Chapter 2088: Chapter 2125: Escaping Separately
Ding Fan had learned some things about cultivating in the Divine Realm while in the Skeleton Sect; the primary focus before reaching the Second Level is to cultivate True Qi. His True Qi isn’t deep enough compared to experts in the Divine Realm. Without the aid of Medicine Pills, it would take several years for him to reach the standards of Second Level Second Stage in the Divine Realm, so he must diligently seek resources to enhance his cultivation strength.
Compared to Ding Fan, Wu Qingxia felt extremely nervous. Right now, she had no mind for cultivation, constantly observing the surroundings along the way. Fortunately, nothing happened on the road, and no scout cavalry or enemies were spotted near the castles.
With everyone in an unsettling state of mind, the convoy traveled over a thousand miles, nearing the northeastern part of Tianmu Sea.
Elder Wu Ren, who had been scouting the enemy situation, brought back good news: there were significantly fewer scout cavalries from the affiliated forces helping the Zhong Family. His recommendation was to immediately forcefully break through and rush into Tianmu Sea, fearing delays might bring changes.
The Second Elder pondered for a long while, spending five or six minutes without speaking, finally instructing Elder Wu Ren to notify the two convoys to head towards Tianmu Sea at full speed. Once inside, they were to gather on an island called Moon Mist Island on the eastern side.
Wu Qingxia became even more anxious upon hearing the news, always gripping her longsword ready for battle. Seeing Ding Fan open his eyes after cultivation, she nervously asked him, "Brother Ding, do you think we can enter Tianmu Sea smoothly?"
"I estimate it’s unlikely. If the Zhong Family lets us in so easily, would they still be a Fifth Grade family in the Divine Realm?"
"Brother Ding, why do you seem completely fearless?"
Wu Qingxia looked at the seemingly unperturbed Ding Fan, questioning him.
"What use is fear? The more afraid you are, the faster you die. Miss Qingxia, once the fight starts, if you sense anything amiss, you must follow me closely. That way, I can lead you into Tianmu Sea, but you must heed my commands. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to leave you behind."
Upon hearing Ding Fan’s words, Wu Qingxia nodded. The thought of what might happen if Ding Fan truly left her behind sent a shiver down her spine.
The three caravans recklessly surged down three routes towards Tianmu Sea. Such speed quickly caught the attention of scout cavalries from the Zhong Family; normally, there was no need for a convoy to hurry so much.
The scout cavalry here weren’t numerous, only numbering in the dozens, and weren’t from the Zhong Family, but some warriors from a local Zhong Family Castle, led by a Second Level Third Stage elder from the Zheng Family.
Upon receiving reports from his subordinates, the elder wasted no time crushing the communication talisman. These talismans usually came in pairs, with one piece held by the local personnel and the other by a counterpart elsewhere. No matter the distance, when one talisman is broken, the other breaks too, serving best to convey simple messages.
After crushing the talisman, the Zheng Family elder ordered his subordinates, "Listen up, go intercept these three caravans. No need to fight to the death, just halt them. Others will handle them; be careful to preserve your lives. Go."
"Swish, swish, swish..."
Following the order, Zheng Family warriors rushed forth towards the three caravans. The Zheng Family elder was near Ding Fan’s convoy, blocking the road, shouting from afar as Second Elder’s convoy approached, "Stop the convoy ahead. Don’t proceed; there are Fourth Grade Sea Beasts in Tianmu Sea, eating people. It’s too dangerous; you cannot enter."
Skeleton Sect warriors outside Second Elder’s carriage hesitated. Fourth Grade Spiritual Beasts ahead? How could they enter?
"Do not stop, keep advancing, prepare for battle."
Second Elder commanded from within the carriage, sneering internally, "As if I believe your lies; clearly, you just want to stall us!"
If Sea Beasts really appeared in Tianmu Sea, that’s an internal matter, not one requiring interference from external families. Telling them to stop was clearly targeting them.
The convoy didn’t stop; every warrior gripped their battle saber firmly, Second Elder’s sword long drawn, his eyes fixed on the Zheng Family elder.
As the two teams grew closer, the calm atmosphere felt heavily oppressive. A gust of murderous intent swept through as Elder Zheng brandished his saber, roaring, "Kill!"
Fearless, Zheng Family warriors charged, though numbering just over ten, their strength was exceptionally fierce. The Zhong Family had offered a substantial reward: a castle for eliminating the Skeleton Sect and capturing Ding Fan alive. Such a bounty drove any warrior mad.
"Swish..."
The Second Elder shot out from the carriage, followed by Second Level Martial Artists leaping from trailing carriages, while First Level Martial Artists dismounted, brandishing sharp blades, rushing with murderous intent towards Zheng Family warriors.
Wu Qingxia intended to dismount but, seeing Ding Fan unmoved, remained seated. Their foe’s numbers were too few to require their intervention, so they both stayed quietly in the carriage, Wu Qingxia periodically peeking outside.
"How could there be so many? Wasn’t it said the Skeleton Sect had dispersed?"
Zheng Family members were stunned, with only four Second Level experts including Elder Zheng, the entire fighting force totaled just seventeen or eighteen; hardly balanced!
Now Elder Zheng regretted it; if they turned and fled, Skeleton Sect members could enter Tianmu Sea. Had he known, he wouldn’t have attacked so soon, not without stalling a bit longer. In this predicament, if Skeleton Sect members escaped into Tianmu Sea, repercussions from the Zhong Family would be severe. With no alternatives, Elder Zheng roared, fighting desperately.
Now he can only hope that the nearby main force of the Zheng Family can arrive soon. He has already crushed the talisman to notify them. As long as he can hold on until they arrive, everything will be settled.
"Whirr..."
The Second Elder’s saber spun like a drill, hacking left and right with formidable momentum, while the Zheng Family elder wielded his saber seamlessly, blocking the Second Elder’s attacks.
He might hold off the attacks, but the others were in a miserable state. Although the Second Elder divided his forces into three groups, each group had over a hundred martial artists, including a dozen Second Level Experts from the Divine Realm. For the few men from the Zheng Family to hold them off was nothing short of a daydream.
"Destroy the carriages for me!"
Elder Zheng fought desperately, yelling fiercely at his subordinates. Watching his men charge forward at the cost of their lives, they managed to destroy four or five carriages, blocking the road ahead.
"Everyone retreat!"
The battle had lasted merely a quarter of an hour, and the Zheng Family martial artists were down to just four Second Level Experts from the Divine Realm, including Elder Zheng. All the dozen First Level Martial Artists were killed in action! If the fight continued, these experts would also lose their lives.
Upon hearing Elder Zheng’s order to retreat, the Zheng Family’s three Second Level Experts drove back their opponents and fled into the distance. The Second Elder did not order a pursuit. Looking at the destroyed carriages in front of him, he frowned and said to his men, "Quick! Move the contents from the carriages to other ones, quickly."
These carriages contained many bags filled with the only remaining spiritual materials and wealth from the Wu Family and the Skeleton Sect. Without them, even if these people enter the Tianmu Sea, they wouldn’t be able to survive; they would only become vassals of other families, with no hopes of a comeback.
"Why are you still so naïve, thinking about taking the carriages? If we still take the carriages, we will all die here. Everyone off the carriages, carry the goods, and take the small paths."
Ding Fan stepped off the carriage, carrying a giant axe, and spoke to the Second Elder. It was Wu Qingxia who had helped him retrieve the giant axe.
"Give up the carriages? How can we do that?"
The Second Elder frowned even more. The carriages contained considerable wealth, including spiritual materials, treasures, secret manuals, ores from the Skeleton Sect and the Wu Family accumulated over centuries, all crucial for their future development.
The Second Elder knew well that there would be more enemies on the road ahead. Abandoning the main road for the small path would be much safer, but doing so meant losing most of the wealth, making it a tough decision.
Seeing the Second Elder’s hesitation, Ding Fan ignored him and said to Wu Qingxia, "Miss Qingxia, let’s go!"
Without waiting for Wu Qingxia’s response, he charged into the small path on the roadside, carrying the giant axe. Wu Qingxia said to the Second Elder, "Second Elder, Ding Fan is right. Carrying more wealth means nothing without our lives to enjoy it. If we can’t enter the Tianmu Sea, we won’t even have our lives, so what’s the use of those treasures?"
"Sigh... I understand!"
The Second Elder gritted his teeth and commanded the martial artists to take all the most valuable treasures with them. Reluctant to leave anything behind for others, he ordered all the carriages set on fire, then instructed everyone to follow Ding Fan onto the small path.
Nearly two hundred people, each carrying a sack, fled wildly along the small path toward the Tianmu Sea, forming a long marching line. The terrain here was flat, allowing for quick movement.
Ding Fan’s decision proved very wise. Ahead on the main road, groups of martial artists had gathered, numbering five to six hundred. These people, whether on horseback or in carriages, raced along the road. If the Second Elder’s group insisted on traveling by carriage, they would surely be slaughtered by these people.
On the other two main roads, the other two groups weren’t as lucky. In particular, the Third Elder’s group was surrounded by a gang of martial artists. The Third Elder had already ordered everyone to scatter and flee. If they didn’t break up, they would all perish here.
The Fourth Elder’s team initially encountered a small squad that dispersed at first contact, so they didn’t take it seriously and continued by carriage. But they were blocked by more than three hundred people as a result, now caught in a fierce battle, striving to break through.
Wu Ren, followed by a few scout cavalry, was patrolling all around. Seeing the two teams being surrounded, he dared not attempt a rescue. His martial ability was weak, better at hiding and tracking. Charging in would be certain death!
"Scatter and flee, don’t stay together; escape into the Tianmu Sea! Regroup at Moon Mist Island!"
Wu Ren issued a warning to the surrounded small team. As he watched them disperse and flee, he led his trusted aides toward the Tianmu Sea himself. At this point, there was no need for further scouting. How many of them survived depended on individual fate.
"Everyone run, quickly, don’t fall behind!"
On a very difficult path, the Second Elder kept yelling. With the Tianmu Sea already in sight, they only had another twenty to thirty miles to go before reaching the safety of the sea. Although called the sea, this should actually be called the Tianmu Lagoon, yet people had called it the sea for generations.
Ding Fan wasn’t ignoring these people. Wielding the giant axe, he blazed a trail at the front. Behind him were Wu Qingxia and the Second Elder. He pushed his True Qi to the limit, reaching his highest speed. Yet as the Tianmu Sea drew nearer, he became increasingly agitated.
