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**
"Hehe, Commander Mu, no need to be nervous. I've never forgotten the favor you did for me back then—secretly helping me leave Zhen Gui Pass," Xiao Li said with a light chuckle, noticing Mu Tie's shocked expression.
Mu Tie was momentarily stunned, then suddenly recalled something from over two years ago—when he'd received a royal decree ordering him to discreetly assist a mysterious black-robed figure carrying a token to leave Zhen Gui Pass, even granting him a flying magical beast for the journey.
"That man… was you?" Mu Tie asked in astonishment.
"Yes," Xiao Li nodded. "Back then, I was being hunted by Yun Lan Sect and had no choice but to flee the Jia Ma Empire in secret and head to the Black-Corner Region to find my third brother."
Mu Tie slowly nodded, though his face was still filled with shock.
Over two years ago, although that black-robed figure had kept his entire body hidden, Mu Tie could clearly sense that he was only at the peak of Dou Shi. Yet now, in what seemed like a blink of an eye, the man stood before him again… already a Dou Wang!
Truly, the world was ever-changing.
Clang clang clang—
Suddenly, from the direction of the City Lord's Mansion gate, came a series of neatly ordered metallic clashing sounds.
Immediately after—
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
The unified roar boomed out like muffled thunder.
"Giggle~ Mister Wei, Sect Master Xiao, there's a group of little shrimp outside, about a few thousand of them trying to storm the City Lord's Mansion. Leave them to us—you two don't need to worry," came Su Mei's bewitching voice from outside the hall, laced with a hint of killing intent.
As her words fell, dozens of black shadows leapt from the plaza outside.
Powerful Dou Qi exploded in an instant, and the sounds of clashing blades and miserable cries followed one after another.
Hearing the chaos outside, and yet seeing not even a single soldier manage to break into the hall, the despair on Meng Li's face deepened.
The last sliver of hope in his heart was now completely shattered.
The thick scent of blood began to waft in from outside.
Yun Fan's face also grew increasingly pale and filled with dread.
Mu Tie furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing.
After all, this army had chosen to follow Meng Li in betraying the Empire—death was only fitting.
Rather than being executed by the royal court later—beheaded and buried in mass graves—dying in battle at this moment might preserve a shred of dignity as soldiers.
Of course, perhaps not every soldier in that army had willingly joined the rebellion. Some were surely coerced or swept along by circumstance.
But that no longer mattered.
Because in the eyes of the royal family, the betrayal of an entire army was utterly intolerable. There was no such thing as innocence in mutiny.
An army was a collective—when it prospered, all prospered; when it perished, all perished. Often, the soldiers had no real choice: either mutiny as a whole or follow orders to the end.
Knowing this truth, Mu Tie chose to turn a blind eye to the slaughter happening outside.
He neither stopped it nor begged for mercy.
Eventually, the screams and slaughter outside faded.
Against the elite force of over a hundred Dou Ling and stronger experts from the Black-Corner Region, those few thousand soldiers—no matter how well trained or armed—were simply useless.
Mu Tie clenched his fists and lowered his bloodshot eyes to glare at Meng Li. He raised his foot and stomped heavily on his chest, gritting his teeth: "You… damn well deserved this!"
Cough cough!
Meng Li coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, rolled his eyes back, and passed out.
Mu Tie took a deep breath, suppressing the rage in his heart. He turned and bowed respectfully to Wei Yang, then reached down to lift Meng Li and strode out.
The chaos had gradually subsided.
Inside the grand hall, only Yun Fan remained, frozen stiff in place, not daring to move even a hair.
Wei Yang waved his hand—the black flame in his palm extinguished.
Then he calmly walked toward the throne at the front of the hall.
Climbing the steps slowly, he reached the spacious seat, turned around, flicked his robe, and sat down. Leaning back, he rested one arm on the chair's armrest and propped his chin up lazily, looking down from above.
He said faintly, "Enough playing. Be quick about it—finish off this old bastard. We'll rest for the night and leave at dawn."
"Got it."
Xiao Yan nodded and glanced at Yun Fan, then stepped forward slowly.
His gentle tone, however, chilled Yun Fan to the bone.
"What your Yun Lan Sect did to my Xiao Clan… I'll repay a hundredfold. And today, we'll start… with you, Elder Yun Fan. Don't worry—that old dog Yun Shan will join you soon enough."
As he watched Xiao Yan approach, his face filled with a cold and eerie smile, Yun Fan's expression became increasingly blank… almost dazed.
Three years ago, the young and inexperienced boy who had ascended Yun Lan Sect for the Three-Year Agreement… now had grown into someone whose strength far surpassed Yun Fan himself.
And all of this… because of a single impulsive decision made back then. A youth who should have had a deep relationship with Yun Lan Sect had now become a bitter enemy, irreconcilable until death.
Different choices had led to completely different fates.
Back then, when they decided to send Nalan Yanran to dissolve her engagement—who could have foreseen that things would one day spiral to such a level?
Regret?Maybe.
Yun Fan took a deep breath. His fingers clenched tightly around his light-blue longsword as Dou Qi surged within him like a raging flood.
And with the flood of Dou Qi in his body, the fear in his heart was also suppressed somewhat.His eyes locked onto Xiao Yan, and new thoughts began to churn in his mind.
"This brat has returned to the Jia Ma Empire clearly to take revenge on our Yun Lan Sect. What's worse is… he came back wielding such terrifying power. I must get this news back to the Sect, let them prepare. Otherwise, disaster is inevitable!"
A glint flashed across Yun Fan's eyes. He tilted his head slightly, sneaking a glance at Wei Yang, who sat high on the main seat. Then he glanced again at Queen Medusa, who stood leaning calmly against a pillar, arms folded, appearing indifferent.
Yun Fan couldn't help but curse inwardly.
"Fight!"
With a sudden roar, Yun Fan's shoulders trembled—a pair of light-blue Dou Qi wings burst forth behind his back.
His foot tapped the ground—his figure transformed into a blue blur, accompanied by sharp sword intent, and blasted toward Xiao Yan.
In response, Xiao Yan only smiled faintly.
A cluster of jade-green flames silently appeared on his slender palm.
He looked up slowly, eyes meeting the rapidly approaching sword and figure that filled his vision—the corner of his lips curled slightly.
A silver glow flickered beneath his feet—and he stepped forward to meet the attack head-on.
Ssshh—
The light-blue longsword carried chilling sword energy, tearing through the air with a sharp hiss.
Like a ghostly wind, it pierced directly at Xiao Yan's chest.
But just as Xiao Yan was about to block the sword—
Yun Fan suddenly pulled back his strike and retreated. Then with a fierce stomp, his figure shot backward like a cannonball, darting toward the outside of the hall.
"Trying to run?"
Xiao Yan sneered.
He raised his left hand and thrust it toward the fleeing back.His fingers curled slightly—
Vacuum Hand!
Suddenly—a fierce suction force surged from his palm.
Within the great hall, the air roared violently. Even the heavy greenstone floor tiles trembled faintly—tables and chairs flipped over.
Yun Fan, who was dashing out, suddenly froze in midair.Then his body rapidly began to get pulled back.
No matter how hard he flapped his wings, it was all useless.
"Haah!"
Yun Fan twisted around suddenly, and the longsword in his hand shot out like lightning—Transforming into a deep-blue streak of cold light as it howled toward Xiao Yan's chest.
"Abandoning your sword? Not bad—quick to act," Xiao Yan muttered, eyebrows raising slightly in surprise.
He withdrew the suction force and extended his other hand—two fingers snapped out and clamped the flying sword midair.
Taking advantage of the lost suction force, Yun Fan flapped his wings furiously. In the blink of an eye, he shot out of the hall and soared upward into the sky.
Zzzap!
A flash of electric light—Xiao Li, already prepared, moved like lightning and chased after him.
On the side, Lin Yan, Zi Yan, and the others were just about to act when they saw Yun Fan trying to flee—but Xiao Yan's laughing voice stopped them.
"Everyone, no need to trouble yourselves. Just leave it to the two of us brothers."
As his voice faded, Xiao Yan's figure suddenly vanished like a ghost.
Only after he disappeared did a faint sound of thunder echo back within the hall.
Moments later—
A shrill whoosh suddenly tore through the sky outside.
Then a figure, battered and bruised, fell hard from above—crashing heavily into the plaza in front of the great hall.
Boom!
Stones shattered. Dust filled the air.
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