Chapter 124: Infiltration

Two shadow figures moved with swift movement and arrived beside the walls of a building.

Su Qian silently gestured to Dai Yueheng with his hand.

"Young master, be ready."

Dai Yueheng nodded, closely following behind Su Qian, taking short and silent breaths, trying to erase his presence as much as he can.

As the eldest son of the White Tiger Duke, Dai Yueheng was taught by all kinds of teachers: combat, dancing, politics, warfare strategies, etc.

Su Qian was his combat instructor and he taught him almost everything that he knows, and as a high-ranking soldier that specializes in stealth and assassination due to his martial soul, he taught the eldest Dai son his stealth techniques.

Dai Yueheng closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, he began circulating the soul power within his body to enhance his senses and sharpen his focus. With Su Qian's guidance and his own training, he slipped into a state of heightened awareness, attuning himself to the surroundings with precision.

The two shadowy figures moved soundlessly along the walls, their movements coordinated and purposeful. Su Qian led the way, his instincts honed from years of experience guiding their path.

As they neared the entrance to the building, Dai Yueheng's heart pounded with anticipation. Although he went through many training practices with Su Qian, this was actually the first time he finally getting to use his stealth skills.

'Now I just have to hope that I didn't get rusty,' he thought, steeling himself for the challenges ahead.

Su Qian's silent reassurance gave Dai Yueheng the confidence he needed to push forward. With each movement, he focused on maintaining his stealth and minimizing any sound or disturbance.

As they reached the entrance, Su Qian motioned for Dai Yueheng to prepare himself.

"I'm seeing 7 Soul Ancestors and 1 Soul King in the courtyard. Young master, I'll take on the Soul King. Remember, no mercy to the enemies and..."

"As a tiger, sink your claws and teeth at your prey, always." Dai Yueheng's eyes flashed with a cold glint, soul power flowed around his hands and condensed into white glowing claws.

As a Soul Emperor, he could expel and condense his soul power to enhance his physical abilities. The gleaming claws formed from his soul power shimmered with deadly intent as Dai Yueheng prepared to unleash them upon his foes.

"Don't worry Uncle Su, they're just some 4-ringed trash. Getting rid of them will be easy."

Su Qian nodded in approval at Dai Yueheng's readiness, his own masked face betraying no emotion as he prepared to engage the Soul King. With a swift and calculated movement, he vanished into the darkness, his form blending seamlessly with the shadows.

Dai Yueheng took a deep breath, centering himself for the confrontation ahead. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, heightening his senses and sharpening his focus. Every muscle in his body tensed with anticipation as he braced himself for the clash to come.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"E-Enemy! An assassin has come!"

"Go support the lord Soul King!"

"Dammit! Why can't we get in touch with the outside yet?! Is it because of that strange light on the sky?"

Metal and metal clashed for a few minutes, causing a cacophony of noise to echo through the courtyard as Su Qian engaged the Soul King. A long halberd with intense wind blades met the dangerous dagger enveloped entirely in darkness.

It didn't even take a few moments before a blood curdling scream was heard, and the Soul King's head rolled.

"N-No, the lord Soul King-" As the Soul Ancestors stepped back in fear, a shadow flashed from behind them, Dai Yueheng spread his arms apart and his claws gleamed with a menacing light as he lunged forward, his movements swift and precise.

"Ahh!"

The Soul Ancestors barely had time to react before Dai Yueheng's claws tore through their defenses, leaving behind a trail of flesh and blood.

Flicking his claws to the side, Dai Yueheng stood up and nodded at Su Qian. Without any hesitation, they then sprinted into the building.

"Enemy attack!"

They barely took a few steps inside before a few people, a mix of Soul Ancestors and Soul Kings by the amount of their soul rings, confronted them, their faces contorted with shock and rage at the intrusion.

Dai Yueheng and Su Qian moved as one, their years of training and instinct guiding their every move. With a swift and coordinated assault, they engaged the enemies, their movements fluid and precise as they countered each attack with deadly efficiency.

Dai Yueheng's soul power surged through him, enhancing his strength and speed as he clashed with his opponents. His claws flashed in the dim light, leaving deep gashes in his enemies' flesh as he fought with relentless determination.

Beside him, Su Qian moved with silent grace, his movements like shadows dancing in the moonlight. With each strike, he incapacitated his foes with ruthless precision, his combat skills honed to perfection through years of training and experience.

Despite the odds stacked against them, Dai Yueheng and Su Qian fought with unwavering power and strength, their minds focused and their hearts set on their objective. With each enemy they defeated, they drew closer to their goal.

It also caused a sense of suspicion to grow within Su Qian.

As someone with many years of experience in the battlefield, he gained a sort of intuition when something didn't feel quite right. Amidst the chaos of battle, a nagging feeling gnawed at the back of his mind, like a shadow lurking in the corners of his consciousness.

'Just what is this ominous feeling I'm getting...?' he narrowed his eyes before shaking his head. They just have to get to the 3rd division then everything would be fine.

"Strange."

"Young master?" Surprised, Su Qian turned towards Dai Yueheng.

Although he didn't have as much knowledge and experience in this field compared to Su Qian, Dai Yueheng was no fool.

"These people... they don't look like people the academy would want to associate themselves with." Dai Yueheng muttered, cutting down charging soul ancestor. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the clothes they were wearing, and scoffed.

"Even when they want to do some... dirty dealings with unpleasant people, they wouldn't do it with weak people like them."

Su Qian looked down in deep thought and replied. "... If I have to guess, it might be because they don't want to deal with the consequences of torturing the 3rd division for information. No matter if they were trying to kill a student, the 3rd division are still the people of the duke. They might have hired these people as scapegoat."

"True... if the academy was truly afraid of the family," Dai Yueheng wryly smiled. Su Qian didnt understand, just how strong the academy was and that if they didn't stay neutral...

They would've ruled over the continent.

He let out a sigh. "No matter. What we need to do right now is to get the 3rd division and be done with all of this."

Su Qian nodded and turned his head, muttering. "Strange that the leader of this group haven't stepped in yet, or are they really that dedicated to defending the prisoners?"

As the last of their foes fell before them, Dai Yueheng and Su Qian stood victorious amidst the wreckage, their chests heaving with exertion but their spirits undaunted. With a nod of acknowledgement to each other, they continued deeper into the building, their mission far from over.

As they reached the basement of the building, they soon came face to face with a huge corridor and a group of five people at the end, guarding a thick iron door.

One of them, a middle aged man with a criss-cross scar across the lower left part of his face, stepped forward and cupped his hands with a barely restrained angry expression. "Your Graces, may I please know why you are going after my Moon Fang Gang? We shouldn't have any grudges..."

While Su Qian wanted to say silent, Dai Yueheng stepped forward with a snort. "Hmph! Why do you think we're here for?"

The Gang Leader gritted his teeth. "So, you're here for them... tch! I knew I shouldn't have accepted such a strange request." he spat and summoned out his martial soul, six soul rings: 2 white, 3 yellow and 1 purple, a pair of red demonic gauntlets engulfing his hands in flames. "If you want to get to them, you'll have to go through me first!"

Su Qian's gaze remained steady, his expression unreadable behind his mask. "We have no quarrel with you, stand back and we'll spare you."

"Bah! Who are you kidding?! By that kid's murderous eyes, you're planning on killing us all. Brothers, release your martial souls and show them how powerful we are!" The Gang Leader bellowed, his voice filled with defiance as he rallied his comrades to action.

Without hesitation, the other members of the Moon Fang Gang unleashed their martial souls, their aura radiating with power as they prepared to confront Dai Yueheng and Su Qian.

Dai Yueheng's eyes narrowed as he assessed their opponents. Despite the gang leader's bravado, Dai Yueheng could sense the fear lurking beneath his facade. These were desperate men, willing to fight to the death to protect their lives.

Su Qian remained calm and composed, his gaze flickering between their adversaries as he calculated their next move.

He sighed and stepped forward. "Young master, leave this to me. We don't have much time."

Dai Yueheng glanced at him and nodded, taking a step back.

Su Qian raised his arms, the lights in the basement began to slowly flicker out as his eyes began to glow. Dark soul power emanated out of his body, the shadows coalescing around him like a shroud of darkness. A breeze of wind blew over and soul rings arose beneath his feet: 1 white, 2 yellow, 3 purple and 1 black shimmered, before they all blended together with the shadows.

"Hiding in a place filled with limitless darkness, you've walked right into my domain," Su Qian's voice echoed ominously through the corridor, his presence commanding and formidable. "Prepare yourselves for the darkness that shall consume you."

His sixth soul ring lit up.

"Infinite Darkness"

With a swift movement, Su Qian lunged forward, his form becoming a blur as he vanished into the shadows. The members of the Moon Fang Gang watched in horror as Su Qian's dark aura enveloped them, suffusing the corridor with an oppressive sense of dread.

Before they could even make a move, they felt the darkness that surrounded began to close in on them, suffocating them.

"Ah! Ah! N-No, my lord, spare me!"

"Uggh... my love... I..."

"Ple-aaah! I have a child... ughn...! Yun'er, daddy is-aaaahhh..."

As Su Qian's dark powers engulfed the members of the Moon Fang Gang, their cries of agony echoed through the corridor, their bodies writhing in torment as they were consumed by the darkness.

Dai Yueheng watched in awe and horror as Su Qian's formidable abilities overwhelmed their enemies with ease.

The Gang Leader, his bravado shattered by the overwhelming darkness, fell to his knees, his fiery martial soul flickering weakly as he begged for mercy. But Su Qian's powers showed no mercy, the darkness swallowing him whole as he cried out in despair.

With each passing moment, the darkness grew stronger, its suffocating embrace crushing the remaining members of the Moon Fang Gang into submission. Dai Yueheng could only watch in silent awe as Su Qian's power manifested in its full, terrifying glory.

'It's only one realm difference, but the gap between us is like heaven and earth. Shouldn't I just let uncle Su do this by himself from the start?' Dai Yueheng's lips twitched.

As the last of their enemies succumbed to the darkness, Su Qian emerged from the shadows, his form wreathed in an aura of ominous energy. His mask betrayed no emotion as he turned to Dai Yueheng, his gaze unreadable behind its dark visage.

"Come, young master," Su Qian's voice was calm yet commanding. "Our task is not yet complete. We must press on."

Dai Yueheng nodded silently, his heart still racing from the intensity of the encounter.

Unbeknownst to him, Su Qian quickly hid his trembling arms from his view. He frowned, hidden by his mask.

'Shit. My old injuries are acting up again. Tch, tch. Just using my sixth soul skill has already strained my body this much. I can't let the young master see me weak like this.' Su Qian thought to himself, his mind racing with concern for his young master's safety.

With a deep breath to steady himself, Su Qian pushed aside his discomfort and focused on the task at hand. They still had a mission to complete, and nothing would stand in their way.

Arriving before the door, Dai Yueheng tugged on the handle a few times.

"...It's locked," he grumbled. "Uncle Su, step back. I'll-"

Su Qian shook his head. "Young master, I got the key."

Dai Yueheng raised an eyebrow in surprise as Su Qian produced a small, intricate key from within the folds of his clothing. With a flick of his wrist, Su Qian inserted the key into the lock and turned it with ease.

The heavy iron door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit chamber beyond. Su Qian motioned for Dai Yueheng to follow as they cautiously entered the room.

Inside, they found a the 3rd division, beaten and bruised, all chained up and hanging on the walls with all of their limbs.

Dai Yueheng and Su Qian frowned. The sight of the 3rd division members chained up and hanging on the walls sent a jolt of anger through them. It was clear that they had been subjected to torture and mistreatment, and their condition only fueled the duo's resolve to rescue them.

Without a word, Dai Yueheng moved forward, his expression hardened with determination.

"Eldest... young... master..." Impressively, one of the 3rd division members, the leader, woke up and weakly addressed Dai Yueheng, his voice hoarse from their ordeal.

Dai Yueheng's heart clenched at such a pitiful state. "Yes, it's me," he replied, his voice filled with determination. "We're here to get you out of here-"

"I'm... sorry..."

Dai Yueheng and Su Qian froze.

There was a moment of silence.

"... What did you tell them?" Dai Yueheng asked, head down and hands clenched.

"..." The leader of the 3rd division was silent.

"About my brother ordering a hit on a particular student...? Or about our army's most confidential information?"

"...Everything, eldest young master... Everyone of us... sung..."

Dai Yueheng sucked in a cold a breath.

'To force an elite Soul Emperor and a group of elite Soul Kings to confess... just kind of inhumane torture did they went through?!' Su Qian thought with a heavy heart, feeling like he aged up a few years.

It was horrible to see a fellow soldier under the same service succumb to such torment. Su Qian's fists clenched with restrained anger as he gazed at the battered members of the 3rd division.

Dai Yueheng let out a long breath of cold air, his hands trembling before he clenched them.

"... Uncle Su, get rid of them."

"Young master-!"

"Sir..." Just as Su Qian was about to protest, the 3rd division leader spoke. With a resigned smile on his face, he closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

With a heavy heart, Su Qian nodded silently, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew that sometimes, mercy was not an option in the face of such betrayal and treachery.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Su Qian approached the chained members of the 3rd division. Shadows swirled around his arm, and with a swift and decisive motion, he slashed down.

Only, to their surprise, the 3rd division people popped into smoke, shocking them both.

"W-What's going on here?!" Instantly, Dai Yueheng and Su Qian exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions filled with confusion and disbelief.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

"So little Yueheng was this ruthless..." An old female voice sounded from behind them, clapping. "You're going to break elder Yan's heart."

As Dai Yueheng and Su Qian turned around, they were met with the sight of an old woman standing in the doorway, her presence commanding and her expression inscrutable. She was clad in dark robes, her eyes gleaming with intelligence and power as she regarded them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

Following behind her were a few other people, the auras they were emanating showed that they weren't ordinary.

"E-Elder Lin?!"

Dai Yueheng's eyes widened, fear filled his entire body.

Elder Lin stepped forward, her gaze looked at Dai Yueheng was filled with utter disgust and contempt.

"Dai Yueheng, you and your brother have been found to have committed a truly heinous crime in the sacred lands upon this school: harming a schoolmate with the intent to kill and trying to erase the evidence!"

In the Soul Dueling Arena, Huo Yuhao opened his eyes and smirked.

.....

Blooper!

Elder Lin stepped forward, her gaze looked at Dai Yueheng was filled with utter disgust and contempt.

"Dai Yueheng, you and your brother have been found to have committed a truly heinous crime in the sacred lands upon this school: harming a schoolmate with the intent to kill and trying to erase the evidence! Therefore..."

Suddenly, a blue light emerged from behind Elder Lin, a strange weighing scale with the image of an anchor appeared, and a cane flashed into her hands.

Dai Yueheng paled.

"W-Wait! Wait, wait, wait! Elder Lin! Nononononono!"

There was a flash of blue light, enveloping the entire room in its oceanic glow.

"According to the judgement of the Oratrice Mecanique D'analyse Cardinale, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin are guilty! Both of them are to be punished via... the death sentence!"

Reality bended, as space around Dai Yueheng expanded outwards.

"No, young master-!" Su Qian was held back.

Dai Yueheng looked up, with wide fearful eyes, at the enormous sword hanging from above him.

Before he could do anything, the sword fell, and blood spilled.

In the Soul Dueling Arena, a similar scene occurred with Dai Huabin, shocking everyone.

Huo Yuhao looked at this in disbelief for a moment before throwing his arms up, "Woohoo!"

....

AN: Been playing too much genshin impact...

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