Chapter 4618: Xiao and the Rat's Fury

In Barhu City, Xiao and Shu stood high in the sky, their eyes filled with murderous intent. They had led the assault on Wanbao City, successfully breaching it and plundering a large number of immortals, yielding significant gains. This should have been a cause for celebration, but upon their return to Barhu City, they found their home had been raided.

A group of pseudo-immortals and Chaos Beasts were currently searching for clues, determined to spare no effort in tracking down and punishing the culprits.

A tall man in golden robes flew over, bowed respectfully, holding half a black feather. "Lords Shu and Xiao," he reported, "we've detected the aura of the demon race and found half a plume, likely from a spirit beast. Judging by the scene, the assailant annihilated all life in the city with almost no effort. Our analysis suggests a soul-based attack. Lords Po and Chu offered little resistance, indicating the enemy's formidable strength. We also found a half-complete beast imprint. Though there were signs of a struggle in some areas, all traces have been meticulously erased, making it incredibly difficult to follow."

"So, a powerful enemy infiltrated Barhu City, most likely mastering soul laws, and then erased all traces? Were no bodies found?" Xiao asked.

"None," the man in golden robes confirmed. "No survivors, no bodies. The enemy clearly annihilated all evidence, wishing to remain anonymous." The man was Zheng Fei, a Taiyi Golden Immortal and one of the pseudo-immortals, responsible for intelligence gathering.

An eight-colored Chaos Beast, resembling a falcon, flew closer. "Great Priest," it reported, "two of our clansmen spotted an immortal vessel heading towards the territory of the Nangong Immortal Clan."

"The Azure Lotus Immortals?" Xiao seethed with murderous intent. "They master soul laws. They were involved in the annihilation of the Chahar Tribe. They certainly possess both the strength and the motive."

"How did those two clansmen spot it? What are their cultivation levels?" Shu pressed.

"They are Taiyi Golden Immortals," the eight-colored Chaos Beast replied, "they merely saw an immortal vessel flying past from a distance."

"Hmph," Shu scoffed, his tone filled with disdain. "The perpetrator deliberately removed all bodies and erased every trace of combat. How could a mere Taiyi Golden Immortal possibly discover this? They must think we're fools. This is clearly a clumsy attempt to point the finger at the Azure Lotus Immortals."

Zheng Fei took out a golden, shimmering magic disk, cast a spell into it, and made a series of gestures. "Lords Shu and Xiao," Zheng Fei announced, "the latest intelligence indicates that the Nangong Immortal Clan and the Wang family possess complete sets of top-grade immortal artifacts imbued with Primordial Spirit Treasures."

"Hmph," Shu mused, "this news didn't spread earlier or later, but precisely now? If they truly possessed such artifacts, they would never actively publicize it. This is either a blatant rumor or someone is deliberately spreading misinformation. For this kind of news to surface at such a crucial moment, it's clearly meant to imply that the Nangong Immortal Clan and the Wang family have the strength to conquer Barhu City. They're treating us like fools. The more obvious the hint, the less likely they are the true perpetrators." Without this specific piece of intelligence regarding the Nangong Immortal Clan and the Wang family possessing such artifacts, he might have continued to suspect them. But with this highly publicized information, it became impossible for them to be the culprits.

"But the Nangong Immortal Clan and the Wang family *did* conquer Chahar City," Xiao countered. "They have that capability. Po, who masters soul laws, is still not as strong as the獼 from the Chahar Tribe."

While the Wang family and the Nangong Immortal Clan certainly possessed the strength, the overly obvious clues had made them suspicious.

"First, send the plundered immortals to the Hunxie King Tribe," Shu ordered. "We'll settle this score with them eventually. No matter who is responsible, we will not spare them." He instructed Xiao to escort two Daluo Golden Immortals and other captured immortals to the Hunxie King Tribe. Shu himself remained in Barhu City, while also tasking the pseudo-immortals with contacting spies embedded within the immortal ranks to gather intelligence.

***

Tianfeng City, Tianfeng Garden.

Nangong Dezhi, Nangong Changqing, and Nangong Yunxin were seated in a green stone pavilion, as Nangong Yunfeng delivered his report.

"What? Both our clan and the Wang family possess complete sets of top-grade immortal artifacts imbued with Primordial Spirit Treasures? Nonsense!" Nangong Yunxin exclaimed, frowning.

"Initially, the rumor was that the Wang family possessed complete sets of top-grade immortal artifacts imbued with Primordial Spirit Treasures," Nangong Yunfeng explained. "Then, the rumor spread that our Nangong Immortal Clan also had them, claiming that's how we were able to destroy the Chahar Tribe."

"Hmph, this must be a rumor spread by the Myriad Beast Palace," Nangong Changqing stated. "They frequently engage in such tactics. From their secure position in the rear, they love nothing more than to make cynical remarks and cause trouble for us." They didn't suspect the Wang family at all, as the Wang family had no such motive. The primary reason for their suspicion was the Myriad Beast Palace, which had consistently opposed the Nangong Immortal Clan. This was evident during the previous search for the Taiyi Creation Pot; as soon as the Nangong Immortal Clan managed to acquire it, Liu Qian immediately went to lodge a complaint.

"Let's give them a taste of their own medicine," Nangong Dezhi instructed. "Spread the news that the Myriad Beast Immortal Lord's fated spirit beast has ascended to become a divine beast." When a demon beast cultivates to achieve an immortal body, it is referred to as a divine beast, distinguishing it from ordinary demon beasts. Given that the Myriad Beast Palace specializes in cultivating spirit beasts, the emergence of a divine beast from their ranks would not be surprising at all. For a beast master, if their fated spirit beast cultivates into a divine beast, it significantly boosts their own power. When a beast master merges with a divine beast, their combined strength becomes even greater, capable of effortlessly breaking through Chaos War Armor. It was no secret that the previous palace master of Myriad Beast Palace had cultivated an immortal body, and his fated spirit beast, also having attained an immortal body at the Daluo Golden Immortal stage, could, when merged, effortlessly shatter the Chaos War Armor of a mid-Daluo Golden Immortal nine-colored Chaos Beast.

"Yes, Old Ancestor," Nangong Yunfeng acknowledged, accepting his orders.

"The Myriad Beast Palace just loves to cause us trouble," Nangong Yunxin said with a tone of regret. "It's a pity that Myriad Beast City is located so far in the rear; even if a major war breaks out, it won't affect them."

"If Kunlun Immortal Island were to engage in an all-out war with the Hunxie King Tribe, they wouldn't be able to remain neutral," Nangong Dezhi mused. "However, that would place considerable pressure on us."

"Wanbao City has been breached," Nangong Changqing lamented. "One Daluo Golden Immortal fell on the spot, and two Daluo Golden Immortals were captured. The Wanbao Immortal Lord, fortunately, was away on business and managed to escape. Nevertheless, losing three Daluo Golden Immortals in one go is a devastating blow to the Wanbao Sect. Including the Daluo Golden Immortal they lost previously, that's four Daluo Golden Immortals in less than five million years. It will be incredibly difficult for the Wanbao Sect to recover their strength."

"There was nothing they could do," Nangong Yunxin remarked. "Xiao and Shu personally led the assault. Shu alone is formidable enough, but with Xiao joining him, they simply couldn't be stopped. Frankly, if they had possessed a few supreme-grade Immortal Exterminating Cannons, they might not have suffered such a crushing defeat. It's surprising that the Wanbao Immortal Lord was absent."

"Who could have anticipated a battle of such magnitude?" Nangong Dezhi said. "The Wanbao Immortal Lord also needed to seek out his own opportunities." Wanbao City's three Daluo Golden Immortals were already a respectable force. Had it only been Shu leading the siege, the outcome might not have been so dire. Unfortunately, Xiao was also present.

"If Xiao and Shu were to lead an assault on our Tianfeng City, we would also find it difficult to resist," Nangong Changqing said, filled with worry. The Barhu Tribe was right next to the Nangong Immortal Clan. With the Wanbao Sect's strength significantly diminished, they were no longer a worthy opponent for Barhu. It was highly probable that the Barhu Tribe would now set its sights on the Nangong Immortal Clan.

"Daoist Wang's strength is considerable," Nangong Dezhi affirmed. "He possesses complete sets of top-grade immortal artifacts imbued with Primordial Spirit Treasures. If they truly dare to attack, he will certainly make them pay. However, one must also be strong oneself. If you can cultivate top-tier immortal bodies, even king beasts will be no match for you."