Chapter 825: Dare to Fight Me

Bi Linglong's face was pale, but she still held her head high. "Do you truly think you have us cornered? We just slew a ninth-grade fierce beast. If we really fight, who knows who will prevail. I advise you not to make a grave mistake. While we might not be your match in a full-scale battle, it would be easy for one or two of us to escape. Once outside the secret realm, the Prince of Qi's conspiracy will be revealed to the world. The Emperor will have ample reason to destroy him, and all that awaits you is ruin."

"So, why not abandon the darkness and embrace the light? Join us now, and I will not only forgive your past actions but also consider you the primary contributor to the Prince of Qi's downfall. At that time, honor, wealth, and cultivation resources will all be yours. Isn't that far better than being a mere retainer for the Prince of Qi and perishing alongside him?"

Wei Pingyang's eyes showed surprise. "I must say, Crown Princess, your words are indeed very persuasive; you almost swayed me."

Bi Linglong, however, couldn't feel any joy, as his words indicated his rejection of her overture.

"If your people truly escaped, then killing you and the Crown Prince would indeed be meaningless. But since the Prince of Qi has set such a trap, how could he not be fully prepared?" Wei Pingyang sighed. "Crown Princess, you deliberately tried to distract me, nothing more than to buy time for your subordinates to recover their combat strength. Guess why I've been talking to you for so long, even though I saw through your intentions."

Bi Linglong's expression finally changed. Could it be...

Wei Pingyang's lips split into a grin, revealing yellowed teeth. "The Crown Prince clearly ran off just now. Why do you think he's back here?"

Gao Ying was startled. "Are you saying you were responsible for the sudden appearance of those fierce beasts?"

"Of course. Our people secretly herded those fierce beasts to your inevitable path," Wei Pingyang said with a proud look. "We originally intended for you to perish at their hands, but unexpectedly, you proved to be quite capable and fearless. So, we had no choice but to take action ourselves."

Hearing his words, everyone's heart sank. They were already no match for the opponents currently before them, and from his tone, it seemed there were still more...

Just then, a sudden scream rang out, and a figure swiftly darted to the side and rushed away.

A commotion broke out within the Meng clan's ranks as they realized the person fleeing was their young master, Meng Pan!

They were caught in a dilemma. Logically, they should follow their young master, but with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess still present, wouldn't fleeing make them deserters?

"Meng, have you no shame!" Zhao Xi roared, pointing at his retreating back and cursing loudly.

Their side was already at a disadvantage, and Meng Pan was one of their few high-tier combatants; yet, he had fled!

Unfortunately, they were now fully focused on defending against Wei Pingyang and his subordinates' potential assault and dared not pursue Meng Pan. Doing so would easily break their formation and lead to a complete collapse of their front line.

Their only hope now was for Wei Pingyang's men to intercept Meng Pan, so at least that fellow would wear out a few of their opponents.

Bi Linglong's face was as still as water. She wasn't particularly angry; one more or one less Meng Pan wouldn't make much difference here. In fact, if he truly managed to escape the encirclement, he could at least spread word of what happened, making it worth it for the Emperor to avenge them.

Thus, she looked expectantly in the direction Meng Pan had fled. It had to be said that as a sixth-grade cultivator, Meng Pan's speed was truly impressive; he burst through the "barbarians'" encirclement almost in the blink of an eye.

Strangely, Wei Pingyang made no move to stop him, and his "barbarians" seemed to ignore Meng Pan entirely, focusing all their energy on the remaining people.

Meng Pan's heart filled with joy. He had carefully chosen this moment to escape, knowing that the Prince of Qi's people would prioritize dealing with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. The warriors who had come to assist the Crown Prince were elite fighters chosen from various prominent families; despite just enduring a major battle, they still maintained considerable combat effectiveness.

Furthermore, with Zuan's sudden emergence, even if Wei Pingyang was a Grandmaster, he might not be able to easily defeat this entire force.

Therefore, it was highly probable they wouldn't have the energy to bother with him. As for whether his escape would affect the morale of the remaining people, he could no longer afford to care.

"Hmph, at least I left the Meng clan's warriors there to help," he kept reassuring himself, already contemplating how he would explain to the Emperor, once outside the secret realm, that he was the only one who escaped.

Just then, his eyes suddenly bulged wide, and he frantically clutched his neck, his legs flailing uncontrollably, as if an invisible hand were gripping his throat.

At that moment, a relaxed smile appeared on Wei Pingyang's face. "You've finally arrived."

A voice slowly resonated, "If I hadn't come, you would have let a survivor escape."

A tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the mountain forest in that direction. Dressed in white robes, with a long beard flowing over his chest, he exuded an ethereal, almost immortal aura.

"Lu Xiao!"

Bi Linglong trembled, a hint of despair flashing in her voice.

The man before her was Lu Xiao, the chief among the Prince of Qi's five honored retainers, rumored to have reached the mid-stage of the Grandmaster realm!

At this moment, two more figures gradually emerged from two other directions. One had a large red birthmark on his face, making him appear fierce and ugly. With such distinctive features, he was clearly Mu Ping, the fifth of the Prince of Qi's five retainers and a mid-stage ninth-grade expert.

The other man had a remarkably large head and a perpetually defiant, almost punchable expression. He was unmistakably He Li, the third of the Prince of Qi's five retainers and a peak ninth-grade master.

Bi Linglong gave a bitter smile. "Four of the Prince of Qi's five honored retainers have been dispatched simultaneously. The Prince of Qi certainly thinks highly of us."

Not only were there four honored retainers, but also numerous military experts.

In truth, any one of them, leading these military experts, would have been sufficient to eliminate the Eastern Palace's forces this time. It was unexpected that they had deployed almost their entire strength!

Lu Xiao smiled slightly. "The Prince of Qi never fights a battle he's unsure of. His Highness has always adhered to the principle of either not acting at all or, if he does, ensuring absolute certainty. This old man originally had some minor reservations about that, but witnessing the Crown Princess's calm command and strategic planning these past few days, I must commend the Prince of Qi's foresight."

Bi Linglong let out a wry laugh. "As a junior, I hardly deserve such praise from a revered Grandmaster."

At the same time, she secretly sent a mental message to Zuan: "A'Zu, find an opportunity later to see if you can break through and escape. Tell the Emperor what happened here. Among all of us, only you have that possibility."

Zuan's expression was grave. "I'll take you with me!"

He couldn't worry about the others, and even if he only took Bi Linglong, they likely wouldn't be able to escape.

Two Grandmasters, two ninth-grade experts, and a host of military masters. If Mi Li helped, there might be a slim chance, but unfortunately, when he tried to communicate with her just now, she completely ignored him.

Bi Linglong shook her head. "The Crown Prince is here, and all my subordinates are here. How could I possibly flee?"

Just then, with a snapping sound, Meng Pan, who was struggling in the air, instantly went limp, collapsing into a heap of flesh. He then arced through the air and landed near Bi Linglong's feet.

Lu Xiao stated calmly, "This Lu hates cowards more than anything in his life. Consider this a welcoming gift for the Crown Princess."

Zuan felt a chill. Lu Xiao had kept his hands behind his back the entire time, yet Meng Pan, a mid-stage sixth-grade expert, seemed to be choked by invisible hands, unable to offer any resistance.

Killing a sixth-grade master was easier than slaughtering a chicken, not even requiring physical action. Was this the true power of a Grandmaster?

Bi Linglong said coldly, "Young Master Meng was sent by me to break through and deliver a message; he is no coward. On the contrary, you, who killed such a loyal and righteous man, are the one who deserves death a thousand times over."

She knew the opponent had deliberately spoken that way to break the morale of the Meng clan's warriors. After all, if their master was a coward, what was the point of his subordinates holding on?

So she hastily redefined Meng Pan's action, instantly steadying the Meng clan warriors' resolve.

As expected, the previously dejected Meng clan warriors were now filled with renewed fighting spirit, their gazes at Lu Xiao almost spitting fire. This man had killed their young master and slandered the Meng clan; he was truly detestable!

Lu Xiao was momentarily stunned, then began to laugh. "Crown Princess, you indeed have excellent tactics. Unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, what significance do these minor tricks hold?"

"Absolute power?" A peculiar expression appeared on Bi Linglong's face. "Since you so highly regard absolute power, do you dare to have a fair duel with me?"