Chapter 1473: Chapter 158 Bone Dragon Reappears_4
Sheng Xie suddenly let out a piercing roar, its sharp cries soaring straight into the heavens. The seven golden horns on its back glowed brightly, with seven faint bursts of light appearing at the horn tips. An incomparable, immense dragon might spread instantly across the entire Duke’s Mansion. Sheng Xie muttered under its breath, chanting something eerily similar to the Dragon Incantation it once unleashed in Dark City. Sheng Xie did this not to chase after the Master but to subdue the Bone Dragon. Once the Master vanished, Sheng Xie knew pursuing was futile. It promptly ordered the Bone Dragon to return to the Divine Dragon’s Blood embedded in Ah Dai’s chest. However, the Bone Dragon, having been suppressed inside for years, refused to comply despite Sheng Xie’s overwhelming might. Left with no choice, Sheng Xie was forced to reluctantly resort to the Dragon Incantation.
Sheng Xie was the first Gold-Eyed Sheng Xie Dragon. The massive potential contained within its body easily surpassed even that of the true Dragon King. Although the Bone Dragon had already grown so powerful as to surpass its realm, faced with this colossal dragon pressure, the faint trace of resistance in its heart gradually weakened. It let out sorrowful cries, sprawling on the ground and repeatedly wailing softly. Sheng Xie roared sharply once more. In utter despair, the Bone Dragon had no choice but to return to the Divine Dragon’s Blood within Ah Dai. At the exact moment of its disappearance, Sheng Xie’s majestic body faltered and immediately collapsed to the ground. The energy it expended before was simply too much for it to endure. Its entire frame curled up, coalescing into a faint blue radiance as it followed the Bone Dragon back into the Divine Dragon’s Blood.
Even the Yan Shi brothers had no idea that Sheng Xie and the Bone Dragon were not true summoned beasts in the conventional sense. None of the group found the disappearance of the two giant dragons peculiar, because their master—Ah Dai—had already passed out. Without spiritual control over them, naturally, they would return to their own world.
Xi Wen had no time to regret the Master’s escape. He moved gracefully beside Ah Dai and swiftly picked up his body, channeling Vital Breath into him. Despite Vital Breath’s cyclical properties, Ah Dai’s depletion had already reached a critical point—his Dantian was thoroughly empty, and Xi Wen couldn’t even feel the presence of Vital Breath. Thankfully, Ah Dai’s life force persisted. Liao Wen, meanwhile, focused his efforts on healing Mie Feng. Mie Feng’s injuries were severe; her abilities were far inferior to the Master’s, and although the damage she suffered was caused by residual force, the violent impact had shifted her vital organs, causing blood to flow incessantly from the corner of her mouth.
Liao Wenchong said to Xi Wen, "Senior brother, this girl’s wounds are far too grave. I’m afraid..."
Xi Wen furrowed his brows and replied, "First stabilize her injuries. We need to leave here quickly; such an enormous disturbance at the Duke’s Mansion will surely draw the Empire’s attention sooner rather than later."
Liao Wen nodded, using Vital Breath to protect Mie Feng’s internal organs. He then carried her on his back and nodded again at Xi Wen. Xi Wen did the same, lifting Ah Dai onto his back. Under the protection of the Yan Shi brothers and Zhuo Yun, they swiftly left the Duke’s Mansion. To ensure their safety, they moved like lightning under cover of the night, heading out of Sunset City.
The defenses of Sunset City were far from tight. For experts like Xi Wen and Liao Wen, the towering, wide city walls posed no threat whatsoever. When the dark clouds obscured the moonlight, Xi Wen and the group took advantage of the shadowy night to sneak out through the city gate, quickly heading eastward. After traveling about twenty miles, Liao Wen suddenly said, "Senior brother, this girl likely won’t make it. Let’s stop and rest for a while." During their journey, despite the protective Vital Breath Liao Wen provided, Mie Feng’s breathing grew increasingly weak. The dislocation of her vital organs caused severe internal bleeding, and her life was hanging by a thread.
Xi Wen’s heart sank upon hearing Liao Wen’s words. Reflecting on the earlier moment when Ah Dai was willing to risk his life to save hers, Xi Wen realized that his nephew must have an extraordinary bond with this girl from the Thieves’ Guild. Now that Ah Dai was unconscious, if the thief girl were to die, it would be impossible to face him later! Xi Wen resolved to save her life at any cost—at the very least, until Ah Dai regained consciousness. "Alright, let’s rest for now. Move into the nearby woods," he said, leading the group toward the dense forest bordering the main road to the north.
Shortly after Xi Wen and his group left Sunset City, Emperor Quan Yi of the Sunset Empire personally led an army to surround the Duke’s Mansion. The Duke was his most trusted minister, having presented him with countless beauties and prized treasures. Practically everything Quan Yi desired, the Duke would anticipate and deliver without fail. Therefore, how could Quan Yi allow the Duke to rise to a position second only to his own? When Quan Yi heard Byinlog’s report earlier and noticed the violent explosions emanating from the direction of the Duke’s Mansion, suspicion gnawed at him. Although his favor for Byinlog had significantly waned over the years in favor of the Duke, Quan Yi only half-believed Byinlog’s words. To safeguard the Duke, who had done so much to indulge his whims, Quan Yi personally led five thousand Forbidden Guards to investigate. What greeted him upon arrival, however, was shocking—the Duke’s Mansion was reduced to rubble, and apart from fragmented body parts strewn across the courtyard, not a single person was in sight.
"State Preceptor, what’s going on here? Didn’t you say the Duke’s subordinates had many experts? Why haven’t we seen a single one? Where are those soldiers responsible for defending this place?" Quan Yi roared angrily.
Byinlog furrowed his brow and replied, "Your Majesty, while the Duke’s subordinates do have a wealth of experts, the foes they faced wield even greater power. As for the soldiers originally assigned to guard the mansion, the Duke had them reassigned prior to the incident." The Master, in order to protect the Assassin’s Guild’s secrets, would naturally not permit ordinary soldiers to witness his assault on Ah Dai and his group. Moreover, ordinary soldiers were of no use against opponents like Ah Dai; they would merely serve as cannon fodder.
Quan Yi cast a cold glance at Byinlog, seething as he declared, "Search the area immediately! You must locate the Duke—alive if possible, but dead if necessary. Announce martial law throughout the city. No one is allowed to leave! Whoever dared so brazenly provoke my Sunset City will face my wrath—this I will not tolerate lightly."
Byinlog observed Quan Yi’s behavior coldly and sighed inwardly. He deeply understood that this young master was no longer within his own sphere of influence. Quan Yi’s heart had been thoroughly corrupted. Under his leadership, the Sunset Empire likely faced inevitable destruction. It seemed time for Byinlog to consider other avenues—the dark domain of the Sunset Empire was no place for him anymore.
Liao Wen and the Yan Shi brothers stood in a triangular formation, surrounding Ah Dai. Together, their six palms pressed against Ah Dai’s vital energy points, channeling their refined Battle Aura into his Dantian. Zhuo Yun, standing nearby, chanted incessantly. Relying on the Elf Clan’s life-filled spells, she continuously treated Ah Dai’s injuries. Meanwhile, Xi Wen focused his full effort on healing Mie Feng in the distance. In terms of Vital Breath expertise, Xi Wen had spent seventy years immersed in its intricacies. Since the death of the Tian Gang Sword Saint, Xi Wen undoubtedly stood unrivaled in his understanding of Vital Breath—even surpassing Ah Dai. Encased in pure white light, Xi Wen and Mie Feng’s bodies were enveloped entirely. Leveraging the energy within his Golden Body, Xi Wen split his True Qi into two streams—one safeguarding Mie Feng’s vital organs and the other dividing into countless threads to clear her obstructed meridians.
When it came to injuries, Ah Dai’s were far lighter than Mie Feng’s. His unconsciousness had largely resulted from excessive energy depletion, as his Vital Breath couldn’t circulate rapidly enough, leading to exhaustion. Under Liao Wen and the Yan Shi brothers’ strenuous efforts, the Golden Body in Ah Dai’s Dantian began to emit a faint glow once more. After all, his cultivation had already reached the highest level of Vital Breath. Through external stimulation, the cycles gradually restarted. Sensing the steady recovery of strength within Ah Dai, Liao Wen let out a sigh of relief, slowly withdrawing his energy before opening his eyes. A subtle flush of color returned to Ah Dai’s face, and as his inner energy steadily replenished, he finally woke up. With his consciousness regaining control over the Golden Body’s operation, his Vital Breath immediately accelerated its circulation again.
The Yan Shi brothers also withdrew their Divine Battle Aura, content that Ah Dai’s recovery had eased their collective anxiety. Liao Wen approached Xi Wen and Mie Feng. He saw Xi Wen’s furrowed brows and large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead—clearly straining under the effort. Liao Wen stepped behind Xi Wen, taking a deep breath as the same white light merged into Xi Wen’s body. He used his own energy to assist Xi Wen in healing Mie Feng. Knowing that his own abilities paled in comparison to those of his teachers, Yan Shi refrained from intervening, opting to join Yan Li in guarding their teachers and Ah Dai.
