The deafening roar and the splash of scattered debris momentarily blinded everyone.
When their vision cleared, the Soul Master experts who had leapt into the air, only to lose sight of Tang Sui within a single breath, found their pupils constricting.
"Damn it! Where is she?!"
Yan's body began to descend with inertia. During his fall, he still searched his surroundings, desperately trying to find Tang Sui.
Soul Master experts rained down from the sky like dumplings, landing on rooftops in various locations. They scanned the others falling with them but saw no trace of Tang Sui.
"Over there!"
Someone exclaimed, and the others looked in that direction. They saw Tang Sui, moving like a ghost amidst the shadows, brazenly heading towards one direction.
Xie Yue and the others naturally pursued her relentlessly.
However, to their surprise, Tang Sui suddenly launched an attack on the wooden carts used to collect supplies.
"Bang bang bang—!"
Several heavy thuds sounded almost simultaneously.
These were the sounds of heavy objects colliding with the refined steel armor worn by the soldiers.
As the three carts, laden with supplies, neared the main city gate, the soldiers pushing them didn't even have time to react before they stumbled and fell.
On their sturdy, dark steel armor, at various points, there were gaping, terrifying wounds the size of a face, where something heavy had smashed through, tearing flesh and blood.
Blood frothing with fragments of internal organs continuously spilled from the mouths of the fallen soldiers. Some coughed it out convulsively, their eyes gradually losing focus, their breaths ceasing.
Xie Yue and the others, arriving a moment too late, watched their soldiers die tragically. Their expressions changed drastically, and a daring thought surfaced in their minds.
Could it be that Tang Sui's reluctance to leave Geng Xin City for so long was because she wanted to seize the supplies within Geng Xin City that hadn't been evacuated with the blacksmiths?
Xie Yue looked at the wooden carts that Tang Sui had deliberately avoided, and this thought crossed his mind. But he quickly dismissed it.
No, no, no.
Although Tang Sui and Tang San founded this Tang Sect and had new disciples to support, they wouldn't treat their lives so casually.
This must be a tactic to distract them and defeat them one by one!
If Tang Sui knew Xie Yue's thoughts, she might have seriously replied to them: "Because I'm poor."
City lords without a solid foundation are good at scavenging.
Since they were already delayed and trapped, they might as well make the most of the limited resources.
Moreover, the Spirit Hall, which lacked the deep foundation of the two great empires, had already suffered from this. That's why they rushed out at the start of the war to find resource-rich cities within the two great empires and exploit them.
Xie Yue, believing he had discovered Tang Sui's true intentions, said to his subordinates, who were cautiously observing his expression, "Don't worry about Tang Sui. Dispatch three more squads to search for supplies. The rest are on high alert!"
Since Tang Sui intended to defeat them one by one, he would concentrate everyone! Prevent Tang Sui from launching sneak attacks.
Once the supplies were collected, this Geng Xin City would have no further value!
A cold glint flickered in Xie Yue's eyes, and the sharp aura emanating from him silenced even the resentful Yan, who secretly marveled at his partner's growth.
However, he soon puffed out his chest with pride.
Indeed, worthy of Nana's brother!
The Spirit Empire soldiers, having received the order, quickly divided into groups and departed.
Tang Sui, having already put some distance between herself and them, heard Xie Yue's command and inwardly sighed with a hint of regret. She looked at the energy shield above Geng Xin City, which had reformed, and let out a silent chuckle.
Never mind, at least half of her objective was achieved.
"Watch out above!"
The system's sudden warning blared like a clap of thunder in Tang Sui's ears.
Alarms blaring in her mind, Tang Sui followed her body's instinctive reaction, swiftly raising her hand and turning, blocking her chest. Simultaneously, a black-red light membrane enveloped her entire body.
"Boom—!"
The ground shook violently. Xie Yue and the others, whom Tang Sui had lured to the front gate, were startled and keenly turned towards the source of the sound.
The black-red light collided with the platinum light. The tall building and the concrete walls that had obscured Tang Sui were instantly shattered into dust by the explosive energy, like trees uprooted by a tornado, crashing into other buildings and causing widespread destruction.
"Crack crack—"
Unable to withstand such immense power, the ground cracked with dark fissures. Tang Sui met Tuoba Xi's eyes, which flickered with bloodlust and excitement. Feeling the force, harder and more difficult to deal with than a lead weight, slowly increase and even begin to overpower her own strength, her gaze darkened.
"Your mental power is indeed stronger than I expected."
Tuoba Xi, applying layers of pressure, grinned. A circle of black spirit rings suddenly emerged from beneath his feet, shining brightly. A golden circle with a diameter of five meters materialized, centered on Tang Sui and Tuoba Xi, who were locked in combat.
"Be crushed into fragments!"
Tuoba Xi roared. Platinum-white mist appeared out of nowhere on his limbs, wrapping around his body like flowing water, channeling immense energy into his human form. His already robust physique swelled several times, his skin, with a metallic sheen, became covered in white scales. His eyes were obscured by golden light, revealing no pupils, like a true beast, he then slammed down heavily towards Tang Sui!
The immense pressure from above and the suction force from below, like an embedded black hole, forced Tang Sui's spine to bend, causing her brow to twitch severely.
Unable to break free quickly... this guy actually has a skill similar to a gravity domain.
"Found you!"
"Swoosh—!"
Along with Xie Yue's rising shout came the sound of tearing air.
Tang Sui's peripheral vision flickered, and she saw two extremely thin, blood-red moon blades, which had split two houses apart and were ferociously swinging towards her!
There's no other way.
She had to activate it early.
The more critical the moment, the calmer Tang Sui became when facing enemies from all sides.
"Seventh Spirit Skill, Artifact Spirit True Body!"
A blood-red spirit ring and a surge of immense spirit power erupted together.
"Ding—!"
Xie Yue's moon blades were sent back the way they came.
The single-target attacks from others, all aimed at Tang Sui's exposed and vulnerable back, were also swept away.
Tuoba Xi, who was grappling with Tang Sui face-to-face, his imposing physique like a small mountain peak, was shocked. He watched as his spirit power was gnawed away bit by bit by black tentacles that emerged from the shadow beneath Tang Sui's feet, like ants devouring leaves.
"What is this?!"
His expression changed, and he realized something was wrong.
But it was already too late to withdraw his hands.
Because those strange black tentacles had already grown several meters tall, taller than him.
Like an anemone that deceives its prey with its harmless and beautiful appearance, when the fish, tricked by the anemone's form, swam towards it, those tentacles, soft as petals swaying with the water, revealed their fangs, swiftly and precisely ensnaring the prey that had walked into the trap!
Xie Yue and the others, who had rushed over, were also caught.
"Eighth Spirit Skill, Dream Void Realm!"
— Author's notes —
That's a lot for today. Thank you, my dears, for your concern. I'll return to two updates tomorrow. Mwah!