Donggua's attempt to flee came to an abrupt halt.
Based on her original assessment, her superiors were so stingy and cautious that sending a few Deity Transformation cultivators would have been considered generous.
She never imagined they would dispatch the Sixteen Case Chiefs.
She had only heard rumors of this unit. This was her first time seeing them in person.
According to those rumors, they spent long periods cultivating in seclusion beyond the heavens.
Their method of cultivation did not rely on mixed spiritual willpower or other strange means.
Instead, they were top-tier combatants, raised purely through the growth methods of the "Mo".
The thick Primal Source power radiating from their bodies was proof of that — pure and violent beyond measure.
Rumors held that this was the strongest fighting force the organization had stationed in the Eastern Victorious Divine Continent.
Whether those rumors were accurate was not something Donggua could confirm. But the fact that the Sixteen Case Chiefs had appeared here meant one thing.
Her superiors had chosen to go all in based on her fabricated intelligence.
Donggua let out a silent sigh. She had underestimated the allure of the Heavenly Fall.
Perhaps they had held back initially because the intelligence was unconfirmed.
But Daozi Yuyang's decisive appearance on the field had confirmed it for them.
They now intended to find this Heavenly Fall — spoken of only in her fabricated report — at any cost.
After all, Daozi Yuyang's reputation was formidable. Without sufficient reward or grave importance, why would he appear in a place like this?
Donggua watched as the Sixteen Case Chiefs launched their assault on Daozi Yuyang.
A flicker of secret relief passed through her, tinged with dread.
The relief came from knowing that with the Sixteen Case Chiefs here, even Daozi Yuyang could not win.
At the very least, she would not die at the hands of outsiders.
The dread came from the fact that the intelligence about a Heavenly Fall being here was a complete fabrication.
If the Sixteen Case Chiefs took casualties here and found no trace of the so-called Heavenly Fall…
Then the consequences would be as bad as they could possibly be.
Donggua had not thought it through in detail, yet her entire body ran cold.
"What are you standing around for? Run!"
Watermelon stared at Donggua's shifting expressions, his voice tinged with urgency.
But he still remembered to add one more thing.
"Don't bring me this time. Just let me die here."
Donggua did not accept that proposal. She spoke sharply.
"The Sixteen Case Chiefs are here. Daozi Yuyang is ultimately only at the Deity Transformation stage. Even with reinforcements and hidden trump cards, he won't gain an advantage immediately."
"Besides, we only need to hold on for a few moments. Once they finish off the Blood Qi evil cultivator, we can withdraw…"
"What does it matter if they're here?" Watermelon cut her off. "Don't you get it yet? This is a trap!"
"Even if the Seven Great Demons of Beyond the Heavens showed up right now, they'd all be wiped out here!"
"Daozi Yuyang is probably still fishing for more!"
"But if they all die, can I still live?" Donggua could no longer contain her emotions. She shouted.
"You think I don't know what you're telling me? But knowing changes nothing!"
"If I run, I die for certain. Only by staying do I have even a sliver of a chance!"
"Cui Hao too! You think I didn't know something was off about him?"
"But at that time, he was the only one who could carve out a path of survival for me!"
Watermelon fell silent.
In his eyes, Donggua's gaze had turned faintly crimson. The corners of her lips dipped, and she stared with murderous intensity at Daozi Yuyang and the others, who had deliberately spread out the battlefield.
Donggua drew two deep breaths. Her voice was calm.
"I know full well that my superiors value me because I dare to fight. That means I cannot show fear. As long as it is reasonable — even if it seems reckless — I must act."
"The moment I show weakness like you, I will never have another chance to rise."
"I don't want to spend my life cultivating that dogshit spiritual willpower. It's worse than dog food. I don't want my life and death in someone else's hands."
"Watermelon, you have a way out but you don't want to live. I have no way out, but I desperately want to survive."
"This world always loves to play its cruel jokes."
Donggua rose to her feet and tightened her grip on the flexible bone sword.
"You can flee for a moment, but not forever. I refuse to live like a dog."
"Stay here and die if you want. I'm going to fight for my own way out."
Without another moment of hesitation, Donggua transformed into a streak of rainbow light and charged straight toward the battlefield.
Watermelon collapsed onto the ground. He no longer had the strength to stand.
He could only turn his head slightly, watching Donggua's figure disappear into the fray.
Then he fell silent and lay back down. He forced his eyes open, gazing up at the sky — stained red by blood aura.
Perhaps Donggua was not truly foolish. She simply had no choices.
And those lack of choices drove her to charge forward with everything she had, even knowing it might be a path to death.
It was not that she could not see the truth.
It was that she could only afford not to see it.
So be it…
———
The battle was desperate and intense.
Beyond his deep and stable cultivation, Daozi Yuyang possessed an extraordinary range of techniques — each one ruthless and effective.
His combat instincts were razor-sharp as well.
Even more absurd was the fact that, as a core disciple of the Taixu Sect, he carried what seemed like an endless supply of magical treasures, talismans, and various artifacts whose names one could not even begin to guess at — yet whose power was unquestionably devastating.
Most importantly, Daozi Yuyang was truly willing to spend them.
Combined with his full-power state and heaven-shaking divine abilities right from the start, even the Sixteen Case Chiefs — who held the advantage in numbers and whose leader possessed superior cultivation — could not suppress him quickly.
If anything, Daozi Yuyang had managed to tie them all down.
His frenzied assault was so ferocious that none dared to break away lightly.
And through it all, Daozi Yuyang's expression remained perfectly calm. Occasionally, he would even toss out a mocking remark or two.
Word was that Daozi Yuyang used to be a man of great restraint. No one knew why he had changed so after reaching Deity Transformation.
Some wondered if he had simply fallen in with bad company.
From a distance, even the residual shockwaves of their clashes were enough to fill Donggua with dread.
Truly worthy of a core disciple of the Eighteen Immortal Sects…
Donggua understood one thing deeply: when you knew a mission was about to fail, the most important thing was to show that you had fought with your life on the line.
At the very least, she needed her superiors to see that her intentions had been genuine and her efforts real.
She had to create the impression that the failure was an act of heaven — not something that could be blamed on her.
This would leave some room for her to play the victim later, so that her superiors would at least let her speak before dragging her off to be reincarnated.
Donggua edged closer, but not too close. She shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Daozi Yuyang would never come alone! The mission is time-critical — take down the Blood Qi evil cultivator at once and secure the treasure! That is what truly matters!"
"That is their weakness!"
The Goat Mask leader swept his divine sense toward Donggua.
After confirming she posed no threat, he considered her proposal.
It took only a moment — a brief opening after a clash — for him to make his decision.
"All of you stay behind. Do not let him interfere. I will search for it myself."
The Goat Mask understood the importance of this mission perfectly.
He also understood that the ones left behind would most likely not survive.
But so what?
The mission was what mattered.
His voice transmission ended. His form broke away from the battlefield and surged directly toward the Silent Bone Forest, scooping Donggua up along the way.
She knew the terrain well. Bringing her would speed up the search.
But before he had traveled far toward the Silent Bone Forest, a Primal Source aura behind him vanished in an instant.
The Goat Mask did not look back.
He only accelerated further.
[
Dear Readers,
I post 3–4 high-quality chapters daily across multiple fictions, with free chapters unlocking every week for everyone to read.
If you enjoy the work and would like to support it, any donation is deeply appreciated. I have a support page where you can contribute whatever amount you are comfortable with. As a small thank-you for your generosity, supporters receive some early access and bonus content as a token of appreciation.
Support Options:
$6 — Early access to 10 chapters ahead
$8 — Early access to 20 chapters ahead, plus bonus chapters
$10 — Early access to 30 chapters ahead, plus bonus chapters and character artwork
Please use your browser instead of the Apple App when making a contribution. The app adds a 30% fee and delays payments by two to three months, so browser donations save you money and reach me much faster.
Whether you donate, read, or share the story with others, your support is what keeps these daily releases going. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Support: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]