"BOOM!!!"
The earth-shattering explosion from Tran Kien's boulder-shattering saber strike still echoed through Ghostgate Canyon, bringing down an avalanche of falling rocks and earth. Dust clouded the air, blotting out the sky itself.
Taking advantage of the moment of extreme chaos when Bloodrefiner and the Ghost-Faced Emissary lunged at each other, and while all the underlings were still stunned, Tran Kien's group of four did not hesitate for a single second. They dashed straight through the newly opened path of survival.
They did not flee in panic.
Ly Tin, with the seasoned experience of a general, immediately took up the rearguard position. He swung his sword, forming a simple yet incredibly sturdy wall of sword qi, blocking the underlings who had regained their wits and tried to give chase. Trinh Cong shielded Lam Vy, pushing his movement technique to the absolute limit to escape the danger zone.
As for Tran Kien, who had just exhausted nearly all of his Primordial Qi, he was the calmest of them all. He wasn't just running. As he retreated, he tossed behind him several small powder pouches he had prepared beforehand. It was chili powder mixed with a pungent, non-toxic pollen, yet it possessed an incredibly potent effect in disrupting both the senses of smell and sight.
"Get back here!"
From behind, the furious roars of Bloodrefiner and the Ghost-Faced Emissary rang out. Their battle had only lasted for a fleeting moment. Both were cunning figures; after exchanging a few probing blows, they instantly realized they had been led by the nose by a little brat. This humiliation far outweighed their internal enmity. They immediately ceased fighting, intending to join forces to hunt down the escaped prey.
But as they charged out of the canyon, what greeted them was a billowing cloud of pungent, spicy dust that left them coughing violently, tears and snot streaming down their faces. Their vision blurred; all tracks and auras were completely obscured.
"YOU CUNNING BRAT!!!" Bloodrefiner roared madly, his voice filled with powerlessness and resentment.
He waved his sleeve, and a surging stream of black qi blew the powder cloud away. But when their vision cleared, those four figures had already vanished without a trace amidst the endless mountains and forests.
The chess game at Ghostgate Canyon had concluded. The ones who set the board ultimately became the most miserable losers.
Over ten miles away, within a dense forest.
Tran Kien's group of four came to a halt, leaning against ancient trees, panting heavily. The escape just now had drained all of their strength.
"Are... are we safe?" Lam Vy asked, her small face smudged with dirt.
Ly Tin nodded, but his expression was incredibly solemn. "For the time being. But we cannot stay here for long. This place is still too close; sooner or later, they will catch up."
"I fear they no longer have the peace of mind to chase after us," Tran Kien suddenly spoke up, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold smirk.
He pointed into the distance, where the official highway could vaguely be seen. A massive procession of men and horses, with banners blotting out the sky, was marching grandly toward Ghostgate Canyon. The insignia on those fluttering flags was a white crane soaring amidst azure clouds.
"People of the Azure Cloud Sect?" Trinh Cong was astonished. "Why are they here?"
"This is my final chess piece," Tran Kien explained. "Before we left the town, I spent a bit of silver to have a beggar deliver an anonymous letter to the Azure Cloud Sect. The contents were very simple: 'The Black Dragon Stronghold is conducting a massive transaction at Ghostgate Canyon, led by Bloodrefiner'."
"The Azure Cloud Sect considers itself the Orthodox path, and has always stood in absolute opposition to the Black Dragon Stronghold. Upon receiving such news, even if they didn't fully believe it, they would definitely send someone to investigate. And when they arrive, seeing the battlefield, seeing the traces of demonic arts..."
He didn't need to finish his sentence; everyone understood. An unavoidable war between the Orthodox and Demonic paths was about to erupt. Even if Bloodrefiner and the Ghost-Faced Emissary survived their internal strife, they would have to face the pursuit of the Azure Cloud Sect. They would have neither the time nor the mind to search for the four of them anymore.
Ly Tin and Trinh Cong looked at Tran Kien as if they were looking at a monster. This scheme, layer upon layer, one chessboard nested within another. The enemies were toyed with in the palm of his hand, and in the end, he even borrowed a knife to kill them. This youth, if he were an enemy, would truly be too terrifying.
"Now is not the time for admiration," Tran Kien said. "We must go. We have to reach the Azure Capital as quickly as possible. I fear that Uncle Sword and the real Lam Vy might be in danger soon."
They dared not delay any longer. After a brief rest, the four embarked on a new journey. This time, there were no pursuers behind them, but the anxiety in their hearts grew even heavier.
Meanwhile, deep underground, on the back of the giant demon turtle, Elder Xuan.
The space was dark and utterly silent. The subterranean river flowed gently.
Uncle Sword and the real Lam Vy had been sitting in meditation for seven whole days.
Suddenly, Uncle Sword opened his eyes. In the darkness, his eyes shone like two piercing stars.
"We are almost there," he said.
Lam Vy also startled awake. "We've arrived?"
"Yes," Uncle Sword nodded. He could feel it; the spiritual energy ahead was no longer the frigid yin energy of the underground, but contained a trace of the life force from the outside world.
Elder Xuan sensed it as well. It gradually slowed its swimming speed, then surfaced in a vast underground lake. Above the stone vault of the lake, there was a fissure through which sunlight poured down, forming a sparkling pillar of light.
Uncle Sword and Lam Vy leapt onto the shore. Elder Xuan gave them a slight nod in greeting, then quietly submerged, vanishing into the dark waters.
"Where is this, Uncle Sword?" Lam Vy looked around curiously. This was an incredibly beautiful and secluded valley, surrounded by cliffs on all four sides, with lush greenery and wildflowers blooming everywhere.
Uncle Sword did not answer. He merely gazed toward the highest mountain peak in the distance. There was nothing outwardly special about that mountain, yet he could sense an incredibly majestic and ancient Dragon Qi radiating from it.
"We have arrived," he said, his voice tinged with emotion. "The Azure Capital."
But right at that moment, Uncle Sword suddenly furrowed his brows. He sensed that aside from the orthodox Dragon Qi, there were several other auras in this area. One was fiendish—the familiar aura of the Black Dragon Stronghold. Another was sinister, belonging to Marquis Yong'an.
And... a third aura, both familiar and strange. It was upright and honorable, yet it did not belong to Tran Kien.
"It seems," Uncle Sword muttered, his hand already resting on the hilt of his wooden sword. "In this chess game at the Azure Capital, there are more players than we imagined."
He looked at Lam Vy. "Young Miss, prepare yourself. The path ahead, I'm afraid, will be a true struggle between dragons and tigers."