Mirror Hongchen on the Run

"Brother Song Que, I'm coming too." Huo Yuhao rose and followed him, speaking softly.

"My Spirit Eyes should be able to help."

Song Que frowned. "But your Soul Power is still too weak. If something goes wrong..."

Huo Yuhao smiled. "Don't worry, Brother Song Que. With Yi Lao and the Ice Empress around, I'll be fine."

"Yi Lao, the Ice Empress..." Song Que considered it, then nodded.

"All right. If anything unexpected happens, the Ice Empress might be able to communicate with them."

Half a day later, on the outskirts of Star Luo City, Jing Hongchen and the dozen or so Virtue Hall members behind him stared grimly at a group of masked soul masters facing them.

"Three Titled Douluo and ten Soul Douluo," Jing Hongchen said through gritted teeth. "Quite a lineup."

"It's just a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast embryo. With a force like this, why not hunt a Soul Beast yourselves instead of stealing from me?"

"That's not quite right, Hall Master Hongchen."

The elderly leader opposite him spoke calmly. "We're merely interested in the Soul Beast embryo and would like to borrow it for research."

"Calling it stealing sounds rather harsh."

Jing Hongchen snorted. "Borrow it? Are you joking?"

"And after borrowing it, you'd return it?"

"Your Excellency, Golden Body Douluo?!"

The elder's expression changed. He quickly waved a hand. "Golden Body Douluo? You must be joking, Hall Master."

"I'm just an ordinary soul master. You must have mistaken me for someone else."

Jing Hongchen nearly laughed in exasperation. Every one of them was burly, with a build unlike an ordinary person's. They were obviously Body Sect elders.

If they were going to disguise themselves, they could at least make an effort. Those half-face masks were absurdly halfhearted.

Jing Hongchen had no patience to argue. He had brought few people with him to the Star Luo Empire.

Of those present, only one was a Level 9 Soul Engineer and six were Level 8. The rest were all Level 7. None of them had expected this embryo to draw so many Titled Douluo.

"Go. Fall back to Star Luo City. They won't dare attack so easily inside the city."

With that, Jing Hongchen turned and fled with his people.

"Leaving? It won't be that easy," Jinpeng said with a chuckle.

"After them!"

At Jinpeng's command, the Body Sect members gave chase.

Inside Star Luo City.

"Sect Master, we've confirmed it. Jing Hongchen has the embryo, not any of the team members," a Body Sect disciple reported.

Du Busi nodded. "That old fox Jing Hongchen slipped away in secret. Come on, let's catch him."

He turned to Song Que and Huo Yuhao. "Are you sure you want to come? We may have the advantage, but your cultivation is still low. This will be dangerous."

Song Que shook his head. "Don't worry, Sect Master Du. We can look after ourselves."

Du Busi glanced at him, seeming to recall something, then nodded.

"Lang Ya, Yu Tao, take them with you. Keep them safe."

"Move out."

"Yes, Sect Master!" the two answered.

Jing Hongchen's group fled at full speed. They could not match the Body Sect in raw strength, but their custom Virtue Hall flying Soul Tools kept their pursuers from catching up for the moment.

"We're nearly at Star Luo City. Let's see if they still dare follow." Jing Hongchen relaxed a fraction, his voice fierce.

Just then, wild laughter rang out ahead. Jing Hongchen's expression changed sharply.

"Hahahaha! Where do you think you're going, Jing Hongchen?"

Du Busi flew out from the direction of Star Luo City with another group of Body Sect members, cutting off their path.

"Damn you, Du Busi! Do you really intend to take this so far?" Jing Hongchen shouted.

"Du Busi? I'm Dai Busi," Du Busi said with a grin, deliberately correcting him.

"Du Busi is the Body Sect's sect master. Why would he be here? You've got the wrong man."

Jing Hongchen stared at the half-face mask he wore, identical to Jinpeng's, and his cheek twitched.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Dai Busi smiled. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Enough talk. Hand over the 100,000-Year Embryo, and I'll let you leave."

Jing Hongchen swept a cold gaze over the Body Sect members. Beyond them, he could faintly make out Xu Jiawei and Dai Hao standing atop the city gate.

"So you were all waiting here for me."

Jing Hongchen gave a cold laugh as anger surged through him.

"The Body Sect and the Star Luo Royal Family."

"I knew the Star Luo Royal Family had no good intentions when they put that 100,000-Year Embryo up for grabs. But plotting against me this openly is going too far."

"In that case, don't blame me for what happens next."

Jing Hongchen cast a chilling glance toward Star Luo City.

"You want the embryo? Then follow me. Let's see if you can handle what comes next." He changed course and flew away.

"Follow him!"

The Body Sect members raced after Jing Hongchen into the distance.

Atop the gate tower of Star Luo City, Xu Jiawei and Dai Hao exchanged puzzled looks.

"Brother, what is Jing Hongchen planning?"

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Xu Jiawei stared in the direction Jing Hongchen had gone, his brow furrowed in thought.

Dai Hao shook his head without speaking, worry plain in his eyes.

"That direction... leads to Star Dou Forest."

"What is Jing Hongchen trying to do?"

At the edge of Star Dou Forest, Du Busi's and Jinpeng's groups finally converged.

"Sect Master, what is Jing Hongchen up to?" Jinpeng asked, staring ahead in confusion.

Du Busi frowned. "I don't know either. Let's catch him quickly and find out."

At the rear, Song Que and Huo Yuhao, carried through the air by Lang Ya and Yu Tao, were equally baffled.

Song Que watched where they were headed, his frown deepening.

Something's wrong. If we keep flying this way, we'll reach the Core Area of Star Dou Forest before long.

Di Tian and the other Ferocious Beasts are awake now. If we disturb them, we'll be in serious trouble.

Song Que hurriedly called out, "Sect Master Du, stop him! We can't let him enter the Core Area. If he alerts the Ferocious Beasts, we'll have trouble."

Du Busi nodded slightly.

The next instant, he gave a low shout, and his seventh Soul Ring blazed to life.

His body swelled into an emerald giant dozens of meters tall, dark-green poisonous mist roiling around him.

With his Martial Soul Avatar activated, his speed surged. In an instant, he shot ahead of the group.

"Jing Hongchen, stop right there!"

The Level 9 Soul Engineer behind Jing Hongchen struck first.

Several cannon barrels sprang out around him, unleashing a barrage of Level 8 Soul Tool shells. The dozen or so Soul Engineers behind him activated their Soul Tools as well. Beams and explosive rounds wove into a dense net of fire that slammed into Du Busi's giant body.

Boom! Boom! Blasts rang out one after another as multicolored bursts of light struck Du Busi and erupted in flames. But his Body Martial Soul Avatar was too tough. The attacks could not stop his advance.

Jing Hongchen's face darkened. Ordinary firepower would not hold Du Busi back. He raised his hand and hurled the God-Sealing Platform high into the air.

Activating an amplifying Soul Tool, he roared toward the Core Area, "This Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast embryo dies today! We of the Star Luo Empire will never let it escape!"

As his words rang out, Jing Hongchen pulled the trigger of his Level 9 Fixed-Mounted Soul Cannon. A blinding crimson beam tore through the air toward the God-Sealing Platform hovering overhead.