Chapter 282: The Grand Move

Ten li outside Fire Dragon City, Xu Jin, Dong Zhao, Liu Qingzhu, Han Qing, and Tang Hui watched the formation above Fire Dragon City.

All of them felt helpless.

It was like a tiger trying to swallow the sky—with no way to bite in.

They had assumed the Fire Dragon clan would strike first, but they never expected the Fire Dragon clan's approach to be even more extreme than the Golden Snake clan's.

They had gone all-in on defense.

Above Fire Dragon City, nearly a hundred fifth-rank alien beings, accompanied by over a thousand fourth-rank aliens, patrolled in ten squads.

Five sixth-rank Fire Dragon clan members and two Blood God emissaries radiating sixth-rank aura circled above the city, each spaced less than a kilometer apart.

No matter which direction Xu Jin and the others attacked from, the other sixth-rank experts would arrive instantly.

Then they would encircle and annihilate.

Whoever charged in would first be bogged down by fourth- and fifth-rank aliens, then surrounded and wiped out by the sixth-ranks.

To deal with Xu Jin's group of five, they had deployed a full-scale army formation.

And the sixth-rank experts were not limited to these seven.

In the center of Fire Bull City, the Fire Bull King and a man clad in a blood-red robe stood high in the air, gazing far off at Xu Jin and the others.

As if daring them to attack.

"The Blood God Sect is like this. Their methods have always been extremely cautious—that's why they've endured for countless years," Dong Zhao said helplessly.

"It looks like we can't kill this Blood God Heir."

Tang Hui said, "Once we charge in, they'll use their fourth- and fifth-rank aliens to swamp us with numbers, then all nine sixth-ranks will join the fight within a single breath.

If we dare storm the city, we'll die for sure!"

"Not just storming—the moment we retreat, we'll have to be extremely careful. If they launch this formation against us as we withdraw, we won't be able to handle it well.

One misstep, and we'll suffer losses," Han Qing said gravely.

Xu Jin also frowned tightly.

Facing such a formation, they were truly powerless.

Even with over a dozen sixth-rank rune tablets, they dared not charge.

Because one wrong move, and they'd be instantly obliterated by concentrated ranged fire from the formation.

"Unless we can break their stable formation, we have no chance of victory.

If we have no good strategy to defeat them, we must retreat.

Later, take out the Star-Taking Token, and on our way out, kill a few aliens to gather some points before turning back," Dong Zhao said.

Before entering Golden Snake City, everyone had, under Dong Zhao's orders, surrendered their Star-Taking Tokens to him, stored in his Nirmāṇakāya space.

Because the Imperial Tutor had ordered strict control over points—points must be capped.

Absolutely no exceeding the limit.

But they were still short of the Imperial Tutor's minimum requirement of three thousand points, hence this suggestion.

After speaking, Dong Zhao's gaze turned to Xu Jin.

Xu Jin's weight within their squad had grown steadily.

Dong Zhao now consulted Xu Jin before making decisions.

"Wait a little longer. If we can't find an opening, we retreat—safety first," Xu Jin said.

The five slowly patrolled around Fire Bull City; the seven sixth-ranks above the city slowly shifted their positions, circling once, finding no breach.

The five had already begun to consider withdrawing.

Night had fallen; crimson clouds burned across the western sky, breathtakingly beautiful.

Suddenly, as Xu Jin turned, a thought struck him—an extremely bold plan.

If it succeeded, it would surely shatter Fire Bull City's formation.

As for risk, it seemed minimal to him.

Immediately, Xu Jin whispered his idea to Dong Zhao via voice transmission.

"It's feasible—but the risk is ten times greater than you think," Dong Zhao said.

"Master, I'm protected by the authority of this world's Heaven and Earth, and with nightfall, it'll be even easier. I believe the chance of success is still high.

Worst case, I can use a sixth-rank rune tablet to blast a path out."

"If you're truly confident, waiting another half-hour won't hurt. But Xu Jin, I must warn you seriously."

Here, Dong Zhao's expression turned grave. "Xu Jin, your cultivation path has only just begun.

As the saying goes, walk by the river often enough, you'll get your shoes wet.

And those who drown are always the ones who know how to swim.

Even if you say you're confident, if you keep taking risks, one failure could mean certain death.

In my view, you often don't need to take such risks.

An enemy you can't defeat today, you may defeat in a year.

If not in a year, then in ten years, you'll surely be able to slay him.

What's a decade to wait?

Unless absolutely necessary, don't take excessive risks," Dong Zhao said.

Xu Jin took Dong Zhao's words to heart—they were truly golden advice.

But he couldn't reveal his invisibility.

The identity of a Lingji remnant—whether borne by Xu Jin or even by the Grand Tutor Cheng Yuexiao—would be extremely dangerous.

"Thank you, Master, I'll remember."

"Since you're confident, we'll wait a little longer—act after nightfall, according to your plan.

Remember, if danger arises during the operation, safety must always come first.

Even if you burn through every rune tablet, you must break out," Dong Zhao warned.

"I understand."

In the center of Fire Bull City, the Blood God Heir, draped in a blood-red cloak, conversed with the Fire Bull King.

"Your wisdom is unmatched, Master. Merely setting up this formation has paralyzed these humans," the Fire Bull King flattered.

"It's nothing."

The Blood God Heir smiled faintly. "I've already gathered all sixth- and fifth-rank forces from other Fire Bull and Golden Snake cities, advancing five hundred li behind them.

When they grow stagnant, realize their hopelessness, and retreat, they'll encounter this elite ambush force.

Then, our city's fifth- and sixth-ranks will pursue and crush them—this will surely eliminate all five.

At that moment, Your Majesty, wielding the glory of slaying these living humans, will swiftly unify the scattered Golden Snake clan.

Later, perhaps even the chance to absorb the other two clans will arise, making you the true Sovereign of Lingwu," the Blood God Heir chuckled.

"Sovereign of Lingwu?"

The Fire Bull King's eyes gleamed with longing—it was his lifelong dream.

But despite his desire, he remained calm.

The next instant, he added, "If we ever absorb the Golden Snake clan, the greatest credit belongs to you, Master.

Without you, I'd never have such fortune.

These five easily breached Golden Snake City, yet now they hesitate before Fire Bull City—all thanks to you."

The Blood God Heir nodded with a smile. "Your Majesty, within an hour, the elite forces I summoned from other cities will arrive.

If they still haven't retreated after an hour, those forces can encircle them from behind.

Then we strike together.

Your Majesty, please wait."

"Thank you, Master."

As time passed, night fell completely, yet the sky above, illuminated by thousands of cultivators flying through the air, remained dazzlingly beautiful.

Dong Zhao's group began slowly retreating.

"Master, the rune tablets I gave you are ones I captured earlier—when you charge, use them without hesitation." "I know."

"Then I'm off."

Xu Jin waved his hand, activating the Sixth-Rank Soul Technique: Illusion. A duplicate of himself appeared on the spot, while the real Xu Jin vanished.

Under the protection of Heaven and Earth's authority and invisibility, Xu Jin vanished instantly and silently.

To avoid detection, he moved slowly across the ten-li distance, taking a full fifteen minutes to reach Fire Bull City's outskirts.

Though called a city, Fire Bull City was merely a crude wall built of massive stones.

Xu Jin didn't use star force—he relied solely on his physical strength, slipping silently over the wall while invisible.

Fifth- and fourth-rank Fire Bull warriors flew past him or overhead, none sensing any anomaly.

After entering the city, Xu Jin followed information extracted from prisoners to locate his target.

Half a minute later, his heart leapt—he found it.

Most didn't know about the city's treasury, but it wasn't a top-secret location.

After all, it was a vast complex.

The Fire Bull City treasury lay in the northern-central region, covering tens of thousands of square meters.

Invisible, Xu Jin used Dreaming to silently drag a fifth-rank beginner Fire Bull guard into a dream.

He then obtained the information he needed.

All the star jade tablets of Fire Bull City's treasury were stored in Warehouse No. 2.

Soon, Xu Jin found Warehouse No. 2.

Around Warehouse No. 2.

Thirteen guards.

One fifth-rank ninth layer, two fifth-rank mid-stage, twelve fourth-rank.

Xu Jin activated the Mingji Star Pattern and sensed: among the alien guards, only the fifth-rank had a Divine Soul cultivation base of Star Refining Realm; the others had not yet forged their Star.

This was simple.

The next instant, a faint ripple in his Divine Soul sent Wen Meng forth again.

The fifth-rank ninth layer guard captain inside the watchroom froze, then instantly fell into deep sleep.

This faint Divine Soul ripple would not wake anyone.

The reason was simple.

Fire Ox City was now a massive battlefield, everywhere filled with star force fluctuations from flying elites and probing Divine Soul waves.

A slight fluctuation like this was perfectly normal.

The fifth-rank mid-stage guard captain sitting nearby was startled—why had his head just dropped asleep?

But before he could react, Xu Jin activated Wen Meng again, and he too fell asleep.

One breath later, the fifth-rank mid-stage guard captain outside the door suddenly slumped against the wall, asleep.

This puzzled the fourth-rank guards; two of them hurried over to investigate.

Since they were merely leaning against the wall asleep—with no other anomalies—no one raised an alarm.

If guards fell asleep on duty, word of it would mean execution.

But in the next instant, Xu Jin moved—obstacles cleared.

His figure flashed into view; in the stunned moment of the fourth-rank guards, Xuanzi Heavenly Fire slammed into the warehouse door's sealing array.

The moment the door shattered, Xu Jin charged inside.

At that same instant, the sixth-rank and fifth-rank elites above Fire Ox City all turned toward the burst of star force.

"Worse! It's the warehouse!" the Fire Ox King roared in horror.

Blood God Son frowned.

How could anyone slip in silently?

Among current human cultivators in this star region, even the most advanced stealth star art could not achieve silent infiltration.

"Save the warehouse!" the Fire Ox King bellowed, dashing toward the warehouse first; simultaneously, the three sixth-ranks near the warehouse and two fifth-rank squads rushed toward it at his roar.

As he burst in—Fire Rain Art!

Xu Jin deliberately controlled the power, using a fifth-rank-or-lower Fire Source Star Pattern to cast Fire Rain Art.

Instantly, fire rain materialized in midair and rained down upon the mountainous piles of Star Jade Tablets.

Earlier, Xu Jin had seen Mountain Chief Dong Zhao obliterate the Golden Snake City warehouse's Star Jade Tablets with a single strike—he'd conceived the idea.

But before acting, he'd specifically asked Mountain Chief Dong Zhao.

He learned that triggering Star Jade Tablets was a precise art.

It required a Fire Star Art—too much power and the tablets would be destroyed outright.

Too little power and it wouldn't work.

It also had to be a wide-area Fire Star Art to detonate them all at once.

Xu Jin now executed it exactly as Dong Zhao had instructed.

The next instant, countless Star Jade Tablets inside the warehouse exploded; under the impact of Xu Jin's Fire Star Force, a staggering, chaotic torrent of star force erupted in a terrifying wave.

Blood God Son's brow tightened; after a single stunned moment, he suddenly realized.

"No! Retreat!"

At that same instant, having completed his objective, Xu Jin's Thunder Wings materialized behind him and he vanished at once.

At that very moment, the three sixth-ranks and two fifth-rank squads of the Fire Ox Clan arrived above the warehouse.

The terrifying wave exploded in that same instant!

BOOM!

A brilliant star-force mushroom cloud erupted from the center of the Fire Ox City warehouse.

Xu Jin had only fled four hundred meters when a monstrous force slammed into his back.

The Fish Curtain Golden Bell flickered violently and shattered instantly; Xu Jin used the shockwave to surge another two hundred meters, then pressed himself against the ground.

Turning back, he saw a scene he would never forget.

A massive, fire-lit star-cloud mushroom rose from the direction of the Fire Ox City warehouse.

Its radius exceeded one kilometer.

But the most terrifying zone was within three hundred meters.

There, three sixth-rank aliens and two fifth-rank squads had just rushed in.

Within one kilometer, at least five sixth-rank aliens and over a thousand fifth- and fourth-rank aliens were present.

Within three hundred meters of the warehouse, everything turned to ash.

Whether buildings, sixth-rank elites, or fifth-rank aliens—all vanished in an instant.

After all, the warehouse held hundreds of thousands of third-rank Star Jade Tablets, several thousand fourth-rank, and no shortage of fifth-rank.

Between three hundred and five hundred meters, sixth-ranks were wounded and fled; fifth-ranks were severely injured; fourth-ranks and common aliens were instantly reduced to ash!

The shockwave reached beyond one kilometer, but beyond five hundred meters, its power weakened considerably.

Yet this single blast shattered the entire Fire Ox City's military formation.

Dust choked the sky; flames roared heavenward.

Instantly, Fire Ox City descended into chaos.

Not only fourth- and fifth-ranks panicked—sixth-ranks and even the Fire Ox King were terrified.

In an instant, all order vanished.

Outside the city, Dong Zhao, Liu Qingzhu, Han Qing, and Tang Hui stared in stunned silence.

"This kid actually pulled it off!"

"Go! Now's the time to strike!" The next instant, Dong Zhao led the charge, clutching a sixth-rank rune tablet, and the four of them shot skyward as streaks of light, heading for Fire Dragon City!

Target: the nearest sixth-rank.

First, slay the sixth-ranks!

Amid the chaos, no one noticed Xu Jin.

At that same instant, having witnessed the brilliant spectacle, Xu Jin vanished from his spot.

While they're in chaos, take their lives!

(End of Chapter)