"Director Wei was also a bit impulsive at the time because the other party struck first. Furthermore, once the Empress was taken away, this plan would completely fail, and all past sacrifices would be for naught."
Director Lu looked helpless, but after hesitating for a moment, he nodded, agreeing with Shen Yun's assessment that it was a fight to the death. He then added,
"Right now, we indeed need to show our strength to break the deadlock. However, Master Shen, you shouldn't feel too much pressure. We have already prepared the heavy firepower of an entire army group. If the enemy is caught off guard, it's still possible to take out a top-tier Grandmaster. Besides that... we also have several hydrogen bombs."
Director Lu lowered his voice at the end, but Shen Yun still heard him. His heart skipped a beat, soon replaced by a surge of excitement.
He had been most worried that the higher-ups would tie his hands, but now it seemed such concerns were unnecessary. As long as their interests aligned, there was nothing they couldn't do. However...
"If we use those things, I'm afraid we'll be attacked from all sides. Let me try first," Shen Yun said solemnly. He then strode over to the teleportation platform.
This Teleportation Array could only be used three times a day. There was simply no way to deploy an army on a large scale. Furthermore, war wasn't the choice that maximized their interests.
Various thoughts flashed through Shen Yun's mind. Ultimately, he felt that in a world where the strong reigned supreme, individual power made it easier to secure benefits, whether for the collective or for oneself.
"Xiaojiu, it's all up to you."
"Leave it to Xiaojiu, Master."
Spiritual Power surged from Shen Yun's body, pouring entirely into the Teleportation Array beneath his feet. A flash of light swept past, and they arrived at... another set of Bronze Relics.
"Master Shen, you're finally here," a middle-aged man dressed in ancient attire immediately said as he hurried over at a jog. "The situation is urgent. Director Wei can barely hold on much longer. Without satellites and air superiority, it's very difficult for us to achieve Locking on the enemy."
"Where are they?" Shen Yun asked, quickening his pace as he followed the man and inquired about the situation.
The Taotie inheritance that Wei Er had obtained was actually not weak—it was quite formidable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to kill one of the Grandmasters while being besieged by two. The problem was that he had, after all, only recently formed his Golden Core. Moreover, he still had to ensure the Empress's safety.
Shen Yun took a temporary subway to the surface. Aboveground lay a continuous mountain range, completely unlike the jungles on Earth. Until this moment, he finally had the real sensation of having arrived in the Otherworld. Wreathed in lightning, he shot straight into the sky.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Wei Er indeed looked quite miserable. His clothes had been torn to shreds in the battle, and his pale, flabby flesh had shrunk a size due to his immense energy consumption. He coughed from time to time, evidently having suffered considerable injuries.
"Seventeenth Imperial Princess, they're coming again." Wei Er's expression suddenly changed slightly as he whispered a warning to the woman in military attire beside him.
The woman nodded and reached out to produce a circular disc, which emitted a crystalline aura that enveloped the two of them. It was the Heaven and Sun Concealing Disc. This was the Seventeenth Imperial Princess's Lifebound Magical Treasure, and it had an extraordinary origin. However, with her cultivation base having just entered the Divine Thought Stage, she could only temporarily mask their auras while they remained stationary.
A moment later, SWISH SWISH SWISH, several figures flew past at low altitude right above them. Wei Er's gaze was filled with intense killing intent. Those bastards! One of the fallen martyrs was a subordinate who had been by his side from the very beginning. Yet, just because he had glanced at that Grandmaster, he was killed instantly with a single strike. Even after risking his old life, Wei Er had only managed to slaughter the other Grandmaster. He hadn't been able to avenge this blood debt.
"Grandmaster Wei," the Seventeenth Imperial Princess beside him exhaled softly. "If they fail to catch us again, the Cyan Emperor will strike personally. When that happens... I will surrender and help you escape."
"Seventeenth Imperial Princess, even if you are willing to throw yourself to the wolves, what about the Twelve Capitals Grand Array that we need?" Wei Er sneered. "Are you counting on those Princes of yours?"
"As long as we are alive, there is still hope," the Seventeenth Imperial Princess shook her head, the depths of her eyes revealing a deathly indifference.
"..."
Wei Er opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. The empire had a total of twenty-six Princes and Empresses, and the Seventeenth Imperial Princess was an extremely special one. When she was still young, her mother had fled the Imperial Capital with her, living incognito among the common folk. It wasn't until she turned sixteen, when her cultivation talent gradually became prominent and her identity was exposed, that she was brought back to the Imperial Capital. But her mother had been executed for the crime of defection. Having endured for two thousand years, the empire had become twisted and pedantic in certain aspects, and the Seventeenth Imperial Princess was a victim of this sick society. However, it was also precisely because of this that she might be the only Emperor who completely disregarded the empire's interests, and who might even be deeply attracted to a modernized, harmonious society.
"It hasn't reached such a terrible point yet." Wei Er finally shook his head, silently calculating the rough time. Master Shen should be arriving soon. He hoped that Shen Yun's strength could carve out a place for them in this world.
Right at this moment, the Seventeenth Imperial Princess's face suddenly turned pale, and her body trembled slightly.
Wei Er's pupils shrank drastically. He thought, "No way. When did you sustain a hidden injury?"
BOOM! Five figures descended from the sky, landing directly around them and completely surrounding them.
"Heh, Junior Brother Qing Hao is the smart one after all." One of the men, who was wearing Daoist robes and looked sanctimonious, chuckled lightly. "Seventeenth Imperial Princess, our Cyan Cloud Pavilion's White Cloud Ghost Finger doesn't feel too good, does it?"
"When did you..." The Seventeenth Imperial Princess's face was deathly pale, but she didn't continue asking because getting the answer was already meaningless. "I will go with you," she said, her tone heavy and her expression cold.
"No rush," another man waved his hand. This was precisely the Qing Hao they had mentioned. "Master's wife, please wait to the side for now. Once we avenge Junior Brother Qing Wen, we will naturally escort you back to the Cyan Cloud Pavilion."
Although he called her his master's wife, the mockery in his eyes and expression was completely unconcealed.
The Seventeenth Imperial Princess remained silent. She knew that even if she threatened suicide, these Grandmasters wouldn't care at all. As long as one wasn't a Grandmaster, they would always remain an insignificant nobody.
"Not killing you along with the other one the day before yesterday is my greatest regret," Wei Er said, staring fixedly at this man named Qing Hao.
"...You unreasonable lunatic!" Qing Hao's expression gradually turned ferocious. "That day, we only wanted to give you a small warning. You madman, to think you actually triggered a battle of Grandmasters over a few ants who didn't even possess Divine Thought! Now, we are prepared to annihilate you and your sect together, leaving not a single blade of grass alive!"
Even now, thinking about his junior brother's death filled Qing Hao with an indescribable indignation. Killing a few of their ordinary disciples was just the simplest of warnings. In fact, a warning of that level could even be seen as a kind of mercy. It meant that as long as they knew what was good for them, they would be perfectly safe. A normal sect should have felt lucky.
He thought, "But this madman... is he really dead set on rescuing this Seventeenth Imperial Princess?"