Sensing Tang Chao's attention turned away from him, and the other soon-to-be victims of his third spell wave, Bai Qi couldn't help but act.
Even in the midst of numerous, even if unknown to him, onlookers, Bai Qi's strategic mind was at work, keeping his mind power at a semi-peaked 15th level, something unheard of for a Warrior Lord but not as shocking as his full power.
*Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Swoosh*
His hands danced wildly in many seals as Bai Qi began to release spell after spell, each meant to counter one of Tang Chao's ones. Or at least delay them, as Bai Qi, no matter how clueless he was to outside eyes, still acted for the ones inside to see, and so, not only did Bai Qi limit himself to pretty basic 1st-level spells, most of them, naturally learned, but he even failed some signs and entirely botched two spells.
And while it was a somewhat crass way to force higher-ups to act, he had no other way, lest he exposed all of his trump cards!
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As soon as Bai Qi acted, Tang Chao's attention immediately turned towards the latter, forgetting about Dongpo Liao just like that.
From all of the information on Bai Qi gathered by the [Dongpo] clan's spies, merchants, and forces, to which Minister Tang had always been privy, Bai Qi had never shown any talent for spells; all of his battles won by pure martial prowess. And so, while it did generate some interest in him, especially the type of spells that Bai Qi was casting, he still felt that the latter wouldn't even be able to cast and send all of them before the pretty slow but powerful nine-spell barrage consisting of an equal number of [Roc's Thunderbolt]'s, [Glacial Spike]'s, and [Shattering Crush]'s reached him and the other survivors.
Seeing that even when failing the cast of two, Bai Qi managed to force through and cast and send five spells in the span of just two breaths, which was about the time required for the first of the barrage to reach the closest of the group, Lei Guiying, Tang Chao couldn't help but be impressed. And he would be more, as he felt the strength behind the spells, revealing a power not far from his own!
But while very interested in the result of Bai Qi's 1st-level spells facing his 2nd-level ones, as even such a mismatch could net him some information to advance his mind power path, he wouldn't have such an opportunity, as eight beings far above his cultivation suddenly appeared from thin air, or at least it would be so if one didn't know about the [Void], the preferred movement method of any cultivator of the Warrior King realm and beyond.
And as he was so well prepared, how could he miss the fact that the eight Warrior Kings appeared without creating any previous ripple, at least one that the so-called Minister would notice, now with all of his senses merged into the four-flag formation and expanding more and more since he infused all but the most precious of his resources into it?!
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Even if Bai Qi were aware of the Warrior Kings' reinforcements appearing just a moment after he sent his barrage of spells, he would have done the same. After all, he couldn't risk the life of Gao Xiulan, Lei Guiying, Pan Tong, or even Dongpo Dayang, as while the first three were essential to him as allies for his future, or at least for his current situation, even Dongpo Dayang or the two survivors from the attackers could help him create both a name and reputation, his first step towards his newest plan of building a power in this plane as to support his future endeavors!
With nine 2nd-level spells in the 3rd wave, but all slow enough, he could have used his mind power to the fullest while burning up both soul and qi, or even blood if required, as to respond in kind, sending nine similar-power spells as to counter them, but he didn't.
After all, he would reveal simply too much about himself by doing so.
Thus, he decided to go another way, to reveal some very-high talent in mind power, keep everything else hidden, and shoot some lesser-level spells to combat the killing release from Tang Chao, to a reasonable extent, as he still purposedly failed two of his seven spells and weakened a third, leaving not only himself and one of the attackers, as planned, but also Gao Xiulan, who had already used her protective treasure under danger! And while the latter's one wasn't deadly, as Bai Qi wouldn't risk an asset if he could avoid it, it should have been enough for all of her protectors to act!
***
What would be his surprise when, a moment after he released his five successful spells, eight Warrior Kings appeared right by the barrier, as if they had always been there, and assaulted it, destroying the four flags and reinforcing to the utmost formation as if they were not even there?!
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With orders sent, if one could say so for some, the Emperors would finally relax. It would take a few breaths for the lower-realm Warrior Kings to break from the concealed [Void] depth they had used, but everything would be solved as soon as they arrived.
Or if not for the mix of spells being simply too problematic.
The [Roc's Thunderbolt] was a piercing spell meant to pierce through any defense below its power and, if not killing outright, at least momentarily paralyze the opponent for following-up attacks.
The [Glacial Spike] was also a piercing spell with the same effect against defenses below its level. Still, it would freeze the target's body, blood, and even qi, at least if the latter could not counteract the forceful infusion of ice-element yin, leaving the latter as a fully opened target if they could not defend. And the time of the opening could be for over a dozen breaths if the receiver had no way to counteract the artificial effect of coldness created by the spell!
As for the [Shattering Crush] used by Tang Chao, it was an even more difficult spell to deal with. While its overall force was crushing and could be countered with a defensive spell or treasure with absolute ease if the target had neither, or the latter's mind power couldn't sustain the caster's one, their minds would be thoroughly crushed, as if a mountain fell upon an ordinary creature. Leaving the latter undefended and destroying the target's mind, leaving even an able cultivator as nothing but a somewhat more resilient decoration!
While the inheritors of the three powers involved in this, the [Dongpo], having none at the moment, only them had protective treasures specially prepared against mind power attacks. Even so, only the [White Grove] Lei Guying counted with one that could be used multiple times. As for Gao Xiulan and Pan Tong, who but their guardian Emperors would not know they were single-use ones?! And to make matters worse, it was both of the latter, the ones that had been forced to use them by now!
***
Lofty as Emperors usually were, by this moment, both Gao Zhuli and the [Pan Trade Company] Guardian Emperor couldn't help but inwardly urge the Warrior Kings sent just a moment before.
All of the existing hells, to be damned, even Lei Qiang felt like urging his two technically subordinate rebellious Warrior Kings. After all, Lei Guying, even if from a side of their immediate family, was the one currently named as an heir of the sect, and so, no matter how many uses his protective treasure had, being the first in the path of the wave, the so-renowned Emperor couldn't help but swear! Indeed, if the one assigned to him as a ward, and the one to be groomed to be the inheritor of the [White Grove] sect, died during his watch, what the hells he could say when dragged towards the [Ninety-Nine Swords of Judgement] platform?!
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Each sword attacking him would represent the gravity of the sin committed, and it wouldn't be a wonder that an heir's death would represent a grave sin, far above the 20 swords he could resist. Wouldn't it be him being dragged to death?!
***
Of the four Emperors, only Dongpo Ao maintained a semblance of clarity and tried to keep the situation under control. While Dongpo Dayang had suddenly proven to be an asset far above the other Warrior Lords in his clan, he had no qualms about ignoring her, his commands being aimed at saving Bai Qi and the heirs, the relationships with his new alliances far more critical than even a decent Warrior Lord, even if it was one of which the clan was short off, his grandson turning to be an absolute trash.
While he tried to calm the situation with some words about the heirs and Bai Qi being not weak, and Bai Qi constantly supplied them with info on how to counteract spells, at least the previous two waves, he found it insufficient.
After all, Gao Zhuli was not only the guardian emperor of Gao Xiulan but also her mother, which made her more prompt to act, even to the disadvantage of the overall plan of examining the performance of the heirs or, most importantly, Bai Qi.
But when Dongpo Ao felt that the consort of the [Yuxuan] city leader would act, Bai Qi acted, giving him a reason to shout out and stop the only female Empress present. "Look! He is facing the mind power of the traitor!" Obviously, as the so-called host, he couldn't even mention Tang Chao's name without saying traitor, and so, he decided to call the latter such, as, after all, the so-called Minister would be dead no matter what.
And if the others didn't kill him, Dongpo Ao would do it himself. After all, how could he not have learned about the so-respected advisor's shenanigans when his intelligence net was enough to gather info about Bai Qi's deeds in a place so far from interacting with any other power as the [Void Palace], especially after the siege incident?!
***
"What a great mind power!" Forgetting all of his qualms about being assigned as a guard to the young inheritor and having the mission to recruit some young upstart, Lei Qiang couldn't but exclaim. He would even forget the punishment for Lei Guying's death that he had just contemplated as he continued his compliment, "With a strong base as a weapon path cultivator, he is also a great mind saint candidate!"
"A nearly peaked 15th-level! He could even fight some of us present if he were given enough time!" With the successor seat already being transparent and her knowing what her usually proud daughter thought about the so-called genius rogue, Gao Zhuli's attention also deviated towards Bai Qi's actions, as she found him more and more likable as a spouse to her daughter, a princess of the [Yuxuan] city. After all, if such a youngster was given enough resources, wouldn't he be able to reach the Warrior Emperor realm while being in the younger generation among the Warrior Kings? With less than 18 now, how could he fail to reach that level, with such a talent, in some 50 years?!
***
Even Hai Long's concentration was swayed away from his ward, Pan Tong, as he considered the fact that the young lord he was forced to serve because of a debt of the [Hai Great Family], one of the overlords in the [Ten-Families] region, was so bright, and lucky to some extent, to know such a guy. Or to actually be his friend!
Little did the previous [Punishment Hall] head of the [Hai Family] know, as in reality, Pan Tong and Bai Qi had only met after the incident outside the [Jade Inscription] city. All of this was part of Pan Tong's plan to recruit a supporter who was worth himself, one who could help him to the top during the several martial tests to come after he completed his trade pilgrimage.
*
But he knew that with the [Punishment Hall] requiring more and more resources to hunt all of the [Hai]'s dissidents and the clan's policies provoking even their closest subordinates to rebel, he had no choice, at that moment, but to accept forced servitude towards Pan Tong until the latter reached the Warrior Emperor realm, lest their entire family be stripped of everything they owned.
The [Phoenix Family Hall], where all of the [Hai] blood inheritors sat, had always grabbed and used most of the loaned resources meant to hunt traitors. And so, at some point, where the debt was practically impossible to repay with the spare change that the extravagant [Hall] members had at hand, they reached a deal with the creditors, or creditor, the [Pan Trade Company]. And so, Hai Long, a secondary branch family Elder, ended up as nothing but an enslaved person.
And not that he didn't like Pan Tong, as he followed him, by now, more of his own volition than of obligation. After all, what a difference there was between the pampered lords of the so-great [Hai] and the inheritor of the pretty much more significant but keeping to humble manners, except when required, [Pan Trade Company]?!
But even with his new loyalty, Hai Long couldn't help but think about how much such a genius, especially a rogue one who could be roped without implications from local powers, was worth it!
And the following words from Dongpo Ao and the other two simply confirmed his thoughts, especially as he observed the results.
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All nine spells, three of each [Roc's Thunderbolt], [Glacial Spike], and [Shattering Crush], were problematic enough for Bai Qi. As he hadn't been aware of rescue and wanted to force one but also wished for everyone important to survive, he had performed his utmost while restraining his mind power to the 15th-level range.
For the [Thunderbolt] ones, he released a far easier and lower-leveled [Electric Jolt], an easy spell that every Sage would learn, with an effect no more than breaking an opponent from their balance. And while it was weaker and far less developed, the [Electric Jolt] would prove enough to destroy the only important quality of the [Roc's Thunderbolt]: its tracking. Making two explode mid-air before even reaching the survivor's group and leaving the one aimed at himself.
For the three [Glacial Spike] spells, Bai Qi ignored the three of them; his two failed spells, both [Icy Grasp] ones, which would freeze the former, technically aiming to deceive them into activating, akin to the [Roc's Thunderbolt] and the [Electric Jolt] effect, but he ended not doing anything in reality. While a bit more dangerous than the [Thunderbolt] ones, they would inflict far less damage and wouldn't create any trouble except for Tang Chao acting against the frozen targets immediately. Something that he, now that he revealed such prowess, would counter to a level, leaving everyone but some sacrificial lamb, in this case from the attackers, alive.
As for the [Shattering Crush] spells, Bai Qi had no option but to go all out. While he could survive even the three of them together, his mind power being more powerful than the caster's, not even one was aiming at him. And no matter what treasure the three targets had, namely the three heirs, Bai Qi couldn't risk it to be that the protection creator wasn't at a 16th level!
Thus, for these three later spells, and the slower of the barrage, Bai Qi indeed went all out, casting three [Fortress of the Mind] defensive spells, reinforcing the targets, Gao Xiulan, Lei Guying, and Pan Tong, using even a bit of power above the one he had openly released as if to label him as a peak 15th-level mind path cultivator.
***
*Crash*
With a loud boom, the four-flag barrier was broken by the combined assault of eight renowned Warrior Kings. While not everyone was a peak one, Protector Boling, Zhu Yun, and Lei Su, neither reaching such a level, still released power enough to combat such an opponent, especially Lei Su, whose true prowess had always been far above her cultivation.
And while seeing such opponents, Tang Chao couldn't do anything but try and activate any measures of safety that he had, the results of Bai Qi's clashes came, some of them, especially the missed ones, distracting the previous trusted Minister from acting.
*Boom* *Thump* *Crash* *Crash* *Crash*
While a successful spell would generate no more backslash but the mind power expenditure, if required, as it activated, failed ones were a different beast. In this case, such a backslash made Tang Chao fail to activate the [Seven-Demons Restricting the Heaven] he was about to use and even plummet toward the ground while failing to maintain even his concealment methods!
Each spell had its characteristics; for example, a failed thunder element would always send a jolt into the caster's body. But the three [Roc's Thunderbolt] did explode, even if one did it far away from the target and the other barely grazed, only the third reaching its target. Thus, Tang Chao received no backslash beyond the three lumps of mind power that the spells used.
For the [Glacial Spike] spells, the three hit their targets, and while one of them resisted the effect, the result was nothing more than some expenditure.
The issue would, and did, generate when a spell was forcefully defended or broken as if it never reached the target or even activated fully. In this case, for Tang Chao, it happened thrice and did so with the most troublesome element of all when used with mind power, the [Earth].
The [Shattering Crush] essence was an overwhelming mental blow intended to crush any defenses, first the mind ones. With the target being of a lower level, it would be akin to a mountain falling on a mortal, with no possibilities of defense and no possibilities of avoidance. And while a lucky receiver of such a spell could somehow survive, his mind would be damaged anyway, leaving the latter nearly senseless.
But the [Dao], or the [Heavens] were always fair, and in the case of such a powerful spell failing to break the target's defense, it would rebound at nearly full force, limited only by the defender's force.
And while a 15th-level almost-peak mind power cultivator wouldn't be so much trouble for a fully prepared Tang Chao, he was not only already spent to nearly two-thirds but also distracted, making him receive, nearly directly, three entire mountains with a combined force no less than two of his mind power combined!