Chapter 1876: Soldiers Divided into Two Routes

"I will help you guard the imperial palace and ensure no mistakes are made, but you must not disappoint me. Within a week, I expect to hear that war has erupted on the borders of the two empires."

The false emperor knew what to do. He immediately instructed his prime minister to make arrangements according to his demands. That very night, the false emperor led his personal contingent towards the empire's border.

Meanwhile, the High Priest, who had been orchestrating events from within the palace, finally unveiled his latest plan.

Instead of retreating into the palace and setting up defensive barriers as expected, he chose to launch a proactive assault. He continuously dispatched powerful Millennial Disciples and Ancient Spirit teams towards the path Xu Yang and his companions were destined to take on their return.

The High Priest knew very well that merely sending people to block a powerhouse like Xu Yang would have little effect. To truly buy time, he needed to employ far more brutal methods.

Indeed, Xu Yang and his group encountered few direct obstacles on their journey. However, they hadn't anticipated that the news of their team's return to the palace would lead to a horrific series of massacres in several large city-states along their route.

All indications pointed to the perpetrators of these atrocities being the Spirit Teams dispatched by the High Priest. Currently, Xu Yang and his companions were forced to temporarily enter the imperial city-state before them, known as Kaodu.

This ancient city-state had a long history, and its people originally lived peaceful and stable lives. However, in recent days, a large number of Spirit Beings suddenly entered the city and began a wave of incredibly brutal, seemingly motiveless massacres, plunging the city-state into chaos and despair.

Xu Yang and his companions naturally understood that these were tactics employed by the false emperor's palace faction to buy time. Nevertheless, they were compelled to remain in the city-state temporarily to help its people eliminate this scourge.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed. Although most of the powerful Spirit Beings in the city had been dealt with by Xu Yang's team,

those hidden Spirit members were truly like wildfires that could not be extinguished, regenerating with the spring breeze. Even a single spark could ignite a vast conflagration. Undoubtedly, this approach and strategy had effectively slowed down Xu Yang's team's progress in the short term.

"Boss Xu Yang, if we continue like this, I'm afraid we'll all be bogged down by those conspirators."

"I have an idea: why don't we split the team in two? We can leave two people to guard the city, and you, Boss, can personally escort His Majesty the Emperor back to the imperial palace immediately."

This suggestion from Poxia truly demonstrated her strategic foresight and earned Xu Yang's praise.

"It seems this is the only way for now. Otherwise, I fear more trouble will arise. Since the false emperor is determined to resist us to the very end, he will undoubtedly resort to desperate measures and issue reckless orders. The longer this drags on, the more innocent civilians will suffer because of his commands."

Xu Yang pondered for a moment before decisively instructing Long Kun and the Ancient Great Serpent to stay behind. He, along with Poxia and Little Mushroom, would escort His Majesty the Emperor directly to the imperial capital.

Upon hearing Xu Yang's command, Long Kun couldn't help but secretly glare at the Ancient Great Serpent. The two had not settled their last contest, and each harbored a strong desire to prove their strength.

Hearing Xu Yang's arrangement, their competitive urges immediately reignited. Xu Yang saw through their intentions perfectly and smiled as he pointed at them.

"Don't think that just because I'm leaving you in this city-state, you can do whatever you please. Don't you both want to prove your strength?"

"From now on, I require both of you to collect the unique soul imprints of every Realm Spirit powerhouse and Millennial Disciple-level master you defeat. Show them to me when we meet again."

"That's the best way to demonstrate your abilities. If I find out that you two have been fighting each other to the death within this city-state after we leave, don't blame me, your boss, for turning my back on you."

Xu Yang's influence within the team was absolute and unquestionable. Upon receiving his boss's command, Long Kun immediately gave his assurance.

"You can rest easy, Boss. When have I ever disappointed you? Since I've decided to obey your command, leave this place to me; I guarantee there won't be any problems."

After ensuring the situation in the city-state was settled, Xu Yang hesitated no further. The group of four ascended into the air and rapidly advanced towards the imperial capital.

Five hours of continuous travel passed in a flash. Along the way, Xu Yang not only protected the others but also constantly released his spiritual energy to observe their surroundings, preventing any hidden enemies from launching a surprise attack.

Sure enough, as the four approached an oasis, an astonishing surge of martial arts aura emanated from beneath it. Xu Yang sneered, pointing towards the oasis below. "Take a guess," he said, "how many enemies are hidden here?"

Little Mushroom immediately hopped onto Xu Yang's shoulder, giggling as she replied.

"An oasis this big must hide at least dozens of Millennial-level disciple warriors!"

Xu Yang listened to her answer and displayed a half-smile. He didn't directly refute her, but his reaction clearly showed that the little girl's answer was pure fabrication, completely without practical basis. The old emperor beside him, however, gravely scanned the area beneath the oasis, making his own observations.

"Based on the aura fluctuations, there should be about five people hidden beneath this oasis. And their strength should be no less than mine; at the very least, they are all at the Grand Completion stage or above."

Xu Yang smiled and nodded. "That answer isn't quite right either, but it's at least more reliable." As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Poxia's face behind him.

"Girl, perception should be a fundamental skill for you, like a survival instinct. You tell them the final answer."

Poxia's expression grew a little more serious. She gazed deeply at the oasis below and said,

"If my judgment isn't mistaken, there's only one enemy hidden beneath this oasis with an independent soul form. The auras of all the other warriors are likely controlled by that single individual's soul; they have all become puppets of that controller."

"What did you say? If that's true, why are the aura fluctuations below so chaotic?" Little Mushroom asked, her face full of doubt.

Xu Yang stroked her cheek, smiling as he replied, "It's just a method of concealment. You're still too young, and your practical experience is lacking. You need to work harder!"