451: Chapter 451 Successfully Rescuing the Crown Prince

Di Pingjian led three elite units of the Shadow Kill Squad, totaling three thousand well-trained warriors. Riding over three thousand swift Flying Horses, they were like a black whirlwind, rapidly pursuing the First Prince's party.

Because she previously had to gather all the Shadow Kill Squad members scattered outside the city and make reasonable arrangements and deployments, this process consumed a lot of time, allowing the First Prince's party to set off first.

The First Prince's party was massive—a battle-hardened army with extensive combat experience, numbering over ten thousand people.

However, this army did not have high-speed mounts like Flying Horses, which undoubtedly gave Di Pingjian an advantage in her pursuit.

Di Pingjian knew time was of the essence; she surmised that the First Prince must have also sent a vanguard to intercept and kill the Heir Apparent.

If they couldn't arrive in time, the Heir Apparent's life would likely be lost.

At this thought, Di Pingjian was consumed with anxiety. She decisively ordered the party to speed up, determined to rescue the Heir Apparent before he was harmed.

Under Di Pingjian's urging, the Flying Horses galloped away like arrows from a bow, the dust kicked up by their hooves forming a long pillar of yellow smoke in the air.

The three thousand Shadow Kill Squad members followed closely behind. Dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and holding sharp weapons, their eyes were like torches, radiating a cold and resolute Aura.

Di Pingjian knew that the First Prince's ability to lead a massive army of ten thousand out of the city quickly and silently meant he had indeed received secret help from the King.

If the situation were even worse, perhaps the King had even provided the First Prince with many Flying Horses. In that case, the Heir Apparent would be in danger. She hoped she would still be in time to save him.

After seven full days and nights of continuous travel, Di Pingjian finally arrived at the Endless Mountains, hundreds of thousands of miles away from the Chaotian Dynasty.

There, she unexpectedly discovered the First Prince's and the Heir Apparent's parties locked in fierce combat.

By this time, the number of Shadow Kill Squad members behind Di Pingjian had decreased significantly.

Originally, this unit had three thousand people, but during these long seven days and nights, they had to leave over five hundred members along the way to clear out parties sent by other princes to attack the Heir Apparent.

What surprised Di Pingjian even more was that, besides the First Prince, three other princes had actually left the city even earlier, prepared to intercept and kill the Heir Apparent.

This was a situation she hadn't anticipated at all. She had originally thought the other princes were relatively weak, not expecting that some of them had hidden their true strength.

Fortunately, while the strength of these princes was not to be underestimated, they were still slightly inferior to the First Prince.

Therefore, the number of people they sent to intercept the Heir Apparent wasn't large, only a few hundred. Thus, it was relatively easy for Di Pingjian and her Shadow Kill Squad to deal with them.

The Endless Mountains were not just a single peak but a massive mountain range composed of countless low peaks; at a glance, there was no end in sight.

These peaks rolled on and on, like a winding Dragon, spanning a length of ten thousand miles!

Such unique terrain made this an excellent location for an ambush.

The Endless Mountains were so named not only because the range stretched endlessly but also because the terrain was exceptionally complex.

Due to the rugged terrain and dense forests, it had become a habitat for many Vicious Beasts.

However, after years of human development, one generally wouldn't encounter Vicious Beast attacks near the road areas.

After all, Vicious Beasts were full of fear toward human armies; the powerful Evil Qi emitted by human armies kept them from approaching easily.

At this moment, the scene before Di Pingjian's eyes was shocking.

Although the party led by the Heir Apparent was large, most of them were new recruits who had accompanied him for training.

In contrast, the five thousand Jinyi Squad sent by the First Prince were experienced and well-trained.

In this fierce battle, it was clear that the Heir Apparent's twenty thousand troops were at a disadvantage, being slaughtered by the Jinyi Squad. Men and horses were overturned, casualties were heavy, and the scene was unbearable to witness.

At this critical moment, the Heir Apparent, slightly wounded, retreated with difficulty to the edge of a cliff under the close protection of the remaining five hundred Shadow Kill Squad members.

Although the cliff was only about a hundred meters high, falling from such a height wouldn't necessarily shatter one's body, but it was definitely enough to send the Heir Apparent and the others to the Yellow Springs.

At this moment, the Heir Apparent's face was as pale as paper, looking terrible to the extreme, filled with the ashen despair of death. However, in stark contrast, the five hundred Shadow Kill Squad members each displayed a heroic look of regarding death as a homecoming.

"Your Highness, the Heir Apparent, we are all acting on orders and have no choice! I hope that once Your Highness reaches the underworld, you will not resent us."

Seeing that the Heir Apparent and his men had been driven into a corner with no way out, the leader of the Jinyi Squad took the opportunity to continue:

"Your Highness, you are of noble and exalted status. Rather than being humiliated here, it would be better to end your own life to keep your body intact. We will surely bring your remains back to the Dynasty for a grand burial, so you may depart with dignity."

The Heir Apparent stood his ground, his sharp eyes fixed on the leader of the Jinyi Squad. His voice echoed in the air, carrying a hint of majesty and determination.

"If I die, neither you nor your families will ever have a good end!"

The Heir Apparent's words were like a heavy hammer, striking hard against the hearts of the Jinyi Squad.

The leader of the Jinyi Squad' expression changed slightly; he clearly hadn't expected the Heir Apparent to speak so directly.

However, he was not intimidated by the Heir Apparent's Aura. He still stood tall and responded without showing weakness, "Your Highness, we are only acting on orders. As for your life or death, it is not for us to decide."

The Heir Apparent gave a cold laugh. He took a few steps forward, closing the distance to the leader of the Jinyi Squad, and continued:

"You are nothing more than pawns of my eldest brother. Once I am dead, Father will surely vent his anger on you. Do you think my eldest brother will protect you? Don't be naive! Even if he intends to plead for you, Father will never agree. After all, I am the dignified Heir Apparent, a person of supreme status!"

These words from the Heir Apparent caused many in the Jinyi Squad to show expressions of hesitation.

Although they were subordinates of the First Prince and had long since disregarded their own lives, they naturally valued the lives of their families.

If it was truly as the Heir Apparent said and they were buried with him, what would happen to their families?

However, at the rear of the Jinyi Squad, those hundreds of black-clad men remained as motionless as statues.

The mysterious Aura emanating from them made people shudder, as if they weren't living people at all but a group of emotionless killing machines.

Seeing this, the Heir Apparent was secretly delighted, feeling this was a perfect opportunity. He quickly struck while the iron was hot and continued his persuasion:

"Everyone, how about this? If you can give me a way out today, I will surely ensure that you and your families remain safe. Not only that, I can promise you wealth, honor, and supreme power!

Think about it, I am about to become the new King. As long as I can successfully inherit the throne, your families will naturally be safe. This is a way to achieve two things at once!"

Seeing many of his subordinates behind him starting to waver after the Heir Apparent's persuasion, the leader of the Jinyi Squad couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

He suddenly turned around, facing the group of hesitant subordinates. His eyes were wide with rage as he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"All our lives, we have received the great kindness of the First Prince. We once swore oaths to go through fire and water and die on the battlefield for him! Now is the time for us to repay that kindness. How can there be even a hint of hesitation in your hearts?"

His voice was like thunder, echoing in the air and making the ears of those around him ring.

Then, he paused briefly to let his emotions settle a bit before continuing: "

Don't forget, your families are currently under the First Prince's surveillance. If we truly fail to complete the mission today, then before the Heir Apparent can inherit the throne, the First Prince will likely kill our families first!

By then, we will not only carry the infamy of being disloyal and unrighteous—becoming traitors loathed by all—but our families will also suffer a catastrophic disaster, being completely wiped out by the First Prince!"

His words were like a sharp sword piercing their hearts, making them shudder involuntarily.

"Rather than letting our families be exterminated along with us, it's better for us to die on the battlefield for the First Prince now!

Perhaps the First Prince truly has the ability to protect our families!"

Although the leader's last sentence carried a hint of uncertainty, it reignited a spark of hope in everyone's hearts.

Seeing the unit behind him gradually stabilize, the leader of the Jinyi Squad felt slightly relieved. He suddenly turned around, raised his war blade high, and let out a roar:

"Warriors, kill! The First Prince has said that whoever can slay the Heir Apparent will be appointed as the Invincible Great General!"

This roar exploded on the battlefield like a thunderclap, and the morale of the Jinyi Squad was instantly ignited.

They shouted in unison: "Kill! Kill!"

"Kill! Kill the Heir Apparent and be appointed Invincible Great General!"

The shouts rose and fell, deafeningly loud, as if they would tear the very heavens and earth apart.

The three thousand Jinyi Squad members were all battle-hardened. Their surcoats had long been stained deep red with blood, but this didn't affect their fighting spirit in the slightest.

Like a pack of hungry wolves, they roared and charged at the Heir Apparent and his men.

However, to Di Pingjian's surprise, the black-clad men behind the Jinyi Squad did not charge with them but quietly remained in place.

Their figures flickered in the darkness like ghosts, inspiring fear in the heart.

These black-clad men seemed to have no interest in the Heir Apparent and his group. Their mission seemed to have been completed, and they were now just coldly watching the bloody slaughter.

On the Heir Apparent's side, the situation was also not optimistic.

Only five hundred Shadow Kill Squad members remained by his side. Facing an enemy several times their number, they showed no sign of retreating.

Beneath those pitch-black masks, the eyes of the Shadow Kill Squad members were exceptionally firm. They tightly surrounded the Heir Apparent, building an indestructible defensive line with their bodies, fearlessly meeting the impending fierce battle!

"Not bad!"

Looking at the scene before her, Di Pingjian couldn't help but feel a surge of heroic pride.

She personally witnessed the Shadow Kill Squad, which she and the Heir Apparent had meticulously trained, choose to risk their lives without hesitation when faced with a life-or-death choice to protect their master. This loyalty and courage deeply satisfied her.

Di Pingjian He secretly compared the Shadow Assassins' team with the Crown Prince's Imperial Guards.。Di Pingjian secretly compared the Shadow Kill Squad with the First Prince's Jinyi Squad.

In her view, the reason the Shadow Kill Squad was superior to the Jinyi Squad was not just because their combat power was stronger, but more importantly, because their loyalty was more unwavering.

"Advance! Follow me to rescue His Highness, the Heir Apparent!"

Di Pingjian let out a roar that pierced the sky like thunder.

She unhesitatingly drew her saber, which gleamed coldly as if declaring war on the enemy.

As Di Pingjian's order was given, the Shadow Kill Squad members behind her responded one after another.

Their movements were uniform as they quickly drew the scimitars at their waists and charged at the Jinyi Squad like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.

However, Di Pingjian was surprised once again when those hundreds of mysterious black-clad men actually made way again.

They stood quietly to the side, gripping their blades tightly, but showed no intention of helping.

Di Pingjian didn't have time to think about whether these black-clad men were friends or foes. She led the Shadow Kill Squad to strike the Jinyi Squad from behind like a black whirlwind, instantly catching them off guard.

From a distance, the Heir Apparent saw Di Pingjian leading the Shadow Kill Squad to his rescue like divine soldiers descending from heaven, and his heart was filled with wild joy.

He unhesitatingly ordered the five hundred Shadow Kill Squad members by his side to take the initiative and attack, coordinating with Di Pingjian's squad to charge into the enemy ranks.

In an instant, over six thousand people from both the Shadow Kill Squad and the Jinyi Squad collided like surging waves, and a fierce battle broke out immediately.

Sabers and swords clashed, and the shouts of killing were deafening!

The entire battlefield was shrouded in an atmosphere of slaughter.

Although the numbers on both sides were comparable, the combat power of the Shadow Kill Squad members far exceeded that of the Jinyi Squad.

They were skilled and coordinated perfectly; every strike was like a thunderbolt, putting immense pressure on the Jinyi Squad.

As time passed, one shrill scream after another rose in succession.

Under the Shadow Kill Squad's fierce assault, the Jinyi Squad' soldiers retreated step by step, with people being cut down constantly.

Blood stained the earth, and the air was thick with the heavy scent of blood.

After two long hours of bitter fighting, the battlefield finally began to quiet down.

The original clamor of battle was replaced by a dead silence, leaving only the rustling sound of the wind blowing past the corpses.

At this time, the scene on the battlefield was unbearable to witness.

All three thousand soldiers of the Jinyi Squad had been killed, lying haphazardly in pools of blood, while the Shadow Kill Squad had also paid a heavy price.

Two hundred Shadow Kill Squad members had unfortunately died in battle, most of whom were the exhausted members who had already been fighting fiercely by the Heir Apparent's side.

Additionally, three hundred people were seriously injured, and over four hundred were slightly injured.

The Heir Apparent was very grateful to Di Pingjian for her timely rescue and promised on the spot to appoint her as the new Prime Minister once he inherited the throne, but Di Pingjian politely declined.

Both Di Pingjian and the Heir Apparent felt it was a pity for the seven hundred Shadow Kill Squad members who died in battle; indeed, five hundred Shadow Kill Squad warriors had already been killed before Di Pingjian arrived.

When the Heir Apparent originally left the Dynasty, he had secretly taken a thousand Shadow Kill Squad members with him, and it was these people who had fought to the death to protect him this time.

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