33: Chapter 33 The Power of the Demon Rank, A Citywide Manhunt!
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Might of the Demon Rank, a City-wide Pursuit Order!
The next day, early morning.
As soon as Lin Qingzhi and I walked out of the dormitory building, I felt a hint of something unusual.
The air was filled with a chilling sense of tension and slaughter.
I immediately activated [Spiritual Energy Perception], and an energy network map covering the entire city unfolded in my mind.
I "saw" it.
On the main roads leading out of the city, checkpoints disguised as routine inspections had appeared, their spiritual energy fluctuations full of vigilance and searching.
In countless inconspicuous corners of the city—convenience store owners, street beggars, taxi drivers—they were all entwined with a thread of contract-like energy belonging to a certain power.
They were all "eyes."
An inescapable net, woven from official, underground, and modern technological forces, had quietly spread out.
And we were the prey in the center of the net.
"It seems they've arrived." Lin Qingzhi looked at the unfamiliar "security guards" at the school gate in the distance, a flash of realization crossing her cold eyes.
"To set up such a grand formation, it shouldn't just be the Wang family," she analyzed. "Last night, I crippled 'Iron Fist,' which only slapped the Wang family's face. But now, this net's goal is to 'capture alive,' not to seek revenge. My 'Tracking Brand' was activated; it's likely related to this."
"They don't know they're trying to catch the 'Former Life Empress'; they only know they're after a 'remnant harboring a rare treasure.'"
I understood; this was a pursuit driven by greed!
"Before me, this net is no different from paper." I flapped my wings confidently.
Before me, the ultimate reconnaissance radar, this net was full of holes. I knew exactly where the sentries were, where the ambushes lay, and where the surveillance blind spots were.
Lin Qingzhi glanced at me and nodded, her eyes full of trust.
"Let's go, take me for a stroll." Her tone was as relaxed as if she were saying, "Let's take a walk in the back garden."
Thus, a thrilling city-wide manhunt began in such a strange manner.
Under my guidance, we perfectly avoided all sentries, both visible and hidden.
As a search net tightened in the south of the city, we were quietly slipping out of an unguarded sewer entrance in the north.
When their informants reported our appearance in the east, we were actually in a park in the west, leisurely "appreciating" the square dancing of the elderly.
We were like two dancers on the edge of a blade, playing with that inescapable net in the palm of our hands.
However, we both underestimated the determination of a Demon Rank Expert.
Just as Lin Qingzhi was "explaining" the key movements of square dancing to me, her expression suddenly changed!
"Not good! It's a Demon Rank's Divine Sense! Let's go!"
Almost at the same time, I also felt a terrifying pressure, like Mount Tai pressing down, descending from the sky and firmly locking onto the area where we were!
This power was far more terrifying than any enemy we had encountered before!
We immediately took off running!
But it was too late.
An old voice, filled with endless killing intent, seemed to ring directly in our ears.
"Found you, little bastard!"
In the next second, an incredibly fast, giant palm made of earthy yellow Demonic Power descended from the sky, slamming down toward us with a momentum that could crush everything!
"You evil creature!"
Lin Qingzhi shouted angrily. Knowing there was no way to avoid it, she suddenly pushed me back and charged forward herself!
The Ice Phoenix True Essence within her body erupted without reservation, condensing into a crystal-clear ice shield in front of her that radiated an aura of extreme cold!
Boom—!
The massive earthy yellow palm collided violently with that seemingly fragile ice shield!
The entire park shook violently from the impact!
The ice shield lasted less than half a second before it shattered into pieces with a "crackling" sound!
Lin Qingzhi's figure, as if hit by a high-speed train, spat out a tragic arrow of blood and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a distant rockery, creating a spiderweb of cracks in the hard rock.
The gap in strength was too vast!
"Pfft..." Lin Qingzhi struggled to stand, coughing up another mouthful of blood that stained her white dress red.
"Go!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she forcibly suppressed her injuries, grabbed me, and turned into a streak of light, fleeing into the distance!
An elderly figure slowly landed on the spot where we had just been.
It was the ancestor of the Wang family, Wang Xiaotian.
He looked at the pool of blood on the ground that hadn't yet dried, which carried a faint golden halo, and sniffed the lingering scent of Ice Phoenix True Essence in the air, a cruel and greedy smile appearing on his face.
"Yes, it's the scent of this bloodline!"
"Running? Let's see where you can run to!"
From his robes, he slowly pulled out an ancient, compass-like Magical Artifact.
The needle of the compass spun wildly for a few turns before finally, with a "click," pointing dead-on in the direction where Lin Qingzhi and I had fled!
We couldn't win in a direct fight, and we couldn't escape.
A true desperate situation had arrived!