As dusk fell, Xue Ke finally looked up at the sky...
She murmured, "It's getting late, it's time to head back!"
Having said that, she stood up...
Seeing this, Xu Sheng naturally couldn't just sit there and stood up as well...
He saw her gaze turn to him, her eyes filled with intense reluctance, "Xu Sheng, I owe you a lot for today, I've had a great time!"
Xu Sheng responded with a gentle voice, "I've also enjoyed conversing with Princess Xue Ke, after all, time has flown by without us realizing it!"
Xue Ke nodded slightly, "Yes, but it's getting late, I must leave!"
As she uttered these words, she was obviously a bit downcast...
If possible, she wanted to spend more time with him!
Xu Sheng expressed his agreement, "Hmm, I must leave as well, I'm sure the Crown Prince has already left the Court Etiquette Academy!"
He paused for a moment, then added, "So, Princess Xue Ke, it's time for us to say goodbye."
Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Xue Ke's words halted his steps...
"Xu Sheng..."
Xu Sheng looked back, puzzled, "Princess Xue Ke, is there anything else?"
Xue Ke bit her lower lip gently, mustered her courage, and said, "I... can I come to see you again?"
Xu Sheng was stunned for a moment, then chuckled, "Of course, but it's still necessary to ask for the Crown Prince's permission first, after all... I am his attendant!"
Xue Ke replied joyfully, "Really... really? That's wonderful; then in a few days, after I get my brother's consent, I'll come to find you!"
With the conversation having reached this point, it naturally had to be continued...
"Hmm, then I shall await Princess Xue Ke's visit!"
Having said that, he stepped away and disappeared from Xue Ke's sight...
Only when she was left with no one in front of her did she reach out to tug at her drooping hair, muttering softly, "Father... I think I've found someone I like!"
She had never felt as fond of a man as she did today...
Perhaps, he was her Child of Destiny!
...
In the unending mountain ranges!
The Sky Dou Empire soldiers stationed here were sitting on the ground, panting continuously...
After days of effort, they had barely managed to repel the attacking soul beasts...
However, due to the number of Soul Masters in the team equating to strength, this resulted in extraordinarily heavy losses, with tens, even hundreds of people becoming prey to the soul beasts!
Of course, what worried them the most was the uncertainty that the soul beasts wouldn't launch another attack...
"Damn it, these soul beasts caused us to lose hundreds of men, they truly deserve to die!"
"Captain, we can't just let this go, we must retaliate and avenge our fallen comrades!"
"Forget it, they are soul beasts after all, even if they have only ten, a hundred years of Cultivation Level, they aren't something that ordinary people like us can contend with!"
"Exactly, I don't want to court death. Let's leave those soul beasts to the Soul Masters to deal with!"
"Those Soul Masters are high and mighty, how could they possibly come to save us? Better to focus on how to survive today!"
The leading captain glanced at the dissenting crowd and said sternly, "Silence, everyone! I've already sent someone back to the imperial palace, and surely, His Majesty the Emperor will soon be informed of our situation and send reinforcements!"
However, even with these words spoken, most of the soldiers still had low morale, seeing no hope of survival...
One must know something!
It would take several days to reach the Tiandou Empire Palace from here, and to go back and forth, at least a week was needed!
By the time those reinforcements arrived, they would have already turned into skeletons!
Xu Sheng was well aware of the situation but all he could do was to encourage his comrades...
If they gave up now, it would indeed be a path to certain death!!
"Roar!!!"
Just then, terrifying roars started coming from all directions again...
All the soldiers who had collapsed on the ground stood up once more, warily looking around...
As expected, they were surrounded by numerous soul beasts, with even their reserved escape routes sealed off!!
In an instant, everyone's faces turned ashen...
"Damn it, these soul beasts have a keen sense of smell, they've found us so quickly!"
"It hasn't been long since the last battle ended, and now we have to fight again, with absolutely no time to catch our breath."
"Fighting soul beasts in this condition, there's no way we can win!!"
"What do we do, what do we do, I don't want to die here, I don't want to die!!"
The captain at the forefront felt his heart pounding violently...
But he still steeled himself and commanded, "Everyone, stay calm, although there are many soul beasts, we also have a lot of people. As long as we don't lose our momentum, these soul beasts won't dare to act rashly!!"
"Didn't we repel the soul beasts just like this a few days ago?"
Soul beasts are like animals; if they sense fear, they would be met with ruthless tearing and biting!!
This statement barely motivated the soldiers to lift the long spears in their hands and quickly form a circle to avoid any blind spots in fighting the soul beasts...
Seeing this, the soul beasts' pupils flashed with a crimson hue...
Clearly, the situation at hand was not enough to scare them...
As the first soul beast let out a howl and rushed out, the rest of the soul beasts also surged towards the Tiandou Empire soldiers at the first opportunity...
The battle was about to break out!!
However, what followed was beyond everyone's expectations...
"Boom!!"
Along with the piercing noise that tore through the sky, the massive mountain range started shaking violently...
Soon after, it began to collapse downwards...
Due to the constant trembling of the ground, making it impossible to stand firm, the panicked Tiandou Empire soldiers exclaimed, "What's... what's happening? Why is the whole mountain range shaking!"
"Not good, everyone run for your lives, these mountains seem to be collapsing!!"
"Damn... what terrible timing for this to happen during the soul beasts' attack, it's like they want us dead!"
"I actually think this might not be such a bad thing. Look, those soul beasts have noticed the danger too. They've stopped hunting us and are fleeing for their lives!"
"Everybody, stop talking and get out of here quickly."
After these words were spoken, the Tiandou Empire soldiers didn't waste any more time and desperately fled the area...
But still, many people were too slow to escape, crushed into a bloody pulp by rolling stones, swallowed by narrow crevices...
The soul beasts gathered there, naturally, suffered the same fate...
As the mountain ranges collapsed one by one and no living creatures remained...
The figure of the Abyssal Emperor and several abyssal creatures was revealed under the sky...
The former looked up into the distance, raising the Heaven Saint Crack Abyss in his hand, "At long last, we are out. Humans, you are destined to become my slaves, hahahaha!!"
...
...
...