Chapter 2887

He Lingchuan sniffed a few times, always feeling the wind carried a hint of ominous scent. The further forward he flew, the tighter his brows knitted, because the direction of Panlongcheng was already filled with yellow sand blotting out the sky, visibility low to a maddening degree.

This scene was not unfamiliar.

That howling gale, the faintly visible wind tornadoes in the distance, the three-corpse worms dancing in the air — all stirred up memories from long ago in He Lingchuan's heart:

Isn't this exactly the crazy sand season on the Red Cliff Road in the later generations! How could it suddenly appear inside the Panlong World?

He Lingchuan felt things were very bad, because in real history the crazy sand season suddenly appeared three days after Panlongcheng's destruction.

As for the reason, he knew it very well — it was because Zhong Shengguang swore an oath toward the Great Fanghu, then committed suicide, and only after death transformed into a demon spirit, guarding the entire Panlong Wasteland.

The Panlong World now actually manifesting the crazy sand season — could this mean that...

He Lingchuan immediately activated a divine ability, wanting to make contact with Zhong Shengguang.

But he tried and tried, all to no avail — like a stone sinking into the sea.

He Lingchuan once again experienced the feeling of his five viscera burning like fire.

He said to himself: "Panlongcheng won't be routed this quickly."

He had only just contacted Zhong Shengguang earlier, and the latter had assured him that Panlongcheng could hold out for at least half a double-hour under the Heavenly Demons' attack.

Thinking of this, He Lingchuan's heart stirred: "Could it be that..."

With all the great powers lost, Zhong Shengguang had no choice but to lead the Panlong Army to abandon Mingsha Forest and fall back to defend Panlongcheng.

But how fierce were the Beijia Grand Army and the Heavenly Demons' assault?

He Lingchuan knew he had been away for a long time, and the number of great powers currently returning to Panlongcheng was also limited — some people, seeing Panlongcheng's situation was hopeless and in imminent danger, took the opportunity of being transmitted away by Bili Tian to distant places and simply turned around and left.

At the moment of ruin, who is willing to share the state's calamity with you? This is also human nature.

Panlongcheng might already be tottering on the brink of collapse, yet it still had to hold out for another half double-hour. Then the only countermeasure Zhong Shengguang could produce...

Thinking of this, He Lingchuan felt his heart twisted with anxiety beyond measure.

He struggled to compose himself, turned his head, and through a long-distance divine ability went to find Xu Shichu.

Earlier when he connected with Zhong Shengguang, Dean Xu was standing at the side, so he must understand the situation.

Sure enough, this time the divine ability connected.

Xu Shichu's voice rang in He Lingchuan's ear: "General Tiger Wing."

He Lingchuan drew a sharp breath inwardly, and asked him directly: "What's going on with the crazy sand gale in the direction of Panlongcheng?"

Xu Shichu had again hidden himself in a secret chamber within the city wall's interlayer, with no one around, only then daring to tell him in a low voice: "His Majesty sacrificed himself, infusing his own divine soul into the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl as its artifact spirit, thereby also transferring a portion of the Great Fanghu's power to the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl — only thus could Panlongcheng be preserved, winning more time for you."

It really was this very thing! He Lingchuan's heart was torn with grief.

He didn't ask why Zhong Shengguang hadn't told him earlier. Putting himself in the other's place, if he were Zhong Shengguang, he would also unhesitatingly sacrifice life for righteousness. They were the same kind of steadfast fighters; when necessary, even a fine head could be lightly tossed aside.

But He Lingchuan still felt his throat choke with sobs. Though Zhong Shengguang was not his father by blood, for the past ten-odd years he had been better than a father — setting an example, teaching patiently, trusting him deeply, even entrusting their lives to each other.

Compared to that cheap father He Chunhua, Zhong Shengguang was the one who truly resembled a stern father wholeheartedly devoted to his good.

Now, the person he trusted most and was closest to had sacrificed himself, just to win him an extra half double-hour! Thinking of this, He Lingchuan felt ten thousand needles piercing his heart, pain beyond suppression, in no way inferior to the moment he lost He Yue!

In this night about to pass, in both the real world and the Panlong World, besides his flesh-and-blood kin, how many more dear elders, intimate comrades, and loyal subordinates had he lost!

This pain was like a bottomless abyss — no amount of sorrow, guilt, anger, and helplessness could fill it.

"General Tiger Wing!" Xu Shichu's voice was also trembling, "Before His Majesty sacrificed himself, he said that if your operation needs assistance, just call him in the wind, and he will naturally know and cooperate fully."

Zhong Shengguang had already transformed into the gale, present everywhere.

He would contribute his last bit of heart and strength, to help Panlongcheng, to help He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan only wanted to raise his head and let out a long howl, but could only suppress his surging qi and blood, forcibly collect his mind.

Such forceful suppression even made him a bit dizzy and blurred of vision.

However, at least Zhong Shengguang's divine soul still existed, merely fused as one with the Great Expansion Heavenly Pearl.

"However, Bili Tian has temporarily used his godhead to suppress the wind tornadoes." Xu Shichu further reported the latest battle situation to him.

He Lingchuan steadied his mind, listened carefully to the end, regained his train of thought, "There are still quite a few experts scattered outside, unable to return to the army — you dispatch them to the three formation silver pillars closest to Long Gang to stand by; I will have them chop down the pillars and break the formation at any moment!"

Xu Shichu agreed in one breath: "I'll go handle it right away."

The wind ahead grew stronger; the paper crane could barely flap its wings. Immediately after, a blast of gale struck, capable of sweeping any flying object halfway up the sky.

He Lingchuan opportunely took out the Tiger Wing General's tally, and hung it at his waist.

Amidst the sky-full of wind and sand, the tally emitted a faint red light.

Then, the wind rushing at his face suddenly turned gentle, not even blowing sand into his eyes.

The paper crane's flight became steady; it was as if a barrier had appeared around it, blocking the gale and yellow sand outside.

He Lingchuan knew, this was the crazy sand season recognizing the Tiger Wing General's tally, acknowledging him as one of its own.

His eye sockets grew hot again.

This operation — victory permitted, defeat forbidden!

Even Zhong Shengguang had sacrificed himself; they had no retreat, could not turn back.

But assassinating Gao Huaiyuan could not possibly be easy, and Zhong Shengguang had already tried once before without success — Gao Huaiyuan would certainly have raised his vigilance level.

A quarter-hour later, He Lingchuan arrived at Panshi Village.

This small village lay twenty li south of Panlongcheng; the residents had long since relocated, leaving only an empty village. When He Lingchuan descended on the crane, right below him the broken door of a civilian house was creaking *zhi-you zhi-you* in the wind.

The door panel, Hu Min, the immortal bird Bai Like, and Foji Shangren were waiting for him inside this house.

This small squad of theirs had only six members.

Carrying out an assassination mission, personnel quality matters, not quantity.

Everyone only now learned that Bai Like could change color. It was originally white, but on the battlefield it was overly conspicuous, inconvenient for carrying out the assassination plan, so it lay on the ground and shook its wings, and the feathers all over its body seemed as if dyed, turning into a muddy yellow the same color as heaven and earth. With this protective coloration, it shrank into debris piles and against house edges, almost merging completely with the surroundings.

"Before the General arrived, I went to scout Gao Huaiyuan's main camp, but before I even flew close I was discovered." Bai Like had turned black when previously scouting intelligence, but still couldn't escape the sentries' eyes, "That surnamed Gao is especially afraid of death; I saw he allocated at least three thousand elite guards for himself."

"A million-army commander-in-chief allocating three thousand men for himself is not excessive."