Chapter 005: A Lifeline Between Life and Death
Fearing at such a moment was of no use. Du Fan gritted his teeth fiercely and swung his Phantom Wand repeatedly. Countless wind blades shot out like falling leaves. With his abundant magic power and strong mental strength, the effect of this spell was absolutely astonishing.
If an ordinary person had witnessed this scene, even if not afraid, they would surely be shocked. Unfortunately, these secret guards were inhuman monsters. Seeing Du Fan unleash so many wind blades in one move, they simply lifted their spears casually to deflect those threatening them, ignoring the rest entirely.
With one failed attempt, the distance between the two sides grew even closer. Du Fan bit his lip until it bled, striving to stay calm. The only option at this point was to wait for them to get even closer before using his psychic powers to strike at them. He could only hope his psychic abilities wouldn’t fail at a critical moment—otherwise, his life would be lost here!
As the two were about to collide within each other’s range, Du Fan was ready to use his psychic powers at any moment. But just then, an idea struck him, and he couldn’t help but look back.
A flash of combat energy appeared, and Alva suddenly appeared before them. Covered in blood, his combat energy still burned brightly. Though his sword was now half-length, it continued to emit flashes of combat energy.
He rushed at the secret guards in front of Du Fan and Prince Fischer. With a flash of combat energy, the unprepared guards were cut in two. The remaining guards, realizing Alva’s strength, immediately raised their spears and threw them at him.
With numerous spears charging at him, even Alva couldn’t block them all. He suddenly surged forward, using up almost all his energy. Facing the onslaught, he managed to block a few strikes before almost having no choice but to close his eyes and wait for death. But remembering that Prince Fischer was still behind him, he forced himself to hold on.
On his horse, Du Fan felt fortunate. Thanks to Alva’s intervention, his life was truly saved. He couldn’t care less about anything else now. He casually threw a few magic scrolls in both directions.
This time, Du Fan learned his lesson—he threw only fire-type magic scrolls. Immediately, flames flashed everywhere, and the secret guards on both sides, unable to defend themselves in time, were engulfed in a sea of fire. It was unfortunate for these secret guards. Magic scrolls were not only difficult to create but also treasured by every mage as if they were their life savings. Those with a dozen or so magic scrolls were already considered high-level mages. Yet Du Fan had Chenchen constantly crafting magic scrolls for him, carrying a large number of them at all times. Each time he fought, he could unleash an amount equivalent to what a high-level mage had saved—something no one else could have imagined. After seeing Du Fan throw a few magic scrolls earlier and then stop, the secret guards assumed he had run out of supplies. Who would have thought he would pull such a trick at this moment? As the saying goes, plans can go awry. Though these secret guards were inhuman monsters, they suffered a sudden great loss. Those trapped in the fire seemed doomed. Seeing this, the other secret guards quickly divided up and rushed toward Du Fan. But Du Fan wouldn’t let them succeed. He threw another scroll—this time a high-level “Slowness Spell”! Originally, this spell wasn’t very effective; its only purpose was to slow down the affected area by dozens of times compared to normal, and its effect didn’t last long. Yet at this moment, it was the perfect spell. With this throw, almost all the secret guards around him were affected, their movements slowing down as if they were snails crawling. However, Prince Fischer’s horse, behind Du Fan, wasn’t affected. Seizing the opportunity, Du Fan gave a signal, and the two rushed forward on their horses. With no one blocking them, they quickly broke free from the encirclement. As for Alva, who was in grave danger, even if Du Fan wanted to save him, he was powerless. But after rushing less than fifty meters, the effect of the “Slowness Spell” faded. The remaining seven or eight secret guards ignored the seriously injured Alva and chased after the two on their horses.
Although the warhorses under Du Fan and Prince Fischer were both magnificent, one was dressed in a robe while the other wore noble attire, and since there were no saddles on them, how could they run fast? Though they managed to gain a few dozen meters at first, the secret guards quickly caught up once they recovered. That few dozen meters wasn’t long enough to be considered a significant distance, nor short enough, so the seven or eight secret guards simply followed from afar without rushing to close in.
Du Fan and Prince Fischer’s warhorses were pushing themselves to the limit, but by the end, due to excessive blood loss, their movements had slowed down. Du Fan glanced back and saw the secret guards closing in rapidly. As the distance between them shrank, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—although the royal horses were excellent, they still had their limits!
In truth, these royal horses, though of good breed, were accustomed to a life of luxury and could hardly compare to true warhorses. Moreover, as animals, they were sensitive and could sense the deadly aura behind them. Frightened, they naturally ran slower!
Of course, if a skilled rider were at the helm, these horses could perform at their best. But Du Fan and Prince Fischer—one accustomed to ease and the other just a sixteen-year-old boy—what level of riding skill could they possibly have?
As their pursuers got closer, the two exchanged a look, both wearing bitter smiles. Du Fan casually grabbed his Phantom Wand, recited a series of spells, and fired several spells backward. Though they could hold off the attacks for a while, with their horses slowing down, even the spells weren’t of much use.
Just then, the sound of crossbows suddenly rang out. Du Fan glanced back and was shocked! It turned out that although the secret guards had lost their earlier military crossbows, each still had one mounted on their warhorse. Now, they were raising their crossbows, likely ready to turn Du Fan and Prince Fischer into porcupines in no time!
Du Fan sighed bitterly and couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness, if your court mage doesn’t arrive soon, we’re really doomed!”
Prince Fischer turned to look at his mage. Though his face remained calm, the terror in his eyes was impossible to hide. Seeing this, Du Fan grew puzzled—could it be that Prince Fischer really didn’t know any combat skills? Otherwise, why hadn’t he made a move even once by now?
But with the opponent about to strike, Du Fan didn’t have time to ponder this question.
He gave a gesture to Prince Fischer, then sharply slapped the back of his own horse, immediately rushing toward Prince Fischer. When he reached behind Prince Fischer, Du Fan grabbed his wrist and swung himself onto the horse’s back. Only then did both of them look back simultaneously and saw the horse that Du Fan had killed lying limp on the ground. The secret guards following closely behind, caught off guard, tripped over it, causing them and their horses to fall, making it impossible for them to catch up! Being cautious, Du Fan took out several magic scrolls and held them in his palm, ready to deliver a devastating blow if they tried to pursue again. But after waiting for a while, no one came after them. Du Fan and Prince Fischer exchanged a glance and breathed a sigh of relief. Du Fan kept watching behind them and asked urgently, “What do we do next?” Prince Fischer snorted and said, “At the end of this road is a manor with strict guards. Once we get there, even if my elder brother comes in person, he can’t do anything to me. And once my men arrive, we can go wherever we want!” Du Fan smiled bitterly and said, “Your Highness, you keep saying what you’ll do once your men arrive, but it seems a long time has passed already. Why haven’t your court magicians shown up yet?” Prince Fischer’s expression changed, and he was about to turn back. But just then, a shrill laugh suddenly rang out: “Dear Prince Fischer, this question is easy to answer. I already knew that the magic array on your carriage had a communication function. So when I took action, I set up a blocking magic array in the vicinity. This array isn’t very powerful, but it can easily delay your communication magic by half an hour! So, my dear Prince Fischer, tell me, how many times can I kill you in those half an hour? Perhaps… by the time your men arrive in half an hour, they might even help you collect your body…” The voice seemed to come from all directions at once, almost as if it had penetrated their minds. Even Du Fan, with his strong mental strength, nearly fainted upon hearing it. Prince Fischer, sitting in front, also turned pale. If not for Du Fan holding him tightly, he might have fallen off the horse!
Prince Fischer managed to steady himself and was about to say thank you, but at that moment, Du Fan’s expression suddenly changed, and he said, “Be careful! They’re here again!”