Chapter 106: The Legendary Pursuit
Chapter 106: The Legendary Pursuit
Ji Xinghuo and his two companions hid in a dim cave, not making a sound, and even slowing their breathing to a gentle pace.
It was the last day of the full moon, and outside, it was daytime.
They had been hunting their enemies for over fifty hours, yet their gains were less than expected.
Ji Xinghuo, with his keen senses, noticed a definite change in the deployment of the Bei Luoshimen tribe starting from yesterday, especially with their patrol teams.
He had discovered that the number of legendary experts hiding among the patrols had increased severalfold, indicating that the Bei Luoshimen tribe had brought in many legends from elsewhere to specifically target their group of three.
Even patrols without legends were now comprised of several fourth-rank foes.
The Stone Lizardmen warriors had also been replaced with second and third-rank warriors, disguised as ordinary patrol teams.
It would be a disaster if they were to engage without knowing the full extent of the enemy's strength.
Just a moment ago...
The three of them had their tracks discovered by a legendary expert. Instead of pursuing them openly, the enemy had chosen to trail them from a distance, seemingly aware of Ji Xinghuo's sensing range, always maintaining a distance of about two kilometers while secretly gathering a encirclement.
Ji Xinghuo had not realized this at first.
Fortunately, a constant sense of foreboding in his mind had prompted him to heighten his perception, and the Myriad Phenomenon Star Pupil had finally spotted the enemy!
This legendary foe was over three thousand meters away, hidden and flying in the sky, thinking himself well-concealed, but he had already been exposed.
Ji Xinghuo was startled.
However, he did not react and instead pretended to be unaware, using a dense forest to escape the enemy's line of sight and hide in this cave.
After a long while, Ji Xinghuo spoke, "We should leave now."
The legendary enemy was a rare Gouraok, and after discovering their disappearance, he had searched the area repeatedly. Now, having moved out of the range of magnetic field sensing, they had long since shaken off his pursuit.
There were no other Bei Luoshimen tribe ambushes within the range of magnetic field sensing either.
Jing Ji let out a sigh of relief.
"That was close!"
He still looked a bit fearful, knowing that if not for Ji Xinghuo's reminder, he would never have noticed the tracking legendary expert.
"Do you think he might be pretending to leave, trying to lure us out?" Yuan Chongzhen was very cautious.
"That's possible," Ji Xinghuo nodded, "Let's stay here for another hour to make sure there's no trouble before we depart."
The other two agreed.
Jing Ji glanced at his backpack, which contained the spoils of their hunt for the day. The bounty was only a few million, and each person would only get seventy or so points. Their gains for the day were far less than their average for the past month.
"Looks like I'm going to lose," he said helplessly.
"Not necessarily."
Ji Xinghuo shook his head thoughtfully, "The Bei Luoshimen tribe's large-scale response this time is probably not entirely due to us. It's also because of Alyks' group."
Alyks' team had already wiped out entire watchtowers or camps four times.
In terms of destructive power, they were no less formidable than their group of three.
The complete annihilation of watchtowers and camps dealt a heavier blow to the morale of the Bei Luoshimen tribe, and they would definitely not sit idly by.
If Alyks' group didn't know when to stop, they would likely meet their end. Once they encountered legendary experts, it would be a matter of life and death, and their chances of escape would be slim. If Alyks and his two companions perished, then the bet would naturally be won by Jing Ji.
"Alyks' luck isn't that bad, is it?" Jing Ji asked doubtfully.
"This isn't about luck," Yuan Chongzhen said, "Xinghuo's perception is so powerful, and even he almost fell for it. I don't believe Alyks' group has stronger perception than Xinghuo. They're probably in deep trouble this time." He added seriously, "We just need to make it back alive to win."
Jing Ji's face turned grave, "Then let's head straight back to the Midway Fortress."
"Okay."
Ji Xinghuo also didn't want to take any more risks.
In fact, he felt that it might be best to refrain from hunting the Bei Luoshimen tribe in the near future.
While Earth and the Bei Luoshimen were sworn enemies with no hope of reconciliation, there was still an unspoken understanding between them. They maintained a relatively balanced deployment of forces along the frontline, refraining from limitless resource and manpower investment, thus keeping the conflict at a low intensity.
The relentless hunting by their group and Alyks' had somewhat disrupted this balance.
If this continued, it would inevitably lead to an all-out war.
Ji Xinghuo was eager to participate in such a war, as battlefields were abundant sources of spiritual energy. However, as the instigator, he would undoubtedly be the primary target.
The Bei Luoshimen tribe would go all out to kill him, and a group of legends or even Heavenly Kings might pursue him relentlessly. In the ensuing chaos, it was uncertain if Earth's experts could protect him.
Thus, it was best to keep a safe distance for now.
The three of them hid in the cave for a long time, with Jing Ji using his Silent Phantom technique to conceal their tracks. They eventually left the cave and, under Ji Xinghuo's guidance, made their way out cautiously.
Along the way, they kept their speed slow.
If they had encountered any patrols or lone enemies, they would have definitely engaged and eliminated them in the past.
But today, Ji Xinghuo made sure to detour well in advance, avoiding any potential conflict.
Their hunting grounds this time were very far from the Midway Fortress, over three hundred kilometers away, and they had ventured over a hundred kilometers deep into the enemy's defense line. It took them four to five hours to make their way back through the buffer zone to Earth's frontline, where they could finally relax a little.
Tomorrow would be the "Night Moon," where after daytime, there would be a short night lasting only 272 seconds before the starlight returned. With each passing day, the length of the night would increase by 272 seconds, the temperature would drop, and the cold season would begin, lasting for nine starry months, equivalent to 1.85 Earth years.
"When we get back, I want to take a break for a while." A smile appeared on Jing Ji's face. "I haven't returned to Earth in three months, and my daughter might not even recognize me now."
Ji Xinghuo had mentioned before that he had a daughter who was over two years old.
"I'll go back to the Sword Valley Fortress. It's much quieter and safer there, and I'll continue my hunting." Yuan Chongzhen stated his plans.
He was the oldest among the three, already in his forties, and was working hard to save up for his breakthrough to the Legendary realm.
However, the path to becoming a Legend was incredibly difficult, and he still had a long way to go.
Ji Xinghuo's heart stirred.
The Sword Valley Fortress was located east of Olympia, more than 500 kilometers away from Midway Fortress. It was situated in a very treacherous location, making it difficult for the Bei Luoshimen tribe to launch an attack on Olympia from that direction. Hence, fewer people were stationed there, including bounty hunters.
"Xinghuo, do you have any plans?" Jing Ji asked when he saw that Ji Xinghuo remained silent.
"I haven't decided yet."
Ji Xinghuo scratched his head, thinking that he would ask Yuan Chongzhen for advice once they returned.
If the situation at the Sword Valley Fortress was suitable, he could go there with Yuan Chongzhen and hunt down a few dozen Bei Luoshimen tribe members each day, not too many, and without attracting attention.
Slow and steady wins the race...
Suddenly,
Ji Xinghuo's magnetic field senses picked up on a hidden target nearby, on the Earth's side of the frontline, motionless and not appearing to be lying in ambush.
Because it was a human.
He didn't alert his teammates but instead continued walking for a few hundred meters.
"This person feels familiar."
Ji Xinghuo carefully observed the magnetic field signature and finally recalled who it was. He was shocked to realize it was Alyks!
But Alyks seemed to be in terrible shape.
Ji Xinghuo stopped in his tracks, and Jing Ji and Yuan Chongzhen immediately turned to look at him, knowing that he must have discovered something.
"What is it?" Jing Ji activated the thought link.
Ji Xinghuo replied, "I found Alyks." He briefly described Alyks's situation, and the other two exchanged surprised looks. In the end, they decided to go and check it out.
The three of them silently approached Alyks's location in their Invisible Phantom forms. He was hiding in a swamp, his body lying underwater, merged with the dark algae, and covered by a layer of tall grasses. The murky water was tinted with a dark red hue, but under the starlight, it was difficult to discern.
If not for Ji Xinghuo's prior warning, no one would have noticed that a person was hidden there.
"Alyks."
Jing Ji called out, and his voice sounded abrupt in the empty swamp.
Splash!
The swamp stirred, and a mass of blood surged from beneath the surface, quickly forming a human shape as it rose. The figure shook off the grass and revealed pale skin, but at that moment, his face looked even paler than usual.
It was indeed Alyks, and he stared at the trio in surprise. "Jing Ji? What are you... cough, cough..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Alyks coughed up blood.
Jing Ji frowned at his condition and asked, "How did this happen? Where are your teammates?" His gaze swept the surroundings.
"They're dead." Alyks swallowed the blood back and replied calmly.
"What happened?"
"We walked into an ambush."
Alyks briefly recounted what had transpired. A few days ago, he and his two teammates had chosen a Bei Luoshimen tribe fortress to target. It wasn't a large one, with only about four hundred tribesmen garrisoned there. They planned to wipe them out and add the spoils of that battle to their earnings from the past few days, ensuring their victory in the bet.
Today, after conducting multiple reconnaissance missions, they decided to make their move.
But it turned out to be a trap.
There was a legendary expert from the Great Kun tribe hidden within the fortress, and they had no idea how long he had been lying in wait. As soon as they made their move, he detected them, and the three of them fought with all their might. However, the battle only lasted a few minutes before they were overwhelmed. The Dreamweaver was killed on the spot, and Alyks and the Wind Devil had no choice but to flee in different directions.
The legendary Great Kun expert pursued the Wind Devil first, and Alyks could only watch from a distance as his teammate was slain. He dared not approach to help.
After that, he fled for his life.
The Blood Butcher had incredible survival skills, and Alyks barely managed to escape back to the Earth's side of the frontline, but he couldn't hold on any longer. So, he temporarily hid himself in this swamp.
The three teammates exchanged glances, and their suspicions were confirmed.
They had already won this bet.
However, Jing Ji's face didn't show much joy. This victory didn't feel the way he had imagined it would. He was about to ask more questions when Alyks interrupted him, "We must leave immediately. That legendary Great Kun expert might still be nearby looking for me."
"Let's go!"
Jing Ji's face changed, and he turned to leave without hesitation.
He took a few steps but realized that Ji Xinghuo hadn't followed. Ji Xinghuo was staring at the other side of the swamp, his expression grave as he said, "He's already here!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
