“Go, the power of the Nine Cauldrons Illusion, protect the last shred of the Holy Dynasty’s dignity!”
With both swords drawn, the remaining power of the Nine Cauldrons Illusion was unleashed instantly.
At the same moment, Ling Xiao marked the surviving Holy Dynasty warriors with his soul imprint.
Whether friend or foe, they were now comrades.
As long as they bore his soul imprint, they wouldn’t be attacked by the Nine Cauldrons Illusion’s power, which was why he dared to release the attack without restraint.
Boom!
A sound louder than thunder exploded, splitting the earth. The sky churned with clouds, and various illusions flickered endlessly.
Then came the screams.
The Sea Clan, previously dominant, fell one by one under this frenzied attack.
The Yin-Yang Demon King and Lightning Demon King Sikong Zun were both gravely injured.
In their panic, though they raised their defences, they couldn’t fully block the damage. Leading a few remnants, they fled in disarray.
“You brat, just you wait!”
Angry roars echoed from the fleeing soldiers in the distance.
“Yin-Yang Demon King! Lightning Demon King! Listen well, I killed the Plague Demon King and the Beast Demon King. You’d better wash your necks and wait, because I’ll take your heads!”
Ling Xiao didn’t dare pursue.
Even an injured Yin-Yang Realm expert could easily kill him.
Their retreat wasn’t due to him but because of the Supreme Holy Emperor’s presence. If they continued, neither might escape.
A plan brewed for ten thousand years had collapsed, ruined not by a great figure but by an insignificant Heavenly Vein warrior.
This was enough to drive the Yin-Yang Demon King and Lightning Demon King to rage.
They had been so close to success.
Just a little more, so close!
Now, it was all for naught, their efforts wasted.
As the rumbling faded, the enemy vanished without a trace.
The surviving Holy Dynasty warriors sat on the ground, gasping for breath, their faces etched with sorrow.
Though the battle was over, the death toll was staggering.
Of the millions in the Holy City, only a few hundred remained after just a few hours.
“Why didn’t you act sooner, why!”
Suddenly, a warrior from the crowd roared at Ling Xiao.
Slap!
As he shouted, someone slapped him, “Learn to be grateful, not to complain. The Chosen Son had no reason to act, yet he did. That’s enough. Otherwise, we’d all be dead!”
Ling Xiao watched calmly, saying nothing.
Truthfully, he wanted to act earlier, but he hadn’t noticed the situation at first, or so many wouldn’t have died.
Especially the civilians, whose losses were immense.
“Sorry, I was just too emotional.”
The warrior who complained shouldn’t be judged too harshly. People have emotions, and millions of lives, laughing together yesterday, were now gone forever. It was natural to feel overwhelmed.
“No matter. Supreme Holy Emperor, you must decide quickly. Those who escaped may need time to recover, but the Blue-Eyed Clan’s attacks on the Holy Dynasty won’t stop. If I’m right, the borders are already engulfed in war.”
Ling Xiao wasn’t narrow-minded. He held grudges but saw the bigger picture.
As he predicted, Baiyun Province on the border was already a warzone. Fortunately, the Moonlight Sect and Divine Sword Sect suffered little, and with Wu Xiang and the Moon Maiden returning, they had repelled the Sea Clan there.
Across the Holy Dynasty, only Beihan Kingdom and Tianli Kingdom remained safe, while most other areas had fallen.
Beihan Kingdom needed no mention, with the Moonlight Sect, Divine Sword Sect, and the Moon Maiden’s presence making it impregnable.
Tianli Kingdom wasn’t a vassal of the Holy Dynasty. Recently established by the Tianli Alliance, Ling Xiao had heard of them back in Tianfeng City but never met them.
They rose amid chaos, founding Tianli Kingdom under the banner of “destroying the corrupt Holy Dynasty and defending humanity’s lands.”
The Tianli Alliance was initially funded by the Ninja Clan and Blue-Eyed Clan, so they seemed uninterested in opposing foreign tribes, targeting the Holy Dynasty instead.
“Retreat to Beihan Kingdom!”
Ling Xiao knew this, and so did the Supreme Holy Emperor.
At the same time, events in the Holy City were unfolding across the Holy Dynasty, though to varying degrees.
After all, the enemy’s Yin-Yang Realm experts were only the Yin-Yang Demon King and Lightning Demon King, and their Cave Heaven Realm experts came to the Holy City, where Ling Xiao’s Nine Cauldrons Illusion killed three, leaving four.
Elsewhere, the strongest were Heavenly Human Realm warriors, though their strength varied greatly within the ten stages.
The Holy Dynasty’s Martial Arts Festival had gathered most experts in the Holy City, leaving other areas vulnerable. Only Beihan Kingdom held firm, thanks to Wu Xiang’s early return.
Tianli Kingdom’s experts didn’t come to the Holy City, so their situation was unclear. Whether they were humanity’s hope or the Sea Clan’s pawns would become clear later.
Thus, Beihan Kingdom was the best retreat for the Holy Dynasty.
Unlike Tianli Kingdom, it was a vassal state and less risky.
After discussions, the Holy Dynasty’s royals followed the Supreme Holy Emperor to Beihan Kingdom, while other sect members returned to their own.
They didn’t yet know their sects’ fates.
So they had to return.
“Senior, please wait!”
After the others left, Ling Xiao caught up with the Spirit Herb Manor group.
When they arrived, the manor had hundreds, but now only dozens remained.
The manor’s master, Dai Lingrong, had shown Ling Xiao kindness, and Dai Yaoling was Dai Yuling’s sister. Ling Xiao felt obliged to escort them, offering what little help he could.
Though his cultivation had dropped to the Heavenly Vein stage, his combat strength, enhanced by mastering the Mountain River Martial Soul, hadn’t diminished much.
With his current level, defeating early Heavenly Human Realm warriors was entirely possible.
“Brother Ling Xiao.”
Dai Yaoling looked at Ling Xiao as if he were a god, her eyes full of admiration.
“Senior, allow me to escort you to Spirit Herb Manor. The journey may not be safe.”
Ling Xiao smiled at Dai Yaoling, then bowed to Dai Lingrong.
“Thank you for your trouble.”
Dai Lingrong, gravely injured and unsure if she could reach the manor, gave a bitter smile. Having Ling Xiao along was better than nothing.
