Chapter 787 - 359: Suspecting a Mole, Zi Xi’s Mentality

Li Chang’an was the same as always.

He wore a white robe and had a gentle disposition, carrying the faint, pleasant fragrance of herbs and wood. He was like a Spirit Medicine born of heaven and earth, and his presence alone was exceptionally comforting.

He didn’t look like someone from a Demon Sect.

Li Chang’an felt her gaze on him and, without a word exchanged, instantly knew what she was thinking.

"Saintess, I recognize these three Arrays because I’ve had some fortuitous encounters related to the Array Dao in recent years. I’m not a Demon Sect spy."

"Don’t worry, Daoist Li. Even if you really were a Demon Sect spy, I’d still give you a chance to escape."

"..."

Li Chang’an was rendered speechless.

They had known each other for a long time and had fought side-by-side on numerous occasions. All those years of friendship, and this was what it amounted to—a single chance to escape.

It was obvious.

Zi Xi harbored a deep-seated hatred for all Demonic Influences.

Seeing that everyone’s Qi had recovered, she led the group closer to the core of this subterranean world.

Before long, dozens of Demon Cultivators suddenly swarmed them.

"Daoist Li, is this an Array?"

"No, they’re just ordinary Demon Cultivators."

Li Chang’an activated his Tier Four Array Dao Skill and his Tier Four Stone Eye. After a careful inspection, he found no trace of an Array.

After a brief battle, Wu Shuo and the others quickly dispatched the Demon Cultivators.

Along the path ahead, more Demon Cultivators appeared in waves, but all were swiftly slain.

The Netherworld Saint Child, Teng Ying, did not appear again; it seemed he had exhausted his tricks.

A short while later, Li Chang’an sensed the Qi of some Righteous Cultivators.

Zi Xi sensed it too, her gaze turning toward the depths of the Blood River.

"It’s Junior Brother Wei. He’s alive, after all."

Soon, the others detected the presence as well.

A smile touched Wu Shuo’s lips. "It’s the Qi of Saint Child Wei Renjie and his many Guests. They were the first Cultivators to enter this place. I was afraid something terrible had happened to him."

The Wei Renjie he mentioned was one of the Purple Mist Sect’s new Saint Children.

His strength and talent were considerable, but he tended to be reckless and had entered this place a month ago.

Zi Yun said softly, "Sister, Saint Child Wei must be trapped. We should hurry and rescue him."

"Mm."

Following the trail of Qi, Zi Xi soon found where Wei Renjie and the others were trapped.

It was a lone island in the middle of the Blood River.

They were all listless and covered in blood, their injuries so grievous that they lay collapsed on the ground.

When Wei Renjie saw Zi Xi, no joy appeared on his face. Instead, he shouted anxiously, "Senior Sister, get out of here! We’re just bait! This place is a trap!"

"KEKEKE, too late!"

Accompanied by a shrill, strange cackle, Teng Ying himself appeared.

His face was sallow, his body gaunt and hunched. A triumphant smile spread across his gaunt, wrinkled face.

In the next instant, with a deafening BOOM, the ancient ice above their heads shattered.

An endless deluge of blood poured down from above, as if a celestial river had burst its banks. The flood was filled with ghastly white bones and accompanied by crimson Array Patterns, instantly submerging their position.

"Zi Xi, this is a true Tier Four Array—the Yellow Spring Bone Transformation Array!"

Teng Ying gloated, speaking from his position outside the Array.

"Even a Tier Four Array Master would have to expend considerable effort to break this Array. I doubt your Array Dao Skill has reached Tier Four, and with only those Tier Four Cards in your possession, you won’t last long."

Upon hearing this, the color drained from the faces of Wu Shuo and the others.

They had never imagined that there would be a genuine Tier Four Array here, much less one that would appear in such a bizarre fashion.

The only reason they hadn’t yet died within the Array was that Zi Xi was using a Treasure to temporarily block the Array Power.

A pendant hanging before her pulsed with Spiritual Light, holding all the blood at bay.

However, the light from the pendant was dimming at a rate visible to the naked eye.

At this rate, it could hold on for another dozen breaths, at most.

"Saintess, what do we do now?"

"There’s no need to panic."

Zi Xi’s tone remained calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.

She had many cards up her sleeve, not just this pendant, and could hold out for a long time.

"Daoist Li, do you have a way to break this Array? If not, I’ll have to ask my master to intervene."

She asked Li Chang’an via a private Sound Transmission.

As she spoke, a Jade Token had already appeared in her hand.

She only had to crush this Jade Token, and Zi Xia True Monarch would sense her location and know she was in peril.

Li Chang’an sent his reply, "Saintess, this Array is rather complex. I’ll have to trouble you to hold out for a little while longer."

Hearing this, Zi Xi was somewhat surprised.

"Daoist Li, are you confident you can do it?"

"Seventy percent."

"Seventy percent?"

Zi Xi thought to herself.

’Based on my understanding of Li Chang’an, his "seventy percent" means at least ninety.’

’And he hasn’t used any Array-Breaking Treasures, either. He’s just observing quietly.’

Recalling everything they had experienced so far, Zi Xi finally understood.

Her lips parted slightly as she asked via Sound Transmission, "Daoist Li, have you become a true Tier Four Array Dao Grandmaster?"

"I have."

"No wonder you needed those two Treasures."

Zi Xi took a long, hard look at Li Chang’an.

Even with her level-headedness, the thought of a Tier Four Skill made it difficult for her to remain calm.

She couldn’t help but recall their first meeting at the Cyan Cloud Sect, when Li Chang’an was just an unremarkable Loose Cultivator huddled in a corner of the grand hall.

Back then, their statuses and strengths were worlds apart.

Later, they met again in the ruins deep within the Black Dragon Mountain Range.

At that time, Li Chang’an had displayed a Quasi-Tier Three Array Dao Skill. It wasn’t exceptional, barely enough to earn a second glance from her.

At the time, she couldn’t understand why Li Chang’an had refused her invitation.

She had even believed that Li Chang’an would one day regret his decision.

But as time went on, Li Chang’an grew more and more outstanding, shattering her perceptions time and again, leaving even her—the Saintess of a Nascent Soul Major Sect—astonished.

In the blink of an eye, decades had passed, and the past had scattered to the winds.

Now, in certain respects, Li Chang’an stood at the very pinnacle of the Cultivation Immortality Realm, a height that forced even her to look up in admiration.

Just as she was lost in these thoughts, Teng Ying’s grating voice rang out again.

"Why so quiet, Zi Xi? Don’t tell me you’re still thinking of breaking the Array?"