Chapter 857: Allies Arrive

"Understand this: although our life forces are bound, I will never allow you to control me freely. I will not obey any of your commands unless your life is in danger. Only then will I help you fight."

Yun Yixuan didn't object much to this arrangement. He hadn't expected Xu Yang to genuinely fulfill his promise.

The bound water dragon summon was an unexpected windfall for him.

Having gained an additional trump card out of nowhere, he was overjoyed.

Given Yun Yixuan's nature, it was clearly impossible for him to forge a bond with his summon as deep as the one Xu Yang shared with his piranha.

Yun Yixuan was not someone worth cultivating a deep friendship with, and Xu Yang had never seen him as a friend, but rather as a pawn to control the Central Domain imperial family.

Without a doubt, by offering this significant gift, Xu Yang had achieved his objective. Yun Yixuan would no longer harbor any animosity towards him, and the two had established a truly mutually beneficial partnership.

"Lord Ayang, what do you propose we do next? And how should we deal with Mount Qizong? Since it's no longer under the Western Emperor's control, should we destroy it entirely?"

As expected, Yun Yixuan's demeanor shifted when he spoke to Xu Yang.

The man was indeed a sycophant; a single water dragon summon had completely swayed him.

Now, he completely deferred to Xu Yang's will and no longer dared to act presumptuously in his presence.

However, when he posed the question, Xu Yang calmly shook his head.

"Mount Qizong is a rare and auspicious location. More importantly, the Western Emperor's forces have developed this area for hundreds of years to achieve its current scale.

It's easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a crucial strategic point.

Now that we have taken control, we should naturally develop this place into our best stronghold in the Eastern Domain.

According to my instructions, have the remaining Golden Knight Regiment brothers thoroughly search Mount Qizong, both inside and out. Apart from the magical array beneath the Water Dragon Pool, which should not be touched, there shouldn't be much danger elsewhere.

Afterwards, we will use this location as our base and allow the warriors to rest here.

This way, even if other bandit forces attack us, we will remain unconcerned."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's words, Yun Yixuan nodded repeatedly with a smile, as if enlightened.

"As you command, I will issue the orders immediately."

As expected, Yun Yixuan increasingly resembled Xu Yang's henchman.

Under his direction, the remaining eight thousand Golden Knight Regiment warriors quickly sprang into action.

They swiftly and thoroughly searched Mount Qizong, from inside to out.

While they found nothing significant, they gained a thorough understanding of all the areas within the mountain and its hidden restrictions.

From then on, Mount Qizong became Xu Yang's first legitimate stronghold acquired in the Eastern Domain.

Just as everyone was brainstorming their next move, two incredibly powerful and ominous auras suddenly appeared at the edge of the void, capturing the attention of Xu Yang and his group.

Shortly after, two distinct lights, one black and one white, rapidly descended from the sky.

The newcomers moved with extreme speed, surpassing even ordinary Sky Warrior level experts, and arrived directly at the center of the temporary headquarters on Mount Qizong.

The surrounding hundred Golden Knight Regiment warriors immediately rushed forward, encircling the two figures, one cloaked in black and the other in white. Yet, these two individuals remained perfectly composed, showing no hint of panic.

It seemed they weren't there to cause trouble, but even so, vigilance could not be dropped.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into Qizong territory? This is now the domain of the Sacred Flame Divine Sect."

The middle-aged man, who emanated a black aura, offered a smile.

"Of course, I know this has become the territory of the Sacred Flame Divine Sect; otherwise, I wouldn't be here. You must be warriors under Ayang, your Sect Leader. Take us to him!"

As expected, these two newcomers were well-informed about Xu Yang. They were direct and wasted no words. The other warriors exchanged glances. Recognizing the significant background of the two and their clear purpose, they wasted no further time and immediately entered the main hall to report the situation to Xu Yang.

Upon hearing the report, Xu Yang didn't wait for the two men to enter the inner hall. Instead, he stepped out himself and directly confronted the two figures, one cloaked in black and the other in white.

"Who are you two? You've come here specifically to see me. It seems you possess information that might interest me."

The two figures, one black and one white, exchanged glances, their expressions relaxing slightly.

"Lord Ayang is truly straightforward. In that case, we won't conceal anything.

We are the Wind and Cloud Envoys of the Spades Royal Card. We have come to propose a trade, the subject of which we are certain will interest you: the Western Emperor's lineage."

Xu Yang nodded with a slight smile. "You are correct; this information genuinely interests me. Tell me your terms."

Both figures simultaneously presented an exquisitely crafted card, on the back of which was clearly etched a shimmering spade totem.

"Lord Ayang, since you have led your forces into the Eastern Domain and dealt with various bandit factions, you must already be familiar with the three major bandit forces of the Central Domain.

Besides the Western Emperor, you have likely encountered members of the other faction, Old Man Gray. We represent the third of these three major bandit forces: the Spades Royal Card."

"We have come on behalf of the Queen of Spades to conduct this transaction with you, Lord Ayang. We will provide you with the precise route to the Western Emperor's unknown location and can guide you through the entire journey to the target area.

As a token of our sincerity, we can guide you first. After you have personally suppressed the Western Emperor, you only need to accompany us to meet the Queen of Spades."

Xu Yang had no reason to refuse such terms.

At the very least, the clues offered by these two could help him resolve his immediate crisis, which was Xu Yang's primary concern.

As for what the so-called Queen of Spades truly sought, Xu Yang was unconcerned.

"Brother, do you think this might be a trap? I believe it's best to be cautious!"

Yun Xiao couldn't help but speak up, genuinely worried that these bandits might be playing tricks again.