Chapter 14
The blood moon hung high in the sky, mercilessly casting its cold, clear radiance upon the devastated Qiyan Palace. The once majestic and magnificent palace had now been transformed into a hellish landscape of scorched earth and rubble.
Towering flames licked at the broken walls and shattered ruins. Thick, rolling smoke, carrying the nauseating stench of burnt flesh and blood, shot straight into the sky. Within and outside the palace walls, bodies lay strewn everywhere. The mangled corpses of the Immortal Palace's Xuanjia Guards were intermingled with the bodies of the demonic cultists and Northern Barbarian tribesmen. The congealed blood had stained the bluestone slabs into a dark, murky brown.
The clamor of fierce battle had faded, leaving only the crackling of burning flames and the pained groans of the wounded.
Emperor Wei Wuyuan, stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His golden imperial robes, reflecting the firelight, shimmered with a dark red luster, yet remained untainted by a speck of dust or blood. His signature red hair danced wildly in the night wind, like burning flames, mirroring the sea of fire around him.
The terrifying pressure emanating from the [Heaven-Shattering Great Art] had not yet fully receded. The invisible, fierce energy distorted the air, causing the nearby flames to sway and retreat. Today, even the combined forces of the Dharma King Cang Li and the Barbarian King Tuoba Kai, leading a host of demonic cultists and the Shituo barbarians, were no match for Wei Wuyuan. All they left behind was a field of mangled corpses, a testament to the heavy price they had paid for their venture.
"Brother, your divine might is unrivaled! The demonic cultists and barbarian scum are nothing more than mud chickens and straw dogs, utterly incapable of withstanding a single blow from you!"
Wei Wuxin and Wei Wuban, the two brothers, hurried to Wei Wuyuan's side. They were both covered with blood, their armor riddled with blade and sword marks. Though they were clearly exhausted, they maintained a posture of reverence and humility towards their clan leader, the Emperor.
Wei Wuban's face was etched with guilt and self-reproach. He dropped to one knee and said in a hoarse voice, "Brother, it was I, Wuban, who was incompetent! Though we repelled the invaders, we allowed our Qiyan Palace to suffer devastating losses. Several elders and nearly a hundred Xuanjia Guards died defending the palace. I ask that you punish me, Brother!"
Wei Wuyuan's gaze did not linger on him. Instead, he scanned the ravaged battlefield, his expression betraying neither joy nor anger. He spoke coolly, "Victory and defeat are common in battle. The enemy plotted this for a long time, and with two masters from the demonic cult and the barbarians joining forces, this is not your fault alone. Rise."
"Thank you, Elder Brother!" Wei Wuban struggled to his feet.
Wei Wuyuan turned and began walking towards the Sword-Sealing Tower deep within Qiyan Palace. Wei Wuxin, Wei Wuban, and the subordinates who had rushed over hurriedly followed him.
The group passed through a courtyard and arrived before the Sword-Sealing Tower. The signs of battle here were particularly brutal. Dozens of loyal tower guards had perished alongside their enemies, their blood nearly soaking the foundation of the tower. Witnessing this scene, Wei Wuban's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. These were his trusted men, whom he had cultivated for many years, now dead in this tragic manner.
The sealing runes on the great door of the tower glowed with a faint light, seemingly intact. Wei Wuban stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Brother, rest assured. This tower was built by the ancestors of the Mo Clan and later reinforced by masters of our Wei Clan. It has three-fold restrictions. It is impossible to enter unless the main gate is forcibly breached. Though the guards here suffered heavy casualties during the great battle, the gate was never broken!"
Wei Wuyuan gave no indication of agreement or disagreement. He simply walked forward, extended his right hand, and a wisp of extremely condensed, crimson true essence slowly appeared in his palm. He gently pressed his hand against the stone door.
Hum—
A low resonance sounded. The runes on the stone door suddenly flared with light, then just as quickly dimmed. Wei Wuyuan's brow furrowed slightly. He could sense that the core restriction within the tower, the vast sword intent used to seal the divine sword, had become much weaker. He hesitated no longer. With a low shout, the majestic true essence of the [Heaven-Shattering Great Art] surged violently into the stone door! The immensely heavy stone door, capable of withstanding a thousand troops, was like paper before his overwhelming power. It was forcibly pushed inward! A stream of air carrying a slight chill flowed out from within, and the group filed in one after another.
The interior of the tower was dimly lit. Several of the defensive mechanisms along the way showed signs of having been cleverly sabotaged, though not obvious at first glance. It was clear they had been quietly dismantled with extremely skilled technique, rather than being forcibly destroyed.
A shadow fell over everyone's hearts. Their pace quickened involuntarily as they headed straight for the core sealing chamber at the bottom of the tower.
When they finally arrived before the massive bluestone platform, everyone's breath caught in their throat. The platform, where the divine sword should have been floating, was empty. The [Immortal Sword · Cangxu] which contained supreme divine power and symbolized the pinnacle of the sword path, was gone.
Wei Wuyuan did not roar or bellow, but the terrifying pressure made everyone present feel a palpitation in their hearts, as if an invisible hand were clenching their throats, making even breathing difficult.
Wei Wuyuan's handsome, cold face was now shrouded with dark clouds. The flames in his eyes seemed ready to burst forth. The air around him twisted with his extreme rage, and the bluestone ground beneath his feet began to crack, inch by inch, with him at the center, spreading out like a spiderweb!
"Good... very good... A bunch of fools who don't know their place."
Wei Wuyuan squeezed these words out from between his teeth. "Under my personal guard, from right under my nose, they stole my spoils of war... a fine move, demonic cult! Shituo tribe!"
"Brother, calm your fury!" Wei Wuxin hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. "This matter... this matter is far too strange! The enemy's main force was fully engaged with us on the main battlefield. Dharma King Cang Li and Tuoba Kai were even being restrained by you personally. They absolutely could not have spared the manpower or energy to infiltrate this heavily guarded Sword-Sealing Tower!"
Another of Wei Wuban's subordinates, Gongsun Yan, who had guarded Qiyan Palace for many years and was Wei Wuban's confidant, spoke up. "Your Majesty, what the Second Young Master says is true. This subordinate was guarding the vicinity the entire time but did not see the enemy launch a large-scale assault. I venture to guess that the enemy's massive commotion and fierce attack on Qiyan Palace was a meticulously planned feint from the very beginning!"
Their true target, from start to finish, was likely this Sword-Sealing Tower, which they approached using some kind of unknown evil art.
"This subordinate has heard that among the Northern Barbarians' Shituo Clan, there is a Witch Queen of revered status who is skilled in all kinds of evil arts and secret techniques. She may be connected to this sword theft."
The leader of the black-robed guards, Xiao Guang, who stood to the side, added hoarsely, "Your majesty, in this subordinate's view, regardless of whether they used evil arts or secret methods, the restrictions outside the tower were not forcibly broken, and the mechanisms inside were dismantled by a skilled hand. The enemy knew the layout of the tower perfectly. It would have been impossible without an insider to aid them."
"An insider?"
As these two words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze once more.
Wei Wuban's face turned deathly pale. He fell to his knees and kowtowed heavily. "It is I, Wuban, who failed to govern strictly and was careless, allowing these villains to succeed. My crime deserves ten thousand deaths! I ask Elder Brother to punish me!"
Wei Wuyuan slowly turned around. He did not look at his brother kneeling on the ground but let his gaze slowly sweep over every person present.
"An insider..." he repeated the two words in a low voice, a cold smile gradually forming on his lips. "Whether it was evil arts or a conspiracy, it makes no difference. Take every single person who participated in guarding Qiyan Palace tonight into custody. Regardless of rank, whether they are old retainers of my Tianxing Sect or former members of the Immortal Palace, take them all. Count them one by one, and lock them all."
His gaze finally landed on the stern-faced Xiao Guang. He commanded, "Xiao Guang, you will personally handle this matter. I will give you three days. Use any means necessary to uncover the truth of this affair."
"I obey your command!" Xiao Guang received the order respectfully. He knew what kind of brutal and bloody purge lay behind the Emperor Lord's order.
"Gongsun Yan." Wei Wuyuan called out again. "Your subordinate is here!" Gongsun Yan quickly bowed.
"Immediately send a message to the reinforcements led by the Dong family. Together with all the informants we have in the Northern Barbarian lands and the demonic cult, find out the whereabouts of Dharma King Cang Li and Tuoba Kai for me."
"Yes, I will see to it immediately."
Finally, Wei Wuyuan's gaze fell upon Wei Wuban, who was still kneeling on the ground. He walked forward, helped him up with his own hands, and said, "Wuban, your fault lies in your negligence. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself."
"Please give me your orders, Brother!" Wei Wuban said, his head bowed.
"Gather all the elite scouts in the palace immediately. Follow the trail of the enemy's retreat and pursue them. I want them found, alive or dead. I want to know who it was that infiltrated the Sword-Sealing Tower and stole the [Cangxu]. Bring their heads back to me."
"Yes! Even if I must chase them to the ends of the earth, I will present that thief's head before you, Brother!" Wei Wuban kowtowed heavily, then turned and strode away.
As the orders were given one by one, the great hall fell silent once more. Wei Wuyuan glanced at Wei Wuban's retreating back, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He then slowly walked to the empty bluestone platform, reached out, and gently brushed the dust from its surface, as if recalling some old memory, an old friend, a past event.
***
Tuoba Hong moved silently through the deep, quiet forest on the outskirts of Qiyan Palace.
He had not followed the main path of the retreating barbarian army but had chosen a more concealed beast trail. Beneath the specially prepared animal hide on his back, lay the Mo Clan's heirloom, the divine artifact [Immortal Sword Cangxu].
Behind him, dozens of agile, deadly scouts from the "Ghost Wolf Squad" followed like phantoms. They were the most elite scouts and assassins trained personally by Tuoba Kai, and every one of them was utterly loyal to Tuoba Hong.
"The Young Master's foresight is brilliant! To think we actually stole the divine sword from right under Wei Wuyuan's nose! When we return, the Barbarian King will surely reward us greatly!" one scout whispered, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
"Yes! Once the Barbarian King obtains this sword, his power will surely increase immensely. At that time, conquering the Central Plains will be just around the corner!"
Listening to his men's chatter, Tuoba Hong's stern face remained expressionless. He simply led the group at a steady pace to a secluded, isolated valley, surrounded on all sides by mountains, which he had scouted out in advance.
"Alright, we will rest here," Tuoba Hong stopped and commanded in a low voice.
"Yes, Young Master!" Hearing this, the scouts breathed a collective sigh of relief, found places to sit, and began to tend to their wounds and recover their strength.
Tuoba Hon's lips curled into a cold smile. He slowly walked up behind a scout who was wiping his dagger. The scout sensed the Young Master's approach and grinned, about to speak.
Shing!
A flash of cold steel. Tuoba Hong's heavy saber left its sheath like a bolt of black lightning, instantly slicing through the scout's throat! Blood sprayed out. The smile on the scout's face froze in an instant, his eyes filled with disbelief and horror. A gurgling sound came from his throat as he collapsed to the ground.
This sudden turn of events left all the members of the Ghost Wolf Squad frozen in shock!
"Young... Young Master... you..." Before they could react, Tuoba Hong's tall, burly frame erupted with a speed and agility completely at odds with his size. He transformed into a whirlwind of blades, charging into the group of subordinates who were still reeling in shock and confusion! The broadsword whistled through the air, its blade cold and menacing. Every strike was powerful, its angle vicious and ruthless, aimed directly at vital points!
Though these elite scouts were skilled fighters, being caught completely off guard and facing a deadly surprise attack from the leader they trusted most and whose strength far surpassed their own, they could not organize any effective resistance.
*****
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