Chapter 36

"Damn Zhou Lingwang, what a deep scheme!" Tang Yan slowly stood up, his serious gaze sweeping over the dim forest.

"What are you doing! Sit down! You'll be discovered!" Ailinda's face changed, and she quickly pulled on Tang Yan's sleeve.

"Discovered my ass, they're here!" Tang Yan's eyes were particularly fierce at this moment. Under the bleak moonlight and in the dim forest, white figures darted about, rapidly approaching.

"Situation! Protect the Prince!" The guards nearby were alarmed, shouting as they gathered towards the camp.

"Who are these bandits, daring to sneak attack this Prince!" Zhou Lingwang's expression was cold and stern, his authoritative voice echoing through the forest.

"White clothes? Could it be the group that attacked the academy back then?" Tang Qiong gazed into the depths of the forest, where the white figures darting about were somewhat conspicuous in the dappled moonlight.

"That's right, it's them!" Du Yang was startled awake, recognizing the white clothes and fanged masks, a familiar sight.

"I was just worried about not finding you, and you come to me!" Zhou Lingwang's spirit was slightly shaken, and he roared, "Gao Song! Teach these bandits a harsh lesson, remember, capture a few alive!"

"Understood!!" Gao Song, the leader of the guards, gave the order, and over thirty guards shot out, colliding with the mysterious attacking force dozens of meters away. Gao Song himself was at the Wu Wang level, and the thirty guards were all Wu Zong level, creating a spectacular and wild scene with their full-force attack.

Electric sparks, blade storms, powerful gravitational fields, and surging flames plunged the quiet forest into chaos and agitation, awakening the nearby sleeping beasts.

"Master, Miss, come over here!" Tang Qiong called to Tang Yan and the others, feeling a bit strange about Zhou Lingwang suddenly sending all the guards out, but considering their Wu Wang level, he wasn't worried about anyone daring to challenge them.

But...

A huge explosion suddenly erupted in the forest ahead, dust and wood chips flying, and a large number of guards cried out and retreated. Following this, thousands of sharp ice spears broke through the dust and shot towards them in a dense wave.

The temperature of the earth and sky suddenly dropped!

"Is this an ice-based martial technique?" Zhou Lingwang's brows furrowed, and he took a step forward. The air around him surged, and in the blink of an eye, a huge ice crystal barrier formed around everyone.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The intense impact caused the ground to tremble violently. The ice spears were numerous and powerful, shattering the ice crystal barrier in an instant. But Zhou Lingwang's strength had reached the Second Rank Wu Wang, and although the barrier was broken, it successfully blocked the dense ice spears.

"Zhou Lingwang, I apologize!" A withered figure shot towards them, the temperature around him plummeting as he moved.

Following him, a large number of white-clothed figures broke through the guards and charged in.

The sudden change startled Tang Ying and Du Yang, and they hurriedly moved towards Tang Qiong.

"Tang Yan, what are you standing there for! Get over here quickly!" Tang Qiong was about to lose his temper but noticed that Tang Yan was still standing far away, not moving at all.

"Uncle Tang Qiong, let me tell you a joke!" Tang Yan suddenly shouted.

"Joke? I think you're the joke! Get over here now!" Tang Qiong was furious.

"Suppose!!" Tang Yan roared, pausing slightly before continuing, "One of us has been in league with these assassins all along, or these assassins belong to that person. So today's assassination is a pre-planned act! He has been using you, first to send away the Giant Elephant Academy, then to create today's chaos, to clear his name, and to take the opportunity... to eliminate me, Teacher Ailinda, and Tang Ying and Du Yang, because the four of us have had direct contact with the white-clothed people and could discover their true identities!"

The chaotic atmosphere changed subtly, even the old man who had just arrived in the air paused slightly.

Zhou Lingwang's expression changed, his eyes gradually turning cold, "Little boy, who is the main character in your joke?"

"Of course, it's our noble Prince!!" Tang Yan growled, no longer hesitating, and turned to run into the forest, "Du Yang, Tang Ying, run! This hypocrite is trying to silence us!"

"Damn brat, stay!" The old man in the air suddenly waved his hand, and over a dozen ice spears shot towards Tang Yan and Ailinda.

"Hmph!!" Tang Qiong snorted, his toes slightly exerting force, and a surge of spiritual energy poured into the ground. Instantly, the ground shook, and lava burst through the cracks, forming a dozen fiery pillars that shot into the sky, accurately shattering the ice spears.

Zhou Lingwang's expression darkened, "Your young master lacks discipline. Do you need me to help deal with him?"

Tang Qiong took a deep breath and turned to look at Zhou Lingwang, "Tang Yan is just telling a joke, right? Prince!"

"Does it matter if it is or isn't? We are brothers, do we care about these things?"

Tang Qiong's brows furrowed, looking at Zhou Lingwang in disbelief. Tang Ying and Du Yang stood not far away, neither of them taking another step forward, their expressions a mix of shock and fear. They looked at Tang Qiong and then at Zhou Lingwang, a chill spreading from within them.

The mastermind is the Prince? But... why is he targeting these children? What does he gain from it?

Zhou Lingwang no longer hid his intentions, his gaze burning as he looked at Tang Qiong, "For six years, I have been waiting for you to help me, but you have never been able to make up your mind to leave the Tang family. Today, I will give you a reason, either kill me, or kill Tang Yan!"

"Prince, don't force me."

"Is this forcing you? Or is it for your own good! What has the Tang family given you that makes you so loyal? Have I ever wronged you? Or is Zhou Lingwang not as good as Tang Yanshan?"

Tang Qiong remained silent, his gaze towards Zhou Lingwang becoming increasingly complex.

"Stop hesitating, I will decide for you! From today, you will return to my side. Whether as the captain of the royal guards or the commander of the Falcon Group Army, you can choose. But the news of today must not leak out in the slightest!"

Zhou Lingwang was frustrated. This capture operation was supposed to be foolproof and not particularly difficult, but the unexpected appearance of the Giant Elephant Academy forced him to come to the Illusion Forest personally. He finally found an opportunity to use Tang Qiong to clear his name, but it was ruined by this boy, Tang Yan.

It seems everyone underestimated this seemingly crazy and foolish second son of the Tang family. His actions just now were enough to show his shrewdness and decisiveness, hardly like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy!

"Uncle Tang Qiong." Tang Ying called out cautiously, afraid that Tang Qiong would accept Zhou Lingwang's offer.

"Capture Tang Yan!" Zhou Lingwang no longer waited, instructing the old man in the air.

"Yes, Prince!" The old man glanced at Tang Qiong and was about to chase after him.

"I'm sorry, I can't do it." Tang Qiong's eyes suddenly cleared, and a strong aura of killing intent surged. The ground within a hundred meters around him shook violently, cracks spreading, and hot air and red light spewed from the cracks.

"Tang Qiong!!" Zhou Lingwang's expression turned cold, his voice icy, "For a few children, you are willing to oppose this Prince?"

"I am doing this for the Tang family, for the old master's life-saving grace six years ago, for the trust and cultivation I have received over these six years." Tang Qiong stepped through the air, each step causing the ground to tremble more violently. Larger cracks began to spread lava, and many trees caught fire from the intense heat.

"Good!! Good!! Very good!!" Zhou Lingwang laughed in anger, his expression growing colder, "Our six years of brotherhood can't match a single act of kindness from Tang Yanshan! Tang Qiong, from today, our friendship is severed. Killing you can still create the illusion of an ambush, and this matter will still be covered up."

"Miss, run!!" Tang Qiong roared, and the ground within a hundred meters erupted, lava surging out in all directions, some shooting into the sky, others spreading out. Instantly, the night sky was scorched by flames, and the forest was engulfed in lava.

A powerful force pushed Du Yang and Tang Ying away, sending them into the distant forest.

"I will test your growth over these six years!" Zhou Lingwang tore open his robes and stepped into the air, the cold ice energy surging into the night sky, revealing the terrifying power of a Second Rank Wu Wang.

The old man blocked another angle, his ice energy contrasting sharply with Tang Qiong's fiery power.

Gao Song, the captain of the royal guards, returned and formed a triangular formation with the old man and Zhou Lingwang. As a Wu Wang, his body was wrapped in lightning, and the night sky above seemed affected, forming heavy clouds with lightning surging and ready to strike at any moment.

"I will see this through to the end!!" Tang Qiong roared, and the floating lava suddenly gathered around him, forming a giant flaming eagle that let out a sharp screech.

"Freeze the world!!" Zhou Lingwang's body trembled, and a powerful wave of ice energy surged out.

"Ice Splitting Technique!!"

"Thunder Strike!!"

The old man and Gao Song erupted simultaneously, a dense wave of ice spears and lightning bolts sweeping towards Tang Qiong, combining with Zhou Lingwang's ice energy to attack him.

The powerful battle of Wu Wangs erupted in the air, causing the beasts within dozens of miles to look up in shock. The terrifying collision of martial techniques also instantly killed several guards who were caught off guard.

Zhou Linglu and the others had already retreated, leading the remaining royal guards and the fake attackers to form a fan-shaped encirclement to search for Tang Yan and Ailinda and the others!