Chapter 210: Empty House Chronicles

After a night of fierce fighting, both Cang Li and Yin Jiu were utterly exhausted, their spiritual energy almost entirely depleted. Their injuries were so severe that any martial cultivator with slightly weaker cultivation would have died. They had only managed to hold on until now by relying on their formidable cultivation and physical prowess, but they were at their limits.

For Yin Jiu, the suffering was a dual blow to both his body and mind.

Gradually, his cries subsided.

Exhaustion, weakness, pain, and grief... washed over him like a tide. Yin Jiu lost consciousness and collapsed next to Yin Shi's corpse. Their hands remained tightly clasped.

Li Weiyi stepped forward, wanting to do something.

"Let him rest for a while!" Cang Li said. "Even the strongest person has a breaking point."

Cang Li pulled out a small pill bottle, poured out a vermilion healing pill, and put it into Yin Jiu's mouth.

The pill melted.

A moment later, Yin Jiu was enveloped in a mist of blood-red medicinal energy.

Cang Li also took one himself, slumping against the wall, completely devoid of his usual majestic presence. He coughed violently a few times, and blood streamed from his mouth and nose again. He struggled to maintain his fighting spirit, not allowing himself to fall unconscious, his fierce eyes fixed on Li Weiyi. After a moment, as if in thought, he suddenly said, "Li Jiufu and I were no match for Luansheng Linyao. Even just holding him off, we were constantly getting injured. It was Qin Li's sword array that trapped Luansheng Linyao for a breath, along with Li Jiufu sacrificing an arm, that gave me the chance to severely wound him. He won't recover from his injuries within ten days."

Li Weiyi asked, "Luansheng Linyao was severely injured?"

Cang Li's eyes burned with intense hatred as he nodded slightly. "Among the younger generation, Luansheng Linyao and Ge Xiantong's combat power far surpasses everyone else, creating a clear gap. But if he wanted to kill me, he would have to pay some price. I only regret that my spear pierced his body but failed to strike his heart or Qihai."

Only then did Li Weiyi notice that Cang Li was without his spear.

He could imagine in his mind the perilous and intense night of pursuit, fighting, and confrontation, and the thrilling climax of several people battling one.

Bai Shu returned, entering the door with a panicked expression. "I've cleaned up all the bloodstains nearby!" she exclaimed. "But... it seems someone has already caught up to us!"

"The Longevity Pill Ticket, Dragon Seed Ticket, and Dragon Bone Ticket in the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival invitations sense each other," Cang Li explained. "You can't just hide or lie low as you please."

Cang Li remained calm, continuously healing and recovering his spiritual energy. He took out the invitation from his robe, which had "Cang Li" engraved on its surface. "I will hold them off later," he said. "Li Weiyi, take the invitation and Li Jiufu, and go find Zuoqiu Ting."

"If he also falls, then quickly escape the city," Cang Li continued. "Even if the invitation and all the exchange tickets become worthless, don't let them benefit from them. With your cultivation speed and your invincible combat power within five moves at the same realm, you can certainly avenge us in two or three years at most."

"As cultivators, we don't fight for a moment, but for generations!" Cang Li declared. "You have a choice, but I do not."

Swish! Swish...

Outside Qin Yuan, sharp whooshing sounds continuously echoed.

The garden's defensive formations were fully activated, with layers of light shrouds on which array patterns flickered. Some formations enveloped the entire garden, while others covered only small areas, scattered like an illusory maze. Before the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival, Yin Jiu and the others had spent a lot of time and resources setting these up. This was also why they had fled to Qin Yuan.

Li Weiyi soared up, landing on a tree near the defensive light shrouds of the courtyard wall, and looked out.

Boom! Boom!

Footsteps and the clatter of hooves grew dense.

On the wide street outside the main gate, countless young martial cultivators appeared. Some wore the battle robes of San Chen Palace, there were cavalry from Night City, Buddhist bandits from Coffin Mountain, and even demonic cultivators. Forces from more than a dozen large and small factions, their armor gleaming, their weapons sharp and cold, their banners fluttering, surrounded the entire Qin Yuan.

From the vantage points on the nearby streets, Li Weiyi successively saw Kudi (Truth of Suffering) and Miedi (Truth of Cessation) of Coffin Mountain's Four Noble Truths, Chen Wenwu from San Chen Palace, and Ming Niansheng from under the Young Venerable's command. These were just the top masters easily visible from the high ground and known to Li Weiyi.

They pursued extremely fast; Cang Li and Yin Jiu had only just arrived at Qin Yuan moments before, and already an encirclement had formed. It could be said that even if Li Weiyi had tried to escape immediately, he definitely wouldn't have gotten away.

They did not immediately attack because Cang Li and Yin Jiu were too strong, capable of severely injuring even Luansheng Linyao. Who would dare to rush in carelessly? Masters at their wits' end are often even more terrifying.

***

On the third layer of Peach Plum Mountain, one hundred zhang per layer of heaven.

At the edge of the cliff on the third layer of heaven, under an ancient peach tree, Yin Jun, Zuoqiu Ling, and some elders from the Zuoqiu clan were all on edge, their eyes focused, unable to sit or stand still. They had long ago made deductions, knowing that the first wave of the Hidden Dragon Lantern Festival would be very difficult to endure. The alliance of Ge Xiantong and Luansheng Linyao, aiming to first eliminate the Zuoqiu clan and the Nine Li Tribe, was the worst-case scenario in their deductions.

If they couldn't withstand this most difficult first night, it would be a complete loss. They didn't need to win, just to hold on, and the Du'e Temple would naturally give them a very high evaluation.

Yin Jun knew that defeat at Qin Yuan was inevitable and that Cang Li and the others' lives were no longer in their own hands. He clenched his fingers, but there was nothing he could do.

Zuoqiu Ling pointed towards the East City, hands on hips, and cursed angrily, "Luansheng Linyao is severely injured, yet those two from the Eastern Region dare not attack. What are they waiting for? If the Zuoqiu clan and the Nine Li Tribe are completely eliminated, they will be next. Don't they understand that when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold?"

Yin Jun, being more restrained, said, "Lu Cangsheng is good at defense; he will never act without certainty. Relying solely on the Dragon Gate... Long Zhexian of the Dragon Palace can only remain a coiled dragon in dormancy. One can only say that Luansheng Linyao is extraordinary in both martial arts and intellect, as if he had foreseen today's situation. His move of killing Zhu Huan has finally shown its power, preventing the Thundercloud Sect and the Dragon Gate from truly cooperating."

Zuoqiu Ling said, "Cultivating Thunder Arts is for offense; it's unstoppable in arrival and irresistible in departure, capable of destroying everything. Someone with Lu Cangsheng's personality shouldn't cultivate Thunder Arts. No wonder he's overshadowed by the Dragon Palace. In comparison, Zhu Yibai has more daring."

The gazes of those around them fell upon the battlefield in West City. It was Zhu Yibai of the Vermilion Gate who had held back the two young martial cultivator armies, Que Rong and Quan Rong, from the Far West Ash Region, as well as Luansheng Linyao's top expert Hua Yuzi and second expert Qi Jin, among others. Otherwise, Luansheng Linyao's might would have been even greater, Cang Li and Yin Jiu would have had no chance of escaping alive, and the Zuoqiu clan would very likely have already been defeated. It could be said that it was precisely because Zuoqiu Ting had secured the Vermilion Gate's support in advance that the Zuoqiu clan and the Nine Li Tribe had managed to hold on until now.

An elder from the Zuoqiu clan said, "You are merely looking at it from your own perspective. Why shouldn't Lu Cangsheng and the Dragon Palace sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight? For them, now is indeed not the best time to act."

Not just them, but also the Longevity Realm giants and transcendent beings from various major forces in the fourth, fifth, and higher layers of heaven were all closely watching the situation in the three important battlefields within the city. Many older generation figures were discussing and deducing the developments after the Nine Li Tribe's elimination.

Yin Jun's eyes were fixed on the base of the mountain, never expecting that Cang Li and Li Weiyi would somehow end up together, both trapped in Qin Yuan. As if having made a decision, he suddenly stood up. But Zuoqiu Ling pressed down on his shoulder, making him sit back down.

Suddenly.

An elder from the Zuoqiu clan exclaimed in surprise, "The gates of Qin Yuan... they actually opened on their own..."

Although everyone knew that Qin Yuan's defenses were practically useless against a large number of masters, they were still secretly startled and all looked down in unison.

Creak!

Bai Shu, following Li Weiyi's instructions, opened the two main gates of Qin Yuan. Broom in hand, she began sweeping the steps. Looking at the dense crowd of enemies outside, she was utterly speechless and terribly nervous, yet she had to pretend to be calm, composed, and cheerful, showing no trace of fear. In her heart, she thought Li Weiyi was crazy.

All the various forces on the street were utterly confused and didn't understand what was happening.

Chen Wenwu, sword on his back, stood prominently on the eaves of a building opposite Qin Yuan's main gate. "It's Bai Shu, the Calamity Flame Grand Reciter of the Earth Wolf King's Army. What is she trying to do?" he wondered.

"Opening the gates and sweeping the steps to welcome us," someone muttered. "Is this... preparation to surrender?"

"Cang Li, who falsely calls himself 'Southern Tiger', hides inside and sends a woman out to surrender," scoffed another.

"This woman is quite charming, as if water could be squeezed from her," one warrior said. "I'll go capture her first."

Miedi was about to act, but Kudi stopped him. "Something's unusual; don't act rashly," Kudi warned. "Do you really think a proud person like Cang Li would willingly surrender and be captured?"

Miedi's expression hardened, and looking again at Bai Shu, who was cheerfully sweeping the steps, he also found it oddly abnormal. This didn't look like a surrender at all!

Yuwen Tuozhen, the young master of Night City, sitting on the back of a Nightscale Behemoth, his expression suddenly changed as he considered a possibility. "Why did Cang Li and Li Jiufu flee here?" he mused. "Could they have set something up in advance?"

"What could they possibly set up? You're all so hesitant; I'll go," Ming Niansheng said.

Yuwen Tuozhen said, "What if it's a large amount of Thunder Arts Profound Ice? This situation feels like they're trying to lure us all in and then perish together."

Hearing this, everyone's heart trembled.

Ming Niansheng, who had already started walking towards the gate, immediately retreated. "Let's wait for the Young Venerable to arrive then," he said. "Thunder Arts Profound Ice isn't omnipotent either. Since we've seen through his trick, we'll have our own counter-strategy."

***

On the third layer of Peach Plum Mountain.

Zuoqiu Ling's eyes widened in surprise. "These people are actually intimidated and dare not rush in?"

Yin Jun frowned in contemplation. "Qin Yuan is covered by formations of various sizes; they can't see what's inside," he explained. "Those with insufficient cultivation can't break in. And those with strong cultivation value their lives."

"If only one or two people try to break in, they will certainly be killed," Yin Jun continued. "If too many go in, and there's a killing formation inside, like a large amount of Thunder Arts Profound Ice, wouldn't they all be buried with it?"

"This layer of psychological warfare is something I hadn't expected."

"Your Nine Li Tribe was prepared to perish with the enemy if you were defeated?" an elder from the Zuoqiu clan asked, startled, finding the top young martial cultivators of the Nine Li Tribe too unyielding.

"How is that possible?" Yin Jun countered. "Wouldn't it be better to flee the city after defeat and abandon the Hidden Dragon struggle?" Yin Jun gently shook his head, then sighed. "Even if there truly is a large amount of Thunder Arts Profound Ice set up, it would at most delay them for a short time."

"The Empty Fort Strategy?"

Zuoqiu Ling exclaimed in admiration. "It's quite impressive that Cang Li could come up with this move," he said. "As long as they can buy some time, there will be many variables."

"It couldn't have been him who thought of it," Yin Jun said. Yin Jun knew his son too well. He had intelligence and courage, but not so many cunning tricks.