Lin Xiao returned to the small wooden hut in the Back Mountain.
It was a secluded place, rarely visited by others.
"If I want to protect the Azure Light Sect, I must either strike fear into the royal family so they dare not attack, or completely suppress them!"
Lin Xiao thought to himself.
He didn't believe that repelling the Blazing Flame Army this time would make the royal family back off and leave the Azure Light Sect alone.
Therefore, he needed to continue enhancing his strength.
Subsequently, Lin Xiao re-entered the Creation Space to elevate his cultivation and power.
...
As dawn broke.
Thousands of Blazing Flame Army soldiers, exhausted and disheveled, stood before a golden carriage surrounded by dozens of Imperial Palace Guards clad in golden armor.
An elderly man in a white robe, tall and imposing, stood on the carriage with a face as dark as water, surveying the defeated Blazing Flame Army.
"Your Highness Prince Ning, the army has scattered, and we have no idea where the others have fled."
"The formidable expert from the Azure Light Sect was terrifying. Prince Zhennan, the Three Commanders, General Wu, and Chief Steward Xue were all slain by him. Our Blazing Flame Army suffered heavy casualties."
"We failed in battle, and we await your judgment, Your Highness!"
A commandant, tears streaming down his face, knelt before the carriage.
All the other soldiers followed suit, kneeling on the ground.
With Prince Ning's arrival, their hearts found some solace.
Prince Ning, the Imperial Uncle, had been renowned across the world fifty years ago and had been in seclusion for many years. No one expected him to emerge personally this time.
Prince Ning's face was ashen as he gazed towards the direction of the Azure Light Sect.
He had originally planned to head directly to the Azure Light Sect to lead the Blazing Flame Army in its destruction.
Unexpectedly, before he even arrived, the Blazing Flame Army had already been defeated.
"Do you know who that formidable expert from the Azure Light Sect is? What exactly is his cultivation level?"
Prince Ning inquired.
To know the enemy is to ensure victory in a hundred battles.
Currently, he knew nothing about his opponent.
"Your Highness, it seems that person is at the Spirit Transformation Realm 3rd Layer, but his strength clearly surpasses that level!"
The commandant replied.
Prince Ning nodded, pondering for a moment before saying, "Hear my command: gather all the scattered soldiers and regroup in the nearby Tianyue City!"
"Yes!"
"We'll head to Tianyue City first!"
Prince Ning entered the carriage, giving orders to the accompanying guards.
In the following days, Prince Ning waited in Tianyue City for the Blazing Flame Army to regroup.
Once a sufficient force was gathered, they would attack the Azure Light Sect.
The mysterious expert from the Azure Light Sect, single-handedly battling an army of a hundred thousand, slaying the Three Commanders, and causing the Blazing Flame Army to collapse.
These reports shook the entire Kingdom Chu, leaving countless factions and individuals in shock.
Who exactly was this formidable expert from the Azure Light Sect?
This question lingered in everyone's minds.
Many factions were secretly investigating, but they found no leads, as even the people of the Azure Light Sect were unaware.
Simultaneously, news of the Imperial Uncle Prince Ning's presence in Tianyue City to regroup the Blazing Flame Army also spread rapidly.
The eyes of the entire Kingdom Chu turned towards Tianyue City.
...
"Prince Ning has arrived!"
Within the Azure Light Sect, Lin Xiao frowned slightly.
For the past few days, he had been training in the Creation Space, breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm 4th Level, with his True Essence becoming more robust and his strength greatly enhanced.
Today, he quietly left the Back Mountain to observe the situation at the Azure Light Sect and overheard two Inner Disciples discussing in the distance.
"I wonder what cultivation level Prince Ning possesses?"
Lin Xiao pondered.
After some thought, he decided he should take the initiative rather than wait passively for the army to attack the mountain, which would result in countless deaths.
He would not allow anyone to harm the Azure Light Sect.
He believed that with his current cultivation level, even if he couldn't defeat Prince Ning, he could certainly escape with his speed.
Thus, Lin Xiao quietly left the Azure Light Sect from the Back Mountain.
He made his way towards Tianyue City.
Two hours later, he arrived at Tianyue City.
The city gates were heavily guarded, with strict inspections.
Lin Xiao used the Breath Concealment Art to hide his cultivation at the Qi Condensation Realm 3rd Level, easily passing the inspection and entering Tianyue City.
After gathering information from various sources, Lin Xiao confirmed that Prince Ning was staying at the City Lord's Manor.
As night fell.
Lin Xiao donned a mask and approached the City Lord's Manor.
With a leap, he vaulted over the wall and landed inside the manor.
The City Lord's Manor was heavily guarded, with sentries every few steps and patrols constantly moving.
Fortunately, the cover of night and Lin Xiao's ghostly movements made it difficult for the average guard to detect him.
However, the manor was vast, and finding Prince Ning wouldn't be easy.
Swish!
Lin Xiao grabbed a passing maidservant by the neck, dragging her to a corner. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
"Tell me, which room is Prince Ning in, or I'll kill you!"
Lin Xiao threatened softly.
"In... in the back courtyard... the left wing room!"
The maidservant, terrified out of her wits, could only whisper due to her throat being constricted.
"Thank you!"
Lin Xiao knocked her out with a slap to the back of her head.
After gently laying her down, he made his way to the back courtyard.
Soon, he found the left wing room in the back courtyard.
At this moment, the room was still lit by candlelight.
Lin Xiao carefully suppressed his aura and slowly approached the wing room, hearing voices from within.
"Your Highness Prince Ning, we've gathered forty thousand soldiers so far. It will take some time to regroup all the scattered troops."
"Additionally, we've been secretly monitoring the Azure Light Sect, and none of their people have fled."
"As for the mysterious expert from the Azure Light Sect, we haven't been able to uncover his identity."
A respectful voice came from within, likely belonging to a Blazing Flame Army officer.
After a moment, another voice, deep and tinged with age, spoke: "Then we won't wait. Tomorrow, I will lead forty thousand Blazing Flame Army soldiers to completely annihilate the Azure Light Sect."
"Yes!"
"Dismissed!"
Afterward, the door opened, and a commandant in Blazing Flame Army armor exited.
Once the commandant left, Lin Xiao didn't act immediately, instead hiding in a shadowed corner, silently waiting.
As the night deepened.
Lin Xiao sensed Prince Ning's breathing in the room becoming long and steady.
This indicated that the other party was either asleep or in deep cultivation.
Lin Xiao made his move.
He burst into the room, his battle saber slashing out violently.
Gale Saber Art—Gale Afterimage.
In an instant, saber shadows filled the air, a terrifying saber aura shooting forth with the myriad saber shadows, aiming directly at the figure on the bed.
At that moment, Prince Ning was sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed in cultivation.
He had not anticipated an assassination attempt.
In an instant, his entire body was covered in cold sweat, eyes snapping open as the saber aura reached him.
"Who?"
Prince Ning shouted, unable to defend in time.
In a flash, he could only twist his body desperately, trying to evade the strike.