Invincible Dad-Chapter 602 I Never Think About Things After I Kill_1
"This is a ruse! Retreat quickly!"
Ji Jie’s voice was thick with urgency, her tone bordering on despair. "Fall back! Xu Lai is in Chang’an! He must be planning a shocking conspiracy! Notify the Moon King immediately!"
The Moon Clan’s Crown Princess had lost her usual coquettish demeanor and grace, now appearing disheveled and in total disarray.
But the despair in her words caused Ji Gui’s pupils to shrink. "What did you say? Xu Lai... is in Chang’an?!"
Of the eight leaders from the Eight Great Crescent Moon Clans, only four remained alive. They were Upper Crescent One, Upper Crescent Three, Lower Crescent One, and Lower Crescent Two. A chill ran down all of their spines.
Xu Lai from Earth.
According to various intelligence reports, he was suspected to be a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Realm, if not stronger.
Within the Moon Clan, cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm were few and far between.
Ostensibly, only the Moon King, who had secluded himself within the Royal Palace for many years, had reached the Nascent Soul stage.
Even the Supreme Elders and ancient ancestors of the Eight Great Crescent Moon Clans were mostly at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, and they were all in a deep slumber, immersed in the Dao Endowment.
Other Nascent Soul cultivators had either ’fallen’ or gone ’missing’ without a trace.
If Xu Lai is truly in Chang’an, then we have no chance of breaching the city at all!
Every major Cultivation Boundary is an insurmountable chasm.
Even ten or fifty cultivators at the Golden Core Realm might not be able to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator without the aid of special magic artifacts and formations.
For a Nascent Soul cultivator, killing anyone below the Golden Core Realm would be no more exhausting than crushing an ant.
"If Xu Lai is really in Chang’an, why didn’t he make a move when the city was breached?" Ji Gui’s heart was also tense, but he refused to retreat.
"Idiot," Ji Jie scolded him directly. "If he’s not in Chang’an, then he must have infiltrated deep into Moon Clan territory! Use that pig brain of yours and think!"
The battlefield fell silent for a moment.
The Crown Prince abruptly turned to look behind him, his expression changing dramatically.
In that direction lay countless tribes, large and small, including the Eight Great Crescent Moon Clans. And the Royal Clan!
With the clans’ elite forces all deployed here, the defenses of our home territories have plummeted. If a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator were to launch a sneak attack now...
"Impossible." Ji Gui’s expression finally showed panic. "Xu Lai isn’t in Chang’an, and he isn’t on the Moon. He must be on Earth!"
"He’s definitely not on Earth! Otherwise, when those eleven Golden Core cultivators conspired to kill me, he would have shown up!" Ji Jie clenched her teeth. "I was honest with him about my identity—a Crown Princess of the Moon Clan! How could he pass up an opportunity like that?"
Her heart was filled with infinite grievance. Even though she’d had a fleeting desire to turn Xu Lai into a specimen for her bedroom, she had also genuinely wanted to marry him! It was one thing for him to reject her time and again, but now he was so ruthless as to try and kill her. And as for the claim that those so-called Three Sects and Eight Pavilions were just seeking revenge on Xu Lai... how could it be such a coincidence? Only a ghost would believe that!
"Crown Prince, order the retreat."
"Your Highness, do not let pride cloud your judgment. If Xu Lai is really in Chang’an, or if he has already rushed to our main camp to launch a sneak attack, the consequences would be unimaginable!"
"Yes, Crown Prince. Your top priority now is to return to the Royal Clan and protect the Moon King."
The four surviving Crescent Moon Clan leaders revealed sorrowful expressions and knelt on one knee. After Ji Gui had expressly forbidden the ritual of kneeling, their act now carried their firm resolve to persuade the Crown Prince to withdraw.
"Retreat!!!"
Ji Gui gazed at the ruins of Chang’an City, shimmering with starlight, his heart surging with intense reluctance.
Three hundred years. A full three hundred years have passed! Since the death of that man named Xu Yanyang, this was the first time the Moon Clan had breached Chang’an City. But now, because of Xu Lai, they had no choice but to retreat!
A mournful horn blast echoed the call to retreat.
The Moon Clan elites, who had been poised to attack just a moment before, looked on in confusion but still began to withdraw. Within a few breaths, they had vanished from sight.
This sudden turn of events left the more than seven hundred Martial Ancestors of the Human Race atop the walls of Chang’an City stunned.
They retreated?
Ruan Lan was dumbfounded. "They... why did they retreat?"
Qian Xiao said warily, "Could it be a scheme?"
"It’s possible," Zhang Henshui’s voice rang out. "Stay alert. They might turn back for a surprise attack."
But ten minutes passed, then twenty, and after a full hour went by, the Moon Clan had not reappeared...
"They really retreated," Zhang Suzi murmured. She seemed doubtful, looking at Ruan Lan in a daze as she asked, "Fairy Sister, could your formation have been what scared them off?"
Ruan Lan scratched her head, hesitantly saying, "I don’t think so."
Regardless, the retreat of the Moon Clan led to cheers erupting from atop the walls of Chang’an City.
They had defended Chang’an!
Although the casualties were severe and the foundation of Hua Country was damaged, it was all worth it as long as this gate was held. No price was too high to pay.
"Hurry, save the wounded!" Xu Wandao, who was still alive, called out in his hoarse voice.
Although the enemy had retreated, the battle’s toll was immense. Chang’an City was nearly destroyed, and the common people within had suffered heavy casualties. Survivors emerged from their homes to help treat the wounded.
Exhausted, Ruan Lan leaned against the city wall, gasping for air, her heart in turmoil.
"This is Chang’an, where life-and-death farewells are a daily occurrence." Xu Wandao sat beside her. He had found two jars of wine from somewhere and handed one to her. "Thanks for today."
Ruan Lan lowered her head. "If only I had replaced the formation sooner," she said, her voice soft. "If my Boundary was a little higher, or if I could set up formations a little faster..."
"...would the casualties have been fewer?" Ruan Lan bit her lip, filled with self-blame for her earlier hesitation.
Xu Wandao was stunned for a moment, then burst into an irrepressible, hearty laugh.
Ruan Lan was inexplicably annoyed. "What are you laughing at!"
"In this world, there aren’t so many ’what ifs’," Xu Wandao said with a carefree air after taking a big gulp of wine. "When I’m done killing, I don’t dwell on things. I just want to drink a good jug of wine." He eyed her suspiciously. "Do you even know how to drink?"
"Of course I know how to drink!" Ruan Lan tilted her snow-white neck back and took several large swigs of the potent liquor.
A fire seemed to scorch her heart, slowly dissipating the discomfort within. She couldn’t help but take another two big gulps.
"Good tolerance!" Xu Wandao couldn’t help but praise.
"Auntie is so cool!" A blood-spattered Qian Xiao had appeared, gulping his saliva. "Let me have a sip..."
"Drink my foot! Go help carry the wounded." Ruan Lan kicked Qian Xiao off the city wall.
"You bad woman!!!" Qian Xiao couldn’t help but yell indignantly as he fell.
Xu Yiyi watched, silent.
Ruan Lan didn’t retort as she normally would, instead just drinking sullenly. She kept at it until Xu Wandao developed a headache, realizing to his astonishment that he couldn’t outdrink this young woman. He quickly made an excuse and slipped away.
Only Xu Yiyi reached out with her small hand, took the wine jug from Ruan Lan, and said softly, "Auntie, please don’t drink anymore."
Ruan Lan raised her head. Her eyes were red, and tear tracks glistened on her cheeks.
Ruan Lan’s skill with formations was high, but her disposition was not yet hardened enough to cope with the brutality of the Cultivation World.
She couldn’t help but sob. "I just can’t accept it! Yiyi, why must there be war? Wouldn’t it be better if everyone could live in peace?"
