Chapter 1544 - 447: You... You, You, You...

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain..." Xuanyuan Chong’s voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, "He didn’t leave at all and is breaking us down one by one!"

He bent down to touch the ground, his fingertip tracing a charred groove, and his pupils instantly trembled violently: "This is the residue of Hao’Er’s ’Nine Dragon Heaven Suppressing’ divine technique! They fought here!"

Xuanyuan Chong’s face grew increasingly grim.

The opponent was obviously well-prepared; otherwise, with the commotion of a Spirit Severing Realm battle, it would be impossible not to send out even a trace of a distress signal.

Even more bizarre was that as he rushed along, the guards in other areas of the palace were completely normal and still patrolling as usual.

"Array..." He suddenly pressed his palm to the ground, and golden ripples spread out like waves.

Moments later, he opened his eyes and said coldly: "As expected! This place has been set up with an isolating array!"

He slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping around like a knife, then suddenly smirked coldly: "First they killed Third, then used the same method against Hao’Er... It seems I guessed wrong before; this is not some foreign Spirit Severing passerby acting upon injustice."

"Hao’Er didn’t fall here, which means he was taken by them, but they killed Third on the spot... This is a blatant threat!"

Xuanyuan Chong’s expression was grim, "He’s telling me—if I don’t comply, the next to die will be Hao’Er!"

Understanding this, Xuanyuan Chong instead calmed down.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his robe moving without wind: "Then, there can only be one possibility, the opponent wants the Spirit Severing secret formula, and Hao’Er is the bargaining chip."

"Heh..." he suddenly chuckled, his eyes shining brightly.

"For hundreds of years, those who coveted the secret formula have become bones on Wuxiang Mountain. I did not expect to encounter someone clever today, knowing to use my son as a bargaining chip..."

An icy sharpness flashed in Xuanyuan Chong’s eyes as he muttered to himself: "With the dynasty’s fortune on my side, I can even temporarily exert the power of Spirit Slash Great Perfection."

"The fact that this person has to resort to such despicable means shows his strength is lacking."

Xuanyuan Chong paced the shattered plaza, each step tapping on the cracked green bricks, making a fine sound.

His gaze like lightning, he carefully scanned the traces of battle around: "Both attempts used arrays..."

He sensed the lingering spiritual power fluctuations in the air carefully, "If my guess is correct, this array is nothing ordinary; it can both block spatial tearing and shield information transmission."

The next moment, he suddenly stopped, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "When Third fell, Hao’Er immediately reported. Then we both went to the mountains, and I ordered him to summon Second with a communication jade scroll..."

He calculated with his fingers, his face changing drastically: "From then to detecting something unusual, it was no more than three mere hours!"

Xuanyuan Chong’s robe fluttered without wind, spiritual power subtly fluctuating: "In three hours, they quietly took down two early-stage Spirit Severing experts and left easily..."

He snorted coldly, "Looking at it this way, at best, the opponent’s cultivation is only late-stage Spirit Severing!"

Gazing over the mess on the ground, he continued analyzing: "It could be one person, or it could be multiple people working together..."

At this point, his eyes suddenly erupted with a compelling cold light: "But one thing’s certain—this is a meticulously planned ambush!"

But soon, Xuanyuan Chong fell back into hesitation.

Now that Hao’Er is still alive, he believes the other party will soon send a message.

If it really is as he suspects, requiring the Spirit Severing secret formula as the price...

Should he exchange it or not?

Pacing back and forth for a moment, a fierce determination suddenly flashed in Xuanyuan Chong’s eyes: "Do not exchange!"

This secret formula, he only acquired by betraying his sworn brothers back then.

After a thousand years of painstaking research, it has only been perfected to its current state today.

All the Spirit Severing experts of the Holy Martial Dynasty today broke through thanks to this secret formula, and are under his control.

As long as he lives, as long as the secret formula remains in his hands, the Holy Martial Dynasty will never decline.

Even if one Human Emperor falls, at worst, he can nurture another.

Back then, among his seven sons, wasn’t Hao’Er the only one who successfully broke through to the Spirit Severing Realm using the secret potion?

Now he has several grandsons, plus the fourth-generation secret formula he is developing, the success rate will only be higher.

But Hao’Er must still be rescued—there are only four Spirit Severing Realm experts in the Xuanyuan family now. If they lose Hao’Er after already losing Third, it would be a fatal blow to the family.

"Perhaps... I can prepare a fake secret formula for exchange." Xuanyuan Chong’s eyes glimmered with cunning.

But he immediately frowned, "What if the opponent asks me to make a Heavenly Dao oath to verify its authenticity?"

Amidst his chaotic thoughts, a surge of spiritual power suddenly emanated from his waist.

Xuanyuan Chong quickly took out a communication jade scroll and saw that Hao’Er’s jade scroll was flickering, a sharp light instantly flashing in his eyes.

The jade scroll activated, and a line of small words floated up:

[Xuanyuan Chong, the current Human Emperor is in my hands. Prepare ten thousand top-grade wood attribute spirit stones to ransom him. I’ll give you three days to prepare, and then I’ll contact you!]

Xuanyuan Chong was momentarily stunned: "Just top-grade wood attribute spirit stones? That simple?"

He hurriedly used his divine sense to communicate, questioning the opponent’s identity, but there was no response.

This unexpected request left the old wily Spirit Severing Realm expert momentarily bewildered.

Moreover, ten thousand top-grade wood attribute spirit stones?

Isn’t this nonsense?

Do they really think wood attribute spirit stones are like cabbage at the roadside?

Back then, the royal treasury had accumulated only a thousand five-element spirit stones in total, and just two hundred wood attribute spirit stones.

Yet they were all stolen by some unknown thief, and that culprit has not been caught to this day.

"Ha, I understand now." Xuanyuan Chong suddenly laughed coldly, "This is a psychological game they’re playing with me."