Chapter 132: Departure and Pursuit

Liu Zong, Yuan Ying, and their companions looked toward the area where Xu Ying was fighting, only to see the phantom of a colossal bone lion manifesting behind him.

Xu Ying’s original weapon had vanished, and even his armor was in tatters, yet he showed no signs of injury. Instead, he wore an expression of intense excitement and fervor. His right hand was pulled back to his waist, a movement that seemed to transcend his own conscious control.

Suddenly, the bone lion phantom dissolved into countless beams of light, converging into the palm of Xu Ying’s right fist. With a straight, powerful thrust, these beams transformed into a barrage of meteors, slamming into his opponent.

Xu Ying’s adversary was a leather-armor class player with exceptional evasion skills. Aside from the initial strike, he had managed to dodge nearly all of Xu Ying’s attacks. However, facing the "Asura Buddha-Breaking Fist," the player found himself suddenly stripped of any room to maneuver. His feet felt as though they were trapped in stone, each step heavy and sluggish. Meanwhile, the meteor-like fists rained down from every direction; for every one he dodged, four or five more appeared in his path.

As the first meteor struck, the others seemed to find their mark, all converging on the same point. The meteors grew faster and brighter, and one could even see the faint phantoms of running bone lions tracing their path through the air.

In an instant, the player was launched into the air by these invisible blows. Amidst a series of thunderous booms, his leather armor, his weapon, and his very body were shattered into fragments.

The moment the player vanished, Liu Zong noticed the small, meteor-like bone lions consuming something in mid-air. With every morsel they devoured, they grew slightly larger. Once finished, they transformed into bone shards and reassembled into a single, large bone lion.

It was evident that this bone lion possessed a more lethal aura than before. Simultaneously, Xu Ying’s hair slowly began to return to its natural pale gold, suggesting that the side effects of his forced job advancement were gradually wearing off.

As the bone lion returned to his side, Xu Ying let out a long sigh. "I always thought that after the advancement, using this technique would be easier. I didn't expect it to still be so taxing."

Liu Zong didn't let him dwell on it. "Now is not the time for this. Yuan Ying, bring out the provisions we prepared; let’s recover our cooldowns. Reina, check to see if there are any creatures we can use to boost our speed. They don't need to be many—a ten percent increase will suffice. And collect the ears from the ground. They’re trophies of this skirmish; they might not be worth much, but they’ll serve as a memento."

Under Liu Zong’s orders, the group sprang into action. With no time for cooking, Yuan Ying produced the high-quality jerky they had purchased at the hotel, dividing it into thumb-sized strips for everyone. They consumed the rations without complaint.

Reina soon found a suitable creature: a small, carrot-like entity. When mounted, it could boost a mount's speed by ten percent, though this speed came at the cost of the mount's lifespan—a price few were usually willing to pay. For Liu Zong, however, this was a non-issue. These weren't their own mounts, but ones borrowed from the Adala insectoids—and since their original owners had already perished at their hands, there was no need for mercy.

The trio consumed their food, mounted their giant locusts, and directed them toward the palace. With their speed increased by one hundred percent, combined with the additional boost and the ability to traverse terrain directly without detours, they could reach the palace in just over three hours.

This was enough for Liu Zong. His strategy for travel was to use superior speed to outpace his enemies, keeping them in the dark about his true destination so he could set traps. He knew his enemies anticipated this, but he could not remain fixed on the palace. His intentions were fluid; he could change course at any moment to hide out in a hotel for a few days or head toward the catacombs to enter the Underworld.

Even if his enemies guessed his plans, they were forced to keep watch in every direction, keeping their most vital personnel close and ready to strike with their own mounts.

About half an hour after Liu Zong’s departure, Liu Gu arrived at the scene of the battle.

He was accompanied by several players whose presence was just as imposing as his own. One of them even walked ahead of Liu Gu, treating him like a mere subordinate. After circling the site, the man tilted his head and remarked casually, "Liu Gu, it seems your men aren't up to the task if they get killed after tracking their target this far. Furthermore, you didn't mention that the people you wanted us to ambush were from the Ghost King Sect. I’m out."

He fixed Liu Gu with a piercing look. "Let me tell you, the Ghost King Sect is on the rise. They’ve found their path, and there are at least three in their ranks with the potential to reach the level of a Fourth-Level Evil Buddha. Provoking their disciples now will only lead to a miserable end."

With that, he beckoned to the two players following him. One of them glanced at Liu Gu with a mocking smile. "Liu Gu, you told us this would be easy and safe. That clearly isn't the case. I have other business to attend to; I won't be participating in this anymore."

The other player didn't even speak; he simply signaled into the sky. Everyone present knew that Liu Gu’s forces had dwindled once again.

Losing three men at once left Liu Gu’s expression grim, yet he remained silent. He still had two players of equal rank behind him, and he knew that if he showed any dissatisfaction now, they would leave as well, leaving him with no one to hunt down Liu Zong.

Liu Gu feigned confidence, ordering his men to scout the surroundings while he conferred with a player clutching an incense burner. Finally, after his scouts reported that Liu Zong had left on giant locusts—likely toward the palace—Liu Gu made his decision. He would mobilize all remaining forces, provide everyone with giant locusts, and launch a pincer movement from the palace toward Liu Zong’s current position.