Chapter 257: Farewell to the East Sea

Boom!

With a mere flick of their wrists, the Empress and Xu Yang unleashed an unimaginable torrent of spiritual energy, instantly flattening everything within their line of sight. The individuals who had been causing trouble and slaughtering the ape demons were immediately blasted into oblivion by Xu Yang and the Empress.

The Soul-Spirit Realm expert in the middle lay on the ground, spitting blood profusely. Clearly, his cultivation had been shattered, rendering him useless and completely incapable of resistance.

This person had indeed seen Xu Yang and the Empress before; he had been present at the previous Qianyun Sect assembly and was one of Northern Jin's pawns. However, Xu Yang and the Empress naturally paid no attention to such an insignificant individual.

"You know what you need to tell us, right? Don't make us force you. It's always less painful if you speak on your own."

Xu Yang spoke indifferently. For enemies of this absolute nature, and especially for such inhumane killers, annihilating them was the best course of action.

"I... I'll tell you... We were dispatched by His Majesty Tuoba Yun, the Emperor of Northern Jin, to the East Sea to rendezvous with Prince Xiaoyao. Since there had been no news for so long after he set sail, His Majesty was worried and sent us in three waves to investigate. The group on this island was just our first wave. We decided to act because we found the bodies of some members of the Seven Elders... *cough cough*..."

Xu Yang gave a cold smile. "I can tell you explicitly, Tuoba Hong is dead. I killed him."

"What?! You..."

The man was initially shocked, but the moment his gaze met Xu Yang's, he instantly flinched.

He was also a Soul-Spirit Realm expert and could tell at a glance that Xu Yang's strength was a level stronger than it had been at the Qianyun Sect assembly. Xu Yang had clearly had some new fortuitous encounter, not to mention the equally powerful Empress by his side.

"Though I cannot possibly fight against you two, and my cultivation has already been crippled, I must warn you: if you offend Northern Jin, Tuoba Yun will never let you go! With Northern Jin's national power, even the Cold Moon Empire and the Primordial Sun Empire combined would be no match for them. Moreover, the Sword Alliance has also made progress in their investigation of another Dragon's Hoard in the Three Thousand Dao Continents. Before long, the Northern Jin lineage is destined to sweep across the entire Three Thousand Dao Continents!"

Xu Yang and the Empress exchanged glances. There was no hint of worry in their eyes; instead, there was a sense of helplessness and indifference.

"You don't need to worry about that. As for the fate of Tuoba Yun and Feng Xiu, we will personally judge them. What you need to do now is atone for the ape demons who perished."

The Empress had been eager for this moment. After sensing the fluctuation of Xu Yang's thoughts, she instantly unleashed a beam of blue light, piercing through the Soul-Spirit Realm expert's mind.

It's important to know that with the Empress's current mental strength, suppressing and imprisoning a Soul-Spirit level opponent was incredibly easy. A mere glance from her could render an opponent utterly powerless.

This was a perfect display of crushing power across cultivation realms.

"It seems our plan was correct. After leaving the East Sea, our next target should be Northern Jin. I know you have no desire to participate in worldly disputes. If you don't want to do this, I will never force you. Once we've dealt with hidden dangers like Tuoba Yun and Feng Xiu, I will consider abdicating and living a life like yours."

The Empress's sudden revelation caught Xu Yang by surprise. It was because of what they had experienced in the spiritual resonance space that their relationship had undergone a profound transformation. The unspoken barrier between them had been completely broken, and the Empress no longer suppressed or concealed her feelings for Xu Yang.

After all, for this man, she was willing to risk her life. What else could she possibly be apprehensive about?

Xu Yang chuckled, "Tuoba Yun is not just an enemy of the Cold Moon Empire alone. Since they've set their sights on the Dragon's Hoard, they are an enemy of the entire Three Thousand Dao Continents. As for me, I am the one who killed Tuoba Yun's own brother and the culprit behind the failure of Tuoba Yun's previous plans. That guy has long considered me his number one enemy; there's no way I can escape involvement."

As the two conversed, Long Kun and the others quickly caught up from behind. Seeing the desolate emptiness before them and the Soul-Spirit Realm expert lying motionless in a pool of blood, everyone understood what had happened.

Upon returning to the entrance of the Profound Fire Titan's cave, the Empress personally fashioned a tombstone for the Titan. Xu Yang, meanwhile, set up restrictions around the entire island and left a few drops of blood imbued with true dragon power, planting a tree at the cave entrance, where spiritual energy was most abundant. It was a Divine Sakura spirit seed he had unintentionally obtained during his travels in Fucang, said to grow into a spiritual Divine Sakura. This was a form of compensation for the island's inhabitants and the fallen Titan.

The Titan would never return, but this bond was etched into the heart of every member of Xu Yang's team and became an indelible mark on the Empress's life.

"Don't worry, brother Titan, I will protect A'Xue for you."

Xu Yang's soul voice gently echoed into the depths of the cave. Only the Empress, who was by his side, heard it clearly, and a faint blush involuntarily rose on her lovely face.

With these matters concluded, which also fulfilled a wish of the Empress, the group ascended into the sky and headed straight for Sangshui City.

Along the way, they also intended to search for the other two support forces that the man had mentioned Tuoba Yun sent.

RUMBLE!!

Crashing waves battered the shore, and scattered rocks seemed to pierce the sky. It was as if the magnificent and vast scene from before had reappeared. The turbulent waves of the outer East Sea seemed to be welcoming Xu Yang and his companions back in this extraordinary manner.

"Brother Taotie, aren't you going to greet your former companions?"

Feeling the primordial soul of Taotie within him had awakened, Xu Yang couldn't help but tease Taotie.

"Heh, don't try to connect me with them. These sea creatures here respect me only because they fear my power; we have no real friendship. The reason I lived in the East Sea was because of its abundant spiritual energy. Now, hidden within your body, bathed in the nourishment of true dragon blood, where could I possibly find a better place?"

Xu Yang chuckled lightly and transmitted a message to the sea of consciousness within him. "So, you're saying if you meet someone stronger than me in the future, you'll jump ship?"

"Sigh, it's frustrating just thinking about it. To think that I, a majestic Primordial Ancestral Beast, practically a demigod, now have my fate firmly controlled by a mere brat like you. It truly gives me a headache."

Xu Yang broke into a sweat. "Oh please, your head was already big! How can that possibly be my fault?"

While they were still bantering, from two small boats in succession, a powerful mental energy spread outwards.

"Everyone, be careful. Someone seems to be approaching from this direction. Most likely, they are Tuoba Yun's people, and their aura is not weak."

The Empress was the first to sense it and immediately relayed her discovery to everyone. Xu Yang also received the feedback shortly after.