214 Chapter 213: Cleaning out the City (2/2)
”I wonder what's going on in the city?” Xie Jing Lian murmured to herself. Her subordinate, Yang Zhong, glanced up.
”We've lost all contact with the Dark Asura Sect forces in the sect,” he informed her solemnly as he struggled with the long-distance vox-set. The receivers had gone silent now, the signal apparently blocked, or too far to be received. Given how powerful the vehicle-mounted vox-set was, it was most likely the former.
He flicked a few switches and twisted a few dials, but only static continued to blare out. Even Yuan Tian Ya's personal comn bead remained stubbornly silent, as if the wearer had carelessly discarded it to ignore orders from above.
Giving up finally, Yang Zhong turned back to look at his lady.
”I've dispatched several unmanned drones to scout ahead. The moment they come into view, we'll be able to construct a picture.” He gestured toward several monitors, which still displayed the grasslands and forests surrounding Tushan City. ”If everything goes smoothly, then Nine-Tailed Fox Sect should have fallen by now. Sect Leader Zi Shou De, the Great Elders, and the inner sect elders should all be captured and imprisoned right now.”
Xie Jing Lian nodded lightly, not trusting herself to speak.
A muscular man approached their scout vehicle, causing Xie Jing Lian to look down on him from her cupola. Unlike her white and pristine military uniform, this man was dressed in the black and red uniform of Dark Asura Sect, with many medals decorating his chest. The chevrons on his shoulders, which were three stars, indicated his high rank.
He was the second sect leader of Dark Asura Sect, Cao Xuan Rui. A person who had always been at odds with Yuan Tian Ya, the both of them always competed fiercely for the ultimate rank of Grand Sect Leader.
Well, thanks to Tian Yu Di, his competition had been all but eliminated.
To give some background because I needed to fill out the word count to keep up the daily updates, I might as well tell everyone that Yuan Tian Ya had been hogging the spotlight recently because of recent achievements and battles, which including gathering an extremely formidable force under him and exterminating a demonic sect at the fringes of the Great Zhou Empire. Not just Dark Asura Sect, but the Martial Arts Alliance had recognized his accomplishments.
That was why he was allowed to take charge of this operation against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.
The ones who broke into Nine-Tailed Fox Sect first would have the opportunity to plunder whatever Spirit Materials, high quality Spirit Artifacts and other resources they liked from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. That was why so many coveted the opportunity to lead the assault against Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. As much as Cao Xuan Rui hated to admit it, Yuan Tian Ya had proven that he deserved the opportunity, thanks to his decisive blow against the Dark Carnage Sect. That didn't mean he had to like the higher-ups' decision, though.
”Miss Xie, I heard that the higher-ups have arranged for the Heavenly Way Sect and Green Dragon Sect to send their forces over.” Cao Xuan Rui stopped next to the armored fighting vehicle and bowed politely. ”Have you heard from them yet?”
”Not yet,” Xie Jing Lian replied indifferently.
”What about the lord from the Xie family?” he asked.
The Martial Arts Alliance was currently governed by three great clans, who possessed great prestige and tremendous power, even in comparison to the eight major sects. They were just under the royal family in terms of rank and influence, which was why the royal family was so reluctant to clash with the Martial Arts Alliance. It was also because of them that the Martial Arts Alliance was able to maintain its incredible standing in the Great Zhou Empire today.
The three great clans often took turns, competing to be the Alliance Chief. And the Xie family was one of those three massive clans in the Martial Arts Alliance.
That was why Cao Xuan Rui treated Xie Jing Lian with such deference. He could not afford to antagonize her. Even if Yuan Tian Ya was still alive and present, even he would also have to treat her with respect.
Xie Jing Lian had apparently been assigned to the Dark Asura Sect because her clan wanted her to accumulate experience through managing subordinates in combat, and also so that she could increase her own strength, while rising through the ranks to become one of the potential heiress to the clan and an eventual Alliance Chief in the far future.
”I haven't heard anything either,” Xie Jing Lian repeated in the same uncaring tone.
The Dark Asura Sect members exchanged glances with each other, trying to conceal their impatience, but they were smart enough to hold their tongues.
”Do you think Lord Tu Xi is enough to eliminate Lang Xie?” one of the Dark Asura Sect members whispered.
”Why not? Lord Tu Xi is a high-ranking martial artist in the Heavenly Way Sect. You know how powerful the Heavenly Way Sect is.”
Unlike the Heavenly Way Sect, the Dark Asura Sect was not one of the eight major sects. That was why they held the eight major sects in reverence. They were still powerful in their own right, but not strong enough to challenge a major sect like Nine-Tailed Fox Sect, which was why they were woring together with nine other sects to invade it in the first place.
”Still…I can't believe the Heavenly Way Sect only dispatched one expert,” the first member complained.
”I heard they are sending reinforcements,” the second member chided him. ”An entire army of Heavenly Way Sect members are on their way. And I heard their second young master, Jiang Jun Hao, is leading them. Apparently his masters want him to gain experience in combat, but didn't want to put him in too much danger.”
”Just like Lady Xie up there, eh?” a third member chuckled. If Xie Jing Lian had heard him, she gave no sign, instead continuing to view Tushan City through her binoculars.
”Quiet, all of you,” Cao Xuan Rui snapped. Then he dropped his voice to a whisper. ”Let us hope our comrades are enough to subjugate Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. We don't want Heavenly Way Sect or any of the major sects to come in and steal our thunder. They will take a sizeable portion of the spoils of war for themselves.”
”If we conquer Nine-Tailed Fox Sect before they arrive…” the third member was practically drooling. ”We can have all their stuff to ourselves.”
”Not all of their stuff,” Cao Xuan Rui reminded him. Then he smiled. ”But we do get their best stuff, yes.”
Their optimism faded immediately when Yang Zhong's voice suddenly spoke up across the vox system, echoing from their invidual comn beads.
”The drones have reached the destination. Receiving pictures now…”
Yang Zhong watched as the images of Tushan City finally came into view, and his expression turned into stupefied horror as he magnified the images and clarified what he was seeing in real time. His fingers turned white as he gripped the controls tightly, his mind grappling with disbelief.
When they noticed there was a delay, a long lull of silence as Yang Zhong ceased his report, the Dark Asura Sect members began to stir restlessly, looking at each other.
”What's happening?”
”What's going on?”
”Yang Zhong?” Xie Jing Lian pressed impatiently, lowering herself through the cupola to look at her subordinate.
”Tushan City…Tushan City has been retaken by Nine-Tailed Fox Sect.” Even as he resumed his report, Yang Zhong's voice was filled with incredulity. ”Right now, Blood Blades martial artists are hunting down all the martial artists of the invading ten sects in the city and wiping them out! There are few, if any survivors!”
The entire reserve force of Dark Asura Sect were stunned speechless.
”H…how is that possible!?” one of the members cried out angrily.
”Just this morning, didn't the allied forces launch a combined attack and overwhelm Nine-Tailed Fox Sect's defenses? Didn't they already succeed in conquering Tushan City and occupying it? We were supposed to execute the last phase of our invasion and take the main sect grounds. The sun hasn't even set yet, and already the situation is reversed and our allied forces are being driven out of Tushan City or eliminated? What happened?!”
Cao Xuan Rui's face had lost all its color as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He glared at the armored fighting vehicle, as if his gaze could bore through the thick walls and drill straight at Yang Zhong.
The vox-operator, however, was unaware of the questioning glare, continuing to monitor the situation. He studied a single monitor as several of his drones swooped across the space above the foot of Flame Volcano.
His eyes bulged, and he desperately adjusted the magnification to ensure that he wasn't seeing things wrong. Sucking in a deep breath, he spoke with a trembling voice.
”Shi Jing Yun, Wu Tuo and Su Bai Xue have been shackled to the Spirit Engraved Pillars at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect's plaza. I can't find Liang Yang Zu or Yuan Tian Ya anyway. And all the dead bodies in the plaza…they are wearing the uniforms of the ten allied sects!”
No one said a word. They were staring in the direction of Tushan City with wide, disbelieving eyes.
Then Yang Zhong broke the silence again.
”Our forces…our allied forces who were sent in to invade Nine-Tailed Fox Sect…have been almost completely wiped out.”