Chapter 945: Magic Dragon's Seven Tribulations

Once the protection of "Dragon Slayer's Seven Calamities," a title exclusive to the royal family, was lost, the internal competition within the Dragon Legion, the most elite combat force in the entire Western Regions, became incredibly intense.

With their power gone, the Scarlet Dragon Squad would face universal opposition. Xu Yang's Glory Squad wouldn't even need to intervene; countless others would eagerly move to eliminate them.

It must be said that Xu Yang's tactical planning and leadership have evolved into an art form. He had long abandoned the crude method of relying solely on his raw power to crush everything.

His current aim was to achieve maximum results with minimal effort and the simplest methods.

Deafening battle cries echoed intermittently.

Since Xu Yang's Glory Squad controlled both sides on the main battlefield outside the city walls, this mock battle, which appeared to be a mere sparring session, actually resulted in considerable casualties. This had a profound, misleading effect on the grand commander's subordinates who were monitoring the situation from the ramparts.

“Reporting, Grand Commander! The main battlefield is extremely fierce. It seems over twenty percent of the forces have already fallen.

If this continues, both sides will undoubtedly be severely weakened!”

Upon hearing this news, the grand commander's lips twisted into a cold, sinister smile.

“Excellent, continue to monitor! This is precisely the outcome I desire. After this battle, I will turn Saar City into a hollow, worthless shell.

Ah Yang, this is the price for crippling my brother! And this is only the beginning. I swear I'll make every single member of your squad suffer ten times worse than he did!”

Evidently, the grand commander remained oblivious to the illusion Xu Yang had woven for him, still lost in his self-assured rhythm.

When he finally did awaken, the situation would be beyond salvation.

An hour into this scenario, a sudden, overwhelming blow akin to a collapsing edifice struck, catching the eight elite members of the Scarlet Dragon Squad completely by surprise.

“What? The city was captured so quickly? How can this be?

We deployed eight thousand Saar City militia to the front lines. Even if they were weak, there's no way they couldn't hold out for even an hour!”

The grand commander interrogated the scout before him, his voice laced with disbelief.

Yet, apart from his fearful repetitions, how could this man possibly dare to deceive the grand commander? He simply reiterated his precise intelligence over and over.

“Reporting, Grand Commander, how could I possibly dare to deceive you? It is indeed true: the internal passages of all five city gates have been breached. Now, the castle is completely encircled in every direction by the three thousand spirit cultivators of the Emperor Soul Legion.

All four inner gates within the city have been completely sealed!

We are now trapped like turtles in a jar. Even if we concentrate all our forces for a direct assault, it will be nearly impossible to break out of the city!”

Without a moment's hesitation, the grand commander crushed the scout before him.

Even though the scout was one of his own, the grand commander needed a life to unleash his surging fury.

“You're the damn turtle! My order: all Scarlet Dragon militia, break through at all costs! We cannot allow them to trap us in Saar City. Concentrate your attack on the North Gate, and send out a two-hundred-man suicide squad to try and escape the city and call for reinforcements!

Additionally, Old Five, Old Six, summon your winged beasts and fly to the city-states near the Dragon Legion to request support, taking the Dragon Legion Battle Order with you!”

Both Old Five and Old Six were formidable blue-grade spirit cultivators. Though their seniority in the Scarlet Dragon Squad was relatively junior, their strength was not to be underestimated.

Upon receiving the grand commander's orders, they wasted no time. They immediately departed the City Lord's Manor command area, soared into the sky, and swiftly headed towards the far reaches of the North Gate's firmament.

However, the two brothers never imagined that the instant their winged forms appeared above the Emperor Soul Legion encircling the North Gate, news of their escape would immediately reach Xu Yang.

It turned out that, all along, the three thousand members of the Emperor Soul Legion within the city had been acting as informants for Xu Yang's Glory Squad.

“My word, Boss, he's practically a seer! He actually predicted that the grand commander would try to send people out for reinforcements! Thankfully, we arrived here early and set up our defenses. Now, I'd like to see how these two good-for-nothings manage to escape the city!”

Unbeknownst to them, Liszt, accompanied by Little Ape, Saber-toothed Tiger, and Clown, was positioned above the North Gate. Xu Yang, a strategist of unparalleled cunning, had flawlessly executed the 'waiting for the rabbit' tactic, anticipating their move.

Xu Yang had anticipated their escape through the North Gate because the nearest allied city-state to Saar City was located directly in that direction.

Should the Scarlet Dragon Squad attempt to seek reinforcements, they would invariably try to break through to the north.

“Hey, fellas, fancy meeting you here again!”

Just as Old Five and Old Six of the Scarlet Dragon Squad cleared the protected area above the North Gate, the two large birds they rode were already riddled with arrows from the defenders below.

Believing they had made their escape, the two fell into utter despair upon seeing Clown and Liszt.

However, what truly filled them with suffocating dread were the two terrifying, winged Beast Emperors accompanying Liszt and Clown.

The Saber-toothed Tiger let out a furious roar in mid-air, unleashing a terrifying, Beast Emperor-level aura that instantly shattered the spirits of the two already wounded birds, causing them to lose their ability to fly on the spot.

Old Five and Old Six of the Scarlet Dragon Squad plummeted from a thousand meters in the air, their ability to fly completely gone.

“Let's split up. It's clear our plan has been exposed by the Glory Squad. If we remain together, we won't escape capture by those two!

Even if it costs us our lives, we must ensure that this situation and the Dragon Legion Battle Order reach a nearby city-state. Otherwise, today will mark the downfall of our Scarlet Dragon Squad!”

Old Five, with a certain noble demeanor, immediately entrusted this crucial task to Old Six.

Unfortunately, no sooner had Old Six departed than he was targeted by Liszt and Little Ape.

“Our boss said that even though both of you have reached the Blue Rank and theoretically qualify for training at the Glory Circus,

because you belong to the Scarlet Dragon Squad, you are unworthy of joining the Circus. There is only one verdict for you: instant execution.”

Old Five was incandescent with rage. Not only was he confronted by two exceptionally powerful opponents, but he also had to endure such blatant humiliation.

But what could he do? On this continent where power reigned supreme, Old Five knew perfectly well that he was likely to perish here today.

“Alright, I need to report back after I'm done here. Do you have any last words you wish to impart?

This is your final opportunity to speak. Please cherish this precious moment.”

Old Five of the Scarlet Dragon Squad, seething with fury, clenched his fists and glared coldly at Liszt. “I'll tell you what—” he spat.

Liszt sneered, wasting no more words. In that instant, the Death Card in his hand flew from his palm…