Chapter 394: Gathering Allies, Preparing for Battle
"What do we do? What do we do?! Those three have been rescued by Xiao Tiance! The clan leader will surely blame us what should we do?"
In the dungeon of the True Phoenix Clan's ancestral grounds at Longfeng Tian, Feng Lin's body trembled violently not from his injuries, but from fear.
He understood better than anyone how much the clan leader valued those three captives. Now that they were gone, the consequences were unimaginable.
Feng Ying, standing nearby, was in no better shape. Although he wasn't directly responsible for the dungeon's oversight, the one who had suggested extracting Huang Min and Ling Yun's bloodline and imprisoning them was none other than himself.
Even with the backing of a powerful ancestor comparable to a late stage Immortal grade Heavenly Supreme, Feng Ying knew that not even his ancestor could shield him from the repercussions of this disaster.
"No, we can't just sit here and wait for punishment!" Feng Ying declared, his mind racing. He turned to Feng Lin, his voice urgent. "Feng Lin, we need to act immediately. Send people to search for Xiao Tiance and those three old monsters. If we don't bring them back, the clan leader's wrath will destroy us all!"
Hearing this, Feng Lin snapped back to his senses. "You're right! If we can find the two I fought earlier, we'll find Xiao Tiance.
Once we capture him and recover those three old monsters, we might still have a chance to redeem ourselves."
Ignoring his injuries, Feng Lin quickly left the dungeon with Feng Ying and his grandson, Feng Shan, in tow. Before long, hundreds of True Phoenix Clan members, in their true phoenix forms, soared out of the clan's ancestral grounds. The sheer scale of the mobilization sent shockwaves through Longfeng Tian, with many wondering what the True Phoenix Clan was planning.
Meanwhile, at Xiao Tiance's Side
Xiao Tiance had already relocated his group to a highly concealed location. He had even set up a hidden spirit array spanning several kilometers around their camp to ensure their safety.
Inside a mountain cave, Xiao Xuan sat cross legged, meditating to heal his injuries. Xun'er, meanwhile, had been pulled aside by Xiao Tiance to assist him in refining pills.
Xiao Tianming, knowing he couldn't leave, focused on his cultivation, striving to break through to the Ninth Grade Supreme level as quickly as possible.
Zi Yan, Chen Yunqiao, and the Sixth Grade Supreme from the Tianluo Hall stayed quiet and kept to themselves, careful not to disturb anyone.
While Xiao Tiance's group maintained their secrecy, Longfeng Tian was in chaos. Hundreds of True Phoenix Clan members scoured the land in a frenzy, and battles erupted everywhere they went.
In the Western Sky Continent, Luoshui City
In the Luo God Clan's territory, Luo Tianshen was sparring with his son, Luo Yang, using a golden Heavenly Demon Puppet to guide and train him.
Suddenly, the jade transmission slip at his waist lit up. Stopping the match, Luo Tianshen said, "That's enough for today. Luo Yang, inspect the surrounding defenses and stay alert."
"Yes, Father." Luo Yang bowed before leaving.
Once his son was gone, Luo Tianshen picked up the jade slip, injecting a strand of spiritual energy into it. When he saw the floating words, his expression changed.
"Lord Tiance is in trouble again, and so soon?" he murmured, surprised.
Despite his surprise, Luo Tianshen wasted no time. He immediately recalled Luo Yang, visited the Luo God Clan's forbidden grounds to inform the clan elders, and then departed through the city's teleportation array with three Eighth Grade Supremes.
Across Continents
Similar messages were received on the Tiancang Continent, at the Heavenly Sky Academy and Spirit Sword Mountain, as well as on the Soul Continent and the Heavenly Serpent Continent.
Two Weeks Later
At the designated meeting place, Tong Sihai and Mu Ling were astounded by the gathering of powerhouses.
For Tong Sihai especially, it was shocking to see how many experts Xiao Tiance's call had summoned.
From the Western Sky Continent, Luo Tianshen had arrived with three Eighth Grade Supremes.
From the Tiancang Continent, the dean of the Heavenly Sky Academy and Wansui each brought three Eighth Grade Supremes.
From the Soul Continent, Liu Changkong came with a Lower Earthly Supreme, an Upper Earthly Supreme, and over a dozen Eighth and Ninth Grade Supremes.
Huai En had also arrived, accompanied by two Lower Earthly Supremes.
The sheer number of top tier experts gathered here was overwhelming.
A Sudden Arrival
Just as Tong Sihai was about to speak, a powerful spatial ripple tore through the air. A young man stepped out, accompanied by seven or eight experts above the Eighth Grade Supreme level, including three Upper Earthly Supremes.
But what truly drew everyone's attention was the woman standing beside him.
She was stunning beyond words, her beauty and figure unmatched. Any man who saw her would feel an instinctive desire to claim her as his own.
"Medusa, you've returned!"
At that moment, Mu Ling emerged from his room. Spotting the woman, he immediately exclaimed with excitement.
"It's been a long time, Lord Spirit Emperor," Medusa replied with a faint smile. Her icy, exquisite face softened slightly as she bowed respectfully to Mu Ling.
"Greetings, Teacher's Wife!"
Hearing this, Huai En, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, stood and bowed respectfully.
Medusa's smile brightened further at the title. She flashed over to Huai En's side, smiling as she asked, "Huai En, you're here too? Why aren't you with your teacher?"
Although Xiao Tiance had never explicitly stated that Medusa was his wife, he had also never corrected anyone who addressed her as such. As a result, everyone in the Xiao Clan back on the Dou Qi Continent treated Medusa as Xiao Tiance's woman, showing her the utmost respect.
"Teacher instructed me to wait here, though I didn't expect things to escalate like this.
By the way, Teacher's Wife, who is this?" Huai En asked, his gaze landing on the young man beside her.
Before Medusa could answer, the young man smiled and introduced himself. "I am Jiu Yuan. Back on the Western Sky Continent, Lord Tiance invited me to join the force he's building."
Hearing this, Huai En nodded and bowed. "Greetings, Lord Jiu Yuan."
"No need for formalities," Jiu Yuan replied with a smile. "If you address Queen Medusa as Teacher's Wife, I assume you're one of Lord Tiance's disciples? I've heard he has four disciples three of them divine beasts, and one who stands out from the rest."
Jiu Yuan looked Huai En over, his sharp gaze scanning him from head to toe. Then, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, he smiled warmly.
"It seems Lord Tiance's judgment is as sharp as ever. Although you are not a divine beast, the power of the bloodline within you is exceptionally domineering. There's no doubt that you'll become a powerful force in the future," Jiu Yuan said with admiration.
Hearing this, Huai En's eyes narrowed slightly. Despite his effort, he couldn't sense Jiu Yuan's true strength, which meant he was at least at the peak of the Earthly Supreme realm or higher.
"You flatter me, Lord Jiu Yuan," Huai En said with a respectful bow. "I am indeed Huai En, though I regret that I've yet to reach the Earthly Supreme realm. As of now, I'm still only at the peak of Ninth Grade Supreme. I've let my teacher down."
Jiu Yuan chuckled and waved dismissively. "No need to rush. You're young. Strength will come with time."
A Rallying Call
After the polite exchange, Mu Ling stepped into the center of the gathering. Looking around at the assembled allies, he clasped his hands in greeting.
"Ladies and gentlemen, now that we're all here, I assume you're aware of the situation. Lord Tiance has encountered a conflict with the True Phoenix Clan and has called upon us to lend our support.
On behalf of Lord Tiance, I thank you all for answering the call."
"Spirit Emperor, you're too kind," Liu Changkong replied in a booming voice. "Since Lord Tiance needs us, we'll follow his orders without hesitation, even at the cost of our lives!"
"Exactly! Lord Tiance has summoned us, so here we are," echoed Shi Hao enthusiastically. Although Shi Hao had come alone, no one underestimated him. On his first day, Luo Tianshen had mentioned that Shi Hao had sworn allegiance to Xiao Tiance back on the Western Sky Continent.
"It's an honor to serve Lord Tiance," Luo Tianshen said, bowing respectfully. "We await your instructions, Spirit Emperor."
Many others voiced their agreement, including the dean of the Heavenly Sky Academy and the master of Wansui Mountain, who showed no hesitation.
Mu Ling's expression brightened at the unanimous support. Just as he was about to speak again, everyone's attention turned eastward.
The Arrival of Tian Luo
From the distant sky, a figure emerged from the void, his laughter preceding him. "I hope I'm not late!"
"Tian Luo!"
Those who recognized the newcomer greeted him warmly, while others who didn't whispered among themselves upon hearing his name.
Tian Luo soon landed among the group, clasping his hands in greeting. "It's been a while, Spirit Emperor, Queen Medusa."
"Hahaha! You made it! I was beginning to think your travels had kept you away," Mu Ling replied, laughing.
Medusa smiled faintly. "Lord Tian Luo remains as carefree as ever."
Tian Luo chuckled modestly. "You flatter me, Queen Medusa. By the way, how did you end up traveling with Jiu Yuan?"
Medusa responded with a soft laugh. "It's a long story. I'll explain later. Right now, we need to head to Longfeng Tian immediately.
Lord Tiance's message emphasized arriving within a month, and half that time has already passed. Considering the journey ahead, we're short on time."
Medusa respected Tian Luo deeply. Although she had advanced to the Lower Earthly Supreme realm thanks to the resources of the Heavenly Snake Clan, she didn't underestimate Tian Luo, a Ninth Grade Supreme Peak who also happened to be a unique Heavenly Demon Puppet essentially an extension of Xiao Tiance himself.
"Queen Medusa, don't worry. We have enough time," Jiu Yuan interjected confidently.
At that moment, one of the Upper Earthly Supremes behind Jiu Yuan stepped forward, holding an object. After channeling spiritual energy into it, the object expanded, revealing a massive flying vessel.
The ship, resembling a Void Shuttle, stretched hundreds of meters in length and had three levels.
"This is a Void Shuttle Ship," Jiu Yuan explained with a smile. "It can travel through the void directly, eliminating the need for teleportation arrays. With it, we'll reach Longfeng Tian within half a month."
Departure
Mu Ling's eyes scanned the crowd before he spoke again. "Since that's the case, let's board now. We can discuss the rest on the way."
"Agreed!"
With that, the group turned into streams of light, boarding the massive ship. The Upper Earthly Supreme assisting Jiu Yuan efficiently assigned rooms to everyone.
"Let's go!"
At Jiu Yuan's command, the Void Shuttle Ship activated, its protective energy shield shimmering as it plunged into the void, disappearing from sight.
A Moment of Respite
Back in Shangzhi Continent, local merchants finally breathed a sigh of relief. The presence of so many powerful individuals had been like a sword hanging over their heads. Now that the warriors were gone, the oppressive atmosphere lifted.
On the Void Shuttle Ship
Inside a spacious hall on the ship, Medusa, Mu Ling, Tian Luo, Jiu Yuan, and Huai En gathered.
Mu Ling broke the silence. "Lord Tiance mentioned that you were taken to the Heavenly Snake Continent by a powerful figure. What happened?"
Medusa nodded. "Yes, that's true. After entering the Grand Thousand Worlds, I was separated from you and pursued by members of the Tianluo Hall. Thankfully, a strong figure appeared and saved me.
She brought me to the Heavenly Snake Continent. I later learned she was a member of the Nine Colored Swallowing Python Clan, the same bloodline I possess. She sensed my presence and took me in.
Upon reaching their ancestral grounds, my bloodline purity was deemed high enough for them to accept me. They provided me with resources, which allowed me to advance to the Lower Earthly Supreme realm.
Recently, Lord Jiu Yuan came with a message from Lord Tiance. After some negotiation, the clan elders agreed to let me leave, on the condition that I return with Lord Tiance to visit the Heavenly Snake Continent after this matter is resolved."
As Medusa recounted her story, Tian Luo and the others nodded in understanding.
"It's a relief you're safe," Mu Ling said warmly. "Otherwise, Lord Tiance would've gone on a rampage, just like he's doing now with the True Phoenix Clan."
Tian Luo laughed. "Exactly! Lord Tiance may not say it outright, but he's always been deeply concerned about you. Fortunately, Jiu Yuan brought you back.
As for visiting the Heavenly Snake Continent, I'm sure Lord Tiance will agree."
(End of Chapter)
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