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**
"What should we do now? Should we ask for help from the Mu Clan, the Nalan Clan, the Alchemist Association, and the Imperial Family?" Mittel Tengshan sighed and asked.
"No need." Ya Fei, standing nearby, shook her head.
Her slender, fair fingers gently tapped the back of her hand as her bright eyes swept over everyone and calmly said, "If they've already made up their minds to fight to the death, we don't need to ask—they'll come of their own accord. But if they don't want to or don't dare, then no matter how much we beg, it'll be useless."
"Surely they understand the saying: 'When the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold.'" Hai Bodong nodded in agreement, glancing at Ya Fei with a touch of admiration in his eyes.
Though this woman didn't possess exceptional talent in cultivation, she was smart, calm, and decisive—and she had grown significantly over the years.
Compared to who she had been three years ago, she had changed drastically.
Ya Fei lifted her eyes slightly and turned to Mittel Tengshan, saying, "Elder, to prepare for the worst, I've already sent some of the younger members of the Mittel and Xiao Clans out of the capital in secret, to preserve our bloodline."
"Sigh, this girl… you really do see farther than me. To think you arranged all this in advance. Far more decisive than I am." Mittel Tengshan was stunned for a moment before letting out a bitter smile.
"Now that we have no burdens holding us back, then let's prepare for a fight to the death. After all, surrendering won't end any better." He took a deep breath and declared.
Ya Fei nodded, and then her beautiful face turned frosty. Her phoenix-like eyes swept coldly over the crowd as she shouted sternly, her voice spreading across the entire Mittel estate:
"Everyone, hear this! Hold your positions and do not panic! If anyone dares to invade—no need to report. Kill on sight!"
"Yes!"
Watching Ya Fei issue commands with precision and decisiveness, quickly stabilizing the mood of the crowd, Hai Bodong nodded slightly.
Then, narrowing his eyes, he stared coldly toward the direction of the erupting Dou Qi, his fists clenched slowly within his sleeves.
"Yun Shan, you damned old bastard… If you want to wipe out my Mittel Clan, I'll make sure you leave with broken bones and a river of blood!"
"And you, Mister Wei, Brat Xiao... I'm protecting the Xiao Clan this fiercely for your sakes. I hope that after today, I'll still have the chance to see you both again. When that time comes, you'd better not be stingy with me!"
"Without at least one Mighty Huang Pill, don't expect me to let it go! Hah!"
"Kill!!"
Just as the Mittel Clan stood at the ready, a sharp cry erupted from the direction of the Dou Qi explosion in Jia Ma Sacred City.
A moment later, a white-robed army flooded forth like a tidal wave, blanketing the skies.
Leaping across rooftops and city buildings, their robes fluttered with embroidered sword-and-cloud patterns, clearly marking their identity—
They were members of Yun Lan Sect.
"Hiss—who would've thought Yun Lan Sect would deploy so many people this time? Looks like they really want to swallow the entire Mittel Clan in one go!"
Watching the countless shadows flicker across rooftops like locusts, many onlookers gasped in shock.
Then came waves of pity and indignation.
For Yun Lan Sect to attack so brazenly in the empire's capital—it was simply too outrageous.
This move undoubtedly trampled the dignity of the Imperial Family into the dirt and stomped on it.
The white-robed forces surged in from the northern part of the city, flowing like a white tide as they surrounded the Mittel Clan estate from all sides.
From the look of it, Yun Lan Sect had likely mobilized at least a thousand men. A force of this scale was enough to rival a full military unit in destructive power.
"Brother Xiao, once the fighting starts, you should stay out of harm's way," Ya Fei turned her head and gently advised Xiao Ding, who sat calmly in a wheelchair.
"What use is there in staying out of harm's way at this point? Do you really think I'm someone who can't even lift a finger?" Xiao Ding responded with a calm smile, clearly appreciating Ya Fei's concern—but not intending to hide.
Immediately, Xiao Ding raised his palm, and an exceptionally rich green Dou Qi, brimming with vitality, surged out and wrapped around his entire hand.
Wood-element Dou Qi! Judging by its strength—it had already reached the Dou Ling level!
The three Xiao brothers all possessed different elemental affinities.
Their father, Xiao Zhan, was wind-element. Their mother's attribute was unknown, yet the three brothers born from them turned out drastically different—Xiao Ding had the wood element, Xiao Li wielded the rare lightning element, and Xiao Yan possessed a fire-wood hybrid affinity.
Seeing this, Ya Fei was visibly surprised. "Oh? You've broken through to Dou Ling? When did that happen?"
Even Hai Bodong, who stood nearby, was slightly stunned as he sensed the aura Xiao Ding suddenly released. His gaze turned toward him in astonishment.
"Perhaps a blessing in disguise," Xiao Ding said with a calm smile. "Ever since I lost all feeling in my legs, I've had no choice but to sit still and cultivate. Unexpectedly, my progress wasn't bad at all."
"As long as you can protect yourself, that's good." Hai Bodong nodded, then lowered his voice and added solemnly, "If the situation turns dire later, you and Ya Fei should find a way to escape. All of us dying here would be a foolish move."
"Even if I die… even if the Mittel Clan is destroyed… at least someone will live to avenge us one day."
Those words made both Xiao Ding and Ya Fei pause, their expressions hardening.
"The young ones who were secretly escorted out of the city will need someone to guide and care for them, to help them rise again in the future," Hai Bodong said through a private sound transmission. "Of course, if there's a chance, I'll escape too. But if I can't make it and die here, and one day you meet Mister Wei or that brat Xiao Yan, tell them—I did my best."
Hearing this, both Xiao Ding and Ya Fei couldn't help but smile wryly. They were just about to reply when Hai Bodong's expression suddenly turned grim. "They're here."
Following his voice, the two raised their heads to look. Sure enough, on the rooftops surrounding the manor, countless white-robed figures now stood, their swords glinting coldly in the sunlight.
Every one of them held nearly identical sharp longswords, and the chill of their blades, reflected by the sun, poured into the estate like a freezing wind, making the air almost unbearable.
"You two take command inside. As for Yun Lan Sect, I'll hold them off." Hai Bodong spoke to Ya Fei before kicking off the ground and soaring into the sky.
Behind him, Mittel Tengshan saw this and immediately gave a loud shout. Many of the Mittel Clan's strongest fighters quickly followed, leaping up into the air.
In a flash, they had stationed themselves around the perimeter of the estate, standing firm against the overwhelming Yun Lan Sect forces outside.
Floating midair, Hai Bodong gave a slight tremor of his shoulders. With a burst of Dou Qi, a pair of ice-element Dou Qi wings spread out from his back. With a flap, he stabilized himself in the air.
His cold eyes swept across the vast sea of white-robed invaders. An overwhelming surge of Dou Huang-level Dou Qi erupted from within him.
That massive pressure swept across the sky like a storm cloud, enveloping everything within a hundred-meter radius.
With Hai Bodong's current strength as a Dou Huang, even the vast Yun Lan Sect army couldn't help but stir in unease under the weight of his presence.
As one of the few veteran Dou Huang powerhouses in the Jia Ma Empire, Hai Bodong had made significant recovery over the past three years.
Of course, he still hadn't quite returned to the peak of his prime.
He did feel a bit regretful—before Wei Yang had left, he hadn't been able to gather enough rare ingredients to request that he refine a Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill.
Spiritual Recovery Purple Pill: A Tier 5 medicinal pill that could fully restore one's strength after injury or internal damage caused by seals or trauma.
If only he'd been able to collect everything back then and request it personally, with the bond they shared—watching the Alchemist Grand Meeting together, and even teaming up against the You Hun Zun Zhe—he was certain Wei Yang would've agreed to help.
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