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Chapter 168: Breaking Through the Vermilion Bird's Defense Line
Xiang Bi and Lin Chuyu flew with all their might, not wanting to wait for the enemy to catch up. The Vermilion Bird was the fastest among all winged creatures, and if they were not intercepted, no creature could catch up to them as they headed toward their intended destination.
After flying for a while, Lin Chuyu's breath became increasingly labored. She gasped, "Have they caught up yet?"
Xiang Bi scanned their surroundings and replied, "I don't see them right now, but they will catch up soon."
Lin Chuyu steadied herself and asked anxiously, "What should we do now? They've obscured the path with fog; how do we get out?"
Xiang Bi coldly responded, "Get out? You're only worried about whether you can escape. The Celestial Clan has come in; we are facing a disaster!"
Lin Chuyu's face showed shame as she stammered, "I... I just..."
Li Tang comforted Lin Chuyu, saying, "Don't take it to heart; Xiang Bi is just anxious."
Turning to Xiang Bi, Li Tang added, "Her staying behind won't help us. If we really face disaster, every escapee counts." She looked at Lin Chuyu and continued, "But given the current situation, even if you want to leave, you can't. You should come back with us first."
Lin Chuyu exclaimed in surprise, "Back? They won't let me go!"
Xiang Bi softened her tone. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Li Tang is right; you need to return with us. The Celestial Clan doesn't have time to worry about you right now."
Li Tang's nose twitched as she caught a faint odor in the air. Both Demon Beasts and Vermilion Birds used scent to distinguish friend from foe. Li Tang said, "Xiang Bi, do you smell that?"
Xiang Bi sniffed and grimaced. "It's the scent of Serpent Bat Dragons; they're not far from us."
Lin Chuyu couldn't detect anything and worriedly asked, "Is it just one or many?"
Without hesitation, Li Tang answered, "Many—at least seven or eight."
Lin Chuyu cried out in alarm, "How far is Thunderstrike Mountain?"
Li Tang sighed and said, "The scent of the Serpent Bat Dragon is getting stronger. I think we can't go to Thunderstrike Mountain anymore."
Xiang Bi realized that the situation was dire; they couldn't continue like this. Given the current circumstances, they had only one option left. After careful consideration, Xiang Bi said, "Li Tang, you should go back with her. I'll lead those Serpent Bat Dragons away."
Li Tang's expression darkened upon hearing this. "No! If we're leaving, we leave together. How can you handle so many Serpent Bat Dragons alone?"
If given a choice, Xiang Bi wouldn't want to do this either, but it was the best plan they had at the moment. The sooner they received help, the more time they would have to prepare. Xiang Bi was resolute. "Li Tang, don't throw a tantrum. This is the best way. You all hurry back and bring someone to rescue me. I'll hold on as long as I can. We still have time; if we wait too long, not just our clan's Zhuque will suffer."
"How can I leave you behind... Xiang Bi... I..." Li Tang appeared very hesitant. With each moment of hesitation, the Serpent Bat Dragons drew closer to them. If they delayed any longer, the Serpent Bat Dragons would soon be upon them.
Indeed, the Serpent Bat Dragons were not far behind. As they flew, the Serpent Bat Dragons pursued closely. The divine beings controlling the Serpent Bat Dragons flew at top speed and split into two groups: one headed deeper into Zhuque Chenjing to set up a fog barrier using magical artifacts, while the other pursued Lin Chuyu and her companions.
Lin Chuyu understood that the situation was critical, but as a Zhuque, she couldn't bear to see her kin slaughtered here. At that moment, Lin Chuyu took the lead and said, "Li Tang, I'll take you back. Even if I'm punished for it later, I must bring you back!"
The divine beings suddenly launched an attack on Zhuque Chenjing; surprise attacks were often a shortcut to victory.
A divine vanguard reported to the Captain, "The formation is ready."
The Captain nodded in satisfaction. "Everyone take your positions and prepare your magical artifacts for a frontal clash. Focus all your attacks on the enemy."
"Understood?"
Though reluctant, Li Tang climbed onto Lin Chuyu's back. She saw Xiang Bi flying off to their left and deliberately leaving behind traces of Zhuque essence. Li Tang's eyes turned red as she struggled to hold back her tears.
As they flew, Li Tang could no longer smell the scent of the Serpent Bat Dragons. With her head bowed low, she said, "There’s no trace of the Serpent Bat Dragons anymore; they've all been led away by Xiang Bi."
Lin Chuyu suppressed her concern and replied, "Xiang Bi will be fine. Once we return, we'll find someone to rescue her."
At this point, there was nothing more Li Tang could do. Lin Chuyu felt a pang of guilt towards Li Tang and said, "I'm sorry; if it weren't for me, you could have gone to help Xiang Bi by now."
Li Tang sighed, "This is not your concern. Who could have predicted that the divine beings would find the entrance to Zhuque Chenjing?"
Xiang Bi had barely left them for a moment when she spotted the silhouette of a Serpent Bat Dragon. No longer fleeing, she slowed her flight to allow the Serpent Bat Dragon to see her before diving down into the forest below. Using the gaps between the trees to conceal herself, she took advantage of the Serpent Bat Dragon's search for her to strike.
Having flown continuously and endured life-threatening battles, sweat poured from Xiang Bi's forehead. After catching her breath, she looked up to see another Serpent Bat Dragon hovering above the treetops. This one had spotted the corpse of the Serpent Bat Dragon that Xiang Bi had killed, and on its back, a Divine Soldier conjured a massive battle axe with his artifact.
The battle axe was enormous, measuring thirty feet long and five feet wide. The Divine Soldier hurled it, and it sliced through the trees within several yards in an instant, like a scythe cutting through grass. Fortunately, Xiang Bi managed to dodge just in time; otherwise, her body would have been cleaved in two.
With her position compromised by the fallen trees, Xiang Bi dove up to engage the Divine Soldier in combat. Ultimately, her Nirvana Fire consumed both him and the Serpent Bat Dragon, turning them to ash.
Panting heavily, Xiang Bi felt exhausted but knew that more Serpent Bat Dragons and Pursuers would soon appear before her.
At that moment, Lin Chuyu had already passed through the previous Barrier. Li Tang had informed the guarding Zhuque about the ambush by the divine beings. Two Zhuque immediately summoned others from nearby islands for assistance, and Lin Chuyu flew over the sea towards Stone Peaks.
The Zhuque received the warning and had to focus on maintaining the Barrier against breaches. Over a dozen Zhuque arrived at the Barrier just as several swift Serpent Bat Dragons broke through and engaged with them. Unfortunately, more and more Serpent Bat Dragons continued to penetrate the Barrier, forcing the Zhuque to fight desperately.
Suddenly, the situation for the Zhuque became critical. Under the assault of the Serpent Bat Dragons, three Zhuque were killed by Divine Soldiers wielding their artifacts, and some Serpent Bat Dragons had already breached into the air above the sea.
When Zhi saw Lin Chuyu and Li Tang return together, he appeared quite satisfied. However, after hearing Li Tang's report, he looked both shocked and furious. Zhi would not let these divine beings go unpunished for killing his kin; he immediately ordered preparations for battle.
Zhi had no time to concern himself with Lin Chuyu; he sent a team of Zhuque to Stone Peaks to confront the enemy. He instructed them that they must not allow any divine beings to breach Stone Peaks.
Then Zhi arranged for reinforcements to rescue Xiang Bi. Li Tang wanted to go as well, but Zhi noticed her physical condition and stopped her. He said to Li Tang, "You keep an eye on her; wait until we crush those divine beings before dealing with her."
Lin Chuyu understood that Zhi was referring to her. She thought to herself, "Li Tang has already brought me back; as soon as I get a chance, I will escape. Who would wait around for you to handle things?"
Just as the Zhuque on Stone Peaks finished their deployment, they suddenly saw hundreds of Serpent Bat Dragons flying in from afar!
"They're here!" one Zhuque shrieked. Leading the charge was a Captain riding atop an enormous Serpent Bat Dragon—the largest among them. The sudden attack by the divine beings confirmed their intelligence was accurate; this was indeed their worst-case scenario.
Among the group of Vermilion Birds, there were many skilled warriors. Although the Serpent Bat Dragons were numerous, they remained remarkably calm, able to handle each battle with rationality.
Some of the younger Vermilion Birds had never encountered such a situation and were surprised by the sheer number of Serpent Bat Dragons. However, courage is forged in battle; some among them would perish, but those who survived would undergo transformation. Fortunately, Lin Chuyu and her companions returned just in time, giving them a moment to prepare. This was Zhuque Chenjing, and the Vermilion Birds certainly had many ways to deal with these intruders.
Although the divine beings had the upper hand and could locate the entrance to Zhuque Chenjing, the Vermilion Birds were not afraid.
The Captain had seen the Vermilion Birds on Stone Peaks and remained unperturbed. The Captain appeared very composed, determined not to allow any mistakes at such a critical moment.
With a wave of his hand, he signaled for the Serpent Bat Dragons to spread out a bit as they slowly approached Stone Peaks.
The Captain was confident, believing that his Serpent Bat Dragons had enough capability to handle these Vermilion Birds. His expression was focused; to humans, the Vermilion Birds were divine beasts, but to the divine beings, they were merely creatures of this mortal world.
Nothing could withstand the divine beings' assault; this time, they would surely achieve a great victory.
---
When Qin Xiaolan and her companions arrived at Zhang City, Wei Ye was overjoyed. Prince Huixin had already informed Wei Ye about matters concerning the Pharmacist Academy. As soon as Qin Xiaolan and her group arrived, Wei Ye immediately dispatched them. Some stayed in Zhang City to treat the soldiers who had been sent back, while others headed to the battlefield to care for those who could not be transported in time.
The newly emerged Cult terrified all the soldiers, but this panic was temporary. After some encouragement from their Officer, they regained their confidence and began to fight back.
Each Female Medic was accompanied by three soldiers for protection because a Female Medic's life was far more valuable than that of a soldier. While Qin Xiaolan was treating an injured soldier, her bodyguards had already taken down several members of the Hall of Malevolence's Cult. At that moment, however, one Female Medic was injured. Qin Xiaolan instructed her bodyguards to carry her bloodied sister to a clean area and lay her down flat.
As Qin Xiaolan tended to her injured sister, the tide of battle began to turn against them. All around her, those frenzied Cult members surged like a tidal wave toward the surrounding soldiers, who suffered relentless slaughter; fallen soldiers were everywhere.
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