GAMMT - Chapter 113
Chapter 113: Reversing Heaven and Earth
This was a complete rout.
Meanwhile, the Chi Python burst out of the dense forest in a desperate flight for its life. Just as it was about to cross a stream, the water suddenly twisted, surging skyward into a watery tornado that ensnared it, attempting to drag it away. Unfortunately, the Forbidden Master appeared right behind it, blasted the tornado apart, and pulled the Chi Python out.
At that moment, he was seething with rage.
He just wanted to catch a snake and turn it into a mechanical Pet Weapon. Was that too much to ask?
It was bad enough running into a Divine Night-Cherished Light who shouldn't have been in Tong Lu Mountain in the first place, but now someone else had shown up to snatch his prey.
He was utterly frustrated!
This was supposed to be the Aoyin's sphere of influence. Humans were shameless!
"Who's there? Get out here!"
At the Aoyin Forbidden Master's shout, a semi-transparent body emerged from beneath the water. It was a tall, thin, middle-aged man with gaunt, severe features. At first glance, he looked like a common street vendor, but he was a powerful expert, and a famous one at that.
"Well, well, if it isn't the White Tower's Left Guardian, Jiang Qing. Your master's been eating prison food for so many years, and you haven't found a new job. Such unwavering loyalty is truly rare. It's not very typical of your human nature."
The Forbidden Master's words were clearly insulting, but Jiang Qing didn't care. He was a water-element expert, already level 89, with a strong command of Arcane Truths. He was just one step away from becoming a Forbidden Master himself. He believed this "Oakes" was only a Forbidden Master because of his race's innate talent. When it came to true talent for Arcane Truths, he was certain he was superior.
Moreover, he was the third strongest expert under the White Tower Lord. Back when the White Tower was at its peak, it had dominated the surrounding provinces, so it was no surprise that an Aoyin expert recognized him.
"The Chi Python is my lord's pet. Oakes, take a step back, and I can let this matter go."
So condescending. Did he still think this was the White Tower's world?
Oakes laughed.
"Wait until your master gets out of prison before you try to brag to me."
As an Aoyin expert from Tong Lu Mountain, Oakes might concede a step to the Divine Light Elf race, but he had far less tolerance for humans. Besides, he knew full well that the White Tower was a villain in the human world of power—a rat scurrying through the streets, hunted by all. Their strength was a shadow of its former self. How could he possibly yield to the White Tower?
So, while keeping the Chi Python locked down, he attacked Jiang Qing.
As a water-element expert who was once a renowned figure across Beluke, Jiang Qing had his own pride.
He and Oakes began to fight.
The Chi Python tried to escape, but every time it saw an opportunity, one of the two would drag it back.
They fought, but they didn't forget to let it get caught in the crossfire, meaning it was repeatedly battered by the shockwaves of their attacks.
Even with its thick, durable hide, it still hurt like hell!
It was so angry it could have coughed up blood!
Damn it, these two bastards! If it were at its full strength, they wouldn't be bullying it like this. It would have finished them off in minutes!
As they battled fiercely, both Jiang Qing and Oakes sensed a disturbance from the edge of the dense forest on the other side.
Oakes knew it had to be that God Night elf attacking the riffraff surrounding Tong Lu Mountain. A glint appeared in his eyes, and he deliberately said, "It seems this isn't just a place for you humans to trespass. My non-human races have never been ones for humans to provoke."
He intentionally tried to pull the Divine Light Elf onto his side, or at least make Jiang Qing think so.
Jiang Qing was indeed misled. He certainly knew that anyone capable of causing such a commotion possessed power on par with their own. That complicated the situation. He might not be able to take the Chi Python, and he could even be jointly eliminated here.
His eyes flashed. "Is that so? But my people have intercepted him."
Your people?
Oakes said, "Aren't those the people from the human Yi Ye family? So they've colluded with the White Tower?"
Jiang Qing replied, "The might of my White Tower is beyond the imagination of a mere robot like you."
The greatest insult to the mechanical race was to be called a robot.
Oakes was predictably enraged. A cold, cruel smile appeared on his metallic face. "Of course. So mighty, yet you were still wiped out. Can your White Tower even fill ten tables for its annual meeting anymore?"
The Chi Python was speechless. How could these leaders of primate races lie so blatantly? They didn't even draft their boasts.
However, this was to its advantage.
The Chi Python's serpentine eyes glinted, and it used its snake pearl to release an audio frequency that other races couldn't detect.
It had already contacted another creature; now, it was just relaying its coordinates…
Elsewhere, Poison Snake and the others from Tong Lu Mountain were fleeing in different directions, maintaining contact to report their positions. But suddenly, they noticed that fewer and fewer members were responding in the team channel. ???
Poison Snake: "Something's wrong. They might have been assassinated."
Fine Scale: "The Aoyin? Impossible. Although these Aoyin are formidable, we carry concealment badges personally crafted by the master. Once we're out of their tracking range, it's very difficult for them to detect us again, unless the Forbidden Master of this Tong Lu Mountain Aoyin clan is tracking us personally. But he's clearly gone after the Chi Python."
Poison Snake: "It's just a suspicion, but we have to prepare for the worst. There's another possibility—someone has leaked our coordinates!"
Fine Scale: "What are you implying? That we have a traitor among us?"
The group instantly grew agitated, and Fine Scale's temper flared.
Fine Scale: "Everyone here is a trusted confidant of my White Tower. There are no traitors. Your TK, on the other hand, is a motley crew."
Poison Snake: "I was merely analyzing the situation. I didn't mean anything by it. Lord Fine Scale has misunderstood."
The White Tower members suppressed TK. Although the TK members didn't dare say anything, they were inwardly displeased. They had noticed something else—Fine Scale seemed to know a great deal about the situation with the Chi Python. It was highly likely the White Tower had arranged a backup plan that only their people knew about, while TK, including their leader Poison Snake, was kept in the dark.
What did that mean?
They were being used as cannon fodder, weren't they?
Several of TK's core members privately contacted Poison Snake to express their dissatisfaction.
Poison Snake: "We can only endure it. We cannot disrupt the master's plan."
Clearly, this "master" referred not to the White Tower Lord, but to TK.
The others could only swallow their frustration.
While they were on the verge of internal strife, Poison Snake looked toward the two areas with the most intense fluctuations.
Both disturbances had the intensity of a Forbidden Master. When did so many experts come to Tong Lu Mountain?
It felt like an unexpected variable had appeared, like an eel thrown into a pond, stirring everything into a murky mess.
Fu Chuan, the so-called eel, deliberately postured as if she were about to annihilate the Yi Ye family's experts. Of course, she had no desire to create a personal feud with the Yi Ye family, but she wouldn't let them see that. So she intentionally controlled her power, not unleashing its full force, but maintaining a high-intensity assault. She continuously shattered their defensive armor, heavily wounding one expert after another, giving them the sense that death was imminent. Pleading for mercy was only natural.
But what she really wanted was to bait out their trump card so she could assess the situation and plan her next move.
Soon, after she shattered the protective shields of the elder and the others, the elder's face changed, and he dropped to his knees to beg for mercy, casting aside all dignity.
An elder of a Purple Blood family had this little backbone?
No!
If Fu Chuan hadn't been so cautious, she wouldn't have been in a state of constant observation and sensed the Yi Ye family's hidden forces hiding behind a pile of yellow rocks to the south. Furthermore, she detected spatial fluctuations emanating from their position.
Before transforming into a Divine Night-Cherished Light, Fu Chuan would never have noticed such fluctuations. But now, she could sense them. The Silver Glory Badge and her racial talents were too powerful. Combined with the tentacles she had spread out to cover a wide area, her perception range was greatly expanded.
She immediately detected the fluctuation and instantly analyzed its nature—a teleportation array!
The Yi Ye family had actually brought a large-scale teleportation alchemy artifact with them.
This was Tong Lu Mountain. Given the distance, for them to teleport troops or experts over, the specifications of this teleportation array had to be immense, and its value would be astronomical. Fu Chuan estimated that all the resources she had saved up and spent on her species conversion over the past few months wouldn't even be enough to buy such an array.
But they were a Purple Blood clan, fabulously wealthy. They could afford it. So, who was coming?
The best-case scenario was the main force of the Yi Ye family—numerous and filled with experts. The worst-case scenario was the arrival of that Purple Cloth Marquis.
If it was the latter, the danger level of the situation would skyrocket to its absolute maximum.
It would be comparable to the Chi Python restored to its peak strength, combined with the White Tower Lord in his prime, slaughtering all in his path.
A Marquis within the Empire, especially one with real power, even the weakest of them could crush someone at the level of Temple Junior Prelates. Some even possessed the strength of a Divine Scion or Divine Lady, as they had already passed their golden period of growth, assimilated the vast resources available to a Marquis, and become regional hegemons—true overlords.
In terms of power, they were higher than a Junior Prelate, second only to the Divine Temple's Divine Ladies and Divine Scions.
They were not to be provoked.
But the teleportation array was some distance away, and it was certainly defended. She couldn't stop its activation, and it was too late to flee Tong Lu Mountain now.
The Aoyin Forbidden Master had delayed her for too long.
Fu Chuan assessed the situation and was about to act when her brow suddenly furrowed.
She sensed it.
Something was wrong with the snowy mountains.
Oakes and Jiang Qing were fighting fiercely when they both sensed it… They dodged in unison, but a massive avalanche suddenly descended from the nearby snowy mountain range.
It thundered down from the towering peaks.
This was a disaster on the level of a natural catastrophe. Oakes and Jiang Qing were stunned. As they flew up, they didn't forget to grab the Chi Python. However, the damn creature was cunning and seemed to have been prepared, actively darting toward the cascading snow…
They understood. It was the Chi Python's doing!
Just as they realized this, the cry of a hawk echoed from high above. They looked up to see a massive blue eagle and its flock emerge from the cold currents above the avalanche. They had used their race's ability to manipulate cold air to trigger the avalanche and rescue the Chi Python.
After diving into the snow from the avalanche, the Chi Python's body was protected by team rules. The snow didn't harm it; instead, it concealed its body.
The avalanche caused immense damage, directly impacting a third of the outer depths of Tong Lu Mountain's dense forest and covering a large area of the forest's edge, which of course included Fu Chuan's position.
It was basically an area-of-effect attack with no obstacles.
Fu Chuan simply flew into the sky. The Yi Ye family's experts, who had been trapped, weren't as quick to react and had no way to defend themselves… More than half of them were buried by the rolling snow. Some of the weaker ones were instantly killed by the immense impact, while others were severely injured.
The elder and the others were stronger and managed to fly up to avoid the snow. In their panic, they saw that Fu Chuan was also caught off guard and knew that someone else had caused this.
What kind of bastard was this, to be so insidious?
Wasn't this a direct attack on the Dwarf Race and the Aoyin?
Oakes indeed hadn't expected the Chi Python to be so vicious and to have already colluded with the Extreme Cold Light Falcon flock from the snowy mountains.
So, it had been planning to wipe out his Aoyin clan all along.
Oakes only regretted that he had been so focused on capturing it to modify into a pet that he hadn't killed it in time. Now, with such a disastrous outcome, some members of his clan, especially the young Aoyin, probably had no time to defend themselves and were heavily injured.
Jiang Qing couldn't be bothered with that. This was advantageous for him—at least Oakes would have to worry about his clan and couldn't compete with him for the Chi Python anymore.
He immediately chased after the fleeing Chi Python.
Just as Oakes, in his fury, was about to summon his clan's experts to retaliate, he heard a voice.
"Forget them. The Purple Cloth Marquis from the human Yi Ye family might be coming. He's a provincial military marquis. Think about the consequences of his arrival!"
The voice was abrupt. Oakes turned to see a tentacle shoot out from the ground, releasing the elf's voice.
Although Oakes was furious and resented all intruders, including Fu Chuan, his mechanical nature allowed him to prioritize. He immediately recognized the value of this information.
But he also knew the other party was trying to get him to share the risk.
"He's coming after you. The human you're protecting is a traitor to the Yi Ye family. What does that have to do with my Aoyin? You can't handle the situation yourself, so you want to use me? You think you're worthy?!" Oakes sneered sharply.
Fu Chuan wasn't the least bit angry. She simply said, "What you say is true, but the problem is, even as a military marquis, he needs a suitable reason to deploy troops. Especially in Tong Lu Mountain, where members of the White Tower and the Dongke Clan from Dongke Province are involved. Do you think this can be kept from the other provinces? Since it can't, is he going to let the world know he caused such a huge commotion over a clan matter? This man has always been meticulous about managing his clan's influence and cherishes his reputation. He will definitely find a reasonable and righteous excuse. Could there be a better reason than exterminating the Aoyin clan, who harbor intentions of invading human territory?"
Oakes: "Just because he says so? Without evidence, he wouldn't dare provoke a conflict between our two races."
Fu Chuan: "Oh? Then go and dismantle those devices you've set up within Tong Lu Mountain right now. If you can make it in time."
Oakes's mechanical face froze.
Fu Chuan: "I can detect them. Do you think that Purple Cloth Marquis can't? If he discovers this secret after arriving, why wouldn't he use it?"
Oakes calmed down, having found a flaw. He said coldly, "I set those up to protect my clan. This isn't human territory. Can they even govern Tong Lu Mountain?"
Fu Chuan: "Just because you say so? Right and wrong don't matter. Once you're wiped out, you'll have no voice to explain. The 'truth' will be whatever he says it is. Besides, with the commotion you've caused, it won't stand up to scrutiny. He can just claim you were harboring members of the White Tower with the intent to invade human territory."
"Not only would that cover up the facts, but he would also earn considerable military merit. Killing two birds with one stone. You know, for sufficient gain, shamelessness is also a part of human nature."
Was she just trying to trick him with twisted logic?
No.
Oakes knew she was trying to drag the Aoyin clan into this, but what she said was logically sound and consistent with reality.
That Purple Cloth Marquis had a considerable reputation. Many knew of his character and methods, and Oakes was no exception.
He would definitely do it.
Her words would certainly come true.
So, even though he was sick to death of this elf, he had to admit they were now in the same boat—because they had a common enemy.
But he tried one last struggle. "I could capture you, hand you over to him, and cooperate with him."
In reality, he wanted to force this person to leave Tong Lu Mountain and lead the Purple Cloth Marquis away.
But the elf said calmly, "You can't. You can't capture me unless you mobilize your entire family to besiege me, but it's too late for that. You also can't surrender to him, because surrendering to humans is a disgrace. Your branch would become a disgrace to the mechanical race. Think about the rules of the mechanical race and the greater Aoyin clan. Will you be executed for honor, or will your core programming be dismantled and reassigned to another Aoyin? You will cease to exist."
This elf seemed to know everything.
Oakes's jaw tightened, almost producing a metallic grinding sound, but he quickly made a decision. "Even if we cooperate, we can't stop the Purple Cloth Marquis."
"It won't be just you and me."
Five seconds later, Oakes flew into the snow-covered forest of Tong Lu Mountain, leaving Fu Chuan alone. She looked at the snowy mountain range with its churning cold currents and the vast expanse of snow.
This avalanche had flushed out many people.
To avoid the avalanche's harm, these people had no choice but to fly out from the vast forest. To the south, Dongke Hetu and the others were visible, while to the north, there were faint signs of Fine Scale and his group. There were also members of the Aoyin and Dwarf clans…
That Chi Python was truly formidable. It had been beaten and chased all this way, yet it still had such a powerful move up its sleeve.
It was quite possible the creature had long been targeting the Aoyin and Dwarf clans. If it had quietly recovered a decent amount of its strength, it could have teamed up with the Extreme Cold Light Falcons, used an avalanche to wipe out most of both clans, and then devoured them…
Unfortunately, everyone encounters unexpected situations.
Fu Chuan's gaze shifted to Yi Ye Hanzhuo, who was hiding in the forest, and her brow furrowed slightly.
And in the distance, the teleportation array was complete.
Dongke Hetu and the others were utterly miserable. Not only had their mission been a complete failure, but they had suffered greatly and were nearly buried alive by the avalanche. After escaping death, before they could even process what had happened, they saw the male elf of unknown origin.
His presence was too powerful; they didn't dare make a move.
Less than three seconds into the standoff, the teleportation array activated.
"Young Master, the situation looks bad. I fear the Purple Cloth Marquis is here!"
"Perhaps not. Today is the Divine Temple's council meeting. How could he…"
Amid their doubts, they saw the military banner of the Yi Ye family. They also saw dark figures emerge from the activated teleportation array and spread out.
They formed ranks and sealed off the perimeter.
They were surrounded.
The Shadow Army, one of the top three military corps in the five northern provinces, including Beluke, had arrived.
With their Shadow Tiger-Lions and valiant cavalry, wherever their thirty thousand banners went, they could annihilate a city.
That is to say, with just thirty thousand elites, they could destroy an entire city.
Their reputation was immense. Of course, this didn't refer to a provincial capital like Beluke City, but below the five provincial capitals in the five provinces, they could destroy any other city without question.
The Yi Ye family hailed from Gushan Province, the strongest of the five. As a military marquis, the Purple Cloth Marquis had elevated the Yi Ye family's prestige and power far beyond what it had been during the Tong Lu era.
If he truly wanted to exterminate the creatures within Tong Lu Mountain, he could do it.
That was why Oakes feared him.
But this generation's Purple Cloth Marquis was renowned. What kind of person was he really?
From Yi Ye Hanzhuo's words and actions, Fu Chuan sensed his fear and hatred for this clan "uncle."
The hatred was intense—after all, his entire branch of the clan had been wiped out, and he himself had been used as a pawn. But this intense hatred was still suppressed by fear.
Fu Chuan could see this, which made her curious about the man. And from what Yi Ye Hanzhuo had unintentionally revealed about the incident involving the Xie Clan, she could guess that the Xie Clan expert who had broken through to Purple Blood on the battlefield had likely been killed by the Purple Blood experts of the other three clans, including the Yi Ye family.
The incident at Tong Lu back then was the work of the current Purple Cloth Marquis's ancestors.
If his ancestors were so ruthless, this one was likely no less so, and probably even more cold and skilled in manipulation, capable of cultivating Yi Ye Hanzhuo for years with a gentle hand, only to use him to seize the Tong Lu secret treasure.
Fu Chuan was curious, and finally, in the light reflected by the snow, she saw a red-robed figure amidst the army, which was shrouded in a cold, dark aura.
That man, though nicknamed the Purple Cloth Marquis, wore a simple, pure red robe.
A high-ranking bloodline didn't necessarily mean high aesthetic value. For example, certain clans always had some distinct features…
Like the short stature of the Yun family, or the ruggedness of the Que family.
But some clans, through generations of intentional intermarriage, did produce increasingly attractive descendants. Generally speaking, among the current members of the Yi Ye family, Yi Ye Hanzhuo was already a standout. But this uncle of his… he resembled a certain red-robed state scholar from a Qin Dynasty war movie Fu Chuan had once seen.
At first glance, he looked like a delicate scholar, with a handsome, gentle beauty that often belongs to heartbreakers. But with a lowered gaze and a faint smile, he plots with a treacherous heart. Just when you look down on his soft demeanor and despise his insidious nature, wanting to break his bones and kill him, he simply raises a finger and effortlessly kills you in the midst of casual conversation.
This was the feeling the man gave Fu Chuan at this moment.
His long hair was tied back, and his red robe flowed softly like water, a red so vibrant it was like a pool of blood burning in the snow.
Such a soft and almost delicate attire did not make him appear feminine, for his bearing was as straight as an ancient tree, and his gaze as cold as a crow in winter.
He glanced over, his eyes seemingly sweeping across all of Tong Lu.
Naturally, he saw everyone who had been flushed out in this area.
Perhaps he also saw the fleeing Chi Python and the pursuing Jiang Qing on the snowy mountain, but in the end, his gaze settled on Fu Chuan.
He knew who the target of this trip was.
His purple pupils were as silent as an abyss. He said, "The gods are not eternal; in the long, dark night, the Cherished Light descends to exist, to shine for all eternity."
"This Marquis is fortunate enough to witness a natural leader of the Divine Light Elf race here. I must have my young nephew to thank for this honor. I have heard that the Divine Light Elves are beautiful, and that successive Cherished Lights are without peer."
"Why does Your Excellency disguise your appearance?"
"Could it be that you fear arousing the fantasies of us filthy humans, which would displease you?"
He appeared very polite and kind. Even without a smile, there was no murderous intent. His fingers stroked his red sleeve, his features refined.
Fu Chuan met his gaze but didn't engage in a lengthy verbal spar. She said simply, "I have bad luck and I'm ugly. And I don't know any nephew of yours."
The Purple Cloth Marquis: "Is that so?"
At that moment, Yi Ye Hanzhuo, in the forest, was already heading back deeper into Tong Lu Mountain, attempting to escape from the other side that the Shadow Army had not yet surrounded. But a dark figure suddenly appeared before him.
Bang!
An attack erupted in the forest.
Dongke Hetu and the others turned to look.
An armored general flew out, carrying a person. The one he had caught was Yi Ye Hanzhuo.
No, not exactly.
It disintegrated.
It was just a mass of plant fluid.
The general frowned, shot a cold look at Fu Chuan, then turned and flew back into Tong Lu Mountain to pursue the real Yi Ye Hanzhuo, who had long since escaped.
The Purple Cloth Marquis was not angered. He simply said calmly, "It seems this Marquis has misunderstood Your Excellency. As an apology, I would like to invite you to be a guest at my Yi Ye family. I wonder if Your Excellency would do me the honor?"
Fu Chuan: "If you're lacking light, I can give you some."
Then she extended her hand, and a small sun appeared in her palm.
Damn, that was bright. So much light!
Dongke Hetu and the others: "…"
Poison Snake and the others in the forest: "…"
Dongke Jin almost burst out laughing. This elf had the cold arrogance inherent to his race, but there was also a subtle, humorous, black-bellied nature to him.
The way he infuriated people with a straight face was truly infuriating.
The armored soldiers behind the Purple Cloth Marquis were genuinely angry, but the Marquis's military discipline was absolute. No matter how angry they were, they remained motionless, like statues.
Fu Chuan knew that the moment these statues came to life, she might be beaten to death by the mob.
The Purple Cloth Marquis, faced with Fu Chuan's retort, showed no emotional fluctuation. He only said faintly, "Your Excellency is not at all friendly. Is it because you have joined forces with the Aoyin clan, intending to attack my human race?"
"This energy fusion array set up in Tong Lu Mountain is quite formidable. It should be capable of annihilating my Shadow Army."
"How truly frightening."
He said he was frightened, but he raised his right hand and waved it gently.
Behind him, the army surrounding the outskirts of Tong Lu Mountain instantly prepared to attack, locking onto Fu Chuan, as well as the other Aoyin and any living creature in the dense forest…
Seeing this, the members of the Dongke Clan immediately called out to the Purple Cloth Marquis and stated their identity.
The Purple Cloth Marquis: "The two young ones from the Dongke Clan, this Marquis has of course met you. So, are you willing to follow me to exterminate the Aoyin and this esteemed Cherished Light?"
He was trying to drag the Dongke Clan into this. Once they attacked, there was no turning back. If they didn't, they would be silenced, and he could just claim the Aoyin clan did it.
Dongke Hetu and the others had long known of the Purple Cloth Marquis's ruthlessness. They had no choice, so they decisively locked their attacks onto Fu Chuan.
The light from the snow was pale, the white expanse stretching to the horizon, as if it were a perfect place for a burial.
That plain-looking elf.
Was he prepared for a desperate counterattack?
The attacks were charged, about to be unleashed…
Suddenly, a great commotion arose from within Tong Lu Mountain. With a great clatter, flashes of metallic cold light flew into the sky, appearing behind the elf.
The leader, Oakes, spread his metal wings and said coldly, "Has the Yi Ye family, having dominated the five provinces, come to represent the human race and exterminate my Aoyin? Is the Purple Cloth Marquis declaring war?"
The Purple Cloth Marquis: "The Aoyin intend to attack my human race and have even colluded with a traitor from my Yi Ye family, my own young nephew. Though this Marquis is deeply pained, for the greater good of the human race, I can only shoulder the responsibility and take the initiative to annihilate the Tong Lu Aoyin clan."
"Oakes, do not feel wronged."
Just as Fu Chuan had predicted, the Purple Cloth Marquis had a whole set of justifications, his grand principles crashing down like an avalanche.
Oakes sneered, "I don't feel wronged. And you humans shouldn't feel wronged either."
With that, a group of Dwarf Race experts emerged from the ground.
A vast array of partially activated alchemy treasures had already surrounded the rear of the Shadow Army from another arc.
The Dongke clan members wavered. Dongke Hetu contacted his clan while discreetly observing the situation.
It was simply unbelievable.
Weren't the Aoyin and the Dwarf Race always enemies?
Now they had joined forces?
Could it be that their shared hatred for the human race had turned a negative into a positive?
The Dwarf Chief, carrying an axe and riding a large pink pig, stared at them coldly. As he exchanged glances with Oakes, he recalled their earlier conversation.
At first, he hadn't wanted to listen to Oakes's persuasion at all and was even about to attack. But Oakes had been very direct, saying just one thing: "Once my branch is wiped out, my greater Aoyin clan will definitely investigate. Even if he covers his tracks perfectly and my family can't find any flaws, won't they come to investigate your family? Your gamble is that he might not attack your Dwarf Race. But when my family finds you, they will naturally learn from you that the reason I set up the energy equipment was to guard against you. Correspondingly, haven't you been setting up alchemy treasures underground to defend against my Aoyin clan? If you sit by and watch the Purple Cloth Marquis destroy my Aoyin, even if my family doesn't necessarily go to war—after all, you have the Dwarf Race backing you—as long as it's declared that you colluded with the Purple Cloth Marquis and other human military leaders, you'll be finished."
"Especially since you've been secretly selling some alchemy treasures to the wealthy great nobles of the five provinces out of greed. That's something that won't stand up to investigation."
"Greed comes at a price. The human race has always been keen on expanding its influence. The materials they buy from you will be turned around and used to exterminate other non-human races. Do you want to test the consequences?"
The Dwarf Chief's face had turned green, and the cunning dwarf elders behind him didn't dare to object.
They had been caught by their weak spot.
"What's the use of saying all that? Can we, even with my Dwarf Race, stand against that Purple Cloth Marquis? Everyone knows how powerful the Shadow Army is. Even if we team up, we can't beat him."
Oakes was impassive as he relayed a sentence from Fu Chuan. "He has a weakness, a very fatal one, but he will definitely try to hide it."
"The moment you see him rush to attack that Cherished Light who appeared out of nowhere, you can confirm his weakness."
The Dwarf Chief: "? Can you speak like a normal person? I don't understand."
The other dwarves were also extremely irritable and annoyed.
Oakes: "…"
If it weren't for the bigger picture, he really wouldn't want to ally with this bunch of damn dwarves.
A basin of intelligence.
Cooperating with them was a great humiliation.
He could only suppress his impatience and say coldly, "His weakness is…"
Tong Lu Mountain.
On one side of the dense forest were several hundred adult Aoyin, a thousand dwarf warriors, and one elf.
On the other side were thirty thousand soldiers of the Shadow Army.
The Shadow Army was strictly disciplined and remained unfazed by this development. The Purple Cloth Marquis was even calmer. "To even bring the Dwarf Race along. Truly harboring ill intentions."
He was originally positioned at the rear, relying on the Shadow Army to flatten the entire Aoyin clan. But since the Dwarf Race had also joined… he raised his left hand, the Seventh Sequence opened, and a brilliant star map covered the entire sky above Tong Lu Mountain.
A Starfall Forbidden Spell was being prepared.
He was a level 85 Purple Blood space-element Forbidden Master, capable of transcending space to borrow the power of meteors from the cosmos for a large-scale area attack.
How strong was that?
Fu Chuan, Oakes, and the Dwarf Chief combined were no match for him.
The Dwarf Chief's expression changed slightly, and he began to regret getting involved. This Purple Cloth Marquis was even stronger than he had previously known.
Should he surrender now?
At worst, he could take his vast wealth and hide underground for a while. Who cares what the other non-human races thought? As long as he could save his own life, nothing else mattered.
His willpower wasn't strong, otherwise he wouldn't have been unable to control his greed. But just as he was about to switch sides, a certain elf made a move like lightning.
Tentacles that blotted out the sky spread across the heavens, covering and isolating the spatial layer of the sky. They absorbed a vast amount of light element and converted it into space element, then arranged this space element into a dimensional interlayer.
Using the spatial order of a dimensional space to block the Starfall Forbidden Spell.
Dimension against dimension.
But where did she get such a vast amount of light element?
The Purple Cloth Marquis frowned, glancing at the mechanical race's energy devices within Tong Lu Mountain.
It wasn't surprising that this Cherished Light had a means of absorbing spirit energy; it was an incredibly powerful race, and the special and miraculous abilities of a Cherished Light were immeasurable. But he was somewhat surprised that she could control such a vibrant group of vines.
It seemed to have the characteristics of a Demon Orchid?
Very good. The equipment originally intended for "invading" the human race was now being used to resist the human military's attack. When the greater Aoyin clan came looking for trouble later, they would have a reason.
Seeing the Starfall Forbidden Spell being blocked, the Purple Cloth Marquis was decisive. He waved his hand, and the army attacked.
The Shadow Army was already prepared. They directly locked onto the dwarves, the Aoyin, and the others.
Except for the members of the Dongke Clan, all other living beings were to be executed!
Hum… A vast barrage of attacks erupted like a torrential downpour, covering everyone.
This time, the Dwarf Chief had no time to switch sides, as he was already under attack. To protect himself, he could only shout for his own forces to attack.
The Aoyin clan was fierce and resolute, and they had already struck first!
The great battle was on the verge of erupting.
Boom!! The two sides exchanged attacks. The bombardment was so intense that even the snow that had covered the dense forest was shattered and melted.
Fu Chuan was the most targeted, but after blocking the Starfall Forbidden Spell, she quickly changed her position. The ranged attacks… bypassed her original location and, under the control of the Shadow Army's experts, pursued her like guided missiles!
But before she could be hit and destroyed, she stood tall in the sky, her hands spread open. This time, she held nothing back. The Demon Orchid Body and the Cherished Light Body fully merged, and her body completely released its mental power.
Simultaneously, the army commanders controlling the attacks remotely suddenly felt something was wrong. But the Purple Cloth Marquis reacted the fastest. He raised his hand, and with a flick of his sleeve, a spatial storm swept over. But the Shadow Army's rear… they had always known the dwarves were surrounding them and had been focused on them. This, in turn, made them neglect a small gap on the other side.
There, vast swathes of vines, tinged with the brilliant colors of the Demon Orchid, grew in an instant. On the vines were Demon Orchids, which used their plant characteristics to absorb the immense life force from the dense forest, strengthening the vines' power.
It was no longer the previous Rakshasa Vine, but the Three-Eyed Split Spirit Rakshasa Vine.
Each section of the vine had three eyes.
Three hundred vines sprouted in an instant, each with three sections, meaning nearly a thousand pupils manifested with Arcane Truth enchantment.
A brilliant light erupted from Fu Chuan's pupils, and every eye on the vines opened in sync with the killing intent in her eyes. Then, with a whoosh, they collectively shot out over a thousand beams of light… from behind the Shadow Army, striking where they were attacking the dwarves and completely unguarded.
Damn it! The dwarves were just a feint; the real killing move was this!
The Purple Cloth Marquis's attack arrived, a spatial storm severing a large portion of the light beams.
Terrifying. He was too terrifying.
But his face also darkened. As powerful as he was, he still allowed the remaining third of the light beams to strike the rear section of the Shadow Army, heavily damaging the logistics group responsible for defense and healing, instantly crippling the army's defenses.
A perfect opportunity!
With the army's defenses shattered, the dwarves and the Aoyin charged in.
The one-sided situation was instantly pulled back, becoming unpredictable. The Dongke Clan, who had been forced to join and had indeed attacked, now suffered a hidden loss and could only continue to muddle through, fighting within the army…
Meanwhile, the Purple Cloth Marquis had already taken flight, his expressionless face like a thunderous rage. Fu Chuan was locked in his sights. With a raise of his hand, space shattered, and a ferocious spatial rift spread toward Fu Chuan at the speed of fission.
Spatial tear.
Fu Chuan's outer defenses were invisibly torn apart, the tearing force reaching her true body.
Boom!
The Dwarf Chief and Oakes attacked, jointly severing the spatial chasm, but the Purple Cloth Marquis's next wave of spatial attacks had already arrived.
A dimensional blade from behind Fu Chuan's head…
Fu Chuan was skilled at prediction. Aided by the racial bonus of the Divine Night-Cherished Light and the Silver Glory Badge, her elven pupils had been upgraded by several levels, and she could already see the trajectory of the Purple Cloth Marquis's spatial techniques.
She dodged to the side, and the terrifying dimensional blade that could have directly pierced her armor flew past her. But the Purple Cloth Marquis swiped his finger, and it looped back. Oakes and the Dwarf Chief intercepted it together, but their attack power seemed…
A little short.
Boom!!
The dimensional blade struck.
The body was destroyed.
But it was a fake.
A plant decoy. On the other side, Fu Chuan, having regenerated from another end of a vine, reappeared as if she were undying and unleashed a second wave of the split spirit pupil technique.
The Purple Cloth Marquis was prepared this time. He threw out a Silver Glory tier protective treasure, directly shielding the army's logistics department.
But Fu Chuan's attack shifted and fell upon him.
The Purple Cloth Marquis was impassive, allowing the beams of light to strike him… A vast expanse of light covered him.
He was unharmed.
His armor wasn't breached, but he suddenly frowned. The widespread light was effectively blinding.
He immediately tore space, intending to dispel the white brilliance, but as soon as he did, he found that the ground beneath his army had split open. A pack of Earth Yin Direwolves emerged from tunnels, breaking through the army's defenses. In coordination with the Aoyin and the dwarves, the three races besieged them!
The Aoyin excelled at aerial combat, the dwarves at ground charges, and the Earth Yin Direwolves at subterranean surprise attacks.
A perfect combination, superb coordination, head-on against the terrifying Shadow Army…
The entire Tong Lu Mountain area was flattened by this wave of fighting, and the Shadow Army's offense and defense had been broken.
The Purple Cloth Marquis had no choice but to abandon his solo attack on Fu Chuan and return to command the army. The three clans, however, avoided his spearhead, quickly retreated, and reformed their defenses… the three races surrounding the Shadow Army.
Dongke Jin and the others had just faced the terrifying assault of the Earth Yin Direwolf pack and were almost swallowed alive. Still shaken, they were also terrified. How was this possible? From the moment the Purple Cloth Marquis and the Shadow Army teleported in, what should have been a surprise attack and a crushing victory had been turned around. The enemy had rapidly assembled the three mutually hostile clans of Tong Lu Mountain and made them fight together.
Who was the mastermind?
Oakes? It seemed that this highly intelligent Forbidden Master had such capabilities.
But they and the Purple Cloth Marquis knew very well that it wasn't Oakes, but that elf.
The Purple Cloth Marquis hovered above the Shadow Army, his red robe fluttering, his calm expression hiding a turbulent undercurrent.
Not a single strand of his hair was out of place, but his gaze on Fu Chuan was like a knife.
"Your Excellency is more skilled in strategy than the Divine Light Elves I know of, to have bewitched three clans to do your bidding. Could it be that the three clans have already submitted to the Divine Light Elves?"
Trying to sow discord?
Except for the slow-witted Dwarf Chief, neither Oakes nor the Direwolf Chieftain paid his words any mind.
Fu Chuan really wanted to tell him that she had never even met another Divine Light Elf, but for now, she could only say softly, "That's probably because they know you're eager to kill me because you don't want the Divine Temple to find out."
The Purple Cloth Marquis frowned, but he quickly understood the key point and chuckled. "Ah, it seems my young nephew told you that I am concerned about the Divine Temple. And the Divine Temple favors the light element, having a good impression of light-element races and experts. You think that because you are a Cherished Light, I wouldn't dare to act, is that right?"
"Do you think I've been a military marquis all these years for nothing?"
Fu Chuan looked down, extended her hand, and on her communicator was a number.
It was just a number, but the Purple Cloth Marquis's expression changed. His pupils contracted slightly, and his fingers twitched. Killing intent was on the verge of erupting.
And Fu Chuan's voice was like the softest snow in winter.
"This is Divine Scion Lan You's number. If the Marquis fails to kill me instantly, or fails to block the signal, then he will learn that while the Divine Temple is recruiting talent, you are busy eliminating that talent for them."
In truth, she had never contacted Lan You, but he had indeed shown interest in recruiting Xie Keli and other geniuses before. It was normal for a private number to be exposed, but only a very few people had it.
Although she had no intention of being recruited, it wasn't difficult to remember it.
Better to be prepared.
"If I consider myself a talent, would that be shameless?" she asked.
No one answered.
Silence was taken as consent.
The Purple Cloth Marquis knew what level of talent a Cherished Light was. If this person was willing, they could directly enter the Divine Temple, and at the very least, they would be a Junior Prelate.
After a few years of good performance, they might even have a shot at the position of Divine Scion or Divine Lady. It would depend on their growth curve—whether they were a setting sun or a rising star.
But it was obvious that the latter, being a Divine Light Elf, would find it far easier to integrate into the Divine Temple than he would.
So, this was his greatest weakness.
The dwarves and the others had been convinced in the same way. Oakes had relayed Fu Chuan's words. She had said that she was a Divine Night-Cherished Light among the Divine Light Elves, and that was her greatest leverage.
If he couldn't wipe them out in a short time, the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would be for him, because if the news got out, he would be in big trouble.
Weighing the pros and cons… he would definitely retreat.
So, what was the result?
The Dwarf Chief was a little nervous, gripping the damp handle of his axe, while Oakes was far calmer than before.
He had already seen the shift in the situation.
The chessboard was in this elf's hands.
Finally, the Purple Cloth Marquis waved his hand, and the Shadow Army collectively retreated and stood down.
A brutal, small-scale racial war seemed to end as soon as it began.
But he said, "The days are long. We will have opportunities to meet again in the future."
Was that a threat?
The three families all heard it and couldn't help but feel uneasy. The Dwarf Chief once again regretted his decision… and then he heard the elf say, "Then the Marquis should first go and hunt down the Empire's wanted criminals, those evil followers of the White Tower, for the future of the human race. I thought that even if a person can't distinguish right from wrong, they should at least understand priorities. You should know that the people of our four families were all dealing with these scumbags before. We didn't tell you simply because we didn't want you humans to owe us the favor."
"My apologies. I disdain to explain."
The elf expressed his apology. The Dwarf Chief's brain hadn't caught up yet, but Oakes had already pressed a button on his chest, releasing a projection.
It was the words spoken by the White Tower's core member, Jiang Qing. He had said that he and the Yi Ye family…
The people of the Shadow Army were speechless.
The Purple Cloth Marquis frowned.
After running rampant for so many years, he was being crudely sullied by a scumbag from the White Tower?
Would the world believe such an obvious slander?
Yes, they would.
If they didn't, they wouldn't be the world. In any case, if this blew up and the Divine Temple found out…
His career path would become very troublesome.
Not to mention, he had rivals in the military.
Dongke Hetu and the others: "…"
They never expected that the Purple Cloth Marquis, a master of manipulation, would be choked by such an unexpected mess.
Because it could also be used to support the Yi Ye family's other current actions—they had sealed off Tong Lu Mountain but had never fulfilled their duty as a powerful army of the Empire to deal with human traitors.
Yes, the White Tower was officially Beluke's problem.
But the biggest issue was that the White Tower Lord was actually involved in the Empire's secrets. Fu Chuan knew this, the Dongke Clan knew this, and the higher-ranking Purple Cloth Marquis certainly knew it too.
So he knew he was being choked.
By this plain-looking Cherished Light.
The Dwarf Chief believed it: "Damn, your Yi Ye family really plays big!"
See, this kind of idiot was the world. He represented the average intelligence level of the world.
The Purple Cloth Marquis looked coldly at Fu Chuan, and finally, with a wave of his hand, said, "Since it is a misunderstanding, then I thank our friends from the human race for their strong assistance. But my Shadow Army will absolutely not let go of the Empire's criminals. Today, we will definitely give the Empire an explanation."
He, who might have secretly plotted against the three families, could no longer make a move in the future. The label had been stuck on him, and he could no longer use the excuse of them invading the human race.
Dongke Hetu knew the tide had turned. This result wasn't bad for him, but it wasn't good either.
Because he had offended the three clans, and he had offended… this terrifying Cherished Light.
What should have been a certain-death situation was turned around by this person's quick reaction to the crisis. He had truly reversed heaven and earth.
Such manipulative skill was far more terrifying than his actual strength.
And he had very likely offended him.
Of course, at this moment, none of them, not even the Purple Cloth Marquis, would ever connect him to Xie Keli or Fu Chuan from the Sage Medical Hall. The abilities he displayed were all greatly enhanced, far beyond the original levels of those two. And the types of abilities were completely within the scope of a Divine Light Elf and a Divine Night-Cherished Light.
Light, nature, space, and spiritual soul systems. Referencing other experts of this race, it was easy to see similar or even more terrifying techniques. They were completely the heaven-gifted abilities of this race, nothing out of the ordinary.
You could even sense that this Cherished Light was young and inexperienced, because she had yet to master many of the Arcane Truths that corresponded to this race's level of comprehension.
Thus, Dongke Hetu's apprehension was entirely due to his fear of the Divine Light Elf race, and it even deepened his suspicions about Fu Chuan.
Speaking of which, such a powerful Divine Light Elf, and a Cherished Light at that, a rarity even among generations of the Divine Light Elf race—was this person really not an elven prince?
Even if he was a bit plain-looking…
Comments
Post a Comment