"You... defeated the Flame Dragon Empire in the tournament?" Having finally processed the news, Xuan Yin, who was standing beside Mu Chen, asked directly.
"Well..." Mu Chen rubbed his nose sheepishly and nodded. "Actually, the Flame Dragon Empire was quite fair. Otherwise, it might have been a very difficult victory for me."
Hearing Mu Chen’s personal confirmation, Xuan Yin was ninety percent convinced. The remaining ten percent wasn’t disbelief, but shock. ’If I heard him correctly, Mu Chen just said that if the Flame Dragon Empire hadn’t been fair, his victory would have been *difficult*! Not that he would have *lost*! Doesn’t that mean that since the Flame Dragon Empire competed fairly with him, he won with ease? Can I interpret it that way?’ The answer was, of course, yes!
"Father Emperor, Mu Chen is right. We really did defeat the Flame Dragon Empire. And what’s more, Mu Chen even beat a Poison Cauldron Master from the Dunhuang Empire until he was on his knees, begging for mercy, hehe..."
The one who spoke was, naturally, the Ninth Princess, Mo Qing. Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. After all, the person everyone was praising was the one she loved. What could make her happier than seeing her beloved gain the recognition of others?
"You silly girl, have you fallen for Mu Chen? I’ve never seen you act like this around any other boy." A wide smile spread across Xuan Yin’s face, and he let his curious gaze drift back and forth between Mu Chen and Mo Qing.
"..."
As Xuan Yin’s gaze swept over her, the smile on Mo Qing’s face was instantly replaced by a deep blush. Seeing this reaction, Xuan Yin suddenly burst out laughing, a bright and cheerful sound.
"Silly girl, I’ve known for a long time that you like this kid, Mu Chen. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have used your own body to block a palm strike for him two years ago, nearly losing your life. To be honest, I’ve always hoped you would marry someone within the Xuanling Empire. This is good. Once this is all over, I’ll prepare a wedding for you two."
Mo Qing was quite happy listening to the first part of his speech, but as he continued, she felt something was wrong. ’Prepare a wedding? Doesn’t that mean announcing to the entire Empire that I’m going to marry Mu Chen? But if that happens, wouldn’t that push Sister Bingling aside? It would feel like I’m the guest upstaging the host!’
"No!" Mo Qing suddenly objected. "Father Emperor, I have never asked you for anything, but on this matter, Jiu’Er begs you to let me decide for myself. I don’t want a royal announcement to the world. I just want to marry into the Mu Family like an ordinary woman. Besides, it’s too early to be discussing this, so let’s put it aside for now."
Mo Qing and Xuan Yin’s conversation was quiet. Xuan Yin even intentionally used his Spiritual Power to muffle the sound, so Mu Chen and the others couldn’t hear clearly.
"This..." Xuan Yin was a bit puzzled. "Although I don’t know why, it’s true that you’ve never asked me for anything. I’ll agree to your request, just as you’ve asked. But you must tell me your reasons later. After all, marriage is a matter that concerns your entire life..."
But before Xuan Yin could finish his sentence, on the other side of Luofeng City, the yellow dust that had just settled was kicked up once again by the thunderous sound of countless trampling hooves!
"What’s happening?!"
Mu Chen and Qing Lei noticed the scene at the same time. After crying out in alarm, they leaped directly into the air. But when they were airborne, they saw countless Magical Beasts stampeding toward them at incredible speed!
"The Magical Beast army is back!"
This was the cry of the elites from the Mu and Wang Families. A moment ago, they had the city walls for cover. The instant the Magical Beasts breached the walls, they had desperately leaped down to escape the beasts’ charge. At that time, the Magical Beasts hadn’t even paid them any mind; their sole focus was on destroying humanity’s defenses. So, in a way, they had indirectly spared these elites who had not even reached the Martial Spirit realm.
But now things were different. After charging away, the Magical Beasts had turned around and were charging back. Just now, they had the high city walls to hide behind. Where were they supposed to go now?
"What on earth are these Magical Beasts thinking?!"
Mu Gu Tian frantically scanned the area, searching for a place where everyone could take cover. Seeing the Magical Beast army drawing closer and closer, the corner of his eye twitched. "Members of the Mu and Wang Families, find high ground to escape the charge immediately! Trees, rock faces! Anywhere you can take temporary shelter! Go now! Be quick!"
Hearing Mu Gu Tian’s words, the members of the Mu and Wang clans who were unable to Walk on Air didn’t hesitate for a second. When one’s life is threatened, one’s reactions are at their sharpest!
Thus, in the ten short seconds after Mu Gu Tian finished speaking, all the members of the Mu and Wang Families had found their own hiding places. Although most were at the tops of tall trees, it would at least give them a chance to leap to a safe area after the initial impact of the beast stampede.
"ROAR!!"
A familiar roar echoed from the distance. By now, the figures of the Magical Beasts were faintly visible through the yellow sand. Di Cang, Lingyun, and Wu Changqing all rose into the air at once, ready for any unexpected developments. But faced with this situation, they were truly baffled.
"If what that Dark Kui Ox said earlier was true, then the Magical Beast army’s mission this time should have been just to capture human towns. But from then until now, the beasts have only advanced to the vicinity of the Xuanling Empire’s Imperial Capital. They might not have even reached the capital itself," Di Cang analyzed as he gazed into the distance.
Wu Changqing nodded. The figures of the Magical Beasts were now completely clear. Sweeping his gaze over the horde, Wu Changqing said, "That’s right. And what surprises me is that the Dark Kui Ox that left with the Magical Beast army earlier seems to be gone. Also, don’t you think the expressions on these Magical Beasts are a bit strange?"
"Strange?" Hearing this, Qin Yuan focused her gaze on the beasts. A single look revealed the truth. Every single one of the Magical Beasts had a look of sheer terror on its face. As they ran, they kept glancing back over their shoulders, as if something lethal was pursuing them!
"It is indeed very strange. Could it be..."
Before Qin Yuan could finish, a massive rift suddenly tore open in the sky behind the Magical Beast army. The rift was perfectly regular in shape, and it was even larger than the one the Snow Qilin had torn open earlier!
"That is..." Mu Chen instantly activated his fantastical Ice Extreme Demon Pupils to their fullest extent. The distant scene gradually grew clearer and larger in his vision.
One by one, dark figures radiating powerful Primordial Power fluctuations flew out from the rift. There were more than a hundred of them!
"It’s humans!" Mu Chen’s pupils contracted violently, the confusion in his eyes instantly replaced by joyous surprise. "It’s our reinforcements!"
...
"Heh... A pathetic bunch of animals like this dares to dream of attacking my Flame Dragon Dynasty! They must be daydreaming!"
A voice laced with powerful Primordial Power fluctuations traveled from the distance, reaching the ears of Mu Chen and the others. Flame Dragon Dynasty. Hearing these three words, Xuan Yin and Wu Changqing immediately broke into laughter!
"It’s reinforcements sent by the Dynasty! The Xuanling Empire is saved!" Without a doubt, the happiest among them was Xuan Yin. Regardless of whether the Xuanling Empire could be rebuilt after this Beast Tide, if the Imperial Capital were to be razed, he, Xuan Yin, would certainly be recorded ignominiously in the Empire’s history. But now, the Imperial Capital surely hadn’t fallen, and they had even received direct support from the Dynasty! There would be no more unexpected turns in this defensive war!
’It’s that guy...’ While everyone else was feeling elated, Di Cang alone had a complicated expression. He recognized the speaker’s voice and could also make out his figure.
It was a white-haired elder dressed in a crimson robe. The elder wore a stern expression and was holding a massive black Giant Beast high in the air. Looking closely, one could see that the black beast was none other than the Dark Kui Ox that had just been bellowing about trampling human territory! And this elder... Di Cang would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes! The guide from the Flame Dragon Empire—Red Wood Cliff!
Behind him were thirty elders dressed in identical robes of various colors. Behind those elders were another seventy middle-aged men and women in black robes. Though their attire was simple, it was perfectly uniform! And the Primordial Power fluctuations emanating from each of them were utterly terrifying!
"Thirty Venerable Realm experts! Seventy Emperor Realm experts! What a formidable lineup!!"
Before the gasps of amazement had faded, Red Wood Cliff suddenly hurled the Dark Kui Ox in his hand. It slammed into the ground with a deafening crash, knocking aside a swath of Magical Beasts!
After that throw, Red Wood Cliff pointed downward and roared at the hundred experts behind him, "Annihilate them!"
"Yes, sir!"
Receiving the command, all the Martial Artists in the air dove toward the ground. In an instant, a kaleidoscopic array of Combat Skills exploded throughout the Magical Beast horde. Roars, piercing screams, and the sounds of bodies bursting filled the air. The battle was completely one-sided!
High in the sky, thousands of feet up, a white-robed, white-haired elder squinted down at the scene below. Watching the Magical Beasts being practically slaughtered, he shook his head and sighed. ’That Yue Ru, she’s truly fearless. To attack the city, she only sent a few hundred Emperor Realm beasts and two in the Venerable Realm. Isn’t she afraid the other Eight Emperors will ostracize her for this?’
"Heh... Ostracize me? Among the Eight Emperors, aside from the Evil Dragon who gives me slight pause, I don’t give a damn about the other seven."
Suddenly, just as the white-robed elder was lost in thought, the figure of a stunningly beautiful and bewitching Empress materialized beside him. The white-robed elder turned his head, a wry smile on his face. "Why are you still here?"
The bewitching woman gave a charming smile. "You haven’t left either, have you?"
"Sigh..." The white-robed elder sighed again. "I was watching to see how far these subordinates of yours could get. But I never expected that you wouldn’t send out your real forces, and instead just casually gathered some little ones to charge in."
It was clear that this white-robed elder was Elder Mu. Although he couldn’t participate in this battle between Magical Beasts and humans, in his heart, he was constantly worried about the survival of the Xuanling Empire. After all, this was his homeland. It was his home!