Smoke columns rose in the Chen Nation.
One turned to four, four turned to sixteen, and sixteen turned to sixty-four…smoke columns immediately covered the nation.
Chen Nation’s imperial palace:
Many court officials headed for the imperial palace and met with the emperor, Chen Liangyi, at the entrance to the royal courts.
“Your Majesty, there is smoke rising from the fire beacons. Is something happening at the borders?!” The many officials looked at Chen Liangyi anxiously.
Chen Liangyu took a deep breath and shook his head. “There’s no need to worry. We know!”
“Your Majesty knows about it? However, the fire beacon smoke is rising everywhere. How can we not worry, Your Majesty?!”
“Your Majesty, if the fire beacons are lit, something must have gone wrong at the borders! We need to prepare to deal with it!”
The many officials felt anxious.
“We said it already: we know. There is no need to keep mentioning it!” Chen Liangyi said coldly.
“Yes!” the many officials answered, still slightly bewildered.
Naturally, Chen Liangyi also felt anxious. He had received news that the Clear River Sect was destroyed not long ago. The Clear River Sect was his backer; if the Clear River Sect was destroyed, the Chen Nation would not be far from destruction, either.
Right now, his great-granduncle followed Gu Hai and wanted one hundred blank imperial edicts from him. Not to mention one hundred, Chen Liangyi would be willing to hand over even one thousand. He hoped that Gu Hai could create another miracle.
The news of the fire beacons being lit arrived at Hulao Pass quickly.
Inside Hulao Pass, Gu Qin and Gu Han could also see the distant columns of smoke.
“First Brother, before Adoptive Father left, he said that if the beacon fires lit up, the situation had gone beyond his expectations, and there might be danger approaching!” Gu Han said with a frown.
Gu Qin narrowed his eyes slightly as he said, “Let’s go and hide first!”
“Alright!” Gu Han nodded.
Then, the two left silently.
Half a day later:
Boom!
Suddenly, a strong wind blew from a distance. Fu Xue flew to Hulao Pass while carrying a First Song Sect disciple.
“Where is it?” Fu Xue asked coldly.
“Primogenitor, there! There! That town!” that First Song Sect disciple yelled.
Fog surrounded that small town like a large ritual array covering it.
Whoosh!
Fu Xue flew nearby with that First Song Sect disciple in the blink of an eye.
Thud!
Fu Xue tossed that First Song Sect disciple to the ground.
Flying in the air, Fu Xue looked coldly at the small town before him.
Many cultivators around the small town had not left yet. When they saw someone suddenly fly over, their expressions changed.
“Nascent Soul Realm? Is he here for the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach?” Many cultivators revealed shocked expressions.
“Who is he? I have never seen him before, right?”
“Is he a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator of the Thousand Islands Sea?”
Countless cultivators pointed at and discussed the new arrival.
However, Fu Xue coldly eyed the foggy ritual array before him.
“Primogenitor! Primogenitor! Why are you here?” a First Song Sect disciple suddenly exclaimed from not far away.
Fu Xue turned his head and looked. Then, he stretched out his hand, and a suction appeared.
Whoosh! The suction immediately pulled that First Song Sect disciple over.
“Primogenitor, the sect master sent me to keep an eye on the Gu Residence!” that person said respectfully.
“Oh? Is Gu Hai’s entire family here?” Fu Xue asked.
“Yes. Gu Hai is in there too, as well as the three thousand evil men!” that person immediately said.
Gu Hai is still in there? Fu Xue’s expression sank. “Trash!”
“Yes!” That person did not dare to talk back.
“I’ll ask again. Are all of Gu Hai’s family here?” Fu Xue asked coldly.
“Yes! They are definitely in there. This is the Gu Residence. However, this ritual array is problematic!” that person said bitterly.
“So what if it is problematic? Gu Hai is not here. What kind of trashy ritual array could there be?” Fu Xue sneered.
As Fu Xue spoke, he seemed like he would barge into the ritual array.
“This is the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array!” that First Song Sect cultivator said respectfully.
Fu Xue’s cold smile froze. He had just taken one step forward, then suddenly stopped.
The Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array?
Fu Xue had experienced it at the First Song Sect. Unexpectedly, there was one here too?
“Primogenitor, are you going to barge in? Given Primogenitor’s strength, you definitely can break the ritual array!” that person called out, not knowing the situation.
“Scram!” Fu Xue kicked that First Song Sect disciple away.
My wounds have not healed yet, and you want me to barge into this ritual array?
“Ah!” That kick sent the First Song Sect disciple flying.
Fu Xue looked at the ritual array before him, feeling depressed. Previously, he would have given it a try. However, now, knowing the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array’s strength, he had to be cautious.
He looked around with bloodshot eyes. There were many ordinary people and cultivators in the surroundings.
With a cold expression, Fu Xue said, “Excellent. Very excellent. Very, very excellent. The Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array? Don’t you humans care about your friends and family? Let’s see if you are going to come out or not!”
Fu Xue waved his hand.
Boom!
Suddenly, red poisonous fog poured out of Fu Xue’s sleeves and covered the place, filling the air above the small town in the blink of an eye. Then, the red poisonous fog slowly descended.
“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!”
The moment the birds in the sky touched the poisonous red fog, they instantly died and fell.
“Oh no! It’s poison fog!” a cultivator suddenly cried out.
“Hurry! Run!”
“Hurry! Run! It’s poison fog!”
Countless cultivators fled in horror.
“Trying to run? Humph!” Fu Xue snorted coldly and waved his hand.
Boom!
The surging poisonous fog immediately enveloped the surroundings, covering the entire small town and preventing everyone from leaving.
“Ah! There is no escape!”
“What should we do?”
“Hold your breath and run out!”
The many cultivators held their breath and charged into the poisonous fog.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Argh!”
Agonized shrieks suddenly rang out. The cultivators who ran into the poisonous fog fell to the ground, poisoned, and died immediately.
“It is useless to hold your breath! It can penetrate through your skin. Hahahahaha!” Fu Xue guffawed.
“What should we do?”
“Senior, we have nothing to do with Gu Hai!”
“Senior, please let us go!”
Loud cries rang out.
Fu Xue showed a cold gaze. Soon, the poisonous fog would fill the entire small town.
Halfway up a mountain outside the town:
The expressions of Gu Qin and Gu Han changed when they saw the poisonous fog cover the small town in the distance.
“First Brother, what should we do? What should we do about this?”
“Oh no! We should have informed everyone.”
“Why is that person so cowardly? Won’t he know after barging into the ritual array?”
The two brothers appeared anxious but were helpless.
Countless horrified cries came from the small town. There was also Fu Xue’s sinister cold laughter.
“For the sake of a personal grudge, you threaten the life of an entire town of ordinary people. Beast, you are going overboard!” A thunderous voice suddenly rang out.
Boom!
Suddenly, a golden wind arrived, appearing like a large web that quickly blew and gathered the poisonous fog in the surroundings at the very center.
The surging poisonous fog instantly formed a huge poison ball.
Buzz!
The golden wind compressed the poison ball. Then, the poison ball seemed to dissipate, apparently neutralized.
The great danger vanished in the blink of an eye.
“Huh? Who is it?” Fu Xue’s expression changed.
Far away, Gu Qin’s and Gu Han’s eyes lit up.
“Who is that?” Gu Qin asked, puzzled.
The two saw an old man glistening with golden light at an inn in the small town. That old man wore a kya and held a Buddhist monk’s staff. Despite his benevolent face, he directed an unfriendly gaze at Fu Xue.
“Venerable! Many thanks, Venerable!” the surrounding cultivators immediately said gratefully.
“Baldy, who are you? How dare you get in my way?!” Fu Xue demanded coldly with a glare.
“This humble monk is Lian Sheng. The person you are looking for is not here. Go back to wherever you came from!” the old monk replied.
“Bodhisattva Lian Sheng?” Far away, Gu Qin’s eyes lit up.
Gu Qin had heard Gu Hai mention meeting a very benevolent monk in the Innate Puzzle World who had helped Gu Hai.
“Humph! You old thing, you are seeking death!” Fu Xue glared furiously.
Then, Fu Xue threw a palm strike at Bodhisattva Lian Sheng.
While Fu Xue did not recognize Bodhisattva Lian Sheng, the two First Song Sect disciples had heard of Bodhisattva Lian Sheng before. After all, they knew what happened in the Innate Puzzle World.
“Primogenitor, be careful. He is Bodhisattva Lian Sheng!” one of the First Song Sect disciples exclaimed.
“Bodhisattva?” Fu Xue’s expression changed.
However, Fu Xue already sent out a manifested palm.
Boom!
Although Bodhisattva Lian Sheng only countered with a palm strike, the surrounding space trembled.
Fu Xue’s manifested palm immediately exploded. However, Bodhisattva Lian Sheng’s palm strike did not lose any momentum, instantly arriving before Fu Xue.
Boom!
Fu Xue defended with all his might. However, Bodhisattva Lian Sheng was too strong, so strong that Fu Xue could not take this hit in his human form.
“Roar!”
Fu Xue transformed into his flood dragon form before getting knocked back.
Rumble…!
Suddenly, dark clouds covered the sky. Countless lightning bolts flashed, revealing the huge flood dragon in the sky.
“A flood dragon? He is a flood dragon?”
“A flood dragon sea beast?”
Countless cultivators goggled as they exclaimed in surprise.
However, Gu Qin remained focused on Bodhisattva Lian Sheng. The power of Bodhisattva Lian Sheng’s palm strike actually sent the flood dragon flying. How strong exactly was Bodhisattva Lian Sheng?
Fu Xue showed a horrified look. Bodhisattva Lian Sheng’s earlier casual strike made its internal organs shift slightly.
Even when fighting Gu Hai’s Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array, Fu Xue had not suffered like this.
The flood dragon showed an unsightly expression. However, it no longer dared to be rude to Bodhisattva Lian Sheng.
“Bodhisattva Lian Sheng, pardon this humble one’s offense!” Fu Xue immediately called out.
Bodhisattva Lian Sheng nodded but did not change his unfriendly expression towards Fu Xue.
“Many thanks to Bodhisattva for showing mercy. This humble one will leave now!” Fu Xue said.
Whoosh!
Fu Xue turned its head and quickly left.
“Primogenitor!” the two First Song Sect disciples cried out anxiously.
However, Fu Xue ignored the two.
While feeling conflicted, the many cultivators surrounded the two.
“Many thanks, Bodhisattva Lian Sheng!” The surrounding cultivators bowed gratefully to Bodhisattva Lian Sheng.
Bodhisattva Lian Sheng nodded. Then, he turned his head to look at a distant mountain where the two brothers, Gu Qin and Gu Han, stood.
“Bodhisattva Lian Sheng discovered us?” Gu Qin exclaimed in shock.
However, Gu Han frowned as he looked at the distant Bodhisattva Lian Sheng. With a complicated expression, he said, “I get a sense of familiarity from Bodhisattva Lian Sheng. How strange!”
