Chapter 168 - Disaster in the East (End)

Chapter 168: Chapter 161: Disaster in the East (End)The three Grand Priests withdrew from the front line of the battlefield, and within just one day’s time, under the leadership of Ice Snow Shrine’s Xue Mei and Lai Li, the imperial army advanced like a hot knife through butter, forcing the Gold Family to suffer repeated defeats.

Facing the empire’s offensive, the Gold Family, together with the Silver White, Feng Xi, and Chi Lan, finally managed to stabilize the front. But then, calamitous news swept over the whole Swanflower Plane from East Look Mountain, plunging the region into turmoil once more.

The three Grand Priests had been ordered to slay the East Look blood beast, and to date, there had been no word from them. Judging by the traces left on East Look Mountain, the three Grand Priests must have perished alongside the blood beast.

"All three Grand Priests are dead?!" The chief elder of the Gold Family turned ashen, nearly fainting. With one less of them, they could still maneuver as the other three great families also had strong members who could be called upon for support. Although not as powerful as Master Fierce Fire, there’s strength in numbers.

Now, with all three gone, no amount of Third Transition powerhouses could make up for the loss of peak combat strength.

"East Look Mountain, East Look Mountain!" The chief elder was slamming the table and throwing his chair in frustration. Any news from East Look Mountain was never good.

It wasn’t just bad; it was a disaster!

The events at East Look Mountain were a turning point in the Swanflower Plane battle. Later, it would be known to the inhabitants as the East Look Calamity. The thousand miles incinerated by Master Fierce Fire, where not a single blade of grass grew, would become a special symbolic site in Swanflower’s future.

Although the defeat of the Gold Family was inevitable, they would not simply accept their fate.

The arriving Feng Xi and Chi Lan families were not willing to surrender without a fight either. Drawing upon the resources of these two powerful families, they temporarily helped the Gold Family stabilize the situation, but prospects for hope were bleak.

Unless...

"Unless I am willing to help," Hua En reclined on the sofa of the secret chamber, sipping the tea served by Fark You.

"Hehe, it all depends on you, Family Head Hua En," Fark You had always been courting the Silver White Family, and Hua En, too, was trying to gain greater benefits from Fark You’s hands.

During this period, Fark You, as the Clan Leader of the Gold Family, had not ceased to trip up the Council of Elders. It can be said that thirty percent of the current situation in Swanflower was created by his own hands.

"Brother Fark You," Hua En put down his teacup, "If I help you take control of the family, what are the benefits for my Silver White Family? The imperial army is pressing in, and internal strife will only hasten our demise."

"In fact, we have come to the point where we have lost the possibility of confronting the Sacred Empire, haven’t we?" Fark You had been living in the family by skirting the edges, and the dignity of many high-ranking nobles had long vanished in his presence. Surrendering to the empire was not beyond his actions.

"Oh? Are you suggesting we surrender?" The Silver White Family responded without surprise. Indeed, even if Fark You wrested control from the Council of Elders, possession of a family he couldn’t defend meant power in name only.

"Yes, we can put all the blame on the Council of Elders, and inside the empire, I have a contact who can lobby for us," Fark You said gravely. "As long as we are willing to surrender, we can definitely preserve the last drop of our family’s bloodline. A future comeback is not impossible!"

Hua En was somewhat tempted. But a comeback after betrayal was extremely difficult. Once the Sacred Empire accepted their surrender, control and oppression over them would definitely rise to a limit, never allowing them to grow and expand.

Fark You, of course, knew Hua En’s concerns and continued, "Let me give you an insider tip, Family Head Hua. My contact in the empire is a high-ranking member of the Eagle Alliance."

"The Eagle Alliance?!" Hua En was faintly surprised. The Eagle Alliance was an alliance of major powers spanning eight thousand planes. Strictly speaking, they were not the affiliates of the Sacred Empire, but its allies.

The world was vast, and after centuries or millennia of conquest, the empire’s reach was still minuscule. At the far eastern edge of the imperial conquest star region lay the Eagle Alliance, their power in no way inferior to the Holy Divine Empire, and in recent years, they even showed signs of surpassing it.

If Fark You could get a high-ranking member of the Eagle Alliance to help, the empire would have to give face.

Besides, apart from a few primary planes where the Eagle Alliance was stable, the others were often prone to war. In such turbulent times, it wasn’t hard to grow a family, as long as the Silver White Family was willing to go with this rotund man to the Eagle Alliance.

"Brother Fark You, you should’ve said so earlier!" Hua En sat upright, showing much more respect for Fark You: "As the Clan Leader of the Gold Family, Brother Fark You has toiled for the welfare of the family. I, Hua En, have great admiration for you. I will fully cooperate to help you grasp the reins of power and lead us towards dawn!"

"Ha ha ha!" Fark You laughed heartily. Hua En stood up, poured two glasses of red wine, and handed one to him: "Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Clink~

While Fark You and Hua En delighted in their conspiracy, on the other side of the Gold City, Nightingale stared coldly at Piao Miao.

"Tell me, what exactly happened at East Look Mountain?" Nightingale demanded: "What did you do to Tu Kul?"

After drinking a glass of red wine, Piao Miao’s cheeks flushed a light red as he smiled at Nightingale: "Haven’t I already told you everything in the letter? What, you don’t believe it?"

"I don’t believe it!" Nightingale was blunt: "The three Grand Priests and the blood beast that Tu Kul transformed into perishing together, do you think that’s possible?"

"Of course, you don’t know how formidable the Blood Beast that Lord Tukur has transformed into really is," someone lamented with regret. "It’s just that such a transformation is irreversible. After he killed the three great Offerings, he also exhausted his life force. What a pity! What a loss of a genius!"

"Piao Miao!" Nightingale’s tone was as cold as ten-thousand-year-old frost, "You better not let me find out you had a hand in this, or I will ensure you die a gruesome death!"

Faced with Nightingale’s warning, Piao Miao put down his wine glass, his tone slightly displeased, "If you have no business here, then leave quickly. After all, this is still the territory of the Golden Family, and with the recent contraction of military forces, many masters are stationed in the Golden City. If you get discovered and trapped here, I won’t be able to save you."

"Hmph!" A gust of wind blew, scattering Nightingale’s form until she vanished without a trace.

After Nightingale left, Piao Miao, not feeling entirely secure, used his Divine Sense to scan the area again to confirm safety before he clandestinely entered the underground laboratory.

The bloodline of the Lionheart extracted from Lu Hong’s body was enshrined on a high platform. Piao Miao approached with a smile, cautious and excited, "Once I’ve deciphered the marvels of this bloodline, I’ll surely uncover the secrets of the Lionheart God. Then, who in the world will be able to stand in my way!"

Lai Li set aside her hefty military duties and took the nutritious meal prepared by the guards, entering Nono’s dwelling and gently asked, "Feeling better?"

Nono had finally awakened three days prior, but her body was still extremely weak. Seeing Lai Li, she managed a weak smile, "Much better now, thanks to your help over these days. Thank you!"

"Don’t mention it. Drink it while it’s hot," said Lai Li, carefully feeding Nono the medicinal meal spoon by spoon.

"I wonder how Tukur is doing now?" Nono spoke softly after finishing her meal, "The troubles in the wilderness must be settled by now, right?"

Lai Li’s expression stiffened slightly; Piao Miao’s intelligence reports came in two versions, one of which had reached Nightingale, and the other naturally fell into Lai Li’s hands.

Lai Li knew that everything that happened on East Look Mountain was Lu Hong’s doing; however, she dared not tell Nono. Nono had just awakened, and knowing the news of Lu Hong’s sacrifice could cause her to collapse into unconsciousness again from the shock.

"He... should be returning from the wilderness soon. I believe you will be able to meet him once this war is over."

"Thank you!" Nono’s face gained a bit more color with Lai Li’s comforting words. After chatting for a few more moments, Lai Li got up to leave. As she stepped out the door, a cold draft made her glance sideways.

Xue Mei of the Ice Snow Shrine was leaning against the door, "Shall we take a walk?"

"Sure!"

The two most powerful women of the Empire’s military strolled through a city full of ruins, both silent.

After a while, Xue Mei asked, "What exactly happened on East Look Mountain?"

Xue Mei had gone alone to support Nono, not bringing any forces with her, thus she was in the dark regarding intelligence. The events of East Look Mountain had spread rapidly and had caught her interest.

"That was Nono’s lover." Lai Li had no reservations with Xue Mei, and shared the truth, "He is called Tukur. Upon learning that Nono was trapped in the Swamp of Yuanyuan flowers, he had come to help. But there was a malfunction during the teleportation, and he fell into the territory of the Golden Family. Then, he continuously sabotaged the Golden Family from the inside, relieving the pressure on the front lines."

"No wonder there was a period when the Golden Family was surprisingly well-behaved," Xue Mei nodded, lining it up with the Golden Family’s recent behavior.

"The incident at East Look Mountain was also his doing. With his own power, he eradicated nearly one hundred and seventy thousand elite troops and the three great Offerings."

"Truly all by himself?" Xue Mei was incredulous, "Even Fire Master almost reached the strength of a Tower Master, and not even I can manage to get the better of him."

"Yes," affirmed Lai Li, "He had the capability, and the three great Offerings indeed all perished."

"I never imagined little Nono had such an impressive boyfriend; I must meet him someday." After Lai Li’s affirmation, Xue Mei couldn’t help but yearn to meet such a legendary figure.

"I’m afraid that won’t be possible," Lai Li said, forcing a smile, "After killing the three great Offerings, he too lost his life, dying on East Look Mountain."

The sudden bad news left Xue Mei somewhat silent, "Does Nono know?"

"I haven’t dared to tell her."

Xue Mei sighed softly, then said, "Tell her. As someone who will assume the position of queen, she must learn to be strong."

Lai Li turned to look at Xue Mei.

A long time passed.

She nodded.

"Okay."