that's not right." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen's eyes flickered as he gazed into the distance, as if he could see through the vast expanse to the majestic Huang Quan Mountains. "I've never felt such heart palpitations before. Ahead is definitely a path of no return."

"Father, have you foreseen something?" Hao Tian Shi Yue asked hurriedly.

"It's a strong instinctive sense of danger." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen took a deep breath.

"At a time like this, it's normal for feelings to be confused." Hao Tian Xuan Hai stroked his beard. "We should keep moving quickly. The Bloodthirsty Hall's army could catch up at any moment."

"For safety, send someone to scout ahead." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen said immediately.

"In that case, let me go!" Hao Tian Xuan Hai said, stepping into the void.

But he had barely flown far when a golden hand pulled him back.

Seeing this, everyone frowned.

"All of you, stay put." A voice echoed through the heavens and earth as Ye Chen appeared before the group, his body radiating golden light. Only then did they realize who had pulled Hao Tian Xuan Hai back.

"Chen Ye." Seeing that it was Ye Chen, Hao Tian Xuan Zhen let out a heavy sigh of relief. What more could he ask for, seeing Ye Chen alive?

"You can't go any further." Ye Chen had no time for small talk with Hao Tian Xuan Zhen. He simply pulled out a massive map and spread it out in front of everyone. "The Huang Quan Mountains are already a trap set everywhere."

At these words, everyone's faces changed dramatically.

Only Hao Tian Xuan Zhen wasn't as shocked as the others, since he had already sensed something like this.

"Chen Ye, have you been to the Huang Quan Mountains?" Hao Tian Shi Yue asked tentatively, looking at Ye Chen.

"No." Ye Chen replied calmly. "When I came, the Bloodthirsty Hall's ninth branch army was rushing in from all sides. They're using teleportation arrays, and by my calculations, they've already set up traps in the Huang Quan Mountains by now."

"After three days and nights of nonstop travel, we still couldn't escape." The group of elders sighed. "If we're not mistaken, the pursuers behind us will catch up soon, and we'll be caught in a pincer attack with no way out."

"No, we haven't lost yet." Ye Chen said firmly, pointing to several spots on the map. "Here, Huang Quan Ancient City, about three hundred li from us. Though the city isn't large, it has a teleportation array. From Huang Quan Ancient City, we can teleport to Zhen Long Ancient City, then from there to Nan Yang Ancient City, and finally cross the Xing Tian Mountains to reach the mortal world. Most importantly, this route will let us evade the Bloodthirsty Hall's pursuit."

"With so many of us, can the teleportation array in Huang Quan Ancient City handle it?" Hao Tian Xuan Hai frowned.

"Then we'll teleport in batches."

"That's true, but since the Bloodthirsty Hall knows our movements, how could they give us a chance to escape? Huang Quan Ancient City, Zhen Long Ancient City, and Nan Yang Ancient City are probably all heavily guarded by them. If we fight, we could still end up surrounded."

"It's true they're guarded, but not with heavy forces." Ye Chen said quickly. "They assume we'll pass through the Huang Quan Mountains, so to wipe out the Hao Tian family completely, they'll concentrate all their strength there to set up an inescapable net. That's our advantage for escape. Besides, my Yi Qi Hua San Qing incarnations have already secured Huang Quan Ancient City, and my Immortal Fire incarnation has taken Zhen Long Ancient City, while my Heavenly Thunder incarnation is heading to Nan Yang Ancient City. All we need is time."

"In that case, let's move out." Hao Tian Xuan Zhen acted decisively, being the first to step into the void.

Behind him, the people of the Hao Tian family followed one after another. The situation was clear now—they were racing against time. Any delay could lead to disaster.

Once again, Ye Chen brought up the rear. After making sure everyone from the Hao Tian family had caught up, he scanned the void and joined their ranks.

Though three hundred li was a distance, for cultivators, it was merely the time for three cups of tea, especially since they could now unleash their full speed without hiding.

At some point, the Hao Tian family members flooded into Huang Quan Ancient City like a tide.

"Enter in batches, with the elderly and children going first." Hao Tian Xuan Hai's voice rang out repeatedly.

The Hao Tian family moved efficiently, groups of people stepping into the teleportation array.

Indeed, the teleportation array in Huang Quan Ancient City was nothing like the Hao Tian family's domain gate; it couldn't support everyone at once. Though time was pressing, they had no other choice.

Meanwhile, on the tallest peak of the vast Huang Quan Mountains, Xue Qiong lounged leisurely on a chair, gazing into the distance with interest.

The Huang Quan Mountains stretched over eighty thousand li, filled with towering, majestic peaks as far as the eye could see.

This mountain range separated the mortal world from the cultivator realm. Though far from major cultivator hubs, it still had decent spiritual energy. Perhaps because the mountains were so high and teeming with demonic beasts, ordinary people had no chance of crossing them.

At that moment, strong experts were hidden on every peak of the Huang Quan Mountains, waiting for the Hao Tian family to arrive.

"Are all preparations complete?" Xue Qiong asked, toying with the ring on his thumb.

"Reporting to the hall master, the Bloodthirsty God Shadows are fully coordinated for the ambush. The Huang Quan Mountains are set as an inescapable net, ensuring the Hao Tian family has no way out." A commander bared his teeth in a sinister grin.

"What about the scouts we sent?"

"They haven't returned yet, but by the timing, they should be back soon."

"Excellent." Xue Qiong laughed cruelly. "Pass the order: No one is to act without my command. Let the Hao Tian family come in slowly—I want to wipe them out completely."

"Understood."

"This is the last batch." At the teleportation array in Huang Quan Ancient City, Hao Tian Xuan Hai let out a heavy breath.

"Hurry." Beside him, Ye Chen took a deep breath. "It won't be long before Xue Qiong notices something's wrong. By then, we'll face not just the ninth branch of the Bloodthirsty Hall."

"Chen Ye, if I don't make it to Nan Chu alive, you..."

"You must live." Ye Chen, who had been silent, cut off Hao Tian Xuan Zhen's words, his tone cold. "You've already let down my mother; you can't let down the Hao Tian family now."