Hearing the Golden Lion’s words, the Water Mirror was clearly not in a good mood either. It said in a low voice, "I’ve been severely damaged. I can no longer trace images from too far in the past. However, if he just left, perhaps I can still try..."
It didn’t make any guarantees.
In that last moment, everyone had felt just how troublesome that Guardian God of the Fusang Tribe was.
He kept his true power hidden, yet it had already grown to nearly rival the Golden Lion’s without anyone noticing. Fortunately, a Divine Spirit had discovered him first.
Otherwise, it was terrifying to think what might happen if he were given more time to grow stronger.
Relying on the Water Mirror, the group quickly began tracing back to the location where Li Chang’an had disappeared.
To prevent a repeat of the previous incident, the Water Mirror was placed directly on the Golden Lion’s back, lest Li Chang’an launch another sneak attack and completely destroy this supreme treasure from the Celestial Realm.
...
Frankly, this relentless pack was a splitting headache for Li Chang’an.
He had already escaped several times, but thanks to that small mirror, his pursuers could pick up his trail seamlessly as long as the time window for tracing hadn’t closed.
He had planned to destroy the mirror with a surprise attack and finally be free. But who would have thought the damn thing was so resilient? It took a direct hit from his Bone and Flesh Fire and was somehow still operational.
With no other choice, he followed a river into the Central Plains.
Being hunted, he had no time to admire the scenery of the Central Plains. He ran without stopping, heading straight for the Fire Realm in the Western Regions.
According to the historical records of the Fusang Tribe.
A place near the Fire Realm in the west, called Fusang Valley, was the birthplace of the Fusang Tribe, and deep within that valley lay the Fire Realm itself.
The Fire Realm was widely known as one of this world’s forbidden zones, a place fraught with danger. According to legend, not even the gods of the Celestial Realm could spy on what happened within.
Li Chang’an’s reason for running here was simple.
He simply wanted to escape the Golden Lion’s relentless pursuit.
And his decision was clearly the right one. The moment the Golden Lion and his group realized he was heading for the Fire Realm, they went berserk, trying to stop him at any cost.
Li Chang’an couldn’t beat them in a fight, but when it came to escaping, there was no one he feared.
After a chase that spanned a thousand miles, Li Chang’an still managed to reach the outskirts of the Fire Realm.
Just as a delighted Li Chang’an was about to charge into the region of red-leaved trees, which was saturated with dense Fire Attribute Energy...
The Celestial Realm, which had remained indifferent until now, suddenly made a move.
A colossal palm descended from the heavens, just like that of the Tathagata Buddha. No matter where Li Chang’an fled, he could not escape this Five-Finger Mountain.
The beings of this world were on another level of power. So much so that even someone like Li Chang’an, without enough time to build his foundation, could be crushed like an ant.
BOOM! CRASH!
The massive palm came crashing down from the sky, striking Li Chang’an.
Yet, just as Li Chang’an thought this life was over and he was about to return to the Main World, the Map of Mountains and Rivers on his person suddenly erupted with a blinding, fiery red light.
The red light formed a protective shield, enveloping Li Chang’an.
The palm from the Celestial Realm slammed against the shield, swatting Li Chang’an away and smashing a crater dozens of meters wide into the ground.
The Shield that erupted from the Map of Mountains and Rivers absorbed the vast majority of the impact.
But even so, Li Chang’an still coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
Wiping the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, Li Chang’an glanced at the hand in the sky with an unprecedentedly dark gaze and said coldly, "Li Chang’an will remember the humiliation of this day. I hope you can still be so high and mighty the next time we meet!"
With that, he didn’t linger. Protected by the Shield, he transformed into a streak of light and plunged into the crimson sea of the Fire Realm.
...
Staring at Li Chang’an’s vanishing figure, the pursuers then glanced up at the hand from the Celestial Realm, which was now trembling slightly.
The Golden Lion and his group, who had pursued Li Chang’an for thousands upon thousands of miles, felt their blood run cold. It seemed as though at any moment, the hand would take out its frustration on them, smashing them into a bloody pulp.
There was a long silence.
Finally, the hand withdrew.
A cool, indifferent voice drifted down from the Celestial Realm. "Go back and clean up the mess that man left behind. If you can’t even handle a simple task like this, I will report it to the Emperor, and there will be no reason for any of you to continue existing!"
The Golden Lion and the others couldn’t help but tremble at the entity’s cold words.
Though terrified, they dared not show it. Suppressing their fear, the Golden Lion spoke up, "We will obey the divine decree! We swear to complete the task you have assigned us. Please, we beg you, don’t inform the Emperor! Give us one chance to atone for our failure!"
The being from the Celestial Realm snorted coldly and said no more.
The Golden Lion and his group turned to leave, but he couldn’t help but look back at the empty border of the Fire Realm and ask, "M-My Lord... the Fire Realm has only one exit. If we guard this spot, that brat won’t be able to leave for the rest of his life... Should we dispatch a contingent to watch over it?"
Hearing this, the Divine Spirit’s voice from the sky grew colder still. "Relying on you? A bunch of incompetents? If you were actually capable, you would have killed that man back in the Three Rivers Region. How did you let the chase drag on all the way to the Western Regions?"
The disdain in its voice was undisguised.
The Golden Lion and his group were already plagued by guilt. They wouldn’t have dared to argue even if they were ten times bolder. All they could do was force a few awkward laughs before turning to leave.
Outside the Fire Realm, a deathly silence fell once more.
...