146. Most Feared In The Heavens
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"Hmph!" Bailong flung his sleeve, folding an arm behind his back. "I'd like to see who amongst you can make me hand innocent ones over to them!"
"You-!" Tianlong couldn't believe Bailong would openly defy him.
"He's rebelling!" Grand Immortal Jin yelled out, his words calling his minions to action. "Stop him before he harms the Sky Emperor!!"
"He might be hiding a talisman beneath his back!" One was quick to yell, sending the hall into mild chaos, as the Sky Palace guards jumped in to shield Tianlong.
A few of the guards leapt towards Bailong, but before they could touch him, he promptly vanished.
"Go after him!" Immortal Jin yelled, not even hiding the fact that he was giving orders, despite the Sky Emperor being present, but he gritted his teeth when two of the three Sky Generals present both turned to the Sky Emperor for permission.
Tianlong was in some shock, still unable to believe Bailong had gone as far as openly defying him.
"Sky Emperor!" Immortal Jin appeared and bowed to him. "You must act! All of Sky Realm is looking to you for guidance!
"If we don't stop High Grand Immortal Yin today, he might usurp the throne and wreak havoc tomorrow!"
"Impossible!" Fei Yun instantly rebuffed.
"Surely not!" Tianlong himself could not imagine it.
This was Bailong. He wasn't the type to usurp the throne, especially when his own friend sat on it!
He was also someone who couldn't stand for injustice! There was simply no way Bailong would ever wreak havoc when innocent lives were at stake...
Wasn't this the same reason Bailong was defying him?
Immortal Jin hid a smirk.
"Sky Emperor, you simply cannot afford to favor High Grand Immortal Yin! 'Fear not the evil Villain, but he who performs Villainous acts in the name of Righteousness'!
"We all know Immortal Yin is a loyal friend and is righteous... But that might be the problem here!
"What if he seizes the throne because he's convinced you're in the wrong and won't 'let you veer down the wrong path'?! What if he causes chaos in his fight for the 'Just and Innocent'?!
"Didn't we all witness what he could do during the Civil War...?!"
These words awoke a few more doubts within Tianlong, and he recalled Bailong's words from just now,
"...I won't accept such blatant injustice...!"
What was Bailong capable of in the pursuit of Justice?!
After some consideration, Tianlong resolutely pointed towards the doors. "After him!"
The Sky Generals leapt into action, each performing a single hand seal, and thousands upon thousands of Sky Soldiers appeared around Sky Palace, their gold and silver armours gleaming in the sunlight.
"Everyone!" The third Sky General, clearly on Immortal Jin's side, addressed. "We are going after High Gra-... Pardon me, we are going after the traitor, Yin Xiaolong!"
Tianlong felt a bit sick...
He hadn't intended to dub Bailong a 'traitor', but now he could feel all the gazes turn toward him as the three Sky Generals knelt before him.
So he remained silent and simply pointed outward again.
And with that single gesture, the mass armies of Sky Realm flew away from Sky Palace, all chasing after Bailong.
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Meanwhile, Bailong had been leisurely flying back home, using the rushing wind as an excuse to clear his head of depressing events.
'Our friendship isn't over...' He assured himself, reminiscing on more than a few joyful memories.
The shared wine and laughter...
The music they played in wonderful harmony...
The constant bickering and teasing...
Being there with each other through grief and turmoil...
And the simple feeling of knowing they had each other's backs...
'Such friendsh-... This 'Brotherhood' can't be over so easily!' He concluded, slowing to a mild walk in the skies.
He sighed. "I was a bit wrong... No matter what, A-Tian is the Sky Emperor... I should make amends for openly defying him!"
However, before the thought fully solidified in his head, he suddenly found himself surrounded by an army.
To one side, higher than the rest, stood Tianlong and Immortal Sun Liang, the former Fate Hall Vice, who had somehow become a Palace Guard since Fei Yun became the Fate Immortal.
And as, for Fei Yun, Tianlong had sent him back to Fate Hall to ensure any confrontation would not affect the Mortal Realm.
"Traitor, Yin Xiaolong! You have been surrounded by Sky Realm's army!" The 3rd General's voice boomed all over most of Sky Realm. "Surrender yourself! And your punishment might be lenient!"
Bailong overcame his shock quickly, and he cleaned out his ears, turning to face the General. "So loud... Are you worried some immortals won't hear that I'm a criminal?
"Without evidence, you've dubbed me a traitor and even announced it to all of Sky Realm... Your intentions are a little too obvious!"
"Silence! We all witnessed you rebel against the Sky Emperor just now!" One said, and Bailong turned to Tianlong, intending to ask once again if Tianlong was willing to let things go so far...
But again, Grand Immortal Jin did not hesitate to yell, "He's going for the Sky Emperor!!"
Which was a cue for the same 3rd General to jump in with the soldiers, saying, "Protect the Sky Emperor! Arrest the traitor!!"
Thousands of Soldiers flooded Bailong, blocking him from Tianlong's view, and they attacked all at once.
At first, Bailong had no intention to fight these soldiers, but when he tried reverse-summoning himself to Caoyang, none of his talismans worked...
"Heh! Don't try to escape!" Grand Immortal Jin leered. "We've used your own formation from War Hall to prevent you from running anywhere!"
This raised a new worry for Bailong...
Fighting these immortals would solidify Sky Realm's stance against him, Liwei, and the Snake Clan.
But each time he attempted to reach Tianlong, the soldiers formed a wall between them.
~"A-Tian! Isn't it obvious that they are keeping me from speaking with you?!"~ He sent a telepathic message to Tianlong, but Tianlong raised his chin.
~"Isn't that because you are always trying to enforce your way?! The fastest way to end this is for you to surrender!"~ He folded his arms behind his back. ~"Naturally, I won't let anyone harm you!"~
~"I see..."~ Bailong nearly choked, almost unable to believe Tianlong could dismiss him so easily. ~"So all along you thought I was simply acting to 'enforce my way'..."~ Bailong turned away, easily blocking an incoming attack.
So far, he had been evading, determined not to cross any lines, but it was clear he could no longer reach Tianlong.
And if the soldiers had found him here, then they might have sent several to Caoyang or his East Sea home, the thought of which made him a bit anxious...
So he activated the shields around the Forest of Snakes and the heart of Caoyang, and then turned to face the thousands of soldiers head-on!
He took a single step forward, and hundreds of soldiers were suddenly flung backwards.
"This is -!" One of the deities exclaimed, witnessing Bailong suddenly appear amidst the mass armies, weaving amongst them and sending them flying.
From the Mortal realm, the clouds looked rowdy and the skies rumbled and rippled.
But these were simply the after-currents of Yin Xiaolong's face-off against more than nine hundred thousand sky soldiers, and several core deities.
Yet not one could touch him!
It was quite a spectre, as Bailong sent thousands of soldiers flying with a single swing of his sleek sea blue crystal sword, surrounded by coils of glistening water.
The soldiers now wore worry on their faces, most of them equal parts impressed and afraid that one so young could wield such power!
Still, their orders had been received and the soldiers endlessly approached.
'Troublesome.' Bailong planted his feet, one hand held up in a seal.
"Submerge." He said, and a large circular formation suddenly appeared beneath them all, spanning an astounding number of miles. It was the likes of which the deities had never seen, and there was a powerful pull from below, attempting to draw all present into the seal.
The deities jumped into action at once, but were only able to shield themselves and a few hundred soldiers each, and they helplessly watched as thousands of soldiers vanished into the strange seal, disappearing from sight.
"Yin Xiaolong! What have you done to the Sky Soldiers?!" The third General demanded, floating over to face Xiaolong. "You've fought with some of these men, and more than a few were merpeople from the East Sea!"
"Hao. I just sent them all beneath the Western Sea. That's fine, right?" Bailong held out a hand and his sea-blue sword reappeared in his grasp. "Move." He warned, but scowled as the other two Generals appeared.
The three charged at him and the first clash of their swords nearly blew the remaining soldiers away. They each went head to head with Bailong for a while, taking turns to attack him.
But their clashes were shaking central Sky Realm into near destruction, and this caused thunderstorms in the Mortal Realm.
Bailong's brows furrowed.
"Let's take this somewhere else." He said during a blade-lock, but one of the Generals scoffed.
"Do you think we're fools?! Aren't you just trying to escape?!"
Bailong suddenly stopped the General's approaching sword with a single finger. "You misunderstood." He said with a blank expression.
"I'm bored of wasting time with you all, but if I fight seriously, Central Sky Realm might vanish!" He flicked up another finger, and the General's sword was shot a far distance away, the force making the General stagger backwards several steps while spitting blood.
"And besides... I wasn't asking." Bailong finished, and the air around phased, causing Tianlong, the deities, soldiers, and Bailong himself to be transported to a blank desert-like void.
"The Out worlds!" One of the deities exclaimed...
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