NOVEL NEXT Chapter 436: Retreat And Regroup
It was only a breath of time, but for Han Yu, a breath was enough.
His fist drew back, crackling with power. The Bolt God Fist flared, qi sparking across his arm as he gathered every ounce of energy he could muster. The air itself hummed under the force of the buildup, and then he roared as he unleashed it.
RUMBLE
The thunderous fist tore through the smoke, the fist exploding forward like a wrathful deity's strike.
The attack streaked straight into the Mist Eye Sect's formation, aimed at one of the peak Core Condensation disciples. Han Yu had taken care to angle it wide, avoiding Meng Jueyan, but his intent was clear—disrupt, injure, and force them to react.
At the same time, his other hand clenched tightly around his communication jade slip. In a split instant, he sent his message directly into the minds of his companions. The instructions were short, sharp, and undeniable.
'Do not fight. Turn and run back. Trust me.'
The disciples of the Twin Leaf Peak Sect did not hesitate.
Even in their confusion, they obeyed his order. Their qi flared as they hurled out every talisman and skill they had prepared. Waves of fire, ice, wind, and force exploded outward, colliding with the Mist Eye Sect's defenses in a chaotic storm of destruction.
The narrow corridor reverberated with thunderclaps and shockwaves.
Talisman light burst apart, tearing at the ground. Explosions rang out one after another, obscuring sight and sound alike. The Mist Eye Sect disciples raised their barriers and retaliated with their own skills, but the smoke cloud and chaos disrupted their precision.
One of the Core Condensation disciples roared, thrusting his palm outward. A surge of wind qi blasted forth, sweeping away the colorful smoke with a violent gust.
When the haze cleared, the corridor stood revealed. The Mist Eye Sect disciples glared forward, their eyes sharp, their qi blazing.
But the enemies they expected to see were gone.
Their foes had vanished as if swallowed by the shadows.
The Mist Eye Sect disciples froze in confusion. A heartbeat later, they realized what had happened. Their opponents had retreated, slipping back into the looping corridors while the chaos covered their escape.
Han Yu's gamble had worked.
The Twin Leaf Peak disciples ran with all the speed they could muster, their steps echoing in the twisting stone passages. They did not know where the path would lead, but that did not matter. For now, survival was the only victory.
Han Yu's chest heaved as he sprinted, his heart pounding with the thrill of minor success and the weight of the danger they had narrowly avoided. His gamble had bought them precious moments. Moments that might mean the difference between life and death.
But he knew, deep in his gut, that this was far from over. The Mist Eye Sect would not let them go so easily.
The fight to the death had only been delayed.
Han Yu's legs carried him like the wind, his body darting down the twisting stone passage as though driven by pure survival instinct.
His heart thundered in his chest, each beat like the pounding of war drums, but he did not slow. He could not. To stop even for a moment would mean hesitation, and hesitation in this place meant death.
The others followed through the other paths, their footsteps echoing off the ancient walls.
None of them dared speak, only focusing on running. The weight of the Mist Eye Sect's pursuit pressed against their backs like the breath of a predator stalking prey. Every disciple of the Twin Leaf Peak Sect knew they had only escaped because of Han Yu's gamble, and every one of them was entrusting their lives to his judgment.
Han Yu's mind raced even as his body surged forward. He had not chosen this retreat at random. Every step had been calculated, every possibility weighed in the heartbeat before he made his move.
The repository was no ordinary place.
Its shifting paths and looping halls were meant to disorient and trap. The disciples had assumed the new path forward would reveal itself in the central chamber, the same way it had in the earlier trial rooms. That was the logical guess, the one everyone would make.
But Han Yu had seen the flaw in that thinking.
If the repository was meant to confuse, then why would the path appear in such an obvious place? No, it was more likely hidden somewhere between, a path disguised as part of the endless loops.
A gamble, yes, but it was the only card left to play.
And now, with every turn he took, every curve in the corridor that bent in a way it had not before, Han Yu's gamble proved itself true. The air shifted faintly, as though the walls themselves carried a different rhythm. The path was no longer returning them to where they had begun.
Hope sparked in his chest, faint but undeniable.
After another minute of relentless running, his instincts were confirmed. The corridor widened, and then opened up into a vast chamber. Han Yu's steps slowed as his eyes widened at the sight before him.
This room was several times larger than the previous halls, the ceiling high above disappearing into shadow. Pillars rose like the bones of some ancient beast, circling the chamber in solemn formation.
He had been right. The path forward was here.
Moments later, more footsteps echoed from the other paths around him, and one after another, the rest of the Twin Leaf Peak disciples poured into the chamber. Their faces showed their exhaustion, but when they saw the room, relief flickered in their eyes.
"It worked," Han Yu said, his voice breathless but filled with conviction. "I was right."
For a fleeting heartbeat, relief washed over them all.
The gamble had not led them into a dead end. But none allowed themselves to celebrate. They had only bought themselves a moment of respite. The Mist Eye Sect was still on their heels, and the sound of pursuit still echoed faintly through the corridors.