470: Chapter 470 Introduction

Coming to a covered stone coffin, Lin Xiao pushed the lid open with a single palm strike.

"Ding-ling-ling!—"

A crisp ringing of a bell echoed within the stone chamber.

Gu Zhiyao had just walked in when she heard the sound; her vision blurred, and her consciousness began to waver.

"Ding-ling-ling... Ding-ling..."

A gray-haired man wearing a raven-feather shamanic robe, his face painted with streaks of colored pigment, slowly rose from the stone coffin.

In one hand, he held a snake-head dagger, and on the other, he wore a hand bell with three rings.

It was the sound of him shaking the bell that generated a strange power, causing Gu Zhiyao to fall into a daze.

The shaman muttered under his breath as if chanting something, his triangular eyes fixed on Lin Xiao with a murderous glint.

He raised the dagger and lunged, aiming to pierce Lin Xiao's throat!

But just as he was about to move his hand, Lin Xiao's slap landed on his face first!

"Aow!"

The shaman let out a miserable scream as his spell was instantly broken. His head slammed against the edge of the stone coffin, leaving him battered and bleeding!

He looked at Lin Xiao in panic: "You... you're fine?"

Lin Xiao looked at the fellow speechlessly. "Yelu Ajia, you didn't think that hiding in this place would prevent this Prince from finding you, did you?"

As soon as Lin Xiao opened the coffin, he recognized this man as the current Khitan Grand Shaman.

Clearly, Yelu Ajia had keenly sensed the danger and hidden himself in advance.

But instead of launching a physical sneak attack, this guy started shaking a bell?

Lin Xiao listened for a moment and realized it seemed to be a sonic-type martial art. Unlike Xie Juner's zither music, this targeted a person's consciousness.

It could roughly be considered hypnosis in this world.

Yelu Ajia had the cultivation of a Grandmaster, which was effective against Gu Zhiyao, but to Lin Xiao, it was merely an amateurish trick.

"It really is you... Prince of Zhenbei!?"

Yelu Ajia grinned and sneered, "You've come to Khitan, haha... that's just wonderful!"

"It seems you're quite happy to see this Prince."

Lin Xiao smiled. "What, did your plan to lure the tiger away from the mountain succeed?"

Yelu Ajia was startled, asking in suspicion, "You know our plan?"

"I guessed it. Your main force has been nowhere to be found, while you continuously send small units to harass the border. It's nothing more than trying to lure more of the Zhenbei Army's main force over."

"As expected of the Prince of Zhenbei, you have courage. Knowing it was a trap, you still jumped in."

Yelu Ajia sneered, "Aren't you worried that your Northern Territory will turn into a living hell?"

Lin Xiao couldn't be bothered to say anything more to him and directly crushed his head with a single palm strike.

Afterward, Lin Xiao picked up the bracelet bell.

[Seven Stars Soul Bell: A ritual tool used by Shamanism to summon souls. When paired with a unique cultivation technique, it can manipulate a person's consciousness. Grade: Heaven Grade]

It turned out to be a Heaven Grade treasure? No wonder the treasure's aura was so intense during the Dragon Seeking and Point Locating.

However, for Lin Xiao, this thing was somewhat redundant. The key was that it required a special cultivation technique to use. Did he really have to go find the Holy Maiden to learn it?

Lin Xiao put the ritual tool directly into his storage space. As for the remaining Earth Grade dagger, he directly exchanged it for prestige.

"Your Highness, you knew all along that their intention was to make a feint in the east while attacking in the west?"

Gu Zhiyao was surprised after hearing their conversation. Knowing it was a trap, this man still came?

"It was also a guess, but regardless, if this Prince didn't make a trip to Khitan, even more people would die in this war," Lin Xiao said.

"But without Your Highness in the Northern Territory, wouldn't it..."

"Dr. Gu, you didn't think that I conquered the Northern Territory entirely on my own, did you?"

Lin Xiao shook his head with a smile. "The Zhenbei Army is by no means this Prince's army alone; it is the army of the millions of people in the Northern Territory."

"Furthermore, this Prince's Princess Consort is also exceptionally talented. I'll introduce you two when I have the chance."

Gu Zhiyao's heart fluttered upon hearing this. "I... why would I need to meet your Princess Consort?"

"Aren't you going to bear children for this Prince? You have to greet the Princess Consort, don't you? That's the basic protocol," Lin Xiao said solemnly.

Gu Zhiyao's face instantly turned red. She looked around and said, "Your Highness, we should head out first."

Lin Xiao, however, grabbed her slender waist and pulled the woman into his arms.

"Your Highness! You..."

Gu Zhiyao was going crazy. He wouldn't be so stimulated that he wanted to do something in a place like this, would he?

"Hold on tight to me."

As soon as Lin Xiao finished speaking, he exerted his full cultivation and struck the ceiling of the stone chamber with the Great Mercy Hand!

Accompanied by several earthquake-like roars, the ground on one side of the Hala Temple collapsed!

Holding Gu Zhiyao, Lin Xiao flew out from an exploded pit and left the temple in an instant.

This violent commotion naturally drew a large number of surrounding followers and Khitan citizens.

When everyone saw the bloody scene underground, the site immediately fell into chaos!

On a distant high slope, Gu Zhiyao looked at the man, still shaken.

Just now, Lin Xiao had held her with one arm while using his power to smash through the earth with the other. This experience of the "earth cracking and the sky collapsing" was simply too inconceivable!

Having only known him for three days, Gu Zhiyao had already lost count of how many times she had been shocked by this man's methods.

She could finally understand why Princess Li Xinglan, despite her noble status, was so thick-skinned in trying to get close to him.

Having seen a man so supreme in both civil and martial arts, what other man in the world could she possibly look up to?

"This should do it. The fate of the Yelü Family and Shamanism should be decided by the Khitan people themselves."

As Lin Xiao spoke, he turned to leave, only to see Gu Zhiyao staring at him blankly.

"Dr. Gu?"

"Ah?"

Gu Zhiyao snapped out of it and awkwardly smoothed her hair that had been ruffled by the wind.

"Is there something else?" Lin Xiao asked.

Gu Zhiyao was about to say it was nothing, but her heart warmed, and she couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, when the war is over, take me to meet the Princess Consort, okay?"

Lin Xiao was stunned for a moment, but soon a playful look appeared in his eyes as he sized up the woman's perfect figure.

An experienced older sister was indeed straightforward; no beating around the bush, straight to the point. Lin Xiao appreciated that.

"No problem, we're all family after all, haha..."

Hearing the words "all family," Gu Zhiyao's eyes darted away, her face feeling hot.

On the way back, Lin Xiao felt a surge of longing for Xiao Qingxuan.

Although the couple had anticipated this, Lin Xiao was still somewhat worried at the thought of Xiao Qingxuan facing an unprecedentedly fierce army...

Northern Territory.

Baishui City, Zhenbei Army Camp.

Xiao Qingxuan, dressed in a heroic black military uniform, stood before a massive sand table terrain map, deep in thought.

Beside her were Zhao Kuan, Xu Zhen, Wei Dongxue, and a group of veterans from the Zhenbei Army, who were now the backbone of the forces guarding the Northern Territory's border passes.

Ever since the scouts reported the appearance of Khitan Army traces on the western foothills of Alimu Mountain near E Prefecture, Xiao Qingxuan had come to the military camp immediately.

But after a day of observation, it was discovered that the Khitan Army numbered no more than three thousand in total—a very small amount.

While it was possible some had been missed, regardless, it seemed a bit too casual.

"Something's not right... something is definitely wrong."

Even though the intelligence said the Khitan people's martial strength had greatly increased this time, three thousand was still too few.

It would be difficult for them to even capture a county town in the Northern Territory, as the towns were now reinforced with cement, equipped with the most advanced crossbows, and even had arrow towers built.

"Princess Consort!"

Wang Chong hurried into the camp, his face full of solemnity. "Prince Qing's special envoy requests an audience!"

"Prince Qing?"

Xiao Qingxuan frowned, and then she suddenly thought of something, a trace of coldness flashing through her bright eyes.

"Show him in."