344: Chapter 344 The Allied Forces Retreat, the Chen Family's Prestige Rises

The night wind blew against them, carrying the scent of scorched earth, while scattered spiritual fires flickered dimly among the cracks in the rubble.

Chen Xiaodao stood before the "eye of wuwang" mech, the tip of his sword pointing at the ground. Blood slid down the blade, splattering into dark red spots on the earth.

"His right arm is severed; I didn't pursue him." He looked up. "That dog crushed a Blood Talisman to escape. The rift closed too quickly, and my strike was off by half an inch."

Chen Wuwang sat in the cockpit, the blue light of his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickering slightly as he stared at the fading line of spiritual energy in the distant southeast. His fingers tapped the control panel three times—tap, tap, tap.

"That's enough," he spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried over the sound of the wind. "His Meridians are ruptured, and he can't circulate even seventy percent of his Spiritual Qi. He’d need three breaths just to activate the simplest Escape Talisman. He's barely clinging to life; he won't be causing any more trouble."

He slowly raised his hand, and the Nanofibers on the surface of his gauntlet writhed, repairing themselves to their original state. The six wings retracted, and the mech emitted a low hum, like a beast that had just tucked away its fangs.

"Pass down the orders." Chen Wuwang pressed the communication button. "Deactivate the alerts for passages A7, B2, and C4. Recover all Detection Jade Talismans. The main force is to stand by and tally the battle damage."

Several responses came through the channel, all from the Cultivators guarding the city walls.

"Yes! Patriarch!"

"Thunder Talismans have been withdrawn!"

"Cave Vibration Spikes are being recovered!"

Chen Xiaodao looked up at the silver-white figure and grinned. "Brother, are we really just letting him go?"

"It's not letting him go," Chen Wuwang said indifferently. "It's letting him return alive to deliver a message—to let everyone know the price of targeting the Chen family."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of fire suddenly erupted at the edge of the distant wasteland, followed by a thunderous roar as the ground trembled slightly.

"What happened?" Chen Xiaodao's brow furrowed, and he immediately held his sword across his chest.

"It's not our people." Chen Wuwang's Mechanical Prosthetic Eye quickly scanned the data stream. "Northwest, Rift Valley Zone. A Self-destruct Formation was triggered, causing a Spiritual Qi riot across about three hundred feet. The enemy remnants are using stalling tactics, trying to cover the escape of their high-ranking members."

He snorted coldly. "Stupid. They think hiding in the ruins will buy them time?"

The communication channel connected again.

"Tiezhu," he called out.

"Present!" Chen Tiezhu's voice came from the other end, raspy like metal grinding. "I just finished warming up the third 'earth dragon' mech. I'm just waiting for your word."

"Take two mechs, activate the Psionic Blast Devices, and plow through the northwest Rift Valley for me. No matter which crack they're hiding in, shake them all out."

"Understood!" Chen Tiezhu laughed loudly. "I've been waiting for this! I haven't had my fill of testing these newly installed Shockwave Hammers yet!"

In less than fifteen minutes, three dark shadows sped out from the west side of the battlefield. These were the three "earth dragon" mechs, their treads grinding over the scorched earth with a heavy, rumbling sound.

Inside the lead cockpit, Chen Tiezhu held the control lever with one hand and slapped the console with the other. "Alright brothers, time to work! Don't give the enemy a single chance to breathe!"

He pushed the handle forward abruptly. Two disc-shaped devices popped out from the underside of the mech's belly. Psionic energy charged rapidly, and the humming sound grew increasingly shrill.

"Blast initiation! Frequency level one! Begin the sweep!"

Boom—!

As the first round of shockwaves spread out, the entire Rift Valley seemed to be struck by an invisible giant hammer. Rocks flew into the air, and the remnant soldiers hiding in the crevices were directly blasted out. Many spat blood on the spot, their spiritual power thrown into chaos.

"There are still some who slipped through!" Chen Tiezhu's eyes widened. "Switch to level two! Shake them to death!"

Another round of even stronger shockwaves blasted out. Several cracks opened in the ground, and a few corpses were tossed out from underground. One of them was still clutching a Detonation Talisman, but the person had already stopped breathing.

"Bai Ling." Chen Wuwang turned toward the north.

"I'm here," Bai Ling responded softly. She stood atop a high rock, her hands pressed against a twisted ancient vine, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"There are still people trying to slip away through the underground tunnels. Seal them."

"Okay." She closed her eyes, and a faint green light flickered at her fingertips. The ancient vine instantly grew wild, its roots burrowing into the ground like snakes and spreading along the subterranean fissures.

A moment later, screams echoed from several cave entrances. Over a dozen enemy soldiers attempting to retreat through secret paths were ensnared by thick vines, dragged out by force, and thrown to the ground, unable to move.

"The Northern Territory Passage has been sealed," Bai Ling said, opening her eyes, her breath slightly weak.

"Xiao Dao," Chen Wuwang ordered again. "High-altitude Hunting Team, prepare for takeoff."

"I've been waiting for that." Chen Xiaodao sneered. With a tap of his toes, he soared into the air. Three hundred Sword Cultivators followed closely behind him, their longswords drawn in unison, forming three rows of sword formations in the sky.

Like a flock of hunting hawks, they dove down, specifically targeting small, scattered groups of fleeing enemies. Sword light fell like rain, striking and killing instantly without the slightest hesitation.

"Over there!" Chen Xiaodao pointed toward a mountain hollow. "The Chuanyun Sect flag is still standing. Someone is trying to gather the remnants for a counterattack."

"Leave it to me," a Sword Cultivator barked. The longsword in his hand flew out, turning into a streak of light that pierced straight into the base of the flagpole.

Boom!

Psionic energy exploded, flipping the flagpole and its base into the air. The tattered great flag spun a few times in the sky before slapping down into the mud.

"The Commander's Flag has fallen!" someone shouted. "Retreat, quickly!"

The remnant army completely collapsed, scattering in all directions.

Chen Tiezhu drove his mech, crushing everything in his path, shouting at anyone he saw: "Still not getting lost? Do you want me to weld you into the ground as road signs?"

No one dared to look back.

The horizon gradually grew pale as the morning light spilled over the battlefield, revealing the utter devastation. Corpses were strewn everywhere, along with broken Magical Artifacts, snapped spears, and charred war flags covering the ground.

Chen Wuwang finally stepped out of his mech and stood on a high slope, watching the dust of the retreating enemy army in the distance, remaining silent.

Chen Xiaodao walked up and stood beside him, wiping the soot from his face. "We won."

"Mm," Chen Wuwang nodded. "But they weren't beaten into submission; they were scared off."

"Scaring them off works too," Chen Xiaodao laughed. "As long as they tremble three times before they even think about coming back, that's enough."

Chen Tiezhu walked over leaning on an iron rod, his face covered in oil but his eyes bright. "Patriarch, that was a satisfying fight! The three mechs are unscathed; the Shockwave Hammers just consumed a bit of energy. We just need to top them up."

"What about casualties?" Chen Wuwang asked.

"Seventeen lightly injured, all being treated. No heavy injuries. As for those killed in action..." He paused. "Two. Both were caught in self-destruct blasts while blocking the Rift Valley."

Chen Wuwang closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, his gaze was even more somber. "Give them a grand burial. Note down their families; double the pensions for each of them."

"Understood."

Bai Ling also walked over, leaning against a vine. Her face was somewhat pale. "That wave of projections just now... it took a lot out of me."

"Wind Whisper Tree Shadow?" Chen Wuwang glanced at her.

"Yes," she nodded. "I thought that since we wanted to overawe everyone, we might as well show them something visible."

She waved her hand, and a phantom image appeared in the sky—a massive Chen family emblem rotating in the wind, with four large spiritual rune characters slowly emerging beneath it: 'Those Who Offend Me Shall Be Executed.'

The characters were like knife carvings, lingering for a long time.

"Good heavens," Chen Tiezhu remarked. "This is even scarier than firing cannons."

"The people at the boundary saw that thing and immediately turned and ran," Chen Xiaodao laughed. "They didn't even want their flags anymore."

Chen Wuwang looked at the projection and said nothing.

He knew that after this battle, the Chen family would no longer be that small clan that others could bully at will. Using mechs, sword formations, and the combination of technology and nature, they had carved out their own territory.

"Today's victory," he suddenly spoke, his voice low but impossible to ignore, "is not the work of a single person."

The three of them grew quiet.

"The Chen family's survival until now," he continued, "doesn't depend on me as the Patriarch, nor on any single mech or sword. It is thanks to every person who refuses to bow their head."

He looked toward the east, where the morning sun was slowly rising, casting his shadow long across the ground.

"The road is still long," he said. "But we have already stood up."

The wind blew across the scorched earth, swirling a few charred fragments of flags.

In the distance, the last of the enemy's dust clouds vanished over the horizon.

Chen Tiezhu cracked his wrists. "Back to the city?"

"Back," Chen Wuwang turned and walked toward his mech. "Notify everyone to clean up the battlefield, recover the equipment, and set out within the hour."

Chen Xiaodao sheathed his sword and followed. "Brother, do you think they'll dare to come back in the future?"

"They will," Chen Wuwang didn't stop his pace. "But next time, I'll let them know the meaning of a true Dimensional Strike."

He stepped into the mech, and the cockpit door slowly closed.

The six wings expanded, the engines roared, and the silver-white figure soared into the sky.

On the ground, the crowd gathered, chariots started up, vines were retracted, and the Sword Cultivators regrouped.

The wasteland returned to silence, with only the wind whistling through the tattered war flags like a mournful cry.

The Chen family's forces began their withdrawal, marching steadily toward the main city.