parentshiftbook Chapter 158 The Chase
Chapter 158 The Chase
"A demon at the Bone Forging Realm, truly formidable!"
Hua Zhu's face showed exhaustion, and his qi and blood were slightly fluctuating, indicating that his strength had only reached the late stage of the Refining Realm. If an ordinary martial artist witnessed this scene, they would surely exclaim in surprise: "Slaying an enemy beyond one's own realm!"
It's not uncommon for martial artists to fight across realms, but most of these battles involve crossing minor realms.
The gap between major realms is simply too vast, and very few people can achieve it. Of course, Zhang Ping is an exception, as the source of his power does not depend on the martial arts system.
Hua Zhu's cultivation level improved rapidly, yet she was still able to cross major realms to kill demons, which shows how solid her foundation of qi and blood was.
She cut off the most valuable materials from the demon, and only after she finished collecting them did she realize that Grandpa Green and Grandma Red were arguing again behind her. Hua Zhu sighed and rubbed her head in exasperation. Fortunately, she had been through a lot and had some experience in dealing with such situations.
She sheathed her twin swords and headed west on her own.
If you continue west along the battle line, you can leave Taiwu Prefecture and enter the territory of Lanjiang Prefecture.
Hua Zhu didn't pay any attention and continued forward, slaying any demons she encountered and taking the materials. She had heard that the battlefield in Lanjiang Prefecture was even more intense, and perhaps she could hone her swordsmanship there better.
......
A streak of red light flashed across the blue sky, leaving faint traces of white clouds. Zhang Ping glanced at the land below, quickly discerning the direction of the defensive line, and then continued flying towards Lanjiang Prefecture.
After much deliberation, and having arranged for Nangong Feiyan to protect Fu Huiying and Lu Wanrou, he finally decided to go to the front lines. His purpose was both to ascertain the current situation on the front lines and to test his own capabilities.
With a vast and sprawling front, the choice was simple: Lanjiang Prefecture, where he had once served, was a good option.
......
Day and night, the cycle never ends.
Mount Mandala is a peripheral branch of the Ghost Heaven Mountain Range, with an altitude of only a few hundred meters. However, it did not become the front line of the battle between the Great Wei and the demons, and the lush greenery of the mountain was well preserved. Even though it is autumn now, the mountain is still full of red leaves.
"Huff—huff, hurry! Mandala Mountain is just ahead. After passing Mandala Mountain and walking a little further, we'll enter the Taiwu Prefecture area!"
A group of hundreds of martial artists are fleeing across the land.
Xu Rulin, covered in blood, charged ahead; behind him were a group of martial artists with their families. These people weren't particularly strong; besides him, the strongest among them was only at the Refining Realm.
Hearing Xu Rulin's urging, the others quickened their pace. Behind them, a dark cloud could be faintly seen rapidly approaching on the horizon!
Those were demons hunting them down.
Xu Rulin glanced back, his face filled with anxiety, his grip on the broken half of the long sword tightening and loosening. He looked at the people around him who were watching him with hope, and finally quickened his pace to continue forward.
The Mandala Mountains are home to many strange beasts. If he stays behind to cover the rear, the team will lack capable warriors and will not be able to cross the mountains smoothly.
As he fled in despair, Xu Rulin couldn't help but think of his master who had stayed behind to cover their retreat, and his eyes welled up with tears.
During the breakout battle of Giant Stone City, in order to allow the remaining forces to escape, Wen Gaoyang and the Black Abyss Army forcibly stayed behind to cover the rear. Some skilled warriors also refused to escape alone and risked their lives to stop the demons.
He, carrying his master's entrustment, did his best to lead a group of people to escape the encirclement of demons.
After escaping the encirclement, they were forced to scatter and flee in different directions due to the pursuit of demons from behind. Xu Rulin led several hundred people along the battle line, intending to enter the Taiwu Mansion battle line area and meet up with the guards there.
The dark clouds behind them drew ever closer. Xu Rulin turned around and saw that they were a group of flying demons. He had a bad feeling and immediately quickened his pace, leading the group into the Mandala Mountains. After passing the foot of the mountains, the group quickly disappeared into a forest of red maple leaves.
The once peaceful forest became noisy with their arrival. Squirrel-like creatures, gathering nuts on branches, were startled and dropped their nuts, retreating back into their burrows. The rustling of reptiles crawling across the fallen leaves was clearly audible. Xu Rulin used his broken sword to clear a path, stepping on the fallen leaves as he called out to the group behind him:
"Everyone, move forward quickly!"
The horde of giant demonic birds overhead was chasing fiercely, and it was unclear whether other groups of demons were following behind.
The group carefully made their way through the maple forest. The autumn wind had stopped, and the weather had become rather muggy.
Xu Rulin switched the broken sword to his left hand and raised his right hand to wipe the sweat from his neck. His collar was soaked with sweat, and he tugged at it with difficulty, trying to get some air.
He carefully jumped onto the canopy of the red-leaved tree and peeked out from the dense foliage to look at the sky.
The maple trees in the mountains grew exceptionally dense, which helped them conceal their vital energy, preventing the demons from detecting them for a time.
However, this doesn't mean they're safe. After all, demons are acutely aware of a martial artist's vital energy, and no matter how well they hide, they'll still leave some traces. Although these demonic birds haven't pinpointed their exact location yet, if they linger too long, they'll eventually be exposed.
Therefore, they must hurry to cross the Mandala Mountains. Once they cross the mountains, they will have a chance to encounter the demon-slaying warriors of the Taiwu Mansion. At that time, they only need to delay for a while to get support.
On the other side of the mountain range, Hua Zhu stood atop a tree far taller than the other maple trees, frowning as she gazed at the giant demonic bird circling overhead, her mind filled with doubt: "How come there are so many demonic birds and beasts here?"
A gentle breeze wafted through the treetops. Hua Zhu stood on a branch, her figure swaying softly in the wind. Two praying mantises perched on either side of her shoulders. Her white dress stood out starkly against the red leaves of the tree.
The giant demonic bird in the sky quickly spotted her, let out a shriek, and swooped down on her!
Facing the charging demon, Hua Zhu did not dodge. She spread her arms to the sides, and the two swords on her back immediately flew out to the left and right, and were in her hands in the blink of an eye.
"Instantaneous Shadow Splitter!"
A flash of blue light appeared in her eyes, and she instantly slashed horizontally with her long sword! The moment the sword light was unleashed, it quickly split into six afterimages, repelling all five attacking demonic giant birds.
"Again!"
She rarely encountered flying demons, so she naturally didn't want to miss this opportunity to hone her skills. She wielded two swords and leaped back and forth on the treetops, the flashes of the blades continuous.
On the other side of the mountain range, Xu Rulin and his men made a brief stop at a pool of water.
He squatted by the pool, reached into the greenish water, scooped up a handful of water, and gulped it down.
He didn't care at all that there were tiny algae mixed in with the water.
Having been on the run for days, they rarely had the chance to stop and replenish their food and water, and now they hadn't drunk any water for more than a day.
The others were scattered around the pool. Some drank water, some took the opportunity to treat their wounds, and some of the weaker martial artists picked some tender leaves and bark to fill their stomachs.
Xu Rulin glanced at the scene before him and sighed inwardly. These were usually respected martial artists, but now, in their desperate attempt to escape, they had been reduced to this state. As for the ordinary people, they didn't even have a chance to flee.
Xu Rulin walked to a large rock under a tree and sat down. He had barely settled in when his ears suddenly twitched. He abruptly stood up, looked towards the other side of the mountain range, and shouted urgently:
"Quick! Someone is fighting demons! Get out of here!"