Chapter 325: Chapter 325: Raid on the Duanmu Family
"The Duanmu Family is, after all, one of the top families in Jade Country. The power of the Tianjian Bureau alone may not really be enough to suppress them, and it would naturally be best if the Yu Family could act together with us."
The Modu City branch of the Duanmu Family, a powerful Star Martial clan, also ranked among the top ten in Jade Country. The entire family was full of talented people and boasted five Titled Strongmen.
However, the strength of Duanmu Qingsuang was unknown. According to the information collected by the Tianjian Bureau, Duanmu Qingsuang’s strength could only be at the peak of the Galaxy Stage at most.
When Wang Lan saw this intelligence, a hint of doubt appeared on his face.
"Do you feel that Duanmu Qingsuang, as the patriarch of the Duanmu Family, has a strength that somewhat belies his status?" Ming Baiye asked with a smile, noticing the expression on Wang Lan’s face.
"I have some doubts."
Yu Ruozhen said to Wang Lan with a beaming smile, "No one has stipulated that the patriarch of a family must necessarily be the strongest in the clan."
Ever since meeting Yu Ruozhen last night, Yu Ruozhen had been especially friendly toward Wang Lan. He spoke in a formal tone to Cheng Jianlong, but towards Wang Lan, he acted as though they were old friends.
Perhaps it’s because of my good relationship with Yu Ruoyun, Wang Lan thought.
Yu Ruozhen continued, "In fact, quite the contrary, many patriarchs of Star Martial families are not particularly strong. Take our Yu Family, for instance. The strongest, of course, is my eldest uncle, but he is not the patriarch.
"The patriarch is my second uncle, who, though not mediocre and also a Titled Strongman, ranks only in the middle tier among the Titled Strongmen. In the Yu Family, there are at least twenty others stronger than him.
"A patriarch needs not only strength but also the ability to manage the entire family. A single policy can lead to the rise and fall of a clan. Hence, even though the patriarch can command the entire family, he is actually the most tired and the hardest working.
"With the slightest lack of attention, he could cause the family inestimable losses. With so many things to worry about, one naturally would not invest too much effort in cultivation. It’s considered good if one’s strength doesn’t decline, to say nothing of a significant increase.
"Even some Star Martial family disciples, if they have high talent and great potential for growth, may be removed from the list of candidates for patriarch. The families need them to be stronger to stabilize the family’s status."
Wang Lan remarked, "Is that so? It seems I misunderstood."
Yu Ruozhen then explained, "Power and family have a fundamental significance. If it’s about power, the banner must be the strongest, as it’s the symbol of power. Only with a banner is there cohesion.
"But a family itself is connected by bloodlines, naturally possessing cohesion, and what a patriarch needs even more is the ability to run the family. It’s just unfortunate that the Duanmu Family chose Duanmu Qingsuang, this miscreant.
"The Duanmu Family secretly summoned back their five Titled Strongmen three days ago. They think they have eluded detection, heh heh heh... In reality, they have always been under our surveillance."
"Five Titled Strongmen..." Cheng Jianlong heaved a long sigh. "There are only a little over three hundred Titled Strongmen in Jade Country; what a tremendous loss this is!"
Yu Ruozhen assured Chief Cheng, "Rest assured, if they are willing to turn from darkness to light, we are not seeking their utter annihilation. The eldest uncle will personally take action tonight."
The street lamps had just started to light up; a pale yellow moon had already quietly risen into the sky. The sun had only just set in the west.
Wang Lan, along with his four squad members—Yang Yang and three others—sat in a coffee shop on a bustling street. Yang Yang and these three junior members, in particular, seemed somewhat excited.
Normally, aside from Yang Yang, the other three wouldn’t be qualified to participate in this mission. The opposition was the Duanmu Family, with over fifty Galaxy Stage masters. No one with less than Galaxy Stage cultivation would even think of participating in an operation against such a formidable force.
This operation was a joint operation between the Tianjian Bureau of Modu City and the Yu Family. The Yu Family dispatched thirty Galaxy Stage masters and five Titled Strongmen. On the side of the Tianjian Bureau, there were twelve Galaxy Stage fighters plus Cheng Jianlong, a Titled Strongman.
As for the other personnel of the Tianjian Bureau, they were merely stationed at various junctions to prevent any Duanmu Family members from slipping away unnoticed.
At first glance, the balance of power did not seem optimistic, and the Duanmu Family might even appear to be slightly stronger. But this operation had the backing of the Qing Emperor, who alone could resolve the entire Duanmu Family issue. Otherwise, how could the Yu Family only send thirty Galaxy Stage experts?
"You three, don’t get too excited. Although we’ve been assigned to the action team, let me remind you not to blindly charge forward once the action starts. That’s the Duanmu Family, not a Different Dimensional Space.
"The Duanmu Family is an established Star Martial clan with hundreds of years of heritage, and their strength is unfathomable. We’re just here to make a token appearance, capture some lesser targets, and gain some experience. Don’t foolishly take on tough challenges; otherwise, I’ll have to apply for a hero’s medal for you," Yang Yang’s deep voice suddenly interjected.
"Vice-captain, aren’t you underestimating us? We are, after all, an elite squad," one of them protested.
"Elite squad, true, but the Duanmu clan is a behemoth. Don’t be senseless," Yang Yang cautioned.
"Got it, got it. We’ll just follow you two and pick up what’s left over."
"The Duanmu Family must have noticed something’s off by now; the action is about to start," Wang Lan suddenly said, putting away his phone.
About ten action teams, entirely composed of Galaxy Stage members, coordinated through mobile phones and converged from all directions towards the Duanmu Family’s stronghold. Each independent team had a dedicated battlefield communicator.
Wang Lan and Yang Yang each wore an earpiece.
"Attention, Team Twelve, please proceed to Coordinate C within five minutes and launch an attack in ten minutes. Your task is to secure the family members in the shelter located in Building C’s underground parking lot as quickly as possible. Team Seven will coordinate with you during the operation," came the command.
"Understood!"
Wang Lan stood up and began to move. The five-person squad whooshed out of the cafe and, like fish swimming through water, they weaved through the bustling streets. In the blink of an eye, they crossed two streets and arrived on the outskirts of the Duanmu Family’s compound.
Although the Duanmu Family’s location was very serene, it was less than a kilometer away from the bustling downtown area. They truly achieved the feat of "building their abode amid the hustle and bustle without the noise of passing carriages and horses."
At this moment, a blue light screen rose above the walls of the Duanmu Family compound—an electromagnetic barrier.
Wang Lan’s own electromagnetic barrier used for cultivation was equipment that made Jiang Xinyu and the others green with envy. Yet, the Duanmu Family had an electromagnetic barrier that enveloped their entire family residence.
The Duanmu Family compound itself was a large residential complex. If viewed from the sky, it wouldn’t look any different from other high-end neighborhoods.
The only difference was that its layout resembled that of a Taiji and Bagua formation.
The outer perimeter consisted of residential buildings, each six stories tall, housing Star Martial Warriors affiliated with the Duanmu Family and their families. In the middle were branches of the Duanmu Family and the leaders of the Duanmu Family’s forces, living in duplex mansions.
Located at the innermost ring were the direct descendants of the Duanmu Family, as well as the upper echelons of the Duanmu clan’s power. At the very center of the complex was a large training ground bearing the pattern of a Taiji symbol.
The complex had clinics, supermarkets, shopping centers, and kindergartens, with facilities so complete it was like a small town within the city. The total population living in the complex was around seven thousand people, but four to five thousand of them were family members.
But don’t underestimate these family members. The wives of Star Martial Warriors were typically Star Martial Warriors themselves; the only ones truly harmless were the children. Even the elderly could be seasoned Star Martial Warriors.
When a signal rocket burst through the sky, the operation began.
Wang Lan instantly opened his Star Palace, and the Phoenix Constellation Saint Cloth and Zanpakuto flew out. Normally, Wang Lan would seldom wear the Saint Cloth in advance, but this time was different, as he was facing the Duanmu Family.
Although the Saint Cloth covered only fifty percent of his body, in principle, it offered one hundred percent coverage. Even areas not directly covered by the Saint Cloth would have any damage they received transferred to the cloth itself.
Unless the defense of the Saint Cloth was directly breached, the damage Wang Lan received would be minimal. Coupled with his healing ability, the combination might not realistically make him all-conquering, but ensuring his survival wouldn’t be difficult.
As Wang Lan and his squad rushed out, four black-clad Star Martial Warriors suddenly charged out from one side. Each had a ribbon tied around their forehead, and on the ribbon was the design of a pair of hooked jades.
The four moved twice as fast as Wang Lan’s team. In a blink, Star Power surged and thunder roared forth, instantly creating a gap in the electromagnetic barrier that rose above the Duanmu Family’s walls.
The figures of the four, like ghosts, passed through the breach, which was quickly closing under the relentless force of the electromagnetic energy.
"Quick—" Wang Lan roared, raising his finger sharply. Electromagnetic thunder unfolded into wings at his wrist, and three lightning arrows, in a triangular formation, struck the slowly closing electromagnetic void.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The electromagnetic barrier was once again torn open, and the five-person team shot through it like streaks of light.
"There are intruders here!" a shout of alarm rang out, and dozens of figures moved swiftly. Just as Wang Lan and his team landed, over twenty Star Martial Warriors dressed in the Duanmu Family’s uniform rushed out from the green belt in the distance.
"Who dares invade the Duanmu Family?"
"Hmm? Hooked jade badges? Are you... from the Yu Family? What is the Yu Family trying to do?"
"What are we trying to do? The Duanmu Family attempted to assassinate Princess Yu Ruoyun, and now the truth has come to light. Those with sense will surrender; we will deal leniently with unrelated parties."
"Nonsense!"
"Tianjian Bureau’s Action Department! By order, we are arresting the key members of the Duanmu Family. Unrelated individuals should lay down their weapons and surrender; you will be released after screening. You are merely affiliated with the Duanmu Family; is it worth dying for them?" Wang Lan took out his credentials and shouted.
"Don’t listen to his nonsense! The Tianjian Bureau is a spy agency; today’s invasion, in collaboration with the Yu Family, is an act of aggression! Since we are affiliated with the Duanmu Family, our interests are closely linked. If the Duanmu Family falls, do we have any hope of rising again?"
"That’s right! The Infinite Commander is here! Hold them back!"
Amidst the clamor, both sides assumed battle formations. Wang Lan heaved a sigh, realizing that his previous words had been in vain.
"Take action!" Suddenly, the captain of the Yu Family team shouted, and Wang Lan’s team instantly responded.
The Duanmu Family’s Star Martial Warriors also quickly launched their attacks. The melee was about to erupt.
Phantom Tracer activated, and Wang Lan’s figure instantly appeared next to one of the opponent’s Galaxy Stage experts. The Zanpakuto turned into a stream of light and slashed down.
"Clay Armor!"
The opponent knew they could not parry in time and instantly activated an Earth Attribute Star Martial Skill. A torrent of clay surged up, forming a layer of mud on their body. In an instant, the soft clay hardened into solid concrete, successfully blocking the Zanpakuto’s attack at the last second.