Power's been out until now……
Nothing more to say — say too much and it's all tears……
*********************
The fierce battle raged on.
The Seven Great Families' allied army suffered heavier losses with each passing moment. The nine Blood Guards — all at the ninth level of the Shenyou Realm, having activated the Tyrant Blood Frenzy — had become the greatest barrier preventing them from conquering Yang Kai's estate.
Clash after clash, locked in unrelenting bloodshed, they still could not force these nine to retreat.
The nine of them, paired up with two per group, were able to pin down the warriors of an entire Great Family. The remaining one, Shadow Nine, guarded Yang Kai's side at all times, cutting down any enemy who dared approach him.
Ye Xinrou's and Gao Ranfeng's expressions shifted.
The Blood Guards' Tyrant Blood Frenzy was lasting far longer than expected this time. According to the intelligence they had gathered, the Yang Family Blood Guards' forbidden technique could endure for at most a little over half an hour.
But that time had long since passed, and the nine Blood Guards showed no signs of qi and blood depletion. If anything, they fought with growing ferocity.
Only now did everyone realize that the Yang Family's position at the head of the Eight Great Families for so many years was not without reason.
They were all powerhouses from supreme families, yet the Seven Great Families' alliance could do nothing about the nine Blood Guards. Frustration and fury mounted.
Within the battlefield, Yang Kai observed the situation ceaselessly.
While the nine Blood Guards were formidable beyond measure and the Earth Demon was no less impressive, the Shenyou Realm cultivators on his estate were dwindling in number. This gradual reduction would significantly affect the course of the battle.
Ling Taixu and Meng Wuya had not yet intervened. Yang Kai understood why — once the two of them entered the fray, matters could spiral beyond anyone's control.
Within the War City, they were far from the only supreme experts.
Yang Kai especially did not want the two of them to act now. They were better suited as a deterrent presence.
In a battle like this, no one could predict the outcome until the very end.
A pure white figure flashed in from the side. Sensing a warm and familiar aura, Yang Kai immediately retreated to join up with her.
Turning his head, he saw that Su Yan had already charged out.
"Qiu Yimeng is fine now. She's resting." Su Yan said softly.
Yang Kai nodded.
"I'll help you."
"Good!"
Su Yan had never intended to take part in this battle, but the enemy's numbers were overwhelming and they were closing in fast. Besides, Yang Kai had already made it clear that this was no longer a struggle for succession. There was no way she could just sit still. After settling Qiu Yimeng in a safe place, she rushed over immediately to join the fight.
She was not alone. Four of Lingxiao Pavilion's Elders had come with her. Their strength was nothing to scoff at either, and once they entered the fray, they quickly secured several localized advantages for their side.
Su Yan produced the mysterious-grade mirror Artifact. A bone-piercing chill radiated outward in an instant. True Essence surged into it, and towering snow-white peaks flickered into view across the mirror's surface—a world of silver-white and frost, its cold almost palpable.
Light burst forth, and a massive barrier suddenly descended, sealing over a dozen powerhouses from the seven great families within its dome.
Kang Zhan's eyes went wide with terror. "It's that Artifact!" he cried out.
Just over ten days ago, four peak Shenyou Realm experts from the Nan and Xiang families had been trapped inside this very Artifact and frozen solid into ice sculptures. Seeing this scene again sent a fresh wave of dread crashing through Kang Zhan.
"What's so special about this Artifact?" Ye Xinrou asked urgently.
Kang Zhan's expression turned grave, and he recounted everything he knew in a steady stream.
As she listened, the color drained from Ye Xinrou's pretty face. Beside her, Gao Rangfeng and Meng Shanyi wore equally grim expressions.
Who could possibly break through an Artifact this powerful?
Even as they spoke, the barrier blanketing the earth suddenly shattered, and two figures walked out from within. Everyone squinted for a closer look, and sure enough, their suspicions were confirmed—it was Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Meanwhile, every powerhouse who had been caught inside the barrier had been turned into an ice sculpture. They stood frozen in place, their bodies twisted into all manner of bizarre poses, their fate unknown.
The entire ordeal had lasted no longer than the time it took to finish half a cup of tea.
And it wasn't over yet. Having just dispatched over a dozen experts, Su Yan poured her True Essence into the mirror once more. Under the horrified gazes of Ye Xinrou and the others, a new barrier took shape—identical to the one before.
This time, another dozen or so fighters were sealed inside.
"Impossible!" Ye Xinrou screamed. "An Artifact like this consumes an enormous amount of True Essence to activate! Even at the Shenyou Realm, she can't possibly use it twice in a row!"
With her own strength alone, Su Yan truly could not have pulled it off twice. Had she tried, she would have drained her True Essence completely, and even if she managed to trap her enemies, she'd have no way to deal with them—ending up captured inside the barrier herself.
But she had Yang Kai at her side, and the two of them practiced the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Art.
True Essence flowed ceaselessly between them, an endless stream. At this level of expenditure, Su Yan could still bear it.