Chapter Thirty-Five: Retreat!

In the previous chapter, Ye Feng was urging Murong Yan to retreat, but Murong Yan was resolute in her refusal. Just as Ye Feng was at a loss, a stern voice suddenly rang out: "Yan'er, have you lost your senses? If you were to deploy troops, why not wait for my return?"

Ye Feng turned toward the voice and saw Xu Yaozu, filled with unexpected joy. He called out from afar, "Senior!" Xu Yaozu, his belly prominent, urged his warhorse forward, its hooves pounding the earth as he approached. Some might wonder why Xu Yaozu arrived so late, or where he had been. As it happened, he had been out escorting provisions for several days, missing this critical battle. Had he been in the city, his reputation and wisdom might have stopped Murong Yan from marching, sparing the volunteer army such a disastrous defeat.

Xu Yaozu rode up to Murong Yan and advised, "Disciple, heed your master's words! As the saying goes, a wise man does not suffer immediate losses. Another says, a gentleman can wait ten years to avenge a wrong. Yet another says, so long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Let me add my own: Fierce Beast, just you wait, I'll settle accounts with you another day!"

His words were a jumble, utterly unrelated, but he pressed on: "The dead are gone, but the living must continue fighting the demon soldiers. Preserving our strength is the only way to defeat the enemy—why can't you see this?"

Murong Yan's tears streamed down her face. "Master!" she cried, "I am deeply troubled." Xu Yaozu comforted her, "Enough, enough. Go back and reflect on it."

Fierce Beast, having suffered several setbacks at Xu Yaozu's hands, now saw him interfering again and was furious. He cursed loudly, "Xu, I've searched high and low for you, but all my efforts were in vain! Who would have thought I'd find you here today? Prepare to die!" He spurred his horse forward.

Xu Yaozu recoiled in fear, shouting, "Feng'er, shield me!" He pulled Murong Yan's horse around and slapped its hindquarters, sending it racing away with a shrill neigh, disappearing in an instant.

Fierce Beast saw Murong Yan fleeing and refused to let her escape. He was about to give chase, but Ye Feng intercepted him with his twin whips. Ye Feng declared, "Marshal Fierce, don't pursue her! If you wish to catch my commander, you'll have to defeat me first!"

Fierce Beast, grinding his teeth in rage, retorted, "Ye Feng, today you court death! I'll play with you!" He brandished his many weapons and charged like a whirlwind.

Ye Feng remained calm, lofted his twin whips into the air, and split his true essence, sending two Ye Fengs at Fierce Beast. The three figures clashed like a spinning lantern.

Ye Feng's soldiers roared, "Kill!" and charged at the demon soldiers. The demon troops, exhausted from battle, were terrified by this onslaught and fell back in confusion.

Ye Feng and Fierce Beast fought fiercely, cold light flashing and gusts of wind swirling. The clash of weapons was relentless. Soon, Fierce Beast saw only one Ye Feng before him, startled and fearing a sneak attack, he glanced around—no sign of Ye Feng anywhere. As he searched, he heard a shout: "Demon soldiers, listen! Your provisions have been burned to ashes by Ye Feng. You cannot hold out—retreat while you can!"

Fierce Beast looked toward the voice and saw another Ye Feng where Xiao Ling was, having replaced Li Yiqing in battle. At this call, the demon soldiers were thrown into disarray, their morale shattered.

Fierce Beast was furious—so Ye Feng had burned his supplies and now dared sow discord among his troops!

Each soldier gripped their weapon tighter, launching into a frenzied assault—thrusts, chops, slashes, and strikes. Ye Feng seemed overwhelmed, and Fierce Beast seized the moment, covertly stabbing with his iron spear. It was about to pierce Ye Feng's chest—Fierce Beast inwardly cursed, "Die!" and put all his strength into the attack.

But the spear struck nothing—Ye Feng vanished! Fierce Beast stumbled, barely keeping his balance. The Ye Feng who had stood before him was only a manifestation of his true essence.

Fierce Beast was enraged. Then, from afar, Ye Feng shouted, "Brothers, you've done well—retreat now! We'll hold the line. The future is long, vengeance awaits!"

Li Yiqing raised his golden dragon claw and shouted, "Gather here, quickly!" In this critical moment, his tongue was nimble, no longer stammering. The soldiers gathered swiftly, and Li Yiqing, estimating their numbers, shouted, "Withdraw!"

At once, his troops retreated from the battlefield. Fierce Beast watched helplessly as they escaped, venting his frustration at Ye Feng: "You little wretch, you've ruined my plans! Today, I'll take your life!" He charged at Ye Feng, joined by a demon and a human-demon, surrounding him in a fierce melee.

Ye Feng, seeing two formidable opponents closing in, felt a twinge of anxiety. He shouted, "Clone!" and, before the echo faded, another Ye Feng appeared. The new Ye Feng grabbed two spears and leapt into the fray.

Each Ye Feng used their skills to control weapons—the four blades in their hands and the four in the air created a formidable force. Fierce Beast was secretly amazed, thinking, "Impressive! In just a few days, your abilities have grown so much. If I don't strike you down now, you'll become a great threat to my demon nation!"

He cried, "General Xiao, Ye Feng is too powerful. If we don't kill him today, he'll be our nation's greatest scourge. Let's not worry about which is real or false—each take one, and prevent his escape!"

With that, he unleashed his full strength, wielding his many weapons at breakneck speed, eager to cut Ye Feng down. Xiao Ling replied, "Marshal Fierce, understood! Last time, I suffered defeat at his hands. If I don't kill him today, I'll never be worthy as a demon!"

He withdrew his silver spear, summoned his demon power, and cracked his long tail, striking at the other Ye Feng.

Soon, Ye Feng was drenched in sweat, inwardly cursing his fate. Despite his rigorous training, he could barely match Fierce Beast alone. With Xiao Ling added, he was outmatched. Yet, as the backbone of the remaining volunteer army, he had to ensure their safe withdrawal, even at the cost of his life.

Seeing Murong Yan and Li Yiqing had retreated far, it was time to withdraw his own troops. He shouted, "Soldiers, retreat! Ye Feng will cover the rear!"

The volunteer soldiers whistled and began a fighting withdrawal. Several passed Ye Feng, seeing him struggling, and asked, "Vanguard Ye, can you hold out? Should we stay to help?"

Ye Feng was anxious, "Go, hurry! Once you’re safe, I can rest easy." Seeing their hesitation, he barked, "Why linger? Leave now! I’ll find my own way out!"

With tears in their eyes, the soldiers reluctantly left the battlefield.

Fierce Beast, seeing them vanish, shrieked furiously, "Ye Feng, now you’re alone—where will you escape?" He ignored the demon soldiers' pursuit of the volunteers, shouting, "Mengxia shi ji, dodo xili!"—words Ye Feng couldn't understand. It was demon language, meaning, "Small soldiers, forget the minor rebels—here’s a big one! Surround him, don’t let him escape!"

With a great clamor, the demon troops clustered together, encircling Ye Feng, Xiao Ling, and Fierce Beast in layers, leaving no gap.

Despair gripped Ye Feng. Knowing death awaited, he resolved to fight gloriously. He shouted, "Come then!" Spinning around, he struck down two demon soldiers, snatching their spears as he passed. His true essence followed suit, capturing two sabers.

With his mental power, he sent four weapons flying through the air, wielding four in his hands—attacking without defense, fighting desperately. As the saying goes, one fighting for his life is unbeatable.

The tide turned—Fierce Beast and Xiao Ling were thrown into chaos, forced to retreat. Ye Feng seized the moment and tried to break through.

"Don’t let Ye Feng escape! If he gets away, heads will roll!" Fierce Beast shouted in panic.

The demon soldiers surged forward, blocking Ye Feng’s path. Ye Feng roared, "Those who block me die!" With two swift thrusts, he sent two demon soldiers flying.

The remaining soldiers trembled, but only stepped back a little, refusing to yield.

"Where do you think you’re going?" A sudden shout came from behind. Ye Feng felt cold steel near his neck and quickly ducked, avoiding a deadly blow. He turned and saw Fierce Beast pressing close, weapons raised.

Ye Feng tightened his grip on his spear, parrying several blows. The demon soldiers behind him surged forward, sealing off the gap.

Ye Feng sighed inwardly—having missed this chance, he feared he would never escape. He steeled himself, determined to fight to the death.

Controlling the weapons with his mind, he fought with unpredictable, ghostly movements. Fierce Beast admired his skills, but this time, he was wise enough not to fight head-on. He merely tangled with Ye Feng—advancing as Ye Feng retreated, retreating as Ye Feng pressed forward.

He thought, "Ye Feng, I’ll wear you down today, see how much mental power you have. Once you’re exhausted, I’ll capture you alive. With you as a hostage, your rebel force will collapse!"

Will Ye Feng be captured alive, or escape the encirclement? Find out in the next chapter.

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