Chapter 120: Burrowing Underground (1)

“Ye Lang, don’t resist. Surrender quietly! With your talents, the Empress will not kill you!” the Captain of the Dragon Knights commanded.

“Exactly. Even if she truly means you harm, we won’t let her succeed!” the royal alchemists chimed in, their words not mere consolation but heartfelt conviction.

If Ye Lang were executed, the alchemical world would lose a prodigy unmatched for a hundred years—no, a thousand years—no, even ten thousand years!

Such a loss would be devastating to the alchemical community, and no alchemist would agree to it!

“Thank you for your concern, but I will not go back with you. I refuse to become her tool. No one in this world can turn me into a tool, nor can anyone make me surrender!” Ye Lang’s voice was calm, yet beneath that calm lay an indomitable pride.

“Alright, I’m leaving now. But before I go, I must commend you all—you truly are remarkable, to have broken through my formation!”

“We are remarkable, but you are even more so. To have trapped 180,000 people with your own strength alone... I believe if you hadn’t held back, they would all be dead by now,” the royal alchemist said with a smile.

It was obvious to everyone that Ye Lang could have killed those inside easily. If he could imprison them for three days, of course, he could have killed them.

If his formation was meant not to imprison but to kill, the death toll would not be limited to 180,000, because imprisoning is far more difficult than killing.

This was the thinking of the people of the Great Six. They did not know that the art of the Qimen formation adheres strictly to the laws of heaven and earth, and every formation contains a life gate through which one can escape.

In truth, no one had escaped Ye Lang’s formation this time, thanks not only to luck but also to his constant shifting of the life gate. Otherwise, among 180,000 people, some would have been fortunate enough to find the exit.

“Since you’ve figured it out, you should be grateful, not treat me this way,” Ye Lang said lazily, making the soldiers and commanders present feel awkward.

Whether it was being trapped by Ye Lang, asking him to show mercy, or now surrounding him and trying to capture him—it all made them uneasy.

“Once again, I’m leaving!”

Boom!

Boom!

After Ye Lang’s words, the earthen wall at the center began to collapse. Those trapped inside saw a way out, a rebirth of sorts, and desperately fled the place that had filled them with the terror of death.

Suddenly, people scattered in all directions, the central area overrun with fleeing masses.

This chaos suggested that Ye Lang might be among them, using the confusion to escape.

“Everyone, stand your ground! Don’t scatter!” the Dragon Knight Captain shouted.

These were soldiers, after all, and soon calmed down, submitting to careful and wary inspections. Everyone knew Ye Lang’s abilities, and even under scrutiny, he might not be easily detected.

Therefore, they had to be more cautious, more thorough, and after checking, watch even more closely.

Thus, they spent a long, long time searching. Of course, the alchemical formation at the center was examined too, and after confirming no one remained, they became even more vigilant.

Because they believed Ye Lang had mixed in somewhere inside.

However, this was not the case. The royal alchemists studying the formation discovered an underground passage concealed beneath the earthen wall near the formation.

Ye Lang had long since fled through this secret tunnel!

Given all that time, Ye Lang had ample opportunity to use alchemy to carve out a long passageway, enabling him to slip through the encircling army and escape with ease.

No matter how hard they racked their brains, they could not conceive of such a tactic.

They could only shake their heads in despair, realizing they would never capture the one-man force known as Ye Lang again.

Meanwhile, Ye Lanyu and her group had long since left the territory of the Soaring Sky Empire.

Afterward, the royal alchemists remained behind, studying Ye Lang’s formation. Though incomplete, it still granted them some benefits.

From then on, the army protected the site, forbidding unauthorized entry. Over time, a new kind of city sprang up nearby—something no one had anticipated.

Ye Lang’s formation became a legend, a proud relic of the Soaring Sky Empire—or rather, the entire Great Six.

“Useless! All of you are useless! You can’t even catch him!” Zhao Yarou was furious but powerless.

She had many other matters to attend to, needing to consolidate her power. So, she could only temporarily set aside the matter of Ye Lang, but only temporarily.

“Ye Lang, sooner or later, you will fall into my hands.”

“It’s been seven days already. Why hasn’t my brother caught up? Is he off somewhere fooling around again?” Ye Lanyu gazed toward the horizon, hoping to spot a trace of Ye Lang.

She did not believe Ye Lang was in danger because she trusted him. If he hadn’t told her he would be fine, she would have worried. But since he had reassured her, she felt at ease.

Only she believed so utterly. The Seventh Princess and Zhen Xiaoyan, however, remained somewhat anxious, fearing something might have befallen Ye Lang. Like others, they lacked optimism. After all, one man against hundreds of thousands seemed impossible.

Moreover, seven days had passed with no news of Ye Lang, breeding unease.

They did not know that all information about Ye Lang had been sealed off; naturally, they received no updates and were unaware he had escaped.

If they did know, they would worry about something else—whether Ye Lang might lose his way or forget their rendezvous.

Everyone knew that once Ye Lang was safe from danger, he might become absent-minded, wandering aimlessly. Then, it would be uncertain whether he could even find the right path, let alone evade the Soaring Sky Empire’s agents. This was the greatest concern for the Seventh Princess and her companions.

Perhaps at this very moment, Ye Lang was making his way back to the Soaring Sky Empire, lost in a bewildering detour.

But what was the truth?