Chapter 36: Crimson Night Sky

  "Damn Zhou Ling Wang, what a deep calculation!" Tang Yan slowly stood up, his solemn gaze sweeping over the dimly lit dense forest.

  "What are you doing! Sit down! You'll be discovered!" Elinda's face changed, and she hastily pulled at Tang Yan's sleeve.

  "They're here!" Tang Yan's eyes gleamed with a fierce light, and under the pale moonlight/dark forest, white figures darted back and forth, rapidly closing in on this location.

  "Something's happening! Protect the prince!!" The nearby guards of the palace, who were on high alert, woke up with a start, shouting loudly as they rushed towards the camp.

  "Who is this thief, daring to launch a surprise attack on me?" King Zhou's expression was cold and stern, his majestic voice echoing through the forest.

  "White robes? Could it be the group of people who ambushed the Academy initially?" Tang Qiang gazed intently into the depths of the dense forest, where those white figures darting about were somewhat conspicuous under the dappled moonlight.

  "That's right, it's them!" Du Yang woke up with a start, wearing a white shirt and a fierce mask, this outfit was all too familiar.

  "This king was worried that he couldn't find you, and now you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep!" King Zhou's spirit was slightly shaken, and he loudly bellowed: "Gao Song! Give these thieves a good lesson, remember to catch a few alive!"

  "Understood!!" With a single order from the leader of the Wangfu guards, Gao Song, more than 30 guards rushed out and collided head-on with the mysterious troops who were ambushing them tens of meters away. Gao Song himself had the cultivation of a Martial King, and all 30 guards were at the level of a Martial Ancestor. At this moment, their all-out explosion created a dazzling and wild momentum.

  Electric storms, blade tempests, powerful gravitational fields, and raging inferno storms plunged the silent forest into chaos and fury, awakening nearby slumbering beasts.

  "Hey, young masters and misses, come over here!" Tang Qiang called out to Tang Yan and the others. He found it a bit strange that Zhou Ling Wang had suddenly sent all his guards away, but considering that the two of them were at the Wu Wang level, he didn't think there was anything to worry about in terms of someone daring to provoke them.

  But...

  A massive rumble suddenly erupted in the dense forest ahead, dust swirling, wood chips flying everywhere, and a large number of palace guards screamed and retreated. Closely following, thousands of strong icy cones burst through the dusty curtain and shot out to cover the sky and earth.

  The temperature of heaven and earth suddenly dropped!

  "Is this a Frost-type martial skill?" Zhou Ling Wang's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he took a step forward. The air around him immediately surged, and in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a massive ice crystal barrier surrounding everyone.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!! The intense impact shook the ground violently, and the numerous ice cones shattered the crystal fence in an instant. However, Zhou Ling Wang's strength had already reached that of a second-tier Martial King, so although the crystal fence was destroyed, it successfully blocked these dense ice cones.

  "Zhou Ling Wang, you have committed a grave offense!!" Shattered ice shards filled the air as a swift and agile figure shot forth, its presence causing the surrounding temperature to plummet drastically.

  Close behind, a large number of white-clad men burst through the palace guards and killed their way in.

  The sudden change made Tang Ying and Du Yang secretly frightened, and they quickly moved closer to Tang Qiang.

  "Tang Yan, what are you standing there for! Hurry up and come over here!" Tang Qiang was about to blow his top, but found that Tang Yan was still standing in the distance without making a single move.

  "Tang Qiong uncle, let me tell you a joke!" Tang Yan suddenly shouted loudly.

  "Joke? You're the joke! Get over here quickly!" Tang Qiang was furious.

  "Assuming!!" Tang Yan suddenly roared, paused for a moment, and then shouted: "One of us has been colluding with this group of killers from the very beginning, or this group of killers is actually one of our own people. Then today's assassination attempt was just a pre-designed play! He has been using you all along, first to drive away the Giant Elephant Academy, and then to create today's chaos, using you to clear his name, taking advantage... to get rid of me, Elinda teacher, Tang Ying and Du Yang, because we four have all had direct contact with the White Robes, and any one of us might discover their true identities!"

  A subtle change appeared in the chaotic atmosphere, and even the old man who had come out of nowhere paused slightly.

  Zhou Ling Wang's face changed slightly, his eyes slowly turning cold: "Little guy, who is the protagonist in this joke?"

  "Of course it's our noble king!!" Tang Yan let out a low growl, and without hesitation, turned around and sprinted towards the dense forest: "Du Yang, Tang Ying, hurry up and escape! This hypocrite is going to kill us to silence us!"

  "Despicable thing, stay behind!!" The old man in mid-air suddenly waved his hand, and more than a dozen icy cones broke through the air, shooting towards Tang Yan and Eirinda like lightning.

  "Hmm!!" Tang Qiang let out a cold hum, her toes slightly exerting force, surging spiritual energy pouring into the ground. In an instant, the ground shook, magma burst forth, bursting open cracks and fissures, transforming into over ten fire pillars that shot into the sky, accurately shattering those ice cones.

  Zhou Ling Wang's face slowly sank: "Your family's young master lacks discipline, do you need me to help deal with him?"

  Tang Qiong took a deep breath and turned to look at Zhou Ling Wang: "What Tang Yan said was just a joke, right? Your Majesty!"

  "What's the difference whether it is or isn't? You and I are brothers, why bother with these things?"

  Tang Qiong's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, looking at Zhou Ling Wang with incredulity. Tang Ying and Du Yang stood not far away, neither of them took another step forward, their expressions also mixed with shock and fear, looking at Tang Qiong, then at Zhou Ling Wang, a chill spread from the inside out.

  The mastermind behind the scenes is actually Prince Wang? But... why did he lay hands on these children? What use are they to him?

  Zhou Ling Wang no longer concealed, his eyes fixed intently on Tang Qiang: "For the past six years, I've been waiting for you to come back and help me, but you couldn't make up your mind to leave the Tang family. Today, I'll give you a reason: either kill me or kill Tang Yan!"

  "Your Majesty, don't kill me."

  "Is this you? Or are you still doing it for your own good!! What benefits did the Tang family give you, that made you so devoted, was I unfair to you? Or is my Zhou Lingwang not as good as Tang Yanshan?"

  Tang Qiang didn't speak, his gaze towards Zhou Ling Wang becoming increasingly complex.

  "Don't hesitate, I'll decide for you! From today on, you're back by my side. Whether it's as the captain of the Imperial Guard or as the commander of a legion in the Hawk Group Army, the choice is yours. But today's news must not leak out even half a word!"

  Zhou Ling Wang was anxious in his heart. This capture operation was originally flawless and not particularly difficult, but unexpectedly, the Heng Sheng Giant Elephant Academy incident occurred, forcing him to personally come to the Mystic Forest. After much difficulty, he found an opportunity to turn things around, planning to use Tang Qiang to clear his own name, but didn't expect to be ruined by that kid Tang Yan.

  It seems that everyone has underestimated this crazy and silly second young master of the Tang family. Just from his performance just now, it is enough to illustrate his cleverness and decisiveness, which is almost unlike a 14 or 15-year-old boy!

  "Uncle Tang Qiong." Tang Ying called out cautiously, fearing that Tang Qiong would accept the invitation of Zhou Ling Wang.

  "Seize Tang Yan!" King Zhou Ling no longer waited and ordered the old man in mid-air.

  "Yes, Your Highness!" The old man glanced at Tang Qiang and swiftly turned around to chase after him.

  "I'm sorry, I can't do it." Tang Qiang's gaze suddenly cleared up, and a strong killing aura burst out, causing the ground within a hundred meters around her feet to shake violently. Cracks spread out in all directions, and hot air and red light spewed out from the fissures.

  "Zhuang Qiong!!" Zhou Ling Wang's expression suddenly turned cold, and he said in a chilly voice: "For the sake of a few little brats, you want to be an enemy of mine?"

  "I'm doing this for the Tang family, for the life-saving grace of Old Master Tang six years ago, and for the trust and nurturing I've received over these six years." Tang Qiang's empty steps shook the ground, each footfall causing the earth to tremble more violently, and some larger cracks began to spread outward with molten rock, while many trees ignited into fierce flames under the intense heat.

  "Great!! Great!!! Very good!!!" Zhou Ling Wang's anger turned to laughter, his expression becoming even colder: "Our six years of brotherly affection can't compare to Tang Yan's one-time accidental kindness! Tang Qiong, from today on, our bond is severed. Killing you would also allow us to fake the appearance of an ambush, and this matter would still be covered up."

  "Miss, hurry up!!" Tang Qiang didn't say another word, and with a sudden low growl, the ground within a hundred-meter radius suddenly erupted violently. Dense magma burst out, some shooting into the sky, others surging in all directions. In an instant, fierce flames scorched the night sky, burning down the dense forest.

  A surge of powerful force rushed towards Du Yang and Tang Ying, sending them flying into the distant dense forest.

  "I'll try you out and see how much you've grown in these six years!" Zhou Ling Wang tore open his sleeves, stepped into the air, and icy aura surged through the night sky, revealing the terrifying power of a second-stage Wu Wang.

  The majestic old man blocked from another angle, forming a sharp contrast between the icy air and Tang Qiang's fierce flame.

  Gao Song, the captain of the Wangfu guards, returned with a somersault, forming a triangular formation with the old man and Zhou Lingwang. As the Martial King, his body was surrounded by lightning, and the night sky above his head seemed to be affected, forming thick dark clouds. The thunder and lightning within were raging and surging, as if they could be triggered to strike down at any time.

  "Follow me to the end!!" Tang Qiang let out a loud roar, and the many floating magma suddenly gathered around him, forming a huge flame eagle shadow around his body, letting out a sharp scream towards the sky.

  "Icy Seal of Heaven and Earth!!" Zhou Ling Wang's body trembled slightly, as a powerful icy aura surged out like a tidal wave.

  "Crack Ice Technique!!"

  "Awesome!!"

  The old man Cang Sang and the towering Gao Ju burst out at the same time, with a deluge of icy cones and dense thunderbolts sweeping in, as the combined chill wave of Zhou Ling Wang's icy energy surged towards Tang Qiang.

  A fierce battle between the Wu Wang and his opponent erupted in mid-air, startling the demonic beasts within a radius of several dozen miles, while the terrifying clash of martial arts also instantly killed many palace guards who failed to dodge in time.

  Zhou Lingluo and others retreated in advance, leading the remaining Wang clan guards and fake ambushing white-clothed men to rush towards the dense forest as quickly as possible, forming a fan-shaped encirclement net to search for Tang Yan and Ailin Da!