389: Chapter 389 The Great Battle Arrives, Bloodshed at the Xiao Clan

During the Dazheng Dynasty's efficient execution, a plan was quietly implemented within the Star Palace.

"Yuan Tian, the murderer of your father is none other than the Xiao Family of the Jia Ma Empire. Tonight is the time for you to avenge your father!"

"Take the experts of the Eight Gates and head to Maple City for a bloodbath at the Xiao Sect!" the Blood Shadow Clone said indifferently.

"The Xiao Family?" Yuan Tian's face twisted in a hideous grimace. His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, and his nails dug into his palms without him even realizing it.

Ever since his father, Yuan Yi, City Lord, perished a year ago, Yuan Tian had immersed himself in frantic cultivation, all for the sake of waiting for this moment.

"Thank you for providing this opportunity, Your Majesty. Yuan Tian will not let you down!" Yuan Tian bowed respectfully.

Then he turned and left, heading toward the Eight Gates.

"Li Jingzhong!" the Blood Shadow Clone called out softly after a brief contemplation.

"Your Majesty!" Li Jingzhong replied respectfully.

"Pass on my imperial decree. Have Venerables Qing Feng and Qing Yang lead a team to Maple City. This King will not let a single person from the Xiao Sect escape!" the Blood Shadow Clone said coldly.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Li Jingzhong slowly backed out of the Star Palace. Once the forces of the Xiao Sect were eliminated, Maple City could be brought under the control of the Dazheng Dynasty.

The reason for sending two Venerables to oversee the operation was the concern that some might slip through the net.

At the same time, General Ye Wudi also began to move. All kinds of spies under his command were awakened to keep a close eye on every single member of the Xiao Sect.

The entire Maple City felt like a storm was brewing.

At the Xiao Sect.

"Sect Leader, the atmosphere in Maple City isn't right. There are many new faces..." Elder Ri entered the hall from outside, his expression grave.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Xiao Ujie felt a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Falling into deep thought, he spoke: "Elder Ri, have our people stay sharp. I want to know every move made in Maple City!"

"Yes, Sect Leader!" Elder Ri then left the hall.

At the Lieyan Pavilion!

After the Pavilion Master Lie Yang left, the person in charge now was Grand Elder Lie Tian. He had pale red hair and a beard, and his entire body exuded a sharp, metallic aura, a result of many years of blacksmithing and forging.

"Forging weapons with Earth Fire leaves almost no impurities. By embedding a Monster Core, one can unleash the weapon's full edge!"

Lie Tian held a large hammer, and the rhythmic 'boom' of his striking metal was as piercing as music.

An hour later, a high-grade Monster Core weapon was successfully forged.

Ding-dong...

Hun Tiandi sat cross-legged in the pavilion. The pitch-black nether demonic zither was placed on the table. He plucked the strings with a fluid grace, and the pleasant sound of the zither echoed through the air.

He was practicing his zither skills. He was now able to play the first movement of the Purgatory Soul-Suppressing Melody, but the cultivation was extremely difficult.

If not for the enlightenment power of the Bodhi Ancient Tree, even reaching the entry level would have been a problem.

Dong... the sound of the zither faded away.

"The nether demonic zither's power to devour myriad desires has reached its limit; it cannot absorb another shred. But even though it has turned from a white-jade-like zither to its current ink-black state, why hasn't it advanced?"

Hun Tiandi murmured to himself, recalling the refining process of the nether demonic zither. There should have been no issues.

Crafted from a peerless jade embryo, how could it possibly fail?

"Is there some key point I haven't grasped yet?" Hun Tiandi fell into thought, his gaze landing on the pitch-black nether demonic zither.

At the top of the zither's body, beside each string, was a small groove, as if something was meant to be embedded there.

"Does it need some beads or similar decorations?" Hun Tiandi raised an eyebrow. He would need to keep an eye out for such treasures in the future.

With a casual wave of his hand, he put away the nether demonic zither.

Boom!

He summoned a Medicine Cauldron. Blood-colored Dou Qi erupted, transforming into Dou Qi flames to warm the furnace, and he took out a pile of medicinal herbs.

"The great undertaking of alchemy!" He gave a wicked smile. There was no way he couldn't refine a mere pill.

Refine! He would refine it through sheer force of will!

He tossed a herb into the cauldron and began extracting the medicinal essence with a serious expression. Not far away, Qing Yue, who was cultivating, opened her eyes and stared at the figure refining medicine.

"Young Master is starting to waste herbs again..." Qing Yue sighed helplessly and then closed her eyes to continue her cultivation.

Half an hour later, a thunderous sound echoed from the pavilion.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion of a failed batch erupted from the Medicine Cauldron, followed by a plume of black smoke. The booming sound caused the disciples of the Lieyan Pavilion to look toward the pavilion with horrified gazes.

"Mr. Liu, this..." Grand Elder Lie Tian said in surprise.

"It's a small matter. It's just His Majesty refining pills!" Liu Ling shook his head slightly and informed Lie Tian.

"Refining medicine?" Grand Elder Lie Tian couldn't believe it. For refining a pill to cause such a huge commotion, it must be a high-tier pill.

Inside the pavilion.

Hun Tiandi remained expressionless. After dispersing the black smoke, he continued to practice his alchemy skills with a very calm demeanor.

He extracted the medicinal essence, and an hour later, the sound of an exploding cauldron rang out again.

The continuous explosions became something the Lieyan Pavilion disciples grew accustomed to.

Finally, after a hundred explosions and wasting over three hundred sets of herbs, he successfully refined a single pill.

It emitted a rich medicinal fragrance, and his heart was filled with a sense of accomplishment.

A mere pill—he had successfully refined it after all. It was all under control...

Swoosh...

At night, figures in the Black-Corner Region sped toward Maple City. The pairs of Dou Qi Wings on their backs were extremely obvious; the weakest among them were experts at the Dou Wang level.

Yuan Tian's face was filled with killing intent. Having waited bitterly for a year, the moment for revenge had finally arrived.

Tonight, not a single person from the Xiao Sect would be left alive!

Puchi!

The current Maple City was considered a famous city in the Black-Corner Region. Since the Xiao Sect took over, its scale had expanded several times, and its prosperity surpassed that of the past.

The guards protecting the city gate were dozing off when—puchi—a blade entered a body. A purple thin sword pierced through a heart from behind; the enemy was invisible.

The purple thin sword was withdrawn, and like a ghost, it slaughtered all ten guards at the city gate. The city gate slowly opened.

The figure flickered and disappeared from the city gate.

"The gate is open. Move!" Following that, Yuan Tian took the lead and charged directly into Maple City, beginning a bloody massacre.

According to precise intelligence, they quickly dispersed in all directions.

The thick scent of blood spread. Figures like Old Man Ban, Tie Wu, Su Mei, and Elder Qing She all found opponents to engage.

In an instant, the entire Maple City fell into chaos.

In the Xiao Sect hall, Xiao Ujie was discussing how to defend when Elder Ri's face beside him changed slightly, and his gaze turned toward Maple City.

A large number of powerful auras were rapidly approaching from there, and these auras were not unfamiliar.

They were the leaders of various factions in the Black-Corner Region from before, which made Xiao Ujie's face turn unsightly.

"They're here..." Xiao Ujie said coldly.

Hearing this, the experts of the Xiao Sect realized what was happening and began to prepare for a great battle.

"Everyone, tonight is a battle for the survival of the Xiao Sect. Please give it your all!" Xiao Ujie encouraged them.

"Yes, Sect Leader!"

Then, a series of responses rang out. Their majestic momentum suddenly surged, even shattering the clouds above the hall.

Swoosh...

Looking toward the horizon, black figures with surging momentum sped toward Maple City.

"What petty scoundrels dare to invade my Maple City?" Just as Yuan Tian and the others were slaughtering, a large number of figures from the Xiao Sect rushed out from the manor.

Floating in mid-air, the leader was naturally Xiao Ujie. His cold voice, bolstered by Dou Qi, rolled like thunder.

It spread through the dark night.

The Xiao Sect's reputation in Maple City was second to none, and it was also illustrious in the Black-Corner Region. This was partly due to the power behind it and partly due to its own strength.

"Kill!" Yuan Tian didn't waste any words. The Dou Qi Wings on his back flashed as he charged directly at Xiao Ujie.

Behind him, the butler of the Eight Gates attacked Elder Ri, who was beside Xiao Ujie.

At the same time, the experts of the Xiao Sect engaged the experts of the Eight Gates.