Zhu Qing's subordinates immediately moved against Long Yu.
"Long Yu, don't be afraid, I'll back you up no matter what happens! Kill!" Feng Yuan commanded.
"Good!"
With Feng Yuan's support, Long Yu immediately felt invigorated.
He immediately clashed with Zhu Qing's men.
"You, this is what you're forcing me to do!"
Zhu Qing roared, "Come on! Elder Long Chang Feng Yuan is suspected of rebellion. Control him at all costs and punish him severely!"
Feng Yuan was also furious, "Zhu Qing, I can't believe you would accuse me of such a grave crime because of an outsider! You brought this upon yourself! Brothers! It's time for us to make a move. Follow me and let's eliminate Zhu Qing!"
Inside the Dragon Gate, experts continued to pour in.
Members on external missions also received emergency notifications to return to the Dragon Gate.
The old Dragon Guards were too powerful, especially when they united, creating a synergy of more than three times the sum of their individual strengths.
Even with Zhu Qing's superior numbers, they were momentarily at a disadvantage.
Zhu Qing roared with bloodshot eyes, "Old Dragon Guards, you still have a way back! You've been misled by Feng Yuan. If you turn back now and help me subdue Feng Yuan, I will reward you!"
These Dragon Guards hesitated, their attacks weakening considerably.
After all, Li Ziling's position as Dragon Lord was undeniable.
Their actions, as Zhu Qing said, were tantamount to rebellion.
However, after weighing the pros and cons, they felt Feng Yuan had a higher chance of winning.
They didn't want to face execution if they failed.
Chen Jie, however, did not rush to act.
The scene was in chaos, with many eyes on Li Ziling and A Zhu. Chen Jie worried they might be in danger if he left them.
The old Dragon Guards were incredibly strong, far surpassing the younger Dragon Guards from before.
Despite Zhu Qing's large numbers, many of his men were dead or injured, while only two of the old Dragon Guards had sustained injuries.
"Zhu Qing, stop the pointless bloodshed. Surrender!" Feng Yuan said.
Zhu Qing was an upright man, respected throughout the Dragon Gate.
Feng Yuan did not wish to kill him and tarnish his reputation.
The old Dragon Guards, also mindful of Zhu Qing's status, dared not deliver a killing blow. This forced Feng Yuan to abandon his plan to have Zhu Qing eliminated by other Dragon Guards.
"To guard our Dragon Gate, even death is glorious!" Zhu Qing roared.
Others echoed, "To guard our Dragon Gate, even death is glorious!"
The Wen Family.
In a luxurious villa, Wen Qiang stood respectfully before Wen Zai'fou, the patriarch of the Wen family.
"Hmph!"
"Father, it's not my fault! That Chen Jie is too despicable! He actually hired assassins to kill me in public! If I hadn't been cautious and left early, you might be seeing my corpse now!" Wen Qiang, startled by his father's cold snort, quickly explained.
"For our ancient aristocratic family to have its descendant forced to escape through the back door! Shame! A shame unseen for a hundred years!"
Wen Zai'fou slammed the dragon-head carving on the chair, knocking it off.
Just then, his phone rang.
After a few words, Wen Zai'fou's eyes gleamed.
"Father, what's happening?" Wen Qiang asked urgently.
"Internal strife has erupted in the Dragon Gate! The twelve old Dragon Guards are clashing with the Dragon Gate's high officials!"
"What?" Wen Qiang exclaimed, "The Dragon Gate is a representative power of Great Xia. Now that internal strife has broken out, is the world about to descend into chaos? Why are they fighting among themselves?"
Wen Zai'fou pondered for a moment, then said, "Firstly, it's because the Dragon Gate leadership does not accept Li Ziling as Dragon Lord. Secondly, Li Ziling is merely the catalyst; Long Yu has long coveted the position of Dragon Lord!"
"Wen Qiang, it seems your plan to obtain Li Ziling and control the Dragon Gate will fall through. However, our Wen family can seize this opportunity to help Long Yu eliminate his rivals and forge a good relationship with him. Perhaps, when they are both weakened, we can even take control of the Dragon Gate, making our Wen family the strongest family overnight!"
Wen Qiang trembled all over.
"This matter is escalating rather significantly!"
"This is both a disaster and an opportunity for our Great Xia! Go, summon our twelve elders to come out of seclusion and proceed to the Dragon Gate!"
Wen Zai'fou commanded decisively.
"Alright, I'll go find them now!"
Wen Qiang immediately turned to leave.
However, as he reached the doorway, a faint glow flashed.
With a *thud*, Wen Qiang was decapitated.
A dark figure flashed and vanished.
"Son!"
"Who dares to infiltrate my Wen family and assassinate my son!"
Wen Zai'fou roared to the heavens, his anger palpable, though without much sorrow.
Shortly after, another Wen Qiang walked in, looking terrified.
"It's, it's too terrifying! Father, that person was Chen Jie's subordinate! He was trying to assassinate me!"
"Heh heh, this is going too far, too far! Do you truly think my Wen family has no one?"
Wen Zai'fou laughed furiously.
Wen Qiang, however, was utterly terrified.
When he had left earlier, he had heard Jing Zi mention going to the Wen family, which made him uneasy.
Therefore, he had employed a secret technique of the Wen family.
Puppetry!
Puppetry was one of the Wen family's trump cards. Certain core members could use this technique to create exact replicas of themselves, with the original controlling the puppet to perform various tasks.
The effectiveness was nearly identical to that of a real person.
The original body could then focus on cultivating and increasing their strength.
In this way, the core members of the Wen family could manage family affairs while simultaneously cultivating and improving their strength. Although not as potent as the ancient family's rapid cultivation methods, it was still considerable.
More importantly, each of them could ensure their survival at critical moments.
Of course, puppetry had its drawbacks; the distance between the original and the puppet could not be too great.
Thus, for long journeys, the person still had to go in person.
"Another one?"
The shadow in the darkness, about to leave, paused upon seeing Wen Qiang.
Without hesitation, it struck again.
"You court death!"
Wen Zai'fou was enraged, witnessing his son being assassinated right before his eyes.
However, the shadow's shadow clone was incredibly elusive. Before Wen Qiang could react, his head was severed.
Then, the shadow disappeared.
"I don't care who you are, reveal yourself now and die, or I will make you wish for death more than life!"
Wen Zai'fou roared furiously.
"I've appeared, and now I've disappeared!"
The shadow revealed itself with a smug grin, then vanished again.
"I presume that was also a fake son of yours. In that case, I'll just kill you!"
The shadow flashed and lunged directly behind Wen Zai'fou.
"You court death!"
Wen Zai'fou struck backward with his palm.
With a *bang*, the shadow spat blood and retreated.
"Such immense power!"
"However, though you are strong, are all your Wen family members this strong? Let me see how many experts your Wen family truly has."
After saying this, the shadow turned and left.
Wen Zai'fou's expression changed drastically.
He immediately roared, "Quick, quickly summon the twelve elders!"
His furious shout carried for several miles.
During this process, more Wen family experts met their end.