The northern outskirts of the Imperial Capital were where the mountain gate of the Cangqiong Sect stood.

A lone figure suddenly tore across the sky, racing straight toward the sect.

That figure was none other than Ling Feng, who had just come out of Prison of Fire Refinement.

After purging the demonic miasma from those he had rescued, Ling Feng did not pause for even a moment. He hurried straight for the Cangqiong Sect, worried that things might take a turn for the worse.

He had already clashed head-on with Yan Jinghong's faction. With Yan Jinghong's current ruthlessness, he would likely make an example of someone just to provoke him.

So the people of the Cangqiong Sect had to be rescued as soon as possible.

Before he even reached the mountain gate, Ling Feng saw from afar that the once grand and majestic complex had already been reduced to ruins.

The surrounding forests bore the scars of a fierce battle. The woods were overturned, and several mountains had been flattened into the ground.

Only a clash at the level of a Human Emperor could have caused such devastation.

"Miss Yue..."

Ling Feng's heart tightened. He sped up at once and activated Boundless Vision, searching for any trace of survivors.

At last, on the northern side of the sect, he found a relatively intact cluster of buildings. Inside, a group of Cangqiong Sect disciples and elders had gathered.

But they were not imprisoned. Instead, they sat together in the great hall, heads lowered, spirits crushed.

Soon, Ling Feng spotted a familiar figure.

"Brother Wen?"

His eyelids twitched. In the next instant, he moved and descended toward the hall.

With their cultivation sealed, everyone inside had become sluggish. Not a single person noticed Ling Feng's arrival.

Only when he appeared at the entrance did someone finally realize that a stranger had come right up to the door without a sound.

"Who are you?"

A disciple cried out and tried to block him, but Ling Feng slipped past him in a flash.

"Brother Wen, it's me. Ling Feng!"

In the next moment, Ling Feng stood before Wen Tingguang. Seeing him covered in injuries and breathing weakly, he frowned.

"Ling... Ling Feng, little brother!"

Wen Tingguang stared at him, joy flashing across his face before it faded into a sigh. "Little Brother Ling, you shouldn't have come back!"

The other elders in the hall fell silent when they saw Ling Feng.

Only the Yue family's eldest son, Yue Chengjie, glared at him with anger.

"What are you doing here, Ling? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"First Young Master, what are you saying?"

Wen Tingguang lifted his head and said through clenched teeth, "Ling Feng is the sect leader's savior!"

"Savior? Hah!"

Yue Chengjie burst out laughing. "Old fool, are you still dreaming? The Yue family isn't what it used to be. Father has fallen. The entire empire now belongs to Yan. Can't you see the situation?"

"First Young Master, you..."

"Shut up!"

Yue Chengjie pointed at Ling Feng and shouted, "He's the empire's most wanted criminal. If we're tied to him, what do you think will happen? You want to drag the whole sect down with you? Have you forgotten how Yan Jinghong let us live? My little sister sacrificed herself to secure peace for the Cangqiong Sect. If you want to die, go ahead, but don't take the rest of us with you!"

"What did you say?"

Ling Feng's gaze sharpened as he locked onto Yue Chengjie. "Say it again! What happened to Miss Yue?"

"Hmph! You think you can order me around?"

Yue Chengjie glared back, displeasure flashing in his eyes.

A sharp slap rang through the hall.

Yue Chengjie was sent flying before he even understood what happened. His vision went black, and he passed out on the spot.

"Idiot!"

Ling Feng snorted. Some people only learned after being beaten.

He turned back to Wen Tingguang. "Brother Wen, you tell me! What happened to Miss Yue?"

Wen Tingguang let out a long sigh. He explained how Yan Jinghong had forced Yue Yunlan to compromise and agree to marry him.

"The young lady did it for all of us. She chose to sacrifice herself and marry that little demon!"

"I understand!"

Ling Feng nodded and took a deep breath. "Then now... Miss Yue, she..."

"She's been taken back to the palace. The sect leader's wife was taken as well."

Wen Tingguang sighed again. "Little Brother Ling, listen to me. Yan Jinghong is no longer someone you can deal with. Leave now. Go as far as you can. With your talent, if you train for three to five years, you might stand a chance against that demon!"

"Brother Wen, you're underestimating me!"

A sharp glint flashed in Ling Feng's eyes. "Since I dared to come back, I have my ways. And I can afford to wait. Can Miss Yue?"

He clenched his fists. "No matter what, I won't let this happen!"

Wen Tingguang shook his head. "You don't understand. Even the sect leader and more than ten reclusive Human Emperor supreme elders..."

"A Human Emperor?"

Ling Feng lightly patted his shoulder. "Is that supposed to be impressive?"

He continued calmly, "Brother Wen, don't worry about that for now. I'll first remove the demonic miasma inside your bodies. It's what sealed your cultivation. Once it's gone, your strength will return. Besides..."

He paused briefly before adding, "I've already contacted Jingwang. The Northwestern Army and the Southern Army are now loyal to him. I didn't come back just for Yan Jinghong. I'm also here to help Jingwang reclaim the Mo clan's imperial authority!"

Although the situation with the Northwestern Army was still unclear, Ling Feng believed that with Li Bufan and Jiang Xiaofan involved, Commander-in-Chief Han Li would agree.

"You..."

Wen Tingguang's eyes trembled. "So Jingwang has already secured the empire's two strongest fortresses. Good. That's good!"

"Brother Wen, since Yan Jinghong hasn't restricted your movements, gather the scattered disciples of the Cangqiong Sect. Head to Tianmang Fortress and join Jingwang's forces. Strengthen his position."

"Of course. If the sect leader knew, he would agree!"

Wen Tingguang nodded firmly. "The Cangqiong Sect exists to protect the empire. It belongs to the Tianbai Emperor's rule, not Yan Jinghong's!"

It turned out that while they had been imprisoned, the situation had already begun to shift.

"Alright, there's no time to waste. Go gather the remaining disciples. I'll deal with the demonic miasma first!"

The surrounding elders rushed forward when they heard Ling Feng could remove the miasma. Each of them pledged loyalty to Jingwang, swearing to serve him to the end.

Ling Feng only smiled faintly and said nothing. He had no expectations for them. As long as they did not cause trouble, that was already enough.