Feng Qi had been planning for the Silvermoon Clan's evacuation tonight for a long time.
Having Lin Ran infiltrate Yin Ling's side wasn't just about earning her trust—it served a greater purpose. He wanted Lin Ran to gather intelligence on the Silvermoon members hidden within various energy institutions.
This evacuation meant the entire Silvermoon Clan was leaving together.
While this list of members wouldn't be particularly useful on this timeline, it was critical for the real-world timeline.
With that list, he wouldn't need to waste time setting up infiltration plans in the future—he could exterminate them all directly.
Once Lin Ran discovered a way to contact the Silvermoon Clan within the Domain World, those embedded within energy institutions would lose their value.
At that point, he would eliminate them without hesitation.
Beyond that, there was one major issue Feng Qi had to consider—how to ensure Star City's energy institutions continued to function properly after the Silvermoon Clan's departure.
The Silvermoon Clan had spent decades embedding themselves into these institutions.
If they all vanished overnight, it would seriously affect operations across all energy research facilities.
A major disruption to Star City's energy supply would lead to countless issues, potentially crippling the city's daily functions.
To prevent this, Feng Qi had communicated with the current head of Tiger Soul Research Institute ahead of time.
Using Tiger Soul's authority, they had borrowed a group of interns from Old Day Academy to fill the vacancies.
While these new recruits might not be able to fully replace the departing Silvermoon members immediately, they could at least ensure the city's power grid didn't collapse.
There were many other factors to consider following the Silvermoon evacuation.
He had accounted for every possible outcome, ensuring the damage would be minimal.
At that moment, live footage from the drones showed that the evacuation team was nearing Star City's western gate.
At the same time, the pursuit squads had also begun moving—closing the distance to Yin Ling's group.
Reaching into his backpack, Feng Qi pulled out a pair of black sunglasses, slipping them on before stepping out of the command vehicle.
This time, he had decided to personally participate in the hunt.
Initially, he had considered letting Lü Yue lead the team to ambush the Silvermoon Clan outside the city.
But there was one problem— Lü Yue might not be strong enough to take on Yin Ling.
There was even a possibility he could be killed instead.
As for Mu Qing, it was completely unnecessary to send her.
Her raw strength was far too overwhelming—one casual punch from her could instantly kill Yin Ling.
Instead, he preferred having Gu Ke lead the post-evacuation pursuit beyond the city walls.
Gu Ke, after undergoing rune modifications, was far more formidable than Lü Yue.
In other timelines, Gu Ke had even fought Lü Yue and won.
But despite this, Feng Qi still wasn't fully confident.
After all, there was no clear intelligence on Yin Ling's exact strength.
Gu Ke might not be able to defeat her either.
After careful consideration, he decided to let Gu Ke handle logistics and the battlefield coordination.
He would personally handle the pursuit.
With that decision made, Feng Qi moved.
The moment his feet hit the ground, he accelerated forward.
His speed increased rapidly, putting distance between himself and the command vehicle.
Reaching up, he pressed the right side of his sunglasses.
A semi-transparent map immediately appeared in the lens.
On it, two markers were visible—a white dot and a red dot.
The white dot represented his current location.
The red dot was the signal from the tracking chip embedded in Lin Ran's neck.
After confirming the target's position, he suddenly accelerated.
Leaping forward, his body soared into the air—covering more than twenty meters in a single bound.
Only three kilometers remained until the city gate.
Yin Ling and the rest of the Silvermoon Clan felt increasingly tense.
If everything went smoothly, they could pass through security, using their Energy Research Institute credentials as a cover for an "external assignment."
Even if the gate guards were suspicious, they wouldn't question it too much.
But if the defensive forces had already been alerted, their only option would be to fight their way out.
Just then, a figure flashed beside Yin Ling.
It was Yin Xiao, holding his jade flute tightly.
His expression was grim as he looked toward Yin Ling and spoke.
"Sister, there's movement behind us."
"A force is approaching from the main road."
"They're probably not friendly."
Yin Ling's gaze darkened, but she responded calmly.
"Ignore them. Pick up the pace."
"Get onto the main road. Prepare to break through!"
The command was given.
The entire group quickened their steps.
Moments later, they burst through the forest trail, emerging onto the main road.
Chaos erupted.
More than a hundred figures suddenly rushed onto the street.
Vehicles screeched to a halt as drivers panicked, causing massive congestion.
Car horns blared in protest, echoing through the night.
Yin Ling and the Silvermoon members leapt over cars effortlessly, sprinting straight toward the city gate.
At that moment, the midnight bells tolled over Star City.
The city's guard shift change was underway.
On the city wall, the current guards were swapping places with a new patrol unit.
The entire shift transition lasted less than a minute.
Yin Ling had perfectly timed their escape to coincide with this brief window.
"Move faster!"
Her voice rang out like a blade through the night.
She reached over, grabbing Lin Ran by the arm.
A silver-white glow erupted from her body.
At the same time, over a hundred Silvermoon members activated their light-enhanced sprint techniques.
Their entire group transformed into streaks of silver radiance.
The city gates were closing.
Yin Ling gritted her teeth, pushing her speed to the limit.
She could almost see it—the path to freedom, just beyond the gate.
But just as they were about to break through, something changed.
The guard captain on duty spotted them.
His expression turned cold.
A moment later, his hand slammed down on the "emergency lockdown" button.
The city gates, which had originally been closing at a steady pace, suddenly sped up their movement.
Boom!
A heavy metallic crash echoed as the gates slammed shut.
Almost immediately, elite city guards stationed on the walls leaped down, forming a tight defensive line at the entrance.
"Formation!"
With a single roar from the leading soldier, the guards drew their cold weapons forged from spirit ores, aiming them directly at the Silvermoon warriors.
At the same time, the pursuit force had arrived.
"Kill!"
Realizing that they had been completely surrounded, Yin Ling didn't hesitate—she issued the command to attack.
With a swift motion, she brushed her forehead with her hand, and a silver longsword materialized in her grasp.
With a wave, a silver-white energy wave surged forward.
The leading city guard captain was a seasoned warrior, unfazed by Yin Ling's attack. He countered immediately, slashing at the energy wave.
But he underestimated her strength.
The moment his blade made contact, it shattered into fragments, unable to withstand the energy surge.
His body was thrown backward, and as he landed, deep cracks spread across his armor.
In a brief but decisive clash, Yin Ling had overwhelmingly crushed her opponent.
As Yin Ling fought with the city guards, the Silvermoon warriors at the rear had also engaged in battle with the pursuit force.
Each member of the pursuit team had been handpicked for their combat prowess, and they outnumbered the Silvermoon warriors by more than ten to one.
This numerical disadvantage pinned down the Silvermoon warriors, preventing them from retreating.
"Sister! The rear is in trouble!" Yin Xiao shouted.
"Go help them!" Yin Ling responded immediately.
Hearing this, Lin Ran raised an eyebrow in curiosity and asked,
"You're not worried about him?"
"Didn't I tell you? His talent surpasses mine—especially in combat."
"No wonder you brought him to the human world." Lin Ran muttered, turning his gaze toward the battle.
Yin Xiao floated into the air, his figure flickering as he hovered.
With a sweeping motion of both hands, a magnificent silver longbow formed in his left hand, while a piercing energy arrow coalesced in his right.
Twang!
With a crisp sound, the silver arrow vanished.
A flash of silver light streaked across the battlefield, piercing through the chest of a human warrior before embedding itself into the ground.
Without pause, Yin Xiao drew another arrow from thin air.
As his second arrow found its mark, the human warriors scrambled to protect their wounded.
Frontline soldiers dragged their injured comrades back, attempting emergency treatment.
But it was clear—Yin Xiao was like a death god from a distance.
Every time he loosened the bowstring, a human warrior fell.
The protective armor worn by the human warriors offered no resistance against Yin Xiao's energy arrows—it was as fragile as paper.
While Yin Xiao's barrage forced an opening, Yin Ling had launched a full-scale assault on the city gates.
The gates were reinforced with special metals—even her razor-sharp silver sword struggled to cut through them immediately.
The battle reached a stalemate.
At the front, Silvermoon warriors attacked the gate relentlessly.
At the rear, their comrades held the defensive line, buying time for the gatebreakers.
Even though every Silvermoon warrior was exceptionally strong, the continuous waves of human warriors forced some into injury or even death.
The fight appeared evenly matched, but in reality, the human side was holding back.
Many of the elite battle squads had yet to enter the fight.
This wasn't an all-out extermination mission—it was a staged pursuit.
Feng Qi's strategy was clear—let the Silvermoon Clan believe they were being chased but not overwhelmed.
If the pursuit force had failed to arrive on time, and only started chasing after the Silvermoon Clan had left the city for a while, it would seem too unnatural.
A real chase needed logical buildup—this was Feng Qi's core strategy.
Make it believable.
Make Yin Ling lower her guard.
As the battle dragged on, the number of wounded increased on both sides.
Finally, with one final strike, the Silvermoon warriors managed to break through.
A massive hole was torn into the city gate.
Yin Ling didn't hesitate—she rushed toward the rear, shouting,
"Get out!"
By now, several Silvermoon warriors had fallen.
As Yin Ling arrived, she unleashed a silver energy wave, sending the human warriors flying.
At that moment, a beam of light shot down from the sky.
Boom!
The ground erupted in a blinding explosion, blasting multiple human warriors away.
Yin Ling and Yin Xiao worked together, forcing a gap in the enemy formation.
Seizing the opportunity, many Silvermoon warriors rushed through the opening, escaping through the gate.
But the human side had doubled their forces—reinforcements had arrived.
"Sister! Go first!"
Yin Xiao suddenly appeared beside Yin Ling, his expression grave.
"You go first!" Yin Ling refused immediately.
"We go together!"
This time, Yin Ling didn't argue.
The two siblings fought their way out together.
At this moment, the gate passage itself became a natural choke point—the human army couldn't leverage their superior numbers.
Of course, this was within Feng Qi's expectations.
Choosing to fight here was a deliberate move to minimize the advantage of enemy numbers.
If a full encirclement had been formed outside the city gate, letting any Silvermoon Clan members escape would have been impossible.
Fighting within the narrow city gate passage was the only way the Silvermoon Clan could ensure a tactical retreat.
But for the regular Silvermoon warriors, the human soldiers didn't hold back.
They killed without hesitation because these warriors didn't matter in the grand scheme.
As Yin Ling and Yin Xiao reached the breach in the city gate, they immediately turned and merged into the darkness with the rest of their people.
After the intense battle, Yin Ling finally exhaled in relief.
Just as she had anticipated, the Tiger Soul Research Institute had been prepared.
There was no way the pursuit team could have reacted so quickly without prior planning.
If they had been surrounded inside the city, escape would have been impossible.
Just then, a spotlight from the city walls swept over them.
Realizing that the chase wasn't over, Yin Ling was about to urge her people to move faster.
But suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled.
A massive blood-colored figure shot over their heads and landed heavily, kicking up a storm of dust, blocking their path forward.
As the dust settled, Yin Ling's pupils shrank.
Standing before them was a four-meter-tall humanoid creature.
Its entire body was crimson red, its muscles dense and solid, resembling interwoven steel cables.
The ancient purple markings covering its body pulsed with arcane energy, shifting in rhythm with its breathing.
A dark green flame ignited its body, while a twisted grin on its face made it appear terrifyingly sinister.
A crushing sense of pressure radiated from its presence.
Seeing the fear-stricken expressions of the Silvermoon warriors, Feng Qi slowly clenched his fist.
The cracking sounds of bones shifting echoed ominously.
He had decided to test the Silvermoon Clan's combat strength personally—this battle would set the tone for the pursuit ahead.
With that thought, Feng Qi's right fist shot forward like a cannonball.
A surge of blood energy gathered around his knuckles, condensing into a scarlet fist projection that blasted forth.
Boom!
Before the Silvermoon warrior could even react, the scarlet fist projection collided with his chest, instantly shattering him into pieces.
"Attack together!"
Feeling the terrifying pressure emanating from Feng Qi, Yin Ling gave the order without hesitation.
Immediately, Silvermoon warriors began chanting spells, unleashing a barrage of magical attacks upon him.
As the dense wave of spells rained down, the purple soul markings on Feng Qi's body accelerated, absorbing and neutralizing the damage.
Unaffected, Feng Qi stepped forward, throwing a punch that sent another Silvermoon warrior flying, his body exploding mid-air from the sheer force.
Locking onto his next target, Feng Qi moved again.
After annihilating several Silvermoon warriors, he suddenly sensed a sharp whistling sound coming from his left.
Without hesitation, he twisted his body, his right fist launching a counterattack.
Boom!
His fist and a silver-white energy arrow collided head-on.
For a moment, the two forces struggled against each other, but Feng Qi's overwhelming blood energy tore the arrow apart, releasing a violent shockwave.
The forceful gust sent many Silvermoon warriors flying.
At that moment, Yin Ling closed the distance, her sword slashing down at Feng Qi's chest.
But the blade only sank a few centimeters before it became lodged in his muscles, completely unable to move.
Yet, Feng Qi didn't counterattack.
Instead, he allowed himself to be pushed back, using the momentum to feign weakness.
Yin Ling was a crucial target, and he couldn't afford to show overwhelming strength just yet.
He needed to drag this out—keep thinning the Silvermoon squad's numbers while gradually making Lin Ran indispensable to Yin Ling.
Eventually, Lin Ran alone would be left to inherit Yin Ling's mission.
As he hit the ground, Feng Qi swiftly rose to his feet but chose not to pursue.
Instead, his body began to dissolve, the flesh peeling away, reverting him to his skeletal form.
This illusion made it seem like his enhanced form had a time limit.
Just then, Yin Xiao fired another energy arrow.
The silver-white projectile streaked through the air, hitting Feng Qi's ribcage.
He allowed himself to be thrown back, tumbling to the ground.
Meanwhile, in the distance, the pursuit team was closing in fast.
Yin Ling noticed it immediately.
"Don't get caught up in battle—run!"
Hearing her command, the Silvermoon warriors turned and fled, following Yin Ling into the night.
Watching their figures vanish into the darkness, Feng Qi slowly got back up.
Within moments, his flesh rapidly regenerated.
"How was it?"
A voice rang out—Gu Ke had appeared beside him.
"My strength is enough to handle them. From here on, I'll personally take over the pursuit. Gu Shu, you handle logistics."
Staring in the direction of the fleeing Silvermoon Clan, Feng Qi smiled.