Intense flames erupted, the bone cage shattered, and Kawatani Seiichi's remaining hair was singed off, his face charred black as he fled in a trail of smoke toward the distance.
Xiao Qingsheng and his companions did not pursue, and moments later, they escaped from the encirclement of the Sky Wolf Hall warriors.
Everyone was injured, and some adventurers even died, while only a third of the already weak Yong'an Mercenaries managed to escape.
But their enemies continued to chase them relentlessly.
"They are too strong to be Sakura people stranded in Daxia Country."
"Are you suggesting they came over from Sakura Country… huff… huff…"
"It's not impossible. The Secret Realm connects people from all corners of Tiannan and beyond, and Demonized Beasts also come from the Otherworld. It wouldn't be surprising for Sakura people to come to Daxia."
"So, what do we do now? Are we still going to turn in the mission?"
In truth, despite their disheveled state, they had not retreated outright like the Ancestor Dragon Battle Group of Yong'an, and after several exchanges, they had gained some understanding of the enemy's strength.
Their mission "Scouting Enemy Situation at White Tree High Ground" could be considered more than half-completed.
However, after some thought, Xiao Qingsheng said, "You all go first; I'll draw them away. I have a scroll; I can escape at any time."
Xiao Qingsheng stalled the enemy for a moment, not fleeing in the direction of Yong'an Sanctuary but instead circumventing "White Tree High Ground" and dashing toward the sea.
He intended not only to draw the enemies away but also to continue scouting the enemy situation, to confirm his own hypothesis.
Beside him, other than Xiao Qingsheng himself, was "Fire Crow Mage" Liu Tianming… Both were Ninth Layer Peak experts, running extraordinarily fast, and for the time being, they even gained some distance from the Sky Wolf Hall warriors.
The two ran for over half an hour,
gradually nearing the coastline, and suddenly, Sakura Country Awakeners wearing similar attire appeared in front of them. Xiao Qingsheng's eyes lit up, and instead of retreating, he charged forward, joining forces with Liu Tianming as they continued to rush toward the coastline.
The two did not know how long they fought at the foot of the hills. Xiao Qingsheng, at the forefront, was now covered in blood, while Liu Tianming, having depleted his Source Power several times and after gulping down a few Potions, his complexion was turning progressively bluer.
Caught off guard, Xiao Qingsheng surged forward too fast and became deeply encircled. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the sight of a Ninth Layer Peak expert clad like a ninja, suddenly appearing behind Liu Tianming, and he couldn't help but shout, "Be careful!"
Liu Tianming abruptly turned around, his hands tightly gripping the Magic Wand and smashing it down with such speed that afterimages formed.
The ninja-clad expert's head exploded like a watermelon.
A twitch formed at the corner of Xiao Qingsheng's mouth as he recognized the move, Combat Skills class "Headshot," and couldn't help but be speechless, yet he breathed a sigh of relief.
After a fierce battle, the two were increasingly wounded, but they finally broke free from the woods, and the view opened up before them. Several huge ships, like tower buildings upon the sea, were quietly moored at the seaside. Below the Tower Ships, countless tiny figures scurried like ants, shuttling about, transporting materials.
They also saw a makeshift camp.
Swallowing hard, "It seems we've discovered some very valuable information…"
The two were planning to get even closer when suddenly, their hearts seemed to skip a beat, an intense sense of crisis enveloping them.
A man wielding a blood-red tachi approached at an extraordinary speed from afar, his Blade Qi so sharp it seemed to slice their cheeks.
The man showed no expression, but his anger was immense.
The prestigious "Sky Wolf Hall," to think that two Daxia Country Awakeners had made it this far.
He narrowed his eyes, his tachi raised, ready to strike down—
not far from him, the two gravely injured Daxia Awakeners, right before his eyes, turned into two streaks of white light and abruptly... disappeared!