Chapter 1034: Chapter 1028: Dawnspire City
“Let me out!”
Bi Shihu’s voice was shrill and mournful.
After his soul was collected, he finally realized that these people from the Li Clan had an abundance of methods.
What they said about casting him into ten thousand lifetimes of reincarnation to suffer endless torment might actually be… true.
Once inside the lantern, Bi Shihu finally panicked. Along with the panic came indignation, humiliation, and anger.
He had seen the military and civilians of Highsun City cheering for the members of the Li Clan.
The Li Clan had taken down the three hundred thousand-strong Wu tribe grand army, acting as saviors. Yet, all this supreme honor should have originally belonged to him!
“In the battle at the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass, did anyone direct you?”
Li Yunbing cut the nonsense. Not sending Bi Shihu away yet was precisely to conduct a thorough investigation.
His suspicious nature had always felt that there was something wrong with these people from the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass, daring to flee.
Bi Shihu hesitated for a moment. “It was Ba Siyu who directed me…”
Even at death’s door, this person was still spouting nonsense, going so far as to fabricate a nearly flawless lie that pointed the spearhead directly at Ba Siyu.
“Ba Siyu wanted to defend the territory so that his Earth Virtue could grow.
Only if Shadowfell Prefecture fell and Deston Prefecture fell into crisis could he acquire Earth Virtue to reach the Mahayana realm.
He was the one who told me to retreat; how could I dare disobey Ba Siyu?”
“…”
The Li Clan members wore peculiar expressions.
Li Changyao remained silent for a long time before saying, “You truly are a beast. Even at death’s door, you are still thinking of framing others.”
They had investigated Ba Siyu long ago.
When the incident occurred in the Shadowfell Prefecture, Ba Siyu was still cultivating underground in the Heavenly Palace.
If the Human Emperor hadn’t ordered the Imperial Protector’s Guard to emerge, Ba Siyu would still be eating dust underground.
“Let’s see how long you can stay stubborn.”
Li Yunbing’s gaze turned cold. The candlelight within the lantern blazed fiercely, instantly causing Bi Shihu to scream in pain.
This person appeared to have a heart as firm as a boulder, but the clan members had long since seen through him.
He was nothing more than a coward who touted himself as a hero while being entirely cowardly on the inside.
In no time at all, Bi Shihu yelled,
“I’ll talk! I’ll talk! I remember now, Yun Manlou came to see me. There is one thing I haven’t understood to this day, and I have long been suspicious of it.”
The fierce fire did not stop.
Under the fear of death, Bi Shihu said anxiously,
“He gave me a letter.
Three months before the Wu tribe attacked the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass, he was already preparing to lead the Yun Clan to flee, while simultaneously plotting to steal the logistical supplies of the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass.
He thought that letter was intelligence I had provided him, but I didn’t!”
“Over the years, I’ve also been searching.
I suspect someone knew the character of the people of our Shadowfell Prefecture inside out, wanting to make the Shadowfell Prefecture fall in order to profit from it!”
“It wasn’t me, it really wasn’t me!
If the Yun Clan and Abbess Dairou of the Lotus Ferry Nunnery hadn’t fled, how could I have become a deserter? I was just forced by the circumstances, I…”
The fierce fire continued to burn. The Li Clan members frowned. Thinking carefully, these words were not false.
“It isn’t Min Tiange.” The clan had been studying their enemies for many years.
Li Yunbing said, “Min Tiange didn’t need to do something so unnecessary. His original intention was to let the Wu tribe invade the dynasty and draw blood.
Back then, he let the Wu tribe drive straight into the Central Plains, but he didn’t let Shadowfell Prefecture fall.
If he really wanted to do that, let alone the Shadowfell Prefecture, even Deston Prefecture couldn’t be saved.”
Back then, Min Tiange’s sudden use of the “Dao Seed” had also sounded an alarm for the dynasty. His abrupt methods didn’t push things to the absolute extreme.
“This bastard Bi Shihu also feels that the fall of Shadowfell Prefecture was deliberately caused by someone.”
Li Changsheng continuously stroked the armrests of his wheelchair. “Yun Hongcai and Abbess Dairou might know something.”
“Now that Spear Saint Gu Fenghua has charged into the Shadowfell Prefecture border pass in one fell swoop to reclaim the lost territory, the rear is in chaos. They will show their heads sooner or later.”
Li Yunbing’s expression was gloomy.
“Abbess Dairou seeks to deliver all living beings from suffering.
She is currently breaking through to the second stage of the Body Integration realm—the Dao Questioning realm.
She relies on the Lotus Ferry Nunnery’s mission of saving all living beings to gather faith.”
“And Yun Hongcai…”
Just as Li Tianqi mentioned this person, a voice transmission came from outside the Grotto-Heaven.
It was Mr. Zhou.
“Lord Ba has sent a message, commending the members of the Li Clan for their merit in defending the city.
Aside from this, there is one more thing. Dawnspire City… has also been robbed.”
…….
Shadowfell Prefecture.
Ba Siyu’s face was as black as charcoal. He didn’t even know how many years it had been since he was angered to such an extent.
“Truly rearing a tiger to court ruin.”
News arrived from Dawnspire City.
Following the theft in Highsun City, the other three cities received the news and took heavy precautions.
Yet, despite thousands of precautions, Dawnspire City’s logistical supplies were also stolen.
Even thinking with one’s ass, one would know who did it.
The Yun Clan’s Old Ancestor, Yun Hongcai, didn’t do anything after the great battle; his sole objective was to steal.
Not satisfied with stealing from Highsun City, he targeted Dawnspire City.
They say an old man who refuses to die is a thief; well, Yun Hongcai was a literal thief.
When Yun Hongcai gathered two Void Refinement friends previously, Ba Siyu genuinely thought these people were meant to deal with the Li Clan.
They weren’t.
They engaged in petty theft, completely devoid of humanity.
“Only Sunfall City, where the Spear Saint is located, remains. Yun Hongcai will definitely target Sunfall City,” Ba Siyu frowned continuously.
“Could it be that Yun Hongcai’s Dao path isn’t one of eating people, but rather stealing?”
As he spoke, Ba Siyu’s heart eased somewhat.
Fortunately, in the rear, Bi Shihu betrayed the human race and colluded with the Wu tribe to cause chaos, but the Azure Cloud Li Clan rose suddenly, scheming to completely annihilate a three-hundred-thousand-strong grand army in Highsun City, and Bi Shihu had also been executed.
Now that the Azure Cloud Li Clan had annihilated Bi Shihu and the Wu tribe, with the Azure Cloud Li Clan securing the rear, Ba Siyu felt extremely at ease.
“I have already sent a message to the Li Clan, telling them to go to Sunfall City to help. If we catch Yun Hongcai, I will definitely make that petty thief die without a burial place!”
Just as his words fell.
A subordinate approached, bringing back a Shadow Crow—the Azure Cloud Li Clan’s method of transmission.
As the Shadow Crow let out a “caw,” Ba Siyu’s expression turned ugly.
From it came Li Xinnian’s voice.
“Suffered heavy losses. Powerless to help.”
“…”
Ba Siyu remained silent for a long time.
He then grabbed the bewildered subordinate, whose head was lowered, and beat him violently. “Bastard! You bastard!!!”
Inside Sunfall City, one could say the people were in a state of panic.
The logistical supplies of Highsun City and Dawnspire City being stolen was a massive event with huge implications.
The Spirit Stones, medicinal herbs, and pills within the supplies had to be distributed to the front lines.
Even on a battlefield like this, Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment cultivators were still the mainstream, and they needed to eat.
Even Golden Core realm cultivators would suffer a loss of spiritual power if they didn’t consume anything for a long time.
Moreover, aside from patriotism, who among the cultivators coming from all over to risk their lives didn’t want to earn military merits to bless their own small families?
If they got injured, they needed pills for support, as well as supplies like bows, arrows, and artifacts—all necessities of the battlefield.
In the final Sunfall City, the majority of the Void Refinement and Divinity Transformation cultivators from the three cities had already gathered, defending it to the death.
Even Feng Tu, who had just been through a great battle and hadn’t yet recovered from his light injuries, came generously.
Numerous experts gathered in the grand hall.
“The logistical supplies of Sunfall City cannot be lost; they must sustain the battlefield for at least three months.”
“At a time like this, we cultivators above the Nascent Soul realm shouldn’t be stingy either.
Everyone should contribute some Spirit Stones and treasures to purchase supplies locally.
After all, the fact that the Imperial Court hasn’t condemned us for this matter is already an act of exceptional leniency.”
“Leniency my ass! Just wait until the war isn’t so urgent, and see if the nobility doesn’t hold us accountable.
If Sunfall City gets robbed again, I’m going to hide my name and disappear. Don’t want to end up throwing my life away before I even find an opportunity.”
“What kind of shitty war is this? I came to help, and now I have to pay out of my own pocket.”
“…”
The numerous Void Refinement and Divinity Transformation realm cultivators cursed endlessly.
The entirety of Deston Prefecture had gathered at least forty percent of the known experts in the world, bringing even Divinity Transformation cultivators here.
For ordinary Divinity Transformation cultivators, breaking through to Void Refinement was nowhere near as easy as it was for the Li Clan members.
Think back to those years when the Li Clan members ran everywhere just to break through to Void Refinement.
It was only because that kid Li Yunlin inherently possessed the opportunity of the Skyveil Hall and the legacy of Ming Daozi that he was able to step onto the broad road to Void Refinement.
For ordinary Divinity Transformation cultivators, reaching the Void Refinement realm required a long expanse of time.
But war is a disaster, yet also a blessing for experts.
Free from the dynasty’s restrictions, there are many things on the battlefield that can be plundered, and they can also do things that normally only Demonic Cultivators can do.
Every war is a carnival for experts, leading to the emergence of a large number of powerful individuals with leaps in cultivation base.
“Where are the people of the Azure Cloud Li Clan?”
The City Lord of Sunfall City was a pot-bellied middle-aged man named Yan Beifei, who had broken through to the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm in Deston Prefecture.
At this moment, he looked solemnly at Feng Tu.
“I heard the Li Clan members saved Highsun City from fire and water, and they have a grudge against the Yun Clan.
They definitely understand Yun Hongcai better than we do. If they are here…”
Hearing this, everyone in the hall stopped their complaining and arguing, turning to look at Feng Tu.
They had heard things these past few days.
The numerous Void Refinement cultivators in Deston Prefecture greatly admired the Li Clan.
Bi Shihu’s three armies and the Wu tribe’s three hundred thousand-strong grand army attacking Highsun City—what a formidable force was that for the currently undefended rear of Deston Prefecture?
But look at the Li Clan. Arriving in Deston Prefecture, they didn’t make a sound, but the moment they got serious, they truly saved lives.
Looking at the pairs of eyes focused on him, a trace of dissatisfaction flashed through Feng Tu’s eyes.
He cursed inwardly, “These past few years, the Li Clan was suppressed by Ba Siyu, the Yun Clan, and Bi Shihu. What the hell was that stupid bird Ba Siyu doing then?
Now you remember the Azure Cloud Li Clan. And you people… Li Clan this, Li Clan that… would you all die without the Li Clan?”
Complaints aside, Feng Tu smiled bitterly and replied, “The Li Clan members are still in Highsun City.”
“Why aren’t they coming? The matter of the logistical supplies is of paramount importance to our Deston Prefecture!”
“Exactly, City Lord Feng! Are you being arrogant and complacent, afraid the Li Clan will seize your power, so you deliberately isolated them?”
“I get it, you’re in cahoots with Bi Shihu and his lot!”
“…”
With every word spoken, Feng Tu’s expression grew uglier. He seemed to understand why the Li Clan didn’t come.
The Li Clan members had established a terrifying reputation, but the merits that outshine the master bring trouble.
Also, some people are exceptionally fixated on the bullshit idea that “when the sky falls, the tallest person holds it up.”
Sometimes, being powerful is a double-edged sword.
Look at this double-edged sword; it just chopped down on the innocent Feng Tu.
At this moment, among the Divinity Transformation realm experts present, one silently walked out of the grand hall.
A butterfly flew out of Sunfall City and into a distant forest.
An old man wearing a long grey robe, so thin that he was practically just wrinkled skin wrapped around bones, was scrutinizing the entirety of Sunfall City.
The butterfly landed on the old man’s shoulder.
This was none other than the Yun Clan’s Old Ancestor, Yun Hongcai, who had vanished without a trace from Highsun City.
The annihilation of the Yun Clan seemed completely painless to Yun Hongcai, not even worth mentioning.
He merely muttered in a low voice, “The Li Clan’s stunning strike in Highsun City… It’s a good thing this old man didn’t clash with the Li Clan.”
As he spoke, one could see the bearded Heavenly Venerable Jiande, who had previously visited the Yun Clan, and a curvaceous, provocatively dressed, enchanting woman leaning against trees on the ground.
Yun Hongcai smiled faintly at the two.
“Sunfall City is heavily defended. The Void Refinement experts of all three cities have gathered and are looking for us.
The Azure Cloud Li Clan hasn’t mobilized, but this old man is certain that since they killed Bi Shihu, they definitely won’t let this old man off.”
Heavenly Venerable Jiande laughed loudly.
“Old man, as long as you can break through to Body Integration and help the two of us out, we can establish a sect with three mighty figures. Why would we fear the Li Clan then?”
The woman smiled charmingly. “I’m afraid Bi Shihu and Ba Siyu could never have imagined that your Dao path is ‘Stealing the Heavens.'”
“With the three of us joining hands, what opportunity in this world can we not snatch?”
“Since there’s no way into Sunfall City, it’s time to make a move… on the Lotus Ferry Nunnery.”
—
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