Chapter 575 - 520: A Clean Getaway (Part 2)

Chapter 575: Chapter 520: A Clean Getaway (Part 2)

He had used the city’s unique environment to shake off the Chen Family’s pursuit, but if he couldn’t handle this current obstacle properly, he risked getting trapped in another vicious cycle.

Chu Mu considered his options. He had already figured out the Chen Family’s surveillance system, so that wasn’t a major concern.

His only real worry was their human-wave tactic, treating their men like cannon fodder.

Within the range of a Cultivator’s Divine Sense, every minute detail is laid bare.

A human-wave tactic using only Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators wouldn’t have been a problem. He had countless ways to evade their Divine Sense. But avoiding the Divine Sense of a Golden Core Cultivator at the same realm as him was not nearly as easy.

After all, this entire operation was directed at him and him alone. There was no one else, nothing else, to divert their attention and ease the pressure on him.

Furthermore, after days of being hunted, his methods had been thoroughly exposed. From his various Puppets to the Illusion God Mask, he figured the Chen Family had likely even guessed about Wangcai’s bloodline-tracking Divine Technique.

However, even with their seemingly seamless net, the current situation seemed to be more advantageous to him than not.

After all, by entering the city, he had drawn the vast majority of the Chen Family’s forces in the Bazhou Basin to Bazhou City.

Even if he were discovered, as long as he could quickly shake off the nearest Golden Core Cultivator, he wouldn’t face the same predicament as before—being discovered and immediately encircled by Chen Family Cultivators from all directions.

Even if the Chen Family reacted swiftly, a simple chase without an encirclement from all sides would make it very difficult for them to catch him...

Besides...

Chu Mu gazed ahead and to his left. He could feel a faint connection to his Sky-Breaking Flying Boat in that direction.

But at this moment, the Sky-Breaking Flying Boat was at least five or six thousand li away.

Previously, he had been wary of the surveillance system created by the Chen Family’s Array Dao Nascent Soul. On top of that, with pursuers closing in from all sides, he couldn’t risk betting that the Chen Family Golden Core Cultivators surrounding him didn’t possess some kind of powerful spatial treasure.

After all, if they did have a spatial treasure, or if the Array Prohibition System covering most of the Bazhou Basin secretly possessed the same space-monitoring capabilities as the Chain Array in Bazhou City, he would be in deep trouble.

In either case, using his trump card, the Sky-Breaking Flying Boat, would have been suicide.

The Chen Family wouldn’t even have to hunt him down. They would only need to disrupt the surrounding space, and he, inside the Sky-Breaking Flying Boat, would be inevitably sucked into Spatial Turbulence, his Divine Soul utterly annihilated.

But now, after days of being chased, while he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility, he was at least certain that the Chen Family’s Array Prohibition System covering the Bazhou Basin lacked any space-monitoring function.

Even if one of the Chen Family Golden Core Cultivators did possess a powerful spatial treasure, they would have to corner him first to be able to instantly pinpoint the Sky-Breaking Flying Boat’s location in space.

And now, the Chen Family’s forces, once scattered across the Bazhou Basin, were all concentrated here in Bazhou City.

At this thought, Chu Mu pursed his lips. Without further hesitation, he took a step and vanished into the mountain forest.

At that same moment, in a temporary stone house on a barren, mortal mountain due north of Bazhou City, a projection covering an entire wall flickered to life. Surveillance feeds from the layered network monitoring all of Bazhou City appeared on the screen.

A dozen or so Foundation Establishment Cultivators moved about before the various projection screens, coordinating the surveillance system’s operation.

To one side of the stone house, surrounded by several Golden Core Cultivators, Qing Ling watched the array of surveillance projections.

"How long has it been since Chu Mu entered the city?"

Qing Ling suddenly asked.

"It has been nearly an hour, Senior," a Foundation Establishment Cultivator immediately replied, turning to bow deeply.

Qing Ling’s delicate brows furrowed. Her gaze swept across the projection screens, finally settling on the Golden Core True Masters who were still trapped within the city’s dense Array Prohibitions, unable to make any headway.

"This man has many tricks up his sleeve. He’s an expert at Concealment and can even alter his Divine Soul Aura—it’s incredibly bizarre. During the pursuit, it was as if he knew our exact locations, always managing to perfectly evade us..."

"Now that he has entered the city and used the chaos to shake us off, is it possible he’s already snuck out in another direction, completely undetected?"

A middle-aged man at her side spoke up, his voice hesitant.

At his words, the expressions of the other Cultivators in the room soured. They had spent days hunting him, pouring in massive amounts of manpower and resources. If he had still managed to slip away, it would be the ultimate joke!

"Dare I ask, Fairy, have the Ancestors sent down any Decrees?"

The same middle-aged man asked again, his tone probing.

"The Spiritual Qi in the city is in turmoil, and Blood Qi fills the air. Those few Nascent Soul Great Powers are pressing hard. The Ancestors can’t spare much attention to track Chu Mu."

Qing Ling’s voice was cold and tinged with gravity. She paused in thought, but just as she was about to speak, a frantic message transmission exploded in the minds of all the Golden Core Cultivators present.

"Yuning Mountain! We’ve found Chu Mu! Requesting immediate support!"

The Golden Core Cultivators instantly turned to one of the projection screens. They saw Qingyi flicker into view, but before they could get a clear look, the screen was completely overwhelmed by a torrent of sword light.

A faint splash of blood appeared amidst the brilliant, pure light, and the mutilated body of a mortal fell from the sky.

THUD!

After the dull impact, whether by chance or design, the corpse landed squarely on the surveillance Array Prohibition. Its mangled state was displayed in gruesome detail on the projection screen.

At that moment, sword lights crisscrossed the screen, and the faint, desperate screams of others could be heard.

Then, a streak of crimson sword light shot into the air and vanished into the sky.

Almost simultaneously, the projection showed several streaks of Tunneling Light rising into the sky from hundreds of li around, giving chase to the crimson light, trying to re-establish that despair-inducing Heaven and Earth Net.

"Pursue him!"

After a moment of shock, a streak of pale green light shot out from the stone house. The other Golden Core Cultivators immediately followed, all speeding toward Yuning Mountain.

Viewed from the heavens, one could clearly see the chase scene unfolding once more.

But there was a difference. Before, it had been an inescapable encirclement, a Heaven and Earth Net closing in from all sides. Now, it was a pure chase, with everyone converging on the single crimson streak of sword light up ahead.

With such a huge commotion, these events were, of course, clearly visible to the Nascent Soul experts locked in Battle high in the sky.

"All these people, this whole grand spectacle to hunt one person, and they still let him get away..."

"If a bunch of wastes like that served under me, I’d slap them all to death!"

High in the sky, the Profound Nether Ancestor glanced down at the chase unfolding below. His tense expression broke into a wide grin. After taking a moment to enjoy the grim faces of the Chen Family Cultivators, he began to mock them mercilessly.

Chen Shengwu snorted coldly. "Whether he escapes is not for you to decide!"

"Hahahaha..."

The Profound Nether Ancestor roared with laughter. "Are you blind?!"

"Your Chen Family’s pack of losers couldn’t catch that kid even when you had him surrounded with your Heaven and Earth Net! Now you’re just chasing his tail. He’s a True Cultivator of Sword Intent using Man-Sword Unity! You think you can catch him with that Escape Speed? You must be dreaming!"

"Hahahaha..."

"Hahahaha..."

At his words, the other Nascent Soul experts couldn’t help but break into laughter.

Meanwhile, the faces of the Chen Family’s Nascent Soul experts were all grim. Even the Qing Cang Ancestor’s expression was visibly dark.

’To think that I, a dignified Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, would personally act against a mere Early Stage Golden Core cultivator and still let him escape... and now, after such a massive mobilization, I have to watch this ant slip through our fingers...’

...