Chapter Sixty-Two: All or Nothing!

Tu Lu hurriedly followed after her.

In just half a day, the two of them had covered several hundred miles.

Even Zi Ling now looked at him with new respect.

As a sword cultivator, her speed was not much inferior to the average Purple Palace cultivator. Yet after Tu Lu's recent breakthrough, he was actually able to keep pace with her!

"Wait a moment!"

Before long, Zi Ling stopped and frowned. "We're too late. Only three people from Zi Tuo Peak were lost before they broke through Black Camel Ridge. Let's wait here, so we don't miss them."

She added another instruction: "Just meditate to restore your energy."

Tu Lu felt a little embarrassed. He knew Zi Ling was referring to how his cultivation earlier had delayed them. Yet, considering the distance to where Zi Tuo Peak currently was, even without the delay, it was unlikely they would have made it in time—so it didn’t make much difference. Still, he felt awkward.

He carved out a cave, but before he could enter, Zi Ling unceremoniously sat down inside first.

Tu Lu was stunned for a moment, then dug another cave for himself nearby.

This time, several hours passed.

From Zi Ling's cave, there had been no sign of movement. As time wore on, even Tu Lu began to frown.

It was taking too long—nearly a day had passed!

At this rate, Zi Tuo Peak would likely be halfway through their journey already.

"We can't wait any longer!"

But just as he stood up, he received a voice transmission from Zi Ling.

"I've found Zi Tuo Peak. Near the Pu Chuan Mountains, they've been blocked by a formation set up by more than thirty cultivators at the Half-step Purple Palace Realm!"

"Pu Chuan!"

Tu Lu was shaken.

So fast!

There was less than a thousand miles left between them now. At this speed, if nothing slowed them down, they’d reach the provincial capital in just about a day!

"Hurry!"

Both of them realized the urgency of the situation. Without hesitation, they set off at once.

What gave Tu Lu some comfort was that Zi Tuo Peak had been blocked by more than thirty Half-step Purple Palace cultivators. Even if they broke through, it would take a great deal of time!

The pair sped forward.

But unexpectedly, after only half an hour, Zi Ling’s expression changed dramatically, and she stopped dead!

"What is it?"

Zi Ling was silent for a moment before speaking. "Zi Tuo Peak used a Star Bomb to forcibly blast open the formation. All thirty-seven of our Half-step Purple Palace cultivators were wiped out!"

"What!"

Tu Lu was stunned.

As if afraid he wouldn’t understand, Zi Ling explained, "A Star Bomb is the thing that caused the explosion outside Huangyun City. It’s an ancient artifact, one that even a Body Tempering cultivator can activate, but its power is immense—it can severely wound even a Purple Palace cultivator and is extremely valuable! I heard the old city lord of Huangyun City found three of them in some ancient ruin. He used one himself years ago to survive a deadly crisis. I never expected that the remaining two would be handed down to Zi Tuo Peak!"

Upon hearing this, Tu Lu felt slightly better.

If Zi Tuo Peak had more of those Star Bombs, he’d really have to reconsider whether this was worth risking his life for, no matter how precious the Tricolor Cloudflower was!

"What should we do now?"

Zi Ling hesitated. They were now just over seven hundred miles from the Pu Chuan Mountains. If Zi Tuo Peak headed for the provincial capital, he might not even take this route. If they advanced rashly, they might miss him entirely!

"We wait here!"

After a moment’s thought, she made her decision.

"Is that wise..." Tu Lu frowned.

They were already so close to Zi Tuo Peak. If he didn’t take this road, they’d be sitting here while he slipped by on another route!

"Don’t worry! I’ve already ordered all the Half-step Purple Palace cultivators from the rear line to move here and form a wall across the road to the capital. This line will block every path to the provincial seat. As soon as they arrive, they’ll be exposed, and all the cultivators will converge to surround and kill them!"

Tu Lu drew a sharp breath.

Still, it was a good plan.

But gathering all the defenders from behind was a bit of a gamble.

If they failed, Zi Tuo Peak would have a clear path behind them!

For some reason, he felt an uneasy sense that something was off.

Whether in Divine Wind City or outside Huangyun City, his intuition had always been keen, so he didn’t dare to ignore this feeling now.

But for the moment, he couldn’t think of what exactly was wrong.

"I've found them!"

A few hours later, Zi Ling suddenly opened her eyes!