Chapter 169: Ambush

In the thick mist, a fierce wind suddenly howled. A blue shadow streaked past, and the chilling gusts instantly froze even the nearby leaves.

Within the blue light was a colossal ice bird, and riding on its back were Zhou Yuan and Luoluo.

Zhou Yuan frowned slightly, looking back and muttering, "That black-robed young man must be Ye Ming, the one who worked with Wu Huang to injure Yao Yao, right?"

"He's certainly not simple."

Although Ye Ming hadn't made a move earlier, Zhou Yuan's spiritual perception allowed him to sense that Ye Ming posed a threat no less than Wu Huang's.

With Wu Huang, Ye Ming, and Zhu Ying, their lineup was clearly stronger than his and Luoluo's. Thus, Zhou Yuan had no intention of clashing head-on; instead, he decisively retreated, using his brief confrontation with Wu Huang as an opportunity.

"Zhou Yuan, we've entered the mist," Luoluo said with some concern. "This mist can block perception; getting trapped here would be very troublesome."

Zhou Yuan shook his head. "There was no other choice. If we had lingered even a moment longer, they would have launched a full-scale attack to intercept us. Getting caught then would have put us at a severe disadvantage."

"Only by entering the mist can we shake them off."

Luoluo gritted her teeth in frustration. "Those bastards, just relying on their numbers! Once we meet up with Sister Yao Yao, I'll make them pay!" As the little princess of the Myriad Beasts Dynasty, she had never experienced such humiliation, being chased around like this.

Zhou Yuan smiled, taking it in stride. He mused over his recent clash with Wu Huang, his eyes slightly narrowed. Clearly, he had become much stronger since their last encounter. During their previous clash, he had been almost entirely suppressed without question. But moments ago, he had been able to directly withstand Wu Huang's attack. This clearly demonstrated his progress.

"Wu Huang, how do you feel now?" Zhou Yuan's lips curled into a slight smile.

Zhou Yuan's expression suddenly shifted. He looked towards the mist-shrouded area behind them, where faint fluctuations were emanating. Immediately, he said, "Luoluo, speed up! They're catching up!"

Luoluo was startled. "They're chasing us even into the mist? Aren't they afraid of getting lost?"

Zhou Yuan calmly replied, "It seems I've rattled Wu Huang. He must be desperate to get rid of me completely now." Wu Huang must have sensed his progress, and such advancement clearly caused the situation to slip somewhat from Wu Huang's control.

Luoluo gently patted the ice bird with her small hand. Instantly, the ice bird let out a clear cry, flapping its wings, causing cold air to burst behind it. Its speed sharply accelerated, turning into a blur as it shot forward.

Soon after the ice bird vanished into the distance as a blur, the mist churned, and three figures swiftly emerged.

"They run fast," Wu Huang said expressionlessly.

Swirls turned in Ye Ming's eyes as he spoke indifferently, "That Zhou Yuan has remarkably keen spiritual perception. His spirit is powerful, able to detect our approach."

"But don't worry, he won't escape."

His gaze suddenly shifted to another direction. He flicked his finger, and a burst of Genesis Qi exploded, emitting unusual fluctuations. Soon, the mist in that direction also parted, and three more figures broke through the air, revealed to be another three top prodigies from the Eastern Xuan Continent.

"Jiang Quan, how was it?" Ye Ming asked, looking at one of them, who was none other than the young man who had intercepted Zhen Xu.

Jiang Quan, with his baby face, nodded with a smile. "That fellow is quite strong and tough, but he should be injured now, having fled into the mist."

Ye Ming's dark eyes swept across the area as he said indifferently, "No hurry. None of them will escape."

"Let's go." With a wave of his hand, he and Wu Huang shot forward.

"Why have their numbers increased?"

Within the mist, Zhou Yuan's spiritual perception spread out as he tried his best to detect. His expression then subtly changed, as he could faintly sense that the Genesis Qi fluctuations from the distant rear had suddenly multiplied. Moreover, each of those Genesis Qi fluctuations was exceptionally potent, clearly not belonging to weak individuals.

Luoluo's small face also subtly changed. She gritted her teeth and said, "It seems they're determined to encircle and eliminate us."

Zhou Yuan's brow furrowed slightly. Then, his eyes suddenly sharpened. With a flick of the Heaven Primal Brush in his hand, its snow-white bristles transformed into a long whip that shot out, striking violently into a patch of mist ahead. A large tree burst open, revealing a figure hidden behind it.

Zhou Yuan and Luoluo glanced over, both startled. The figure's clothes were torn, and he looked quite disheveled and pale. It was none other than Zhen Xu from the Yama Sect.

"Zhen Xu?" Luoluo exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing hiding here?"

Noticing Zhen Xu's expressionless face, Zhou Yuan had a thought. "Have those people from the Eastern Xuan Continent found you too?" he asked.

Zhen Xu was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"You actually couldn't beat them?" Luoluo scoffed disdainfully.

Zhen Xu frowned. "I don't fear the person I was fighting," he said, "but two others were hidden in the shadows, locking onto me. That distracted me, preventing me from fighting at full strength, which allowed him to find an opening."

Luoluo paused, then said, "How despicable!"

"Why are these people from the Eastern Xuan Continent bothering us?" Luoluo said resentfully.

"Because only you are qualified to pose a threat to them," Zhou Yuan calmly stated. "They've formed a united front, while you are all scattered individuals. By defeating you one by one, they can naturally suppress the morale of all prodigies on the Cangmang Continent, making people hesitant to contend with them for opportunities."

Zhen Xu coughed weakly a couple of times, said nothing more, and turned to leave.

"They seem to be able to see through the mist," Zhou Yuan said suddenly, watching his retreating figure. "I suggest you come with us."

Zhen Xu was clearly not lightly wounded. If he walked alone, he would surely be caught by Wu Huang, Ye Ming, and the others pursuing them from behind. In that case, his fate would likely be grim.

Zhen Xu halted, slightly tilting his head. His dull, grey eyes looked at Zhou Yuan. "I was trying to deal with you earlier. Are you still going to help me?" he asked.

Zhou Yuan smiled faintly. "I have no grievances with you," he said, "but those people behind us are involved with Wu Huang. I naturally know how to prioritize."

Zhen Xu fell silent.

"Stop dithering," Zhou Yuan said. "You know your current state better than anyone. If you want to die, then go."

Zhen Xu's eyes flickered. Finally, he suddenly leapt onto the ice bird's back.

"Thank... thanks. I'll remember this favor." Zhen Xu's voice was a bit strained. Clearly, he felt somewhat awkward, as he had been attacking Zhou Yuan not long ago, but now had to rely on Zhou Yuan's strength.

Zhou Yuan, however, simply waved his hand dismissively. Since Wu Huang had allied with people from the Eastern Xuan Continent, Zhou Yuan naturally also needed to find ways to gather some strength. Zhen Xu and others, targeted by the Eastern Xuan Continent, were clearly the best candidates.

"What do we do now? Where do we go? They have more people, and we're bringing along an injured person. If we confront them directly, we'll surely be wiped out," Luoluo said with a distressed expression.

Zhou Yuan pondered for a moment, his eyes glinting. After a brief pause, he extended a finger, pointing towards the deepest part of the mist.

"You mentioned before that deep in the mountain range, by the Golden Pond, there are many fourth-grade Genesis Beasts and a mysterious Genesis Beast leader, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Then let's go there... Only by stirring up the waters can we shake them off."