At the same time, Zheng Liling also roared, "Charge! Block the arrows from Lu Chao’s troops..."
He said that, but Zheng Liling didn’t charge straight ahead. Instead, he first hid behind the experts of the Nanye Dynasty.
This way, the volley of arrows they faced would be much thinner.
At this moment, Zheng Liling, Zeng Quan, and the others stared intently at Nan Zhuiming’s back, quietly waiting for the right opportunity.
And so, the experts of the Nanye Dynasty, along with the posturing Zheng Liling and his men, continuously blasted away the streaks of arrow light for Nan Zhuiming.
Afterward, Nan Zhuiming alone successfully broke through to Lu Chao...
"Lu Chao, you little bastard, you’re mine now."
Nan Zhuiming laughed heartily as he closed in on Lu Chao, who was mounted on his warhorse. The power of the Peak Realm Eighth Layer erupted madly.
But just then, Lu Chao thundered, "Gathering Power! Strike!"
He immediately leveraged the force of his charging warhorse and the combined True Qi from his men’s Gathering Power, thrusting his spear heavily toward Nan Zhuiming.
But the first strike missed...
Nan Zhuiming laughed heartily again. "I was prepared."
"So was I..."
Lu Chao’s cold voice rang in Nan Zhuiming’s ear. He suddenly flicked his long spear, smashing it with incredible precision against Nan Zhuiming’s body.
The latter’s eyes widened, the smile vanishing from his face in an instant... Aah!
With a bloodcurdling scream, Nan Zhuiming was brutally flung into the sky by Lu Chao’s Gathering Power spear strike.
And at that moment... WHIRRR!
Streaks of flying arrows shot out from behind Lu Chao once more, riddling Nan Zhuiming in mid-air.
Nan Zhuiming had never imagined that Lu Chao’s spear strike, enhanced by Gathering Power, would be so terrifying.
He had no time to think. Spitting blood, his eyes bulged wildly as he let out another ghastly shriek.
"AAAH!"
His Heavenly Destiny Saint Bone and True Qi erupted simultaneously, forming a small shield. The streaks of arrow light struck him, and he used their force to retreat frantically.
But... THWIP THWIP THWIP!
Arrows still struck his shoulder, thigh, and abdomen. His entire body fell heavily toward the experts of the Nanye Dynasty, Zheng Liling, and the others.
The Nanye Dynasty experts’ eyes widened, and they yelled, "Quick, protect the Patriarch..."
One by one, they rushed up to block the arrows for Nan Zhuiming...
His life was saved for the moment. At this, Zheng Liling and his men also stared wide-eyed. A single word surfaced in their minds: ’Useless!’
’Damn it, he got taken out by Lu Chao in one hit! He didn’t even manage to hurt Lu Chao at all.’
’How are we supposed to pick up the scraps now?’
"Patriarch, what do we do?" Zeng Quan asked frantically.
Zheng Liling’s expression flickered viciously several times before he said quickly, "I’ll grab Nan Zhuiming. Run!"
As he spoke, Zheng Liling darted toward the fallen Nan Zhuiming, scooped him up, and whirled around to flee. While the Nanye Dynasty experts were still desperately blocking arrows, he took Zeng Quan and the others and made a mad dash away.
The Nanye experts blocking the arrows were stunned. One by one, they shrieked, "Run!"
They also turned frantically to escape.
But... THWIP THWIP THWIP!
The arrows kept coming, piercing the Nanye experts as they turned their backs.
People began to fall, one after another.
Just then, Lu Chao, mounted on his warhorse, led half his cavalry in pursuit. He commanded coldly, "Keep firing! The rest of you, charge with me."
His long spear was like lightning, striking out again and again as he charged. He stabbed through the Nanye Dynasty experts, one after another.
AAAAAH...
The screams were endless. The lives of the Nanye Dynasty experts were reaped by Lu Chao one by one...
Up ahead, Zheng Liling fled wildly, carrying Nan Zhuiming under his arm. His reason for saving Nan Zhuiming was, of course, to maintain his connection to the Cyan Sword Great Empire. Besides, Lu Dingtian was too ruthless and somewhat unreliable.
If all other roads were blocked, Zheng Liling could still go with Nan Zhuiming to the Nanye Dynasty to save his own skin.
However, the arrows from Lu Chao’s troops were relentless, putting him in an extremely difficult position.
Suddenly... BANG!
He kicked the madly fleeing Dean Wolf Institute behind him and shouted, "Dean Wolf Institute, block them for me for a bit!"
The Dean Wolf Institute was stunned on the spot. Then... THWIP THWIP THWIP THWIP!
Streaks of arrow light pierced his body, killing him instantly. Before he died, he stared at Zheng Liling. ’I was wrong. I shouldn’t have kept following Zheng Liling. I should have surrendered to Lu Chao.’
His voice was hoarse. He collapsed with a thud and was immediately trampled by Lu Chao’s cavalry.
With the Dean Wolf Institute acting as a shield, Zheng Liling fled at high speed with Zeng Quan by his side... The latter was extremely close to Zheng Liling and continuously helped him throw anyone they could behind them to block arrows.
Suddenly, in the sky above a large tree in the distance.
Zheng Liyuan, riding a Flying Bird Demon Beast, shouted loudly, "Patriarch, get up here, quick!"
Because Zheng Liyuan’s legs had been shattered by Dean Jiang back at the Beast Flame Academy, he couldn’t run fast despite being in the True Fate Realm. But because he was in the True Fate Realm, he had managed to leave the temporary town and had come riding a Flying Bird Demon Beast.
At this moment, he had become Zheng Liling’s lifeline.
Like a madman, Zheng Liling carried Nan Zhuiming, climbed the solitary large tree, and leaped onto the back of the Flying Bird Demon Beast.
At the same time, Zeng Quan also followed him up.
Behind them, the Dean Tiger Institute was shrieking, "Wait for me!"
He leaped high and grabbed one of the Flying Bird Demon Beast’s talons, causing it to let out a piercing cry.
The beast’s entire body thrashed wildly in the air.
In response... BANG!
Zeng Quan unhesitatingly kicked out, sending the Dean Tiger Institute plummeting.
Aaaah...
A wretched scream tore through the sky as the mid-air Dean Tiger Institute was pierced by arrows and fell to his death.
Of the three deans, only the Dean Eagle Institute remained.
He stopped abruptly and shouted, "Lu Chao, I surrender... Don’t kill me."
THUMP THUMP THUMP...
Lu Chao, still leading the charge, galloped straight toward the Dean Eagle Institute. With a single spear strike, he lopped off the dean’s head and said coldly, "It’s too late to surrender now."
The head of the Dean Eagle Institute rolled to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.
With that, all six deans of the Beast Flame Inner Courtyard were wiped out. Of the Beast Flame Inner Courtyard, only Dean General Zeng Quan remained. Lu Chao narrowed his eyes, gazing at the figures on the Flying Bird Demon Beast.
Zheng Liling and Zeng Quan were on it as well, looking back at Lu Chao. They gnashed their teeth. "Lu Chao, you will die at the hands of Cyan Sword!"
Staring at them, Lu Chao gave a low command, "Flying Bird Knights, surround and kill!"
RAAAWR...
Hundreds of Flying Bird Knights from the Hundred Countries swarmed toward Zheng Liling and the others, who no longer dared to make threats and quickly fled.
「On the ground...」
Lu Chao paid them no more mind. Instead, he said grimly, "Continue the charge with me. Pursue Lu Dingtian."
Beside him, Senior Sister Sky Cliff, Chi Yun, gritted her teeth and said, "Zheng Liling and Nan Zhuiming are too damn lucky. To think a Zheng Liyuan would show up on a Flying Bird Demon Beast just in time. Otherwise, we would have wiped them all out here today."
Hearing this, Lu Chao’s expression remained cold.
The battlefield was ever-changing. Sometimes, too many unexpected things could happen.
"Nan Zhuiming surviving is indeed a big problem, but the impact isn’t that significant..."
"Even if he had died, the Cyan Sword Great Empire could just find another expert from Nanye. Hunting down Lu Dingtian is what’s important right now."
"Only by eliminating Lu Dingtian can the Great Wu Empire and the Hundred Countries join forces to resist Cyan Sword together."
Taking a deep breath, Lu Chao led his tens of thousands of cavalry onward, continuing the pursuit.