Not until reaching max level (Fifth Grade) in Absolute Heaven and Earth would he consider running away.
Once he reached Fifth Grade, he wouldn't be afraid anymore.
If he reached Fifth Grade, he would have many more ways to fight. Unbeknownst to him, even at Fifth Grade, Liu Tianning was already considered invincible at the sa level, challenging higher levels as easily as eating and drinking.
Upon reaching Fifth Grade, Mr. Zhao would be able to summon powerful grassman avatars, of course, the premise is to survive this intense purge.
Now that Tianshui City had fallen, he must not let these 'leveling experience' escape. It wouldn't be helpful just killing ordinary barbarian soldiers.
"Yes!" Zhao Chuanzong gritted his teeth, "The General ordered to move the God-breaking Crossbows onto the Flying Boats, including the Sky-breaking Flying Boats!"
"Kill!"
"Charge!"
...
An hour after the battle began, the east side of Tianshui City fell.
The west and south sides also saw their walls fall two hours after.
After Zhao Xing, Xia Jing, Long Xiao, and other experts ascended the city wall, they quickly gained the upper hand, secured their position at the ramparts, and imdiately blasted open the city gates after regaining their strength.
After the wall fell, it was street fighting; upon entering the city, the battle turned entirely into a low-level cultivators' war. Tianshui City was a Seventh Grade Witch City; as long as they got inside, mbers of the Ten Suns Army would recover their realms, at most up to Seventh Grade.
The hardest part was breaking the walls, and during this process, many people had to die.
On the night of January 28th, Tianshui City completely fell.
"How many people have regained their strength?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Originally, there were three hundred and fifty people; after taking Tianshui City, it reached eight hundred and eighty," Xia Jing replied.
"The number of cultivators in Tianshui City was a bit more than ours, but luckily, they're not really experts. They're much inferior compared to Wind Witch City, and weaker than the pursuers behind us now," Chen Shijie said.
"What about casualties?"
"Over a thousand died," Xia Jing said. "It's fortunate we took the city; otherwise, this number could have tripled."
The Witch City was crucial because as long as the soldiers didn't die imdiately, and as soon as the city fell, getting inside would offer the greatest recuperation. Their resilience would also follow with realm recovery, transforming serious wounds into minor injuries, and minor injuries into trivial ones.
"Quickly reorganize, heal the wounded, and prepare boats to cross the river; we can only stay here for two days at most," Zhao Xing said.
It took roughly three days for them to rush from Wind Witch City to West Field City, moving an army of tens of thousands is relatively slow, but this was considered fast.
Now, there are tens of thousands of pursuers behind them, and the ti for recuperation before crossing the Tianshui River is limited.
On February 1st, the army gradually crossed the swift Tianshui River.
On the night of February 2nd, Zhao Xing divided the Ten Suns Army again, not into three routes this ti, but into six routes. Xia Jing, Liao Rulong, Zhao Zheng, Long Xiao, Chen Shijie each leading one route, and simultaneously hiding the crossing boats in Three Tree Bay.
In response, Xia Jing and others were puzzled: "These boats won't be needed when we head north to cross the Canglan River later, why not destroy them?"
Zhao Xing, watching the soldiers hiding the boats, pondered, "Let's keep them, just in case."
...
On February 5th, Youyun Commander of the Nine Nether Army led a force of ten thousand, joining with the twenty thousand troops of Zang He and Hou Sen to reach Tianshui City.
"Great Commander, Heroic King Xia Jing and his n have crossed the river," Zang He said, "They're moving fast, as if they know we're hunting them down."
"So what if they know?" Hou Sen said coldly, "Having crossed the river heading south, whichever direction, there's ambush troops everywhere. How long can they sustain this light ard rush?"
"As the siege circle shrinks, our reinforcent speed will be increasingly swift. Slow this ti, next ti when they need to besiege for supplies, it'll be difficult," Hou Sen added.
"Hou Sen is right." Youyun Commander examined the map, "As long as we keep chasing them, we'll eventually corner them into a dead end, where they cannot escape."
In the wild, cultivators cannot replenish supplies; the higher the restored realm, the more food is required. Once the army is wiped out, individuals will find it very difficult to get into the city.
Searching repeatedly, they either get caught and killed or starve to death in the wilderness. Flying through the sky? That makes them easier to catch.
"Report to the Great Commander! There's a major discovery!" Suddenly, a trusted aide excitedly rushed in.
"Speak." Youyun's face was half-covered with purple patterns, appearing sowhat enchanting.
"We just received news that among the Great Zhou troops crossing the river, not only is Heroic King Xia Jing present, but also the long-missing Minister of Agriculture Zhao Xing!"
"What?" Youyun Commander instantly stood up with a swish, staring intently at the trusted aide: "Are you sure the information is accurate?"
"It's absolutely true. Our people absorbed a wandering soul from Great Zhou and personally saw Zhao Xing and Xia Jing enter West Field City, and also saw him in Tianhe City."
"Hahahaha!" Youyun Commander imdiately burst into laughter, "I didn't expect such a great rit to fall into my lap."
Regarding Zhao Xing, Ji Che offered a condition to his subordinates: anyone with precise information would be promoted two ranks and bestowed the title of Marquis. Those who bring back the Minister of Agriculture would be promoted five ranks and given the title of Duke!
The Southern Barbarians also place equal importance; Youyun Commander can elevate his cultivation as long as he provides precise information, and capturing or killing Zhao Xing offers a chance to be personally taught by the Wu Yue God!
"I want to kill Zhao Xing!" This was Youyun Commander's first reaction. But he quickly abandoned the idea.
For although he had recovered to sixth rank, Zhao Xing had likely reached seventh rank; in the vast wilderness, how could he find him alone?
There's even a risk of failure, considering Zhao Xing's renowned past record of challenging higher ranks.
Even the fifth-ranked Jiuyou God wouldn't find him acting alone, so it still requires relying on the army's actions.
"Imdiately report to Jiuyou God! Just these thirty thousand people aren't enough; to create a large encirclent, the more people the better."
Youyun quickly realized he couldn't swallow the victory alone and decided to seize the visible benefits first.
....
anwhile, through layers of ssage transmission, the news of Zhao Xing's survival secretly returned to the Royal City.
"Your Majesty, we've received news about the Minister of Agriculture!" Ji Si reported.
"Confird?" Sitting on the throne, Ji Che asked with excitent. "Don't let it be another impersonation, making happy for nothing."
"This ti, it's absolutely true; it's written by the Minister of Agriculture and matches the military realm's secret ssage." Ji Si said. "However, the frontline also brought bad news: Jiuyou God concentrated over four hundred thousand troops and is conducting sweeping operations in the central region of the Southern Barbarians, naly in Cangyue Prefecture and Lanhe Prefecture."
"The Minister of Agriculture is in the northeast of Lanhe Prefecture, within Jiuyou God's encirclent."
Ji Che fell silent; this news was too dreadful, having just received news from his big brother only to discover him in danger.
"Imdiately send orders to Luo Hou King, directing him to do whatever it takes to bring Zhao Xing back; I emphasize, at any cost! Even if the battle is delayed for decades, even if the top ten Forbidden Armies are entirely sacrificed, it doesn't matter!"
"Yes." Ji Si nodded.
Ji Che looked towards the distant sky, murmuring to himself: "Big brother, you have to hold on."
...
On February 7th, three days after leaving south of Tianshui River, Zhao Xing's Ten Suns Army began attacking Min City, Heshui City, and Yu You City in Lanhe Prefecture as planned.
Once these three cities are breached, passing through two more defense lines could lead to a rendezvous with Dong Ze's Divine Residence Army.
Two of these defense lines are relatively sparse, as Jiuyou God mobilized so many troops that manpower in nurous locations beca insufficient.
But after three days of fighting, none of the cities Min City, Heshui City, or Yu You City were seized; instead, enemy reinforcents were on their way.
"Mr. Zhao, the situation doesn't look good; if we can't capture a city in three days, we'll be surrounded." Xia Jing said worriedly.
They now had a thousand cultivators, including about ten people at the seventh rank, but this level of power wouldn't last long in the overwhelming enemy's encirclent.
As the encirclent tightened, their window of opportunity to capture a city would beco increasingly brief.
"Abort the attack." Zhao Xing looked at the map for a mont and shook his head, "Continuing this assault leads to a dead end; instruct Old Chen and Lao Liao's armies to begin retreating."
"Retreat to where?" Xia Jing asked.
"Cross Tianshui River again, return to Wind Witch City." Zhao Xing replied.
"What?" Xia Jing was a bit confused: "How do we go back, when enemies are surrounding us on all sides, and we're going back to the north of Lanhe Prefecture?"
"The most dangerous place is the safest place; we just crossed the river, the enemy won't expect us to break out of one encirclent and dive back in." Zhao Xing said, "Therefore, we must exploit the enemy's unford encirclent, strike their weak river defense points, and quickly return to the north of Lanhe Prefecture."
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