Chapter 916: A False Alarm

Time passed little by little, and in the blink of an eye nearly half a day had gone by. The sky was gradually growing dark.

The great army of Puppet City had neither advanced nor retreated, but simply remained in the distance, a dense black mass.

“What are those fellows from Puppet City up to? They neither fight nor retreat. Could they be planning some trick?” On the wall of Xuan City, the eagle-nosed man said.

Several people around Elixir who looked like commanders also exchanged whispers, clearly equally puzzled, and one after another they voiced guesses about Puppet City’s intentions.

But Elixir stood there without a word, his eyes flickering slightly, as if lost in thought.

“City Lord, should we…” After the crowd had speculated for a long time without reaching any conclusion, and Elixir remained silent, the eagle-nosed man could not help asking.

“If the enemy does not move, I do not move. There is no need to act hastily. Send more men to patrol the other directions to prevent a surprise attack, and at the same time dispatch scouts to find out exactly how many men Puppet City has brought this time…” Elixir waved his hand to cut off the eagle-nosed man’s next words and gave his orders.

As Elixir issued one command after another, those nearby accepted their orders and left, until soon only the eagle-nosed man remained.

“City Lord, why not summon the people from the other four cities to come here and defend together? Although the four cities have sent only a few people, they are all elites with extraordinary combat power,” the eagle-nosed man asked in a low voice.

“The battle situation is not yet clear. For now, there is no need to mobilize their strength.” Elixir shook his head.

A flicker of doubt passed through the eagle-nosed man’s eyes, but he said nothing.

“I have some matters to attend to. Shao Ying, I leave this place to you. If Puppet City makes any move, you know what to do. There is no need to report to me again.” Elixir glanced toward the distant army of Puppet City and spoke.

Shao Ying’s face stiffened at the words. He was about to ask a question, but Elixir had already turned and left, his figure flickering and disappearing.

Shao Ying stood there helplessly for a moment, then had no choice but to turn and relay Elixir’s orders.

Night soon fell. The great armies of Xuan City and Puppet City each stood on guard, but neither launched an attack. They simply maintained this strange standoff.

Moonlight was like water, gently spilling over the wilderness near Xuan City.

On a low hill a thousand li from Xuan City, a woman in a white dress stood quietly, looking up at the full moon in the sky and softly humming a song.

The woman wore a black veil, so her face could not be seen, but her graceful figure exuded an indescribable seductiveness, while also giving a feeling of childlike innocence and purity.

Two completely opposite temperaments intertwined, so that anyone who glanced at her would have their mind ensnared.

“Fellow Daoist Shaxin’s ‘Xuan Nu Mei’ has greatly advanced—congratulations. But for you to dare leave your army and come here alone near my Xuan City, your courage is truly not small.” A cold voice sounded. Ten zhang away from the white-dressed woman, the void flickered, and a black figure materialized out of thin air. It was Elixir.

“If Fellow Daoist Elixir wishes to make a move, feel free to do so.” Shaxin slowly turned around and said in a languid tone.

The pure temperament on her body suddenly vanished, and an overwhelming allure radiated from her. The nearby moonlight and night breeze seemed to become much gentler as well.

“Hmph!” Elixir’s pupils contracted slightly. He gave a cold snort but did not make a move.

“I knew that Fellow Daoist Elixir knows right from wrong and would not indiscriminately attack a weak woman.” Shaxin giggled and said.

“Enough of this idle talk. You sent me a voice transmission during the day to arrange this meeting. What is your purpose? Speak quickly. If you want to reignite war between the two cities, I, Elixir, will accept the challenge.” Elixir seemed not to see Shaxin’s seductiveness and said coldly.

“Fellow Daoist Elixir misunderstands. I did not come this time to provoke war between the two cities, but rather to discuss an important matter with you.” Shaxin gave a light laugh and said.

As she spoke, her aura suddenly changed again. All the seductiveness vanished, and her captivating, graceful figure instantly lost all its charm. She seemed to have turned into an ordinary woman, completely unremarkable.

“Discuss an important matter?” Elixir’s heart tightened again. He frowned and asked.

“Strictly speaking, I wish to invite Fellow Daoist Elixir to join me in a great undertaking.” Shaxin’s delicate brows curved as she smiled.

“Fellow Daoist Shaxin, if you have something to say, just say it directly. There is no need to beat around the bush.” A faint, unusual glint flickered in Elixir’s eyes as he said indifferently.

“Why pretend to be confused, Fellow Daoist Elixir? Over the years, the only thing on both our minds is that place… And our Puppet City has also found the entrance to that place. Xuan City had better not try to keep it all to itself.” Shaxin smoothed the hair hanging at her temples and said calmly.

Hearing this, Elixir’s expression stiffened. For the first time, his demeanor changed, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

“Why look at me like that, Fellow Daoist Elixir? The location of that entrance was not found by following you through trickery, but was discovered by our Puppet City after countless efforts and manpower, bit by bit through exploration. It was absolutely aboveboard.” Shaxin said openly.

“Whether that is really the case, Fellow Daoist Sha knows in your heart. But just now you spoke of keeping it all to myself—what did you mean? Since you have also discovered that entrance, you must already know the situation inside. It is so perilous that I, Elixir, have no plans to enter it anytime soon.” Elixir gave a snort, then said calmly.

“Is Fellow Daoist Elixir trying to fool me because I am a woman with shallow knowledge? Although I only recently discovered that entrance, I have also sensed that many of the natural barriers inside are gradually weakening. It seems the natural dangers there follow a cyclical pattern, and this is the period when they are weakest. And your Xuan City is holding the Five-City Martial Meet and offering such generous rewards—isn’t that to select talented people to go there?” Shaxin giggled, a trace of allure once again flickering in her beautiful eyes.

Upon hearing this, E Kuai's expression did not change, but a trace of coldness could not help but emerge in his eyes.

"Daoist E, although the danger at the entrance is weakening, the might of that natural peril is still beyond human power to contend with. Our Puppet City considers itself unable to enter, and relying solely on your Xuan City's strength alone, the hope is nearly nil. Under current circumstances, only through cooperation between our two sides is there a slight possibility. That is why I have taken the trouble to come and discuss this matter with you, hoping that Daoist E can make a wise decision." Sha Xin suddenly shifted the topic and urged.

"And if I refuse?" E Kuai's gaze flickered as he spoke word by word.

"Then I have no choice but to begin attacking Xuan City from today onward, until the low tide of the entrance's natural peril passes, and no one can enter." Sha Xin said with a faint smile.

A fierce light surged in E Kuai's eyes, and a terrifying, icy pressure suddenly erupted from his body, sweeping overwhelmingly toward Sha Xin.

The void within dozens of li trembled with a buzz, the ground rumbled, and storms centered on E Kuai surged in all directions, causing heaven and earth to change color.

Sha Xin's expression was calm as she stood there quietly, completely unaffected by E Kuai's pressure.

Any storm that touched her body immediately slid away on its own, and even the hem of her robe did not stir in the slightest.

E Kuai took a deep breath, and the aura on his body receded like a tide, the nearby storms slowly subsiding.

"How does Daoist Sha wish to cooperate?" E Kuai said after a moment of silence.

Upon hearing this, Sha Xin's beautiful eyes curved, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

……

One night passed quickly.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the Puppet City army, which had been arrayed all night, did not attack but instead began to retreat.

Before long, the Puppet City army vanished without a trace, leaving no sign behind, while the defenders inside and outside Xuan City also ceased all activities under E Kuai's orders.

Thus, a great battle dissipated like smoke and clouds.

The citizens of Xuan City, as well as outsiders like Han Li, were surprised but also breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, unless necessary, no one wanted to wage war against a powerful enemy.

A few days later.

Within the detached villa, Han Li sat cross-legged in his own room, his body wreathed in white starlight as he operated the "Heavenly Fiend Prison Suppression Art" to refine the power of that Heavenly-tier beast core.

The star power contained within the Heavenly-tier beast core was extremely vast, and even with the aid of the Vial of the Heavens, he had been refining it for many days without fully absorbing it.

A newly opened acupoint on his body flickered with starlight, hinting at the possibility of opening, but in the end, it remained unopened.

Han Li opened his eyes, yet there was no trace of disappointment on his face. He rose and walked to the window, gazing out toward the direction of the City Lord's mansion.

At this moment, five or six days had already passed since that imminent great battle.

After the Puppet City army vanished outside the city, they had not reappeared, as if they had truly retreated.

However, although Puppet City had withdrawn, City Lord E Kuai showed no intention of restarting the Five Cities Martial Tournament. During this time, he had also kept the people from the other four cities confined to the detached villa, forbidding them from going out.

But this morning, E Kuai suddenly summoned the city lords of the four cities, including Chen Yang, for reasons unknown.

Just then, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside. Han Li's brow twitched slightly. He pulled open the door to find a servant from Qingyang City.

The man was startled for a moment at Han Li's sudden appearance, then bowed respectfully and said, "Senior Li, the city lord invites you to come over."

"I understand." Han Li nodded, glanced once more in the direction of the city lord's residence, then strode toward Chen Yang's dwelling.

A moment later, he arrived at Chen Yang's residence, only to find the main door tightly shut.

Han Li frowned slightly and was about to raise his hand to knock when the door suddenly opened of its own accord, revealing a crack.

"Fellow Daoist Li, come in." Chen Yang's voice came from inside.

Han Li's heart stirred, and he stepped inside.

The door behind him slammed shut with a "crack" and automatically closed, while a layer of white light rippled across the stone door, completely sealing it off from the outside.

Han Li's heart stirred again as he looked around the room. Besides Chen Yang, there were only two others present: Gu Qianxun and Xuan Yuanxing. The Crab Daoist stood expressionless behind Chen Yang, still as ever.

Han Li was secretly puzzled. He had originally thought that Chen Yang had called him over to explain the current situation in Xuan City to all of them, but he never expected that only the three of them had been summoned. He wondered what the intention was.