Chapter 569: The Time And Space Don’t Match At All

In the Wilderness.

Over hundreds of thousands of various star beasts roamed the wilderness, dividing it into countless fiercely guarded territories. However, in this chaotic expanse, thousands of Iron-Belly Pythons slithered through the grasslands, ignoring territory boundaries.

These pythons weren’t acting independently. They were being utilized for their highly developed sense of smell and tracking prowess. The rebels’ Dragon-Seeking Unit, a specialized task force dispatched from Lanfu Base City, was controlling these Grade Two star beasts.

Their mission was to hunt down and capture the martial artists who had escaped from Liuhe Base City and hidden themselves in the wilderness. The fugitives belonged mainly to three factions: Red Flag High School, the Cloudy Sky Gang, and the Martial Alliance—all of which had ties to Li Xiaofei.

Ye Yu and his forces were leading the search, so they worked tirelessly alongside the Dragon-Seeking Unit, sweeping the wilderness day and night. So far, they had found nothing.

“This is strange. The star beasts in the wilderness are under the complete control of the Yiggs forces. It’s practically an inescapable net. Where could these rats possibly be hiding?”

Ye Yu’s frustration grew with each passing day. After the fall of Liuhe Base City, he had sworn to completely annihilate any force associated with Li Xiaofei as vengeance for the destruction of the Ye family. Yet these people seemed to have vanished into the wilderness like shadows in the wind.

Where could they be hiding?

Determined to root them out, Ye Yu expanded the search area even further.

Five days had passed since the fall of Liuhe Base City. The city was now fully under the control of the Xie family rebels. The brutal pillaging that accompanied the city’s fall had reduced the population of Liuhe Base City to less than half of what it once was.

The city lay in ruins. It was clear that the rebels had no intention of maintaining or rebuilding it. They had plundered the wealth of the city and left most of its infrastructure in tatters. The surviving civilians were rounded up and confined to designated areas under strict guard.

The rebel forces were led by Xie Qingzhi, the commander-in-chief. Xie Qingzhi was a rising power within the Xie family, known for his ruthless tactics, extraordinary strength, and deep cunning.

When the Xie family joined forces with the Yiggs to betray Great Xia, they leveraged their accumulated resources and influence to become the largest rebel faction in the northwest region of Shenzhou. As a result, Xie Qingzhi’s reputation had soared.

Interestingly, Xie Qingzhi was a relative of Xie Renyu, the former city leader of Liuhe Base City. The two were of a similar age, were outstanding talents within the Xie family, and were groomed as future leaders.

However, the upheaval in Great Xia had landed them on opposite sides of the conflict. Xie Qingzhi became a staunch separatist, leading the Xie family’s forces to rapidly conquer and purge the base cities of the northwest.

In contrast, Xie Renyu had refused the family’s call. He chose instead to fulfill his duty as the city leader of Great Xia, leading the army and citizens of Liuhe Base City to hold back the rebel forces to the very end. After the city fell, Xie Renyu, exhausted from relentless battle, had been captured alive. Now, he languished in the rebels' prison.

"The patriarch deeply regrets your choice," Xie Qingzhi said indifferently. "Because of your stubbornness, the Xie family lost thirty percent of its elite forces outside Liuhe Base City. Those soldiers need not have died."

Opposite him, Xie Renyu hung in the air, his shoulders pierced by iron chains. His arms and legs had been severed, his body reduced to a torso, yet he clung to life. His pale face was ashen.

"It's a pity I couldn’t slaughter all you ungrateful traitors beneath the city walls," Xie Renyu said, his voice tinged with bitter regret.

His body was utterly ruined, yet his will remained unbroken.

Xie Qingzhi shook his head. "The fall of Great Xia is fate. It had 9.6 million square kilometers divided among the sixteen great Saint families; the central government had long lost control of the base cities. As a member of the Xie family, you should have dedicated yourself to the family’s cause. Instead, you tethered yourself to a broken chariot doomed to destruction. What else can that be but foolishness?"

A glimmer of pain flashed through Xie Renyu’s eyes.

"For the first time, I feel ashamed to bear the surname Xie," he said softly.

His cultivation had been utterly destroyed and his body reduced to a shell, yet a light of hope still burned in his heart. "When Li Xiaofei returns, he’ll slaughter every last one of you."

Xie Qingzhi burst into laughter.

"Li Xiaofei? You’re hopelessly poisoned by him. Even now, you pin your hopes on a young, insignificant martial artist with no background? Not even the Star Council is protecting Great Xia anymore, and you expect salvation from Li Xiaofei?" He couldn’t help but sneer in disdain.

But Xie Renyu did not argue back.

“You don’t understand,” he said softly.

Those who had never worked with Li Xiaofei would never comprehend the kind of charisma the young man possessed. Xie Qingzhi did not waste more words. To him, Xie Renyu was just a defeated prisoner clinging to a false sense of hope and unwilling to admit his failure.

"I will have you hung at the city gates," Xie Qingzhi declared icily. "Before your blood runs dry, you’ll witness Liuhe Base City reduced to rubble and its people lying in pools of blood."

He turned and began to walk away, his cold voice echoing through the vast prison chamber.

"This is the price for betraying the Xie family and defying the patriarch. It’s also the cost the people of Liuhe will pay for defending their city to the death."

At the doorway, Xie Qingzhi paused as if struck by a sudden thought. He turned back to face Xie Renyu.

"Ah, I almost forgot. You must be wondering about Ye Liuying’s fate, don’t you?"

"She was just as stubborn and obstinate as you. On the day the city fell, she fought to the bitter end, refusing to retreat or surrender. I sacrificed nineteen Golden Body Realm experts and expended forty-seven Grade Six star beasts just to deplete her inner qi. She was captured alive. But her luck is slightly better than yours. Liuying is the fairest woman north of Qilian. She’s too beautiful."

"Many powerful figures specifically requested that she be taken alive... and delivered to them. She hasn’t been tortured or executed, but... Heh, the fate awaiting her won’t be any better. In this era, being a woman is a tragedy. A so-called Goddess is nothing more than a plaything for the truly powerful."

Every word was like a sharp blade.

Xie Qingzhi clearly saw the change in Xie Renyu. The once calm and indifferent prisoner began to tremble violently, his mangled body shuddering uncontrollably.

Xie Qingzhi was delighted. He laughed heartily, knowing that he had struck Xie Renyu’s weakest point.

***

"Sir, we've found something!" A soldier from the Dragon-Seeking Unit suddenly let out an excited shout.

The secret base hidden within the mountain in the wilderness had finally been discovered by the relentless efforts of the Dragon-Seeking Unit.

Ye Yu rushed over when he heard the news.

"Yes! It’s them! The remnants of Red Flag High School. Ha ha, we’ve finally found them!" His voice was filled with excitement.

Who would have thought that there would be an enormous hidden base less than sixty miles from Liuhe Base City, inside the core of Firestone Mountain’s main peak?

Had it not been for the Dragon-Seeking Unit and their pythons scouring the area, it might never have been found.

"Mobilize the troops! Quickly!" Ye Yu shouted, his voice brimming with urgency.

"Summon the power armor division!"

"Deploy the mech units!"

"Bring every available force!"

"Report this to Marshal Xie immediately!"

Ye Yu could hardly contain his exhilaration as he issued commands. This time, the opportunity for revenge was finally within reach.

At the same time, twenty miles southwest of Firestone Mountain’s main peak, light glimmered in the air before two figures tumbled out.

“This place is... oddly familiar. Why does it feel like we’re near the outskirts of Liuhe Base City?” Li Xiaofei glanced around him, his face filled with surprise.

He had just arrived from Subspace, yet somehow, instead of returning to Jiepeng, he had ended up here.

“Something feels off,” Bajie said, eyeing the yellowing grass and trees around them. “Hey, Monkey Bro, do you remember when we entered Subspace? Wasn’t it winter?”

Li Xiaofei’s scalp tingled.

That’s right. It was winter when we entered Subspace. But now, it looks like... late autumn? The time and place don't match at all.