Chapter Seventy-One: The Profile—Garo Battles Su Su

The battle on the Yangyi Plains had grown ever more fierce, and the surrounding camps erupted into chaos, impossible to contain. When Su Moran unleashed the "Wind God's Forbidden Words," even the Lion King Heqilie, transformed into his lion form, could not withstand it. Su Moran's Hundred Feather Wind God Fan unfurled once more, summoning biting winds that swept across heaven and earth, leaving both camps battered and stumbling—only their protective barriers kept them safe.

Suddenly, Heqilie's golden armor shattered, revealing his muscular arms; the intricate fragments of his chest plate fell to the ground in a heap. His face was twisted with unwillingness—though Su Moran's cultivation was a century beneath his own, he was forced to collapse, nearly stripped of his defenses, under the gaze of countless onlookers. Rage consumed him as he swung his arms and roared, "Lion King's Golden Body!"

Suspended in midair, Su Moran beckoned, and the Hundred Feather Fan flew into his hand. With a sweeping motion, countless wind blades shot towards Heqilie. The Lion King threw his head back and howled; golden light burst forth, his hair cascading wildly. Like a mad lion, he lunged for Su Moran, unflinching as the wind blades tore through his armor—he pressed on, desperate to reach his foe. Su Moran retreated serenely; Heqilie accelerated, his face twisted and streaked with blood, his eyes bloodshot, straining with every ounce of strength to close the distance.

"Uncle, you have no strength left. If you persist, your life will be forfeit," Su Moran evaded his attack and hovered nearby, speaking calmly.

"Little fox, I haven't lost yet—I haven't shown my true power!" Heqilie was losing control, his eyes burning with stubbornness.

Then, all at once, Heqilie burst forth, transforming into a colossal golden lion, roaring skyward and leaping before Su Moran. Though Su Moran's heart was reluctant, the Lion King was completely out of control; he had no choice but to invoke the Wind God's Command again. Winds gathered into a massive dragon, its tail lashing like a divine beast, charging at the golden lion. Both camps held their breath, watching as the wind dragon lifted the lion and hurled him skyward. Su Moran leapt and kicked him down; upon crashing to earth, Heqilie seemed to regain clarity, the red in his eyes fading to lucidity.

"Uncle, you have lost this battle," Su Moran said, unwilling to strike again as he watched Heqilie in such a sorry state.

Heqilie's breath was weak, but something new shone in his eyes. He spoke in a low voice, "I have lost, but my camp still has a witch. If the Empress defeats her, I will willingly submit to her command."

"So be it, uncle—a promise is a promise," Su Moran replied, turning toward the Su Su camp.

After Su Moran left the field, the Empress's camp erupted in cheers; the battle had been magnificent. Su Moran, true to his reputation as Qingqiu Su Twelve, possessed unfathomable power. Few knew that he had already exhausted his magic—if not for his desperate efforts to contain his leaking spiritual energy, he could not have withstood the Lion King's berserk onslaught. Only his final transformation into the wind dragon broke the Lion King's madness, otherwise, he might not have lasted till the end.

Had it been otherwise, the outcome would have remained uncertain. When the Lion King's eyes briefly cleared, the ever-observant Su Moran realized something was amiss. Upon returning, he paid special attention to the witch Jialuo, suspecting that Heqilie had long been under her mental control. Had Su Moran not struck so fiercely, the Lion King would have remained her puppet.

Su Su had also noticed the Lion King's abnormal behavior, though she dared not draw conclusions before being certain. The Lion King's camp now languished in low spirits, while the witch Jialuo, smiling with lotus-like grace, approached the center of the field.

She lifted her delicate hand and waved lightly; immediately, her camp stirred, and the previously dispirited soldiers were seized by fervor, their eyes blazing with unnatural zeal, as if compelled by another's will.

Su Su leapt into the center, her graceful form landing as she stared in astonishment—clearly, the soldiers were under Jialuo's mental control. The scene was profoundly shocking; that she could dominate so many minds alone was beyond comprehension.

Seeing Su Su's surprise, Jialuo's cold, beautiful face revealed an elusive smile. She glided forward, then nodded sideways, saying, "Let us fight openly—I won't use that technique."

Su Su replied with a cold laugh, "Do you underestimate me so?"

Jialuo, arms folded, paced with a slight smile. "Because I see you as a worthy opponent, I won't use it. If I did, I couldn't give you my full strength." She raised a pale arm and waved again; the Lion King's soldiers shuddered.

Instantly, their eyes returned to clarity, confirming Su Moran's suspicions: Heqilie had been under Jialuo's control. Su Su stepped forward, "You persist in turning your face aside—are you not too arrogant?"

Jialuo turned, her elegant figure shifting with subtle grace. Su Su's pupils contracted; Jialuo's beauty was breathtaking—such a visage was rare beyond measure. Su Su was confident in her own looks, yet standing before this woman, she was stunned by such peerless allure.

All eyes, both inside and outside the arena, were fixed on the two women at the center. Even Hao Dan and Bai Ling, hidden in the shadows, were astounded. Hao Dan stared intently, only to feel the air stiffen behind him; his arm was suddenly seized, and upon turning, he found Bai Ling glaring at him, cheeks flushed. "Do you want me to throw you into the arena to get a closer look?"

"No, no! I think I was under that witch's spell. If not for your concern, I might have been invaded by her mind—luckily you're here!" Hao Dan reacted quickly, sensing the strange aura from his companion and inwardly panicked.

"Look at you, acting so besotted—do you think I'm easy to fool?" Bai Ling punched Hao Dan's chest with a dainty fist.

"Not at all, Bai Ling Fairy. You're never tiresome to behold—how could I waste time on mere mortal women?" Hao Dan protested earnestly. "I was only worried about Su Su being controlled by the witch, so I got carried away!"

"See? It's good you have me!"

"That does make sense," Bai Ling conceded, and as they bantered, the two women in the arena suddenly began their duel. Hao Dan and Bai Ling turned their attention, faces shifting with concern.

Su Su sprang back as Jialuo advanced with lotus steps, serene as a stroll through a tranquil garden. A cold, proud aura enveloped her; Su Su's dark green spiritual energy unfurled, and behind her, nine fox tails spread wide, writhing like claws.

Their combined aura erupted, stirring the camps on both sides. Su Su recalled the tragic death of Old Black at the hands of the Seven Star Tower witch and, angered, declared, "My steward died by your Seven Star Tower—today I shall avenge him!"

Jialuo smiled indifferently, "So you blame me for this? How amusing!"

With that, Su Su leapt back and unleashed her spiritual energy. Jialuo's face remained confident; she cared little for Su Su's surge in power, even knowing Su Su had absorbed the White Emperor's inner pill, her strength now at five hundred years of cultivation.

Su Su's nine tails unfurled, vast and overwhelming, her form rising high. Jialuo smiled faintly and stepped forward, her posture elegant in the air. "Unlike you, I have walked my path step by step, relying on myself. You have relied on external power. The difference between us is not cultivation, but spirit."

Su Su paid her no heed, suspended in midair, her nine tails lashing wildly. Her eyes began to glow red, the hidden crimson finally igniting—a beam of red light shot from her eyes toward Jialuo.

The camps below erupted in alarmed cries.

As the red light reached Jialuo, she invoked some unknown magic—the beam froze in midair, then her eyes transformed into dual pupils, and the red light dissolved into nothing. Jialuo left behind several afterimages, appearing before Su Su in an instant, leaving her no time to react.

Graceful as an orchid, ghostly in movement, Jialuo's exquisite face flashed a smile as she slowly extended a pale finger, touching Su Su's chest. Su Su's body shuddered and shot downward.

She crashed into a barren peak, sending shockwaves rippling across the field. Both camps gasped; Su Moran, weakened, watched Su Su's location with anxious eyes.

Above, Jialuo hovered, smiling, her gaze fixed below. Soon, Su Su soared up again, her nine tails coiling behind her like a massive appendage. Her red eyes locked onto Jialuo, revealing fierce determination. She chanted, "Nine Tails Shroud the Sky!"

She sped toward Jialuo and hovered, her nine tails spreading and swelling, their expansion astonishingly rapid. Cries of shock echoed below.

Jialuo moved calmly, stepping toward Su Su with unshaken confidence, ignoring the nine tails looming above. Su Su growled, kicking off and shooting forward. In a flash, she left behind several afterimages, her speed terrifying. Jialuo was unfazed, her eyes seemingly having already discerned Su Su's flaws.

"So many flaws! The Empress? Is this all your power?"

Outraged, Su Su summoned the Divine Spirit Whip, which appeared in her hand. She struck, and a bolt of lightning crashed down upon Jialuo. Jialuo raised her pale arm overhead, catching the thunder and hurling it back at Su Su.

Alarmed, Su Su quickly hovered, her nine tails wrapping around her protectively. The thunder struck the outer tails, which slowly fell away. Jialuo appeared before her again, wearing a mocking smile.

Without pause, Su Su seized the opportunity, lunging at Jialuo and clutching her throat. Jialuo remained unperturbed, her smile unwavering, which only enraged Su Su further.

Suddenly, the space between them rippled violently, a prominent fissure opening like the eye of heaven. From within, an exceptionally elegant figure emerged with lotus steps.

"You possess overwhelming strength, yet insist on flaunting your wretched superiority," came the voice of Yuanji, Grand Master of the Great Xia. Her appearance sent shock through the crowd, including those hidden. She hovered with regal grace, stunning all with her presence.

Jialuo lost all composure, turned, and knelt before Yuanji. "I didn't know you would come, Master—my plan has failed, please forgive me!"

"Time and again you alter the plan without permission. Do you truly think yourself master of the Seven Star Tower?" Yuanji was not angry, but her authority was palpable, her aura rippling across the field.

At that moment, Su Su unleashed her full aura, wrapped in crimson energy, flying at them. Yuanji's lips curved into an enchanting smile.

All watched as Yuanji raised her hand with elegance, and a six-path matrix of light enveloped Su Su, immobilizing her instantly. Su Moran and others were stunned; Bai Ling, hidden, clung tightly to Hao Dan, warning him not to act rashly.

Yuanji then seemed to sense something and addressed the air, "Eastern Immortal—like a rat, hiding away. How can you face the world?"

"So, the Eastern Emperor has returned—then in Great Xia's Yudu, I shall await your arrival."

With a wave of her jade hand, Yuanji vanished with Su Su and Jialuo, leaving both camps of the Nine Yi below. At that moment, smoke rose from a gorge, the White Yi army surged forward, and both the White Yi Ape King and the Qingqiu Elder witnessed the Empress Su Su taken away by Yuanji. Su Moran hurried to join them, but could only watch helplessly as Su Su was taken, a testament to Yuanji's overwhelming power.

What will happen next? Await the following chapter for answers.