Chapter 2203: Du Feng Returns

The exhilarating chase finally concluded after more than half a day.

The cultivators returned to Fengtai Stronghold, clearing the battlefield, gathering spoils of war, and rebuilding defenses. Although the enemy's assault had been repelled and even one Fusion Dao realm cultivator had fallen, such peace would not last long. In major war zones like the Yellow Springs War Zone, both sides committed significant forces. The Insect Mother, having recognized the unfavorable turn of the battle here, would undoubtedly make adjustments and deploy new strategies.

The Crane Wing Camp earned its renown in this battle. While they had already distinguished themselves during the star assault in the Blue Water War Zone, their performance this time was far more impactful. This time, they had directly engaged a Fusion Dao realm cultivator in a head-on confrontation and had not been at a disadvantage. Without the Crane Wing Camp, the stronghold would undoubtedly have fallen by now.

As everyone else rested and busied themselves with repairs, Lu Ye sat pale-faced and cross-legged. Wang Xun and the others stood guard around him, their expressions a mix of tension and concern. While others only witnessed the might of the Crane Wing Camp, Wang Xun and his comrades knew the immense sacrifice Lu Ye had made. It was hard to imagine the terrifying pressure of having all that power concentrated in one individual, or the enormous courage required for an Initial Dao realm cultivator to confront a Fusion Dao realm cultivator directly. Even though they knew their commander had once accomplished the extraordinary feat of slaying a Fusion Dao realm cultivator as an Initial Dao realm cultivator, that previous opponent could not compare to this one. This Fusion Dao realm cultivator had even driven Du Feng away, indicating significantly greater strength. Lu Ye's current state clearly suggested severe injuries, which naturally worried everyone, though they refrained from disturbing him.

In reality, Lu Ye was perfectly fine; even his apparent blood-spitting during the clash with the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator had been faked. There was no other option, as this was the only way to avoid appearing too astonishing. He mused to himself that his actions this time should have left no openings. Thus, even if the Insect Mother were to see brief images of the Fusion Dao realm cultivator before its death, she would only attribute the victory to the power of the Crane Wing Formation. Ultimately, his strength was still insufficient. If he were powerful enough, there would be no need for such elaborate feigning, nor would he need to rely on the Crane Wing Formation for concealment.

While the cultivators in the stronghold healed and recuperated, a one-armed cultivator silently returned through the nearby starry sky, moving with the stealth of a thief. This person was none other than Du Feng, the Fusion Dao realm commander of Fengtai Stronghold, who had previously been driven away by that insectoid! As the Fusion Dao realm commander of the stronghold, he naturally had a few trusted subordinates. However, in his desperate escape, he hadn't been able to spare a thought for them. He had fully expected the stronghold to be overrun after his departure, with all trapped cultivators perishing in the fight. Du Feng had even mentally prepared himself to be held accountable by the Yellow Springs forces later.

To his surprise, the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator pursuing him suddenly turned back. Not long after, one of his confidants actually sent him a message, informing him that Fengtai Stronghold had held. Not only had it held, but the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator who had wounded him had been killed, and the enemy forces had collapsed, suffering countless casualties. How could he possibly believe such outlandish news? He assumed his subordinate had been captured alive and was being forced by the enemy to lure him back to his death. But then, several other confidants also sent messages, all relaying the same information. This left Du Feng quite suspicious. He was unwilling to believe a single confidant, but when all his surviving subordinates reported the same, it became intriguing. It couldn't be that all of them were trying to mislead him. He then questioned his confidants more thoroughly to ascertain the complete sequence of events.

Still, he couldn't fully trust it. While it was certainly good that the stronghold had held, freeing him from accountability, what if it was a trap? That's why he quietly made his way back, intending to investigate personally. In his dealings, he always adhered to the principle that "seeing is believing." From several thousand miles away, he observed the stronghold. This distance offered complete safety, allowing him to flee instantly if anything seemed amiss. He saw that there was indeed no battle at the stronghold; the large armies of the Insectoid and Blood races that had previously surrounded it were nowhere to be found. Inside the stronghold, Battle Alliance cultivators were actively engaged, seemingly repairing defensive structures. "It really held?" Du Feng's face registered disbelief.

According to his confidants' accounts, after his escape, the Crane Wing Camp arrived. With a hundred members, they formed the Crane Wing Formation, protecting the surviving cultivators while using the formation's power to block the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator's attacks. It was precisely by seizing the opportunity when the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator was engaged with the Crane Wing Camp that the remaining cultivators collectively struck, fortuitously slaying the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator! The one who had delivered the killing blow amidst the chaos was merely a Seventh Path cultivator, who had even, by luck, received a Star Abyss blessing!

The Crane Wing Camp... he certainly knew of them. They had been dispatched from the Yellow Springs War Star to reinforce him after his initial message. However, when the Crane Wing Camp arrived, he had been locked in a fierce battle with his own opponent and hadn't noticed their arrival. Subsequently, his sole focus was on escape, making him even less concerned with any Crane Wing or Tiger Wing camps. He never imagined that a unit like this could play such a significant role! Although he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, Du Feng could infer from his confidants' descriptions that the Crane Wing Camp was largely responsible for the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator's demise. Had this unit not intercepted the enemy, that fortunate Seventh Path cultivator would never have succeeded. So, it seemed... that fellow must have already been at his limit? Otherwise, how could a group of Initial Dao realm cultivators in the Crane Wing Camp, even with the power of their formation, possibly withstand a Fusion Dao realm cultivator who was stronger than him? A powerful cultivator capable of injuring him would certainly not have died at the hands of a mere Seventh Path cultivator! With this realization, Du Feng's expression fell.

If he had known this, he would never have fled. If only he had persevered a little longer then, he might have killed that formidable foe—no, he *definitely* could have killed him. He regretted his excessive caution; defeated and with a severed arm, he had simply lost the will to continue fighting. Fighting to the death, refusing to retreat, slaying an enemy Fusion Dao realm cultivator, and defending the stronghold—these merits would have all been his! With such achievements, who among those irritating individuals on this planet would dare to question him again in the future? With myriad thoughts flashing through his mind, Du Feng swiftly moved, flying towards the stronghold. Since the stronghold was now safe, there was no longer any need for him to flee back to Yellow Springs.

"The Commander has returned!" Suddenly, someone in the stronghold cried out. Everyone looked up to see a one-armed middle-aged man descending from the sky. Perhaps due to his injuries, his face was quite pale, lending him a somewhat delicate aura.

"Greetings, Commander!""Sir!"

Numerous surviving cultivators quickly saluted him. Du Feng's gaze swept over the crowd. He nodded slightly, then cleared his throat. "Well done. All of you have contributed significantly to defending the stronghold this time. Once I've recuperated, I will draft a battle report to request commendations for you."

Someone said with concern, "Sir, you are wounded. Please rest for now."

Du Feng nodded slightly and turned to depart. Among the crowd, many cultivators watched his retreating back with expressions of disdain. As a Fusion Dao realm commander stationed at the stronghold, a battlefield setback was understandable; in conflicts with the Insectoid and Blood races, no one could claim perpetual victory. However, Du Feng's earlier retreat after being defeated by the enemy's Fusion Dao realm cultivator, completely abandoning the numerous cultivators trapped in the stronghold to their fate, was truly disheartening. Yet, he was still a Fusion Dao realm cultivator, and specifically one from the Du family. Thus, even if the Initial Dao realm cultivators harbored any strong opinions, they couldn't openly express them.

Du Feng departed, closely followed by several of his confidants. These individuals were all cultivators from the Du family, their honor and disgrace inherently linked with Du Feng's. Therefore, even though Du Feng had previously abandoned them, their loyalty remained unwavering. However, just a moment later, these same confidants returned, moving through the crowd and conversing with various cultivators. No one seemed to know what they were up to. The cultivators they spoke to displayed varied reactions, some appearing indifferent, others indignant.

Lu Ye, completely oblivious to these happenings, was busy feigning recovery while secretly refining Dao bones. In the recent battle, the Crane Wing Camp had gained considerable spoils. As before, he received half of all the collected loot, with the remainder distributed among the others. Wang Xun was responsible for collecting and tallying the spoils. Even after Lu Ye took his half, there was still more than enough for everyone else to share. No one raised any objections to this arrangement. Lu Ye was credited with enabling the Crane Wing Camp to form their battle array, and it was also thanks to him that they had been able to withstand the Insectoid Fusion Dao realm cultivator this time. No one else could have endured the immense pressure of the entire formation's augmentation. In essence, he was the very soul of the Crane Wing Camp. Lu Ye accepted the offer without hesitation. He had a considerable need for Dao bones, and maintaining the "Same Spirit, Linked Branches" Dao pattern also consumed a significant amount of Dao power. Therefore, half of the proceeds was indeed his rightful share.

"By what right?" A sharp cry echoed from nearby. It was Wang Xun's voice. Lu Ye frowned slightly, looking up in that direction. He saw Wang Xun's face contorted in anger, and not just him; several other Crane Wing Camp cultivators nearby also wore hostile expressions. Standing before Wang Xun was a young man with an arrogant, bossy demeanor. In response to Wang Xun's question, he merely stated indifferently, "No right in particular; it's the rule!"

Wang Xun, enraged, let out a scornful laugh. "What rule? This is hardly my first time on a battlefield; I've never heard of such a rule!"

"This is a rule established by the Commander," the young man said, looking sternly at Wang Xun. "Are you sure you won't comply?"

Wang Xun's expression shifted, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. Although he held no respect for Du Feng, the man was, after all, a Fusion Dao realm cultivator, and the stronghold recognized him as its supreme authority. Wang Xun could argue with this young man, but he couldn't directly challenge the Fusion Dao realm Commander.

"What's happening?" a slightly weakened voice inquired. Wang Xun turned his head, his gaze meeting Lu Ye's. He quickly said, "Sir, it's nothing. Please continue to rest." He silently chided himself for speaking too loudly and disturbing his commander's peace.

Lu Ye looked up at the young man. "I am the commander of the Crane Wing Camp. If there's an issue, you can speak to me directly."

That young man had also been among those trapped in the stronghold and was saved by the Crane Wing Camp. Having personally witnessed Lu Ye's impressive display of power, he dared not be disrespectful. He quickly stepped forward, saying, "Du Quan greets Commander Lu. Thank you again, Commander Lu, for saving my life earlier."

"Du Quan..." Lu Ye's eyes flickered. "What is your relationship with Commander Du Feng...?"

The same surname, Du—perhaps a coincidence, perhaps not.