"Pretend to be a ghost! Who are you?" Yu Xiang demanded sharply, drawing his weapon.
Immediately, he was taken aback. The aura of the figure in front of him felt eerily familiar.
"You… are Beiyang City Lord Jiang Shicheng?" Yu Xiang asked, his voice edged with surprise.
Jiang Shicheng was equally astonished. "You recognize me?"
Yu Xiang had indeed met Jiang Shicheng earlier while gathering intelligence in the city. He was aware that Zhao Kuanying planned to infiltrate the camp by impersonating Jiang Shicheng.
"That's right, I am Jiang Shicheng, the city lord of Beiyang City." Jiang Shicheng emerged fully from the shadows, his aura unmistakable.
"Everyone, I don't want any further conflict. If you leave now and give me a penny, I'll pretend this night never happened!"
As he spoke, Jiang Shicheng subtly exuded the aura of a peak half-saint, accompanied by a hint of true holy power.
Yu Xiang and Ying Mo exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting seriousness.
"This is a peak Semi-Saint…" Yu Xiang whispered to Ying Mo.
He knew from the intelligence gathered that Jiang Shicheng was indeed a powerful semi-saint. The opponent's presence confirmed the accuracy of his information.
However, Ying Mo's expression remained unchanged. He dismissed Jiang Shicheng's offer immediately.
"My Shadow Guards have secured this city," Ying Mo said coldly. "If you insist on being our enemy, don't blame us for being ruthless!"
Ying Mo's tone was unyielding, and the three hundred Shadow Guards behind him displayed their weapons with a menacing clatter. Their posture was clear: they would not retreat, even at the cost of their lives.
"Very well…" Jiang Shicheng sighed. "It seems this battle is unavoidable."
"If that's the case, then I must truly offend you!" With his final words, Jiang Shicheng vanished like a ghost, leaving only a fading phantom.
"Be careful!" Ying Mo warned just as Jiang Shicheng reappeared in front of Yu Xiang, as if teleporting.
"How bold!" Yu Xiang's eyes narrowed as he reacted. Seeing Jiang Shicheng targeting him first, he realized the enemy saw him as the weakest link among the three semi-saints on their side.
"Sorrowful Breeze Palm!" Yu Xiang roared, unleashing his signature martial arts technique.
As the leader of the Xiaoyu organization, Yu Xiang was a formidable opponent, even capable of challenging a peak semi-saint like Jiang Shicheng.
Meanwhile, Ying Mo and Ying Yi took action, their daggers moving like deadly serpents, attacking Jiang Shicheng from both sides.
"Flash!" Jiang Shicheng dodged the flanking attacks with agile movements.
"Boom!" Jiang Shicheng clashed palms with Yu Xiang, forced back a few steps by the exchange.
Despite their combined efforts, the three semi-saints found it challenging to gain an upper hand against Jiang Shicheng.
"Hmph! How ridiculous. How can one semi-saint withstand three of us?" Yu Xiang sneered, his palms pressed together in disdain.
Jiang Shicheng smirked, his eyes gleaming with a hint of cunning. "Haha, you three are indeed impressive. Although my realm is higher, handling all of you is quite challenging!"
"But who said I'm the only semi-saint here?" Jiang Shicheng called out. "Brother Yi! Brother Jing! Please help me!"
From the city lord's palace, two more figures appeared as Jiang Shicheng's call echoed through the night.
"Haha! Brother Jiang, you know the price for asking us to fight," one of the figures said, their voice carrying a tone of amusement.
Jiang Shicheng nodded, knowing that enlisting the aid of additional half-saints came at a steep cost.
With the arrival of these two reinforcements, the balance of power shifted. Ying Mo and his companions were now facing three peak semi-saints, while the adversaries were left with only two ordinary semi-saints.
Despite the high quality of the Shadow Guards, they were at a disadvantage against peak semi-saints.
"Shadow Guards, follow the plan!" Ying Mo ordered calmly. "Hold back the three semi-saints while the rest of you proceed with opening the city gate. We need to allow our main forces to enter the city."
Ying Mo's focus remained on the mission. Though they might not be able to defeat the semi-saints, their goal was to delay them long enough for the Shadow Guards to complete their objective.
"Not good!" Jiang Shicheng's expression changed abruptly. He realized that despite having additional help, his forces in the city were falling quickly to the Shadow Guards.
As soon as the defenders met the Shadow Guards, they were overwhelmed in a one-sided massacre.
"Ah… Ahhhh…"
The vast gap in strength led to the defenders being cut down mercilessly, causing Jiang Shicheng to worry.
"This cannot continue!" Jiang Shicheng thought, his eyes flashing with determination.
His only chance was to strike decisively and eliminate the Shadow Guards swiftly before they could complete their mission.
With a surge of spiritual energy, Jiang Shicheng dashed toward the Shadow Guards.
Yet, Ying Mo was quick to intercept. "Whoosh! Your opponent is me!"
Ying Mo appeared before Jiang Shicheng, blocking his desperate attempt.
"Get away!" Jiang Shicheng's irritation flared as he unleashed his full spiritual power.
Ying Mo, her silver teeth clenched behind her mask, faced Jiang Shicheng with a mix of resolve and tension. The pressure from the peak semi-saint was palpable, but her determination remained unshaken.