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That night, Tang San finalized the route map for this operation, quickly changed into his night clothes, and appeared near the dungeon.
From his reconnaissance, he discovered that the entrance to the dungeon wasn't located in the desolate area outside the city. Instead, there was a long passageway leading from within the city to the dungeon—this was the true entrance and exit.
Where the passageway led inside the city, he couldn't determine, nor did he dare to investigate further.
His earlier reconnaissance of the dungeon in the desolate area had already drawn the attention of the guards. Any additional actions would likely lead to trouble before he could rescue Dai Mubai and the others.
Therefore, to rescue Dai Mubai, he needed to create an entrance on the roof of the dungeon for easy access and retreat.
For someone with the Hao Tian Hammer spirit like him, smashing a hole wasn't difficult—the challenge lay in doing it quietly.
To achieve this, he turned his attention to the other prisoners inside the dungeon.
The criminals imprisoned in the dungeon were all destined to die. If they could make a final contribution before their deaths, it would be considered making full use of them.
With a plan in mind, Tang San acted immediately. Based on his earlier reconnaissance, he swung the Hao Tian Hammer and smashed open a gap in the roof of the dungeon.
The commotion caused by the Hao Tian Hammer was significant, and the hidden guards were sure to notice.
Next, Tang San had to race against time. Before the forces of the Star Luo Empire arrived, he had to throw the situation inside the dungeon into chaos and take advantage of the confusion to rescue Dai Mubai and the others—this was the key.
Meanwhile, in the Star Luo Imperial Palace.
The dungeon was the highest-security prison in the Star Luo Empire, and any disturbance there was seen as a direct challenge to the empire's dignity!
Dai Weisi and Dai Tianfeng were handling official matters in the study.
Since Dai Mubai's imprisonment, Dai Weisi had stopped poisoning Dai Tianfeng.
As Dai Tianfeng's health gradually improved, he increasingly associated the poisoning incident with Dai Mubai.
At the same time, he was also considering whether to take action against the Tang Sect.
Dai Mubai wouldn't have dared to act against him. Even if Yu Tianheng and the others hadn't confessed, he could guess that the Tang Sect might be involved.
After his death, it would indeed be disadvantageous for Dai Mubai, while Dai Weisi would be the greatest beneficiary.
But without him, the Star Luo Empire would lack Title Douluo-level strength. If the Tang Sect's experts stormed the palace, who could stop them?
At that point, a coup could easily place Dai Mubai on the throne.
As suspicions about Dai Weisi gradually dissipated, Dai Tianfeng began to invest more in his grooming.
By allowing him to assist in handling most governmental affairs, he could also assess Dai Weisi's capabilities.
From the current results, Dai Weisi already showed the makings of a wise ruler. Handing the future of the Star Luo Empire to him wouldn't necessarily make it stronger, but at least it wouldn't be eroded by foreign powers.
Just as Dai Weisi finished sharing his insights on governance, a shadow guard rushed in with urgent news.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Someone has infiltrated the dungeon and released all the prisoners!"
"What?!" Dai Tianfeng's face turned pale as he abruptly stood up.
The dungeon didn't just house criminals—it also held his brothers.
Years ago, after losing the competition for the throne, his brothers had been secretly imprisoned.
If these individuals were released and exploited by those with ulterior motives, it would inevitably shake the foundations of the empire.
Dai Weisi, on the other hand, remained outwardly calm and immediately asked, "Who is the jailbreaker? Was their identity confirmed?"
The shadow guard replied, "Their spirit resembles some kind of grass—it looks similar to Blue Silver Grass but also somewhat different."
The Blue Silver Emperor spirit was exceedingly rare, and only scholars specializing in spirit research could recognize it.
Dai Weisi already had a suspicion.
Who else but Tang San would dare storm the dungeon with a Blue Silver Grass spirit?
Tang San's arrival here must surely be to rescue Dai Mubai.
Dai Weisi inwardly sneered.
Though he hadn't received help from the Sky Sword Sect or the top three sects, the lower four sects had shown interest in aligning with him.
Tang San's attempt to raid the dungeon now perfectly suited his plans.
However, he dared not reveal his satisfaction outwardly.
"Father, we must immediately dispatch the Tiger Roar Camp and the city's Imperial Guard. Additionally, the White Tiger Camp must remain on standby—we cannot allow those criminals to escape."
The Imperial Guard, White Tiger Camp, and Tiger Roar Camp were all Dai Tianfeng's personal armies—he had no fear of them seizing the opportunity to launch a coup.
With this in mind, he quickly wrote an imperial decree and retrieved the corresponding military tokens. "Dispatch ten thousand elite soldiers from the Imperial Guard, and mobilize the entire Tiger Roar Camp."
He handed the decree and token to the shadow guard.
After a pause, he handed the White Tiger Camp's military token and decree to Dai Weisi.
His suspicions about Dai Weisi hadn't completely disappeared. If Dai Weisi harbored any malicious intentions, tonight would be the perfect opportunity.
Moreover, handing over control of the White Tiger Camp gave Dai Weisi a chance to attempt a coup.
"Weisi, go and mobilize the White Tiger Camp to maintain order inside and outside the city—don't disappoint me."
Taking the military token and decree, Dai Weisi swiftly left the palace.
As he departed, he glanced back at the palace, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Others may not know, but I'm very clear—every high-ranking officer in the White Tiger Camp is someone you've planted!"
On the surface, controlling the White Tiger Camp might seem like an opportunity for a coup, but in reality, if he dared to make such a move, his fate would be sealed!
Dai Tianfeng held little father-son affection for him—what was stopping him from killing him?
With his strength as a Title Douluo, Dai Tianfeng could easily produce more heirs for the royal family whenever he wished.
However, this test played right into Dai Weisi's hands.
Inside the palace, Dai Weisi certainly couldn't mobilize the forces of the lower four sects, but outside the palace, he had the opportunity to deploy their experts to intercept Dai Mubai.
As for the mobilization of the White Tiger Camp, it was merely a formality to reassure Dai Tianfeng.
…
Inside the dungeon.
With the power of a Title Douluo, Tang San moved through the dungeon as if it were empty.
The prisoners locked inside the dungeon each carried secrets. They knew that if they didn't reveal these secrets, they wouldn't even be able to die in peace.
Tang San released them, and as they reflected on their years of suffering, they inevitably grew filled with hatred toward the Star Luo Empire.
Most of them didn't think of escaping but instead banded together to hunt down the dungeon guards.
With chaos erupting, Tang San took the opportunity to delve deeper into the dungeon and locate the cells of Dai Mubai and the others.
Hearing the commotion in the dungeon, Dai Mubai knew Tang San had come to rescue him.
When Tang San appeared in front of his cell, Dai Mubai was overjoyed and tearfully exclaimed, "Xiao San, thank you so much!"
Tang San ignored him, releasing him before moving to the neighboring cell.
Tai Long's body had partially decomposed but was still mostly intact, identifiable by his face.
Yu Tianxin blamed himself, saying, "It's all my fault. If I had uncovered Dai Weisi's scheme sooner, Tai Long wouldn't have…"
As the eldest among them, he felt responsible for everyone's safety. Yet now, Tai Long had been the first to fall.
Tang San patted his shoulder lightly. "Tianxin, no one could have anticipated that Dai Weisi would act so desperately. Now isn't the time for self-blame. Follow me and fight our way out to avenge Tai Long!"
With that, he stored Tai Long's body in his soul-guided artifact.
With the body, he could account for his mission upon returning.
…
The four fearsome figures of Shrek regrouped and followed Tang San's planned route to break through the encirclement.
Most of the dungeon's guards were preoccupied with the prisoners, so Tang San and his group encountered little resistance on their retreat route.
Of course, Tang San was well aware that the large hole he had created earlier would certainly be discovered and heavily guarded by the empire's elites. Returning the same way would be suicide.
Reaching another location, he swung the Hao Tian Hammer and collapsed the roof of the dungeon, revealing the sky outside.
Using the Blue Silver Grass, he pulled Dai Mubai and the others up.
Breathing in the fresh air, Dai Mubai felt elated and gazed toward the direction of Star Luo City, clenching his fists tightly.
This time, he had fled Star Luo City in disgrace, but the next time he returned, he would rule as emperor!
Yu Tianheng couldn't help but ask, "Tang San, it's unusually quiet here—I have a bad feeling."
Tang San frowned. "Don't overthink it. The Star Luo Empire's army doesn't yet fully understand the situation in the dungeon—they'll focus all their efforts on suppressing the prisoners' uprising."
"We need to leave immediately. Let's return to the Tang Sect and plan our next move."
They ran for a distance toward the Tang Sect. Seeing no ambushes nearby, Yu Tianheng thought he had been overly cautious and gradually relaxed.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a cliff where the suspension bridges on both sides had been deliberately cut.
Unaware of the severity of the situation, Dai Mubai urged, "Xiao San, why don't we use the Blue Silver Grass to rebuild the bridge?"
Tang San frowned and said gravely, "When I scouted the retreat route yesterday, this bridge was still intact."
At once, the four of them became alert.
How could it have coincidentally broken just today after being fine yesterday?
It was clear that someone knew their retreat route and had set up an ambush here in advance!
Clap clap clap.
Applause echoed around them.
The leaders of the Sacred Dragon Sect and the Elephant Armor Sect, Tuoba Xi and Huyan Zhen, emerged from both sides.
"The Elephant Armor Sect and the Sacred Dragon Sect!" Tang San's expression changed drastically as he immediately assumed a battle stance.
His information was outdated—he still believed these two sects were pawns of the Spirit Hall.
Their appearance here now must have been arranged by the Spirit Hall.
Could it be that Dai Weisi had betrayed the Star Luo Empire and colluded with the Spirit Hall?
If that were true, even if Dai Mubai managed to ascend the throne in the future, it would take considerable time to purge the Spirit Hall's influence from the Star Luo Empire. Consequently, his plans for revenge against the Spirit Hall would have to be postponed.
During the Soul Master Tournament, Shrek Academy had decisively defeated the Elephant Armor Academy, so Huyan Zhen was no stranger to Tang San and his group.
"What's the matter, Tang Sect Leader? Have you reached the end of your rope?" Huyan Zhen sneered mockingly, not forgetting to compare Tang San with Ning Tianchen.
"If you had even half of Little Ning's wisdom, you wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament today."
Tang San possessed the ability to fly. If he had chosen to escape from the dungeon by air, taking Dai Mubai and the others with him, Huyan Zhen and the others truly wouldn't have been able to stop them.
Unfortunately, Tang San hadn't done that, opting instead for a land-based retreat!
"Huyan Zhen, enough talk. If you want to fight, let's fight!" The Hao Tian Hammer spirit manifested in Tang San's left hand.
At this moment, the Hao Tian Hammer only had four spirit rings, all obtained during the Soul Master Tournament.
Thanks to Tang Xiao's training and Tang San's increased strength, he could now unleash most of the Hao Tian Hammer's power.
"Huyan Zhen, stop wasting words. Don't forget our objective," Tuoba Xi said coldly.
The White Armored Earth Dragon spirit rose into the air, and in its True Body state, it stood at a towering twenty meters tall.
Tang San's Hao Tian Hammer hadn't yet acquired its seventh soul skill, so he couldn't counter with his True Body state.
But he was confident that with his current abilities, he could hold his own against Tuoba Xi, who was at level ninety-one.
As for Huyan Zhen, he was merely a peak defensive System Soul Douluo—in the face of the Hao Tian Hammer, he was nothing more than a punching bag.
"Let's all break through together!" Dai Mubai activated his True Body and charged forward.
Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng simultaneously unleashed their True Body states and fully dragonized their bodies.
Despite the imposing name of the Sacred Dragon Sect, their heritage spirit was only a subspecies of dragons.
Faced with the attack of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, a true dragon spirit, the bloodline suppression made it difficult for them to compete with Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng.
The disciples of the Elephant Armor Sect weren't afraid of bloodline suppression, but their weak offensive capabilities meant they couldn't inflict substantial damage on the two dragonized brothers.
On the battlefield between Tang San, Tuoba Xi, and Huyan Zhen, Tang San easily suppressed the two using the nine techniques of the Hao Tian Hammer.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Huyan Zhen quickly transmitted a message to Tuoba Xi: "I'll deal with the target; you hold Tang San back."
With that, Tuoba Xi actively engaged Tang San, while Huyan Zhen withdrew from the battlefield and fired a signal flare into the sky.
Under Dai Weisi's leadership, the White Tiger Camp was rushing toward this location.
"This is bad," Tang San grimaced.
Once the main forces of the Star Luo Empire arrived, they'd be in serious trouble.
After all, Dai Mubai had been imprisoned in the dungeon. If the imperial army spotted his escape and reported it to Dai Tianfeng, Dai Mubai would undoubtedly lose his status as a royal heir.
Without that status, Dai Mubai would lose all value. Tang San coming to rescue him would then amount to nothing more than a joke.
Huyan Zhen rejoined the ground battle and swiftly forced Dai Mubai and the others to retreat.
By now, they had reached the edge of the cliff, and Tang San stood back-to-back with them.
Yu Tianxin's expression hardened. "Tang San, take everyone and go. I'll stay behind to hold them off."
Facing a Title Douluo, a peak Soul Douluo, and numerous Soul Emperors and Soul Sages, staying behind meant certain death.
But if Tang San stayed behind, the others wouldn't be able to cross the cliff.
"I'll stay too," Yu Tianheng said solemnly.
"Don't throw your life away for nothing, Tianheng," Yu Tianxin urged. "If I stay, there's still a chance to negotiate. You go first, and come back to rescue me later!"
Tang San understood—this was the best course of action for now.
"Are you done discussing?" Huyan Zhen asked impatiently.
Tang San exchanged a glance with Yu Tianxin, then quickly switched to his Blue Silver Grass spirit, wrapping it around Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng.
Activating the flight ability granted by the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone and his own innate flying capability as a Title Douluo, Tang San rapidly soared across the cliff.
Seeing this, Tuoba Xi attempted to give chase, but his flying speed was far inferior to Tang San's.
Moreover, Tang San's strength was beyond what Tuoba Xi could handle. Why risk his life just because of a promise from Dai Weisi?
With this thought, he vented all his anger on Yu Tianxin.
A Title Douluo versus a Soul Sage—it was a completely one-sided beatdown.
By the time Dai Weisi and his men arrived, Yu Tianxin had been beaten unconscious!
"What happened? Where's Mubai!?" Dai Weisi urgently demanded.
After learning the situation from Huyan Zhen, he coldly glanced at Yu Tianxin.
Rather than using him as leverage against Dai Mubai, it would be better to kill him out of spite.
It was clear that Yu Tianxin had great potential and might become a Title Douluo in the future. Killing him would weaken the Tang Sect's future combat strength.
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