Gu Wen flew over the city with his spear, quickly heading towards the southern gate.
Behind him, a figure was rapidly approaching.
He glanced back and saw it was He Huan, deciding not to attack him.
As He Huan caught up, his expression was complicated, full of questions and words left unsaid.
Knowing the urgency of the situation, he said, "Brother Hong Chen, once you leave the city, it's best to take the water route. Otherwise, if you're chased by Wenren Wu's army, it will be certain death."
"Why?" Gu Wen asked, "An army moves slowly, and it's hard for them to form a siege while chasing. If he comes alone, I might worry, but with a group, they can't fly, can they?"
"It's about military momentum. Wenren Wu is from the Hunyuan Sect, the third-ranking martial family. They fuse formations with martial dharma forms. His Qian Yuan Secret Art can gather thousands of pseudo-spiritual forms as soldiers, with his dharma form as the general, making him an army of one." He Huan didn't beat around the bush, knowing there was no time.
The martial True Sovereign who had just entered the city had noticed them and was rushing over.
"That giant dharma form you see isn't just its size; it's a combination of pseudo-spiritual forms and the dharma form creating military momentum. The drawback is it can't hide and must stay grounded. This is its flaw, similar to a formation being bound to a location with life gates."
Military momentum is an incredible technique, like a mobile formation, possessing the power of a formation while being able to move.
But no technique is perfect.
When one aspect is particularly strong, there are bound to be weaknesses.
"Take care of yourself; I can't help you anymore." With that, He Huan turned and fled.
Although he always wanted to do Gu Wen more favors, in this situation, he couldn't handle it.
Coming to reveal some information was already the best he could do; he felt he had fulfilled his duty as a friend.
"Thank you."
Gu Wen changed direction towards the southern water gate, which allowed cargo ships to enter Bianjing.
Although the ship he arranged had likely already left, it shouldn't be far, and he could catch up with a small boat.
He glanced at the green bead hanging around his neck.
The Jade Water Bead allowed him to stay underwater as long as he had enough mana, making it possible for him to remain submerged for a day without issues.
Suddenly feeling a chill at his back, Gu Wen flipped and thrust his spear out, meeting a golden spear of mana.
The golden spear shattered against the hardness of his Xuan Heavy Spear.
In the distance, a giant figure drew its bow and shot another arrow.
Boom!
Gu Wen shattered it into golden dust with his spear, but the arrows kept coming, slowing his pace.
Five miles from the South Water Gate, he could already see ships in the distance, but martial soldiers had blocked his path.
Below stood a general in tiger-faced armor, holding a large halberd, standing three meters tall.
"The Holy Sovereign has decreed: surrender, and you will be spared."
"Words are useless."
Gu Wen charged like an arrow, his spear thrusting out with immense killing intent.
Wenren Wu faced him head-on, unafraid of the deadly power of Gu Wen’s martial dharma form or the overwhelming force behind his strike.
Their clash sent waves of energy surging out, causing tiles to rattle and citizens within the houses to tremble in fear.
Bianjing City was not deserted.
The streets were empty because people had hidden away, knowing that something major was happening.
Whether it was gods fighting, a civil unrest, or a coup, most people would hide.
Boom!
Suddenly, a deafening metallic clash, like firecrackers going off, echoed throughout the South Water Gate.
Gu Wen and Wenren Wu exchanged dozens of blows in an instant, their arms and weapons almost becoming a seamless blur.
This time, Gu Wen was at a disadvantage; each clash caused his palms to crack open, blood dripping out.
This was because Wenren Wu was holding back, clearly intending to capture him alive.
Three levels of Dao foundation and a martial dharma form were not enough to contend with a true name.
Realizing the enemy wanted to capture him, Gu Wen began to weaken, as if he were about to exhaust his strength.
To win against a stronger opponent, the stronger one must reveal a flaw and the weaker must seize it for a decisive strike.
If that failed, he'd have to call for help.
In his plan, there was no scenario where a true sovereign would intervene, nor did he expect Wenren Wu to cover the several thousand miles back in just half a day.
Wenren Wu also slowed his attacks.
In that moment, Gu Wen's eyes filled with killing intent, and he poured all his strength into one strike.
The crimson dragon dharma form coiled around him, and the five spiritual forms manifested.
A spear thrust out, a tightly condensed crimson glow appeared.
The Spear of Glorious Killing had a hint of divine essence and was his only killing technique.
The martial dharma form couldn't withstand it.
The giant halberd, suspected to be a spiritual treasure, was parried.
The crimson glow on the spear tip was about to touch Wenren Wu's neck.
A mere hair's breadth away would turn into dust.
An inch, a centimeter, a millimeter...
Suddenly, a hundred-foot golden light arose, an infinite military force emerged, and Gu Wen was pulled into the dharma form's domain.
A towering god stood on the battlefield, surrounded by a thousand spiritual soldier statues in formation.
Eight levels of Dao foundation, with three of them perfected.
The Xuan Heavy Spear couldn't advance another step.
The military force was like a formation, with soldiers as its foundation and the general as its core.
Formations could form in an instant.
Where Wenren Wu stood was always the core of the formation.
He had both immense strength and the finesse to counter with minimal force.
Between the spear tip and his throat, countless swords and shields materialized.
The Xuan Heavy Spear broke an inch from its tip, and Gu Wen's body was sent flying.
As he expected, he landed by the riverbank, crashing into an official boat, breaking its keel.
But he seemed unable to escape.
Blood spurted from his mouth, and the impact on his head and soul nearly made him faint.
This was dozens of times stronger than that old eunuch.
He finally sensed the opponent's exact cultivation: eight levels of Dao foundation, with three perfected.
Given this, there was no way he could win at his current level.
In the distance, a drop of blood dripped from Wenren Wu's throat.
He wiped it away, staring at the blood on his finger in disbelief.
He managed to trade wounds with me?
Gu Wen had only three levels of Dao foundation.
Wenren Wu had eight, plus the true sovereign's foundation.
Such a gap should mean Gu Wen couldn't be a threat, barely able to resist.
The difference and bridging that gap was the best measure of someone's talent.
If I had returned to Bianjing a moment later, no one could have stopped him.
"Gu Wen, your talent is enough for me to go all out. One last chance: become the Crown Prince of the Great Qian, or die here."
Wenren Wu walked step by step towards Gu Wen, who lay in the boat's cabin.
He vaguely understood why the Holy Sovereign valued Gu Wen so highly.
Given time, his talent would undoubtedly surpass his own.
Even after five years of enslavement, he could still cultivate three levels of Dao foundation, and those three levels were enough to wound him.
However, if he didn't accept being a dog now, the one who would die and disappear in the future would be himself.
Gu Wen struggled to get up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said, "But I haven't used all my strength yet."
"Oh?" Wenren Wu showed interest.
He stopped in his tracks, presenting a righteous demeanor, and said, "It wouldn't be honorable for a true sovereign to bully a junior. Use all your tricks; I won't stop you." Gu Wen swallowed the pill given to him by Yu Hua, a warm stream soothed his wounds.
Then he stood up, walked through the crack in the boat cabin he had crashed through, and a faint glow appeared in his palm, with two characters vaguely visible.
【Zhaocang】
When he faced Wenren Wu, these characters had already reacted.
If it weren't for Wenren Wu's unexpected intervention, he could have run.
But now, being chased by a true sovereign, not calling for help would be his own fault.
Gu Wen softly said, "Please, immortal, help me."
Background is also a form of strength.
You used your background to suppress me for so long, can't I use mine to suppress you?
Wenren Wu felt a chilling fear rushing to his head.
Without hesitation, he charged at Gu Wen with all his might.
Boom!
An anomaly arose, suddenly causing a thousand layers of waves.
Above the nine heavens, a thousand miles away, a finger snap obscured the sky.
A mystical, profound sound descended from the heavens.
"Of course, I will help you."