Chapter 298 Pursuit_1
The sudden news was extremely important for everyone present.
It was something they had long hoped for.
After all, the war had been going on for over a year, and the cultivator army had also suffered significant losses, with at least thousands of cultivators falling in battle, including many Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
Among them was Sun Dingfeng from the Luoyun Mountain Range, who had also fallen on this battlefield.
Upon hearing this, Lin Tianming couldn't help feeling a rush of emotions.
Initially, Lin Tianming had first gone to Qianchuan Market to gather before finally arriving at Yuyao City to join the great battle.
In that period, he had occasionally run into Sun Dingfeng a few times, and since they both hailed from the Luoyun Mountain Range, there was no deep-seated enmity between the Lin Family and the Sun Family—on the contrary, they had even allied during the previous great clan battle at Luoyun Mountain.
In the midst of this perilous battlefield, knowing each other's background, the two exchanged some information.
Unexpectedly, during the third round of the great battle, Sun Dingfeng had fallen, catching him by surprise.
However, from the family's perspective, this wasn't exactly bad news for the Lin Family.
Although the Lin Family had previously formed an alliance with the Sun Family, as the Jin Family perished and the Lin Family suddenly rose to power, the Sun and Luo Families began to distance themselves and regarded the Lin Family as a thorn in their side.
It was only because they feared the Lin Family's formidable strength that they dared not take any action, to avoid being targeted for revenge.
Now with the fall of Sun Dingfeng, the once powerful Sun Family had only the aging Sun Dingxian and the young Sun Ruiyang left among its Foundation Establishment Clan Members, a truly awkward situation of lacking a suitable successor.
Moreover, during the battle, many of the Sun Family's Qi Refining Clanspeople were either killed or injured. They hardly had any talented descendants left, and in terms of numbers, they were even fewer than some Qi Refining Families.
If this continued, the Sun Family would only grow weaker.
Eventually, without the Lin Family having to resort to force, they would degrade into an ordinary family and then vanish from the Cultivation World.
...
On the city walls.
Upon hearing the news of the demon beasts' retreat, Lin Tianming's face brightened slightly, his heart filling with excitement.
And it wasn't just him—most of the people were overjoyed, sharing their happiness with each other.
At that moment, the sonorous voice of Chen Jingtian once again echoed from the tower, cutting through the commotion of the cultivators.
"Fellow cultivators, although the Demon Beast Army has retreated, the crisis has not been completely resolved. There's a strong possibility they may return."
"Therefore, for the stability of the Cultivation World, I have decided to lead you out of Yuyao City to pursue them and take their lives, if possible."
Upon hearing this, the crowd buzzed with renewed fervor as many privately exchanged their opinions through voice transmission.
Seeing this, Chen Jingtian remained calm, betraying no sign of his thoughts.
Soon enough, a cultivator raised a question, asking whether participation was mandatory or voluntary.
Clearly, Chen Jingtian seemed to have anticipated the cultivators' queries.
He swept his piercing gaze across all the cultivators and then explained.
"Qi Refining Cultivators may participate voluntarily, but Foundation Establishment Cultivators and disciples of my sect must join unless there are special circumstances!"
Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining Cultivators immediately erupted in an uproar of cheers.
As for the Foundation Establishment Cultivators present, each wore a hesitant expression, their feelings extremely complex.
Lin Tianming felt the same, his emotions particularly conflicted.
The reason for this was easy to understand. After all, the war had dragged on for so long, and many were weary of it.
Moreover, the horrific nature of the war was evident to all, with the majority having witnessed comrades and teammates perish by their side.
Just when the demon beasts had voluntarily withdrawn and everyone could finally cultivate in peace, here they were, tasked with pursuing the beasts.
If the demon beasts were driven into a corner, they would not submit to slaughter and would undoubtedly fight desperately.
To perish in the pursuit of these beasts would be a major loss indeed.
At that moment, Chen Jingtian, seeing the Foundation Establishment Cultivators' expressions, appeared to understand their reluctance all too well.
He chuckled and said, "The Qi Refining juniors are too weak, and the pursuit of the demon beasts needs to be swift—they would struggle to keep up."
"Even if they did keep up, it would only lead to unnecessary casualties. Hence, there's no need to enlist their service."
Having said that, Chen Jingtian's demeanor suddenly turned stern, his tone brooking no argument.
"As for the Foundation Establishment Cultivators, you are the mainstay of our Demon-Hunting Army and absolutely crucial. For the safety of the Cultivation World, you must contribute your strength."
"During this pursuit, the squads composed of my disciples will serve as the foundation. All achievements will be calculated as points, contributing to eligibility for the Tianfeng Wind Secret Realm."
After these words, many Foundation Establishment Cultivators looked helpless but dared not show it, lest they incur Chen Jingtian's displeasure.
The difference in power was clear—after all, a Golden Core Cultivator is a Golden Core Cultivator; if they wanted to reason with you, fine, but if not, there's nothing you could do.
Lacking the strength, you don't even have the right to refuse.
At that point, Lin Tianming no longer dwelled on the situation. Although he longed to return to his family immediately, it seemed he would have to delay for some time and involve himself in the great battle against the demon beasts.
Aside from him, there were also cultivators who didn't mind undertaking this mission.
After all, many Loose Cultivators had chosen to come to Yuyao City with their own goals in mind.
If the war ended abruptly, those with the ability to vie for a spot in the Tianfeng Wind Secret Realm would lose their chance.
Now this pursuit was their last opportunity to strive for a spot in the realm.
Besides, there were also many who loved adventure and rarely found an opportunity for training against such a multitude of demonic beasts.
Moreover, with the Demon Beast Army at a distinct disadvantage, hunting them down would likely result in greater rewards.