Chapter 1220: Thief King Who Signed the Insurance for Zhongshan County?

Mu Baiyi had no doubt about the outcome of this battle. With the Heavenly Court Sect's overwhelming advantage, even if Lord Siheng had come, it would have been useless, let alone the Central Heavenly Emperor.

Rather than waiting to be captured after the battle, it was better to surrender to Manggu while the fighting was still ongoing.

Manggu, being both a disciple of the Dao Inquiry Sect with close ties to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, and a court official—the current top scholar—possessed dual identities, making him the most suitable person to surrender to.

"This is our sect's roster," Mu Baiyi offered, bringing an act of submission.

"This is ours," said Sect Master Chi.

"Alright, I understand your surrender. Can you guarantee the safety of the people in this county?" Manggu vaguely accepted the two acts of submission. Now was not the time to consider achievements; they were still in danger.

Meng Jingzhou and the six sect masters of the Nine Nether Sect were all fighting their shadows, meaning there were fourteen Tribulation-Transcendence stage cultivators clashing in the sky. Throughout history, battles of this magnitude were extremely rare.

If even one of their attacks landed, countless lives would be lost.

"We guarantee mission completion." This was a significant opportunity to earn merit, and Mu Baiyi and the others naturally wouldn't refuse.

With three Tribulation-Transcendence stage cultivators joining, the safety of the county's citizens was secured. However, a solution was still needed for the battle in the sky. Thinking of this, Manggu headed towards the prison.

Lord Siheng's transfer of the Zhongshan County citizens was exact, with no change in their original positions. Therefore, Manggu had no difficulty finding the original prison location.

At the prison, the inmates were piled up like a human pyramid, groaning in agony. The King of Thieves sat at the very top, greeting Manggu, "Oh, Lord County Governor, you're here."

He patted the backside of the person he was sitting on and casually added, "These prisoners tried to escape, but I caught them all. Does that count as a功?"

"Absolutely, it does."

Manggu bowed deeply and earnestly to the King of Thieves. "May I ask for your assistance, senior, in joining the battle?"

The fourteen Tribulation-Transcendence stage cultivators in the sky were evenly matched, their techniques neutralizing each other, making it difficult to determine a winner. To break the stalemate, new combat power was needed.

And the King of Thieves was the most suitable addition.

"Alright," the King of Thieves readily agreed. If Old Man Daozu knew he had done nothing in this battle, he'd likely be hung up and flogged.

Besides, he loved seeing officials beg him for help, so this was a good opportunity to do a favor.

He took out a dart tipped with potent poison and threw it at one of the six shadows. The shadow had no time to react, and its arm was scratched.

The King of Thieves frowned. "Doesn't it work?"

The poison on the dart was instantly fatal, even for Tribulation-Transcendence stage cultivators, who would need to divert mental energy to suppress it. The fact that the opponent was poisoned but unaffected meant their constitution was special and immune to poison.

"I'll have to try another way."

The King of Thieves vanished instantly, moving with unparalleled speed. He produced eight darts, which formed a protective circle around him.

He directly entered the fray, severing one of the opponent's fingers with a single strike.

"Poor performance," the King of Thieves remarked, weaving through the battlefield. The shadows all tried to attack him, but not a single strike landed, while his attacks consistently found their mark.

"Lord Man, how's my skill?"

"King of Thieves, senior, you are formidable."

"Good that you know I'm formidable, but I can't control the battle outside. You need to be prepared."

The King of Thieves couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of Zhongshan County's devastation after the war. "Two Half-Immortals fighting in Zhongshan County. Regardless of who wins or loses, your Zhongshan County will need to be rebuilt, won't it?"

He had witnessed the abilities of both Lord Siheng and Lu Yang. With his cultivation level, joining them would not only be unhelpful but also risk accidental injury.

Manggu was surprised by the King of Thieves' thoughtful consideration and respectfully thanked him. "Thank you for your concern, senior. I previously purchased insurance for this county, so the Golden Money Chamber of Commerce will compensate us after the war."

King of Thieves: "..."

Damn it, who signed that insurance contract? How could I, the president, not know about such a massive deal?

At this thought, the King of Thieves was eager to rush to Zhongshan County; perhaps he could still help.

However, the shadows' attacks were relentless, and the King of Thieves had no chance to leave the Fengdu space.

"Damn it, damn it, you're forcing my hand!"

The King of Thieves was enraged by the shadows. If you won't let me leave, then you won't have an easy time either!

He struck decisively, abandoning his previous frivolous style for an extremely aggressive combat approach.

The spells attached to the eight darts were also fully activated. These eight darts represented eight directions, employing the techniques of Qimen Dunjia. He also used this art to raise eight different sprites, capable of performing various divine abilities such as summoning wind and rain, shaking mountains, and quaking the earth.

"Die for me!"

The shadows were attacked by the King of Thieves one after another, and the battle's balance visibly shifted in his favor.

Not fast enough, still not fast enough!

The King of Thieves' attacks grew sharper. Every second delayed meant another building destroyed outside, and that would be his responsibility!

Faster, even faster!

The King of Thieves was parched, yet still burning with anxiety, wishing he could end the battle instantly.

Suddenly, he felt his body lighten, as if something had appeared within him, allowing him to move even faster.

But his previous speed was already his limit.

He looked inward and was astonished to find a rapidly spinning fruit within his body. The fruit seemed real yet illusory, like a dream.

"Is this the nascent form of the Speed Dao Fruit that Old Man Daozu mentioned?"

The King of Thieves was delighted. He had always struggled to condense the nascent form of the Speed Dao Fruit, yet he had unexpectedly broken through his limits in this battle and condensed it.

He could now be considered a Half-Immortal.

No, now was not the time to think so much. He had to quickly deal with these enemies!

The King of Thieves had never felt so light, truly experiencing what extreme speed meant.

So this was the speed Old Man Daozu possessed. No wonder I could never escape his grasp whenever he cast a spell.

The shadows' movements appeared like a snail's pace to the King of Thieves, posing no threat whatsoever.

He severely injured the six shadows, like an autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.

He had originally intended to join the battle between Meng Jingzhou and his shadow, but that battlefield alternated between extreme cold and extreme heat. Even with his speed, he couldn't intervene or get close to the fight.

Never mind, I'm not needed here. It's time to help outside.

The King of Thieves tore through space, arriving in Zhongshan County.

However, Zhongshan County was unexpectedly intact, showing virtually no signs of battle.

What's going on?

Suddenly, a massive, boundless handprint appeared overhead, plunging him into shadow. The King of Thieves had no doubt that if it fell, Zhongshan County would be reduced to ruins.

Lord Siheng's Yin-Yang bodies, to avoid being hit, fiercely resisted. "Universe in the Palm!"

The Buddhist Kingdom in the Palm descended, and the Universe in the Palm ascended. The two massive handprints collided in the air, and Zhongshan County was spared in this delicate balance.

"Hahaha, let's see how long you can last!"

Lu Yang laughed maniacally, continuing to cast the Buddhist Kingdom in the Palm. His power came from his Buddhist Kingdom clone, so it was inexhaustible. He didn't believe Lord Siheng could outlast him!

The King of Thieves quietly observed the battle, finding himself in a dilemma.

Whom should I help?