CHAPTER 832: CHAPTER 504: CAPTURE ALIVE (HAPPY NEW YEAR)

Threads of flame, as if alive, quickly burrowed into the Crimson Flame Armor.

And without the support of the Mystic Turtle Seal, the water on the ground quickly seeped into the soil, leaving only large patches of white steam that enveloped the entire area, obstructing the view.

"This thing can’t block the Town Blade?" Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, looking surprised, cautiously drawing the Town Blade. The punctured hole in the Crimson Flame Armor slowly healed.

Ah, so the ability of this red armor isn’t in its defense but in the use of the Fire God’s spells? That’s right, if the defense were strong, there wouldn’t be a need to use Fire Escape for concealment, and it wouldn’t have failed to block my strike...

Understanding flashed in Zhao Duan’s eyes, as he numbly took the Crimson Flame Armor off the unconscious Prince Heng.

In his hands, the armor felt unbelievably light, like a feather, smooth to the touch. The dark red armor was covered in intricate lines, and a black human face imprint was drawn like dark ink, exuding a mystical yet sacred aura.

"Senior Pei, do you recognize this item?" Zhao Duan asked inwardly to the old man, no, the old lady in the ring.

Pei Niannu’s voice echoed: "Zoroastrianism, Holy Relic, Crimson Flame Armor."

Dropping these words, Zhao Duan’s silver eyes returned to normal, and his scarlet clothes also resumed their original appearance. The old lady had quite a grudge against him and left immediately, not wanting to stay a second longer.

Women, your name is heartless...

Crimson Flame Armor? It sounds familiar, seems like I saw it in some files at the government office before, but can’t recall clearly. I should go back and research it carefully...

Zhao Duan pondered, his gaze burning:

Clearly, this armor is no less potent than the Mystic Turtle Seal, perhaps even stronger in combat. Once activated, it can expand the field of flame, hide the real body, and burn the enemy... If not for the ’Water God’ Suppressing Object I happened to possess, I could at most have escaped. Capturing Prince Heng alive would be impossible, and I might have even narrowly escaped defeat at the hands of this Xu Heng... Li Yanfu, Prince Heng, and these other old powerhouses are indeed not to be underestimated...

Zhao Duan stored the Crimson Flame Armor in the Void Illusion Scroll, suddenly his ears twitched, and he looked up through the surrounding veil of white "fog" towards the distance.

...

...

The Iron Cavalry roared down the official road.

The Five Army Camp Commander Yuan Feng dismounted, holding a sword in one hand and the scabbard in the other, striding to the front of the white mist covering the entire road. His sharp gaze was fixed on the corner of the carriage revealed within the fog.

Without hesitation, Yuan Feng strode forward and used his sword to lift the curtain of the carriage, only to find the interior empty.

On the ground, the harnessed horse was lying on its side, its fur bearing scorch marks, its nose bleeding, breathless, already dead.

Behind him, the Young Master Tang Ping and other military officers grimly scanned the gradually dispersing mist, looking at the charred patch of land.

Suddenly, they noticed a human-shaped shadow slowly emerging from the mist.

Instantly, everyone took up battle stances.

"It’s me."

A somewhat tired voice came, Zhao Duan pinched his brow, easing the fatigue and pain brought by excessive Qi mechanism depletion.

Every time I go all out in a fight, afterward, it feels like my kidneys have been drained... Utterly terrible...

"Mr. Zhao?"

"Junior Guardian Zhao? As long as you’re fine!"

Yuan Feng and Tang Ping were initially startled, but upon confirming that Zhao Duan was unharmed, they sighed in relief.

Especially the former, Yuan Feng, upon learning from Xu Zudi’s confession that Prince Heng had a trump card to counter the Worldly Realm, worriedly pursued him here.

Tang Ping, seeing the situation, also stopped fighting and brought a team along.

Having tracked the traces all the way, now confirming the Imperial Consort’s safety, they all breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Did the General chase Prince Heng here? Did you already engage in combat?" The Young Master in silver helmet and armor asked anxiously.

"Yes, we had a fight." Zhao Duan nodded: "Xu Heng is much more cunning than the rumors say. His escape this time was likely a deliberate lure to catch me."

What? The crowd was shocked, Yuan Feng knitted his brows: "Did he escape?"

Zhao Duan shook his head and pointed to the mist behind him: "Right over there."

Seeing the crowd instinctively holding their breath, tense and on guard, Zhao Duan found it a bit amusing and said in a relaxed tone: "Relax a bit, the rebel Prince Heng has been captured alive by me and is about to be taken back to camp."

Captured... alive? Yuan Feng found it hard to maintain his on-guard stance, looking in disbelief at Zhao Duan.

The Young Master was also momentarily stunned, his young and handsome face showing a trace of disbelief.

"Da-da-da..."

At this point, the fog of condensed steam quickly dissipated, and more people emerged from the mist. Zhao Duan’s squad of firearms cavalry walked out, their clothing intact, showing no signs of battle.

The first two warhorses were left riderless, their reins held by marching soldiers.

On one warhorse lay King Xu Heng of Qingzhou, bound with leather cords and disguised, unconscious.

On another horse lay a woman exuding a mature elegance, equally unconscious, who was Xiao Donger. The ropes on her had been cut, but for stability, another rope was tied around her waist, securing her to the saddle.

Before the battle began, Prince Heng left the carriage with Xiao Donger outside the sea of fire. Even if later affected by the spreading flames, Xiao Donger in the carriage wasn’t burned, just knocked unconscious by the heat wave under Xu Heng’s deliberate control.