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"Good soldiers!"

In the midst of the chaotic torrent, not many were in the mood for spectating; even the magicians of the South Sea Noble Family endowed with the Dragon Transformation Body had to focus intently on their surroundings to avoid being caught up in the tumult.

The only ones who could watch the chaos with peace of mind were Shenyue—apart from the Emperor, who had been silently spectating all this while.

At this moment, however, he rather unusually took the initiative to offer some praise.

The environment within the torrent was complex, and with the pursuit of the Four Holy Guard, nearly one-third of the Jiangnan soldiers had perished in each fragment of space.

Yet even so, not a single man broke down.

Upon hearing Tian Heng’s commands, they all desperately fought to gather at the center where the commands were issued.

Having started his career in command of soldiers, he was well aware of what it meant for an army to not collapse even after losing one-third of its forces.

Under normal circumstances, an army would have disintegrated after losing just one-tenth of its personnel. Now, disregarding the pursuit from behind and still able to follow military orders to assemble, one had to admit that, in terms of willpower, they were absolutely second to none in the world.

He had never noticed before just how skilled Tian Heng was in leading his troops; such talent serving under Lumings seemed rather wasted...

Meanwhile, Tian Heng had been desperately searching for Chen Qing’s location since the moment the spaces merged.

He was well aware that his lord, having used that power, would definitely be without the ability to fight for some time.

He wasn’t ignorant. He clearly understood the backlash of forcibly using power beyond King Level.

His lord had forcibly used this trump card in order to help them break through, blasting away the old man manipulating space, but he himself was likely in the most dangerous situation at that time.

Back at Tong Pass, Xuu Hu ultimately chose to trust him, entrusting him with the mission to rescue his lord. Tian Heng knew that this was the last bit of trust from Jiangnan.

If he could rescue his lord, he and the Western Sea Army would be recognized again, and they would be able to firmly establish themselves in Jiangnan, and he would also become one of Chen Qing’s most trusted.

But if he failed to save his lord, with a reputation tainted by the suspicion of betrayal, Jiangnan would definitely never accept him.

Furthermore, the majority of the Western Sea Army might abandon him, his position as the Lord of the Western Sea God could be lost, and even his most faithful troops might largely depart from his side.

The reason was simple: none who had ever tasted the sweetness of the Power of Faith in Jiangnan would want to lose it.

His closest brothers had been willing to go through thick and thin with him because he could ensure them a better path.

But if he became an obstacle, there certainly were some who truly understood loyalty, but definitely not many.

Saving Chen Qing was the same as saving himself. He had already switched sides once. To switch again and seek shelter with the Ancient Demons, even if accepted, he would be guarded against. Actually, he was left with no choice.

Holding his breath, Tian Heng struggled towards the direction where the central torrent was most intense. His Deputy General had been ordered to stabilize the ranks at the location where the soldiers were gathering, but he must protect Chen Qing before anyone else found him!

If he wasn’t mistaken, other forces were likely searching for the whereabouts of his lord as well!

Tian Heng was right; several factions were searching for Chen Qing’s location at this time...

As soon as Chen Qing blasted away the Old Celestial Master, the Celestial Master issued orders to the masters lurking in the shadows to track down Chen Qing, and at the same time, Shenyue also headed towards the center of the torrent at the first opportunity.

Chen Qing had revealed his strength as well as his weakness; it would be unreasonable not to strike while the iron was hot.

Within the torrent, a person caught in its midst was like a butterfly in a storm, and the slightest inattention could result in being shattered to pieces.

Yet, Shenyue was like a fish in water, seemingly able to move effortlessly through it, no matter how violent the waves.

If any magician saw her maneuvering, they would be astounded.

The chaos of the torrent wasn’t just due to the distortion of space after the merging, but also involved the reconstruction and disorder of the Four Great Elements.

With such mayhem, the basic Element distortions became entangled, forming energy that was terrifyingly powerful.

Many people were trying their utmost to keep away from those energy zones, desperately distancing themselves from the center.

Encountering an Element torrent, one would forcibly use the Dragon Transformation Body to break free and quickly move away from that direction, even fearing to manipulate the Elements randomly.

Everyone knew just how dangerous the chaotic and distorted Elements could be; haphazard manipulation was like playing with explosive materials in a laboratory.

But that woman was different; she was like a master of living on the edge, engaging in the most exquisite maneuvers among countless chaotic Elements. Every time she faced a torrent, she could utilize the simplest Element manipulation to still turbulent flows, turning storms into calm waters.

The difficulty was akin to taking extreme measures in a laboratory but stopping just at the brink of an explosion every single time!

Yet the crucial point was that the areas she passed through calmed for no more than two breaths before becoming even more dangerous, as if on the verge of a terrible explosion.

This deterred many from even attempting to approach, let alone spy on her.

Instead, they chose to watch from a distance, desperately steering clear of the places she traversed.

Seeing this from afar, Chen Baifeng could only shake his head and keep his distance.

Indeed, the manipulation abilities of the Lord of the North were extraordinary, inconceivably delicate to the point that even I dared not imagine.

In reality, considering who the other was—a mighty ancient being who had descended from another dimension, having lived ages that dwarfed the lifespans of mere mortals—it made sense.

With such endless eons, plenty of time was at hand to perfect hitherto mastered skills, making such miraculous proficiency reasonable.

Yet, it seemed I was incapable of saving Chen Qing.

Chen Baifeng bore no malice towards Chen Qing; in fact, he would’ve preferred to find Chen Qing first. Whether it was to protect him for a huge favor or to hand him over to one of the powerful factions for benefits, either outcome would have been favorable.

Unfortunately... it appeared I didn’t even have the credentials for an admission ticket this time.

In the center of the elemental chaos, I doubted I had the ability to even get close to Chen Qing, let alone compete with a monster like Shenyue in that environment.

And speaking of Shenyue, in just those few breaths of time, I saw several figures emerge from the shadows, heading towards the center.

Their speed was incredible, and while their control over the elements may not match Shenyue’s, they were certainly beyond any level I could hope to compare with.

It was unclear which force they came from or represented!

This realization brought some melancholy to Chen Baifeng’s heart.

After three years of development in the Southern Sea, I originally thought.

.. I, along with the Southern Sea powers, could be considered top tier in this world, at worst only slightly behind Chen Qing or the Emperor.

Firmly holding the third spot, with aspirations for second, seemed beyond doubt.

But now, it appeared I might have had a narrow view.

Just look at the ones vying for Chen Qing at this moment—there must be no fewer than twenty individuals. And among these unknown people, I dared not face a single one!

They were simply not on the same level...

If by some fluke I survive this time, it seemed I will have to seriously consider which side to align with.

The idea of remaining independent was, perhaps, just wishful thinking on my part.

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While Chen Baifeng clearly saw what was unfolding, Tian Heng was quite anxious. He didn’t know where all these experts had come from, but suspected most were from Yundu, each giving off the impression of being on par with Ao Zhen.

As for his own side, there was only himself capable of contending with them...

In his anxiety, Tian Heng fully unleashed his Qi and blood, using his physical body to withstand the elemental chaos.

In a mere moment, his body was riddled with injuries.

However, he had no time to tend to these wounds.

He knew very well that if anyone else discovered Chen Qing before him, the life of his lord would be in grave danger.

In such a critical moment, he couldn’t afford to conserve strength or worry about the depletion of his body. With all his might, he hurled himself towards the center, guided by his sense.

Just as he was about to enter the chaos, a shadow suddenly emerged and seized Tian Heng, crashing him into a particularly turbulent stream of elemental chaos on the side.

The speed was so fast that Tian Heng had almost no time to react before being captured and thrust into the massive storm of elements.

Even Shenyue was taken aback by the black shadow’s lightning speed.

Who was that?