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Inside the Chengyun Hall.

Song Lu's expression was slightly solemn:

"The Tang dynasty in the north is locked in fierce fighting with Wang Shichong around Luoyang, leaving them no time to look south. Dou Jiande, entrenched in Hebei, appears to be holding back, but is actually accumulating strength. Since news of Zhao Deyan's capture spread, the Turks have been causing frequent disturbances on the border, with small groups of cavalry harassing the area. Their main army seems poised to retaliate south, so we must be on high alert. To the east, Du Fuwei and Fu Gongshi occupy the Jianghuai region, separated from us by the Yangtze River. Currently, we are relatively at peace, but we still need to be vigilant."

Our army is now well-trained, well-supplied, and in high spirits. Holding the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and controlling six key prefectures, we are well-positioned for both offense and defense. However, we are surrounded by powerful enemies on all sides, especially the Northern Turks, whose reactions are unpredictable. We humbly request the Alliance Leader's guidance on our next strategic move.”

After Song Lu finished speaking, the hall fell silent as everyone awaited Yi Huawei's decision.

After a moment of contemplation, Yi Huawei slowly spoke: "The current strength of our Heavenly Dao Alliance is like a fully drawn bowstring, ready to be released. However, we must be extremely cautious about where the arrow will be aimed. We can temporarily stand aside and observe the struggle between Li Tang and Wang Shichong. As for the likes of Du Fuwei, they are like a minor ailment. We can send envoys to restrain them or deal with them gradually through political means. There is no need to launch a major attack for now."

After a slight pause, Yi Huawei's tone turned stern:
"The Turks are wolves in sheep's clothing, repeatedly invading our territory, slaughtering our compatriots, and even colluding with internal traitors to plot treason. The Zhao Deyan incident is just the beginning."

Yi Huawei stood up, walked to the military map, and looked down at the vast northern territory.

"From today onwards, the whole world will know that our Heavenly Alliance has captured and killed Zhao Deyan, and that our conflict with the Turks is now irreconcilable. Rather than waiting for Jieli to launch an attack, we should... give him a 'surprise'."

Yi Huawei pointed his finger at the location of Bozhou, and then slowly moved it northward.

"Send the order!"

"Order Zhang Zhenzhou's troops in Bozhou to strengthen their defenses and send more scouts deep into Hebei to closely monitor the movements of the Turks and the reactions of the various lords!"

"Order the naval forces of Xiangyang and Jiangling to strengthen patrols along the Yangtze River and ensure the absolute security of the Yangtze River defense line!"

"All troops must intensify their training, especially the cavalry and the elite Xuanjia cavalry, and must maintain the best state of combat readiness!"

"In terms of domestic affairs, we will continue to implement the established policies, appease the displaced people, stockpile food and fodder, manufacture weapons, and prioritize the use of funds for military equipment upgrades and rewards for meritorious soldiers!"

"Tell the soldiers, tell the people! Anyone who invades our territory and harms our compatriots, regardless of whether they are Han or barbarian, strong or weak, will be retaliated against with thunder!"

"I will take your orders!"

All the civil and military officials in the hall stood up in unison and bowed in agreement!
Just then, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps came from outside the hall. A guard in black armor strode in, knelt on one knee, and spoke with a hint of tension in his voice:
"Reporting to the Alliance Leader! Elder Wen and Elder Dan are requesting an audience! Elder Wen... seems to be injured!"

These words startled everyone in the hall. Zhu Yuyan's cold gaze suddenly turned to the hall door, her delicate brows furrowing almost imperceptibly. Shan Wanjing also showed a look of surprise. Wen Caiting and Danmei were both top experts of the Yin Kui Sect. In this Xiangyang City, who could possibly harm them?
Yi Huawei's expression remained unchanged; he simply said calmly, "Bring them in."

"Yes!"

The guards took the order and left.

A moment later, the hall door opened again, and several figures walked in one after another.

The first thing that catches the eye is Danmei's pure white figure, carefully helping Wen Caiting as she walks in.

At this moment, Wen Caiting was completely different from her usual charming and alluring self.

Her once alluring face was now deathly pale, devoid of color, even her lips had lost their usual luster, turning slightly bluish-white. Her hair was disheveled, a few strands of black hair stuck to her forehead and cheeks with sweat, adding to her disheveled appearance.

The left sleeve of her colorful brocade dress was charred and torn, revealing shocking redness, swelling, and blisters on her fair arm beneath. In some places, the skin was even peeling back, revealing an unnatural dark red color. Not only her arm, but the left side of her clothing around her waist and abdomen also showed obvious tears and scorch marks. Her movements were noticeably sluggish and unsteady; she seemed unable to put weight on her left side, relying entirely on her right leg and a surge of internal energy for support. Fine beads of cold sweat constantly seeped from her forehead, and her breathing was much more rapid than usual.

When Wen Caiting walked in, she even staggered slightly, but fortunately she steadied herself in time and didn't fall. Her eyes, which usually sparkled with charm, were now filled with a deep pain and a trace of lingering fear, even though she was trying to appear cheerful.

Looking at Yi Huawei, who was sitting upright, she lowered her head slightly, her voice no longer as gentle as before, but clearly weak and hoarse:

"Your subordinate... greets the Alliance Leader. Your subordinate is incompetent and has failed in his duties. Please punish me, Alliance Leader."

Seeing Wen Caiting's miserable appearance, Zhu Yuyan's eyes flashed with a cold light: "Danmei, what happened? Why is Elder Wen so badly injured?"

Danmei helped Wen Caiting to sit slowly on a brocade stool that a disciple quickly brought over. Then she turned to Zhu Yuyan and Yi Huawei, bowed, and spoke in her usual cold and flat voice, but slightly faster:
"Reporting to the Alliance Leader and Sect Master, your subordinate and Senior Sister Wen were ordered to investigate suspicious persons in the city. We captured the Japanese spy Chao Gongcuo and two of his accomplices at Zuixianju. They have both been executed or captured. ... Bring them in!"

As she spoke, Danmei called out, and several Yin Kui Sect disciples escorted in three men who were tightly bound with cowhide ropes and had their major acupoints sealed. They then forced the men to kneel in the hall.

The three were in different states.

The person on the far left was none other than Chao Gongcuo, whose martial arts had been crippled by Danmei. At this moment, he was slumped on the ground like a lump of mud, his head hanging down, dried blood still clinging to the corner of his mouth, his face ashen, his eyes unfocused, and he was making unconscious hoarse noises.

The man in the middle was exceptionally tall and burly; even bound and kneeling, he resembled an iron tower. His leather robe was tattered, revealing bronze skin, bulging muscles, and numerous small wounds and bruises on his body.

The man held his head high, a hint of arrogance on his face, his eyes fiercely glaring at the crowd in the hall. Even with his pressure points sealed, his fierce and savage aura remained undiminished. The man on the far right appeared somewhat strange, dressed in a dark red robe. His face was ordinary, but his eyes were unusually bright. Although captured, there was no fear or anger in his eyes, but rather a kind of almost insane calm, with even a faint, eerie smile playing on his lips.

Pointing to Chao Gongcuo, who lay there like a dead dog, Danmei then pointed to the burly man:
"Senior Sister Wen found and captured this man at a warehouse in the south of the city. This man was Chijishe, the chief guard of the Turkic royal tent, who was with six of his elite Turkic soldiers at the time. This man's 'Iron Felt Body' martial arts had reached a state of perfection, making him difficult to harm with ordinary swords and knives. He was incredibly strong. Senior Sister Wen had to use some effort, combining the 'Soul-Stealing Colorful Robe' with the Heavenly Demon True Qi, to shock his internal organs and break his hard skills before she could subdue him."

Wen Caiting sat on the brocade stool, breathing slightly heavily. Upon hearing this, she managed a weak smile on her pale face, as if she wanted to say something, but the movement aggravated her wounds, causing her to frown again.

Danmei continued, "After capturing the target, my subordinate and Senior Sister Wen agreed to meet at the abandoned temple in the west of the city and return together. However, on our way back to the Governor's Mansion after meeting, we were suddenly ambushed by this person while passing through a secluded alley!"

Her finger suddenly pointed at the last man, dressed in dark red:

"This person's method of concealing their presence is extremely skillful, actually deceiving both my and Senior Sister Wen's spiritual senses. They lurked in the shadows of the alley wall, and suddenly attacked when we passed by! Their target was Chiji She, who was being held captive by Senior Sister Wen, seemingly intending to kill them to silence them!"

"This person's martial arts style is bizarre and ruthless, his movements are like a ghost, and his palm strike contains a scorching and vicious foreign fire energy, which is incredibly powerful. In the heat of the moment, Senior Sister Wen took a hit from him and his fire energy invaded her shoulder blade. I fought with him for several rounds. Although his skills are strange, he is no match for the two of us working together. He was quickly injured by my Xuanbing Finger Force, which sealed his meridians."

At this point, Danmei's tone shifted subtly, carrying a chilling anger:

"In the end, this fellow actually used a wicked technique, instantly detonating his own essence and true energy with great power. Elder Wen was unable to dodge in time while protecting the prisoners and was injured by the flames and violent true energy generated by his self-destruction."

Danmei's narration was concise and cold, but everyone could already imagine the perilous scene at the time. A master-level expert risked his life to self-destruct, the power of which was enough to threaten strong people of the same level or even higher. Wen Caiting was also distracted by protecting important prisoners, which was truly not a fault of her own.

After listening, Yi Huawei's gaze fell on Wen Caiting's pale and weak face and her charred and damaged left arm. He slowly stood up from the main seat, stepped down the steps, and came to Wen Caiting.

"Keep your head up."

Wen Caiting raised her head slightly as instructed, and met Yi Huawei's deep and peaceful gaze. The anxiety caused by the mission going wrong and the pain caused by her injuries were inexplicably calmed down a bit.

Yi Huawei extended his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together, the tips of which faintly glowed with a warm, jade-like blue light. He gently touched Wen Caiting's smooth forehead between her eyebrows.

The moment her fingertips touched the ground, Wen Caiting's delicate body trembled slightly.

She felt a vast, pure, and gentle warm current, like the early spring sun melting the snow, or like sweet rain nourishing the parched earth, surging in from the Zuqiao acupoint between her eyebrows and instantly flowing through her limbs and meridians!

Wherever the true energy passed, the meridians within her body, which had been in disarray due to the impact, felt as if they were being gently smoothed and repaired by an invisible hand, leaving a tingling, incredibly comfortable sensation. The scorching heat lurking in her meridians, the foreign true energy that had been constantly eroding her vitality, was like ice meeting boiling water before this life-giving true energy—it was quickly neutralized and melted away, no longer able to cause the slightest harm.

The burning pain in my left arm and left side of my body, as well as the sluggishness caused by the internal energy conflict and damaged meridians, subsided rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye. In its place was a warm and comfortable feeling, as if I were soaking in a warm spring, and every cell was joyfully absorbing this life energy.

The shocking redness, blisters, and broken skin on his arms, nourished by the vital energy of longevity, visibly changed from dark red to normal flesh color. The blisters subsided, the broken areas scabbed over, and one could even feel new granulation tissue gently wriggling and growing! Beneath the charred sleeve, the wounds were healing rapidly!
What shocked Wen Caiting even more was that this life-giving energy not only healed her injuries but also seemed to be nourishing her very essence. She felt that the vital energy and spirit she had lost due to the intense battle and injuries were rapidly recovering, even becoming more abundant than before she was injured! Her cultivation of the Heavenly Demon Art, which had stagnated for a long time and was even difficult to advance due to her age and some hidden injuries left from her early cultivation of demonic arts, was now showing faint signs of loosening!

All of this happened in the span of a few breaths as Yi Huawei lightly touched her brow.

"Thank you so much, Alliance Leader!"

Wen Caiting's voice trembled slightly, not with her usual coquettish pretense, but with heartfelt gratitude and reverence. She wanted to bow in respect, but was held back by the gentle strength emanating from Yi Huawei's fingertips, unable to kneel.

Yi Huawei withdrew his finger, the bluish halo at its tip quietly fading. He glanced at Wen Caiting's now-rosy complexion and her eyes, even more luminous than before, and nodded slightly.
"The slight fire poison and strange energy are no longer a major problem. The skin and flesh wounds will heal within three days and will not affect your activities or cultivation. I have replenished your depleted true energy. Go back and meditate for half a day, which will be beneficial."

Wen Caiting subconsciously moved her left arm and found that the excruciating pain and stiffness had completely disappeared, leaving only a slight itch from the growth of new flesh. The flow of her internal energy was smooth and free, even more refined and concentrated. She felt the changes within herself in disbelief, her heart filled with overwhelming shock!
Just how unbelievable is the Alliance Leader's cultivation? Such a severe injury was almost completely healed with a casual touch from him! This is beyond the realm of medicine or cultivation techniques; it's practically the work of a legendary immortal!
This scene, witnessed by everyone in the hall, gave them a new understanding of the unfathomable depth of their leader.

The severely injured Wen Caiting recovered completely with just a few gestures from the Alliance Leader, and was even in better condition than before! What kind of mysterious and unpredictable divine skill is this?
Civil officials such as Song Lu and Xu Xingzhi looked amazed, while military generals such as Wang Bodang and Su Dingfang were also deeply moved.

With such a leader, how can we not achieve great things?

Yi Huawei's gaze had already shifted to the three people kneeling on the ground. He lingered on the curled-up man for a moment, his eyes deep, as if he were reading the secrets hidden beneath the man's skin.

The man initially managed to maintain his manic yet calm smile, but under Yi Huawei's gaze, which seemed to see right through his soul, the curve of his lips gradually stiffened, and the calm in the depths of his eyes began to ripple. In the end, he could no longer maintain it and subconsciously avoided eye contact.

"Scorching and vicious, condensed as a needle, it penetrates the meridians and corrodes the veins, and at the last moment it can detonate its own essence and true energy, turning into a raging inferno, to perish together with the enemy..."

Yi Huawei spoke slowly, his voice clear and calm, yet each word struck the heart of the man in the red robe.

"Such a strange and domineering fire energy, such a resolute and ruthless style... If I am not mistaken, you should be the 'Five Bright Sons' under the 'Great Bright Sect' who are active in the grasslands and the Western Regions—the Wonderful Fire Bright Son, Yang Mo."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man in the red robe suddenly raised his head. The eerie smile he had been forcing onto his face instantly collapsed, replaced by a look of horror and disbelief as if he had seen a ghost. His pupils contracted sharply, and his body even trembled slightly from extreme shock.

"You...how did you know?! Who are you?!" (End of Chapter)