Chapter 648: The Passage Opens

The five‑li mountain road took them nearly half an hour to walk.

At the first quarter of the Yin hour, twelve people arrived at the rendezvous point—a concealed mountain hollow.

Li Qi led three hidden sentries forward to meet them.

"Mr. Chen! Marshal Yue!"

He quickly scanned the crowd, seeing everyone wounded, his heart sank.

"The horses are ready, medicines, fresh water, and dry rations are all prepared."

"Where is the passage device?"

Chen Wen got straight to the point.

"Over here."

Li Qi led everyone to the depths of the mountain hollow.

Three black stones engraved with silver patterns were arranged in a triangle, with a complex design drawn on the ground at their center.

Wang Ru stepped forward to inspect.

"Energy reserves are intact, positioning crystal response stable."

She looked at Chen Wen.

"My lord, it can be activated at any time."

Chen Wen nodded.

"Everyone, prepare to withdraw."

He looked at Li Qi.

"You four are not variables, cannot pass through the light curtain."

"After we leave, you four should immediately disperse and hide; if no one pursues after three days, then try to move east covertly to locate the Chen dynasty's hidden contacts in the False Song world."

Li Qi clasped his fist.

"Subordinate understands."

Yue Fei suddenly spoke.

"Captain Li, you……"

"Marshal Yue, rest assured."

Li Qi grinned.

"We who work as hidden sentries are best at hiding."

"As for you and the gentlemen—"

He looked at those three black stones.

"This thing, can it really take you to another world?"

"Yes."

Chen Wen answered briefly.

He walked to the device and placed his hand on the central main stone.

Fortune Momentum's power was infused.

Hum—

The three black stones simultaneously shone with silver light.

The ground pattern seemed to come alive, light flowing like water, spreading and intertwining.

In the central area, the air began to twist, forming a slowly rotating light vortex.

The vortex was about six feet in diameter; inside, light and shadow were hazy, faintly revealing the forest scenery on the other side.

"Is this…… the passage?"

Yue Yun murmured.

"The duration is limited."

Chen Wen looked at the crowd.

"I will go first to confirm safety on the other side."

"Wang Ru second."

"After that, Marshal Yue and you, keep the order."

"Lin Chong, Guan Sheng, and Huyan Zhuo last; after passing through the passage, report immediately, and I will close the entrance."

He paused.

"During the crossing there will be intense dizziness and tearing sensation; focus the mind and guard the heart, do not resist."

Everyone solemnly nodded.

Chen Wen took a deep breath and stepped into the vortex.

Instantly, his figure was swallowed by the twisting light and shadow.

Three breaths later.

A short whistle came from the other side of the vortex— the safety signal.

"Wang Ru, go."

Wang Ru stepped in without hesitation.

Next were Yue Fei, Yue Yun, Zhang Xian, and Wang Gui.

Wu Yong's leg injury made movement difficult, so Chao Gai carried him as they entered together.

Ruan Xiao Er followed closely.

Finally left were Lin Chong, Guan Sheng, and Huyan Zhuo, three persons.

Instructor Lin, you go first——

Li Qi hadn't finished speaking.

Suddenly a sharp piercing sound came from outside the mountain pass!

Whoosh—Boom!

A dark‑blue fireball smashed into the mountain pass entrance and exploded!

The blast overturned two sentries!

The Yuan troops are in pursuit!

Li Qi roared.

It's a dark‑energy cannon!

His words had just fallen.

Several dozen Yuan troops rushed from the forest, bows and crossbows in hand, lunging for the mountain pass!

Instructor Lin! Hurry over!

Li Qi drew his blade to meet the enemy.

Lin Chong looked at Guan Sheng and Huyan Zhuo.

You go first!

I'll hold the rear!

No way!

Guan Sheng swept his great axe sideways.

If we're stopping, we stop together!

Stop arguing!

Huyan Zhuo held his double whips.

The passage cannot be left unguarded!

Li Qi and the others can't hold them back!

Fighting had already broken out at the mountain pass entrance.

Li Qi, with three sentries, desperately blocked the narrow entrance, but the Yuan troops kept growing.

An arrow struck Li Qi's shoulder.

He grunted, stood his ground, and with one strike cut down the Yuan soldier who had rushed in.

Hurry up!

He turned and roared.

Don't let our brothers die in vain!

Lin Chong gritted his teeth.

Guan Sheng, Huyan Zhuo, go through the passage!

I'll follow behind!

Guan Sheng hesitated no more, turned and charged toward the light vortex.

Huyan Zhuo followed closely.

Their figures disappeared.

At this moment, the mountain pass entrance had been breached.

All three sentries were killed in action.

Li Qi stood alone, soaked in blood, his blade bent.

Instructor Lin—go!

With his final roar, he was pierced through by three spears at once.

Lin Chong's eyes turned blood‑red.

But his steps did not stop; he turned and rushed toward the light vortex.

Just as he was about to step in——

A black shadow descended from the heavens!

Sizzle!

The shadow landed, revealing a warrior fully clad in armor, eyes glowing with dark‑blue light.

Iron Crow Army Dark Shadow!

The Dark Shadow's long blade came straight down to cleave Lin Chong's neck!

Lin Chong blocked with his spear.

Clang!

A tremendous force came, forcing him back three steps, splitting his tiger's mouth.

The Dark Shadow gave no respite; a second strike came!

Faster! More vicious!

Lin Chong gritted his teeth and took the blow head‑on.

Clang!

His spear flew from his grasp!

The third blade was already at his chest!

A hair's breadth from disaster.

Suddenly a sword thrust out of the light vortex!

The sword light flashed like lightning, striking precisely at the seven-inch point on the shadowy shade's blade.

The blade's momentum veered.

Chen Wen stepped out of the light vortex!

"Lin Chong, go through the passage!"

He shouted, and at the same time his second sword thrust toward the shadowy shade's throat.

Lin Chong hesitated no longer, rolling into the light vortex.

Chen Wen battled the shadowy shade in close combat.

This shadowy shade's strength far surpassed that of ordinary Yuan army soldiers.

Its sword technique was eerie, its power immense, and its body was shrouded in shadow energy, making ordinary attacks ineffective.

But Chen Wen was Lv. 6.

The sword light spread like a net, tightly entangling the shadowy shade.

After three moves.

Chen Wen found an opening.

One sword thrust slipped into the gap in the shadowy shade's face armor.

A ghostly blue light burst forth.

The shadowy shade froze, then collapsed, turning into black smoke that dissipated.

But this delay allowed more Yuan army troops to surge into the mountain hollow.

Dozens of crossbow bolts fired in unison!

Chen Wen swung his sword to deflect the arrow rain, but his left shoulder still took a hit.

He grunted, not retreating but advancing, charging toward the passage.

"Stop him!"

The Yuan army commander roared in anger.

Three heavily armored Yuan army soldiers braced their spears to block the road.

A fierce gleam flashed in Chen Wen's eyes.

The sword light in his right hand surged!

64x power output fully engaged!

He unleashed a single sword strike!

Three jets of blood spurted up.

All three, armor and all, were cut in half!

Chen Wen used the momentum to rush to the light vortex.

He glanced back one last time.

Inside the mountain hollow, Li Qi and the three hidden sentries' corpses lay in a pool of blood.

The Yuan army was swarming in.

He turned and stepped into the light vortex.

The moment his figure vanished.

The light vortex shuddered violently, then collapsed inward into a point of starlight, which faded away.

The mountain hollow returned to calm.

Nothing remained but corpses littering the ground, and the Yuan army standing dumbfounded.

"We pursued... but lost them."

The deputy commander spoke with a trembling voice.

The Yuan army commander's face turned ashen as he stared at the spot where the light vortex had vanished.

"Report to the Iron Crow Army."

"Just say... the variable has fled to the Eastern Realm."

"Request further instructions."

He turned around.

"Withdraw the troops."

The Yuan army slowly withdrew from the mountain hollow.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the light curtain.

In the Chen dynasty world, the forests outside Xijing.

All twelve had arrived.

The passage was sealed.

The breakout was complete.