Chapter 1890: Fox Using the Tiger's Might

The old emperor, upon hearing this, couldn't help but sigh in profound agreement.

"You are absolutely right. Although the Ancient Martial God Path is now divided among several major factions, it remains a single entity at its core. It must not be completely fragmented by the puppets of these mysterious forces lurking in the shadows. Fortunately, with Sir Xu Yang present, our empire alone would likely face complete annihilation, not to mention other potential disasters."

Xu Yang offered no response, his gaze remaining calm as he observed the battlefield. Despite his extensive support for the old emperor throughout their journey, he never took credit or displayed arrogance in the emperor's presence. He consistently maintained a fundamental level of respect for the elderly ruler who commanded an empire. This was because Xu Yang always believed his actions served clear objectives; assisting the old emperor was simply a convenient side task aimed at reducing the overall mission difficulty.

The situation on the battlefield rapidly shifted. Xu Yang had already helped the two young women overcome the most formidable challenges, rendering the remaining task of clearing the battlefield virtually risk-free. The two young women appeared to be secretly competing, tallying who could slay more soul puppets. Fueled by this rivalry, they fought with increasing ferocity, each demonstrating a remarkably potent killing intent and pushing their individual strengths almost to their absolute limits.

Before long, the two young women had collectively eliminated approximately seventy percent of the five hundred soul puppets. The remaining hundred-odd puppets, in a state of intense frenzy, were burning their own soul energy and were clearly on the verge of collapsing.

Witnessing the trap set in the jungle outside the imperial capital being completely overturned by Xu Yang's individual power, the hidden priest, who controlled these war puppets from behind the scenes, looked increasingly displeased. From his phantom form, he constantly monitored every shift on the battlefield, finally realizing the true terror of this man named Xu Yang.

"This human is fundamentally different from ordinary martial artists. The depth of his cultivation far surpasses anything I could have imagined. Even if the entire Ancient Martial God Path were combined, there wouldn't be a second individual stronger than him. If we cannot restrain this individual, not only will the main battlefield likely see more unpredictable developments, but even the subsequent tasks assigned by the Lord Sovereign will become exceedingly difficult to complete. In short, no matter the cost, this man named Xu Yang must be utterly destroyed! Otherwise, he will become our greatest impediment."

The priest, indeed, possessed keen foresight; he at least perceived the true threat Xu Yang posed to the dark forces. However, following their recent confrontation, the power Xu Yang exhibited nearly surpassed the maximum strength the priest could summon. Even the priest himself was now unsure how to suppress Xu Yang. Naturally, he couldn't simply stand by and watch five hundred Millennium Disciple soul puppets senselessly become prey for Xu Yang's team. Although the battle had already lost any suspense of a reversal, he still felt compelled to personally intervene and salvage what he could.

Soon, the radiant light of the full moon reappeared in the sky. The moon's descent signified that the remaining hundred-plus soul puppets, now no longer a threat, gradually regained their composure. Even if they hadn't been immediately harvested by Po Xiao and Lan Ling'er, these remaining hundred-plus puppets had already sustained irreversible severe damage from Xu Yang's powerful spirit attack (man-sword unity). He barely managed to stabilize the battlefield situation, preventing a total rout. The phantom form of the hidden priest slowly coalesced under the moonlight's guidance, materializing before Xu Yang and his companions.

The old man certainly lived up to his reputation as a true priest; his standing within the entire dark faction's disciple hierarchy surpassed even that of Martial God-level golden-robed believers. The scepter in his hand seemed to exude an undeniable aura of authority. Two clusters of deep, cold green flames glowed in the skull's eye sockets, casting an eerie light over Xu Yang's team.

"This is truly an unexpected confrontation. I never imagined that a mere handful of you could dismantle the trap I personally set. It seems you, my prey, are destined to escape today."

Upon hearing the man's overly grand pronouncement, Little Mushroom unhesitatingly interrupted his boastful tone. "Oh, alright, alright, there's no need for you to boast and put on airs in front of us. You know perfectly well what your true strength is. What difference would your presence make? In front of our leader, Xu Yang, you puppets and pawns of the shadowy forces are utterly insignificant. Unless your so-called Sovereign personally descends, any further efforts you make will be in vain."

While Little Mushroom's bravado stemmed from 'borrowing the tiger's might,' who could fault him when he had such a powerful ally in Xu Yang? He certainly had reason to be proud. Indeed, the priest before them dared not truly harm Little Mushroom, who stood on Xu Yang's shoulder; he merely responded with a cold sneer at his taunt.

"This was merely a small gift I had prepared for you. I initially underestimated your strength, believing I could make you all vanish into thin air with minimal effort. However, it now appears the game's difficulty is several levels higher than I anticipated. In that case, let us meet again at the Imperial Palace. I will await you there. If you truly possess sufficient strength and the courage to face death, the gates of the Imperial Palace will be open to you."

Having spoken, the priest's phantom form transformed into a shimmering silver light and gradually vanished. With his departure, the remaining hundred-plus Millennium Disciple-level soul puppets all let out frenzied roars and swiftly retreated into the depths of the darkness.

Lan Ling'er, the young woman, seemed unsatisfied with the battle and was about to continue the pursuit, but Xu Yang, standing beside her, decisively stopped her.

"Don't pursue a cornered enemy; they can no longer influence the overall situation. You truly are quite greedy, young woman; you've already slain over a hundred Millennium Disciple soul bodies, and you're still not satisfied."

Lan Ling'er chuckled mischievously. "Who told those fools to be so reckless as to cross me, this young lady? Transforming them into essence pills was already the greatest leniency shown to them."

Xu Yang shook his head with a smile and gently waved his palm. A dazzling point of light materialized a short distance in front of them, quickly emitting an incredibly powerful absorbing force. This force swiftly drew the soul lights, which had transformed into essence pills, directly into Xu Yang's palm.