Wang Qiang and his men moved with menacing momentum. Naturally, I heard the sound of them stepping into the array formation, and my heart tightened involuntarily. But now every second counted; compared to the danger right before me, I cared more about that sliver of hope for breaking the array. I clenched my teeth, put their shouting out of my mind, and threaded my way through the fog, following that strange fluctuation.
"What is this brat doing? Scuttling around like a headless fly!" Wang Qiang's voice came from the fog, carrying a hint of mockery.
"Ha ha, I reckon he's driven mad by the confinement, running around blindly just to try his luck!" another voice chimed in, the tone full of banter.
I ignored them, focusing entirely on sensing the changes in that fluctuation. It grew strong, then weak, now distant, now near, as if guiding me, yet also teasing me. But deep in my heart, I firmly believed that as long as I grasped it, I could find the key to breaking the array.
"Never mind what he's up to, let's chase him down. Don't let him get away!" Wang Qiang seemed to lose his patience, his tone turning fierce.
I felt several auras rapidly closing in; clearly, Wang Qiang and his group were catching up. But I didn't stop. Instead, I picked up my pace, rushing toward the direction where the fluctuation was growing increasingly intense.
"This brat really won't shed a tear until he sees his coffin!" Old Man Zhang's voice came from another direction, carrying a hint of chilling coldness. "Once old man here catches you, let's see how arrogant you can still be!"
I knew that if this continued, they would catch up to me sooner or later. But I had no other choice; I could only stake everything on a single throw and pin all my hopes on that faint fluctuation.
Suddenly, the fog before my eyes surged violently, and the fluctuation became exceptionally intense, as if it were right within my reach. Joy flared in my heart. I abruptly opened my eyes and charged toward the source of the fluctuation.
"Brat, you're finally willing to show your face!" Wang Qiang's voice exploded beside my ear, and immediately afterward, a fierce gale of wind assaulted me.
My heart gave a jolt. Instantly dodging to the side, I barely managed to evade Wang Qiang's attack.
"Want to run? Not that easy!" Wang Qiang sneered, swinging his fist at me once more.
Before I could steady my footing, I was forced back into battle. Faced with Wang Qiang's storm-like onslaught, I could barely parry, completely devoid of any power to counterattack.
"Brat, weren't you quite arrogant just now? Why are you acting like a stray dog now?" Wang Qiang taunted as he attacked, attempting to throw off my mental focus.
Fury burned within my chest, but I could only endure it, dodging Wang Qiang's attacks while searching for an opportunity to break the array.
Right at that moment, I suddenly felt a vibration coming from the ground beneath my feet. Immediately following that, the surrounding fog began to roil violently, and a powerful oppressive force surged in from all directions.
Not good! The array formation was about to launch an attack!
A jolt went through my heart. Before I could even react, I saw rays of light shoot out from the fog, heading straight for me...
Alarm bells rang loud in my head; this array attack came with overwhelming momentum, leaving no room to hide! In the flash of a spark, a flash of inspiration brought to mind the strange fluctuation I had felt earlier. It was vibrating violently right now, as if guiding me. At this critical juncture of life and death, I decided to make a desperate gamble!
"Let's stake it all!" I let out a low roar, no longer dodging, but instead charging straight toward the spot where the fluctuation was strongest. The light fell like raindrops. I gritted my teeth and stubbornly bore the brunt; the intense pain almost caused me to lose consciousness, but I firmly kept that spark of enlightenment in my mind.
"Has this brat gone mad?!" Wang Qiang's astonished voice came from the fog. Clearly, my action completely caught him off guard.
I ignored him and simply sprinted desperately toward the target. Closer, even closer! I seemed to catch a glimpse of a lifeline; right where the fluctuation was strongest, the fog appeared to thin out slightly.
"Break for me!" Summoning the last remaining spiritual energy in my body, I slammed a palm strike toward that spot.
"Boom!"
With a deafening crash, I felt as though I had slammed into an invisible wall, and the immense rebound force sent me flying backward. I crashed heavily to the ground, my vision went black, and I almost passed out.
Yet right at that moment, I felt the surrounding fog begin to churn violently, and that powerful oppressive force grew chaotic.
"What's going on?"
"This array... seems to be malfunctioning?"
The voices of Wang Qiang and the others came from the fog, carrying a hint of doubt and suspicion.
Enduring the intense pain, I struggled to raise my head and looked toward the churning fog, a trace of a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. It worked!
Although my attack hadn't completely shattered the array, it had struck its critical node, plunging the entire array into a brief state of chaos. And this was my only chance to escape!
I took a deep breath, gritted my teeth against the searing pain in my body, and stumbled to my feet. My gaze looked with determination deep into the fog; there lay the path of survival, and the beginning of my revenge!
"Wang Qiang, Old Man Zhang, just you wait. I will definitely settle this score with you properly!" I muttered to myself, my tone icy, devoid of the slightest warmth.
Then, without another hesitation, I turned and rushed deep into the fog, my figure quickly vanishing within the mists...
"Not good! The brat is going to run! Quick, chase him!"
Wang Qiang's voice rang out from behind, but the very next instant, his voice cut off abruptly, replaced by a cry of alarm:
"Ah! This..."
The fog roiled ever more violently, like boiling water. Though my ears were filled with the panicked shouts of Wang Qiang and his men, I grew increasingly calm. I knew my chance had arrived.
"Damn it! What did that brat do?!" Wang Qiang's angry roar came from deep within the fog, mingled with the rumbling of the array's out-of-control power, a sound that secretly pleased me.
Enduring the intense pain in my body, I kept my feet moving, running toward that faint glimmer of survival. The surrounding scenery twisted and changed within the fog, but I kept the direction firmly in mind—that was the sole flaw exposed after the array's power fell into chaos.
"Quick! Stop him!" Old Man Zhang's shrill voice sounded like a chicken with its neck choked, bringing a sneering smile to my lips.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
I felt a powerful suction force pulling me, and the next moment, the scene before my eyes suddenly widened. I finally stepped out of that damned fog!
"Cough, cough..." Leaning against a large tree, I greedily breathed in the fresh air, while the intense pain throughout my body swept over me at that moment, forcing a muffled groan from my lips.
Yet I had no time to mind this, because I knew the real battle was only just beginning.
Slowly raising my head, I looked toward the fog. I saw Wang Qiang and his group still struggling inside; the once-calm array now resembled a maddened beast, frantically attacking those trapped within.
Wang Qiang and the others suffered the backlash of the array's power, looking utterly wretched. Their previous arrogance vanished entirely, replaced by terror and fury.
"Lu Chen! You damned bastard! I'm going to kill you!" Wang Qiang's hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, roaring at me like a maddened beast.
I looked at them, a cold smile pulling at the corner of my mouth.
"Want to kill me? Then let's see if you have the ability," I said flatly, my tone calm yet brimming with killing intent.
Slowly, I drew the longsword from my back and pointed it at Wang Qiang and the others. The blade reflected a chilling light under the sunlight, matching my mood at that moment.
"Today, either you die, or I do..." I said softly, my voice not loud, yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.
The next instant, I moved. My figure rushed toward the fog like a ghost, the longsword in my hand turning into a streak of light, heading straight for Wang Qiang's head.
"Ah..." Before Wang Qiang and the others could react, the array's power knocked them flat to the ground. They stared at me in terror, while my sword was already inches away...
"Stop!"