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"What? Retreat?!"
The words had barely left Yue Guan's mouth when Demon Bear Douluo, who was fighting the Second and Seventh Elders of the Clear Sky Clan, froze in shock. He could not understand why they were retreating.
At this moment, Dai Pojun and Zhu Yaqin had completely exhausted their soul power. Once he dealt with the Second and Seventh Elders, he could eliminate them all at once.
Although they were at a disadvantage, they still had the strength to fight. If they retreated just like that, Serpent Lance Douluo's death would have been in vain, and Ghost Leopard Douluo would have been captured for nothing.
Unable to comprehend it, Demon Bear Douluo immediately shouted angrily, "Elder Ju, what's going on? Why are we retreating? Ghost Leopard is still in their hands!"
"The thirty-thousand-strong army of the Star Luo Empire has surrounded Spirit City. Her Holiness the Pope ordered us to return immediately to reinforce the city," Yue Guan explained impatiently. Then he tossed Bibi Dong's handwritten order to Demon Bear Douluo.
Demon Bear Douluo took the order and glanced at it briefly. His face paled, and he exclaimed in anger, "No wonder Dai Pojun only brought thirty thousand White Tiger Soldiers—the rest of the troops went to Spirit City. A classic 'besiege Wei to rescue Zhao' maneuver!"
Demon Bear Douluo fumed for a moment, then changed his tone. "But Elder Ju, do we really have to retreat immediately? Ghost Leopard is still in their hands. Can't we rescue him first and then retreat together?"
"…"
Yue Guan said nothing, silently observing the Star Luo Sacred Tiger glaring with its round, tiger-like eyes, while his gaze flicked to Ghost Leopard Douluo bound to the tiger's tail.
He, too, wished he could save Ghost Leopard Douluo before heading to reinforce Spirit City. But the Star Luo Sacred Tiger was too fast. With him and Gui Mei together, defeating it might be easy—but if it escaped, they would have no way of stopping it.
If they got entangled with Dai Weisi and his two companions, who knew how long the fight would take.
Spirit City was nearly a week's journey away. At this moment, every second was precious.
If Dai Tianxing led the Star Luo army to assault Spirit City while they were delayed, it would spell disaster.
With a resigned sigh, Yue Guan explained, "There's no time. Dai Weisi will never let us take Ghost Leopard easily. If the Star Luo army begins the siege while we are delayed, we'll be in deep trouble. Elder Demon Bear, take Spirit Vulture—we must leave immediately."
"This…"
Demon Bear Douluo's face showed reluctance. He gazed at the captured Ghost Leopard Douluo, his unspoken words turning into a long sigh. He hoisted the heavily injured and unconscious Spirit Vulture Douluo and shouted:
"Spirit Master troops, retreat!"
Demon Bear Douluo no longer engaged the Second and Seventh Elders. Channeling his soul power, he soared toward Spirit City, with Gui Mei following closely.
"Hmph, Crown Prince, your tactics are impressive," Yue Guan sneered. "You're lucky this time. Next time, I, Chrysanthemum Douluo, will surely show you what I'm capable of!"
"Hehe, Elder Ju is joking!" Dai Weisi's cold laugh came from the mouth of the Star Luo Sacred Tiger. "Where do you think you are? This is the Clear Sky Clan. You cannot come and go as you please. Since you're here, leave your life behind! Second Spirit Ability!"
A thousand-year spirit ring glowed, and the Star Luo Sacred Tiger opened its great maw, unleashing streams of golden light.
"White Tiger's Light Wave!"
Whoosh—
Countless beams shot across the sky like meteors, roaring toward Yue Guan's chest.
"You think a mere thousand-year spirit ability can harm me? In your dreams!"
Yue Guan sneered, gathering his soul power. With a wave of his hand, golden energy surged forth, forming a shield that withstood the dozens of beams.
But the light attack was only the beginning. Suddenly, the Star Luo Sacred Tiger's fifth spirit ring blazed. Its claws transformed into two Geng Metal blades, slashing out storms of energy blades. The air trembled as hundreds of sharp blades whistled outward.
The blades struck with lightning speed and thunderous force—but their target was not Yue Guan. Instead, they were aimed at the retreating Spirit Hall Spirit Master troops.
Dai Weisi understood clearly that he could not stop Yue Guan from fleeing, but he could not simply let the enemy escape. He needed to inflict as much damage as possible on their effective forces.
After all, even the weakest Spirit Masters in Spirit Hall's troops were at the Spirit King level. It takes a Spirit Master at least ten or twenty years of cultivation to reach that rank.
Every Spirit King they eliminated now would further weaken Spirit Hall.
"Dai Weisi, you dare!"
Realizing Dai Weisi's intentions, Yue Guan's expression changed. Leaping into the air, he flew behind the Spirit Master troops. Facing the incoming storm of blades, he showed no fear, instead shouting:
"You all go first. I'll cover the rear!" As he spoke, his ninth spirit ring flashed.
"Ninth Spirit Ability: Chrysanthemum Withered, Ground is Scarred, Petals Fall, Heartbreak! Hah!"
Yue Guan shouted, releasing his Strange Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum Spirit. In an instant, golden petals swirled in the air.
In the blink of an eye, the petals transformed into flying daggers, spinning rapidly around Yue Guan to form a golden tornado, intercepting all the Geng Metal blades unleashed by the Star Luo Sacred Tiger.
Dai Weisi tried to control the Sacred Tiger to pursue, but the golden tornado blocked him completely.
Seeing the Sacred Tiger stalled, Yue Guan breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll open a path. Brothers, follow me!"
Yue Guan struck again with Gui Mei, holding back the charging White Tiger Soldiers and buying precious time for the Spirit Master troops to retreat.
Witnessing their Elders' desperate efforts, the Spirit Hall Spirit Masters were deeply moved. They quickened their pace and retreated as one, determined not to let their Elders' sacrifice be in vain.
"Sixth Spirit Ability: Evil-Eyed White Tiger Transformation!"
"Dragon Cloud Sky-Shaking Wings!"
In its armored form, the Star Luo Sacred Tiger's Ice-Fire Wings evolved into Ice-Fire Wind-Thunder Wings, increasing its flight speed and granting it control over wind and lightning.
The Sacred Tiger surged forward, breaking through Yue Guan's golden storm. But looking around, the Spirit Hall Spirit Master troops were already long gone.
Of the thirty thousand White Tiger Soldiers they had brought, fewer than twenty thousand remained. Over ten thousand had died in battle, and another ten thousand were severely injured. Fewer than ten thousand soldiers were still able to fight.
At that moment, Dai Pojun raised his arm, calling out to Dai Weisi in mid-air:
"Dai Weisi, quickly disengage the Spirit Fusion and lead the remaining White Tiger Soldiers to pursue them! I don't ask you to kill Elder Ju or Elder Gui. Just maintain a twenty-li distance and press them from behind. Don't lose them!"
Dai Weisi was stunned. The enemy had already fled, and there might be an ambush ahead—why pursue them?
Then, in the next moment, he understood the strategy, and his eyes gleamed. "As you command, Father Emperor! Soldiers, with me! Press our advantage!"
(End of Chapter)