Chapter 43

Zhou Linglu's frustration had reached its peak. After two months of continuous tracking, not even a single person had been found. The four targets seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Even the repeated use of the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower technique had proven largely ineffective.

The search had continued to this point, but there was really no need to persist. The four of them were likely devoured by demonic beasts. However, considering Tang Yan's cunning and resilience, no one dared to draw a conclusion without seeing their bodies. Besides, her father's words echoed in her ears—alive or dead, she must see them!

A female guard picked some wild fruits and handed them to Zhou Linglu: "Princess, do we really need to continue? We've been searching for two months without any trace, and there's been no news from Juxiang City. They were probably eaten by demonic beasts a long time ago.

Recently, we've deliberately spread our team very thin, with only two or three people working together, and some acting alone. If Tang Yan and the others were nearby, they would have attacked us by now, but we've received no reports of any attacks. This suggests they might have been dead for a long time.

Personally, I think you're overestimating them. Even if they managed to survive for a while with some tricks, this is the dangerous Illusion Forest, where demonic beasts are numerous. Any unexpected event could have led to their deaths."

"I know continuing the search is pointless. Two months without any news, they either got eaten by demonic beasts or have some special way to avoid being tracked. The former is fine, but if it's the latter, they could continue hiding for another two months. This aimless search is unlikely to yield any results." Zhou Linglu had never felt so defeated. The Illusion Forest was vast and chaotic, and even many of the royal guards had lost their way. Tracking a few young kids was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, Tang Yan could now recognize the 'Water Curtain Heavenly Flower.' He would run at the sight of the mist, making it even harder to track him.

"Should I issue a command to regroup and return to the royal residence?"

"Return? How can we return? What will I tell my father? This is my first mission for the royal residence, and it has turned into such a mess. I feel ashamed." Zhou Linglu took a bite of the wild fruit, the sour juice stimulating her taste buds, and her expression turned bitter.

"We can try to intercept them between the Illusion Forest and Juxiang City. If Tang Yan and the others are still alive, they will eventually return to Juxiang City. As soon as they appear, we can capture or eliminate them."

Zhou Linglu's eyes lit up: "Just like Uncle Hua's plan?"

"This is the best approach, better than this aimless search. Of course, the premise is that Tang Yan and the others are still alive!"

"Alright, let's do it. Send the signal immediately..."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

A crisp clapping sound came from the darkness of the forest, followed by a mocking voice: "Good, really good! You've been busy for two months, and finally, you've come to your senses."

"Who's there! Come out!" Zhou Linglu and the female guard were immediately on alert.

"Of course, it's the person you're desperately trying to find, my dear princess. Seeing me... are you happy?" Tang Yan walked out with a smile, winking provocatively.

"Tang Yan!!" Zhou Linglu was first stunned, then her spirits soared. "I've been looking for you for two months, and you actually come to me. I'm very, very happy!"

"Princess, be careful. Watch out for Tang Yan's tricks!" The female guard eyed Tang Yan warily. This guy was too cunning to appear without a reason.

"As long as he's out, he won't escape. Even if he has a plan, what can he do against our overwhelming strength? He's only a Spirit Warrior, and so are Tang Ying and Du Yang. Even if Ailinda were here, she's just a newly promoted First Rank Martial Ancestor." Zhou Linglu was already a Second Rank Martial Ancestor, and while the female guard was only a First Rank, her skills as a royal guard were enough to suppress Ailinda.

"Princess, be cautious. I'll disable him first!" The female guard's face turned cold, and she drew her sword, ready to attack.

"Wait!! No need to be nervous. I didn't come here today to run away. I want to make a deal with you, Princess." Tang Yan continued walking forward, slowly gathering spiritual energy in his right hand, which began to glow with golden patterns.

"Ailinda should be nearby, right? Let her come out. Hiding isn't like the 'Ice Lotus' of Juxiang Academy!" Zhou Linglu sensed a subtle presence.

Branches rustled, and Ailinda leaped down, but she didn't attack, just looking at them coldly.

"Princess, let's not rush to fight. I want to have a calm discussion about this kidnapping incident. We can guarantee to remain silent, as if nothing happened, and even help spread false information. Our only request is to spare our lives. This is the best outcome for both sides, don't you think?"

"Hmm? Suddenly you see the light?" Zhou Linglu looked at Tang Yan suspiciously. This guy was too cunning to be trusted. However, considering Ailinda's strength and Tang Yan's agility, she decided not to act rashly, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"We're tired of this life of hiding. No matter how strong I am, I can't stand up to the royal residence. Unless I never return to Juxiang City, I will eventually be killed by you. It's better to settle this now." Tang Yan spoke sincerely.

"Alright, we can have a calm discussion. Come, let's sit down and talk."

"Fine, but let's be clear, we're here with sincerity."

"Of course."

"Wait! What's in your hand?" The female guard suddenly shouted.

"What do you mean, what's in my hand?" Tang Yan raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I said, raise your hands!" The female guard had finally noticed the problem. Tang Yan had kept his hands behind his back since he appeared.

"Uh... you suspect me? Alright, to show sincerity..." Tang Yan shrugged casually, first extending his right hand to show it was empty, then his left. But in that split second, his eyes flashed with a sharp light, and his left arm vibrated: "Golden Butterfly! Soul-Binding Seal!!"

Instantly, a golden light shot out like a bolt of lightning, bursting into a brilliant golden glow, resembling a giant golden butterfly with shimmering golden specks. It surged toward Zhou Linglu and the female guard.

"Move!!" Both were prepared, and though surprised, they quickly retreated.

However, the Soul-Binding Seal's power was in its explosive and mind-altering effects. It instantly enveloped both, especially the female guard! The shimmering specks of light, like the wings of a butterfly, brought a strong mental influence, causing their consciousness to become hazy. This brief moment of confusion allowed Tang Yan to sprint forward, his凝聚的寂灭之眼猛然爆发，凝聚了近八十道怨恶之念的寂灭眼有着堪比武灵巅峰暴力一击的威势，乃是唐焱此刻最强的偷袭武器。

由于意识的混乱，女护卫的防护降到了极致，噗嗤，寂灭之光粉碎了护体灵力，洞穿了肩膀，剧烈的疼痛让她瞬间惊醒，不过……

“猛虎印！！”唐焱跨步奔窜，右手猛的震动，虚空狠狠轰击，霎时间，虎啸震山，金芒爆闪，一道恶狼般大小的金色猛虎嘶吼着轰向了女护卫。

咔嚓！！啊！！女护卫骨骼碎裂，失声惨叫，被狠狠的轰飞出去，半空中喷出猩红的血线。

整个过程只在眨眼之间，唐焱两个月生死杀戮锻造出来的战斗经验在此刻得到完美的展现，用实际行动表明——实力等级并非绝对胜负关键！

“小兔崽子，你把老娘激怒了！！”女护卫终于稳住心神，一声娇叱，周身灵力迅疾涌动，一股璀璨的光华眼看就要爆发。

“深蓝之碟，爆！”艾琳达突然闪身而至，配合得极为默契。密集的蓝色冰蝶暴雨般冲向了女护卫，眨眼之间，一系列爆炸密密麻麻的爆发，叠加出强劲的毁灭威力。

武宗并非武灵可以比拟，任何一阶都是巨大的差距，艾琳达全力以赴的施展，爆发出了可怕的摧毁力，本身就被打的措手不及的女护卫瞬间被爆炸淹没。

“先抓周玲璐，抓活的！！”唐焱猛的折转方向，蓄势待发的寂灭之眼朝着目瞪口呆的周玲璐爆射而出，与此同时，迷影武技接连爆发，晃出层层残影，抽出后背钢刀，两秒钟，两击劈斩，青色火焰瞬间叠加两倍冲击力：“烈焰……两重击！”

艾琳达在两个月间同样历练出了极强的战斗经验，凌空疾速翻腾，转眼飚射而至，剑芒肆虐，绚烂的蓝色冰晶当空笼罩。

周玲璐险之又险的避开了唐焱的两次强袭，却被艾琳达的攻势所镇住：“二阶武宗？”

“眼光还算不错！”艾琳达全力进攻，不再有过多花俏的招式，不再有任何杂乱的动作，干净利落，全是杀招，转眼就缠住了周玲璐。

唐焱没有继续强攻，而是再次变幻方位，冲向了还没有完全消散的爆炸区域。在那里，女护卫伤痕累累，又浑身覆盖着冰霜，还没有完全回过神来。

“迷影！！烈焰两重击！”唐焱瞬间荡出三道残影，涌动着幽灵青炎的钢刀直取女护卫！

女护卫感到了威胁，但伤痕累累的身体无法做出反应，结果……噗嗤……钢刀狠狠劈在了她的胸腔，在唐焱的控制下，幽灵青火顺着伤痕迅速窜进了她的身体。

“啊！！”女护卫脸色剧变，发出凄厉的惨叫。唐焱却根本不给她反击的机会，竭尽全力的施展烈焰两重击，粉碎着她的护体灵力，劈砍着她的身体，短短片刻，幽灵青火覆盖了她的全身，并顺着伤口扩散到了内脏，无情的焚烧着她的身体。

惨叫声在林间久久回荡，凄厉、哀嚎，最后戛然而止，在幽灵青火的炼化中化作一滴灵力浓郁的灵源液！

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**Translation:**

Zhou Linglu's frustration had reached its peak. After two months of continuous tracking, not even a single person had been found. The four targets seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace. Even the repeated use of the Water Curtain Heavenly Flower technique had proven largely ineffective.

The search had continued to this point, but there was really no need to persist. The four of them were likely devoured by demonic beasts. However, considering Tang Yan's cunning and resilience, no one dared to draw a conclusion without seeing their bodies. Besides, her father's words echoed in her ears—alive or dead, she must see them!

A female guard picked some wild fruits and handed them to Zhou Linglu: "Princess, do we really need to continue? We've been searching for two months without any trace, and there's been no news from Juxiang City. They were probably eaten by demonic beasts a long time ago.

Recently, we've deliberately spread our team very thin, with only two or three people working together, and some acting alone. If Tang Yan and the others were nearby, they would have attacked us by now, but we've received no reports of any attacks. This suggests they might have been dead for a long time.

Personally, I think you're overestimating them. Even if they managed to survive for a while with some tricks, this is the dangerous Illusion Forest, where demonic beasts are numerous. Any unexpected event could have led to their deaths."

"I know continuing the search is pointless. Two months without any news, they either got eaten by demonic beasts or have some special way to avoid being tracked. The former is fine, but if it's the latter, they could continue hiding for another two months. This aimless search is unlikely to yield any results." Zhou Linglu had never felt so defeated. The Illusion Forest was vast and chaotic, and even many of the royal guards had lost their way. Tracking a few young kids was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, Tang Yan could now recognize the 'Water Curtain Heavenly Flower.' He would run at the sight of the mist, making it even harder to track him.

"Should I issue a command to regroup and return to the royal residence?"

"Return? How can we return? What will I tell my father? This is my first mission for the royal residence, and it has turned into such a mess. I feel ashamed." Zhou Linglu took a bite of the wild fruit, the sour juice stimulating her taste buds, and her expression turned bitter.

"We can try to intercept them between the Illusion Forest and Juxiang City. If Tang Yan and the others are still alive, they will eventually return to Juxiang City. As soon as they appear, we can capture or eliminate them."

Zhou Linglu's eyes lit up: "Just like Uncle Hua's plan?"

"This is the best approach, better than this aimless search. Of course, the premise is that Tang Yan and the others are still alive!"

"Alright, let's do it. Send the signal immediately..."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

A crisp clapping sound came from the darkness of the forest, followed by a mocking voice: "Good, really good! You've been busy for two months, and finally, you've come to your senses."

"Who's there! Come out!" Zhou Linglu and the female guard were immediately on alert.

"Of course, it's the person you're desperately trying to find, my dear princess. Seeing me... are you happy?" Tang Yan walked out with a smile, winking provocatively.

"Tang Yan!!" Zhou Linglu was first stunned, then her spirits soared. "I've been looking for you for two months, and you actually come to me. I'm very, very happy!"

"Princess, be careful. Watch out for Tang Yan's tricks!" The female guard eyed Tang Yan warily. This guy was too cunning to appear without a reason.

"As long as he's out, he won't escape. Even if he has a plan, what can he do against our overwhelming strength? He's only a Spirit Warrior, and so are Tang Ying and Du Yang. Even if Ailinda were here, she's just a newly promoted First Rank Martial Ancestor." Zhou Linglu was already a Second Rank Martial Ancestor, and while the female guard was only a First Rank, her skills as a royal guard were enough to suppress Ailinda.

"Princess, be cautious. I'll disable him first!" The female guard's face turned cold, and she drew her sword, ready to attack.

"Wait!! No need to be nervous. I didn't come here today to run away. I want to make a deal with you, Princess." Tang Yan continued walking forward, slowly gathering spiritual energy in his right hand, which began to glow with golden patterns.

"Ailinda should be nearby, right? Let her come out. Hiding isn't like the 'Ice Lotus' of Juxiang Academy!" Zhou Linglu sensed a subtle presence.

Branches rustled, and Ailinda leaped down, but she didn't attack, just looking at them coldly.

"Princess, let's not rush to fight. I want to have a calm discussion about this kidnapping incident. We can guarantee to remain silent, as if nothing happened, and even help spread false information. Our only request is to spare our lives. This is the best outcome for both sides, don't you think?"

"Hmm? Suddenly you see the light?" Zhou Linglu looked at Tang Yan suspiciously. This guy was too cunning to be trusted. However, considering Ailinda's strength and Tang Yan's agility, she decided not to act rashly, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"We're tired of this life of hiding. No matter