novelraw Chapter 546 - 190: Dragon Tooth Guards, Never Yield to Others!
Chapter 546 - 190: Dragon Tooth Guards, Never Yield to Others!
Screech——!
A piercing sound echoed through the Phoenix Tree Forest.
The massive creature in the sky dove towards the canopy.
This was a monster with a snake head and bird body, eagle claws and phoenix tail. Its twin snake heads entwined, spitting lethal venom as they flickered. A flap of its wings stirred up a tempest, disrupting the Phoenix Tree Forest.
The lethal venom fell like rain, and any plant it touched quickly turned black and withered, becoming a pool of putrid water.
What was frightening was not only the appearance of this monster but also its venom.
On the ground, nearly a hundred people were desperately running.
The feathers from its wings detached, shooting like arrows towards the fleeing people below.
Some were unfortunately hit, and could only rely on their companions to help them continue their escape.
It was obvious that if not for Mu Qingge’s Dragon Tooth Guards desperately covering the rear, these people would have long been reduced to a pool of pus.
The dozen or so Dragon Tooth Guards worked in coordination, flexibly changing positions, using their Beast Core Grenade Guns as cover, weaving through venom and feathered arrows, delaying the monster’s actions in the sky to buy time for the others to escape.
Mu Qingge squinted, her eyes nearly spitting fire.
Those voices that greeted them with joy annoyed her immensely.
She suddenly leapt up, suspended in the air, her expression stern and her red clothes fluttering. With a wave of her hand, she pulled out a Grenade Gun, aimed at the monster’s two heads, and opened fire.
"Roar——!" The monster was hit and let out an angry screech.
The sudden gunfire brought a sense of joy to the Dragon Tooth Guards who were barely retaliating under the monster’s attack.
They looked towards the goddess in their hearts, only to see her stunning face covered with a layer of frost. "What are you looking at? Concentrate fire on its head."
With her command, whether delaying the monster or among the more than a hundred Dragon Tooth Guards with her, there was no hesitation as they all pulled out their own Grenade Guns, aimed at the monster in the sky, and fired ’bang bang bang’.
The Grenade Gun utilized energy converted from a Beast Core for attack, but that power was not as effective against this snake-headed monster as it was against the Blood Demon in Blood Demon Valley.
The monster’s outer layer was incredibly tough.
The Grenade Gun’s attack only sparked a few flames upon hitting its Qilin Armor.
However, such a concentrated burst of firepower successfully stalled the snake-headed monster’s speed, leaving it unable to attend to anything else.
It also granted a respite for those trying to escape with their lives.
Zhao Nanxing and others, seeing this, hurriedly instructed the remaining people to assist those fleeing.
"Little Lord, this beast has tough skin and thick flesh, the Grenade Gun can’t break its defense," a Dragon Tooth Guard looked up at Mu Qingge and said.
Mu Qingge’s eyes slightly narrowed, her face cold as frost.
She put away her Grenade Gun and ordered the Dragon Tooth Guard, "Continue the attack." Then, to Jiang Li, she said, "Cover me."
In a glance exchanged between the two, Jiang Li understood her plan.
She nodded forcefully, flipping her hands, sending numerous water jets towards the snake-headed monster. The power of those water jets was not small, and the snake-headed monster angrily screeched, flapping its wings to block.
Taking this opportunity, Mu Qingge leapt up, her figure in the air like an enchanting butterfly, flying towards the snake-headed monster.
Jiang Li’s eyes brightened, and more water jets in her hands obscured the snake-headed monster’s vision.
Meanwhile, on the ground, two groups of Dragon Tooth Guards quickly gathered together, concentrating firepower to continue shooting at the snake-headed monster.
Mu Qingge jumped through the space, gradually approaching the snake-headed monster.
Suddenly, a flicker of light flashed on her right index finger, and the Linglong Spear transformed from a finger cover back to its original form, held in her hand as she fiercely stabbed towards the snake-headed monster’s head.
She still used the Stunning Shot from the Linglong Spear’s techniques, concentrating immense force on the spear tip, piercing through the monster’s defense and drilling through its flesh.
"Roar——!" The snake-headed monster let out a mournful cry.
With its head destroyed, no matter how powerful it was, it could only become a corpse, falling from the sky.
Mu Qingge’s Linglong Spear transformed again, becoming a finger cover that she wore on her right index finger.
She gracefully descended from the sky, like a sovereign descending to earth, exuding an imposing aura.
As her clothes fluttered, no one dared to look directly at her, a sense of submission rising from the depths of their hearts.
Those who finally escaped the peril were stunned, looking at Mu Qingge, staring at her slowly descending from the sky, standing atop the monster’s corpse.
Her hands were clasped behind her back, her incomparably beautiful face icy cold. Her whole being exuded a murderous aura...
Standing among the crowd, Jing Tian gaped at her.
It seemed he realized again that there was no comparison between them. Mu Qingge’s brilliance could eclipse all light. No matter how exceptional he was, as long as he stood in front of Mu Qingge, he was no different from mediocrity.
From this moment, Jing Tian began to realize that Mu Qingge was no longer his rival, but an existence to look up to.
In the Phoenix Tree Forest, the silence was terrifying.
The Dragon Tooth Guards gathered together, came before Mu Qingge, knelt on one knee, and shouted in unison, "Little Lord!"
"Your lives are mine. Who gave you the guts to shield others?" Mu Qingge coldly swept her gaze over the kneeling Dragon Tooth Guards.
"Do you all think you’re so impressive?"
With her words, the other onlookers were shaken.
For the Dragon Tooth Guards, their Little Lord was angry. Angry at their actions, which had very serious consequences!
But for those who had been shielded by the Dragon Tooth Guards to escape, a sense of injustice welled up in their hearts.
A woman from the Hua Family couldn’t help but shout, "They’re just servants, what’s wrong with shielding us? Why are you so fierce?"
As she spoke, the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees.
Mu Qingge’s sharp gaze swept over, as if it could kill invisibly.
"What an ignorant fool!" Jiang Li sneered softly.
"Who is speaking?" Mu Qingge coldly demanded.
"I am!" That Hua Family girl, ignoring her companions’ attempts to stop her, stood out, looking up and proudly at Mu Qingge. She said with arrogance, "Since they have the ability, why shouldn’t they protect us? Are the trusted aides of your Third-class Country all selfish, only saving their own skins in danger?"
Mu Qingge slowly curled her lips into a smile, but it was cold and bone-chilling.
Those familiar with her knew this expression signaled she was in anger.
Zhao Nanxing, Feng Yufei, and Jiang Li all quietly stepped back a bit.
Even Jing Tian, while restraining some impulsive and indignant disciples from his family, stood aside watching the scene.
"Since you know your capabilities are lacking, why did you come here to burden others? Your life is precious, but my trusted aides’ lives aren’t?" Mu Qingge’s cold words brought tears to the Dragon Tooth Guards’ eyes.
They weren’t intent on protecting those people; it was just that when gathered and facing danger, they instinctively took on the role of protectors.
Now, hearing the words from those they protected and then their Little Lord’s words, they once again felt grateful they had followed the right person.
The Little Lord was angry, scolding them, but it was out of concern for them.
Meanwhile, that girl from the Hua Family, seemingly speaking up for them, actually didn’t care about them at all!
The Dragon Tooth Guards’ downcast eyes filled with disdain, clearly directed at that self-righteous Hua Family girl.
"Can their lives compare to ours? We are key disciples of one of the Four Great Families!" the Hua Family girl retorted.
Mu Qingge looked at her with clear eyes full of mockery. "The four great families? Apart from using your family background to intimidate others, what else can you do?"
Suddenly, she moved and grabbed into the air.
The Hua Family woman was caught off guard, pulled into the air, and screamed as she was drawn toward her.
"Ruixuan!"
The other women of the Hua Family shouted the girl’s name in shock.
They wanted to save her but were stopped by Jing Tian.
"Jing Eldest Young Master, what are you doing?" The Hua Family women being blocked looked at him angrily.
Jing Tian warned in a deep voice, "If you don’t want to make things worse, keep quiet now."
That woman bit her lip and glared at him, but ultimately did not act impulsively. But her eyes were full of worry.
As they talked, the Hua Family girl named Ruixuan was already lying at Mu Qingge’s feet.
She lifted her head, intending to scold Mu Qingge, but what met her eyes was the dead snake-headed monster, its eyes coldly staring at her.
"Ah—! Ahh—!"
Hua Xianru screamed in fear, wanting to retreat.
But, to her horror, she found she couldn’t move, as if a boulder were pressing on her back, forcing her to face the monster’s corpse at such a close distance.
Mu Qingge stood over her, looking down with disdain. "Just a corpse, yet you’re this terrified. Why come in here to get killed? My people are only tasked to protect me, not obligated to care for useless things like you. You were saved, and besides a lack of gratitude, you brazenly expect to be cared for as a burden? Is this the kind of excellent disciple the four great families produce? I’m not impressed."
"Young Lord Mu, Ruixuan is still young. As an adult, don’t hold a grudge against a child." The woman stopped by Jing Tian couldn’t help but plead.
At this moment, Hua Xianru was too scared to do anything but cry, not daring to refute anymore.
The courage she had to defy Mu Qingge had long vanished in front of the monster’s corpse.
After speaking, the pleading woman anxiously added, "Even if it’s for the sake of our Miss Qinxin, I ask Young Lord Mu to forgive her."
Mu Qingge glanced at her, sneering coldly, "I only met your Miss Qinxin a few times, why should I give her face?"
The pleading woman turned pale and was speechless.
Mu Qingge snorted coldly, then flung the prostrate Hua Xianru away, tossing her in front of the Hua Family members.
"Take her with you and scram, before you dirty my eyes." Mu Qingge said coldly.
Originally, she hadn’t planned to kill anyone.
This Hua woman came out on her own, giving her a chance to vent her anger.
"Whimper..." Hua Xianru lay on the ground, frightened and afraid, not daring to look at Mu Qingge again.
However, Mu Qingge’s words left the Hua Family girls looking ashen.
They had just entered the Trial Space and already encountered such a monster. How could they dare to leave alone? Staying together, with the group, always provided some safety.
They hesitated, not moving.
Mu Qingge mocked, "What’s this? Don’t want to leave, planning to use others’ lives to protect yours when danger comes again?"
The words made the girls’ faces flush red and white alternately.
At this moment, when they looked at Hua Xianru, who sat on the ground hugging her knees, trembling, their eyes were filled with disgust. If not for her running her mouth, they wouldn’t have been chased away by Mu Qingge.
"Scram." Mu Qingge yelled fiercely.
The Hua Family women had no choice but to look pitifully at Jing Tian, asking, "Jing Eldest Young Master, could you accompany us?"
Jing Tian didn’t want to leave. After all, he now knew where it was safer to be.
However, he figured Mu Qingge probably wouldn’t want him around either, so he said, "Jing Tian thanks the warriors here for their rescue, leaving this bottle of elixir as thanks. Farewell."
After speaking, he took a bottle of elixir from his person, placed it on the ground, and then left with the disciples from the Jing and Hua Families.
"Why has Jing Tian suddenly changed?" Zhao Nanxing muttered at Jing Tian’s departing figure.
In his memory, Jing Tian was very proud, the kind of person who looked down on others.
"That’s because our Qingge is too strong!" Jiang Li looked at Mu Qingge with an enamored expression, becoming her number one fan girl.
Jing Tian took away the people from the Jing and Hua Families, leaving those from the Third-class Country.
Counting it up, only a part of the Dragon Tooth Guards and elites from Li Country and Yu Country had not been found.
Mu Qingge stayed silent, her expression somewhat relaxed.
Her gaze swept over the Dragon Tooth Guards kneeling on one knee, and she said calmly, "Rise."
The Dragon Tooth Guards obeyed and rose, but did not leave.
Mu Qingge said, "I don’t oppose helping others within your means, but the premise is your safety without question. In that earlier situation, you weren’t a match and should have retreated quickly, not covering for unrelated people and using your own lives to delay the monster. Your lives are very important to me. Understand?"
"Yes! Young Lord!"
The Dragon Tooth Guards replied with strong resolve, holding back their emotions.
"She actually has such an emotional side." Jiang Li sighed, shaking her head.
Zhao Nanxing and Feng Yufei smiled, remaining silent.
Mu Qingge wasn’t as arrogant and unruly as she appeared. She was a person of deep emotions and passion! Those she acknowledged and took under her wing were indeed fortunate.
Having finished lecturing the Dragon Tooth Guards, Mu Qingge jumped down from the monster’s corpse.
She used the Linglong Spear turned into a finger cover to cut open the monster’s skin and extracted the Beast Core.
The Beast Core was unusual, being black.
This color of Beast Core she had never seen before. But, upon closer inspection, she found the black was due to a layer of black mist wrapping the outside of the Beast Core.
Using Spiritual Power to dispel the black mist, the Beast Core revealed its true purple face.
’So, it’s a high-rank Purple Realm Spirit Beast! But why was the Beast Core covered in a black mist?’ Although puzzled in her heart, Mu Qingge silently stored the Beast Core.
She turned to everyone and said, "Let’s rest here..."
Before her words were finished, the sky suddenly darkened as if a shadow fell.
In the distance, the indistinct sounds of countless birds could be heard.
"Returning birds..." For some reason, this phrase popped into Mu Qingge’s mind. A flash of insight appeared in her eyes, and she shouted to Jiang Li and others, "I know why they call this Phoenix Tree Forest!"
After speaking, she quickly shouted, "Find a place to hide and conceal your presence!"
What was happening?
No time to think, everyone followed Mu Qingge’s instructions, finding cover nearby to hide themselves.
Just as they hid, they heard the overwhelming sound of flapping wings from above, countless birds letting out piercing calls as they descended, enveloping the treetops.
The sudden darkening of the sky was already unsettling.
The bird calls coming from the treetops added to the apprehension.
"What does Phoenix Tree Forest mean?" Jiang Li asked softly beside Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge’s clear eyes focused on the treetops, explaining in a low voice, "Ancient sayings spoke of the Phoenix encountering the phoenix tree where it settles. It means, the Phoenix Divine Beast likes to nest atop phoenix trees."
"But these ancient trees aren’t phoenix trees." Jiang Li said, puzzled.
Mu Qingge nodded almost imperceptibly, "So this is just a metaphor. Although these ancient trees are not phoenix trees, they are tall and straight like phoenix trees. In the evening, weary birds return to their nests. Numerous flying birds make these ancient trees their home. What seems like a forest is actually the nest of flying Spirit Beasts! And being named after the phoenix tree, I suspect that the flying Spirit Beasts here might have a connection to the Phoenix Divine Beast."
"What!" Jiang Li gasped inwardly.
Just having exited the Blood Demon Valley, and now entering the nest of flying Spirit Beasts?
Is it necessary to be so tragic?
Can’t they just catch a breath without dying?
Moreover, the worst part is that Mu Qingge suspects these flying Spirit Beasts are connected to the phoenix.
Jiang Li pulled a stiff smile, "Your speculation better not come true. Phoenixes are not easy to deal with."
"Phoenixes are not easy to deal with. But after all, they are not phoenixes!" Mu Qingge replied in a deep voice, her eyes already gathering a determined light.
"What do you want to do?" Jiang Li looked at her in surprise.
But Mu Qingge asked nonchalantly: "Where do you think the twenty tokens hidden here are most likely to be?"
After speaking, she and Jiang Li both turned their gaze towards the dense treetops.
The two silently withdrew their gaze and looked at each other.
Apparently, they both got the same answer!
The problem is that now the birds are returning home, how could they go and raid bird nests?
"The sky here darkened suddenly." Mu Qingge suddenly looked at the fragmented sky above the treetops and said.
Jiang Li also said, "I can sense that the flying Spirit Beasts here are at least above the Blue Realm, most of them are in the Purple Realm." She, with the bloodline of an Ancient Divine Beast, had a clearer sense of Spirit Beasts than ordinary people.
This answer made Zhao Nanxing and Feng Yufei, not far from them, gasp, tightening their lips.
This overwhelming number of flying Spirit Beasts, at least a thousand of them. Moreover, their realms are so high. They’re no match at all!
"We can only wait," Mu Qingge said. "After the change in the sky, and they leave, we’ll quickly search."
For now, lying under the eyes of these flying Spirit Beasts, they simply couldn’t leave, so they had to stay put.
"The people from the Jing Family and Hua Family just left not long ago," Feng Yufei suddenly said.
Her reminder made them remember that the change in the sky indeed occurred not long after the Jing Family and Hua Family left. According to their speed, they must be nearby at this moment, not far from them.
Feng Yufei suddenly mentioned them, not out of concern for their safety.
But as a reminder to everyone that if the people from the Jing Family and Hua Family caught the attention of the flying Spirit Beasts, it might implicate them.
Mu Qingge frowned, speaking solemnly to the Dragon Tooth Guard nearest to her: "Pass the word, without my command, no one is allowed to act on their own."
The Dragon Tooth Guard left to carry out the order.
Only then did Mu Qingge say to the others, "If they’re smart, really encountering danger, they will use the Teleportation Talisman to leave."
Yes! There’s also the Teleportation Talisman!
Mu Qingge’s words made everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Jiang Li looked up at the sky, muttering, "I wonder how long this sky will take to change."
Waiting is the most torturous.
Especially waiting without knowing the passage of time is even more unbearable.
In this Trial Space, it seemed that every place had a different time. The sun, moon, and stars were completely unpredictable. In this Phoenix Tree Forest, one moment it was clear and cloudless, the next, suddenly night fell.
In the silent waiting, most people chose to sit in meditation for cultivation.
Mu Qingge was no exception. She silently calculated time in her mind. When she reached the fifth-hour mark according to normal time, the clear cries of the flying Spirit Beasts above the tree crowns made her slowly open her eyes.
"It’s dawn." Looking at the sky which had once again become clear, Mu Qingge said in a low voice.
Above the tree crowns, the ear-splitting flapping of wings echoed. Those large birds began to leave the nests in the tree crowns, flying into the distance. Many leaves were shaken and fell, making it seem like a rain of leaves in the forest.
Gradually, the cries faded away.
Mu Qingge gave an order, and the people who had been lying in wait rushed out to climb up different ancient trees.
Mu Qingge chose one tree, vaguely remembering the flying Spirit Beast that landed on this tree crown was very large, and its plumage was vividly colorful, extremely beautiful.
Mobilizing spiritual power to her feet, Mu Qingge easily ascended the straight trunk, gradually approaching the dense, sprawling canopy.
As she emerged from the gap in the branches, gazing at the vast world, a sense of expansiveness rose in her heart. After taking a deep breath, she finally shifted her gaze back to the tree canopy before her.
The canopy was large, like a piece of green land.
At the center, in a sunken area, a bird’s nest was built.
The bird’s nest was large, like a room.
And in the middle of the bird’s nest lay an egg. The bird egg was the size of an adult’s head, its surface smooth and shimmering, faintly circulating with a radiant red glow.
However, what captivated Mu Qingge’s attention was not this bird egg, but a token hidden beneath it!
This token was not unfamiliar to Mu Qingge. Previously, the tokens they retrieved from the Blood Demon Valley bore a striking resemblance to the one before her.
’Could I be that lucky!’ Mu Qingge’s expression was slightly astonished.
With thousands of trees here and only twenty tokens, she initially thought she would have to climb several trees to find one, but unexpectedly found it on the first tree?
A trace of delight flashed in Mu Qingge’s clear eyes.
Not knowing when the flying Spirit Beasts would return, she naturally needed to act quickly.
Mu Qingge leapt into the bird’s nest.
Being inside, she could better appreciate the size of the bird’s nest.
Mu Qingge walked over to the bird egg, squatted down, and pulled the token out from beneath it. Her action caused the shimmering red glow on the crystalline bird egg to flicker a few times.
After stowing away the token, Mu Qingge’s gaze fell back on the bird egg.
She stared at the egg, her eyes flickering. Muttering to herself, "Since there are already two eggs, missing one won’t make a difference! The Dragon Teeth Guards just happen to lack a flying mount!"
With a smile on her lips, Mu Qingge raised her hand, lifting the egg into her grasp, and swiftly left the bird’s nest.
By the time she landed, many others had returned empty-handed, while one or two had found tokens.
Upon seeing her holding a bird egg, Jiang Li blinked, "Mu Qingge, do you have the leisure to raid bird nests?"
Mu Qingge ignored her, instead instructing her Dragon Tooth Guards, "Here’s an additional task for you: Everyone, while searching for tokens, take away three bird eggs. We need to form an air force for the Dragon Teeth Guards!"
"Yes! Young Lord!"
The loyal Dragon Tooth Guards, though not understanding what an air force was, nonetheless strictly carried out Mu Qingge’s orders. After all, it’s just raiding bird nests and swiping bird eggs, right?
The group gathered around Mu Qingge numbered less than two hundred. The Young Lord wanted each of them to take away three bird eggs, even including shares for those who had gone astray and not come to Tiandu.
"We have only three full ones, so they won’t touch the other bird eggs anymore,"
Once they had swept through like a swarm of locusts, they found their tokens.
When they moved further, the sky darkened again, and in the distance, the flapping wings of the flying Spirit Beasts could be heard getting closer.
Mu Qingge immediately ordered everyone to hide and restrain their breathing.
Before long, the angry cries of many birds could be heard, as if they had already discovered their eggs had been stolen.
Fortunately, there were many birds here, and quite a few nests with eggs. The Dragon Tooth Guards weren’t fools; they understood the logic of taking only one egg from each nest.
Therefore, even though the birds were angry about losing their eggs, they didn’t show excessively aggressive behavior.
After half an hour, the angry cries gradually calmed down.
When the sky over the Phoenix Tree Forest brightened again, the birds left, and Mu Qingge and others resumed their actions.
Some people also imitated Mu Qingge’s Dragon Tooth Guards, stealing bird eggs. However, most people did not participate in this daring act.
Keep in mind that if discovered by the birds, it would lead to a terrifying outcome!
Mu Qingge placed the stolen bird spirit beast eggs in her space, isolating their aura. Otherwise, she couldn’t guarantee the frenzied birds and spirit beasts wouldn’t come after her.
After another day of hard ’work,’ the Dragon Tooth Guards successfully completed Mu Qingge’s task. Meanwhile, the number of tokens collected in the Phoenix Tree Forest increased to twelve.
At this moment, the edge of the Phoenix Tree Forest was faintly visible. Zhao Nanxing, having counted the current number of tokens, walked to Mu Qingge and said, "One hundred tokens, we have found only sixteen. Five in Blood Demon Valley, we found four. Twenty in Phoenix Tree Forest, we found twelve. Should we leave now or continue searching for the remaining eight?"
Mu Qingge pursed her lips, thought for a while, and decided, "No need to waste any more time. Let’s check other places. There are still seventy-five tokens not in the Phoenix Tree Forest, a bigger target."
The others agreed with her statement.
Thus, the group headed towards the edge of the Phoenix Tree Forest in a formidable manner.
Jiang Li, after seeing the map in Mu Qingge’s hand, sighed and said, "How big is this Trial Space? How long have we been in here? Till now, apart from the Jing Family people and a few girls from the Hua Family, we haven’t encountered anyone else."
This was something Mu Qingge couldn’t answer either.
The mystery of this Trial Space made her feel that it couldn’t be deduced with the existing rules.
"The map indicates that outside the Phoenix Tree Forest is the Divine Abandoned Land. This area is also vast, and it has forty tokens hidden in it," said Feng Yufei, lifting his gaze from the map.
"Five in Blood Demon Valley, twenty in Phoenix Tree Forest, forty in Divine Abandoned Land, totaling sixty-five, occupying the majority. The remaining thirty-five are scattered in the western White Mist Deer Plain, the northern Midi Palace, and the southern Fallen Cliff," Zhao Nanxing said to Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge pursed her lips and said, "We landed randomly in the Trial Space, and since we haven’t encountered others, it’s possible they fell into other places. The remaining tokens must have been found, and when the time to leave approaches, everyone will focus on their opponents and start snatching tokens. That’s when the real battle begins!"
"That’s for sure. These people, standing in this position, are not to be trifled with," Jiang Li sneered mockingly.
Mu Qingge nodded deeply in agreement. "Then it’s decided. Let’s head to the Divine Abandoned Land, gather as many tokens as possible, and if it’s not enough, we’ll snatch them!"
When saying the word ’snatch,’ a trace of ferocity emerged in Mu Qingge’s eyes.
...
In the Holy Yuan Empire Palace, Huangfu Huan hadn’t slept for two days and nights.
As long as the Trial Space was closed, he and Emperor Yuan had been worried.
After Emperor Yuan’s court session, he again found his father, bloodshot eyes showing his haggardness.
"Huan’er, you..." Emperor Yuan was startled upon seeing him.
"Father, I think we can’t sit idly by any longer," Huangfu Huan said to Emperor Yuan, Huangfu Haotian.
Emperor Yuan sighed helplessly and said to Huangfu Huan, "Father knows the seriousness of the situation. But, with the Holy King Your Majesty not here, the Post House of the Myriad Beasts Sect and the Refining Tower only has one or two disciples who know nothing. The Lan Family hasn’t revealed any information either, what do you want your father to do?"
"The more it is like this, the more our suspicions might be correct!" Huangfu Huan said anxiously, "Does Father intend to wait until Lord Mu, the young lord, falls in the Trial Space before seeking justice?"
"Huan’er, why are you so agitated? Lan Feiyue from the Lan Family is also in the Trial Space; if something happens, the Lan Family will suffer no small loss. Perhaps things are not as severe as we imagine. I’ve also had the Sixth Eunuch keep an eye on the Lan Family to prevent any further antics. If there really is danger, Lord Mu, the young lord, can still leave safely with the Teleportation Talisman," said Huangfu Haotian, frowning.
Huangfu Huan, however, sneered, "Father, are you comforting me or yourself? The Lan Family dares to do this, they must have absolute certainty. They believe if they kill Lord Mu, the young lord, in the Trial Space, they can easily blame all dangers within the space. Even if the Holy King Your Majesty is furious later, they wouldn’t hold accountable a large family for a dead person. But have you both forgotten? The people entering the Trial Space aren’t just the other family’s young talents but also Jiang the Empress from the Ancient Witch Country! You understand the importance of the Ancient Witch Country to Linchuan better than I do, and what would be the consequences if Jiang the Empress meets with danger? Moreover, I have reason to suspect that the Teleportation Talisman of Lord Mu, the young lord, is faulty!"
Huangfu Haotian’s eyes narrowed sharply, and he said in shock, "What evidence do you have?" Huangfu Huan was right; when everything was unknown, the only thing he could rely on was the Teleportation Talisman.
Whether it was the Lan Family or the Myriad Beasts Sect, or the Refining Tower, as long as Mu Qingge could come out safely, there would be an opportunity to gradually deal with them.
But if Mu Qingge really dies inside...
Huangfu Haotian suddenly took a sharp breath.
"The Teleportation Talisman was jointly supervised by the four great families and the Imperial Family, it can’t have issues!" Huangfu Haotian declared firmly.
However, Huangfu Huan gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he said, "Father, don’t forget, the Lan Family is the most skilled in Forbidden Techniques. If they want to tamper with the Teleportation Talisman so that it would fail at a critical moment, that’s not a difficult task. Since the Lan Family is involved in this, they wouldn’t just be sending people in!"
"..." Huangfu Huan’s words left Huangfu Haotian in silence.
The Teleportation Talismans were jointly created and supervised. After completion, the talismans were also checked by the Elders, and only distributed once verified to be free of errors.
However, if this matter involved the entire Lan Family, the Lan Family Elder responsible for checking the Teleportation Talismans could easily hide some details.
After all, a finished Teleportation Talisman looks quite ordinary on the surface.
"All of this is your assumption..." Huangfu Haotian said with an unpleasant expression.
Huangfu Huan pressed on step by step, "That’s why we have to interrogate the Lan Family to reveal their entire plan. Only then can we come up with countermeasures."
After finishing his sentence, he took a deep breath and said to Emperor Yuan, "I understand, the four great families have a long history and deep roots. If a conflict breaks out, the loss won’t be limited to the Lan Family alone. The Imperial power could also be weakened, and the other three families might seize the opportunity to rise, which would suppress our Huangfu Family. Unless absolutely necessary, Father, you don’t want to turn against the Lan Family. Your Sixth Eunuch and others watching the Lan Family are just to provide an explanation to the Holy King Your Majesty, just a show of compliance."
Huangfu Haotian’s face became increasingly grim with Huangfu Huan’s words.
Huangfu Huan continued, "But Father, have you considered? The Holy King Your Majesty values Mu Little Lord so highly; if something happens to him, it won’t just be the Lan Family facing annihilation in the end. Taking decisive action now and actively rescuing may bring the Huangfu Family into distress, but it would preserve the family to the greatest extent. The Holy King Your Majesty’s wrath couldn’t be quelled by a mere Lan Family."
"What do you plan to do?" Huangfu Haotian’s voice seemed somewhat powerless, as if he had already compromised.
Huangfu Huan said solemnly, "Immediately summon the Lan Family head to the palace, force him to reveal their entire plan. If he refuses to cooperate, we must suppress with martial power. Also, we must contact the other three families and explain the pros and cons to them, bringing them into our alliance to put pressure on the Lan Family!"
Huangfu Haotian’s eyes flickered for a moment, finally deciding, "Alright, let’s do as you say!"
...
Trial Space.
"Ahead is the Divine Abandoned Land." Feng Yufei pointed to a patch of white mist and said to Mu Qingge and others.
Just when everyone was preparing to step in, Mu Qingge suddenly called a halt.
She thought for a moment and said to everyone, "Given our previous encounters, let’s stay close and keep alert to the surroundings. Any sign of trouble, raise the alarm immediately."
Everyone agreed.
"You are certainly cautious." Jiang Li said quietly standing beside Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge responded calmly, "Even a lion uses all its strength to hunt a rabbit. This principle is proven with blood."
Jiang Li nodded in seeming understanding. She appeared to partially grasp how Mu Qingge had risen from a frivolous youth to a high position today.
She never underestimates any enemy and always plans before acting, never rashly.
Entering the white mist, everyone’s vision blurred.
When the white mist gradually dissipated in front of them, an endless expanse of architectural ruins appeared before their eyes.
Those crumbling walls stood silently on the rubble as if humming ancient legends...
Among these ancient structures, it was difficult to perceive their original appearance. The only structure still vaguely visible in its entirety was the tall tower at the center of the ruined city.
The tower, straight as a sword, soared into the sky with a force determined to pierce the heavens.
However, the tower was already worn down, marked by the scars of time, exuding a sense of decline akin to a once magnificent sword worn away by age.
"Who goes there!" Suddenly, someone exclaimed.
Mu Qingge and the others turned around, and they surprisingly discovered that beside their team, another group of people had suddenly appeared...