Nico, pinned against the wall, had long since lost the spark of life! Yet, the severely wounded Xing Chen and Nia were equally unable to move.

Strangely, Xing Chen felt none of the relief or joy of victory; only a crushing tightness in his chest. His face grew intensely grim.

“If this had happened outside,” seemingly reading Xing Chen’s thoughts, “we would have stood no chance against a Phoenix Knight. Only here, in this subterranean palace, did we have a chance to kill him.”

“So, you planned this from the very beginning.” Xing Chen’s face was ashen. Their scheme was strategically sound, but Xing Chen felt utterly betrayed. Though he had always known his relationship with them was purely one of mutual exploitation, being kept in the dark ignited his fury.

“Out in the open, with the aerial divine beasts at his command, no one is a match for a Phoenix Knight. Only deep underground, far from the surface, could we nullify the advantage of his aerial beast,” Nia continued. “This plan was Uncle Qiao’s design. He deliberately exposed Moranka Ji’s location to lure Nico here.”

“Uncle Qiao gambled his life for this opportunity,” Nia confessed, pain etched on her face. “We couldn’t afford to lose, so we had to deceive you as well. In the clan, only Nilo and I knew; even Lan Qi was kept in the dark.”

“To kill one Phoenix Knight, you’d sacrifice an entire clan? You think that’s worth it?” Xing Chen was aghast.

“It was unavoidable,” Nia replied. “For so long, our Shadow Moon Clan has been suppressed by the Soaring Sky Clan precisely because we lack a powerful Phoenix Knight. We’ve been relegated to passive defense because the manufacturing techniques for the Phoenix Knight armor are held exclusively by the Soaring Sky Clan.”

“To defeat a Phoenix Knight and secure a complete set of Phoenix Knight armor, we devised this operation with the highest probability of success.”

“I understand now,” Xing Chen finally relaxed, the tension easing slightly. “To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your own people, is that it?”

“Exactly so,” Nia confirmed.

“But I don’t understand,” Xing Chen pressed. “How were you so certain Nico would wait here? This entire setup seems tailored specifically for him.”

“Nico’s greatest desire is to eliminate me,” Nia stated calmly. “When he learned that the rescuers were Lan Qi and me, he wouldn't miss the single chance to kill me. And to prevent Lan Qi from fighting alongside me, he dispatched the Fire Dragon Moth to intercept us.”

“So you took advantage of that opening, creating the illusion that Lan Qi was completely exhausted, misleading Nico into believing she wouldn't intervene, thus making him fight you without reservation?”

“Correct,” Nia affirmed.

“But I saw the Lan Qi earlier; she didn't look like she was faking exhaustion. She truly seemed spent, incapable of continuing the fight.”

“Of course, Lan Qi had no strength left to fight,” Nia said, then glanced toward the figure of Lan Qi still standing motionless in the arena. “Because that isn’t Lan Qi at all.”

“She’s not Lan Qi.” Xing Chen was stunned, but the realization dawned quickly. “It’s a clone.”

“Precisely,” Nia confirmed. “Only Lan Qi has the capability to kill Nico. However, the real Lan Qi would never strike him, just as I would never strike Lan Qi. That’s why we created this bio-soldier.”

What a terrifying plan, one layer upon the next, a perfectly interlocked mechanism, rivaling the intricacy of a spy thriller.

“Does that mean even my involvement was part of your plan?” Xing Chen asked, his voice heavy.

“Yes. Ever since Niman rescued you, we ran meticulous simulations,” Nia admitted with surprising candor. “With your combat power allied with mine, operating within the special environment of the underground palace, and with her as our final trump card, our odds of success were calculated at sixty percent.”

Such terrifying calculation ability. Xing Chen stared blankly at Nia. “So, after this operation succeeds, you will absolutely not reveal a single detail to Lan Qi or anyone else?” Xing Chen inquired.

“Which is why we must ask you to keep this secret,” Nia managed a strained smile.

“What about her?” Xing Chen looked toward the blank-faced ‘Lan Qi,’ a sudden flicker of unease crossing his mind.

“She has completed the mission for which she was created, so she will be secretly disposed of,” Nia said helplessly. “Given the real Lan Qi’s character, she would never permit the existence of a clone identical to her, even if it’s merely a bio-warrior who looks the same but lacks independent thought.”

Is this the Wulong Villa? To achieve their goals, they employ any means necessary; are lives in this world just meaningless data points?

For the first time, Xing Chen felt a profound dread regarding Wulong Villa. It wasn't fear of their unfathomable power, but of their calm, detached disregard for life itself!

Under the dazzling sunlight, the colossal silhouette of the Demon Dragon slowly descended amidst the gaze of the assembled crowd. Before even returning to the base, Nia had already disseminated news of the operation’s progress!

The rescue mission had failed; the Daluo Clan was annihilated, not a single survivor! But during the operation, they encountered the enemy Phoenix Knight and, unexpectedly, defeated him!

This news still filled the Nilo Clan with overwhelming joy.

For so long, the Phoenix Knight had been hailed as an unbeatable myth. This victory served as a massive morale boost, finally allowing everyone to shake off the shadow of the Daluo Clan’s slaughter.

Thump! Boom!

The Demon Dragon’s immense body finally settled onto the ground, and eager figures rushed forward to greet them!

“Welcome back, conquering heroes.” Leading the reception was a middle-aged man with a rugged physique and a thick, bushy beard! His voice, like muffled thunder, was brimming with inexpressible joy and excitement.

“I am sorry, we didn’t make it in time to save Uncle Qiao,” Lan Qi said as she stepped out of the cockpit, lacking any sign of triumphant happiness, appearing instead deeply dejected.

“You did your best,” the bearded man stated gravely. “And you avenged Uncle Qiao; I believe he has no regrets.”

“And I have some good news for you!” Mei Mei suddenly appeared from somewhere. “Lili and many others from the Daluo Clan are still alive! Before the attack, Lili and about a hundred other academy students were sent to the Shadow Moon Oasis for an examination, so they fortunately missed the massacre by the Fire Dragon Lizards.”

“Is that true?” Lan Qi asked with delight. “Lili and the others are alive?”

“The Daluo Clan still holds a spark of hope,” Nia interjected. “Don’t let grief consume you too much.”

A spark of hope? Xing Chen murmured inwardly. It seemed Uncle Qiao had prepared completely; otherwise, it couldn't have been so coincidental that the younger generation was sent elsewhere the day before the attack, cleverly avoiding the Fire Dragon’s slaughter!

In that aspect alone, the plan could truly be called flawless.

This realization eased the agitation in Xing Chen’s heart. Perhaps I truly misjudged them. To be willing to sacrifice oneself to protect others—Uncle Qiao, by any measure, was a man worthy of respect.

And to preserve the younger generation as the hope for the future at least proved that, deep within their hearts, they possessed a shared human affection.