Fine words aside, this was actually already the fastest the Witch Race army could move. Any faster, and Hou Yi would have to leave the army behind and head to Penglai alone with Gungun, but that clearly wasn't realistic.
Don't assume these witches were all useless scrubs. Those who had come this time were the Houtu Tribe's elites. Besides Hou Yi, there were quite a few Great Shamans at the Great Immortal level, all with considerable cultivation. Together, their fighting strength would definitely exceed Hou Yi and Gungun's combined.
A little under an hour later.
"Why aren't we there yet? Is Mount Buzhou really that far from Penglai?" Gungun sat on the litter, holding a folding fan and fanning himself as he complained impatiently.
He hadn't thought of this before, but now that Hou Yi had given him that reminder, he had fully caught on.
It didn't matter if the Witch Race failed to save the Eastern King. That was heaven's will; the great tide of destiny couldn't be defied. Old Eastern was doomed to die.
But all those treasures on Penglai Immortal Island couldn't be allowed to fall into the Demon Race's hands or be destroyed. Hou Yi had just promised that Gungun could take first pick once they secured the treasures, and that was something Hou Yi had the authority to decide.
Besides, the other witches would share the spirit fruits and spirit beasts with him, but as for magical treasures, needless to say, ninety percent would be his!
"Mount Buzhou is about seventeen hundred million... trillion li from Penglai. At our current speed, we should arrive in another hour. Brother Gungun, haven't you been to the Eastern Sea before? How did you forget?" Hou Yi turned his head and asked Gungun.
"I... ah, forget it. Another hour. Hopefully we'll make it in time. The Demon Race had better not loot everything." Gungun sounded deeply troubled. Then he opened his left bear paw, and a Treasure Map appeared in it. The system had rewarded him with it at some point; in any case, the last time he fetched spirit fruits, he had discovered it in the Minor World he carried with him.
The Treasure Map marked the location of a golden Dragon Pearl, which happened to be in the Eastern Sea as well.
Honestly, Gungun hadn't wanted to come all this way just for a Dragon Pearl. After all, he didn't like eating Dragon Pearls. They were hard and tasteless, but!
Since he was going to the Eastern Sea anyway, he might as well pick it up while he was there. If he didn't eat it himself, he could give it to... uh, he could trade it with someone for spirit fruits or beast milk.
Let me see. The Dragon Pearl is... here. It's guarded by two golden flood dragons? No problem. The great god Gungun isn't afraid of flood dragons! Gungun noticed the warning he had been too lazy to read last time and thought this to himself. Once he had confirmed the precise location, he put the Treasure Map away.
Then he kept hoping and hoping, wishing time would pass faster and they would reach Penglai sooner, but...
Some time passed. They still hadn't reached Penglai, but a group of uninvited guests had arrived instead.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Deafening war drums sounded as a vast mass of demon clouds swept toward them from ahead.
Upon the clouds, Bai Ze, the foremost of the Ten Great Demon Sages, stroked his grizzled beard and looked their way with a smile. Behind him, Demon Gods Bifang, Zhang Hui, Lang Yue, Jun Yuan, and others stood in a row. Behind them stood demon soldiers and generals stretching as far as the eye could see. Damn... they were here to block the road.
No, they might also be here to spring an ambush and wipe us out.
Gungun thought this to himself, and at the sight, his fanning hand unconsciously stopped.
"Bai Ze..." Beside him, Hou Yi frowned and raised his arm, ordering the Witch Race army to halt. Then he looked at the Demon Race army, which had likewise stopped ahead of them, and called to Demon Sage Bai Ze at its head, "Of the Ten Great Demon Sages, why have you come alone?"
"Great Shaman Hou Yi, do you think I alone am not enough to deal with you?" Bai Ze asked with a smile.
"Hmph. I'd say you're not!" Hou Yi snorted coldly. With that, he raised the Eight-Direction Sun-Shooting Bow in his hand, drew a Four Symbols Sun-Shooting Arrow from behind him, and aimed at Bai Ze. Then...
Whoosh!
The Sun-Shooting Arrow became a brilliant beam of light and shot violently toward Bai Ze.
Roar! Roar! Roar! At the sight, Bai Ze swept his hand, unfurling the Ten Thousand Beasts Scroll. Countless ferocious demon beasts immediately leaped out of it to meet the Sun-Shooting Arrow. Though the arrow's radiance ultimately annihilated them all, they still managed to block the arrow for Bai Ze.
"Great Shaman Hou Yi, I did not come here today to fight you to the death. I merely wish to ask you to wait here for a while. Once the business at Penglai is settled, you may go to the Eastern Sea or return to Mount Buzhou as you please." Bai Ze put away the Ten Thousand Beasts Scroll and addressed Hou Yi, whose expression had darkened somewhat.
"Do you think I'll agree to that?" Hou Yi asked Bai Ze.
"I hope you will. After all, although I do not fear you, I would still rather avoid a fight if possible," Bai Ze said leisurely.
"You're a Demon Sage, and I'm a Great Shaman. How could we possibly meet without fighting?" Hou Yi said coldly. Then he swept his arm and issued a stern command. "Warriors of the Witch Race, hear me! Crush these demons and rush to Penglai's aid!"
"Yes! Kill!!!" At his command, the entire Witch Race army behind Hou Yi sprang into action, charging at the Demon Race army blocking their path. Hou Yi himself and several other Great Shamans turned into streaks of light and shot forward, attacking Bai Ze and the Demon Gods behind him.
Even the two witches carrying Gungun's litter joined the charge.
"Uh..." Watching everything unfold in the blink of an eye, Gungun blinked, his whole bear self somewhat dumbfounded. Then he lowered his head and glanced at the folding fan in his hand.
Well, you see, I don't want to fight the Demon Race here. I want to go to Penglai first and loot... oh, no, I mean save the Eastern King!
"Ah! Heavenly army, heed my command! Engage the Witch Race!" Seeing that Hou Yi had indeed chosen to fight, Bai Ze sighed, then swept his hand and gave the order.
"Kill!" The Demon Race army immediately charged forward as well. The two sides soon collided and began a vicious battle. Dazzling spells flashed incessantly, bodies clashed in close combat, and weapons hacked back and forth. In short, the scene was extraordinarily bloody.
"Hmm? It's you! Excellent! You ambushed this god from behind back then. Today, I'll make you pay and skin you to make myself a robe!" Demon God Bifang swept his hand, sending an early-stage Great Immortal Great Shaman flying, then slaughtered a Golden Immortal witch with a palm strike. His gaze swept across the battlefield and landed on Gungun, who was still sitting on his litter rather than joining the fight. His pupils abruptly contracted, and his entire being filled with fury as he shouted at Gungun.
"Screee!" With that, red light flashed around Bifang, and he transformed into a gigantic bird, swooping toward Gungun to kill him.
Gungun: "???"
When did I ever ambush you?
Before you continue