Zhao Qing smiled with satisfaction and said, "I am not afraid of dying, but I am afraid of dying too lonely. President sister, even if we die, we must be together, is that okay?"

Upon hearing the little girl’s words, the Red-eyed Eagle’s heart suddenly felt a pang of sorrow. Who would have thought that this little girl would have such courage?

"Okay, sister promises you," Red-eyed Eagle said with a tender smile.

At the foot of the mountain.

Chen Tianlong and Niu Xiaosan were heading up the mountain. However, they were not taking the main road but a small trail. The trail was overgrown with thorns and bushes. Without Chen Tianlong’s foresight in picking up a machete along the way, it would have been quite troublesome to go up.

"I say, uncle, where are you taking me? Wouldn’t going up this mountain lead to a quicker death?" Chen Tianlong asked, puzzled.

If they were discovered while going up the mountain, pursuing forces would come with troops to attack, leaving them no path to escape.

"Why are you full of nonsense? If you want to stay here, I’m not stopping you, but let me remind you, the pursuers are already on their way. The entire Black Alliance is under their control now. It’s impossible to escape by any other route," Niu Xiaosan warned.

"Oh, okay." Chen Tianlong took a deep breath and followed Niu Xiaosan to continue uphill.

"Hurry up! They must be in front of us." Just then, shouting came from behind. Niu Xiaosan turned to look—my goodness, the enemy was catching up.

Logically, no one should have thought they would climb Qishan. After all, once on the mountain, it’s a dead end. There are only two ways down: a main road and a trail. If both paths are blocked, it’s almost impossible to escape.

However, the pursuers weren’t so smart; before Hao Shuai left, he had instructed his men to go to the Black Alliance’s monitoring room and check the cameras in various locations for any sign of Niu Xiaosan.

Sure enough, after checking, they spotted two figures at the entrance at the foot of Qishan.

Consequently, they gathered thousands of troops to chase after them, planning to surround the mountain and catch them.

Chen Tianlong and Niu Xiaosan sprinted all the way. Even with thorns and shrubs, they made quick work of the path, although their run was quite ragged. Finally, Chen Tianlong asked, "I say, what are we desperately running to the top of the mountain for?"

"To rendezvous!" Niu Xiaosan replied succinctly.

"Rendezvous? With whom? And then what?" Chen Tianlong pressed further.

"Our President, Red-eyed Eagle. She escaped through a secret passage, and the exit is at the top of Qishan. The President is smart; she must have other plans on the mountaintop. Anyway, even in death, I want to die alongside the President," Niu Xiaosan stated his resolve.

"Haha, didn’t expect you’re so loyal to your President," Chen Tianlong was touched by Niu Xiaosan’s actions. Few people at such critical moments still think of their leader.

Niu Xiaosan didn’t speak, continuing upward. Chen Tianlong was now convinced—indeed, as he thought, Red-eyed Eagle had already escaped to the mountain top.

Thinking of this, they quickened their pace.

"By the way, when we reach the top, stay behind me and don’t speak when you see the President. This way, they will think you’re just one of my followers. If you speak out and they catch sight of you, who knows, the President might kill you," Niu Xiaosan warned.

"Wow, what’s your President’s strength? Why fear those people?" Chen Tianlong deliberately asked.

"Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked. Whatever their strength is, it’s higher than yours. You don’t know, the enemy comprises a team of numerous Celestial Dao masters. No matter how formidable the President is, she’s outnumbered," Niu Xiaosan sighed, blaming himself for his inability. Perhaps with greater strength, he might lead thirty thousand troops back for a reunion with the President—but it’s too late now.

It was already past seven in the morning, and daylight brightened the path. But this was not good news for them; higher visibility meant the enemy could easily spot their position.

Today, the sun wasn’t very bright, but it was July—hot weather aside, they were climbing, with clothes drenched and faces covered with dust and leaves. Without a closer look, you couldn’t recognize them.

They arrived earlier than Red-eyed Eagle at the top. At this time, the mountain was tranquil. Exhausted and thirsty, they lay directly on a large rock.

"I say, are we going to die here?" Chen Tianlong asked, looking at the blue sky.

"Perhaps, but to do one last thing for the Black Alliance, even in death, I have no regrets," Niu Xiaosan felt he’d done his best and was at peace with his conscience.

"Haha, from what you say, your President doesn’t seem to be the terrifying killer rumored outside," Chen Tianlong probed. After all, Lin Xiaoting’s perspective might not be accurate, and he wanted to ascertain if the Red-eyed Eagle was indeed a good person.

"Others are just rumors; those are Black Alliance’s collective actions as the world’s top evil force. Black Alliance thrives by illegal means, generating high profits—passed down from ancestors. President Red-eyed Eagle has no choice. If she didn’t do this, how could she support Black Alliance’s two hundred thousand members?" Niu Xiaosan explained.

"Two hundred thousand? Okay," Chen Tianlong exclaimed, surprised by Black Alliance’s sheer size, realizing their expansion served to sustain more people: "But still, shouldn’t involve in drug trafficking, smuggling, and other illicit activities."

"Haha, lad, you don’t understand—once in the trade, it’s a no-return path. We Black Alliance can accept people, but letting them go is a different matter, especially the Celestial Pill Sect. Despite their righteous appearance, in secret, they engage in these dealings," Niu Xiaosan paused, coughing twice, then continued, "Do you know who our biggest client is?"

"Is it the Celestial Pill Sect?" Chen Tianlong blurted.

"Smart lad. Previously, Celestial Pill Sect gave us a task, promising a huge reward upon completion—one billion USD."

"Wow! That’s a lot!" Chen Tianlong was amazed.

"Yes, but the task is demanding—they want us to go to the Mortal Realm, find a Jade Pendant. This pendant holds a significant secret, rumored to concern other Energy Stones. Do you know what Energy Stones are?" Niu Xiaosan felt they were doomed, hoping this little brother wasn’t a Black Alliance member—maybe they’d let him go.

Since Celestial Pill Sect intended harm, such a colossal secret should be made public.

"Energy Stones, huh? Heard about them, since I’m a cultivator too," Chen Tianlong chuckled wryly.

"Alright. Legend has it the secret within the pendant reveals a place with abundant Energy Stones for unlimited extraction. This makes it possible to quickly upgrade abilities—Energy Stones show marked effects below Celestial Dao, and even for Celestial Dao up to five stars, they’re quite beneficial."