Chapter 859: Each Has Their Own Agenda

However, He Jing had stubbornly held out until now.

Fu Liang immediately took it, embedded profound crystals into the array disk, and then murmured a spell, sacrificing three years of his lifespan. The others distracted the Beast King, buying him time. Finally, the formation on the copper talisman lit up, but Fu Liang's expression had visibly weakened, and his hands, holding the talisman, were already trembling.

"It's done!"

This type of temporary, single-use teleportation formation came at a significant cost. The other two attendants also breathed a sigh of relief; they could finally leave! Their fearlessness in the face of death didn't mean they sought it; seeing their comrades dragged into beasts' mouths and dismembered certainly sent shivers down their spines.

To their surprise, He Jing took the talisman, shouted "Retreat!" at them, and then threw it onto the ground in front. The talisman array activated, and intricate patterns quickly spread across the ground within a two-zhang radius, with the talisman at its center. Any Que Beast that stepped into it vanished with a whoosh. They weren't killed but were instantly teleported to ruins three li away, where the other talisman plate of the Minor Mountain Relocation Array had been set up. Furthermore, this was a one-way teleportation array that would last for no more than twenty breaths.

The Heaven Palace's specially crafted Minor Mountain Relocation Array copper talisman had a maximum teleportation range of over three li. In today's era of weakened spiritual energy, this was an astonishing distance for a non-fixed teleportation array. It was a testament to making the most of limited resources; this array alone was the culmination of efforts from many Heaven Palace talisman masters. In contrast, the Minor Mountain Relocation Array used by Fu Shanyue in the Baoshu Fanyao Kingdom was drawn on the fly and had an effective teleportation range of less than 120 zhang.

The Que Beast King, charging towards the Heaven Palace team, couldn't stop its momentum and was teleported away just before it could strike. He Lingchuan watched the Minor Mountain Relocation Array flicker rapidly, with Que Beasts disappearing one after another from the battlefield. He couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration. This array was typically used for escape, yet He Jing used it in reverse, instantly teleporting powerful enemies far away. To devise such a strategy in a desperate situation truly showed his brilliant mind.

By taking the Grand Square Pot, which would likely cause the secret realm to disappear, he had bought himself and the remaining three a slim chance of survival. However, if they failed to extract the Grand Square Pot, they would lose their only escape route! Had they originally used the Minor Mountain Relocation Array to escape, they could have at least prolonged their survival until all other teams were wiped out by the Que Beasts. Life was precious, and every extra moment of survival was a victory. Only by surviving could they plan their next move.

But He Jing, having placed himself in a life-or-death situation, chose to stake everything on one throw. A person so ruthless towards himself would certainly show no mercy to his enemies. He Jing was truly worthy of his title as one of the Heaven Palace's Four Grand Cloud Envoys, and his capabilities rivaled those of Bai Ziqi. As he considered this, He Lingchuan's killing intent surged. He absolutely could not let this man escape the Coiling Dragon Secret Realm!

Dozens of zhang away, Qiu Hu, who had been lurking in the ruins, finally received the command relayed by the eyeball spider. "Act!" He Lingchuan's instructions were clear: "Do not seize the pot, only kill!" Qiu Hu immediately donned his mask, crouched low, and darted out.

Amidst the chaotic battle at the Red General's Tomb, no one noticed a subtle change occurring at the distant Mitian Temple: The towering red pillar of light had vanished, and the area in front of the temple was deserted, with no humans or Que Beasts in sight. Just then, a faint green light suddenly emerged from the well! It was intensely bright and vibrant, like a firefly. After emerging, it circled half a turn above the well, seemingly orienting itself, before quietly flying towards the Red General's Tomb. If He Lingchuan had witnessed this scene, he would undoubtedly have been chilled to the bone. Unfortunately, he didn't.

The beast horde instantly halved in number, and the Que Beast King was also gone. Without the King's full command, the remaining Que Beasts' attack intensity immediately lessened; they were no longer fighting with the same ferocity. He Jing pointed at the solid ice beside them. "Dig it out, quickly!" he urged.

The enemies were only temporarily removed from the scene. For the Que Beast King, three li was no distance at all; it could cover it in an instant. The Minor Mountain Relocation Array had bought them very little time. Of the Child-Devouring Beasts, only the mantis-like one remained, currently fending off the surrounding Que Beasts for them. However, its small size meant it was agile but lacked power. Repeatedly caught by the ice sprayed by the Que Beasts, its body grew heavier and its movements became increasingly sluggish. Ultimately, it was seized by two Que Beasts and violently pulled in opposite directions. *Splat* — its body was torn apart.

However, it had bought the four Heaven Palace members crucial time. Ignoring everything else, they hammered at the ice with all their might, and their progress indeed accelerated. After a prolonged battle, all their divine artifacts and magic tools were exhausted, leaving them with only their last reserves of strength. If they didn't use it now, they would never get another chance.

He Jing tried to pull out the Grand Square Pot several times, but it wouldn't budge. Fu Liang yelled, "Dig out the gauntlet along with the pot!" The ice encasing the gauntlet was quickly cleared. He Jing gritted his teeth, remaining silent. The way the armor gripped the Grand Square Pot so tightly was truly bizarre. Why had the Que Beast King guarded the Grand Square Pot so fiercely? The question inexplicably resurfaced in his mind.

Just then, Fu Liang cheered, "It's loose, it's loose..." The Red General's armor loosened, and its helmet suddenly fell off for no apparent reason, landing on top of the gauntlet. Fu Liang, quick-witted and agile, snatched up the helmet, but behind them, the sound of tearing air echoed. *Whoosh, whoosh!* Several hidden arrows flew towards them, but the four managed to dodge them. Over ten figures sprang from the nearby ruins, rapidly rushing towards the Red General's Tomb. The newcomers all wore masks and, without a word, raised their weapons and attacked.

With He Jing's level of cultivation, he would normally dismiss such minor adversaries. However, he was now suffering from internal injuries and exhaustion, and every time he lifted his arm, a piercing pain shot through his chest. The two leading attackers focused on pinning him down, while the others rushed to seize the Grand Square Pot. Seeing the disadvantageous situation, He Jing whispered, "Retreat..." He scanned his surroundings, noticing shadowy figures on the opposite low hill, indicating more people were rushing toward them. He couldn't tell if they were Bao Guanjie's subordinates or another team. Surrounded by so many enemies, they could no longer hold their ground.

From not far away, a beast's roar echoed, carried to them on the evening breeze. It was the enraged roar of the Que Beast King, signifying that the beast horde, previously teleported three li away, would soon return to the Red General's Tomb. They had at most twenty breaths of time, which wasn't even enough to finish extracting the treasure. He Jing decisively decided to retreat, intending to shift the pressure onto their enemies.

However, Fu Liang and the other three attendants were enraged. They had just bravely fought the Que Beast horde alone, while these cowards had cowered on the sidelines, watching and daring not to approach. Now that the Que Beasts were gone, did they think they could simply come and reap the rewards?

As He Jing gave the order, Fu Liang also cursed loudly, "Bao Guanjie, if you want to steal, do it openly! Don't think no one will recognize you just because your face is covered!" The opposing party froze. He Jing felt a surge of exasperation. Fu Liang's curse was so swift that He Jing couldn't even cover his mouth in time. He stomped his foot in anger. "Idiot!" he snapped. What was the point of such bravado? Exposing their identities with a single sentence was tantamount to forcing them to commit murder! As expected, the opposing leader growled: "Kill them all, leave no one alive!"

The enemies' attacks instantly turned vicious, every move aimed at their vital points. They all wore masks precisely because they didn't want to be recognized by the Heaven Palace team. If they succeeded in seizing the treasure and He Jing recognized their faces, their nations would face severe repercussions. The might of Lingxu was feared across the land. Now that the Heaven Palace team had exposed Bao Guanjie's identity, they had no choice but to go all the way and silence them. This also stemmed from the arrogance of Heaven Palace attendants, who never imagined that a small, insignificant nation would dare to take their lives.

Just then, another six or seven people rushed to join the battle. They didn't have masks like Bao Guanjie's well-prepared group, but they smeared mud and ash on their faces, making them look like sooty kitchen gods. In the darkness, it was impossible to distinguish one from another. A chaotic, clanging battle erupted around the Red General's armor. These new arrivals were all after the Grand Square Pot, diverting the attacks of the Baling people and unexpectedly reducing the pressure on He Jing.

Bao Guanjie's eyes darted around, and he yelled, "Le Zhengqing, you won't get the Grand Square Pot!" The person opposite him was indeed Le Zhengqing. Hearing Bao Guanjie call out his name, he immediately flew into a rage and slashed at him with his blade. Earlier, Tao Ran had shot explosive arrows towards their hiding spot, luring the Que Beasts to attack. However, Le Zhengqing reacted extremely quickly, leading his team to flee instantly and slipping away before the main Que Beast tide arrived, losing only a few men.

Bao Guanjie dodged and then provoked, "The Heaven Palace will remember you, Dong Haoming's subordinate!" If everyone's identity was exposed, there would be no turning back, so they might as well eliminate the Heaven Palace team together! He Jing wouldn't let him succeed. Taking a breath, he also shouted, "Le Zhengqing, if you eliminate these people for me, Beijia will send troops to assist Dong Haoming! The Nation of Yuan will be yours for the taking!" Le Zhengqing's gaze instantly wavered. He had been ordered by Dong Haoming to seize treasure in the Coiling Dragon Desert, but ultimately, his role was auxiliary to the main battlefield. If Beijia truly sent troops to assist the Grand Sima, that would be a complete and decisive victory, leaving the Nation of Yuan with no chance of survival. Why not let someone else have the pot then? He Jing's words hit the bullseye, instantly shaking Le Zhengqing's resolve to fight. At this critical moment, if Le Zhengqing helped He Jing, he would surely gain the Heaven Palace's goodwill — something money couldn't buy.

On the other side, Fu Liang parried a Baling man's axe and was about to turn around when he suddenly heard a soft *thud* and felt a simultaneous chill in his chest. He looked down and saw a bloodied blade tip protruding from his chest. Fu Liang tried to speak but couldn't. His grip loosened, and his weapon clattered to the ground. He looked up at He Jing again, his eyes filled with terror and longing, before slowly collapsing to the ground.

"Who, who is it!" He Jing roared in fury, seeing a man in a cat mask rapidly retreating behind Fu Liang, his long blade still dripping blood. He Jing grabbed a piece of withered pine cone and quickly shook it twice at the retreating figure. "Kill him!" he commanded. This wasn't a real pine cone but a shape carved from seabed wood. With a shake, four or five demonic creatures emerged from within—bear and wolf demons, all resembling mummified corpses. Upon landing, they immediately pounced on Fu Liang's killer. They were large and grotesque, yet astonishingly fast. A Baling man who blocked the bear demon's path was casually swatted twice, his chest cavity ripped open.

Everyone else thought He Jing was at the end of his rope and saw him as an easy target. But seeing him still capable of employing such techniques, they were struck with terror. What they didn't know was that He Jing's last resort had actually been reserved for someone else—no matter how perilous the recent battle against the Que Beast horde, he hadn't forgotten that a formidable enemy still lurked in the shadows: the treasure thief who had disrupted Xu Mountain! That fellow, who had orchestrated the entire plan, would surely reveal himself eventually, wouldn't he? However, plans often fall apart. If he didn't use this last trick now, He Jing himself would perish.