The Unrivaled Tang Sect

Nan Qiuqiu looked very depressed as she exited his spectral demiplane.

Huo Yuhao smiled as he asked, “What’s wrong, Qiuqiu?” 

Nan Qiuqiu looked at the weather outside and said, “Surely this isn’t the second day already, right?”

Huo Yuhao shrugged.

Nan Qiuqiu snorted and said, “What’s so impressive about bullying me? Your spiritual power is just a little stronger. There’ll be a day where I’ll surpass you.”

When she said that last sentence, she didn’t seem to have any confidence at all.

Huo Yuhao didn’t mock her. He only smiled and said, “I’m waiting for that day to come. How’re you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?”

Nan Qiuqiu snorted and replied, “No. I’m great. For someone who doesn’t know how to appreciate beauty, hmph!”

Huo Yuhao shook his head helplessly. He didn’t try to explain himself either. He believed that Nan Qiuqiu would understand his intentions in the future.

“Let’s go. I’ll bring you back to your sect.” After he finished speaking, Nan Qiuqiu started walking out, but Huo Yuhao stopped her and took her somewhere to eat first. After eating, they checked out of the inn and came to the streets of Dragon City.

Nan Qiuqiu was very familiar with Dragon City. After making turns within the city, they came to the center of the city, facing north. She looked to the street sides and corners of the walls. Evidently, she was still displeased with Huo Yuhao, and refused to acknowledge him.

Huo Yuhao stayed very quiet as he followed her.

After walking for some time, Nan Qiuqiu’s eyes brightened. She stopped in front of a textile shop and twisted her head to Huo Yuhao before gesturing towards him. “Quick, come.”

Huo Yuhao hurried forward and entered the shop behind Nan Qiuqiu.

It was a little empty in the shop. Perhaps it was because it was still morning, and they had just opened up. There was a shopkeeper at the counter, and two workers outside.

Seeing Nan Qiuqiu, the shopkeeper appeared to know her. His eyes brightened and he rushed over. After taking a few glances, he whispered, “Young mistress, you’re finally here!”

Nan Qiuqiu also lowered her voice and asked, “Where’s my mother?”

The shopkeeper answered, “She’s in the back. This is?” He was doubtful as he looked at Huo Yuhao.

Nan Qiuqiu replied, “He’s my friend. My mom knows him. Bring us to see her.”

“Yes.” The shopkeeper led both of them to a small door and proceeded towards the back yard of the shop.

Huo Yuhao thought to himself. The foundation of the Earthdragon Sect is so deep in this city. It’s not easy for the Sun Moon Empire to chase them away.

Nan Shuishui had just finished her breakfast, and was basking in the sun in the backyard. Seeing that Huo Yuhao and Nan Qiuqiu had arrived, she was delighted. She smiled as she received them.

“Elder Nan.” Huo Yuhao greeted her with a bow.

Nan Qiuqiu stood at one side and shouted, “Good kid!”

Nan Shuishui glared at her daughter. “How can you take such advantage of him? Don’t be so mischievous.”

Nan Qiuqiu laughed cheekily, and her displeasure at Huo Yuhao seemed to disappear.

Huo Yuhao lowered his voice and said, “Elder, how is the situation in Dragon City? I heard that the soul master sects in the city have been taken away by the Sun Moon Empire?”

Nan Shuishui sighed and said, “It was too quick. In just a few months, the Sun Moon Empire has already occupied this city. Their powers are beyond our imagination! You’re right. Most of the large sects in Dragon City, apart from us, have been forced out of Dragon City. The rest have been taken away. The Sun Moon Empire has performed a clean sweep of the soul master sects in the city. However, it’s fortunate that they’ve not done anything to the people. This is the reason why we’ve been able to preserve some of our resources. I’m sure there are others who are still here, but have yet to reveal themselves.”

Huo Yuhao furrowed his brow slightly and said, “I wonder what the Sun Moon Empire is planning by taking away so many of the soul master sects.”

Nan Shuishui laughed coldly and said, “What else can they want? They’ll probably tempt them to join them. If it’s not possible, they’ll just kill all of them. There are only two possibilities. There’ll be those who are cowardly and afraid of death. I heard that the Sun Moon Empire added two more soul engineer legions after occupying the Heavenly Soul Empire’s territories. These two soul engineer legions were divided and sent to the original soul engineer legions. The soul engineers in these legions are equipped with basic soul tools and have become part of their fighting forces. This Sun Moon Empire is really devious. Those who lack backbone also deserve to be killed!”

They were fueling the war through what they’d won from the war! After Huo Yuhao listened to Nan Shuishui’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness. After the Sun Moon Empire started its invasion, he felt that their strategy was flawless, and they completely had the upper hand.

From the initial feint attack on the Star Luo Empire to restraining them during the massive invasion of the Heavenly Soul Empire to the series of targeted strategies later on, the Sun Moon Empire had achieved the greatest advantage in the shortest period of time.

Marshal. Are those strategies devised by that marshal mentioned by the mayor? I didn’t expect Xu Tianran to have such a powerful figure under him. I wonder what kind of clash will occur when we face him on the battlefield in the future.

Nan Shuishui said, “Since you’re here, let’s exploit the opportunity that there aren’t many Sun Moon Empire soldiers here right now and get things done. Come on, I’ll bring you there.”

“Alright.”

Nan Shuishui dressed herself up and put on a bamboo hat with a veil before leading both of them out of the shop. She proceeded in a northerly direction.

Nan Qiuqiu whispered to Huo Yuhao beside her, “Before Dragon City was occupied, the Earthdragon Sect occupied the city’s north, and the Heavenly Dragon Sect occupied the city’s south. We’ve never touched each other. The Heavenly Dragon Sect is more powerful. Their sect leader is even a Titled Douluo. I’m not sure what their situation is right now either.”

Nan Shuishui turned her head to Nan Qiuqiu and said, “Speaking of it, I’m really in awe of Old Tianlong. When the Sun Moon Empire’s troops arrived, that old fellow led his sect to defend the city along with the Dragon City Defense Army. I heard he killed many enemies. After the city was breached, the Heavenly Dragon Sect suffered massive losses, and Old Tianlong died in battle. I heard Yu Tianlong disappeared, but I’m not sure where.”

After hearing Nan Shuishui’s words, Huo Yuhao and Nan Qiuqiu were both in awe too. Someone who defended the city until the very last moment deserved massive respect. If Yu Tianlong had run away, it meant that the lineage of the Heavenly Dragon Sect could still be carried on.

Nan Shuishui said heavily, “I have been fighting Old Tianlong for my entire life, and have always been restrained by him. I didn’t expect him to die earlier than me. The Heavenly Dragon Sect has been half wiped out, while the remaining ones have been taken away. The hateful thing is that there were a few sects that secretly surrendered to the Sun Moon Empire. If they didn’t open the city gate, things wouldn’t have…”

Nan Shuishui turned more and more grim as she finished speaking.

Nan Qiuqiu rushed forward a few steps and grabbed her hands. “Mom, we’ll avenge Uncle Heavenly Dragon one day in the future. Your actions were right. We can’t fight the Sun Moon Empire given our strength. It’s only through surviving that we can take revenge in the future. Uncle Tianlong is sometimes too stubborn. If he were willing to listen to you and move to Shrek City, he wouldn’t have…”

“Shut up!” Nan Shuishui shouted, and Nan Qiuqiu was stunned in place.

Nan Shuishui looked very strict as she said, “He wasn’t being stubborn. He just couldn’t give up the city. Dragon City is the place where the Heavenly Dragon and Earthdragon Sects were established. I couldn’t lead the Earthdragon Sect to fight the enemy along with the Heavenly Dragon Sect, and I’m very guilty over that. Unless I can avenge him one day, the Earthdragon Sect can never lift its head in front of the Heavenly Dragon Sect again. I already regret my decision. If I had known, I would have been willing to fight to the death with the Old Tianlong.”

When she was done, her eyes filled with tears and she clenched her fists.

Huo Yuhao sighed silently when he sensed Nan Shuishui’s deadly aura. Seeing that the city where her sect had been established had been sacrificed, and her old friend and foe had died in battle, Nan Shuishui must be feeling very down.

“Elder Nan, we’ll get Dragon City back. Elder Tianlong was a hero of Dragon City, and so are you,” Huo Yuhao said sincerely.

Nan Shuishui lowered her head slightly and gently shook it. She didn’t say anything else, and turned around before continuing to walk ahead.

Nan Qiuqiu stuck out her tongue and looked scared. Her mother was normally very nice to her, hardly ever so strict.

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After passing streets and alleys, an extremely large courtyard appeared in their vision. After seeing this courtyard, both Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu seemed to be very sad. Undoubtedly, this was the Earthdragon Sect.

There were seals all over the gate of the Earthdragon Sect, but no one was guarding it.

“Mom, there shouldn’t be too many guards in the city. Why don’t we kill them and snatch Dragon City back?!” Nan Qiuqiu said hatefully.

Nan Shuishui glared at her and said, “How is it so simple? If the Sun Moon Empire dared to put so few guards in the city, they must have their reasons. There’s another announcement on the noticeboard at the side. If any soul master dares to revolt, they’ll kill all the soul masters they took from Dragon City. If this wasn’t the case, do you really think I would have waited until now?”

“Scoundrel!” Nan Qiuqiu shouted furiously.

Nan Shuishui’s eyes turned cold. Seeing that there wasn’t anyone around looking at them, she nodded to the other two before drifting up, and entered the sect first.

Huo Yuhao tugged Nan Qiuqiu’s sleeves before they followed Nan Shuishui.

It was a mess inside the Earthdragon Sect. Many areas had been damaged. There were broken walls all around. Evidently, the place had been ransacked.

Nan Qiuqiu hadn’t returned in a long time. Upon seeing the condition of the place, her eyes turned red, and she wanted to turn around and rush off. Nan Shuishui grabbed hold of her, but it took some effort to restrain her.

“We need to take care of business. Yuhao was right. We’ll come back one day.”

Nan Shuishui led both of them to the backyard of the Earthdragon Sect. It was a huge garden, now in ruins. When the Sun Moon Empire’s troops searched the place, the garden was badly damaged. It would be difficult for it to return to its former look in the future.

Nan Shuishui shut her eyes in torment as she saw all this. The Earthdragon Sect’s legacy had been passed down for more than a thousand years, but it died in her generation. Undoubtedly, she was in great pain right now.

However, she didn’t stop. She led the two of them to the depths of the backyard, where there was a well.

Huo Yuhao was slightly moved as he came closer and closer to the well. He could sense subtle movements from the Ice Empress, and she wanted to be released. There seemed to be something very attractive within the well.

“It’s here. This is a cold spring, with concentrated spiritual energy. It’s very nourishing for soul masters. However, only the sect leaders of the Earthdragon Sect know about this. At the bottom of this spring, there is actually a cave. However, we’ve isolated it from the well using some mechanisms. Inside that cave, there are many exotic mineral stones. 

“The temperature inside the cave is too low. Even our ancestors that were Titled Douluo couldn’t stay inside it for long. Our ancestor managed to mine a small stone once. It contained a strong ice-type aura inside.

“It also seemed to be a metal. This is why our ancestors believed that there is a mine inside this cave, a mine that contains an ice-type metal. As to its standard, we have no clue.”

After finishing, Nan Shuishui looked at Huo Yuhao and said, “Yuhao, your martial soul is of Ultimate Ice. You should be able to survive in this cave. If the stones below are of use to you, try to mine them. After all, we won’t be back here any time soon. Just take it as our contribution to the Tang Sect. The Tang Sect has been very good to us in Shrek City. I hope we can work together more closely in the future.”

“Thank you, elder.” Huo Yuhao didn’t stand on ceremony. Although the ice spring was a barrier, he could clearly sense that the stuff in the cave was indeed useful to him.

Nan Shuishui told him how to open the cave in detail before saying, “Go on down. I’ll guard this place with Qiuqiu. Don’t force it. Although you possess an Ultimate Ice martial soul, I was almost frozen when I tried to go down for even just a few seconds. The temperature below is simply too low. It doesn’t seem like a human can handle it.”

“Alright.” Huo Yuhao acknowledged her words. Nan Shuishui wouldn’t warn him without reason. Naturally, he wouldn’t be careless.

After slightly adjusting his own state, he gestured to both Nan Shuishui and Nan Qiuqiu before drifting up and dropping into the well.

The moment he entered the well, a sinister cold breeze swept over him. However, the cold could only serve to strengthen Huo Yuhao. Even without unleashing his martial soul, he wasn’t affected at all.

However, for safety’s sake, Huo Yuhao still unleashed his Ice Jade Empress Scorpion before entering the well, and used the Ice Empress’ Armor. As a layer of diamond ice crystals covered his body, he sank deep into the spring.