Ding!
The clang of metal striking metal rang out abruptly, and in midair two beams of spiritual light entangled, then swiftly separated.
A shocking sharpness spread like raindrops, turning a radius of ten zhang into a scene of chaos.
“Tu Yuanjun! Even if I die, I won’t let you off easily!”
From the emerald glow, a figure emerged, his robe stained with blood, clearly at a disadvantage. He gritted his teeth fiercely and quickly fled.
“Don’t run!”
From another crimson beam of light came an enraged roar, and the pursuer surged forward.
Xiu xiu!
After flying over ten miles, two brilliant sword beams suddenly appeared, blocking Tu Yuanjun’s escape. Two young women emerged from the beams: “Evil villain, you killed our sisters. Today is your day to die!”
The previous emerald light turned quickly and swiftly returned, shining brightly.
“A trap?”
Tu Yuanjun, with flaming red hair and a sinister, arrogant demeanor, merely sneered: “Pity this place is devoid of life. Otherwise, with my ‘Myriad Souls Tu Yuan Grand Formation,’ even ten of you wouldn’t stand a chance!”
“You slaughtered over ten thousand lives to cultivate this evil formation. You will surely suffer heavenly retribution!”
The two women’s eyes turned red, their fury nearly causing their eyes to bleed.
Tu Yuanjun was also a notorious figure within the Master Temple, although his personal strength was only at the fourth level. He possessed an unparalleled talent for formations, even going so far as to slaughter ten thousand to create a fifth-level formation!
Once the “Myriad Souls Tu Yuan Grand Formation” was deployed, it summoned an army of ten thousand ghosts, extremely fierce, and could even feed on the souls of nearby living beings to replenish itself.
If this formation were placed in a densely populated area, it wouldn’t fear depletion, continuously replenishing itself, even repairing any damage sustained—it would be extremely difficult to breach.
Of course, in Shengjing, where no grass grew and all life had vanished, the situation was entirely different.
“Jiejie… I only have one head. How will the three of you divide it?”
Tu Yuanjun’s eyes flickered, and he laughed mockingly again.
“Evil villain! This time, we never intended to leave. Killing you is all we desire!”
The two women shouted coldly. Suddenly, from their celestial foreheads emerged a somewhat illusory infant form, bearing striking resemblance to them, which then dove into their flying swords.
“False Infant Sword Manifestation? So you’re really going all out!”
Seeing this, Tu Yuanjun’s expression turned grave. Without hesitation, he summoned thirty-six black soul banners, forming a vast formation, from which ghostly mist began to rise.
An even more terrifying battle was about to erupt!
…
It had been more than three days since the mission was announced.
Even separated by millions of miles, with the power of the Cycle Bearers, it was still possible to arrive in time.
These days, such bloody battles had already occurred several times in Shengjing. Although Shengjing was in ruins, it had once been the capital of the Shang dynasty, easily concealing dozens of people.
For a time, the cycle of killing and being killed, tracking and counter-tracking, alliances and betrayals among the Cycle Bearers played out repeatedly within the city, leaving the onlookers trembling with fear.
“Tu Yuanjun?”
Looking at the terrifying formation filled with murderous aura on the horizon, Qiu Yi couldn’t help but sweat coldly from his forehead: “Another expert I’ve never heard of, but this formation might even rival the Earth Immortal Realm?”
What had happened in these few days was truly beyond his imagination.
Previously unknown experts had emerged one after another, seemingly all connected to the mysterious group the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs was investigating.
Unfortunately, the opposing side was too powerful. Randomly stepping out one of them was already a True Man cultivation level, and there were also many Celestial Masters!
In fact, after hearing the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs commander’s recount of the battle between the mechanical being and the fox demon, he had lost all thoughts.
“The fire at the city gate scorches even the fish in the moat!”
He slowly retreated, not daring to disturb the several people battling above, returning to the underground palace: “Who knows what these mysterious people are thinking, coming here to fight to the death… forcing our Bureau of Supernatural Affairs to live like rats underground, afraid to show our faces!”
At this time, within the underground palace camp, all the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs agents looked dejected and disheveled.
Previously, they had actively dispatched agents to gather intelligence, but unfortunately, they were caught in the crossfire and suffered heavy losses. Combined with the deaths in the imperial tomb, they had already lost half their numbers!
Even the most loyal team would be devastated by a 50% casualty rate.
The only reason they hadn’t completely collapsed was because their senior leadership was still present, maintaining the last vestiges of confidence.
“Deputy Commander!”
“Deputy Commander!”
Seeing Qiu Yi enter, numerous Bureau of Supernatural Affairs officers, from hundred-households to thousand-households, saluted him, accompanied by a delighted female voice.
Qiu Yi’s heart stirred. He saw Cang Feiyan looking at him, the young girl’s face filled with longing and a blush. When their eyes met, she lowered her head shyly.
This charming sight delighted him greatly, knowing that even if it was for the furnace and cauldron techniques, having this woman’s cooperation would enhance the effects.
“You wait a moment, I still need to see the Commander!”
Taking advantage of the salute, he exchanged a few words with Cang Feiyan before hurrying away, unaware of the glint of coldness in her eyes.
…
Inside the Bagua Hall.
Ministers Xiang, Cui Jue, and Yan Sheng were all present, looking at Prince Yong within the formation, their faces showing anxiety and slight unease.
“His Highness is a dragon descendant of the Zhou dynasty, bearing the dragon’s aura by virtue of his fate. Why is he still like this?”
Cui Jue frowned: “Could it be that the malevolent aura hasn’t been completely removed? Or is there an error in the method? Or perhaps the Prince is weak and cannot bear the enhancement? Or is it an overabundance of fortune suppressing his destiny?”
At this moment, Prince Yong, within the formation, seemed unconscious, surrounded by black mist. Even his face bore thin, snake-like black lines, a terrifying sight.
“If we had a Celestial Master or Earth Immortal to oversee the process of grafting the dragon’s aura, it would be much better. Originally, the person chosen was Yu Qingzi, but unfortunately…”
Yan Sheng shook his head.
“Very well!”
Surprisingly, Minister Xiang seemed the least worried at this moment.
He stroked his beard, holding an ancient classical text: “If His Highness hasn’t improved in an hour, I shall recite a passage for him!”
“Thank you, Minister!”
Knowing that Minister Xiang was about to use his righteous qi to cleanse Prince Yong’s dragon-infused malevolence, Yan Sheng and Cui Jue dared not be negligent, slowly retreating.
“Minister!”
As Qiu Yi entered, he witnessed this exact scene.
“Let’s speak outside!”
Yan Sheng gestured for silence, leading Qiu Yi outside the hall.
The underground palace had been converted into a small encampment, filled with numerous empty tents. Yan Sheng’s quarters were located nearby, under the watch of dedicated guards.
He and Qiu Yi entered, lit the lamp, and then waved his hand.
“Today, under orders, I patrolled the western part of the city and encountered…”
As Qiu Yi recounted, Yan Sheng’s expression remained calm, though on the table lay a stack of case files.
At the beginning of the files were a series of names: Blood Oath Alliance Leader, Tu Shan True Lord, Huang Da, Wolf Bone Shaman… and finally, the newly added Tu Yuanjun, the ink still fresh, written by Yan Sheng himself.
His grip on the brush was extremely steady, his strokes swift and precise, the regular script clear and pleasing to the eye. Even by calligraphy alone, he could easily earn the title of scholar in the imperial examination.
For a Martial Sage, this was but a trivial feat.
As Qiu Yi finished speaking, Yan Sheng also completed his writing, suddenly smiling: “These days, another unknown expert has emerged! How many talents there are in the world!”
Qiu Yi gritted his teeth, saying nothing.
What he had seen and heard these days indeed challenged his previous beliefs, making him realize that outside the blessed lands, there was another powerful force that alarmed him.
“Minister!”
At this moment, another deputy commander entered, his face filled with distress: “The food supplies are nearly exhausted. Even with strict conservation, how are we to manage the daily needs of so many people?”
Normally, they could simply transport grain from other regions, albeit at some cost.
But now, with Shengjing teeming with hidden experts, Yan Sheng dared not expose their presence casually. Only a few experts at the True Man level or above were allowed to go out for reconnaissance, while ordinary Bureau of Supernatural Affairs agents were strictly prohibited from any activity.
“This…”
Yan Sheng furrowed his brows. Even a Martial Sage needed to eat.
These days, their food and water had been sustained by the supplies they carried, but his own Qiankun bag’s capacity was limited and nearly exhausted.
“Should we send someone with a Qiankun bag to gather supplies from the outside?”
Yan Sheng’s gaze shifted between his two subordinates: “Even a Grandmaster or True Man would find it dangerous outside. To ensure absolute safety, unless either I or Master Cui personally went…”
As for Minister Xiang?
He had to protect Prince Yong, and although Confucianism was powerful, it was particularly vulnerable to countermeasures. Especially the fragile physical bodies of Confucians, easily targeted for decapitation, making him a last-resort card.
“Haha! Never thought that the esteemed third-grade official of the court, the Commander of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, a Martial Sage, would be troubled by such a trivial matter!”
Suddenly, a clear laughter echoed from outside.
“Who is it?”
“Alert!”
The entire camp sprang into action instantly. The central hall and Yan Sheng’s surroundings were tightly protected, showcasing the exceptional quality of the remaining Bureau of Supernatural Affairs elite.
“Could it be they’ve found us?”
Yan Sheng’s heart sank, but he had prepared for this. He brought his four commanders to the edge of the camp.
There, a youth with a sinister appearance was slowly walking down the corridor. A purple-red glow surrounded him, exuding a sinister aura. Nearby officers, from hundred-households to thousand-households, immediately collapsed unconscious upon approach.
“Who are you?”
Yan Sheng’s heart tightened as he asked calmly.
“One who comes to help you!”
The sinister youth laughed lightly, tossing over several storage bags: “A small gift, please accept it with my compliments!”
“Qiu Yi!”
“Present!”
Qiu Yi inwardly groaned, stepping forward to pick them up. Upon sensing the contents with his spiritual awareness, his expression subtly changed, whispering into Yan Sheng’s ear.
“Grains, clean water, and medicinal herbs?”
Yan Sheng’s heart stirred. This indeed spared them the trouble of running around, but it was still just a minor favor.
“What do you think? We are not enemies—for now!”
The sinister youth smiled: “By the way, you may call me… the Master God!”
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