The voice of the noble lady, crystal clear and penetrating, rang out like the chime of a grand bell, not only overwhelming the weapon workshop but echoing across half of Tide Listening City.
With such a thunderous cry, chaos predictably ensued. Instantly the weapon forge descended into utter tumult. Warriors, like startled hornets, swarmed forth from every crevice of the building. Hidden watchmen suddenly raised their heads from secret passages long unseen. Several glaring origin-light beams shot to life, their white beams sweeping in thorough arcs with nary an empty space overlooked.
Meanwhile, responses from the city itself arrived somewhat slower, yet eventually the far-off guard towers awakened to the commotion. War machines with colossal tracking crossbows rumbled to aim, redirecting steadily toward the weapon workshop.
Such instantaneous counter-measures left observers speechless with admiration. From within, the workshop had defenses impenetrable even when viewed separately. Surroundingly, the few artillery towers stationed near had not been erected at random; every emplacement could command the very skies that loomed above the workshop. Any who dared flee upwards would endure at least a pair of devastating barrages launched from these great crossbows even while seeking airborne escape.
Added into the deadly mix were the covertly watching elites; truly, none beneath the rank of Heaven Generals should dream of getting out unscathed.
Further confounding invaders, the workshop housed fewer valuable treasures than priceless people and equipment—its most precious asset being its artisans and its environment. Unless thieves could spirit it all away, any attempt at robbery here would yield too little compared to what one might lose.
Having shouted her declaration, Ji Tianqing held immobile against the brilliant white rays slicing across her form aloft like a radiant predator, utterly arrogant in stance.
It was only then Xiaye grasped fully what Ji had meant by “sprint forward.” It was indeed an unqualified raid in spirit—the type even brawling assaults could scarcely surpass, for they left the foe neither time to prepare nor breath to retaliate.
Naturally some could hardly stand the audacity. Gradually rising from the workshop’s three corners came three towering presences—stern and martial in aura. Each emanated thick, killing force, marking the emergence of 14th to 15th grade elites. Moreover, their spiritual energies hummed faint signals; likely their cultivation arts enabled mutual resonance.
As vast silken drapes their qi sealed flight away except in one direction only—inexplicably the path leading to Luo Bingfeng’s retreat. Any intruder with sense should know better than charge blindly into traps set in the dark.
Witnessing enemy schemes revealed at such mastery, Xiyue inwardly despaired—the mission appeared in vain. With city reinforcements surely soon closing in, their mission would collapse worse into capture—whether saving anyone or escaping themselves becoming uncertain.
Hastily Xiyere reached to pull Ji Tianqing into retreat. Although her brash cry ruined careful timing, leaving her behind was unconscionable.
Yet his grip closed on naught.
Eerily insubstantial, Ji seemed suddenly as leaf in wind, or drifting downy bloom, swirling gracefully down toward the melee of the workshop. A single casual sway evaded what Xi believed to have been an unavoidable capture.
“Person found!” Her descent deceptively smooth, throwing that over her shoulder, Ji disappeared straight into the chaos beneath.
Knowing naught how she discovered cui yuanhai nor the time spared to even ponder the question; Xi resolved temporary faith in her truth-speaking.
Three shadowed rises launched, pausing mid-leap. Initially their focus on Ji, they blinked in shock only now realizing she escaped them, as though what tracked was but illusion. In growing alarm they scoured the workshop with spiritual scans desperately seeking to spot her.
Xiye naturally refused their comfort, drawing forth his rifle, summoning a pair of ghostly silvered wings from behind. Then instantly he rained four bullets through air.
A shot appeared launched into vacancy. The other three barely grazing the three assailants jolting their nerves. Only then did they notice Xi’s presence.
Yet strangely, bullets wandered off path—missing narrowly enough not even to need movement for evasion.
Suddenly however in night erupted four fires. Moments later deafening detonations rang.
It had been those outer towers. The blasts tore apart their tops entirely; titanic flames rose skyward, glowing pillars aglow with fire, illuminatory enough to bath half the city in a false daylight, searing the black of the night to ash.
Only now did the trio grasp fully Xi’s true purpose was to disable those defense installations—not target themselves.
Outraged they abandoned Ji and pummeled straight at Xi together. Air-born themselves, each released one fist blow; roaring currents collided, forming in midair a vast lattice of invisible forces directly crashing onto Xi.
These three undeniably relied on coordinated martial arts—and what’s more, achieved a perfectly intertwined mastery. Facing three, pressure barely inferior when confronted with Ji Rui himself.
Xi had encountered no battle like theirs before but reflexively strategized—instantly manifesting Dongyue sword, kindling a blade wreathed in flame with golden glint, he charged toward splitting that netting apart with one decisive swipe.
Though battle favored Xi if stretched, for an instinctively felt reason he preferred fighting above battlefield itself—to choose confrontation mid-air never his strongest.
Yet amidst night, the sword blazed bright crimson. With one slash the netting sundered straight!
Xi shot high like cannon’s bullet from net’s rupture, breaking free.
As fate would have it at that moment, eyes invisible pierced dark and fastened tightly across hundreds of feet upon Xi.
An instant of that attention transformed his blood to frozen ice—stiff as sculpture in pain, flight halted. Like a broken kite, Xi suddenly plumbed earthward.
This feeling—he had encountered only once before, deep undersea from some will vast and unknowable, only now in different proportion.
Weighted iron limbs, like sinking into oceans, dragged downward merciless. Below the training yard’s very ground now pulsed glowing crimson sigilry—it revealed a deadly energy trap laid within. Deep in his gut Xi recoiled instinctively away. He understood—within any step meant doom unforgiving should the array claim you.
Yet suddenly within the crisis, unseen gold surged from within—a beast awakened—and with deafening howls roared forth like a maelstrom, sweeping clean the binding gaze of those invisible eyes. Truly like beast in blood, wild power erupted, defiant amidst dark.
However fierce, its timing approached desperate. Just ten meters now stood between earth and himself. The array already fully ignited—a powerful attractive force clamped him down.
Right when Xi was about lost deep in trap’s maw suddenly appeared a figure from nowhere—Ji, in fact. Wrapping around Xi fiercely she struck the central glyph below with her foot mid-air. Around her rippled faint radiance ten meters away transforming the trap. Crimson glyphs shifted to forest-colored—disoriented pattern lost original form.
Instants later pull mutated into thrust! With dual forms like missiles launched, upwards surged more than ten times human height before drifting silently beyond city walls! Suspended from her waist a tether extended long—a dark trailing mass attached at one hundred-meter reach now followed their ascent out past perimeter defenses. A single tool bound the fates now, carrying both toward open sky unguarded.
None foresaw the shift—defenders or rescue arriving in workshop’s defense. With eyes only able to follow as the pair vanished nightward, already cresting above ramparts.
Outside Tide Listening walls the terrain complicated and undulant—its hidden ridges and shadows aided the duo in vanishing quietly once entered. None among all watching could feel assured chasing night’s fleeing ghosts.
“Hmph!” Just then a resonant tone filled anger reached listeners—a heart seemed halted by voice alone.
Again that cold gaze returned, reaching through dark from distant summit peaks hunting night fliers. Toward Xiyue and Ji it swept—a net of unseen weight seeking new quarry to entrap.
Xiyue raised brow and turned to bring zhenxin sword in defiance, facing the ancient master’s relic ready in hand towards that source.
But Ji embraced him securely through half-spin midflight re-orienting them so she faced incoming attack. Neither dodging nor parrying the icy wave of murder pouring their way, she drew from herself a medallion—held it aloft from mountaintop direction.
Night air seemed suddenly distant as if a “ha!” barely escaped invisible lips. Kill intention vanished like frost before sun rising.
Slipping medallion away and clasping firm hold again, Ji shouted “Fly swiftly now!”
Opportune moment could no man squander; Xiye powered engines within his origin. Trailing golden ember sparks in night, vanishing toward distance swift as meteor.
Within moments shadows coalesced in same previous point above battle. From empty sky descended mature forms in mid-movement—husband and wife in tandem. The male tall with composed visage bearing phoenix-like eyes filled with authority’s gleam. The female possessed delicate refinement, her bearing exuding noble poise and grace natural unto the womanhood of her form.
“Younger ones sly indeed,” the male spat. “Yet do they believe us fools truly unable to capture such trickery even now?”
Xi and Ji long gone, the heavens still glowed scattered with golden sparks. The male peered sharp as falcon tracking the embers fading further westbound.
Not perturbed the female, rather plucking gently the golden particle lingering past like petal into open palm, watching it intently. It flared brighter again resting gently on woman’s palm as countless others drew toward her in flutter patterns like flame-winged moths circling their source, illuminating her countenance in mysterious splendor beneath the stars.
While he persisted surveying horizon she spoke. “Too late for pursuers we are; they’ve fled beyond now. What’s worse is pursuit failure disgracing you more besides.”
The male’s eyes frosted momentarily before responding. “These young fools acted sure we could not break loose beyond bounds, and indeed that knowledge was held close among very few hands. How then should spies come informed with intelligence unknown even here? On return, thorough internal cleansing must occur.”
Amusement twinkling behind serene gaze, she returned. “All these years and temper hasn’t cooled any.” Observing closely golden ember within hand again with tender affection. “But the young pair—they intrigued rather charmingly. Should capture fall true, death seems such a dreadful waste, my love. Pray look here—what is it that now burns within the sky?”
Not just the male observed her hand closely; his eyes tightened upon noting ember essence now pulsing. “Is that… dawn bright ember?”
The woman whispered gently. “True indeed. Its fire pure beyond what I could dream even at life’s climax, this tiny point alone, I imagine was destiny’s fullest reward… regrettably destined not to belong to self.”
Dark gaze narrowing still. He ruminated with grave deliberations. “If thus—first I will capture that one, force secret arts from tongue… until this fire becomes mine. Fully ours. At last.”
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