The next round of the great escape began.
Forget the battle flags, equipment, supplies, or formations; none of it mattered anymore.
The remaining hundreds of Soul Master soldiers, under the relentless pursuit of the Black Armored Knights, were scattered like sand, blown apart by the slightest breeze. They could no longer resist, passively accepting the crushing slaughter.
Although there was a full realm of difference between a Soul Sage and a Soul Douluo, there were still intelligent individuals who skillfully used the surrounding terrain and their accumulated combat experience to fight back desperately.
If one Soul Sage couldn't win, several Soul Emperors or Soul Kings could. Three cobblers are better than a Zhuge Liang.
Even the Black Armored Knights, with their superior battlefield experience, were momentarily stalled.
However, before the people of the Spirit Empire could cling to any hope of survival, streaks of black and red auxiliary light fell twice upon those grim reapers. The Black Armored Knights, previously held back by numerical disadvantage, now attacked with even greater ferocity. Despite the enemy's numbers, they became mere fodder for the Black Armored Knights' blades.
The two Soul Skill buffs Tang Sui provided were inclusive of herself and the Knight Commander Luo Hong.
Experiencing such a multitude of multi-attribute buffs for the first time, the Black Armored Knights were like sharks tasting blood. They opened their bloodthirsty maws, revealing rows of sharp fangs. White blades entered and red blades exited, and in an instant, the damp, sticky blood pooled on the ground.
The nearly six hundred Soul Master soldiers were routed.
Xie Yue and Yan, shielded by Tuoba Xi and three other Soul Sages, managed to escape the man-eating abyss.
However, more imperial soldiers perished in this City of Slaughter. Only two to three hundred in total managed to escape in the end.
The Black Reapers, stationed at various points by the main city gate, watched the retreating backs of Xie Yue and the others with regret, not pursuing them further.
Because as they reached the city gate, Tang Sui's command of "do not pursue a cornered foe" suddenly echoed in their minds.
Reluctantly, they ended their exhilarating hunt.
Having cast a second Soul Skill on herself, Tang Sui had mostly recovered.
She watched the Black Armored Knights return to standby positions one after another from the main city gate, a smile returning to her lips. She issued the next command: "Scour the city for all usable resources. Leave not a single iron ore behind."
"Yes."
The Black Armored Knights bowed their heads in acknowledgment and, with a flash, darted off in different directions.
As for what to do with the gathered resources, Tang Sui was not worried.
The remnants left behind in the Slaughter City were truly abundant. As for storage Soul Tools, when she was writing the new rules, she had equipped every Black Armored Knight with one.
Thanks to the hard work of the unlucky souls who had left their lives here over the millennia.
In less than half an hour, the highly efficient Black Armored Knights had completely scoured the city of all other usable resources, leaving behind only a scarred, ruined ruin.
"My King, it has been confirmed. Not a single Soul Coin was left behind."
After hearing the last subordinate's report, Luo Hong conveyed the results to Tang Sui.
Tang Sui nodded, looking at the ruins, ravaged by battle, with a touch of regret.
If the damage to Geng Xin City had been less severe, she truly would have wanted to directly transplant the entire city, foundations and all, into her domain.
Luo Hong asked, "Are you returning to the City of Slaughter next?"
Tang Sui searched for a signal flare in her space as she replied, "Not for now. First, we escort the blacksmiths of the original Geng Xin City to the Heaven Dou Empire. Oh, and when we meet, speak less outside. Remember not to reveal my identity. Use a different address."
"Yes, Young Miss." Luo Hong readily agreed, and the other Black Armored Knights with exceptionally keen hearing also silently bowed their heads in understanding.
"Whoosh—!"
A blue masked flare burst in the sky above Geng Xin City.
After waiting for about half a minute, another peculiar green flare rose from a distance and exploded, seemingly just a simple firework with no discernible shape.
This signaled "currently safe."
"Everyone, proceed in the direction of the flare."
Having confirmed the Tang Sect's location, Tang Sui lifted off the ground and flew towards the rear city gate first, with the others following closely behind.
At full speed, it didn't take long for Tang Sui and her companions, all with Soul Cultivation above level 80, to reach the location where the signal flare was fired.
Near a rocky corner in the shadows, the discarded bamboo tube that had held the signal flare was half-buried in the sand, only its inconspicuous tip exposed.
Without meticulous observation, or familiarity with these specially made small signal bamboo tubes, one would surely overlook it.
Tang Sui, who had landed, surveyed the lush forest surroundings. The bird chirps had fallen silent the moment she and her group arrived, and there seemed to be the sound of wings beating as birds flew away. All else was silence.
Her expanded mental energy mapped the locations of three hidden individuals in the woods. Tang Sui was wondering why the three lurking Min Tang disciples hadn't appeared when her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of Luo Hong and the others behind her. Realization flashed in her eyes, and she called out proactively:
"Come out. They are all our people."
The three Min Tang disciples, who had been lurking in the woods, trying to blend their auras with the vegetation, paused. After a moment's thought, they leaped from their hiding places and knelt before Tang Sui, cupping their hands in salute:
"Vice Sect Master."
Tang Sui nodded and got straight to the point: "Where are Elder Titan and the others?"
The Min Tang disciple on the far left replied, "Elder Titan and the others are in a canyon cave about two kilometers away. Although this rescue operation was successful, because so many were injured and we did not prepare transport carts, our speed was extremely slow. Many severely wounded individuals fainted on the way. Elder Bai He therefore ordered us to take a detour and head to the canyon cave we stayed in previously, allowing everyone to rest and recover."
The other two Min Tang disciples lowered their heads, concealing their curious gazes.
They hadn't prepared much beyond essential medicines and rations due to the hurried nature of their departure.
Furthermore, the number of people rescued from Geng Xin City was even greater than their own group. Some of their Tang Sect disciples were also injured in the fighting, with varying degrees of severity, naturally slowing their progress.
Upon seeing Tang Sui's signal flare, and as a precaution, Bai He ordered them to the dense woods here, which were good for hiding, to fire the signal flare and confirm their identity before bringing them over.
After hearing the report, Tang Sui nodded. She took out a map from her Soul Tool and handed it to Luo Hong behind her. Pointing in a direction, she said, "Uncle Luo, take twenty men and travel south for six kilometers. You will find a small town there. Lease twenty commercial carriages and wait for us at the canyon entrance marked with a red cross on the map."
"Yes, Young Miss." Luo Hong, taking the map, unfolded it and glanced at the drawing of mountain ranges and the marked canyon entrance. He nodded, turned, and selected twenty Black Armored Knights. In the blink of an eye, dark figures melted into the woods and disappeared from sight.
The three Min Tang disciples observing this scene widened their eyes slightly, swallowed with difficulty, and quickly lowered their heads to minimize their presence.
The mere hint of aura released as they moved had sent shivers down their spines.
Their Soul Cultivation was certainly not inferior to their own!
— Author's Notes —
See you tomorrow 0v0