Gou Tuizhi's order to retreat came suddenly, catching Han Lang and the others off guard.
By the time they realized it, Gou Tuizhi was already the first to fall back, speeding towards the border mountain path. The SS-class ability users also fought to entangle Tang Qin and the others while making a frantic retreat.
The only ones holding the battlefield steady were the lower-ranked ground troops. Relying on their numerical advantage, they managed to block the retreat of the ability users. Han Lang and his group didn't hesitate either, immediately taking flight to pursue Gou Tuizhi.
Soon, the battlefield shifted from above the jungle to the vicinity of the mountain path. With the battlefield narrowed, Tang Qin and her group finally converged with Han Lang's four, fiercely blocking the ability users' retreat.
However, the problem was that Gou Tuizhi and three SS-class ability users, with their backs to the mountain path, had the advantage of a defensible position. Although they were still retreating, Han Lang and the others found it difficult to restrict their movements.
"Commander, you all go onto the mountain path first. The terrain there is narrow and disadvantageous for an attack, giving us a sliver of hope! I'll hold them off for a moment!" Gou Tuizhi and the other two SS-class ability users lacked the camaraderie of border soldiers. Without the slightest hesitation, they decided to abandon the companion who stepped forward, all of them retreating onto the mountain path.
"Whoosh!" With a sound.
One SS-class ability user couldn't withstand the assault of seven Golden Core stage cultivators, including Han Lang. In just two breaths, he was pierced through the chest by Han Lang's golden needle, losing his life completely.
However, this brief opening of a few breaths allowed Gou Tuizhi and the other two SS-class ability users to reach the mountain path. The path was narrow, making it impossible for several people to attack simultaneously. Han Lang had no better orders to give at the moment, but he unhesitatingly took the lead in pursuit. Zhao Wu followed closely behind. Once he moved, the mountain path was left with barely enough space for one person. Tang Geng and Ma Long also sped forward, intending to lend a hand. But as they flew forward, Tang Qin, who had also acted almost without thinking, got ahead of them. With no other choice, they became the second wave, following closely behind the first three.
As Gou Tuizhi and his group retreated further, the mountain path gradually became able to accommodate more people. But at this point, no matter how many people there were, only Han Lang, Zhao Wu, and Tang Qin could attack. The three exchanged no words, each unleashing their full power, trying their best to keep Gou Tuizhi there. Yet, they were helpless, as the narrowness of the mountain path severely hampered their movements, greatly reducing their strength. Gou Tuizhi and the other two retreated while fighting, leaving Han Lang and the other two with no recourse.
"Don't rush, keep up with them! Once we're out of the mountain path, we can capture them all!" Tang Geng, worried about the three's morale, shouted out advice.
Indeed, the shout proved useful. Hearing the reminder, Han Lang and the other two became less anxious. They unleashed their techniques, aiming only to keep up with Gou Tuizhi. However, this also served as a reminder to Gou Tuizhi and the other two. Gou Tuizhi immediately pointed to the SS-class ability user at the very rear and ordered, "You, stay behind to cover our retreat. Otherwise, none of us will be able to escape!"
The SS-class ability user was slightly stunned at first, but soon his expression turned resolute. "Don't worry, Commander! You all flee with all your might, I'll tie them down!" With that, he even stopped directly, fearlessly blocking the path of Han Lang and the other two. Han Lang and the other two didn't hesitate, unleashing their killing moves on this SS-class ability user. Gou Tuizhi and another SS-class ability user, however, retreated rapidly, speeding towards the depths of the mountain path.
Han Lang and the other two felt anxious, but for the moment, they were helpless. The narrowness of the mountain path had too great an impact on their movements. An SS-class ability user that the three could have easily dealt with took nearly a minute to kill. Seeing the corpse of this SS-class ability user, Han Lang and the other two didn't linger, leaping forward and once again pursuing the direction where Gou Tuizhi had disappeared.
Only when they neared the end of the mountain path did Han Lang and the other two catch sight of Gou Tuizhi and another SS-class ability user. Seeing them about to leave the mountain path, in their haste, the three moved swiftly. Unfortunately, their movement techniques were not fast enough, and they couldn't stop them.
At this critical moment, a graceful figure suddenly flashed by. Just as the SS-class ability user was about to jump off the mountain path, a claw struck his back. "Ah!" The SS-class ability user cried out in pain, and the force of the blow sent him completely off the mountain path.
Hearing the scream, Gou Tuizhi immediately turned back. Upon seeing Tang Qin, he unhesitatingly unleashed a palm strike. "Boom!" The immense energy directly destroyed the mountain path, and debris from the mountain began to fall. By the time Han Lang and the other arrived, they could only exchange a glance with Gou Tuizhi from afar, watching them disappear from sight. It wasn't that they didn't want to pursue. It was simply that the mountain collapse was so severe that there wasn't enough space for them to move. Even if they used all their strength to clear a path, in that amount of time, it would be enough for Gou Tuizhi and the other to escape.
"Damn it! He got away again!" Zhao Wu was furious. The threat posed by SSS-class ability users to the soldiers was too great. If they could have killed him here, it would have meant one less formidable enemy for the border soldiers. Han Lang also sighed helplessly. "Perhaps it was not their time to die!" he said.
As they spoke, Tang Geng and Ma Long also caught up. "How did it go?" they asked urgently. Seeing Han Lang and Zhao Wu shake their heads, they also looked regretful. "What a shame! We were so close to annihilating these ability users!" "Alas, yes. So what do we do now, young sir?" Han Lang shook his head and replied. "There's nothing we can do. After Gou Tuizhi escaped, he will surely leave the border of Xia Country. It's unlikely they can gather so many high-level ability users again to carry out another infiltration plan. Overall, we still achieved a great victory!"
Hearing this, everyone felt a little bit of comfort. Although Gou Tuizhi and one SS-class ability user had escaped, at least in this battle, they had dealt with dozens of mutated S-class ability users and two SS-class ability users. This was at least a considerable achievement.
"Alright! Pass down the order, organize the battlefield, and report the casualties of our soldiers to me. Have the fighter jets come to pick us up, we're preparing to march back!" Hearing this, Tang Geng quickly turned back to issue the order. A Golden Core stage warrior who had followed them immediately flew back the way they came to convey Han Lang's instructions.
Just then, Tang Qin, who had been silent, suddenly stopped and took out an electronic display. "Wait. You can let the soldiers take fighter jets back to the outpost on the mountain peak to station. This place has just been cleared by Gou Tuizhi's group, and it's temporarily unguarded. Let's station here instead. At the same time, we can discuss further pursuit plans!"
Pursuit? Tang Qin's words stunned Han Lang and the others. "The people are gone, how can we still pursue them!" Tang Qin then smiled mysteriously and waved the electronic display in her hand at them. On the display, a small red dot was blinking continuously. Seeing this, Han Lang and the others were greatly shocked. "This... this is..."