Liu Xing took several steps and stood at the edge of the tower, positioning himself where he could safely survey his surroundings. From his vantage point, he could see the remains of the City of Suns spread before him. Mutilated and charred corpses littered the city, with blood staining nearly every corner.
"We've likely missed some abominations," the prince said, "but I believe we've successfully culled their numbers. We've won."
Liu Xing smiled at those words, noting how the Yang clan members around him straightened with pride, chests puffing out. This was indeed a victory. While the underlying threat remained, the massive number of abominations they'd eliminated would certainly create problems for Yang Lihuo and Wei Yi. This might buy them the time they needed to await reinforcements from the Purple Moon Sect.
"Has there been any word from Elder Yang Zhaoyan while I was breaking through?" Liu Xing asked.
"We've had no contact, but that's not concerning. He said he would reach out if there were any problems." The prince pulled a small blue orb from within his inner robe as he spoke. Though smaller than the communication orb Wang Lin had brought to the Yang clan, its purpose was unmistakable.
"What's our next move?" A woman stepped toward the prince. Liu Xing recognized her as one of the prince's retainers. "Should we withdraw?"
The prince pinched his chin, assessing his clan members. While some bore wounds—like the man with a goatee sporting a long gash on his arm—most remained in fighting condition.
Liu Xing is actually neutral about what they would do next. He has accomplished his goal of eliminating at least five hundred abominations, and since he successfully broke through to the Core Splitting realm, he is in top condition. Still, it's up to the prince, because continuing the culling is a risk not only for him, but also for the rest of the clan members.
Turning toward the castle, the prince spoke carefully. "I want to press forward and confront Lihuo. But that would be unwise. Even though we have eliminated most of the abominations, the truly powerful ones—those at the Sun Refining realm—have yet to show themselves."
They'd faced the Wu clan, the Hei clan, the army, and their generals—all at the Core Splitting realm. But where were the stronger ones? They were probably waiting in the castle.
"We'll retreat," the prince declared. "We'll fall back, tend our wounds, and prepare for the next culling."
"Yes!" The clan members replied in unison, with Liu Xing nodding in agreement.
This would not be their last culling. Although this raid had exceeded their original plans, it was only the first phase. They had been lucky enough to avoid a confrontation with the Sun Refining abominations, but the next time would be different. When that time came, Liu Xing would need the support of Elder Yang Zhaoyan.
After confirming all clan members had survived, the prince led them down the main tower, using the smaller towers as stairs. Once on the ground, they began their retreat, with the prince in the lead, Liu Xing on his right, and the woman on his left.
They'd barely covered a hundred meter when they felt qi presence so strong and ominous it felt like an old monster had fixed its gaze upon them. Liu Xing's eyes widened and his heart began hammering in his chest like a prisoner desperately trying to break free of its cage. What is this?
The prince halted abruptly, Liu Xing and the others following suit. Standing amidst the half-collapsed buildings, they all turned westward, toward the source of the qi pressure.
Black shadows writhed across both ground and sky, accompanied by a sound like thousands of buzzing bees.
Liu Xing channeled qi to enhance his vision, bringing the shadows several kilometers away into focus. His blood ran cold as he realized that they were thousands of abominations he knew all too well.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The snake-limbed abominations displayed an unsettling array of expressions. Some smiled contentedly, others wore psychotic grins, and others cackled madly. Yet more showed sadness, anger, and every emotion imaginable. Their snake limbs came in every color—yellow, brown, black, blue, green, and even rainbow-hued snakes. Each wore different accessories around their necks, from chains to cloth to rope, even what appeared to be floating mercury.
Above them, the winged pink worms buzzed like worker bees, their human faces each clutching a basketball-sized meatball in their mouths.
Seeing this is like seeing his nightmare come true. Wang Lin said that there were dozens of those abominations that attacked the Wang clan, and he imagined that there were at least hundreds of them. But to think that they are already divided into thousands of abominations. Their numbers are too great!
Liu Xing forced himself to calm down and assess the situation with a clear head. Although this third army surpassed the second in strength, it was not invincible. Not all of them had the presence of the abomination that had unleashed the Tiger Punch that had nearly killed him. Even though they were formidable, with Elder Yang Zhaoyan's help to defeat one, he could use its core to eliminate the rest.
"Move out," Prince Yang Jinyan commanded, "but suppress your cultivation and proceed with caution. They don't appear to be heading our way."
Upon closer observation, Liu Xing noticed the third army was indeed moving toward the castle, their pace steady but unhurried.
Liu Xing suppressed his cultivation—an old trick he'd learned to hide from bullies, one he'd rarely used since acquiring the gun that could thin his presence and render him invisible.
Their group moved cautiously, using rubble as cover while advancing as quickly as they dared. After about ten minutes, they reached the city's edge, where houses and stores still stood intact, with charred abomination corpses scattered across the streets and flower hills nearby.
In roughly three minutes, they would be clear of the City of Suns and able to make a dash for the Yang clan compound.
But as they crept along the city's periphery, a massive qi pressure descended upon them. The air seemed to solidify, weighing down on their shoulders like tons of steel. Liu Xing's head snapped around to see the golden castle suddenly surrounded by orange light. This radiance condensed into a single point atop the castle before erupting skyward in a brilliant tower.
The orange tower appeared to strike an invisible barrier high above, causing the sky over the City of Suns to pulse with orange light. The illumination spread outward, curving around the city's edges to form an enormous dome, effectively imprisoning everything within.
Beside him, the prince's jaw dropped, his eyes wide with horror. Liu Xing immediately recognized what they were witnessing.
"I-it's the Royal Barrier!" the prince exclaimed, his voice trembling.
Liu Xing's heart hammered against his ribs like a desperate man pounding on a doctor's door in the dead of night. His stomach churned as anxiety coursed through him. This was catastrophically bad. Their calculations had been wrong—the ritual wasn't scheduled for days, it was happening now!
Taking a deep breath, Liu Xing forced himself to think clearly. Their situation was dire. The sacrifice ritual beginning today meant everyone inside the barrier would become potential sacrifices. Yet, he realized, being outside would be even worse—they'd be powerless to stop what was coming. Being trapped inside with the prince and the Yang clan members at least meant they could act.
Liu Xing glanced at the third army and clenched his fists.
"Prince, contact Elder Yang Zhaoyan. We need to know his location immediately," Liu Xing said.
The prince snapped out of his shock and activated his communication orb. The orb glowed briefly, and a click indicated connection—but instead of Elder Yang Zhaoyan's steady voice, they heard laughter. Liu Xing had never heard the elder laugh, but he knew it wouldn't sound like this.
"Did you make a mistake, Prince? Did you activate the wrong communication orb?"
Prince Yang Jinyan's face had gone pale, and at Liu Xing's question, he snapped, "Of course not! Do you think I'm clumsy? This orb is connected directly to Elder Yang Zhao Yan!"
"Then why isn't it him answering?" Liu Xing's voice rose with his mounting tension. He addressed the orb directly: "Who are you?"
"Surely you know me. My name is Yang Lihuo, the rightful heir of the Twelve Sun Empire!"
Liu Xing turned to Prince Yang Jinyan, who gripped the communication orb so tightly his arm veins bulged.
"Lihuo, you bastard!" Raw fury filled the prince's voice. "How dare you make such ridiculous claims? The rightful heir of the Twelve Sun Empire? Nonsense! Can you see from your castle? Our capital lies in ruins! What kind of rightful heir willingly destroys his home? You're nothing but a foolish bastard who needs to be put down!"
"Don't insult me, you useless older brother. My plans are beyond your comprehension. Yes, the capital is ruined, but the Twelve Sun Empire won't merely rise from its ashes to rival the Purple Moon Sect. No, under my reign, the Twelve Sun Empire will grind the Purple Moon Sect to dust!"