Chapter 536: The Hunt 3

Celestial Derivation spoke from the side.

…

…

「Inside an ordinary home somewhere in the city.」

Five men dressed in plain farmer’s clothes waited in the courtyard. Their leader was a tall, middle-aged man.

Hiding in the courtyard, they listened to the chaos outside. They could sense a surge of Yin Qi not far from their location, and hear the miserable wails of the common folk.

These five men were a covert team deployed by the Celestial Net Department. They were hidden at key locations around South Mansion’s Twelve Pillars, ready at a moment’s notice to counter any assault on the Pillars by the Yin Tower Believers.

Only the elites of the Celestial Net Department were chosen for these covert teams. The weakest among them had a cultivation at the initial stage of the Refining the Internal Organs realm.

“Deng, are we really not going to do anything?! The city’s already in chaos. Are we just going to stand by and watch?!”

one of the team members asked the tall, middle-aged man.

“Our mission is to guard this location and ambush any enemies who attack the Twelve Pillars. As long as the Evil Spirits don’t strike nearby, we cannot abandon our post. Understood?!”

the middle-aged man commanded in a low, stern voice.

“But…”

The team member tried to say more.

“Enough. This is an order. The city may be in chaos, but as long as the Grand Array holds, things won’t truly spiral out of control. If anything happens to the Twelve Pillars, *that* would be the real disaster. Do you understand?”

the middle-aged man said gravely.

However, unbeknownst to them, a black cat was perched on a roof beam across from them. Its pair of strange eyes were already fixed on them.

Zhu Xie’s Blood Puppet had already pinpointed the covert team’s location and roughly analyzed their strength. Through the Blood Puppet, it contacted the nearest squad of Yin Tower Believers.

Just as the men were speaking,

HUMMM!!

A strange, inexplicable ripple suddenly emanated from outside the courtyard. A flash of scarlet light instantly enveloped the entire yard.

“When Demon Ghosts appear, the world will fall.”

“Heaven shows no grace, Earth knows no Way.”

“…”

In a daze, waves of overlapping, dream-like voices suddenly echoed in their ears. A terrifying agitation instantly assaulted their minds, throwing their internal Primordial Qi into disarray.

GURGLE GURGLE!!

Their flesh began to quiver and their faces contorted. The scenery around them started to blur and double, becoming grotesque and surreal.

Four black-robed figures had appeared on the courtyard walls at some unknown point, looking down on them like Apostles gazing upon ants.

The leader of the four formed a twisted seal with his hands. As he chanted in a low voice, rings of distorted, blood-red runes expanded outward. Even the middle-aged team leader, a peak-level master of the Refining the Internal Organs realm, was severely affected. Veins bulged on his forehead and his eyes turned crimson.

‘Damn it! To be able to put me in this state… the enemy leader must be at the Sensing realm or higher!’

‘How did they find our squad’s position and launch such a sudden attack?!’

‘Was there a leak within the Celestial Net Department?!’

Just as the four Yin Tower Believers launched their assault on the Celestial Net Department’s covert team, two figures were leaping across the rooftops, rapidly approaching the courtyard.

“We’re almost there. They’re making their move now. Hmm… From what I can sense, there’s one at the Sensing realm and three at the Refining the Internal Organs realm. However, their power was accumulated through Evil Cultivation and Blood Food Power, so their foundations are weaker than a typical Martial Artist’s. The one at the Sensing realm is equivalent to the initial stage at best. What do you think? Are you confident? Should I use the Golden Fire?”

A deep green light shone from Spirit’s eyes as she seemed to perceive the situation ahead.

At this time, Zhao Xuanqi could also see the scarlet light ahead. In fact, it wasn’t just in this one spot; similar lights were rising in other areas as well. It was the signal that various groups of Yin Tower Believers were launching their assault on the imperial court’s forces.

The chaos was spreading.

“A manufactured Sensing realm expert? Who are you underestimating?”

Zhao Xuanqi said lightly as Qi and Blood seeped from his arms, his twitching muscles condensing it into the form of a Technique.

At the same time, a terrifying change was taking place within his internal organs.

SURGE!! SURGE!!

His Qi and Blood surged and his internal organs roared, emitting a terrifying sound like overlapping ocean tides. A frightening aura emanated from his body, so powerful that even Zhuang Li, who was beside him, couldn’t help but shoot him a second glance.

‘The First Gate of the Dragon Gate is too conspicuous and difficult to use here.’

‘But two months have passed. My strength has long since recovered to a level beyond the peak of the Refining the Internal Organs realm, and I’ve already unlocked the Second Gate of the Dragon Gate.’

His organs transformed, his Qi and Blood raging like a tide!

‘Skipping the First Gate of the Dragon Gate will limit the intensity of the Second Gate’s tidal surge, but the power I can unleash will still be far beyond any ordinary Secret Technique.’

‘I think it’s time my collaborator understood my true strength.’