The Empress's No.1 Lackey

Chapter 1030 - 574: The Heavenly Master Shows the Way

If it doesn’t succeed, then execute the original plan, have the main rebel forces retreat to Yunfu.

After a brief struggle, Xu Jingtang chose the second option.

"This person must not be allowed to stay."

This decision stemmed from his belief that the value of Zhao Douan surpassed that of a court army, and even half of Huai River.

On a deeper level, as a blood member of the Yu Country’s Imperial Family, Xu Jingtang felt an intense desire for the power radiating from Zhao Douan.

Shi Youlian’s eerie pupils flickered, but she then smiled sweetly: "Prince, you may leave. Here, the White Clothes Sect will assist your generals in retreating."

Xu Jingtang acknowledged with a nod and, without further delay, traced the faint sensation into the night.

Seeing him off.

"Mother..." Shi Luoyi spoke anxiously: "Do you think that Zhao fellow really won’t escape?"

Shi Youlian glanced at him, sneering: "Useless. Immediately call all our members to retreat. Quickly."

To assist Xu Jingtang, the entire White Clothes Sect was severely depleted, leaving dozens of magicians in a weakened state.

"Oh oh..." Shi Luoyi didn’t dare argue and hurried to summon the others.

In a moment, Shi Youlian and her son led a group of weakened magicians away from the now chaotic Hundred Generations Garden.

However, shortly after the White Clothes Sect members left, Shi Youlian suddenly halted, glaring fixedly northward.

She saw, under the night sky, the silhouette of a martial artist approaching alone, stepping through the air!

Zhao Shixiong carried the Soul-breaking Blade, and as he rushed through the air, a trail of blood-red smoke rose from his body, wavering straight up to the heavens.

"Want to leave? Did you ask Zhao first?!"

Zhao Shixiong shouted arrogantly, as the Soul-breaking Blade struck from afar, causing all members of the White Clothes Sect to turn pale!

...

...

On the outskirts of Jingchuan City, under the cover of night.

A burst of green light suddenly appeared, then vanished.

At the same time, a carriage and five figures fell heavily to the ground out of nowhere.

"Ugh... ugh ugh..." Zhao Douan, unable to control his posture, fell face-first into the dirt. As he got up, he spat out a mouthful of grass but didn’t mind. He turned, using the moonlight, to quickly pull up Jin Jian, who had also fallen hard beside him.

"How is everyone?" he asked in a low voice.

Under the moonlight, Zhong Pan, Yu Xiu, and Lang Shiba also gradually rose from the ground, albeit looking rather disheveled.

By rights, with their cultivation, they shouldn’t be in such a state even after a sudden fall.

"It’s nothing..." Yu Xiu dusted off the dirt from her robe, then her face changed as she said: "No, my cultivation has declined..."

Hearing this, Zhao Douan and the others sensed it immediately and indeed noticed that their Qi Mechanism and mana were constrained. Though not completely vanished, they had significantly regressed to the Divine Chapter or even mortal level.

"It’s a curse," Zhong Pan said, leaning on his great sword while standing with a grim face: "We were cursed before Master’s Dharma Body appeared. Our cultivation remains, but it’s temporarily affected by the curse like a severe injury. We will recover once the curse vanishes."

Upon hearing this, everyone sighed in relief. Zhao Douan surveyed the surroundings, finding themselves in a desolate wilderness, with no gloomy clouds in sight.

"Looks like the Old Heavenly Master finally teleported us away. I wonder where we are," he said softly.

Jin Jian, holding her magic wand, the golden eye atop it now closed, caressed the eye and said: "We should still be within Jingchuan City."

Swish—

Everyone looked at her.

Meeting their gazes, Jin Jian explained softly: "I can still sense the remnants of the previous battle."

As a spirit of the night, even though her cultivation was sealed by the curse, the girl’s perception under the starry sky remained sharp.

"It seems we haven’t escaped danger yet," Zhao Douan said in a deep voice: "Xu Jingtang won’t just let me escape; he’s likely already on his way here. We need to move immediately."

"If we’re being hunted by a divine, I fear escape may be impossible," Yu Xiu calmly analyzed, despite her grimy appearance from the fall, her eyes remained intensely chilling.

"No, we can definitely escape," Zhao Douan stated firmly, quickly explaining: "The Dharma Body earlier was the Old Grandmaster’s life-saving method lent to me. Before we teleported, I heard Heavenly Master Zhang giving us further instructions."

"Southwest, Zhengyang Mountain." He enunciated clearly, repeating the location.

Everyone was stunned.

Yu Xiu asked in surprise: "Zhengyang Mountain? Again, in the southwest direction... is it the one within Yunfu Road, occupied by the Zhengyang School? Are you sure the Master told you this place?"

"I’m sure I didn’t mishear."

The Zhengyang School... Zhao Douan still remembered those scholars; back when Mr. Zhengyang came to the capital looking for trouble.

After he plagiarized Yangming Heart School, they returned to Yunfu, converted to his loyal fans.

Zhong Pan thought for a moment, then said: "Since Master has made a clear arrangement, he must have considered the next step. We’d better follow it."

As he spoke, he turned to glance at the unicorn attached to the carriage, wagging its tail, and nuzzled close to nibble his sleeve with affection, grinning: "Master even brought us the carriage."

Yu Xiu nodded, albeit worriedly: "However, Zhengyang Mountain isn’t close. Even with Senior Brother’s carriage, it may take days and we might be caught on the way."

Zhao Douan gritted his teeth, rising with a fierce gaze like a lone wolf: "If we don’t run, we’ll definitely be caught; running at least gives us a shred of hope."

Suddenly, he opened his hand and grinned: "Moreover, we still have this."

In his palm lay a fiery red Banyan Leaf.

This slipped from the opened pouch into his hand, delivered by Zhang Yan Yi.