Chapter 677 210: Great Victory, Shen Bai's Stratagem

In the silent, serene military camp, a terrifying presence was now gradually spreading.

High above, Yang Chuan and his soldiers were suspended in mid-air, pierced by invisible threads. Their life force was extremely faint.

Meanwhile, Wen Jing and his host of Demonic Forces floated in the air, their icy, grim killing intent locked onto Shen Bai and his men.

After Wen Jing spoke, Shen Bai pondered for a moment before realizing the reason behind it.

"Your Heart Inquiry Technique must be limited by the number of people involved. That's why you didn't let too many in, otherwise you'd never be able to kill me."

"Second, you employed a feint. Regardless of the outcome, the Observatory's personnel would be drawn away, leaving it vulnerable."

"The constables and the Marquis of Ren De's troops alone wouldn't be enough to stop you, especially since the Marquis's soldiers are all stationed outside Lingyun Dao. Thinking they could rush back in time is just a pipe dream."

"Then you could march straight to Lingyun Dao and slaughter everyone inside. I'm not wrong, am I?"

As Shen Bai laid it all out, piece by piece, the smile on Wen Jing's face grew wider.

He looked down at Shen Bai, his gaze utterly condescending.

In his eyes, there was not only admiration, but also a hint of regret.

"Such a pity, our dear Lord Shen. I genuinely admired you, but I'm far too curious about your 'Overcoming Adversity and Attacking Upward' talent. I simply must take you back and study you."

"Even if I have to beat you half to death."

"Your guess is spot on, but what of it? I already know you secretly dispatched a detachment of your members to this location, but that takes time. And time is not on your side."

"Besides, even when they do arrive, Lingyun Dao will still be empty. I'll still be able to wipe out everyone there."

Having said that, Wen Jing seemed to be in no hurry to kill Shen Bai, and even began to gloat about his plan.

"Just think, if everyone in Lingyun Dao is slaughtered, as the Daoist Si of Lingyun Dao, you won't be able to escape the blame, even with your heaven-high connections. People at court will attack you, and the Emperor's favor alone won't be enough to keep you alive."

"The Marquis of Ren De will die, and so will Zhang Dao Ling. We have no allies, only pawns."

Shen Bai chuckled. "You don't seem to be in any hurry."

"Why should I be in a hurry?"

Wen Jing shrugged, the very picture of leisurely confidence. "I have a particular hobby," he said. "I enjoy admiring the miserable state of my enemies when they despair. I'd very much like to admire your despair right now, but unfortunately, you refuse to show it."

Ding Quan, who had been listening to their exchange, couldn't help but tighten his grip on his long saber. "Lord Shen," he said, "we will do everything in our power to help you break out. Once you get back, lead our brothers and protect Lingyun Dao, no matter what."

If Lingyun Dao were to fall, everyone present would be held accountable, and none of them would make it out alive.

Ding Quan knew this very well. And in this situation, the most he could do was protect Lord Shen's safety to the best of his ability.

Shen Bai patted Ding Quan's shoulder and said, "It's not as dire as you think. I have it all figured out."

"Figured out? What could you possibly have figured out?"

A wave of revulsion washed over Wen Jing as he watched Shen Bai's composed expression.

"Our intelligence says you never left the Observatory. All of your arrangements are under our control. What could you possibly do to counter this?"

Shen Bai said abruptly, "The Observatory typically acts through its own members, but when a true crisis hits, we are not limited to mobilizing only our own people."

"And who could you mobilize?"

When Wen Jing heard this, he suddenly felt a prickle of uncertainty.

Once it appeared, that feeling began to grow rapidly.

The words had barely faded when a Golden Arrow suddenly flew in from the distance, landing directly in front of Wen Jing.

Wen Jing was taken aback.

This Golden Arrow was their method of contact, used only in emergencies.

Slightly hesitant, he raised his hand and took the Golden Arrow.

The Golden Arrow then dissolved into a ray of light and disappeared.

And in Wen Jing's hand, a piece of paper had appeared.

As Wen Jing meticulously read everything on the paper, his eyes widened in shock, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

"How is this possible? How could he mobilize the five great powers of Lingyun Dao? Aren't there three powers who aren't on friendly terms with the Observatory?"

"And those other Jianghu Influences... why would they listen to your orders?"

Wen Jing's hand trembled slightly; he couldn't believe what he was reading.

The letter stated that the Demonic Forces they had sent to Lingyun Dao had all been cut down, and the ones who had killed them were disciples from the various Jianghu Influences.

Even the five great Jianghu Influences had come out in full force to help the Observatory fight off the invaders.

Seeing Wen Jing's shocked expression, Shen Bai turned to the confused Ding Quan and said, "When I do things, I emphasize one word above all: 'steady.' Why would I ever do something like leaving our rear undefended?"

Ding Quan's face was a picture of confusion. He asked instinctively, "But Lord Shen, three of those five top-tier powers aren't friendly with us. Why would they help?"

Shen Bai shook his head and smiled. "A few days ago, I wrote a letter and secretly gave it to a member of the Observatory, telling him to deliver it to Wang Teng only after I had left."

"As for why I didn't give it to Wang Teng directly... well, since he's a Landlord, I was worried he was being watched."