Xiao Man chased Feng Mo Ran into the depths of Devil's City. The traps and mechanisms within had long been altered. Currently, only she and Mo Mo knew the true paths. Although she had drawn a correct map for Nangong Yu, she couldn't guarantee he wouldn't stray.
Zi Yang had already been sent to a safe place. Upon her arrival, she hadn't seen Chu Qing Ge, nor Nangong Yu. This could only mean they had entered Devil's City. She wondered if they were injured.
Xiao Man moved with great speed, as if every path inside was clearly etched in her mind. The treasure map that had been publicized was from the treasure box, but the map of the terrain within was their new map, modified by her and Mo Mo.
Nangong Yu led Chu Qing Ge through Devil's City. Unsure of the treasure vault's location, he followed the map in his hand. "Your Majesty Yu Huang, the deeper we go, the more dangerous it becomes. Should we stop?"
Chu Qing Ge panted heavily. Even with her martial arts background, she couldn't endure such a chase. She felt her lungs were about to explode, her heart pounding so fast it felt like it would leap from her chest.
Seeing her utterly out of breath, Nangong Yu stopped. "Let's rest for a moment. Mu Rong Sheng Rui is in hot pursuit, but he doesn't know the correct path, so he won't catch up for a while. Still, we can't be careless. Many have entered, and numerous traps and mechanisms have been destroyed. Moreover, Mu Rong Sheng Rui brought his elite of the elites. We are few in number and at a disadvantage."
Chu Qing Ge finally caught her breath and said, "We can continue."
Nangong Yu nodded and continued to lead the way. The further ahead they went, the fewer footprints there were. Most people were following the publicly circulated map, taking a different route. Few could reach this path.
"Your Majesty, where does this path lead?"
"The destination," Nangong Yu replied concisely. No matter which path they took, it would eventually lead to the destination. The question was whether they could reach it safely.
"What is at the destination?"
Nangong Yu didn't answer immediately, as he himself didn't know what lay at the destination. All he could do now was delay time to the best of his ability, keeping Mu Rong Sheng Rui and the others occupied, and giving Xiao Man time to deal with Feng Mo Ran.
Nangong Yu had brought his elite guards, but within this place, even his own men, without the correct map, couldn't emerge unscathed. By the time they reached the destination, he didn't know how many would remain.
Mu Rong Sheng Rui pursued Nangong Yu into Devil's City, but in the depths, he lost track of Nangong Yu's group. He eventually caught up with a small contingent of guards, only to discover they knew nothing of Nangong Yu's whereabouts or the correct path. They were merely decoys to distract Mu Rong Sheng Rui.
Wei Wu Ji and He Zhong Tian followed Mu Rong Sheng Rui closely. Of Mu Rong Sheng Rui's original four attendants and four supervisors, only two remained. Xia Hou Ying and Qu Yang had become separated from them and were also somewhere in Devil's City searching for Mu Rong Sheng Rui.
"Your Majesty, this servant will scout ahead. You walk in the middle." Wei Wu Ji led the way, with He Zhong Tian at the rear, protecting Mu Rong Sheng Rui in the center. Had Mu Rong Sheng Rui not been poisoned, he would have paid these traps no mind. But now, afflicted with the marrow-cleansing poison, his powers were gone, making him less than useless. No matter how unwilling, he could only let Wei Wu Ji and the others protect him.
Though Wei Wu Ji harbored certain selfish thoughts, he was extremely loyal to Mu Rong Sheng Rui. Anything he believed to be beneficial to Mu Rong Sheng Rui, he would do, regardless of whether Mu Rong Sheng Rui would be angry if he knew. This was because he would never let Mu Rong Sheng Rui know.
Feng Mo Ran was injured and wished to find Nangong Yu quickly. If he could capture one of them, Xiao Man would hesitate to act rashly. Moreover, if he failed to obtain the Tong Tian Tower, and the High God grew angry, he feared he would suffer even more. He had to get the Tong Tian Tower as soon as possible!
Feng Mo Ran stopped at a fork in the road, unsure which way to go. He saw Cen Yu there. "Why are you here?"
"Cloud Emperor pursued that way," Cen Yu pointed to one of the paths. Su Dan Novel Network.
"Did you see Nangong Yu and Chu Qing Ge?"
Cen Yu nodded. "The secret guards protected Chu Qing Ge and took this path. Nangong Yu took the path Cloud Emperor is pursuing."
Feng Mo Ran hesitated for a moment, then chose the path Chu Qing Ge had taken. Nangong Yu was cunning, and perhaps difficult to capture. But Chu Qing Ge would be much easier. Capturing Chu Qing Ge was far simpler than capturing Nangong Yu.
Cen Yu watched Feng Mo Ran disappear down the path and didn't rush to leave. He waited. A moment later, Xiao Man arrived. Cen Yu straightened up. "Feng Mo Ran wants the Tong Tian Tower. The person behind him has never shown themselves, and Feng Mo Ran rarely mentions them. However, he greatly fears that person."
"Which way did he go?"
"This way," Cen Yu pointed to the left path. "According to your instructions, I have led him to a dead end."
"Thank you. We are even now." Xiao Man turned to leave.
Cen Yu called out to her, "Was it a boy or a girl? Who does the child resemble?"
"A boy, he resembles me." After speaking, Xiao Man leaped away, vanishing in an instant.
Cen Yu chuckled softly. "A boy? A boy should resemble Mo Han. You're just being stubborn, thinking he resembles you. But then again, you're not unattractive. If he resembles you, he'll be a handsome man when he grows up."
Cen Yu walked in another direction. After a few steps, he stopped and then turned, pursuing Xiao Man's direction. That child already had no father; he couldn't let the child lose his mother as well.
Xiao Man pursued for a distance, seeing the damaged traps and mechanisms, but not Feng Mo Ran's trace. Without hesitation, she continued deeper. Feng Mo Ran had been struck by a hidden weapon and was seriously injured. The extent of the damage to the mechanisms indicated his urgency. He was likely eager to seize a bargaining chip to threaten her.
Xiao Man accelerated her pursuit. As expected, she caught up with Feng Mo Ran. Without a word, she drew her sword and attacked, cutting through any pleasantries. She wanted Feng Mo Ran dead here, never to be allowed to wreak havoc on the human world again.
Feng Mo Ran blocked Xiao Man's attack, and they engaged in combat, neither willing to yield. However, Feng Mo Ran held back, as he needed to keep Xiao Man alive. But Xiao Man was pouring all her might into taking his life!
"You are truly heartless!" Feng Mo Ran berated. "I spare you at every turn, yet you strike to kill me with every move. They say the tail of a wasp has the most venom, and a woman's heart is the most venomous. The ancients did not deceive me!"
"Pah." Xiao Man spat at Feng Mo Ran. "Even the most venomous woman cannot compare to your black heart. Come and take my life."