245: Chapter 245 Three Talents Town Domain

And the western defense line of the Heavenly Dao Palace was already burning behind him.

The clouds outside the window gradually thinned, and the outline of Tianhuo City was vaguely visible below.

The void heaven-escaping shuttle landed at the northern base of the city.

Ling Xiao, Shadow Seven, Gu Yue, and others had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Ling Hao walk out of the cabin, everyone's eyes fell on him.

"The third one is in hand," Ling Hao said briefly, walking into the main hall and sitting in the primary seat.

Ling Xiao breathed a long sigh of relief, his tense expression finally relaxing a bit. Shadow Seven remained expressionless, but the hand holding his blade loosened slightly. Gu Yue nodded, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"How was Lord Zhenxing handled?" Ling Xiao asked.

"His cultivation was crippled, but his life was spared," Ling Hao said. "Star Lord Jidu arrived faster than expected. If not for the Space-Time Rules, I would have almost been cornered inside."

"Star Lord Jidu..." Gu Yue mused, "As far as I know, the Cultivation Technique he practices focuses on Divine Soul attacks and spatial lockdowns. The void-piercing mirror is a supreme treasure specifically designed to counter space-type escape techniques. If the Young Lord hadn't mastered the source of time to briefly accelerate time, it would have been very difficult to escape this time."

Ling Hao nodded: "The void-piercing mirror is indeed troublesome. It can lock onto spatial fluctuations within a radius of hundreds of miles. My space-time jumps cannot hide their tracks before it. I was able to escape this time entirely because the 'Time Acceleration' of the source of time caused him to lose my exact position in his perception."

"What about next time?" Ling Xiao asked. "If you face Star Lord Jidu again and he is prepared, will the effect of the source of time be diminished?"

"Yes," Ling Hao said frankly. "But by then, I won't need to run."

Everyone was startled.

Ling Hao didn't explain. He simply raised his hand, and three Tokens flew out of his sleeve, hovering in the air above the main hall.

Silver, gold, and earthy yellow light intertwined as the Three Talents Suppressing Domain silently unfolded, enveloping the entire main hall. The flow of Spiritual Qi in the hall suddenly became sluggish, and the circulation of spiritual power within everyone's bodies also slowed down.

"This is?" Gu Yue's pupils shrank slightly.

"The combined effect of the three Tokens," Ling Hao said. "Within this domain, all non-Origin power will be suppressed. Cultivators who Cultivate the Heavenly Dao system's Cultivation Techniques will have their combat power reduced by at least twenty percent. If Star Lord Jidu dares to step into this domain, his void-piercing mirror, his Cultivation Technique, and his rules will all be diminished."

He paused and added, "And I am unaffected."

Silence filled the main hall.

Ling Xiao's eyes sparkled: "If you suddenly unfold this domain during battle, Star Lord Jidu will be caught off guard. With his combat power plummeting, you could counter-kill him."

"Exactly." Ling Hao put away the Tokens.

He looked at Gu Yue: "Mr. Gu, did Star Lord Jidu really go to the Wanxing Altar in person?"

"According to the information I received, Star Lord Jidu did indeed lead a team to the Wanxing Altar," Gu Yue said. "But he only stayed there for less than an hour before hurrying back to Zhenxing Palace. Obviously, the 'abnormal fluctuations' at the Wanxing Altar were just a false alarm, or rather, he realized it was a ruse to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

"So Star Lord Jidu lost both the wife and the soldiers this time," Ling Xiao said. "He neither held onto Lord Zhenxing's Token nor found anything of value at the Wanxing Altar."

"Not only that," Gu Yue added. "With the western defense line suffering such a heavy blow, the Heavenly Dao Palace will surely be shaken. When the Star Lord Taiyang demands accountability, Star Lord Jidu will be held responsible. He will either defend Tianque City to the death or launch a desperate counterattack to try and save face."

Ling Hao nodded. It seemed Lord Zhenxing's claim that Star Lord Jidu had left was a tactic intended to trick him into retreating. He walked to the map of the Central Region hanging on the wall.

Of the nine Astral Lords, he had already taken down three: Lord Taiyin, Lord Taibai, and Lord Zhenxing.

The three Astral Lords were stationed in the south, north, and west. Now that these three defense lines were completely disrupted, the Heavenly Dao Palace's defense system on the outskirts of the Central Region had developed a massive gap.

But the core strength of the Heavenly Dao Palace—the three Astral Lords Solar, Jidu, and Rahu—remained intact. They held the temple's most elite troops, most powerful Magic Treasures, and core secrets. Obtaining the Tokens in their hands would be no easy feat.

Furthermore, there were three other Astral Lords stationed in various directions: Lord Chenxing (East), Star Lord Yinghuo (Central), and Lord Suixing (Northeast).

"Where do we strike next?" Ling Xiao walked to the map, his gaze scanning the three directions.

Ling Hao didn't answer immediately. His gaze fell on the giant city labeled "Tianque City." That was the headquarters of the Heavenly Dao Palace and the location of the eye of the heavenly dao.

Attacking Tianque City directly with his current strength would be like throwing an egg against a stone.

But if he continued to pick off the peripheral Astral Lords, every Token he seized would weaken the Heavenly Dao Palace's defense and strengthen his Three Talents Suppressing Domain.

"Lord Chenxing." Ling Hao's fingertip pointed to a location on the eastern coast.

Everyone was taken aback.

"The East?" Ling Xiao frowned. "Lord Chenxing is stationed on the coast of the Eastern Region, governing the world's hydrology and Spiritual Vein nodes. That is the furthest point from Tianhuo City, with a long supply line. Moreover, Lord Chenxing is not weak—he's at the Peak of Void Refining and has the geographical advantage of the sea. Why attack him first?"

"It is precisely because it's far that we attack him," Ling Hao said calmly.

The others were puzzled.

Ling Hao didn't explain immediately but summoned the three Tokens again.

Three-colored brilliance intertwined, projecting a blurry image above the map. In the image, the positions of the nine Tokens were vaguely visible. With three in hand and six still out there, one of them was on the eastern coast, hovering alone, far from the light points of the other Tokens.

"Lord Chenxing is the furthest from Tianque City," Ling Hao pointed at that light point. "If the Heavenly Dao Palace wants to reinforce him, they need to cross the entire Central Region. It will take at least five days from deployment to arrival. Five days is enough for me to take Chenxing Palace, seize the Token, and then withdraw leisurely."

"What about Star Lord Yinghuo?" Gu Yue asked. "Star Lord Yinghuo is stationed in the middle of the Central Region, in charge of war mobilization and mobile support. If Young Master Ling attacks Chenxing Palace, Star Lord Yinghuo will definitely lead an army to reinforce him immediately. He is much closer than Tianque City and could arrive in a day or two."

"That's why we can't give Star Lord Yinghuo the chance to reinforce." Ling Hao moved his fingertip back to the middle of the map. "Before attacking Chenxing Palace, we must first 'restrain' Star Lord Yinghuo."

"How do we restrain him?"

Ling Hao's mouth curled up slightly. "Have the Loose Cultivators create chaos in the area under Star Lord Yinghuo's jurisdiction. There's no need for a major conflict; we just need him to feel that 'something big is about to happen,' making him afraid to leave easily. Xiao Yi's network of Loose Cultivators has already penetrated the middle of the Central Region. He can handle this."

"Star Lord Yinghuo is not that easily fooled." Gu Yue shook his head. "This man has been in charge of war mobilization for hundreds of years and is highly experienced. Ordinary 'chaos' won't deceive him at all."

"So it's not a deception," Ling Hao said. "It's about letting him truly 'see' a threat."

He paused, his gaze falling on Star Lord Yinghuo's station—the city labeled "Yinghuo City," which happened to be situated at the key transport junction of the southeast Central Region.