Chapter 344: The Battle of Yongding

Within the Hundred-Beast Flaming Dome, countless flaming beasts shot toward Xiang Shaoyin and his subordinates. They blanched and struck at the beasts with their swords. The interior of the dome continued to burn.

"King Shaoyin, the flaming beasts are no weaker than we are, and there are a hundred and eight of them in all. We won't be able to defend against them!"

"We can't escape. The dome can't be broken!"

The Immortals fretted as the flaming beasts besieged them.

"Fight them with your Immortal weapons. If you can't hold out any longer, destroy your weapons to keep them at bay. Focus on your survival for now. Others will come save us!" King Shaoyin commanded.

He thought that he had planned for everything; the fact that such an elementary trick had worked on him left him frustrated to no end.

Outside the dome, three crow Immortals descended from the air. They struck at the dome in order to save King Shaoyin.

With a shriek, three crane Immortals rushed out from cloud cover and blocked the three crow Immortals. The six Immortal avians fought each other in the air, sending blazing flames and howling wind through the sky.

Xiang Shaoyin blanched. "Nalan Qiankun must have a lot of subordinates around. He's trying for even bigger prey, isn't he?"

Just then, in the main Xiang city, a Xiang official rushed into a great hall.

"Your Majesty, King Shaoyin has been ambushed in the city of Yongding. My avatar saw it personally. Twelve Immortals have been trapped in the Hundred-Beast Flaming Dome, and they're in great danger. Your Majesty, please command us!" the official shouted.

The doors to the hall banged open as a man in draconic robes strode out.

"Those Immortals not responsible for guarding the city shall accompany me to Yongding and rescue King Shaoyin!" the man declared. His voice spread throughout the city.

He shot into the air, transforming into a beam of light as he rushed toward Yongding. Shortly thereafter, more and more beams of light flew through the air following after the man.

An hour later, outside the city of Yongding, one Immortal cried out, "King Shaoyin, my brother's dead, too! We can't kill these flaming beasts. They revive once they're defeated. We won't be able to hold out much longer!"

Just then, a beam of light appeared over the horizon.

"Shaoyin, we have come!" a stentorian voice declared.

"His Majesty?!" The remaining Immortals trapped within the dome looked up at the sky in surprise and gratitude.

What looked like a shooting star descended from the sky, resolving into the figure of a man in draconic robes as he drew near. He held a treasure scintillating with golden light in his hands.

"Brother's carrying one of the Spirit Emperor's treasures, too! It'll surely be able to penetrate the dome, but..." Although Xiang Shaoyin wanted to be rescued, he was struck by a great sense of unease. There was sure to be danger afoot.

As expected, Nalan Qiankun smirked. "The head of the Xiang clan, Xiang Shaoyang? I've waited for you for some time."

𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Nalan Qiankun stepped forward, clutching yet another treasure shining with golden light. He struck the man in draconic robes like a shooting star.

"Nalan Qiankun's holding onto another of the Spirit Emperor's treasures! Be careful, Brother!" Xiang Shaoyin cried out.

Xiang Shaoyang and Nalan Qiankun struck each other in an explosion of light. A huge cloud mushroomed from the point of impact, and howling gales swept across the land. The defensive formation of Yongding activated and barely blocked the remnant shockwaves.

"Die, Nalan Qiankun!" Xiang Shaoyang roared.

"You're the one who's asking to die, Xiang Shaoyang. All of you might as well remain behind today!" Nalan Qiankun retorted, laughing out loud.

Xiang Shaoyang and Nalan Qiankun began to attack each other, ascending higher and higher into the sky as they fought, until they were deep in the clouds. Both cultivators were exceptionally strong, and each possessed a treasure of the Spirit Emperor. The shockwaves that resulted from their confrontation was more than enough to deter the eight Xiang Immortals who had accompanied Xiang Shaoyang from approaching.

"We'll rescue King Shaoyin first. Start by breaking into the Hundred-Beast Flaming Dome, then killing Nalan Changkong!" one Xiang Immortal shouted.

"Understood!" The Immortals all shot toward the dome.

Just then, dozens of Immortals emerged from the forests nearby. The Immortal swords in their hands shone with multicolored light as they slashed at the Xiang newcomers.

"An ambush!" the Xiang Immortals cried out.

They were waylaid by the Tianshu Immortals and unable to approach the Hundred-Beast Flaming Dome.

Fire and storm raged across the lands outside Yongding.

Within the dome, a bloodied Immortal cried out, "King Shaoyin, what do we do now? Are we all going to die here?"

"Nalan Qiankun wasn't trying to take down Xiao Nanfeng—but rather all of us Xiang Immortals! What a scheming bastard!" Xiang Shaoyin bellowed in rage.

Just then, Xiao Nanfeng's avatar could be heard from within Yongding.

"The capital of Dazheng will brook no such disturbances on its grounds! All generals, kill the Immortals who dare raise such a ruckus and return peace to Yongding!" Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

"Understood!" a group of voices within Yongding replied.

Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui charged forward with a large group of cultivators. Zhao Yuanjiao joined in.

A group of Wingform-realm cultivators tossed out a lasso-like Immortal relic and caught a Tianshu Immortal. They smiled in excitement.

"We've caught one. Everyone, activate your Immortal relics and strike!" the Sanyuan sect master cried out.

A group of Wingform-realm sect masters struck with their Immortal relics.

Another group of cultivators, with the signature golden gleam of Indomitable Body, were ganging up on another Tianshu Immortal. Although they were only at Wingform-realm, they were incredibly resistant to damage. Even when struck at full force by that Immortal, none of them were fazed at all. Rather, they shouted for the Immortal to keep going, as though they were having a massage.

Ye Dafu, Ye Sanshui, You Jiu, Zhao Yuanjiao, Croak, and Warble were fearsome opponents indeed.

They only attacked the Tianshu Immortals, giving the Xiang Immortals an opportunity to catch their breath.

Some of the Xiang Immortals shot toward Nalan Changkong.

"You'll die for this!" Cui Haitang roared, charging forward.

Yu'er struck at Cui Haitang, who was forced to defend against her blow.

"Cui Haitang, you forbade me from interfering. Now, I intend to do the same to you." Yu'er stood in front of Cui Haitang, blocking her path.

"Don't make me kill you, lass!" Cui Haitang struck Yu'er with a palm.

Han Bingdie met Cui Haitang's palm with her own. A gust of energy emanated as the two women clashed against each other.

"Cui Haitang, my daughter's right. You were the ones who started this fight and lured these cultivators over. You had better stay put!"

With the mother-and-daughter duo hindering her, Cui Haitang began to fret. She took a deep breath and begged, "Dear Sister, please protect my son!"

A paper figure appeared beside Cui Haitang. Rather than attempt to save Nalan Changkong, however, it struck at Yu'er.

"Dear Sister, you don't have to deal with them! I'll handle them. Go save my son!" Cui Haitang shouted anxiously.

However, the paper figure ignored her and continued to attack Yu'er.

"Use the Taiqing red palm, Lass!" Xiao Hongye suddenly shouted.

Yu'er subconsciously activated a special technique, emitting a burst of red light with her palm that knocked the paper figure back.

"It really works!" Yu'er cried out.

Xiao Hongye smiled. "Have you learned the Taiqing red barrier for shielding your body?"

"I have!" Yu'er replied.

"Use that technique. This paper figure isn't particularly strong, and you should be able to handle it."

"Understood!" Yu'er replied, radiating with red light.

She began to fight on equal footing with the paper figure.

When Han Bingdie saw Xiao Hongye giving Yu'er pointers, she relaxed and continued to take on Cui Haitang, preventing her from aiding the Tianshu cultivators.

Despite the fact that Cui Haitang was unable to help her son, she relaxed upon seeing two Tianshu Immortals flanking him protectively.

"Go to Yongding and deal with Xiao Nanfeng's avatar!" Cui Haitang commanded.

"Understood!"

One Tianshu Immortal flew toward Xiao Nanfeng's avatar from afar.

"Be careful, Nanfeng!" Yu'er cried out.

"Don't worry. You be careful!" Xiao Nanfeng replied from the watchtower.

A red moon appeared behind his head, and a red cloud in the sky. Multiple lengths of red rope descended from it and looped toward the Immortal.

They quickly caught the Immortal and tangled him up before he could reach Xiao Nanfeng.

"Release me!" the Immortal cried.

However, the red ropes had tightened around his neck. He hung in the air, the qi barrier around him flashing and distorting as it gave out. He struggled in pain as he hung from the red ropes.

The situation outside Yongding was a chaotic mess, with both Xiang and Tianshu Immortals falling in battle. Many of the Dazheng fighters were also getting injured, but whenever they were unable to fight, they would rush back into Yongding to receive treatment. With Xiao Nanfeng's avatar standing guard by the watchtower, no other Immortal would be able to attack Yongding proper.

Within the domain of the purple seal, Xiao Nanfeng's main body finally distilled the quintessence of solarfire completely.

A burst of flaming energy erupted from Xiao Nanfeng as ten crows cawed around him.

"The tenth stage of Wingform! I'm at the peak!" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes brightened.

He rushed out of the purple seal's domain.

Outside, the flaming beasts were still relentlessly attacking the purple seal. When they saw Xiao Nanfeng appear, they immediately charged forward.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes grew cold as he sent the purple seal careening toward them.

The flaming beasts at the front, struck by the seal, burst into a shower of flames and sent the other flaming beasts back. When the flames surged toward Xiao Nanfeng, he opened his mouth wide and absorbed them all.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you've finally shown yourself!" Xiang Shaoyin shouted from close by.

He was almost about to give out. The majority of the twelve trapped Immortals had perished, and he was heavily wounded. Without any support, he was going to die as well.

Xiao Nanfeng glanced at Xiang Shaoyin, then sneered at him. "Didn't you read the letter I sent you? If you had done as I suggested, you'd already have taken down the capital of the Tianshu Empire and even killed Nalan Qiankun's other avatar. You brought this upon yourselves!"

Xiang Shaoyin's face stiffened in remorse.