Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 337 - 317: Guang Yuan... Duke Guangyuan! [3rd Update!]

Star Shining Floating City.

Duke Lorrel, the 'Death Spirit Guardian,' Duke Toynbee, the 'Absolute Judge,' Duke Doyle, the 'Alchemy and Potion Master,' and Duke Blake, the 'Illuminator,' gathered together.

Below them.

A mage cast spells, illuminating six scenes—

An endless swamp where countless Abyss Creatures ran amok. They flattened hills, leveled forests, their might shaking the earth and sky. Crossing the swamp, they then divided into five paths.

The first path.

Ugly yet strong Giant Trolls, armed with clubs and crossbows, charged headlong towards the land of flames.

Mighty mountains rose up, blocking their way.

A Human Clan warrior clad in a fiery red magic robe, wielding a magic wand, stood at the forefront, commanding human warriors and mages. Clashing with the Giant Trolls, they engaged in brutal slaughter.

The second path.

Iron Ridge Dwarves with fiery blood coursing through their veins brandished weapons, howling as they stormed the valley where fierce winds roared.

Cliffs and precipices formed natural barriers.

The Centaur Clan stationed here controlled the Gale, striking fiercely at the Iron Ridge Dwarves. Gale and flesh collided, swords and hammers intertwined, the earth shattered.

The third path.

The Dead Soul army was eerily silent. Bone Dragons, Skulls, Ghouls, Death Knights walked the land, proceeding in a deadly, silent massacre.

The cold East Spring Forest, watchtowers stood tall.

Dark Night Elves moved through the shadows, relying on potions and magic devices to strike silently. Suddenly, Fierce Fire ignited, and then Cold Rain fell. They spun a dazzling tale of assassination.

The fourth path.

Led by the Fear Demon King, surrounded by swirling swarms of putrid insects. Behind and beside him, dozens of powerful Abyss Demons crushed mountains and rivers with their thunderous march.

In the Land of Light Trace, Holy Light shone everywhere.

Thousands of the Feather Clan soared through the skies, chanting in midair. Beams of Holy Light rained down, dispelling all darkness and evil. The Fear Demon King roared in anger, Hellfire swept across the sky, forcing the Feather Clan to desperately dodge.

The fifth path.

Leading the charge was the Black Flame Fox, followed by Hell Illusion Foxes, Sheep Demons, Hellhounds, and other powerful demons. Storms raged, evil pervaded.

The lake water was clear, echoes unceasing.

The 'Echo Lord' guarding Echo Lake, leading a host of Grey Elves, flung open the gates, welcoming the Black Flame Fox and its cohort into Echo Lake. They pushed ahead boldly, then dispersed in all directions, aiming to attack from both inside and out, assisting the other four paths to breach the defenses.

Slaughter filled the sky.

The situation was grim.

"The Echo Lord has led the Grey Elf tribe in rebellion and joined Augustine!"

Duke Doyle furrowed his brows.

The Fadir Swamp once acted as a boundary, with the Five Great Passes serving as fortifications sufficient to keep Duke Jingji's Abyss Army at bay. But with the death of Duke Se Ya, and the purging of the Grey Elves before an appropriate response could be made to the forces at Echo Lake…

War erupted.

The Grey Elf army at Echo Lake had already defected.

"Damn it!"

"Have the Grey Elves already forgotten how they were persecuted by Abyss Demons, their homes shattered, and how they were given refuge by Star Shining Floating City?!"

Duke Toynbee brandished his Blade of Judgment, his face full of rage.

The feeling of betrayal by a trusted comrade was something Duke Toynbee hadn't tasted in a long time.

"Complaining is useless."

Duke Lorrel was the calmest, "With the loss of Echo Lake, the Abyss Army will enter from here. Firewing Crossing, Winter Spring Watch Tower, Rift Wind Valley, and Light Trace will all be threatened. We need to send reinforcements quickly."

If all the Five Great Passes were breached, Star Shining Floating City would face the fiercest onslaught from the Great Rift Valley's Abyss Army.

By then.

Countless homes would be broken.

Numerous citizens would die in the chaos of war.

Duke Lorrel could not bear the thought. Defending against the enemy from outside was the most urgent matter at hand.

"But."

"Who knows if the reinforcements we send won't become a second Echo Lake garrison?"

Duke Blake's gaze lingered on the image of Echo Lake, his voice quiet and deep.

The temperature in the hall plummeted.

Duke Lorrel silent.

Duke Toynbee silent.

Duke Doyle silent.

Indeed.

Even one of the five highest council members, Duke Se Ya, had rebelled, even the Grey Elves who had their homes destroyed by Abyss Demons and were taken in by Star Shining Floating City had defected.

In the whole of Star Shining Floating City, which army could truly be trusted?

War is not to be feared.

What's terrifying is the seed of doubt and mistrust sown within; without expending a single soldier, the enemy could dissolve the vast Star Shining Floating City from within.

Plunging into the bottomless Abyss.

Blake looked up, his gaze settling on Duke Doyle. Duke Doyle looked up and met Blake's eyes, his brow furrowed, not immediately grasping the meaning behind Blake's look.

As he was about to speak, suddenly—

At Light Trace.

The Feather Clan couldn't resist the Fear Demon King, were beaten back relentlessly, with many Feather Clan warriors and mages slain horribly. But just as the Fear Demon King and his Abyss Demons pressed on, they suddenly halted.

Roaring furiously.

Then turned tail and fled, withdrawing from Light Trace in an instant.

Winter Spring Watch Tower.

The Dead Soul army advanced, unstoppable. Dark Night Elves, once they engaged, were dragged into the light and killed on the spot. But just as the Dead Soul army kept advancing, they too suddenly stopped.

Silently raging.

Then turned tail and fled, evacuating East Spring Watchtower in an instant.

Rift Wind Valley.

Firewing Crossing.

Including Echo Lake.

Iron Ridge Dwarves, Giant Trolls, Black Flame Fox, and the treacherous Echo Lake garrison, all stopped their advance in that moment, turning around and fleeing.

Fadir Swamp.

Thousands of Abyss Creatures, at a pace far exceeding their arrival, retreated back to the depths of the swamp. Passing through the swamp, they continued to run to the west.

Star Shining Floating City.

Within the grand hall.

Dukes Lorrel, Toynbee, Doyle, and Blake, each with eyes wide or brows deeply furrowed, were all filled with confusion.

"Augustine—"

"Another conspiracy at play!"

Duke Toynbee's eyes bulged as he shouted loudly.

Doyle and Blake exchanged wary and puzzled looks.

Duke Lorrel's eyes twinkled with wisdom as he gazed towards the distant west. "The Thorny Rift Valley!"

...

Thorny Rift Valley.

Lu Qingfeng, clad in a green Daoist robe, held an eight-layered palace in his left hand and a Dan Book Iron Certificate in his right.

Around him,

The Zhu Rong Demon God manipulated the Twelve Flames Divine Flags, laying out the Fiery Fire Immortal Array that swept across all directions, lighting up the pitch-black Thorny Rift Valley as bright as day, restoring daylight.

The Ju Mang Demon God wielded the Green Wood King Ding, and the vines and plants around him grew wildly like they were before the monarch of wood, harvesting countless Abyss creatures attempting to return.

The Gonggong Demon God stood upon a black dragon, clutching a green python, stirring up ten thousand tons of Black Water from the Great Rift Valley, brewing boundless terror.

Qiang Liang, the Demon God of Thunder, brandished lightning, his majestic celestial might tearing through the sky, breaking through the darkness and evil.

Seventy-two Dutian Ghost Generals charged into battle, dominating the wind and clouds.

Three thousand six hundred Xuanming Yin Soldiers arrayed in formation, sweeping invincibly.

Lu Qingfeng was unmoved, standing amidst it all.

With Eight Sceneries Tower in his left hand, he captured layer upon layer of returning Abyss creatures, while his right-hand wielded the Dutian Xuanming Strategy like a dragon drinking water, drawing in the bodies and souls of the Abyss creatures killed above and below, heartily operating the Dutian Creation Pool. It turned them into endless Dutian essence, providing a ceaseless power source for the Yin Soldiers and Ghost Generals. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

One man, one force.

Firmly occupying the Thorny Rift Valley, each returning Abyss Army fell into Lu Qingfeng's grasp, either imprisoned or transformed into nourishment.

"Heaven!"

The four Dukes of the Star Shining Floating City rushed to witness this very scene—

A green-robed mage!

Washing the Thorny Rift Valley in blood!

...

"This—"

"This is Augustine's lair, with numerous Abyss creatures hidden deep within the Great Rift Valley. The Extreme Evil Thorns are dense, ensnaring any enemy warriors or mages who enter, devouring their flesh and souls."

"How could someone attack this place?!"

Duke Toynbee, looking at the Thorny Rift Valley being slaughtered and blood-washed, felt as if his world had been turned upside down.

Augustine, having repressed the Star Shining Floating City for thousands of years and considered highly likely to contend for the lordship of the Abyss First Layer, his den that he built over thousands of years was being massacred like this?

It wasn't just Duke Toynbee.

Lorrel, Doyle, and Blake were just as incredulous.

"That is—"

"Baron Guangyuan from the Watcher Nest?!"

Duke Lorrel observed the peculiar 'mage' in control of two 'magic instruments', recognized the robe on him, and for some reason, he immediately thought of the newly risen human lord who had recently survived divine retribution and with the aid of a peculiar magic instrument, subdued the Purple-eyed Bone Dragon.

But,

Having just survived divine retribution and ascended to lordship, at most he would have Viscount-level power. Only with that peculiar magic instrument and under specific conditions could he subdue the Purple-eyed Bone Dragon.

How could he possibly have the power to blood-wash the Thorny Rift Valley?!

Duke Lorrel shook his head, dismissing this absurd notion.

However,

When the man in the green robe turned around, a face both familiar and strange appeared before Duke Lorrel, and his shock turned into waves he could no longer suppress.

"It's him!"

"It's him?"

"It's him?!"

"Baron Guangyuan!"

All four Dukes exclaimed in unison, struck dumb and speechless.

Lu Qingfeng turned to look at the four figures approaching from afar. Recalling their identities from Defoe's memories, he smiled and nodded slightly towards them, "I am Guangyuan, pleased to meet the four Fellow Daoists from the Star Shining Floating City."

...

"Star Shining Floating City's Lorrel."

"Star Shining Floating City's Toynbee."

"Star Shining Floating City's Doyle."

"Star Shining Floating City's Blake."

Atop the Thorny Rift Valley, the four Dukes stood face to face with Lu Qingfeng at a distance, introducing themselves with respect.

Whether it was Lu Qingfeng's formidable strength or his act of destroying Augustine's den, they couldn't help but feel a deep sense of awe and gratitude.

"The Star Shining Floating City protects its people, and your merit is boundless. The four Dukes are renowned, and I've long admired you," Lu Qingfeng said with a smile to the four.

"Guangyuan... Duke Guangyuan."

Duke Doyle paused before addressing Lu Qingfeng, eventually using the title 'Duke.'

Destroying Augustine's den so boldly and with impunity, his power must be on par with the most distinguished Duke Lords.

He deserved the title of 'Duke Guangyuan.'

Seeing this rare Duke from among the Dark Night Elves beginning to speak, Lu Qingfeng grinned internally. This was the one who had, just a few days ago, sent his capable officers to the Watcher Nest to 'invite' him over—nearly falling victim to a scheme by Duchess Se Ya without realizing it.

Now face-to-face, without a hint of embarrassment—or even mentioning Defoe—he curiously asked, "The Thorny Rift Valley is Augustine's den. Augustine is evil and cunning; where did he end up going?"

"Where did he go?"

Lu Qingfeng looked surprised.

"Augustine rarely leaves his lair. After Duke Guangyuan's strike, when he returns he's sure to be spitting blood in fury!"

"I truly want to see Augustine frustrated and in a rage, it must be a sight to behold," said Duke Doyle, his voice carrying an unusual trace of flattery.

"Ha ha!"

"That might disappoint you, Duke Doyle," said Lu Qingfeng, instantly grasping Doyle's intent and laughing loudly. Seeing Doyle and the other three Dukes looking puzzled, he gestured and from the Eight Sceneries Tower, a phantom figure fell into the void.

Silver hair, silver eyes, a dignified face, wearing a black robe.

His body nearly transparent as mist and eyes filled with terror, flickering in the air as if ready to vanish at any moment.

Doyle and the others, upon seeing this, felt their breath catch.

Duke Toynbee pointed to the phantom spirit in the air and shouted—

"Augustine!"