Chapter 356: Mount Hua Sect’s Surprise Attack (1/2)
Wei Xiang walked out of the citadel in a bad mood.
The negotiation had failed. Liu Xuande refused to cooperate with his demand even though Wei Xiang offered all his money and wealth to hire them.
”Bastard! Aren't 10,000 essence cores not enough for you!? Do you think we're as rich as you, a bunch of silkpants from the Holy Land Continent!?”
Wei Xiang stormed off the citadel, returning to his men.
Because of his failure, Wei Xiang devised a new plan.
'I guess I should bring my men to occupy Xuan City first. Since it's a ruined city, there shouldn't be anyone in there other than weak cultivators and commoners. I should be able to capture more souls and use them.'
As it was about to reach the deadline date, Wei Xiang had to start preparing his forces before the Yuan Clan Army could reach here, so he wouldn't lose face when the main forces arrived.
…
After Wei Xiang had left the citadel, Liu Xuande stood at the balcony of the fortress, looking down on Wei Xiang and his demon servants.
Behind him, Jian Yong and Jian Meng cupped their fists and reported, ”Our men have finished investigating Wei Xiang's purpose. His father has ordered him to be the vanguard of their forces, and he is supposed to probe Siren City's strength before the main forces arrive.”
”Pfft. I bet it's Yuan Shaoqing's idea,” Liu Xuande scoffed.
”Indeed. Yuan Shaoqing ordered Wei Huang to send a vanguard force.”
”Then, where are Yuan Shaoqing's forces now? Why is he ordering other people around without contributing something?”
”They have gathered their forces at Tiger Cage Pass, my lord.”
Liu Xuande raised his right eyebrow as if he was the Rock, surprised by Yuan Shaoqing's unknown motive, ”What are they doing over there? Their forces could have overrun Siren City by now. What took them so long?”
”The thing is…”
Jian Yong brought out a scroll and handed it to Liu Xuande.
Liu Xuande opened the scroll. It was a map of strange underground passages and a series of dungeon floors.
”Is this a treasure map?” Liu Xuande was interested.
”This is a publicized map from the Yuan Clan. They are encouraging their men to explore this mysterious underground city and expand the map. Every contributor gets rewards from the Yuan Clan.”
”And… what's in there?”
”So far, they've discovered rare metal ores, strange weaponry, and living metal-like organisms, such as metal dolls and walking explosives.”
”Hoh?”
Liu Xuande nodded. If that was the case, this war might be more complicated than he had expected.
Also, all hidden dungeons, caves, and forgotten cities always concealed useful artifacts or treasures. If the discoverer was lucky, they could find a lost legacy of a powerful demon or beast.
As such, it would be a waste to not participate in this treasure hunt. Liu Xuande made his decision.
”Yunchang.”
Guan Yunchang, who had been leaning against the wall, glanced at his sworn brother, ”Hmm?”
”Let's go dig some treasures.”
”What about the city? Who will protect it?”
”We can leave it to Yide.”
”Are you sure? He isn't a good protector. That lazy bum always spent his days drinking all day.”
”Nobody is going to steal Chick Ann City any time soon. Heck, I doubt Zhao Bao has the guts to attack this city when his sect master just visited us and negotiated for a truce. Won't it break his monk's codes?”
”Ha. True.”
Liu Xuande led his men away. He no longer cared about Siren City or his city since treasure hunting seemed more interesting.
…
Liu Xuande and 100 of his escorts, including Jian Yong, Jian Meng, and Guan Yunchang, departed from Chicken Ann City and flew east, heading toward Tiger Cage Pass.
Meanwhile, Ling Tianlong, Ling Cao, several elders, and inner disciples from Mount Hua Sect rode a giant flying sword, moving west.
All elders and inner disciples respectfully gazed at their leader, Ling Tianlong, who had been piloting the flying sword for the sect members.
Several days ago, Ling Tianlong defeated and captured traitors among them, who were his fellow inner disciples and a 7th-stage cultivator, including Ling Cao's son, Ling Tong. He also showed his divine techniques to all elders of Mount Hua Sect, earning the respect of all elders. Combining with his exceptional skill and contribution, he became an unofficial leading figure of the sect.
Unlike Yuan Shaoqing, Liu Xuande, or Wei Xiang, Ling Tianlong led his colleagues and rushed to Siren City to finish the war by themselves. After all, he had no tolerance against demons, demi-humans, or the beast races.
Despite flying above the cloud and facing the cold wind, these 100 cultivators' expressions didn't change. They were determined to destroy the demons and the beastmen of the rumors. Then, they would share whatever legacies, techniques, or wealth of Siren City for the human race, according to Ling Tianlong's influence and belief.
Ling Tianlong gazed at a distance, thinking of the bitter experience when he had been struggling in an immortal realm, the First Karmic Heaven Planet.
Human cultivators were the minority there while the major population was gargoyles, minotaurs, and bloodthirsty children of Kishin Douji. The human immortals banded together to resist Kishin Douji's goons and the latter's ambition, but they were eventually trampled and slaughtered.
In this life, for the sake of promoting this planet into a homeworld for human immortals, he had planned to eradicate all demons and beastmen first. Then, he would lead the humans to take over other planets to establish the human forces to take down Kishin Douji and his dao god allies.
Ling Tianlong would gather more allies, such as Jiangdong White Tiger Sect, to destroy Wei Huang and the Yuan Clan.
But first, his current target was Siren City!
”Brace yourself. We'll reach Siren City shortly. Take out your talismans and prepare for battle!”
”So soon?” Ling Cao was surprised.
”I'll head down to take out their top experts first. You and others can pick off the stragglers and injured demons. Remember, leave no prisoner, even if they are children! Orcs, beastmen, and demon worshipers are vengeful. If you let them live, they will come back and bite us in a decade!”
”I know,” Ling Cao chuckled. The other elders also nodded in agreement.
”Alright,” Ling Tianlong turned around and jumped off the flying sword. He also transformed into earth dragonewt and spread his giant wings to glide.
Ling Cao immediately injected his Qi into the giant sword to pilot it. He also lowered the altitude, planning to land the sword somewhere below the cloud.
As soon as they descended below the cold cloud, they could see the dark dome, which had been concealing Siren City's interior. However, it didn't hide several structures outside the city, where many beastmen and human cultivators had built.