Chapter 2854: This Is a Trap

With the Earth Mother's true body absent, the stone men and stone puppets' attacks were purely formulaic; even if defeated a hundred times, the one hundred and first time they would still attack the same way, utterly devoid of novelty.

Even Tong Ming True Lord felt like yawning.

He said to Bai Zhan Tian, "Let's enter the Secret Realm first; Jialou Tian must be getting impatient waiting."

Bai Zhan Tian let out a cold snort.

It was well known that he and Jialou Tian had always been on bad terms. "Can't he take it down himself? It's just an ownerless Secret Realm."

"But this is the Secret Realm of Panlong Ancient City; naturally it's different." Tong Ming True Lord smiled. "Last time it was also Jialou Tian leading the assault on the Earth Mother Plains and Panlong Ancient City, but..."

The result wasn't very good.

"So this time, him being a bit more cautious is only to be expected."

The Heavenly Demons were just about to enter the ancient city when Bai Zhan Tian suddenly sensed something and flashed outward.

He had barely moved aside when over a dozen flying swords pierced the spot where he had just been standing; with a few whistling sounds they exploded, kicking up smoke and dust all over the ground.

Another flash of light flickered in the gray haze; Bai Zhan Tian frowned, snatched out his Blood Blade Flying Axe and casually flung it forward — only to hear a *ding* —

A spear shadow shot out from the smoke and dust, aiming straight for his nose tip, but was knocked flying by that very axe strike.

The long spear spun a few times in the air, traced an arc, and flew back into its original owner's hand.

That was... nearly a hundred people burrowed out from the dust; leading them were precisely Immortal Ming Ke and He Yue.

He Yue caught his long spear back, pointed at Bai Zhan Tian and shouted, "Bai Zhan Tian, where are you going? We still have old scores to settle!"

In the previous Secret Realm battle, he and Immortal Ming Ke had ambushed this Heavenly Demon squad, yet didn't know two Great Heavenly Demons were lying in wait within the ranks, so the fighting was tragic; over a thousand soldiers perished in the army, Immortal Bird Chang Shan Ke fell, and several of his generals also sacrificed themselves on the spot.

Tong Ming True Lord immediately said to Bai Zhan Tian, "They've gone all out. Trying to stop us from entering the Panlong Secret Realm."

If the three Great Heavenly Gods were to gather in the Panlong Secret Realm, wouldn't breaking this Secret Realm be a matter of minutes?

So He Yue and these Cang Yan people, despite knowing they were no match, had no choice but to come out and block the way.

Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot — isn't that also a kind of sorrow?

"But then again, the Holy Venerable originally wanted us to capture the Crown Prince of Shen State; he is Jiu You's own younger brother."

Blood kin — that's the best bargaining chip.

The words had barely fallen when He Yue and Immortal Ming Ke and the others on the opposite side suddenly turned and fled. They must have pasted Urgent Travel Talismans; they moved like the wind and in the blink of an eye were about to vanish behind the canyon.

These people's intention to lure the Heavenly Demons away was really far too obvious.

Bai Zhan Tian exhaled a breath and said helplessly, "You go in first; I'll go catch the Crown Prince of Shen State."

"Be careful." Tong Ming True Lord instructed. He of course wasn't worried about Bai Zhan Tian's safety. "Don't accidentally crush him to death."

A dead Crown Prince of Shen State would be of no use.

After all, proper business is more important. Tong Ming True Lord cracked a joke, then led the other Heavenly Demons striding into the Panlong Secret Realm.

Bai Zhan Tian shook his head, took his two subordinate gods, and went after He Yue.

One fleeing, one pursuing; both sides' speed was extremely fast. In a flash they were ten li away.

Immortal Ming Ke slipped away incredibly fast — Bai Zhan Tian had long known this. These ancients left over from antiquity, their cultivation might not be that high, but their skill at greasing their soles and running is often outstanding. Otherwise, how could they have escaped from his hands in the previous Secret Realm battle?

But they hadn't pursued for long before the armies around Immortal Ming Ke and He Yue actually disappeared. Even Bai Zhan Tian couldn't determine exactly when they vanished; in any case, the further they chased, the fewer there were.

So, what kind of mystery are these two fellows playing at?

Bai Zhan Tian was neither worried nor afraid. With his strength, crushing these two fellows was effortless.

This is what is called the strong know no fear.

They chased to an open field; the two ahead suddenly stopped, turned around, and faced him.

"Bai Zhan Tian, it's time we settled the total account." He Yue spoke first, then he shook his long spear and surprisingly attacked Bai Zhan Tian preemptively.

This fellow, is he this eager to deliver himself to death?

Bai Zhan Tian tilted his head; his two subordinate gods rushed up first. He himself drew a long whip to oversee the formation.

He didn't use the Blood Blade Flying Axe, afraid he might accidentally whip He Yue to death.

One subordinate god reached He Yue, raised a hand to parry his long spear.

The Crown Prince of Shen State's Yuan Li wasn't weak, but how could they possibly take him seriously?

What greeted the subordinate god was a Plum Blossom Spear.

He Yue shook his spear tip, striking out five rays of cold light. Because they resembled a blooming plum blossom, this move is also called Plum Blossom Spear — a basic required course for military generals.

The subordinate god drew his weapon and casually blocked. Who knew these five ordinary-looking points of cold light would suddenly expand outward, bypass his weapon, then re-converge into a single point, directly piercing through his chest.

What? The subordinate god was greatly shocked; all strength leaked from his body, and he actually couldn't move. He was skewered on the spear tip and hurled straight at Bai Zhan Tian.

Bai Zhan Tian unceremoniously flicked his whip and batted him away, only to discover He Yue had already closed in, barely four chi from him, spear thrusting like a dragon.

So ruthless, so fast.

But this distance was also just right. Bai Zhan Tian drew his Blood Blade Flying Axe, delivering a decapitating chop, and simultaneously shouted, "You're not the Crown Prince of Shen State — who exactly are you?!"

What level the Crown Prince of Shen State is at, Bai Zhan Tian knew clearer than anyone; it was absolutely impossible for him to one-shot kill a subordinate god right under Bai Zhan Tian's nose.

The fellow before him was merely wearing He Yue's face.

Only a continuous series of *ding-ding* metal clashing sounds was heard; in the space of two breaths the two sides had already exchanged over a dozen moves. The other subordinate god and Immortal Ming Ke's eyesight simply couldn't keep up with their movements. And these two fought faster and faster, more and more fluidly.

Seeing this, Immortal Ming Ke's suspended heart also settled by half.

The Emperor Lord fighting a Great Heavenly Demon without falling behind — their plan was basically half complete.

Bai Zhan Tian was also growing more and more astonished. Because this scoundrel's moves were grand and sweeping, like a raging tide surging — possessing both the ferocity of thunderstorm rain and the ceaseless flow of great rivers. Most bizarrely, Bai Zhan Tian always felt the opponent seemed quite familiar with his fighting style, to the extent that two flaws Bai Zhan Tian deliberately exposed, the opponent didn't fall for at all.

Logically speaking, if the two sides hadn't fought before, the enemy couldn't possibly hold back. Because combat at this level, this caliber, actually relies more on instinct honed through thousands of temperings — that is, subconscious reaction. He exposed a flaw here; how could the opponent not subconsciously pursue it?

Unless the opponent knew beforehand that this was a trap.

Then, Bai Zhan Tian discovered dense black light emerging from the opponent's body.

The black light was like the smoke screen a cuttlefish sprays in water, blotting out the sky and covering the earth; in a blink it wrapped the space where the two stood in layer upon layer.

This night, Bai Zhan Tian's field of vision instantly became so dark he couldn't see his hand before his face.

His divine form immediately blazed with light, illuminating the four directions for him.

Hah, this kind of power—how could He Yue have it? How could he deserve it?