Chapter 534: Hunting

The ground shook, and screams rose and fell one after another. The crowd surged into a chaotic mass, and a stampede broke out. Some people lost their footing and tumbled into the river. On Jiulian Street, even the parade floats found it difficult to stay upright, swaying precariously.

Yet one figure moved swiftly against the flow of people. The muscles all over his body rippled like waves, stirring even the air around him. When the packed crowd came into contact with this person, they would part unconsciously, like a raging current encountering a Wandering Dragon and being split in two.

This was the effect of the masterful application of bodily Force.

This person was none other than Zhao Xuanqi. The moment the chaos erupted, he had seized the opportunity created by the crowd’s panic to slip away. He was heading to the location he had arranged to meet Zhuang Li and begin their plan.

However, as he left, he couldn’t help but worry about the safety of He Xijun, his nominal senior martial sister.

After all, she was only at the Blood Strengthening realm. Though much stronger than an ordinary person, she seemed far too insignificant in the face of such a crisis.

While moving against the current of people toward a small alley, he glanced back to check on the situation near where He Xijun was.

Nearly a hundred meters away, the crowd’s screams grew even louder. And it wasn’t just screams—a dense wave of Yin Qi erupted into the sky as the ground exploded.

A massive, bloated, humanoid monster abruptly rose from the ground. It stood at least ten-odd meters tall, with a head of disheveled black hair. Its grotesque, swollen body was cracked open, revealing strange, crimson eyes one after another.

Its appearance was somewhat similar to the many-eyed Evil Spirit they had seen inside the Huang Mansion in the Ghost City, but the feeling it gave off was completely different.

From a hundred meters away, the monster seemed to sense Zhao Xuanqi’s gaze. One of the countless eyes on its body suddenly swiveled and locked onto his.

BZZZT!!

In an instant, Zhao Xuanqi felt his surroundings seem to dim. All the noises around him faded as his senses of hearing, touch, and more grew sluggish. Only his vision became exceptionally sharp.

This caused the eye meeting his gaze to become incredibly conspicuous in his field of vision. He felt a strange, prying sensation as a powerful wave of negative emotions washed over his mind. Following that, the Primordial Qi within his body began to stir restlessly along with the fluctuations of his consciousness.

‘Evil Spirit contamination?’

Zhao Xuanqi abruptly averted his gaze, forcibly severing the connection. Mere contamination of this level couldn’t fundamentally affect him.

But not everyone possessed his level of willpower and strength. If an ordinary person were to meet this strange Evil Spirit’s gaze, they would likely be affected by the contamination and undergo an Evil Transformation.

This Evil Spirit was no simple matter. It was at least B Class or higher. Its power might even reach the level of A-Class!

Zhao Xuanqi’s expression darkened. ‘Why would an Evil Spirit of this level suddenly appear in South Mansion? It’s completely illogical.’

Moreover, at such a close distance, it was highly likely that He Xijun and the other disciples of the Red Heart Sect would be caught in the crossfire.

“All unauthorized personnel, fall back immediately!!”

“Wenzheng!! Take three brothers to help evacuate the civilians and lock down a hundred-meter radius!! Everyone else, with me! We can’t let this thing run rampant and hurt people!!”

“Yes, sir!!”

Just as Zhao Xuanqi hesitated for a moment, figures flitted across the surrounding rooftops, swiftly charging toward the massive Evil Spirit that had suddenly appeared.

These figures were clad in black robes embroidered with xiezhi patterns of varying colors. Their auras were not weak, and their bodies were shrouded in a faint, bright yellow light that seemed to ward off the effects of Yin Qi and the Evil Spirit’s special abilities.

‘The people from the Celestial Net Department have arrived.’

Zhao Xuanqi breathed a small sigh of relief. The Great Wei court had already made preparations and would not sit by and watch the chaos spread. Besides, within South Mansion city, the Official Family’s people were empowered by the Power of the City God, which enhanced their strength. While there was no guarantee they could deal with the Evil Spirit, it would at least ensure the disaster did not spread too quickly. He figured it was unlikely to affect He Xijun and the others now.

Seeing this, he no longer hesitated. He picked up his pace, broke through the crowd, and left the main street, ducking into a small alley.

CRACK! CRACKLE!!

Once out of the crowd’s line of sight, a series of sharp cracks erupted from his body. His flesh trembled and his bones shifted, causing his entire physique and facial features to undergo a massive transformation.

At the same time, he quickly shed his outer clothes, revealing the black Night Clothes he wore underneath. With a light tap of his foot, he leaped brazenly onto a roof and quickly sped away.

「At the same time.」

Yang Zhongyuan stood high within the Garrison Command, witnessing the clash between the black and purple Sword Light and the massive True Body Dharma Aspect outside the city. Feeling the city tremble beneath him and watching the Yin Qi and Evil Spirits suddenly erupt in various locations, his face was utterly grim.

‘Their one sword strike was enough to stand against the True Body Dharma Aspect of Marquis Wei Lie, one of the Six Pillars of the Court, and shake the South Mansion’s Grand Array. And now, all these Evil Spirits have appeared in the city, none of them looking weak. How did they manage to infiltrate the city so silently without being detected by the City God?’

‘Does this so-called Yin Tower Organization actually dare to defy the Court’s inescapable net and make South Mansion their main battlefield?’

WHOOSH!!

As these thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning, a figure suddenly appeared beside him, bowed, and reported in an urgent voice: “A rough count shows thirty-five instances of Evil Spirit rampages in the city. They mostly emerged from hidden chambers. Furthermore, their strength is not low; the weakest are B Class. Among them, six have been confirmed as A-Class Evil Spirits. Their upper limits are still unknown.”