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**
Puff—
When the Dou Huang Yun Cha was engulfed in emerald flames and turned into a blazing figure—then, with a muffled pop, disintegrated into ashes and scattered with the wind—it marked the end of this brutal battle.
Rumble, rumble—
From all directions, the sound of thunderous hooves echoed like low rolling thunder. Wave after wave of black-armored cavalry and infantry surged toward the city from every corner, forming an iron tide that poured into every part of the capital.
The vast Imperial Army—infantry and heavy cavalry alike—had all been mobilized by Yao Ye.
In just moments, the entire manor was completely surrounded, not even a breeze could slip through.
With the battle in the skies fully concluded, the remaining Yun Lan Sect disciples quickly began to retreat like receding waves, withdrawing from the manor grounds.
But by now, their losses were already staggering. Those who regrouped numbered no more than three hundred, each one wounded to some extent.
On the ground, from the outskirts of the manor to its interior, corpses lay sprawled across the land like a carpet.
Crimson blood seeped beneath the bodies, soaking into the soil before pooling into narrow streams that wound along the ground, emitting squelching sounds with every step.
The pungent stench of blood hung thick in the air—so dense it seemed it might never dissipate.
Both inside and outside the manor, all was deathly silent.
Tragic. Lives crushed like weeds.
The remaining Yun Lan Sect disciples huddled together, their faces ghostly pale, eyes flickering with unmistakable fear.
At last… they were afraid.
Now that all their high-ranking warriors were dead, fewer than three hundred survivors remained, completely surrounded on all sides.
They had been abandoned by Yun Lan Sect.
A chilling sense of hopelessness and despair spread through their hearts—and appeared clearly in their eyes.
Yet all those present stared at them with cold indifference—there was not the slightest trace of pity.
Because everything was Yun Lan Sect's own doing.
They brought this on themselves.They were not worthy of sympathy.
Clank, clank, clank—
A steady rhythm of armored boots sounded out as black-armored soldiers marched forward in formation, wielding long spears and iron shields.
Step by step, they advanced and herded the Yun Lan Sect disciples into a single area.
Then the soldiers moved in, forming a wall of interlocked shields, boxing them into a tight formation—so narrow there was barely room to turn around.
At this point, all hope of resistance had vanished from the faces of the Yun Lan Sect disciples. Their expressions were those of walking corpses.
Surrounded so tightly by a trained army, unable to even move freely—how could they possibly resist?
Then, the iron tide parted to form a path.
Clip-clop…
A strong warhorse slowly stepped out from the formation.
Atop the horse sat a tall, regal woman dressed in a purple-black brocade robe and crowned with a phoenix-shaped coronet.
Her eyes were sharp and commanding—this was none other than the current Empress of the Jia Ma Empire, Yao Ye.
"Yun Lan Sect has defied the law and incited chaos within the capital. Arrest them all. They will be tried another day!"
Yao Ye's phoenix eyes swept coldly across the surrounded Yun Lan Sect disciples. With a wave of her slender hand, she issued her decree.
Upon hearing her order, the already demoralized Yun Lan Sect disciples—staring at the two-to-three-meter-long spears mere inches from their faces—offered no resistance.
With lifeless expressions, they dropped their weapons one by one.
Then, they silently allowed the soldiers—fierce as wolves and tigers—to shackle them with specially crafted restraints that suppressed their Dou Qi before being dragged away.
Seeing that these Yun Lan Sect disciples offered no resistance and surrendered quietly, Yao Ye quietly let out a breath of relief.
In this final moment, as Empress, she had at least made a public appearance—displayed a measure of authority.
It was a small but important way to restore some of the Imperial Family's dignity.
High in the sky, Xiao Yan watched all of this unfold with a cold, detached expression.
He did not interfere.
After all, the remaining Yun Lan Sect disciples—barely three hundred people—were insignificant. Even if he personally executed them all, it would only amount to slaughtering small fry.
They posed no real threat.
At this moment, Xiao Yan simply treated it as giving the Imperial Family some face.
He was no longer a greenhorn fresh out of training. When it came to the subtleties of social etiquette and worldly affairs, he understood how to play the game.
Thus, this storm quietly came to an end.
What remained was merely the cleanup of the battlefield and the disposal of the corpses—there was no need to go into excessive detail.
Wei Yang, seeing that Yun Shan still hadn't appeared even now, shook his head slightly in disappointment. He withdrew his hidden spiritual perception and clicked his tongue with disinterest.
That old bastard was cautious indeed. Didn't dare show his face.
Turning around, he looked at Fa Ma, Jia Xingtian, and Hai Bodong standing nearby. Wei Yang smiled and said, "It's been a while, you three."
"Haha! Mister Wei, it has been a long time!" Hai Bodong laughed heartily.
"Mister Wei," Jia Xingtian, dressed in a simple hemp robe, also nodded with a smile.
"Wei Yang, you finally remembered to come back and visit us old geezers, huh?" Fa Ma, however, huffed with mock displeasure, glaring at him.
"President Fa Ma, I apologize. I've been busy with some matters lately and ended up delaying things," Wei Yang replied with an apologetic smile.
"Hmph."
Only then did Fa Ma reluctantly nod, seemingly accepting the explanation.
After Wei Yang's apology, the last trace of resentment in Fa Ma's heart finally dissipated.
Behind them, Vice President Qie Mi Er arrived, flapping his wings as he led a group of white-haired elders through the air. Their expressions were excited as they all bowed slightly and greeted in unison:
"Greetings, Elder Wei!"
"No need for such formality, Elders," Wei Yang quickly raised his hand in a gentle gesture of support. With a thought, a soft wave of energy spread out and lifted each of them upright.
Being saluted by a bunch of old men really made Wei Yang feel a bit awkward.
"Wei Yang, now that you're back, you'll be staying at the Association, right?" Fa Ma asked with a beaming smile.
"Of course," Wei Yang paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Good."
Fa Ma gave a satisfied nod. The others, including Qie Mi Er, were visibly pleased upon hearing this.
If Wei Yang had returned to the Jia Ma Empire but not stayed at the Alchemist Association, and instead went somewhere else, then these old men would no doubt be grumbled about behind closed doors by their subordinates.
"The Association is my home too. Of course I'll stay there when I return," Wei Yang replied with a smile, saying exactly what they wanted to hear.
After all, this was a group of old folks—you had to coax them a little.
And sure enough—
"That's exactly how it should be."
"Indeed. The Association is your home," the elders nodded and stroked their beards, smiling so broadly their faces almost couldn't contain it.
"Then let's go. We're heading back to the Association. You've got to tell us all about what you've been up to these past years!" Fa Ma stepped forward, his dry, wrinkled hand grabbing Wei Yang by the arm as he dragged him along in flight.
A cluster of elders immediately surrounded Wei Yang, some even throwing guarded glances at Jia Xingtian and Hai Bodong—like they were worried the two might snatch Wei Yang away.
Jia Xingtian and Hai Bodong both rolled their eyes and turned away with a harrumph.
Wei Yang let out a helpless laugh. He didn't resist, allowing the enthusiastic elders to drag him along as they all flew toward the Alchemist Association.
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