There was no need for them to use their transcendence energy to hold out for too long. Since they dared to bring people here to set up an ambush, they must have made preparations.
The discipline of the Imperial Guards was commendable. With Ximen Wuye's command, the chaotic army quickly calmed down. They split into groups and set up an ambush. They dug a hole in the ground and hid underground, using a large number of defensive formations to defend themselves. Even though the demonic aura could sense the life force seeping into the ground and corroding the defensive formation, the energy they brought was enough to last them for a long time.
Outside, a few fire-type cultivators quickly restored the ground to its original state. They then left the area and ran to the distant mountains to hide as lookouts.
The main purpose of the army lying in ambush at the exit was to cut off Miao Yi's escape route, as well as to prevent any external reinforcements.
As for the rest of the troops lying in ambush, their main purpose was to ambush Miao Yi.
No one dared to underestimate Bull Heavenly King, who was famed for his prowess in battle. They were prepared to attack as soon as Miao Yi appeared, leaving no time for preparation. They had to kill Miao Yi in one strike, or else there would be no end to their troubles …
Inside the silent quarters, Xiahou Ta sat cross-legged on the stone couch with his eyes closed. Yan Xiu watched from the side.
The doors to the stone chamber opened, and Miao Yi strode in with Yun Zhiqiu and Yang Qing by his side.
Xiahou Ta's eyes were closed. Miao Yi walked up to him and said respectfully, "Heavenly Elder, what orders do you have for me?"
Xiahou Ta slowly opened his eyes and smiled with a cloudy gaze. He said with a weak voice, "I'm just a fish on the chopping block. How could I possibly have any orders? I have to leave now, and I won't be able to see my family. I can only meet Your Highness one last time.
Miao Yi naturally knew that it wasn't as simple as meeting him one last time. He asked, "Heavenly Elder, speak your mind."
Xiahou Ta chuckled. "What's the situation outside, and how is the Xiahou family doing?" He could only ask Miao Yi these questions. If he asked Yan Xiu, Yan Xiu wouldn't tell him anything without his orders.
Miao Yi said, "The overall situation hasn't changed much. The Xiahou family is basically the same as before, maintaining the same operations. However, Cao Man has risen to prominence. Under Master Qing's push, he has reverted to his original name, Xiahou Man, and officially entered the Heavenly Elder Manor. He is stronger than Xiahou Ling. The balance between the top and bottom is not bad! "
Xiahou Ta gave a bitter smile as he shook his head. "The balance is not bad, it was given by your highness. The Xiahou Family's influence in the light and dark has been clearly seen by your highness. The Council of Elders is also under your highness' control. If your highness didn't want him to be balanced, how could he be balanced?"
Miao Yi said, "Now that things have come to this, I'm sure the Albatross won't mind it too much."
Xiahou Ta said, "The Xiahou Clan rose up because of me, but it will also fall into eternal damnation because of me. I can only sigh about this. Man proposes, but God disposes. Your Highness should learn from this … it would be a lie to say that you don't have any worries. This old one would like to know how Your Highness will deal with the Xiahou Clan in the end."
Miao Yi was silent for a moment, then said bluntly, "Either you work for me, or you will be exterminated and uprooted!"
Xiahou Ta nodded slightly. "That is the truth. Then can you give this old one some face and let the Xiahou Clan live?"
Miao Yi shook his head. "I can't agree to that, because the choice is not entirely in my hands. It will depend on what the Xiahou Clan thinks in the end. If they are willing to submit to me, then I can consider it. If they are unwilling, then I'm afraid I won't be merciful!" At this point, there was no need for him to say any half-hearted lies. A man's words were always kind when he was about to die. It could be used on the dead, and it could also be used on the dead.
Xiahou Ta didn't force the issue. He took a step back and asked, "Then can you allow Xiahou Chengyu to die peacefully?"
Everyone in the room exchanged glances. Miao Yi's eyes flickered as he asked curiously, "Why does the Heavenly Elder treat the Heavenly Empress so kindly?"
Xiahou Ta sighed. "The Xiahou Clan has been in my hands for so many years. I may not have accomplished other things, but I have never done something like using my daughter's life as a form of marriage. Most of the time, I have met someone I like and married them willingly. I have never forced them. The Xiahou Clan's descendants have also enjoyed much wealth. Even if they die because of me in the end, I don't owe them anything. Only that lass Chengyu has suffered for so many years. This old one owes her, and I feel guilty. If this old one can still influence the Xiahou Clan, then naturally I will ensure that she dies peacefully. Now, this old one can only beg Your Highness!"
Miao Yi sighed. "Very well! I promise you that if there comes a day when I have the final say, as long as Xiahou Chengyu doesn't court death herself, I will do my best to ensure that she dies peacefully! Even if I do not have the final say in the end, I will also relay this request of the Heavenly Elder to the person who has the final say. I believe that person will also give the Heavenly Elder face. Can the Heavenly Elder rest assured? "
Xiahou Ta nodded his head in relief. He raised his eyes and asked, "I wonder if Your Highness has any chance of winning against the demonic monk?"
As he said this, Miao Yi furrowed his brows. "I won't hide it from you. The Blood Lotus has already fallen into the hands of the demonic monk. There hasn't been any movement from him for many years …" He explained the general situation.
"Hehe, it seems Your Highness still cannot help but be soft-hearted …" Xiahou Ta could not help but laugh bitterly. In the end, he sighed. "Nanbo is a genius in the path of cultivation, unparalleled since ancient times. The cultivation techniques he is involved in are extremely complicated. This is related to his experiences in his early years. His knowledge of various arts is unparalleled. Since he has already found the way to restore his physical body, based on his abilities in this area, there shouldn't be any mistakes. After so many years of inactivity, there is a high chance that his physical body has already recovered. And the reason why he was able to rise so quickly in his early years is because he has mastered a mystical art that allows him to absorb other people's cultivation and refine it for his own use. From what I know, in ten thousand years at most, his cultivation will definitely return to its peak! "
"Ten thousand years …" Miao Yi furrowed his brows. Yang Qing and the others also furrowed their brows as they calculated the time.
Xiahou Ta said, "The demonic monk is like a hidden dragon in the abyss right now. It's fine if he doesn't cry out, but once he does, he will definitely stir up a storm. Your Highness must be careful!"
Miao Yi saw that Xiahou Ta was a little unmoved, and couldn't help but ask, "I heard that the demonic monk can control reincarnation. Isn't Heavenly Elder worried?"
Xiahou Ta sighed. "Since things have already come to this, what use is there for me to worry? I don't have the energy, and it's not my turn to worry either. If he imprisons me into reincarnation and then pulls me back to settle the score, it might not be a bad thing if he can restore my memories. It's not like I don't have a chance of survival. I was able to knock him off his pedestal once, but who can guarantee that there won't be a second time? Hehe, in any case, the demonic monk is too heaven-defying. He will not be tolerated in this world. Since this demon can disrupt the great reincarnation cycle, I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to have a good ending. He will surely suffer the wrath of heaven. Even if we can't do it, someone who can deal with him will appear sooner or later! On the other hand, Your Highness, you must be wary of Master Qing! "
Miao Yi already knew that Master Qing wanted to kill him. He couldn't help but let out an 'oh' and politely asked, "Heavenly Elder, what do you think?"
Xiahou Ta closed his eyes, feeling a little weak. He gathered his energy and opened his eyes again. "The Primordial Dead Lands. Please be careful, Your Highness. There might be a calamity waiting for you!"
The Primordial Dead Lands? Everyone exchanged glances. They didn't know why Xiahou Ta specifically mentioned the Primordial Dead Lands. Miao Yi asked, "What do you mean?"
Xiahou Ta said slowly and weakly, "I know Master Qing too well. Your Highness's unclear relationship with the Xiahou family is enough to make Master Qing want to get rid of you as soon as possible. The fact that Your Highness is able to sit on the throne for so long can only mean one thing: Your Highness has a firm grasp on the southern army. The Princes are relying on each other and getting along quite well. With the support of the Xiahou family, it's unlikely that Master Qing can overthrow Your Highness on a large scale. If he can't do it on a large scale, then he won't give up on doing it on a small scale. Since Your Highness is still standing here, Master Qing must not be able to find a chance to make a move. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so courteous. It goes to show that Your Highness is usually heavily guarded when you go out, making it difficult for him to make a move. The security within the manor must be even tighter. After eliminating these possibilities, and with the southern army firmly under Your Highness's control, Your Highness should have the leisure to cultivate. If the Primordial Dead Lands is truly the most suitable place for Your Highness to cultivate, then I believe Your Highness has been going there for the past few years, right? The Primordial Dead Lands isn't a place heavily guarded. It's the perfect place to make a move. Master Qing must have had his eyes on it for a long time. "
Miao Yi said, "The Primordial Dead Lands are all under my control. If you want to enter the Primordial Dead Lands to assassinate me, you'll have to ask for my permission first. How can I let Master Qing do as he pleases?"
Xiahou Ta didn't try to defend himself, nor did he have the energy to do so. He muttered to himself, "The Primordial Dead Lands isn't a place for troops, so there won't be a large number of troops to protect Your Highness. However, Master Qing isn't sure of Your Highness's background in the Primordial Dead Lands, so it's unlikely that he'll only send his Shadow Guards in to assassinate you. Assassinating the Commanding Heavenly King of the southern army is no small matter. It wouldn't be wrong to say that failure is the only option. Hence, Master Qing will definitely send a large number of troops to carry out the mission. If there are any, then Your Highness must be more careful. It's very likely that Master Qing is waiting for an opportunity to act. Furthermore, it's unlikely that he'll be able to mobilize too many troops as it would be easy for others to notice. If there are too few troops, then he'll be afraid of failure. If the Prince wants to know if Master Qing has any ill intentions, it won't be difficult to find out. The Prince knows that there are some people from the Xiahou Family in the Imperial Guards. The Prince only needs to check the Left Military Supervisor under Commander Pojun to see if there are any people who have disappeared. The main point is to check if there are any trusted generals under Pojun who have not appeared for many years. Pojun will definitely send an important person to investigate. If there are any, the Prince must be more careful. Of course, I'm not sure about the situation outside. Perhaps the Shadow Guards are on another mission, but Your Highness should be aware of the situation outside. Whether or not the Shadow Guards have been deployed for a long time should not be able to escape Your Highness's eyes … I'm just saying a few words. Your Highness should just take it as a passing remark. There's no need to take it seriously! "
He said he was just saying a few words, but Yun Zhiqiu's eyes were already filled with uncertainty as he listened to him, as though he was thinking of something.
Miao Yi remained calm. Seeing that Xiahou Ta was already showing signs of extreme exhaustion after saying all that, Miao Yi immediately said a few polite words and told him to rest. Aside from Yan Xiu, everyone else left the room.
As soon as they left the silent quarters, Miao Yi's expression turned serious. He went straight to the study and sat down. After a long silence, he stared at the brush rack on the table and asked, "Is there still no news from the Shadow Guards?"
He was referring to his old subordinates in the Shadow Guards. Normally, they would keep in touch with each other regularly. However, five thousand years ago, they suddenly lost contact with more than a dozen of them at the same time.
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