211: Chapter 211 Driving Away Wolves to Devour Tigers

Qin Ce moved through the thin mist.

The Azure Luan flew quickly, but Qin Ce could feel that its speed was a bit slower than before.

It wasn't a stamina issue, but energy consumption. After continuous high-intensity flight, coupled with the drain from being suppressed by the Space-Locking Chain earlier, the energy within the Azure Luan had dropped to about sixty percent.

Qin Ce himself wasn't doing much better.

The marks from the Space-Locking Chain on his wrists were still there, with a ring of dark red bruising on his skin.

The energy from being Reborn was slowly repairing them, but it would take time.

He forced himself to calm down and began to analyze.

He hadn't expected Wang Zhuo to bring eleven Gold-rank Beast Masters to kill him.

He thought the Wang family would continue using those underhanded methods—sending spies to follow him, bribing people from the Wuji Army, or tampering with his missions.

He hadn't expected the Wang family to drop all pretenses, sending their eldest legitimate son with a Gold Rank squad to hunt him down.

This meant the Wang family's patience had run out.

It also showed that Wang Zhuo's hatred for him had reached the point of being willing to pay any price.

But there was one question Qin Ce couldn't figure out.

How did Wang Zhuo find him?

He hadn't brought anyone with him this time.

All twenty-four people of the Seventh Squad had stayed at Zhenhuang Pass; even Jiang Mo didn't know where he had gone.

After entering the Vicious Beast area influenced by the Space-Time Rift, Tianlu had led the way along the territorial boundaries. There was no fixed route or pattern to follow.

It was impossible for Wang Zhuo to find him by tracking.

Then there was only one possibility: Wang Zhuo had some means of determining his location.

And this method was very precise, precise enough to lock onto his position.

Qin Ce's brow furrowed.

The problem now was that he didn't know if this method was real-time or if there were limitations. Was it for a limited number of uses or just a one-time thing? If it had a usage limit, was there an interval between each time?

These were things Qin Ce absolutely had to know right now.

These would determine his subsequent response strategy.

Because if it was real-time, then no matter how fast he ran, it would be useless; Wang Zhuo would always know where he was and could always take shortcuts to block him.

If there was an interval, he would have a chance to use the time difference to engage them in a running battle, or even counter-ambush them.

Thinking of this, Qin Ce suddenly glanced in the direction of his territory.

Within his territory perception, he could sense Wang Zhuo and the others' positions and direction of movement.

They were slowly heading towards him. Their speed wasn't fast, but their direction was accurate, and they were constantly correcting it.

A thought flashed through Qin Ce's mind: since he could sense their positions within his territory, why not use that to test if they could sense him in real-time?

Both sides were no longer within each other's line of sight. In the thin mist, visibility would be insufficient beyond two kilometers. Not to mention, after Qin Ce became a Lord, his visual range within the mist was actually much further.

At this moment, even Qin Ce couldn't see Wang Zhuo and the others, so Wang Zhuo and his group certainly couldn't see him.

But aside from vision, his territory perception was still active.

Qin Ce could clearly "see" that Wang Zhuo and the others were moving toward his previous position.

Qin Ce took a deep breath.

"Xiao Qing, turn."

The Azure Luan's wings tilted slightly, its body carving an arc in the air as it turned from its original northwest direction to due north.

Qin Ce didn't slow down or speed up; he simply changed direction—flying laterally with his territory as the center.

He stared intently at Wang Zhuo and the others' movements within his territory perception.

The next moment, his expression changed.

The instant he turned, Wang Zhuo and the others' direction changed as well.

It wasn't a slow adjustment, but an almost simultaneous, precise turn, chasing after his new direction.

Qin Ce continued to fly north, and Wang Zhuo's group continued to chase north. Qin Ce veered slightly east, and they followed suit.

As the distance Qin Ce traveled grew, Wang Zhuo and the others' direction corrections became increasingly obvious.

Every time Qin Ce changed direction, they would react within a few seconds, as if pulled by an invisible thread.

This is damn real-time positioning!

No interval, no delay—it was real-time, precise location tracking, just like satellite navigation.

Qin Ce's heart sank.

A Silver Rank being hunted by eleven Gold Ranks, with the other side able to track his location in real-time.

This was almost a certain death trap.

He couldn't run, he couldn't win a fight, and he couldn't hide.

No matter where he ran, Wang Zhuo would know.

No matter where he hid, Wang Zhuo could find him.

In this situation, he absolutely couldn't drag it out; the longer it went on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

The energy depth of a Silver Rank Beast Tamer was more than one level below that of a Gold Rank.

The Azure Luan's energy was being consumed, his energy was being consumed, and Tianlu's energy was also being consumed.

Whereas for the eleven Gold Ranks on Wang Zhuo's side, this level of consumption was almost negligible.

So, if this continued, his energy would eventually run out.

When that time came, he wouldn't even be able to fly, let alone fight.

Qin Ce had the Azure Luan stop and land on a low hilltop.

The vegetation on the hilltop was sparse, with only a few clumps of withered yellow shrubs and exposed rocks.

Qin Ce jumped off the Azure Luan's back and crouched behind a rock, panting heavily.

The Azure Luan landed beside him, its silver-blue feathers heaving slightly as it breathed hard.

Tianlu poked its head out from his chest; the nine-colored light on its antlers had dimmed significantly, and its small face was full of exhaustion.

Qin Ce reached out to stroke Tianlu's head and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down.

He couldn't act recklessly now.

His physical strength had to be preserved.

His energy had to be used sparingly and calculated carefully.

Every step had to be thought through before being taken.

So, how to resolve this desperate situation?

Qin Ce looked up at the sky.

The thin mist was very thick; he couldn't see the clouds, let alone the high altitude.

But he knew the Azure Luan's flight ceiling was extremely high—its Cloud Emerald Bird Bloodline allowed its flight altitude to far exceed others of the same Rank.

Flying to a high altitude could indeed temporarily shake off Wang Zhuo and the others' pursuit.

The Silver-Patterned Peacock's ceiling wasn't as high as the Azure Luan's, nor were those of the Iron-Feathered Vultures, Thunder Eagles, or Wind Falcons.

As long as he flew to an altitude they couldn't reach, Wang Zhuo wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

But this wasn't a long-term solution.

Because this was different from the previous beast tide; the Gold Rank Vicious Beasts in the beast tide couldn't locate Qin Ce and could be shaken off.

But Wang Zhuo and his group were constantly locating him; he couldn't stay in the sky forever.

The Azure Luan needed to rest, eat, and recover its energy. He also needed to eat, drink, and sleep. As soon as he landed, Wang Zhuo would be able to find him.

Qin Ce thought of Zhenhuang Pass again, and of the Wuji Army.

He had his people at Zhenhuang Pass and his station within the Wuji Army.

But those people couldn't help.

There were twenty-four people, the highest being only Silver Rank; against eleven Gold Rank Beast Tamers, they wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between their teeth.

He could count on the Wuji Army even less; Chu Mingjue wished for nothing more than his death.

The only power he could leverage was the City Lord's side.

Jiang Tianzong had always wanted to recruit him. If he went to the City Lord's Mansion for protection, Jiang Tianzong would likely protect him.

No matter how arrogant the Wang family was, they wouldn't dare to make a move on the City Lord's Mansion's territory.

But the God-level Ruins were about to open.

He had been in the north for over two months now, and the three-month opening window was close at hand.

Furthermore, the energy in the key in his hand hadn't accumulated yet—the golden liquid wasn't even a small puddle, far from being full.

If he went to the City Lord's Mansion, would he be able to come out? Could he continue to accumulate energy? Would Jiang Tianzong let him act freely?

Or would he treat him as a pawn, making him risk his life, do his bidding, and accumulate energy for him?

Choosing the City Lord would just be a slow death as well.

Qin Ce's fist clenched.

Just then, within his territory perception, Wang Zhuo and the others' positions changed.

Wang Zhuo and the others noticed Qin Ce had stopped moving and suddenly accelerated, flying toward his direction.

They were very fast, more than twice as fast as before.

Qin Ce calculated the distance and speed—at their pace, they would reach here in fifteen minutes at most.

He stood up, preparing to have the Azure Luan continue running, when a rustling sound suddenly came from behind him.

Qin Ce spun around abruptly, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

A massive head poked out from the other side of the hilltop.

It was a turtle.

Its entire body was grayish-brown, its shell covered in moss and barnacles, looking like a giant rock covered in green fur.

Its head was as large as a washbasin, its skin as rough as old tree bark, and its two eyes were dark yellow, staring coldly at Qin Ce.

Gold Rank.

Qin Ce's Nine-Star Insight operated silently.

[Vicious Beast]: Rock-Armored Turtle

[Rank]: Gold Low Grade

[Status]: Alert, Expelling

Qin Ce was stunned for a moment, then he understood.

He had stayed on this hilltop for too long.

This was the Rock-Armored Turtle's territory. Although he had the status of a Lord, staying in someone else's territory for too long without greeting them would cause the Lord to be wary and try to expel him.

The Rock-Armored Turtle opened its mouth and let out a low hiss, like the sound of stones rubbing together.

It wasn't an attack, but a warning—Leave my territory.

Qin Ce looked at the Gold Rank Rock-Armored Turtle, then at the rapidly approaching Wang Zhuo in his territory perception, and was about to have the Azure Luan leave.

Suddenly, his footsteps halted.

His gaze fell on the Rock-Armored Turtle, and he watched it for several seconds.

This was also a Gold Rank.

This was also a source of power.

It wasn't that Qin Ce had any designs on this Rock-Armored Turtle.

A Gold Low Grade Rock-Armored Turtle might have high defense, but its speed and attack power weren't enough to pose a threat to Wang Zhuo and his group.

He couldn't expect a single Rock-Armored Turtle to help him block eleven Gold Rank Beast Tamers.

But he suddenly realized something.

In this world overrun by Vicious Beasts, the power of Wang Zhuo and his squad was not the strongest.

The strongest were the Vicious Beasts here.

Qin Ce suddenly remembered when he killed the Three-Headed Hellhound and acquired its territory.

The scene of those dozen or so Gold Rank Vicious Beasts scattered around his territory, all warning him at the same time.

Furthermore, Qin Ce had speculated that they were a collective, with even stronger Vicious Beasts behind them.

Plus, they were very unfriendly toward him.

So, what if he led Wang Zhuo and the eleven Gold Rank Beast Tamers to barge in and rampage through their territories?

What would those Vicious Beasts think?

Qin Ce's eyes lit up.

He was considered half of an "insider" in this area.

As long as he acted according to the rules of this world—not trespassing on territories or provoking other Lords.

Then no matter how he moved in this area, it would be safe.

But Wang Zhuo and the others were different; they were pure outsiders. Eleven Gold Rank Beast Tamers, eleven auras that didn't belong to this world. They weren't being attacked right now only because their own strength was so great that it barely suppressed the Vicious Beasts' aggression.

If they were suddenly attacked by a group, then after that, it would be they who were in danger.

This was where Qin Ce had an advantage over Wang Zhuo and his group.

The corner of Qin Ce's mouth slowly curled into an arc.

In his past life, he was a laboratory researcher; data was his livelihood, and models were his tools.

But in his spare time, he had also read military strategy.

He remembered many of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

One of them was called "Driving the Wolf to Devour the Tiger."

Not doing it oneself, but letting the wolf and the tiger tear at each other.

If a wolf comes or a tiger comes, both are hard to deal with. So, let them fight.

Wait until they are both injured, then come out to clean up the mess.

Qin Ce turned and looked at the Rock-Armored Turtle.

He bowed slightly to the Gold Rank giant turtle.

This was his respect for the rules of this world.

"Sorry for the intrusion, I'm leaving now."

The Rock-Armored Turtle's dark yellow eyes stared at him for two seconds before it slowly retracted into its shell.

Qin Ce flipped himself onto the Azure Luan's back.

"Xiao Qing, let's go."

With a flap of its wings, the Azure Luan carried him into the sky.

He headed straight for the direction where those Gold Rank Vicious Beasts had demonstrated their power earlier—the northwest.

Those dozen or so Gold Rank Vicious Beasts.

Qin Ce had long ago memorized their positions.

Now, he would lead Wang Zhuo and the others there.

Using a few small tricks, he'd cause a minor conflict between Wang Zhuo and those Vicious Beasts, then have them fight each other. When that happened, whether to advance or retreat, escape or launch a sneak attack, there would be plenty of tactical room.

Through communication with Qin Ce, the Azure Luan also understood his intention.

The flight path also began to be meticulously calculated.

Coupled with Tianlu's reminders, they passed by the edges of some Gold Rank Vicious Beasts' territories as much as possible.

They were walking along the boundary lines—not going deep, not provoking, just passing by.

But what about Wang Zhuo and the others who were chasing them?

Could they "pass by" like the Azure Luan?

Of course, at this moment, these Vicious Beasts wouldn't attack Wang Zhuo.

But if Wang Zhuo and his group were fleeing after being heavily injured by a Gold Rank Vicious Beast, would these offended Vicious Beasts still refrain from attacking them?

From this moment on, Qin Ce was already digging a pit for Wang Zhuo.

...

Ten kilometers behind Qin Ce, Wang Zhuo sat on the back of the Silver-Patterned Peacock, looking down at the 3D map in his palm.

The light spot representing Qin Ce had started moving again.

It wasn't scurrying aimlessly, but moving toward the northwest with direction and rhythm.

The speed wasn't slow, and it was very steady.

Wang Zhuo raised his hand and waved.

"Slow down."

The nine people behind him slowed down simultaneously, their formation changing from a pursuit to a cruise.

The Silver-Patterned Peacock slowed the frequency of its wing flaps, changing from a high-speed dive to a steady glide.

Wang Zhuo was no longer in a hurry.

What he wanted was to wear down Qin Ce's physical strength and will bit by bit.

When he could no longer run, when he was in despair, when he gave up, then he would go in for the harvest.

That feeling of prey slowly dying in despair was more pleasurable than killing with a single stroke.

"Chase him slowly," Wang Zhuo's voice was very calm. "Let him run. Let's see how far he can go."

The eleven of them followed that moving light spot unhurriedly through the thin mist.

They didn't know that what awaited them ahead wasn't a tired prey.

But a battlefield filled with minefields.

Wang Zhuo had learned to be calm from the last time, but he didn't seem to have learned to let go of his arrogance!

...