Chapter 808: We Absolutely Cannot Let Him Get Away!

Once Taishu Shanyue learned that the overseas group had seized a vast quantity of Spirit Seeds, he could no longer restrain himself. One successful strike against them would be worth several ordinary ones, and pulling it off would practically lay the foundation for taking first place. With such enormous profit sitting before him, how could he hold back? Besides, Niu Youdao was someone Jin had specifically ordered killed. There was no chance he would let this opportunity pass. Taishu Shanyue led Jin's forces out in great strength.

Unfortunately for them, they ran headlong into Zhao's forces on the way.

Both sides stopped at once and stared at each other.

"Move!" Li Wuhua, caught between the two groups, called out. Leading ten disciples of Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, he immediately changed direction and fled.

Zhao's people had encountered Li Wuhua's group earlier on the road. Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion were traitors to Zhao, and there were so few of them besides. How could Zhao let them go? They had therefore chased them all the way here.

Who would have expected them to run straight into Jin?

Everyone knew what kind of people the Jin contingent were. Zhao's group could not help feeling apprehensive.

Jin was somewhat surprised as well. They had not expected to encounter Zhao's forces, whose leadership had already been gutted at Tiangu.

Taishu Shanyue's eyes rolled twice. He flashed forward and shouted, "Friend or foe?"

What a question.

The moment he asked it, Zhao's people were left somewhat dumbfounded. How were they supposed to answer? If they called themselves enemies, wouldn't that simply be inviting trouble?

"Let's go!" Zhao's group decided to leave as neither friend nor foe.

Jin, however, refused to let them. Taishu Shanyue swept both hands outward. Several experts immediately shot out on either side and quickly blocked Zhao's path, refusing to let them depart easily.

Taishu Shanyue called out again, "Friend or foe?"

Zhao answered, "Neither friend nor foe!"

Taishu Shanyue said, "If you're not friends, then you're enemies. Leaving you behind would only create future trouble. Choose for yourselves!"

Someone from Zhao called back, "And if we're friends?"

"If we're friends, then naturally we form an alliance and resist our enemies together!"

The eventual result was that Zhao somehow became Jin's ally, and the two groups turned into one force.

They truly had little choice. Jin had said it plainly: if they were not friends, they were enemies. There was no third choice. Refuse, and they would fight. So were they going to fight or not?

Zhao did not want a life-and-death struggle with Jin. Agreeing to an alliance was also a way to stall for time. Whether Jin would turn on them later could be dealt with later. Perhaps Jin truly meant the alliance sincerely. If they eventually reached a point where they could stall no longer, then they would have no choice but to fight for their lives.

And so the two groups became one and traveled together toward the destination—Jin's destination. Zhao had little say in the matter. Wherever Jin said they were going, Zhao followed.

"The two sides didn't fight. They actually joined together!"

A Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion disciple watching from a distant forest sounded surprised.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later! Zhao lost the backbone of its command. Out of fear, they're seeking temporary safety, never realizing they're bargaining with a tiger for its skin." Li Wuhua, who was also watching, gave a cold snort. He turned back. "Our work is done. Let's go!"

The group quickly withdrew and headed for the rendezvous point Niu Youdao had designated.

At this point, all the tasks Niu Youdao had entrusted to Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion were complete.

First, all the Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion personnel attached to Yan had withdrawn and been put to use. Afterward, under the pretext of searching for their Sect Leader, they had arranged "chance encounters" with the forces of the various states. Following Niu Youdao's method, they used those opportunities to make contact with Xiaoyue Pavilion's people planted inside the different state contingents and relay Niu Youdao's next stage of the plan.

That was why Han and Song had just happened to capture people from Yan, Wei, and Qi who knew the truth, allowing them to learn what those three states intended.

That was why Jin had likewise just happened to capture someone who knew the truth and thereby learned that the overseas group held the Spirit Seeds of several different factions.

Throughout this series of arrangements, some Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion disciples traveled around engineering chance encounters, while others served as couriers between different areas. At the same time, they exploited their status as Zhao's traitors to lure Zhao into pursuing them.

Xiaoyue Pavilion's agents embedded among the various states supplemented Niu Youdao's plan as it unfolded, correcting the execution where necessary so that events did not stray from the course he intended.

Yan Li of Zijin Cave was likewise cooperating with the plan, helping ensure that it did not deviate.

Niu Youdao laid the trap and arranged the board. Several groups coordinated their manpower and pushed together, setting the forces of the various states inside the Tiandu Secret Realm in motion. Without any of them arranging it openly with the others, the forces of all the states began converging on the same location.

...

At the appointed rendezvous point, Li Wuhua was the last to arrive. Everyone else had already reached it.

The moment he appeared, Li Wuhua asked, "Is everyone here?"

"Everyone," someone answered.

Li Wuhua quickly counted the group by eye. Not a single person was missing. Everyone truly had arrived. He let out a heavy breath of relief, then asked, "Did you finish everything you were assigned?"

"Everything's done!" They all nodded.

Li Wuhua immediately waved a hand. "Move!"

The group set out again, this time heading for the next location, where they were to meet Situ Yao and the others.

...

After resting for a time, the overseas cultivators set out once more. Following Niu Youdao's plan, they were preparing to head toward Yan's forces and cooperate from inside and outside with Zijin Cave to seize Yan's Spirit Seeds.

The overseas group was visibly excited. If they could take the Spirit Seeds in Yan's hands as well, their chances of securing first place should become extremely high.

Night fell along the way. Since darkness made vigilance difficult, they concealed themselves again.

At first light, someone came running from the direction guarded by Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion, following the route markers to make contact. A message was delivered into Situ Yao's hands.

Situ Yao immediately went to Niu Youdao, crouched beside him while he sat cross-legged in meditation, and said softly, "Word came from that side. Everything's in place."

Niu Youdao opened his eyes. "We can't let people from the various states see Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion here with us, or the whole thing will be exposed. Once daylight comes, I'll find an excuse to arrange for all of you to withdraw first."

Situ Yao said, "You should leave with us."

"I can't." Niu Youdao shook his head. "This group has always been wary of me. If all of us leave together, they'll become suspicious. I have to stay behind so they feel reassured. If I remain in their hands as a hostage, I can find an excuse that lets all of you leave smoothly."

At times, Situ Yao had to admit that this fellow was genuinely loyal. He was somewhat moved. "But your situation will be far too dangerous. Once the forces of the various states surround you, I'm afraid you won't be able to escape even if you grow wings. If it really reaches that point, those demons and monsters will only look after themselves. They won't care what happens to you."

Niu Youdao said, "There's no helping the danger. I truly can't leave. The moment I go, if they discover afterward that the forces of the various states have surrounded them, they'll immediately suspect that something was wrong with me. The Spirit Seeds are all in their hands. I have to win their trust so that after they get out, they'll hand the Spirit Seeds over to me. If you want something, you have to pay a price. There's no way around it."

Situ Yao sighed. He knew Niu Youdao was still doing everything possible to take first place, even if it meant risking his life.

Niu Youdao continued, "You withdraw first and go meet Li Wuhua and the others. Don't worry about me. I didn't survive this long for nothing. I'm not that easy to kill, and I have my own way to get out."

Seeing that he would not be persuaded, Situ Yao sighed again. "Fine. Then we'll leave you to yourself for now. We'll wait for you at the rendezvous. Be careful and take care of yourself."

As agreed, once daylight came Niu Youdao made a show of arranging matters and successfully got Situ Yao's group away. Since Niu Youdao himself remained behind, the overseas demons and monsters did not become suspicious.

After breaking away, Situ Yao and the others hurried on without delay. Several days later, they successfully met Li Wuhua's group.

They had come in with fifty people, and now all fifty were still alive. "Good, good, good!" Situ Yao nodded repeatedly, deeply gratified.

Everyone was safe and sound, and the group was excited as well.

"Sect Leader, what exactly is Niu Youdao planning?" Li Wuhua asked.

"Don't ask. It isn't time to explain yet." Situ Yao looked back in the direction they had come from and sighed again. "That fellow doesn't have it easy either. Let's go."

"Where?" several people could not help asking.

"To the next rendezvous point." Situ Yao called for everyone to follow and departed.

The next rendezvous point? Li Wuhua and the others exchanged puzzled looks. They had already changed rendezvous points several times in succession.

At present, only Situ Yao among them knew where the next one was.

...

Although the overseas cultivators had sent spies to keep watch on the forces of the various states, those spies were only responsible for surveillance and leaving tracking marks. Even they did not know the location of their own main force. As a result, they had no idea that their main body was moving straight into danger and could not send a timely warning.

They had been heading for Yan's forces, only to run directly into the allied forces of Yan, Wei, and Qi.

The overseas group immediately fled.

Guided by Niu Youdao's chosen direction, they then ran straight into the combined forces of Jin and Zhao.

Dry tinder had met open flame. Once the two came together, there was no avoiding the blaze. Borrowing Jin's strength, Zhao's people bared their fangs the moment they saw Niu Youdao.

The two allied groups pursued them all the way. Han and Song, which had been trailing behind Yan, Wei, and Qi, refused to stay out of the excitement and revealed themselves as well.

Only moments earlier, the overseas cultivators had still been dreaming of taking first place. In the blink of an eye, all seven states were hunting them together. Their beautiful dream shattered, and they were chased like dogs driven from their homes.

"Zijin Cave! Didn't you say Zijin Cave was on your side? Find a way to make them help us!" Fuhua shouted at Niu Youdao as they fled.

Niu Youdao roared back, "Under these circumstances, do you really think Zijin Cave will court death? You go first. I'll lure the enemy..."

Two fires burned: one on a large hilltop, one on a smaller hilltop.

He Xinru glanced at the smoke rising from the larger hill. Two points defined a line. He immediately headed toward the smaller hill.

He was not the only one. One person after another began moving in that direction, because more than one of Xiaoyue Pavilion's embedded agents had seen the signal Niu Youdao sent.

He Xinru soon returned from his trip and hurriedly caught up with Wei's group to report. "Niu Youdao went that way. It looks like the overseas group is acting as bait. It looks like they handed all the Spirit Seeds to Niu Youdao. It looks like they're helping Niu Youdao escape!"

Once he received the warning, Yan Li immediately cautioned the others. "Those demons and monsters are already tangled up with other forces. They can't get away, and we can always find them again later. If we rush over to seize the Spirit Seeds now, we may end up in a chaotic melee. Let them wear each other down first. Don't give Niu Youdao a chance to slip through the gap. Move!"

The forces of Yan, Wei, and Qi immediately changed direction and gave chase.

Their manpower spread out toward the direction in which Niu Youdao had fled. Before long, they really did discover him.

Niu Youdao was carrying an enormous bundle on his back, about the size of a tabletop, made up of many smaller packages tied together. He was fleeing desperately through the mountains.

The moment the allied forces of the three states spotted him, their spirits rose and they accelerated in pursuit.

When Niu Youdao saw people pursuing him from behind, he reacted like a cornered dog leaping a wall. He abruptly changed direction, rushed to the edge of a mountain gorge, and threw himself straight over the side, crashing into the rushing torrent below.

"On the surface, underwater, both banks—everyone keep up! Send another group ahead to intercept him! We absolutely cannot let him get away!" Chu Fengping roared.

[End of Chapter 808]