165: Chapter 165 Blood Luo Yang Scheme

Outside the city, Elder Xueluo's army was gathering.

Eight hundred li east of the Southern Region, deep within an abandoned mine.

A rugged-looking middle-aged man with a burly build, broad shoulders and a thick waist, was surrounded by a dense aura of Blood Fiend Qi. This man was none other than Elder Xueluo. His Peak Soul Transformation aura felt like a volcano ready to erupt. Unlike the cold and treacherous nature of Blood Venerable, Elder Xueluo believed in crushing his enemies head-on.

Before him, seven figures in black robes knelt on one knee, their auras all above the Soul Transformation stage.

"What is the situation over at Qingyun City?" Elder Xueluo's voice was rough, like clashing metal and stone.

The leader of the black-robed figures raised his head, revealing a shrewd face: "Reporting to Elder Xueluo, Ling Hao has indeed left. Our secret agents confirmed that two days ago, a silver light shot up into the sky from Qingyun City, heading northwest. The Ling Family has publicly claimed that Ling Hao is in seclusion at the Ancestral Hall."

"So he has left." Elder Xueluo sneered, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes. "That trash Blood Venerable tried to play games with infiltration and subversion, only to end up getting himself killed. I am different; what I want is a head-on crushing victory."

"The Elder is wise!" the black-robed figures said in unison.

Elder Xueluo stood up and walked to the map of the Southern Region hanging on the wall, pointing his finger at the location of Qingyun City.

"Blood Venerable failed because he underestimated the Ling Family's Shadow Hall. That kid Ling You does have some tricks when it comes to the Dao of Shadows. But I won't play dirty with him; I am going to use an overt strategy."

He pointed to several resource nodes around Qingyun City: "Pass the order to gather all Disciples who have arrived in the Southern Region. In three days, divide the troops to attack and capture these resource points. Cut off all the Spirit Mines, spiritual fields, and Spirit Stone veins outside Qingyun City. The Ling Family cannot maintain their operations without these resources. Once their supplies are cut off, the people inside the city will inevitably become restless."

He then pointed to Qingyun City itself: "At the same time, I will personally lead the main force to launch a direct assault on Qingyun City. With Ling Hao gone, the strongest in the Ling Family are only a few in the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation. I want to see how long they can hold out."

"Elder, Qingyun City has the Chaos Dragon Pattern Array and the Ten Thousand Sources Convergence Array, which have extremely strong defenses," one black-robed figure said cautiously. "Last time, Blood Venerable attacked for a long time without breaking through..."

"That trash Blood Venerable dared to make a move without even understanding the Formations." Elder Xueluo snorted coldly. "I have already studied those two arrays. Although the Chaos Dragon Pattern Array is strong, it requires a large amount of Spirit Stones to maintain. As long as we cut off their supplies, no matter how strong the Formation is, it won't last long. As for the Ten Thousand Sources Convergence Array..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes: "I have my own way to break it."

"The Elder is wise!" the black-robed figures said in unison again.

Elder Xueluo raised his hand, and a blood-colored token appeared in his palm: "Pass the order down. In three days, launch the attack simultaneously. First, attack the resource points to cut off Qingyun City's supplies. Then, attack the city and crush them head-on. I want the Ling Family to know that without Ling Hao, they are nothing."

"Yes!"

The seven black-robed figures turned into blood shadows and disappeared into the depths of the mine.

Elder Xueluo stood alone by the blood pool, watching the churning blood water, a cruel arc curling at the corners of his mouth.

"Ling Hao, oh Ling Hao, you killed three Elders of my Blood Fiend Sect and destroyed my foundation in the Southern Region. Today, I will let you taste what it feels like to lose everything."

He turned around and walked back to the map, his gaze sweeping over the mountains and rivers of the Southern Region like a hawk. His finger slowly slid along the resource nodes on the outskirts of Qingyun City, and with each one he passed, he pressed down heavily, as if he had already razed that stronghold to the ground in his mind.

Qingyun City, in the cultivation room.

Ling You sat cross-legged in a patch of shadows, his body wrapped in dense Shadow Qi. The room was pitch black, yet it faintly flowed with a certain profound rhythm; this was the Dao of Shadows he had realized from the Chaos Stealth Technique taught to him by Ling Hao.

After receiving intelligence that Elder Xueluo might attack, he had entered deep seclusion. It was not for a Breakthrough, but to master a new secret technique, the third level of the Chaos Stealth Technique, "Shadow Escape into the Void".

If this secret technique could be mastered, one could briefly merge into the Void Realm and move freely within the perception range of a Peak Soul Transformation expert. For the Shadow Hall, which specialized in assassination and intelligence, this was a qualitative leap.

In the secret chamber, Ling You's figure began to blur. First his face, then his limbs, and finally his entire body turned into a mass of flowing shadows, merging with the air.

"Shadow Escape into the Void," Ling You's voice came from all directions, ethereal and indistinct, "Using shadows as the medium, using Chaos as the foundation, merging into the Void Realm, omnipresent."

In the secret chamber, that mass of flowing air began to spread, extending from the floor to the walls, from the walls to the ceiling, until the entire secret chamber was shrouded in shadows.

And in the deepest part of the shadows, Ling You's figure re-condensed.

He opened his eyes, shadows swirling in his pupils, a satisfied smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"It is done."

He stood up, his figure already appearing outside the secret chamber. He had not opened the door or broken a window; it was as if he were the shadows themselves. Wherever the shadows reached, that was where he was.

He looked down at his hands, his fingertips still flickering between solid and ethereal; this was a sign unique to the initial mastery of the secret technique. In at most three breaths, he would be able to completely merge into the Void Realm, and by then, even a Peak Soul Transformation expert searching with all their might would not necessarily be able to perceive him within the shadows.

In the corridor, two Shadow Hall Disciples were patrolling, but they had no idea their commander had walked right past them.

Ling You moved through the city as if it were uninhabited. He walked past the city walls, the martial arts plaza, the War Hall training grounds, and even reached the outskirts of the Ancestral Hall, yet no one discovered his presence.

Until he stood before Ling Xue.

Ling Xue was setting up a defensive Formation outside the Ancestral Hall when she suddenly felt a faint ripple of shadows. She looked up and saw Ling You's figure slowly emerging from the shadows.

"A Breakthrough?" A flash of surprise passed through Ling Xue's eyes.

"Yes," Ling You nodded, "The third level of the Chaos Stealth Technique, 'Shadow Escape into the Void'. Even the perception of a Peak Soul Transformation expert might not be able to discover me."

"Good," a flash of relief passed through Ling Xue's eyes, "With this secret technique of yours, Elder Xueluo's movements will have nowhere to hide."

A cold light flashed in Ling You's eyes: "The Shadow Hall has already locked onto seven strongholds of the Blood Fiend Sect in the Southern Region. Elder Xueluo is gathering forces with a clear objective: first attack the resource points, then attack the city."

"Besiege the city to strike the reinforcements?" Ling Xue frowned.

"No, it is a head-on crushing assault," Ling You said. "Elder Xueluo has a violent personality and disdains using conspiracies. What he wants is a quick victory, to take Qingyun City in one fell swoop before the Young Lord returns."

Ling Xue was silent for a moment: "Then let him come. Qingyun City is not something he can take just because he wants to."

A cold, sharp smile appeared at the corners of Ling You's mouth: "Right, if he wants to play an overt strategy, we will play along with him. But in this game, it is not yet certain who will devour whom."

The two looked at each other, both seeing the determination in the other's eyes.

Ling You's figure merged into the shadows once again, disappearing silently at the end of the corridor. Ling Xue turned and walked quickly toward the Formation Hall, her steps steady and without a hint of hesitation.

The storm was coming, and they had to be prepared.