Struggle for Survival

Donggua's movements to retreat came to a halt.

Originally, Donggua had assumed that given their stingy and cautious nature, the higher-ups would at most send a few Divine Transformation cultivators—already considered a heavy investment.

But never had she imagined that this time, the Sixteen Case Leaders would be dispatched.

This was a unit she had only heard of in rumors; today marked her first time seeing them in person.

Legends spoke of them cultivating in seclusion beyond the heavens, no longer relying on mixed wish power or unorthodox methods.

Instead, they were groomed as elite warriors through the pure growth methods of [Demons].

The thick, primal energy surrounding them was proof—pure yet violent in aura.

Rumors claimed they were the strongest combat force stationed by the heavens in the Eastern Victory Divine Continent.

Of course, whether this was true or not wasn’t something Donggua could confirm. But now that the Sixteen Case Leaders had appeared here, it undeniably signaled that the higher-ups were placing a heavy bet on her fabricated intelligence.

Donggua sighed inwardly. She had underestimated the allure of the Celestial Meteor to those above.

Perhaps they hadn’t intervened earlier because they were uncertain of the intel. But now that Daoist Yuyang had entered the fray so decisively, they must have resolved to spare no cost in retrieving this legendary Celestial Meteor.

After all, Daoist Yuyang was a figure of great renown. Without sufficient stakes or a matter of grave importance, why would he appear here?

As Donggua watched the Sixteen Case Leaders swiftly launch an assault on Daoist Yuyang, a mix of glee and dread churned within her.

The good news was that with the Sixteen Case Leaders here, even Daoist Yuyang stood no chance of winning. At the very least, her life wouldn’t be lost to outsiders.

The bad news? The so-called "Celestial Meteor" was nothing but a fabricated lie.

If even a few of the Sixteen Case Leaders fell here without finding the supposed treasure…

The consequences would be catastrophic.

Donggua didn’t dwell on it, yet a chill ran down her spine.

"What are you spacing out for? Run!" Xigua urged, noticing Donggua’s shifting expression. But even in her urgency, she didn’t forget to add, "Don’t take me with you this time. Just let me die here."

Donggua ignored the suggestion. "With the Sixteen Case Leaders here, Daoist Yuyang is still only at the Divine Transformation realm. Even with reinforcements and tricks up his sleeve, he won’t gain the upper hand immediately. Besides, it’ll only take a moment for them to wipe out the Blood Qi demonic cultivators before we can retreat—"

"What use are they?" Xigua cut her off. "Haven’t you realized? This is a trap! Even if the Seven Great Demons of the heavens descended now, they’d all be buried here!"

"Daoist Yuyang is still fishing!"

"But if they all die, how can I survive?" Donggua snapped, her voice rising. "Do you think I don’t know? But what choice do I have? Fleeing means certain death. Staying is the only sliver of hope!"

"Cui Hao too—you think I didn’t know he was suspicious? But back then, he was the only one who could carve a path to survival for me."

Xigua fell silent. In her eyes, Donggua’s gaze burned crimson, her lips pressed into a hard line as she glared at Daoist Yuyang and the others, who were deliberately keeping their distance in battle.

Donggua took two deep breaths, her voice eerily calm.

"I know the higher-ups use me because I’m willing to gamble. So I can’t show fear. As long as it’s justified, even recklessness is acceptable. The moment I act as cowardly as you, I’ll never rise again."

"I refuse to spend my life cultivating that damned wish power—it’s worse than dog food. I won’t let my life and death remain in someone else’s hands."

"Xigua, you have a way out but don’t want to live. I have no way out, but I desperately want to survive."

"This world loves to toy with people."

Donggua stood, tightening her grip on the flexible bone sword.

"Running buys time, not freedom. I won’t live like a dog."

"You stay here and die. I’ll fight for my own path to survival."

Without hesitation, she shot forward like a streak of light, charging straight into the battlefield.

Xigua collapsed, too weak to rise. She could only tilt her head slightly, watching Donggua’s figure vanish into the fray.

After a moment, she lay back, forcing her eyes open to stare at the blood-red sky.

Perhaps Donggua wasn’t truly foolish—just out of options.

Circumstances forced her forward, even if it meant sprinting toward certain death.

Not because she couldn’t see, but because she had to pretend not to.

Ah, well…

The battle raged fiercely. Daoist Yuyang’s cultivation was profound and steady, his methods ruthless and varied, his combat instincts razor-sharp.

But even more terrifying were the near-endless treasures, talismans, and indescribable yet overwhelmingly powerful artifacts he carried as a core disciple of the Taidao Sect.

Worst of all, he wielded them without restraint, layering them atop his unleashed divine abilities.

Despite their numerical advantage and superior cultivation, the Sixteen Case Leaders struggled to suppress him. If anything, Daoist Yuyang had entangled them all.

His frenzied onslaught left no room for retreat.

And through it all, his expression remained placid, occasionally laced with mocking remarks.

Rumor had it Daoist Yuyang was once a man of refinement. Had the Divine Transformation realm changed him, or had he simply learned bad habits?

From a distance, even the residual shockwaves of their clashes made Donggua’s heart tremble.

Truly, this was a core disciple of the Eighteen Immortal Sects…

Donggua understood one principle deeply: If failure was inevitable, the first priority was to prove she had fought tooth and nail to prevent it.

At the very least, the higher-ups must believe she had given her all.

She needed to frame it as fate’s cruelty, not her incompetence.

That way, when the time came to plead for mercy, she’d have some leverage—not be dragged off for reincarnation before she could even speak.

Donggua edged closer but kept her distance, shouting,

"Daoist Yuyang wouldn’t come alone! The mission is urgent—focus on subduing the Blood Qi demonic cultivator and securing the treasure! That’s their weakness!"

The leader of the Sixteen Case Leaders, masked as a goat, swept his divine sense toward Donggua.

After confirming her reliability, he considered her suggestion.

In the brief lull between exchanges, he made his decision.

"The rest of you stay. Don’t let him interfere. I’ll handle the search."

The Goat Mask understood the mission’s importance. He also knew those left behind would likely perish.

But so be it.

The mission came first.

With a final mental command, he broke away, streaking toward the Silent Bone Forest—and snatching Donggua along the way.

Her familiarity with the intel would speed things up.

But before they had gone far, one of the primal auras behind them winked out.

The Goat Mask didn’t look back. He simply accelerated.

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