Chapter 862: Break Out

Boom! Bang! Rumble!

In the Xing Tian Mountains, rumbling sounds echoed through the sky. Mountain after mountain collapsed amidst the fierce battle.

This was a war of cultivators, incredibly brutal. Even though the Hao Tian Shi Jia held an absolute advantage, casualties were still occurring. People kept charging into the void, and just as many fell from the sky.

Amidst the chaos, a figure covered in blood was sent flying by Ye Chen, standing out starkly against the dark night.

"That... that is..." The Shi Xue Dian armies, still locked in combat, instinctively looked up at the void, their gazes fixed on that blood-drenched figure. Even from a distance, they could clearly see the gruesome, gaping wound in the forehead of the Shi Xue Dian commander.

"The commander... is dead?" The eyes of the Shi Xue Dian troops bulged in unison.

"This... how is this possible?" The voices of the Shi Xue Dian members trembled as they spoke.

"This... that was too fast!" It wasn't just them; even the people from the Hao Tian Shi Jia were collectively stunned.

That was a commander! A genuine Quasi-Heaven Realm expert, stationed at the rear under the protection of the army, yet he had been killed so quickly that no one had time to react.

"Slaying the enemy commander head-on in the midst of a massive army, he truly is a peerless god of war!" The elders of the Hao Tian Shi Jia murmured in amazement, Ye Chen's combat prowess once again shattering their limits of shock.

Pfft!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the slain Shi Xue Dian commander was impaled on a pitch-black war spear, fixed firmly in the void.

This sight chilled the hearts of the Shi Xue Dian army to the core. With their commander dead, what was the point of fighting on?

"Kill!"

In contrast, the Hao Tian Shi Jia forces were filled with high spirits, routing the Shi Xue Dian troops completely.

Boom! Bang!

In those brief moments, Ye Chen wasn't idle. His figure moved like a ghost, darting through the Shi Xue Dian army and shattering their attack formations one by one.

In cultivator wars, the greatest source of heavy casualties was these attack formations. The combined power of the army made their killing arrays overwhelmingly strong.

At that moment, what threatened the safety of the Hao Tian Shi Jia were precisely these attack formations. Even Ye Chen, with his formidable strength, didn't dare to clash directly with their divine might, let alone the others from the Hao Tian Shi Jia.

"Finish this quickly." Ye Chen's voice thundered across the heavens and earth as he destroyed the last of the Shi Xue Dian attack formations.

Without him needing to say it, the Hao Tian Shi Jia members were already fighting valiantly, knowing full well that this was just the vanguard army meant to hold them back. Far more terrifying forces could arrive at any moment.

However, as the battle raged on, a strange scene unfolded: the Shi Xue Dian army began to flee en masse.

It made sense. With their strength already suppressed, their commander slain, and all their devastating attack formations destroyed, they couldn't withstand the Hao Tian Shi Jia's overwhelming assault.

Compared to following orders from above, they prioritized their own lives.

Thus, the sky was filled with figures scrambling away, fleeing faster than rabbits.

"Don't pursue a beaten foe!"

As the Hao Tian Shi Jia army moved to chase them down, Hao Tian Xuan Zhen barked out a stern command.

Ye Chen glanced at the remnants of the Shi Xue Dian forces, then suddenly leaped over the Xing Tian Mountains.

Following him, the Hao Tian Shi Jia army crossed the vast mountain range one after another, stepping into the mortal realm.

Immediately, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth weakened dramatically, growing thinner the deeper they ventured into the mortal realm, to the point where in some areas, they couldn't detect even a trace of it.

Yet, this didn't hinder the Hao Tian Shi Jia's advance.

Though their numbers were large, their speed was impressive, flashing with various divine lights that turned the dark night into a dazzling spectacle.

"What... what is that?" A merchant caravan resting in the mountains of the mortal realm was awakened, all of them craning their necks in astonishment at the void.

"Immortals—they're immortals." An elderly man trembled with excitement.

"Is... is that what immortals look like?"

"What's there to stare at? Kneel down!" The elderly man scolded hastily, and the entire caravan prostrated themselves on the ground, out of reverence for the immortals and in hope of receiving their blessings.

This scene left Ye Chen, treading through the sky, with a complex mix of emotions.

Once, he had been like them, or even worse off, spending countless days and nights clutching stolen mantou and gazing at the sky, wishing for immortals to bestow their favor.

But wishes were beautiful, and reality was cruel. He couldn't decide whether to mourn the mortals' naivety or despise the world's harshness.

In silence, he withdrew his gaze and picked up his speed.

...

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

In Tian Zang Ancient City, roars of fury shook the heavens, coming from a figure like a raging demon.

He was, of course, Xue Qiong, the hall master of the ninth branch of the Shi Xue Dian.

At that moment, he stood before the teleportation array in Tian Zang Ancient City—or more precisely, what remained of it, now destroyed.

Indeed, the teleportation array in Tian Zang Ancient City had been ruined, leaving those who had rushed there with an overwhelming urge to cry.

Ah!

Xue Qiong howled at the sky, like a madman.

In just a few days, they had suffered one setback after another: first a heavy loss in the Hao Tian Shi Jia's teleportation domain gate, then a trap at the Huang Quan Ancient City's teleportation array, and now, after all their efforts, this one had been destroyed too.

Even as the hall master, Xue Qiong couldn't endure these successive blows.

And that wasn't the most absurd part. The most ridiculous thing was that he had been sent to encircle the Hao Tian Shi Jia, yet from the time they set out for Bei Zhen Cang Yuan until now, they hadn't even caught a glimpse of their enemies.

"Clever me, lucky I ran fast." On a nearby pavilion, Ye Chen's Dao Shen panted heavily, having barely succeeded in his task just in time.

"Boss, let me catch my breath." Ye Chen's Dao Shen sent a message to Ye Chen.

"Go ahead." Ye Chen's voice echoed in his mind.

"The outside world is so full of wonders!" With Ye Chen's permission, Ye Chen's Dao Shen chuckled and rubbed his hands. As a Dao Shen, he had never strayed far from his true self, but he had his own thoughts and a deep curiosity about the world, eager to experience it firsthand.

"Once the world is at peace, I'll grant you your freedom." Perhaps sensing his Dao Shen's feelings, Ye Chen replied.

"I... I didn't mean that." Ye Chen's Dao Shen quickly responded, but received no further answer.

"Did I say something wrong? I... huh?" Ye Chen's Dao Shen scratched his head, but before he could finish, he let out a soft exclamation. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a graceful figure stepping out of the pavilion.

"So familiar." Ye Chen's Dao Shen hurriedly stood up and slipped after her.

Emerging from the pavilion, he stealthily followed her.

Ahead, the figure's cloak swayed gently, her steps light and elegant, enveloped in faint, shimmering seven-colored divine light. Even her white hair glowed with a sacred aura, making her seem like a fairy descended from the nine heavens, untouched by the mortal world's dust.

"The more I look, the more familiar she seems." Ye Chen's Dao Shen stroked his chin and unconsciously quickened his pace.

To his surprise, the white-haired woman moved in a strangely elusive way, her body fading with each step until she vanished completely, leaving the people on the street collectively stunned.

"What a mysterious divine ability." Ye Chen's Dao Shen frowned and suddenly dashed forward like a beam of divine light, chasing in a certain direction.

It wasn't until he reached a deep mountain range that he finally stopped.

The mountains were unremarkable, but what was remarkable was the stunned expression on Ye Chen's Dao Shen's face. He had tracked her all the way here, only to lose sight of the white-haired woman.

"Da Chu is full of talents!" Ye Chen's Dao Shen scratched his head. His speed matched that of his true self, yet he had lost her, forcing him to admire the woman's extraordinary skills.

Hmm?

As he spoke, Ye Chen's Dao Shen's brows furrowed, and he abruptly turned around.

Behind him, seven-colored divine light swirled, coalescing into a dreamlike figure—it was the white-haired woman. Now, however, she held a sword wreathed in seven-colored divine light.

"You..." Seeing the woman's true face, Ye Chen's Dao Shen froze in place.