Chapter 4146 - Get the Dog Before the Owner

The empress's flaming figure fell silent at the sight of the transmission stone's projection. She turned to the rainbow ball of wonder and finally said, "Chances like this only come once. Only a fool would hope that this trick can ever work again."

"I'll help you even if we need to launch a direct assault on a star world!" Lord Yue said adamantly.

"You can tell me that if you still have the support of the primalwingers of Grand Yue." The empress put the transmission stone away and addressed her ten million troops. "The plan failed! We're going back!"

"Failed..." This was supposed to be a simple move, yet it failed right at the start. The Grand Xia imperials were not happy with this outcome, but they couldn't do anything about it. They huddled together in a large divine-wonder formation, zooming past that of the Tian Jiu Cult, before leaving the frost prison and not turning back. With just their bodies and wonders, they disappeared into the void of space. Their departure was just as resolute as their arrival, a clear sign that the rule of the Grand Xia imperial bloodline was strong. They obeyed their ruler's order without question.

"Are we not going to stop them?" Ying Huo said, perched on Tianming's shoulder.

"You want to fight the imperial bloodline?" Ji Ji pouted and shot it a look of contempt. "Chicken Bro, you're such a fool."

"There's two more factions lingering around. Do you think they'll just sit there and watch while we pummel the imperial bloodline? There might be four of five factions in total! If the others don't make a move, we can't," Xian Xian said.

"Huh... Since when did the two of you get so smart?" Ying Huo asked.

"Since birth," they said in unison.

Tianming watched the Grand Xia imperials leave and said, "All we have are hell ghouls while they don't even have a proper base in their world. Not to mention, these imperials are elites. It would be quite tough to wipe them out."

"Then was our trip for naught?" Ying Huo sounded a little displeased.

"Why would it be? Like all things in life, we need to get the dog before we get the owner. The dog might come biting, but the owner might not even turn back if we beat up the dog."

"Who's the dog?" Lan Huang asked.

"Tortoise Bro, we're going after those suckups," Xian Xian said.

"That's right, the highest tier in the universe at that," Ji Ji said with a disdainful look.

"After seeing those suckups, I still feel like our Little Li is better. Even though he isn't picky and eats up all the girls he sees, at least he wouldn't harm them," Xian Xian said with a sigh.

"You're speaking sense," Ji Ji agreed.

"Nonsense! Since when do I eat up every girl I see?!" Tianming snapped.

"The only reason you're holding back is because of the deep relationship you cultivated with Ling'er since your youth. Otherwise, there's no way someone like you would bother taking responsibility for even a single girl," Xian Xian said.

"Are you two parasitic worms in my body or something?" Tianming said.

"Ewww!"

As they chatted, the rainbow ball of wonder left the astralguard formation of Grand Feng. Their astralships had been waiting for them outside.

"Their retreat was far too decisive," Bai Ye said, finding it fishy.

"Feng Linxue probably managed to trick them by suggesting that Lord Yue managed to steal the Windgod Star Staff. Coupled with the fact that reinforcements from Grand Yue might leave and Grand Feng weakening, they might launch another attack, right?" Bai Ye said.

"Their first push might be fierce, but they'll lose steam in the second push. Mounting another attack will not end well for either side. Not to mention, the pope can guess that I'll be nearby. With Empress Xia losing public trust, it's time for me to step up," Tianming said as he watched the ships of the Tian Jiu Cult leave.

"So, they're going to let it go just like that?" Ying Hou couldn't shake the feeling that they'd continue to cause trouble.

"They still have fortuna-class worlds to tide them over. They just won't be good enough to pass down through generations. The Tian Jiu Cult might take a fortuna-class world to be their base while they look for another chance. Lord Yue and Empress Xia are the more desperate ones," Tianming said. Given the cult's might, no fortuna-class world could stop them.

"Let's put them aside for now." Tianming approached Grand Feng as Yin Chen told him about how Feng Linxue announced to everyone what Lord Yue had done using the astralguard formation. Nobody could put out her vengeful rage. Though Meng Xinlan and Pu Fengyun tried to talk her into giving Lord Yue a second chance, trust was not something that could be restored once shattered.

Everyone's first reaction at hearing about Lord Yue's betrayal was disbelief. It was soulcrushing to hear how he had tried to offer up the souls of the kunlan primalwingers to Empress Xia after that grueling battle! They all stood, puzzled and feeling empty.

"That can't be possible, right?"

"How could something like this happen?"

"That Lord Yue?"

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"It might be a misunderstanding!"

"We came here to help them, right?"

The two primalwinger armies couldn't bring themselves to accept the truth.

"Who will take a stand and speak as his witness?"

"What about Pu Fengyun and Meng Xinlan? They should know if that's true."

The armies remained within the stormy frost prison, silent and stunned. Pu Fengyun and Meng Xinlan were also there, being stared at by countless cosmic gods.

"Will you give your testimony?" Lord Yue wasn't there, so the one who asked that question was his nephew, Yue Cheng, one of the elites from Grand Yue.

Feng Linxue looked at the two as well, putting them on the spot. After a moment, Pu Fengyun said, "Let Lord Yue speak for himself!"

Yue Cheng's expression soured somewhat along with the rest from Grand Yue. They were fervent supporters of Lord Yue and couldn't quite bring themselves to accept the harsh truth.

Yue Cheng had wanted to call Lord Yue with a transmission stone before a ten-thousand-meter figure flashed into existence. "Lord Yue!" Many people called out to him excitedly.

"Yue Xiao, admit your sins to your kin! Be honest about your disgusting, shameless actions and repent!" Feng Linxue snapped with a frosty expression.