Inside the main tent, the extremely tense atmosphere was completely broken by Lei Shan's decisive statement. Not only were Zhou Ye and his group visibly relieved, even Lei Cheng and Lei Yin breathed a sigh of relief. They had truly racked their brains, analyzing the pros and cons from every angle, yet couldn't decide. Now that Lei Shan had made the decision for them, they naturally felt more at ease.
"Haha, Great Chieftain Lei, I hope our alliance will be a pleasant one."
Zhou Ye cupped his hands respectfully to Lei Shan.
Lei Shan also stood up, looked at Mu Chen, and said with a smile, "In the past, Mu Feng and I met a few times. His noble demeanor earned my great admiration. I never expected him to raise such a talented young man. Truly, a tiger father has no dog son."
"Great Chieftain Lei, you flatter me. I am merely straightforward and honest."
Mu Chen also relaxed his nerves, which had been as taut as a bowstring, and smiled humbly.
"You are absolutely right. The Mang Yin Mountain has become increasingly rampant over the years, relying on its power to oppress our Jiu Long Stronghold many times. However, no major unfortunate incidents have occurred, so I have tolerated it. But I think if we tolerate it any longer, we might not be able to raise our heads again."
"If Yang Gui doesn't want to let go of Jiu Long Stronghold, then I, Lei Shan, am not a fruit platter for him to eat as he pleases!"
Zhou Ye nodded and said, "Our Mu Domain team will confront Mang Yin Mountain tomorrow. As for the other dark forces in the Mang Yin Mountain Range, please Great Chieftain Lei, spread the word. Our target is only Mang Yin Mountain; we will absolutely not face other forces."
"Rest assured, my Jiu Long Stronghold's reputation commands respect from many on the road. No one will dare to interfere."
"Great Chieftain Lei, there's a saying, 'cut the grass and pull out the roots.' Tomorrow, when we act, we must not give Mang Yin Mountain any chance. We hope Jiu Long Stronghold will provide full support to eliminate all future troubles."
Mu Chen said softly.
"Ha, so young, yet even more ruthless than us."
Lei Shan chuckled, looking at him with a strange, amused glint in his eyes. As a member of the dark forces, he found such a vicious temperament quite pleasing.
"Yang Gui killed an elder in my family. If I don't avenge this grudge, I'm not even as good as a daughter."
Mu Chen shook his head and said.
"Hey, what about daughters? Do you look down on daughters?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than an angry shout rang out beside him. Looking over, it was Lei Yin glaring and scolding him.
Mu Chen smiled awkwardly.
"Haha, my Yin'er is no less capable than any man. Mu Chen, you shouldn't offend her. She knows the Mang Yin Mountain Range best. With her leading you to Mang Yin Mountain, it will be easy to bypass their defenses and go straight to their lair."
Lei Shan said with a smile.
Mu Chen was slightly surprised, then turned to Lei Yin, cupped his hands, and smiled, "My apologies for my words. I'll trouble Miss Lei Yin with this matter."
"Although I dislike you people from the Bei Ling Academy, this matter is very important to our Jiu Long Stronghold, so of course I must help. Moreover, I heard you are also a Spirit Array Master? I also want to see which of us is more formidable."
Mu Chen smiled. Although Lei Yin was a daughter, her competitive spirit was no weaker than a man's. No wonder she still harbored resentment about Bei Ling Academy rejecting her.
"Then we will await good news from Jiu Long Stronghold tomorrow morning. We will return to organize our forces and attack Mang Yin Mountain tomorrow!"
Zhou Ye bid farewell to Lei Shan, then led Mu Chen to turn and leave.
After Lei Shan and the other two had left, he clicked his tongue.
"First Master, are we really going to cooperate with Mu Region to deal with Mang Yin Mountain? If word gets out, won't the underworld think we're not following the rules?"
A high-ranking member of the Nine Dragons Stockade asked in a low voice.
"You heard Mu Chen. If we're still hung up on rules, I'm afraid the Nine Dragons Stockade will have no way out. Mang Yin Mountain and Liu Region are secretly cooperating, with wolfish ambitions. We cannot afford to be unprepared."
"Instruct everyone below to make thorough preparations. For many years, we've tolerated them. There aren't many people left who remember the former might of the Nine Dragons Stockade..."
"Yang Gui wants to destroy us. He who strikes first gains the upper hand. I will destroy him first!"
The next day, in Xiong City.
Zhou Ye had long since made meticulous preparations. With a shout, a flood of men and horses surged out of the city, their murderous aura soaring towards the Mang Yin Mountain Range.
Just before entering the Mang Yin Mountain Range, Mu Chen saw the main contingent of the Nine Dragons Stockade arriving to provide support. Lei Yin led the way, with Lei Cheng and several other skilled fighters from the Nine Dragons Stockade following closely, protecting her.
"We will take the eastern route to Mang Yin Mountain. The brothers of the Nine Dragons Stockade will take the western route, forming a pincer movement to cut off all retreat routes for Mang Yin Mountain."
As soon as Lei Yin arrived, she clearly explained the plan to Zhou Ye and Mu Chen.
"Then we shall trouble Miss Lei Yin."
Mu Chen clasped his hands and said.
"Let's go."
Lei Yin was not a woman of many words. She waved her hand, spurred her horse, and entered the Mang Yin Mountain Range. Their horses' hooves were carefully wrapped, so the advancing contingent made no loud sounds.
With Lei Yin, who was familiar with the terrain, leading the way, the march was extremely easy. No underworld forces appeared to obstruct them along the way, likely due to an early declaration from the Nine Dragons Stockade.
In just one hour, the army approached Mang Yin Mountain. Mu Chen looked at the towering, perilous mountain shrouded in clouds, vaguely sensing a hint of murderous intent emanating from it. Clearly, the main stronghold of Mang Yin Mountain was not a benevolent place.
"Mang Yin Mountain only has a few passable routes, but they have now deployed numerous troops to guard them. If we force our way through, casualties will be significant. I will lead you along a treacherous path on the mountain, to launch a surprise attack from the rear, uprooting their strongholds and encircling their lair."
Lei Yin pointed at the perilous Mang Yin Mountain and said.
Mu Chen and Zhou Ye both nodded in agreement.
Lei Yin waved her hand, dismounted, and plunged into the mountains. The silent figures followed closely behind, making no sound.
Mang Yin Mountain had steep slopes, but these individuals were all elites from Mu Region, with excellent martial skills. They easily kept up with Lei Yin, passing through a small path in the black cliff face, silently infiltrating Mang Yin Mountain.
Somewhere in Mang Yin Mountain, several figures were looking around vigilantly. A man who appeared to be the leader continuously shouted warnings to the surrounding guards and scouts.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Suddenly, many arrows shot out from the dense forest without any warning, swift as lightning. One arrow accurately pierced the leader's throat.
"Enemy attack!"
The sudden attack threw the soldiers in the stronghold into chaos. Before they could even sound the alarm, many dark figures, like reapers, burst out from the forest.
Facing an enemy that had suddenly appeared in their rear, the stronghold's defenses were completely useless. In just a few minutes, everything inside was utterly annihilated.
Two figures rushed out to open the stronghold gate, then quickly turned and disappeared.
The same thing happened simultaneously at several other strongholds. In less than half an hour, all the strongholds that the Black Dao of Mangyin Mountain had established along the strategic routes were completely eradicated.
Near the mountain peak, Mu Chen and the others from Jiulong Stockade quietly gathered. Lei Shan stared up at the mountain peak, vaguely discerning a massive mountain stronghold. That was the lair of the Black Dao of Mangyin Mountain.
"There aren't many experts defending these strongholds right now. It seems they've all retreated into their lair. Yang Gui is truly cunning. Let's make our move; a fierce battle is about to begin."
Lei Shan spoke coldly.
Mu Chen and Zhou Ye both nodded, their eyes filled with killing intent.
Mangyin Mountain Stockade. The sturdy fences were built of steel, making it look like an impregnable steel mountain city. Soldiers patrolled densely along the city walls, their sharp gazes sweeping across the area.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a powerful surge of spiritual energy shot forth, transforming into a palm print that slammed into the hard steel gate. The fence also trembled violently.
"Enemy attack!"
The quiet space on the mountain peak was torn apart by chaotic shouts. Countless figures flashed and rushed towards the stockade. The soldiers on the fence looked out, all trembling in panic.
Outside, people were densely packed like a reverse tide surging up the mountain, surrounding it tightly like a wedge. Overwhelming killing intent filled the air.
"Damn it, how could so many enemies arrive without anyone noticing? Where are all the strongholds below?"
One person, seeing the large enemy force, cried out in fear.
"No need to panic, quickly go inform the boss."
"Everyone, be careful!"
Zhou Ye coldly looked at the chaotic Mangyin Mountain, then suddenly let out a thunderous shout that echoed through the clear sky:
"Yang Gui, get out here! Those who kill people from the Mu Territory must pay the price!"
Zhou Ye roared powerfully. His shout lingered around the mountain peak, not dissipating, causing the soldiers of Mangyin Mountain to change their expressions. So it was the forces of the Mu Territory. They couldn't believe they had arrived so quickly.
"Haha, Zhou Ye! This old man has been waiting for you for so long that I'm bored. So what if it's the Mu Territory? Am I afraid of you?!"
Inside Mangyin Mountain City, a laugh filled with ferocity rang out, overpowering Zhou Ye's shout. A figure appeared in mid-air above the fence.
As the light faded, a thin man appeared. His deep-set eyes looked very cruel, and his thin lips curled slightly as he coldly stared at Zhou Ye.
Mu Chen looked at the person in mid-air. That must be the number one Black Dao expert in the Beiling Realm, the boss of Mangyin Mountain, the murderer of Chen Xiong, Yang Gui!
Yang Gui fiercely looked down at the dense army surrounding the mountain city. He showed no fear; instead, he laughed even louder and said:
"Where is Lei Shan? You've already arrived, hiding and sneaking around, truly pathetic."
Mu Chen saw that Yang Gui was not afraid, which meant he had long anticipated that the Mu Territory would seek help from Jiulong Stockade.
"Haha, Yang Gui! Your dog nose is still as sharp as ever."
A loud laugh rang out from behind the army. Lei Shan slowly ascended, his cold eyes fixed on Yang Gui.
"Lei Shan, it seems you've just eaten a few tiger's guts. This old man hasn't even come to bother you, yet you dare to charge right to my doorstep, intending to declare war on my Mangyin Mountain?"
Yang Gui said with a ferocious laugh.
"Stop pretending in front of me. If I didn't come today, you would come tomorrow."
Lei Shan pouted.
"Haha, it seems you're not entirely stupid. But that's good. Today you've delivered yourselves to my door, saving me the trouble of leading my army."
Yang Gui's cackling laughter grew even louder as he tilted his head to look at Zhou Ye and Lei Shan:
"However, you fools, don't you know that if I dare to make a move against Mu Territory, it means I don't fear your retaliation?"
Yang Gui looked inside and suddenly spoke loudly, "Friends from Liu Territory, you should also show yourselves."
"Whoosh!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a powerful spiritual energy also flew up from within the barrier, appearing beside Yang Gui. As the light faded, a familiar face emerged: it was the second master of Liu Territory, Liu Zong!
Liu Zong smiled faintly as he looked at Zhou Ye, his cold gaze also sweeping over Mu Chen beside him. He bowed slightly, cupped his hands, his eyes turning malicious, and his voice echoed across the mountaintop.
"Zhou Ye, Liu Zong has been waiting here for a long time."