Chapter 1929 - Empty City Gambit

One day later, Chen Ping led Chen An and the others beyond Moon Reverence City's gates to welcome "Liu Wuxie" and Ye Linghan.

"Big Brother!"

"My Brother!" Xiang Rulong greeted Chen Ping with remarkable warmth despite meeting him for the first time. He strode forward and pulled Chen Ping into an embrace.

"Greetings, Big Brother Chen," Ye Linghan said as she hurried over and bowed.

"Forget the formalities. You must be exhausted after traveling through the day and night. I've prepared refreshments inside," Chen Ping said, leading everyone into the Peace and Stability Merchant Association.

......

After departing from the Azure Flame Dao Hall, Liu Wuxie avoided Eastern Emperor City entirely. He executed the Divine Ninefold Step and traveled straight into the Dragon Burial Mountain Range.

Before leaving the region, Liu Wuxie intended to raise his cultivation to the ninth-level Spirit Immortal Realm. He had already reached the pinnacle of the eighth level and stood only one step away from a breakthrough.

In a little more than a day, numerous immortal beasts throughout the Dragon Burial Mountain Range had fallen. Liu Wuxie absorbed all their energy and laws into the Desolate World, steadily drawing closer to the ninth-level Spirit Immortal Realm. He needed only another day or two to achieve a breakthrough.

"The plan begins today," Liu Wuxie murmured while sitting beside a lake. It was the same lake he had fallen into after arriving in the celestial realm, where he had first met Ye Linghan.

......

Within the Eastern Emperor Pavilion, the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master and Stormcloud Sect's sect master had returned to Eastern Emperor City after completing their arrangements.

"Pavilion Master, all of us have received the news," the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master said respectfully. He and the Stormcloud Sect's sect master had rushed back to the Eastern Emperor Pavilion as soon as Shen Guang and Zhu Chaoyang notified them.

"Have Gongye Zhang or Ye Guhai made any moves?" the Stormcloud Sect's sect master asked cautiously, remaining wary of a trap. He could not understand why Liu Wuxie had traveled to Moon Reverence City instead of remaining safely inside the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

"We have informants within the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Gongye Zhang hasn't left the Dao Hall once in the past two days," Shen Guang replied.

Most Shen Clan elders had left the Azure Flame Dao Hall, but several of the clan's eyes still remained inside.

"Our people in Fourfold City also report that Ye Guhai hasn't left the City Lord Mansion. He has personally supervised the strengthening of its defenses in case we attack," Zhu Chaoyang said. He had already dispatched men to Fourfold City and now relayed everything they had discovered.

"Does that mean Xiang Zicheng is the only one protecting Moon Reverence City? If we mobilize our full strength, we still have a strong chance of victory," the Stormcloud Sect's sect master said after considering the situation.

"Xiang Zicheng returned to the Xiang Manor after escorting Liu Wuxie to Moon Reverence City. He has also reinforced the Xiang Manor's defenses, probably because he fears a sneak attack from us," the Thousand Hands Yama said with a frown. Their original plan had called for dividing Liu Wuxie's allies and eliminating them one by one before finally killing him.

The Xiang Manor, City Lord Mansion, and Azure Flame Dao Hall had all fortified their defenses. Launching a successful sneak attack against any of them had therefore become considerably more difficult.

"Then Xiang Zicheng's return has given us our chance! We should head directly to Moon Reverence City and capture Liu Wuxie," Zhu Chaoyang said excitedly, urging everyone to depart immediately.

The Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master exchanged a glance with the Stormcloud Sect's sect master. Both men were clearly tempted, but they turned toward the Thousand Hands Yama.

"I suspect we may be walking into a trap," the Thousand Hands Yama said.

Liu Wuxie's decision to travel to Moon Reverence City without making any apparent preparations simply made no sense.

"Pavilion Master, perhaps Liu Wuxie wants us to hesitate by making the situation look suspicious. Even if Ye Guhai sends experts to Moon Reverence City, as Divine Immortals, we can still capture him easily," Zhu Chaoyang argued.

Liu Wuxie habitually wove truth and deception together, confusing his enemies until conventional reasoning could no longer reveal his intentions.

"Sect Master, Hall Master, what are your views?" the Thousand Hands Yama asked. He could not base their decision solely upon Zhu Chaoyang's opinion and needed to hear from the other two.

Among the five men, Zhu Chaoyang and Shen Guang possessed the lowest cultivation and could not compare with the other three.

"Honestly, none of us can understand what Liu Wuxie is thinking. Had he remained away from Moon Reverence City, we would certainly have captured Chen Ping and used him as leverage. Now that Liu Wuxie has gone there himself, he has forced us into the passive position," the Stormcloud Sect's sect master said with a rueful smile. Despite his dignity as a Divine Immortal, even he could not see through Liu Wuxie's scheming.

The Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master responded with an equally bitter smile. They had originally intended to settle their disciples before traveling to Moon Reverence City and capturing Chen Ping. Liu Wuxie's sudden arrival there had overturned their entire plan.

"Isn't that better for us? We can capture both of them in one move," Zhu Chaoyang insisted.

"What if Liu Wuxie isn't scheming this time? What if genuine concern for Chen Ping brought him there? If he establishes Moon Reverence City's defenses before we act, won't we lose this golden opportunity?" Shen Guang asked, supporting Zhu Chaoyang's position.

Given their combined strength, Shen Guang believed they had nothing to fear even if Liu Wuxie had laid a trap. He could not understand why the others were still hesitant.

Perhaps Liu Wuxie's performance throughout the competition had shaken them too deeply, making them excessively cautious.

"Liu Wuxie can already kill cultivators at the pinnacle of the Origin Immortal Realm. Once he enters the Profound Immortal Realm, even Divine Immortals will not be his match," Zhu Chaoyang added, deliberately increasing the pressure upon everyone.

Their expressions finally became grim. The feud between them and Liu Wuxie had already reached an irreconcilable point, guaranteeing that he would pursue them after entering the Profound Immortal Realm. Since their clash could no longer be avoided, they might as well strike first.

"We'll divide our forces into two groups," the Thousand Hands Yama said. "The first will enter Moon Reverence City and capture Liu Wuxie. The second will remain outside and provide support if anything goes wrong."

Neither the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master nor the Stormcloud Sect's sect master objected.

"Then let's stop wasting time and leave," Zhu Chaoyang urged, wishing he could fly to Moon Reverence City that very instant.

"The five of us won't be enough. We also need to mobilize a group of experts," the Thousand Hands Yama replied, intending to bring a large contingent of Origin Immortals.

Half a day later, the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master summoned the hall's surviving upper echelons, including Elder Gu. The Stormcloud Sect's sect master likewise mobilized numerous elders, while the Shen and Zhu Clans dispatched their finest elites. None could afford to fail.

Success would grant them dominance over everything surrounding Eastern Emperor City.

The group departed for Moon Reverence City as soon as night fell.

Not long after they left, Chen Ping received word of their movements. The Azure Flame Dao Hall also maintained spies inside the Eastern Emperor Pavilion.

The Thousand Hands Yama's group finally reached Moon Reverence City at dawn.

The Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master led Zhu Chaoyang into the Peace and Stability Merchant Association, while the Thousand Hands Yama and Stormcloud Sect's sect master guarded the outer perimeter.

A thunderous explosion erupted as Elder Gu struck the merchant association's defensive spiritual array, shattering it. Confusion immediately crossed his face when he examined the broken array.

Given Liu Wuxie's mastery of spiritual arrays, no spiritual array he personally established should have collapsed so easily.

"This is a trap," the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master declared, immediately sensing that something was wrong.

The descending palm had drawn no screams, and deathly silence filled the Peace and Stability Merchant Association. Not a single person was inside. Worse still, Moon Reverence City itself seemed devoid of all life.

"An empty city?" Elder Gu asked as realization struck him. Liu Wuxie had clearly left Moon Reverence City long ago.

Deep beneath the city, Chen Ping and Chen An calmed Moon Reverence City's residents and guided them to safety. Chen Ping had promised every household ten thousand immortal stones after the crisis ended, allowing them to rebuild their homes. Only after receiving that promise had the residents agreed to evacuate.

To prevent information from leaking, they had waited until dawn before setting the evacuation plan into motion.

By the time the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master and his companions learned of the evacuation, it would already be late morning.

"Sun and moon!" A voice rang from the east.

"Stars!" Another voice thundered from the sky.

"Primal origin!" A third voice echoed from the left.

"Northern abyss!" Another invocation came from the north.

"All-Heaven!" A voice resounded from the right.

"Immortal Execution!" every voice proclaimed at once.

Six pillars of light instantly pierced the sky as the Primal Starheaven Immortal-Slaying Array activated.

Xiang Zicheng stood high above the city. The owner of the Skyhalberd Auction House took the position to his left, while Gongye Zhang stood to the right. Elder Meng of the Heavenly Divination Gate guarded the north, Ye Guhai commanded the east, and the Mu Clan's patriarch was the final piece of the operation.

Their enormous spiritual array engulfed the whole of Moon Reverence City.

The Thousand Hands Yama had stayed near Moon Reverence City's edge rather than entering the Peace and Stability Merchant Association, and yet, the array had trapped him as well.

"They deceived every one of us!" Shen Guang and Zhu Chaoyang roared, appearing nearly mad. They immediately rushed from the merchant association and regrouped with the Thousand Hands Yama and the others.

"Compose yourselves! Your behavior is disgraceful!" the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master roared.

Shen Guang and Zhu Chaoyang swiftly recovered their composure. Fear of death had overwhelmed them, for Liu Wuxie's merciless methods had long planted a seed of terror within their hearts.

The Thousand Hands Yama surveyed the surroundings. Murderous intent surged through his eyes when he spotted Xiang Zicheng and Ye Guhai.

"Ye Guhai, shouldn't you be reinforcing Fourfold City's defenses? Why are you standing in Moon Reverence City?"

Zhu Chaoyang had stationed men inside the City Lord Mansion, and their reports insisted that Ye Guhai personally supervised the city walls' defenses every day. How, then, could he possibly be standing in Moon Reverence City?

Furthermore, the Primordial Starheaven Immortal-Slaying Array could not have been constructed in a single day. These experts must have spent the past several days hiding around Moon Reverence City, secretly setting up the spiritual array and waiting for their enemies to fall into the trap.

"Is it truly surprising for cultivators at our level to prepare a few doubles?" Ye Guhai asked with a faint smile.

Since the Ye Guhai stationed in Fourfold City was an impostor, the same was naturally true of Xiang Zicheng. After escorting Liu Wuxie to Moon Reverence City, the real Xiang Zicheng had never returned. The figure who remained at the Xiang Manor was merely a double.

"You think this spiritual array is enough to kill us? What a joke!" the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master sneered. He was also a grandmaster in spiritual arrays.

Both sides possessed roughly equal numbers, so an open battle would most likely end in a stalemate. Moreover, the Celestial Moon Dao Hall's hall master and the Thousand Hands Yama had brought a large contingent of Origin Immortal Realm experts with them.