Chapter 393: Breaking Through Wuguan, Xingluo in Shock!
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" Urgent cries resounded from within Wuguan City.
Moments later, a figure leapt out from the fortress. Clad in armor, his face set with determination, this man was Bai Feng, a member of the Xingluo royal family's inner circle. Despite being only seventy-eighth-level Spirit Sage, his position overseeing Wuguan was a crucial responsibility, entrusted to him by the Xingluo Emperor himself.
Seeing the group of figures hovering outside Wuguan's towering walls, Bai Feng's eyes widened in shock. His gaze fixed on several of the figures, each emitting an unfathomable aura. Among them, a green-tinted figure stood out—his gaze, cold as a serpent's, sent a shiver down Bai Feng's spine.
"What's happening? Where did all these powerful spirit masters come from? And that eerie, green-shaded man… Could he be a Titled Douluo?"
He then directed his attention to the figure leading them. At the sight of Dai Yao's face, a strange sense of familiarity stirred within him, but he quickly dismissed the thought as ridiculous.
There was no way he'd recognize a traitor like this!
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Bai Feng shouted with authority, "Whoever you are, step back immediately or be seen as an enemy of the Xingluo Empire! None of you will leave here alive!"
Hearing the commanding tone of their leader, the soldiers on Wuguan's walls regained their courage. They raised their crossbows, aiming squarely at the group of intruders, a warning that they would be struck down if they advanced.
Yang Wudi stepped forward, spear in hand, his expression fierce. "Master, we need to make a strong start as we enter the Xingluo Empire! Allow me the honor—I guarantee he won't last three moves!"
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Dai Yao held up a hand, shaking his head. "No, Elder Yang. You are one of our trump cards, and it would be wasteful for you to act now. I'll handle this one myself."
With a slight beat of his eight wings, Dai Yao floated forward, facing Bai Feng from a distance. "If you want us to turn back, that's simple enough. All you have to do is defeat me. But if you lose, don't expect me to spare Wuguan City!"
Bai Feng burst into laughter, unable to believe what he was hearing. It wasn't that he underestimated Dai Yao—it was just that Dai Yao looked so young, perhaps in his early twenties. At best, he could be a Spirit King, but not one that should challenge a Spirit Sage!
But then Bai Feng cast another wary glance at the menacing figures surrounding Dai Yao. If this youth truly commanded them, he couldn't afford to ignore the challenge.
Could a mere Spirit King bridge the gap and defeat a Spirit Sage like him? The answer, of course, was no.
With a sneer, he replied, "Very well, I accept your challenge, boy. Just don't cry that I bullied you!"
With that, he leapt out of Wuguan and landed heavily before Dai Yao, casting a condescending look his way.
Dai Yao frowned in irritation. "So noisy," he muttered. Another cocky opponent with a big mouth—a common occurrence in every story.
"Don't get cocky, boy!" Bai Feng sneered. "Perhaps you're a talented youth, but talent alone doesn't bridge the gap between our ranks!"
Bai Feng's spirit power surged, and seven rings appeared around him—two yellow, two purple, and three black, a perfect combination for a spirit master. He had every reason to be proud of his strength.
From above, Dai Yao looked down coldly, slowly extending his left hand. With a metallic hiss, three razor-sharp claws emerged from between his fingers. The sight of the claws sent a wave of discomfort through all who looked on, as if they themselves were being sliced.
"Could that… be an external spirit bone?" Bai Feng muttered, feeling a sense of dread rising within him.
Watching the startled expressions on the soldiers' faces, Niu Gao scoffed, "This is only our master's most basic skill. Wait until you see his hundred-thousand-year spirit ring—you'll be in for a real shock."
The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's external spirit bone radiated an intimidating aura that Bai Feng couldn't ignore. Despite Dai Yao not yet releasing his martial spirit, Bai Feng sensed the danger and immediately activated his own spirit avatar. In this form, he couldn't believe he'd lose to someone so young.
His seventh black ring lit up, and his spirit energy surged, igniting his body in fiery red flames until he took on the form of a massive fire fox. His gaze, once disdainful, now held a glint of caution as he spoke.
"You can still surrender, boy!"
"A fire fox? Just like my mother's martial spirit," Dai Yao noted, surprised, ignoring Bai Feng's taunts. His mother's martial spirit had also been a fire fox, and he had once feared that her spirit might prevent him from awakening the White Tiger.
"Fine. Because you share the same spirit as my mother, I'll spare your life."
Dai Yao infused his left hand with spirit energy, causing a bright white light to glow from the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's spirit bone. In seconds, his attack was fully charged. As Dai Yao's strength had grown, so too had the power of this spirit bone—it now packed the might of a Spirit Douluo-level attack.
A powerful hum filled the air, causing the very ground to tremble. Even the stones of Wuguan's outer walls began to crack under the pressure. These were walls that had withstood centuries of attacks from the Heaven Dou armies, yet now they were splintering from the energy alone!
Bai Feng's eyes widened in terror. "No… This pressure—it's like facing a Spirit Douluo! This kid is a monster… I need to retreat now, or I'm finished!"
Without hesitation, Bai Feng turned and sprinted back toward the fortress.
Watching him flee, Dai Yao remarked, "You think you can run? It's too late."
With a flick of his left hand, a blazing white light slashed forward, cutting through the sky like lightning. The Rending Sky Claw hit Bai Feng square in the back.
"Ahhh!" Bai Feng screamed as his spirit avatar shattered, leaving him crumpled on the ground, his back torn open to the bone. Barely clinging to life, he lay sprawled on the earth.
Silence fell. Every soldier in Wuguan stared, wide-eyed and speechless, at their leader. The one they had thought invincible had been felled by a single attack.
Dugu Bo nodded in approval. Dai Yao's strike had even earned his respect. The other elders, standing nearby, swallowed hard. Aside from Yang Wudi, none of them could have endured such a devastating blow. And this was Dai Yao without even summoning his spirit rings.
Dai Yao glanced coldly at the fallen Bai Feng. Out of respect for his mother's spirit, he had shown some mercy. Raising his eyes to the ancient fortress that had withstood millennia, his gaze hardened with resolve.
This massive fortress stood directly on Dai Yao's path. It had to be cleared; otherwise, it would create a severe obstacle for a future retreat.
Dai Yao shouted, "Qinglian Sect, hear my command! Erase Wuguan from existence!"
The soldiers within Wuguan City stood frozen, unable to understand the meaning of Dai Yao's words. Just then, screams erupted from inside the fortress, followed by several powerful explosions that shattered the ancient walls, sending stones flying. The mighty crossbows that once threatened even the strongest spirit masters were all destroyed.
"It seems the Qinglian Sect disciples hidden in Wuguan have made their move. With the fortress already damaged, it's no longer a threat to our escape route. As long as our disciples continue to sabotage from the shadows, Wuguan won't be able to recover," Dai Yao thought.
"Elders, let's go," he ordered.
With a flash, Dai Yao soared toward the heart of the Xingluo Empire. Moments later, Dugu Bo and the other Qinglian Sect elders followed him, their figures vanishing into the Xingluo skies.
Xingluo City, Xingluo Palace
"What?!"
The emperor hurled the memorial to the ground, barely able to contain his rage. The esteemed Wuguan, the fortress he had always considered invincible, was decimated by someone he'd never even regarded as a threat. This was a blow to his pride that he couldn't bear.
After some time, he calmed himself, speaking coldly. "That wretch dares to come here. Fine—this will be his grave! Grand Elder, your plan worked flawlessly."
Beneath the emperor's throne, an ancient-looking elder sat with his eyes closed. Beside him sat the other four elders of the council, each looking toward the emperor.
Hearing the emperor's words, the elder slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through his murky gaze. It was like looking into the eyes of a tiger at rest—calm, yet every bit a predator.
Casting a brief glance at the emperor, he spoke calmly, "Dai Yao is not without his merits. He has a strong sense of loyalty; the moment he heard that Hengyu was in trouble, he came back immediately. I still don't understand why you, Emperor, have never valued him and even pushed him away."
The emperor's face grew displeased. Although this elder was an ancestor of the Dai family, the emperor tolerated no opposition. For him, the Grand Elder's words were uncomfortably blunt.
Though Dai Yao was technically his son, he'd never truly regarded him as such, largely due to the Xingluo Empress. He had even hoped to use Dai Yao's life as a bargaining chip to appease her, to keep her quiet and obedient.
What he hadn't anticipated was that Dai Yao would demonstrate extraordinary talent, attracting the elders' attention. The stronger Dai Yao became, the more he earned the empress's resentment, becoming a thorn in her side that she was desperate to remove.
In the end, it was the Spirit Hall that took Dai Yao away.
Sensing the tension in the air, the Second Elder let out a sinister laugh and said, "Your Majesty, don't trouble yourself. According to the report, Wuguan has been destroyed, right? Don't forget, Wuguan's commander, Bai Feng, was the wretch's uncle. Given Dai Yao's hatred for us, he's likely already killed Bai Feng. If he learns he's killed his own uncle, imagine how that realization might destroy him!"
Before the emperor could respond, the Grand Elder turned, glaring icily at the Second Elder. "Who authorized you to arrange it this way?" he demanded.
The Second Elder froze, stammering, "I… I decided that on my own."
The Grand Elder held his gaze for a long moment before finally looking away. "Your little arrangement was meaningless. Back when that wretch was confined in the Cold Palace, Bai Feng and his family ignored him entirely to curry favor with the Empress. Dai Yao feels no family loyalty toward Bai Feng. You think he would hesitate to kill him?"
Hearing this, the Second Elder fell silent, his eyes flashing with a cold glint.
After a while, the emperor gritted his teeth, cursing, "Damn the Spirit Hall! If it weren't for them, that wretch would never have escaped. And now the chaos within the empire is also their fault. One day, I'll tear the Spirit Hall out of this world, root and branch!"
Recently, the Spirit Hall's forces had been causing turmoil throughout Xingluo. The Dai family had intended to lay a trap within Xingluo, ensuring that Dai Yao would be unable to escape once he entered. Yet the Spirit Hall's interference had led many powers to adopt a wait-and-see attitude, refraining from involving themselves in the Dai family's feud with Dai Yao.
Whenever the emperor urged them to act, they justified their stance by calling it a "family matter" and claimed it was inappropriate for them, as outsiders, to interfere in royal conflicts.
"Those damned turncoats!" the emperor fumed.
The Grand Elder spoke calmly, "Don't waste your anger. The Spirit Hall is our enemy, and seeing us struggle suits them well. Since we can no longer prevent Dai Yao from advancing, let's prepare Xingluo City and lay our trap there. He'll walk right into it."
The emperor nodded slowly. This was now their only option.
Xingluo City was entirely within their control. If Dai Yao had the Spirit Hall's assistance, they would simply pull back their forces and strengthen their defenses within the city, creating an inescapable net.
After much discussion, the palace plans were subtly adjusted, and the emperor left the hall.
Inside, the Grand Elder closed his eyes in meditation, still as a statue; the Second Elder's expression remained dark, his thoughts unreadable; the Third Elder savored his meal with gusto, seemingly indifferent to their plans; the Fourth Elder sat by the window, watching butterflies with a detached air, clearly unconcerned with the unfolding events; the Fifth Elder, however, looked lost in thought, his expression tinged with regret.
"If only I'd had the courage back then to shield Dai Yao from the Empress's wrath… Perhaps…"
"Sigh."
The Fifth Elder let out a heavy sigh, his regrets echoing through the silent hall.
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