Chapter 48: Array Experts

Luo Feng brought Mo Luo Sa to the Zhu Clan’s cave mansion, as they were all within the ‘Chaos Zone A’ and the distance was short.

“No wonder the Zhu Clan—just the cost of this array must be enormous.” Luo Feng gazed at the vast, roaring array; its power was the strongest he had ever seen in Hu Yang City.

With such a terrifying array, the assassin Ying Cang could never break in.

After over twenty eons of cultivation, Luo Feng’s realm had advanced significantly, yet even then, only in his Divine Power-burning state might he hope to tear through the array and enter.

“Nearly a hundred million core clan members of the Zhu Clan reside here—we cannot afford carelessness,” Zhu You smiled beside him. “We expended a great karmic debt just to establish this array.”

Luo Feng nodded. Unlike the Five Great Families, who were merely branches, the Zhu Clan was rooted here and had fortified their cave mansion like an impregnable fortress.

Soon, Luo Feng saw a thin, elderly man whose skin was covered in green mystical runes; he smiled warmly at Luo Feng: “Lord Luo He.”

“Chief Zhu Gu,” Luo Feng replied politely. Chief Zhu Gu’s reputation in Hu Yang City rivaled that of Mo Li Xiao and Xue Yun.

“Please,” Chief Zhu Gu led them inside the small pavilion.

Zhu Gu, Zhu You, and Luo Feng sat separately, and delicate food and fine wine were served.

“Finally, I have the chance to meet Lord Luo He,” Chief Zhu Gu regarded Luo Feng with admiration. “You’ve been in Hu Yang City for a short time, yet your fame is now the greatest here.”

“Merely empty reputation,” Luo Feng said.

“Lord, you’re too modest,” Chief Zhu Gu waved his hand, and a jade green vial flew to rest on Luo Feng’s table. “Two million Cosmic Sands. You may verify.”

Luo Feng’s Divine Power seeped in to inspect—it was exactly two million Cosmic Sands, not a single grain less. He inwardly marveled: the local forces represented by the Zhu Clan were profoundly unfathomable, casually producing such a vast fortune.

“Here is the Sword Within the Realm,” Luo Feng handed the mechanical-style treasure, the Sword Within the Realm, to Chief Zhu Gu.

Chief Zhu Gu examined it briefly, then put it away.

The transaction completed, the atmosphere grew warmer.

After eating and drinking their fill, Luo Feng took his leave of Chief Zhu Gu; Zhu You personally escorted him out.

“No need to see me off.”

Outside the main gate of the Zhu Clan’s cave mansion, Luo Feng and Mo Luo Sa boarded their flying vessel and departed.

Chief Zhu Gu stood before the pavilion, watching the vessel vanish into the distance.

A gentle woman appeared beside him.

“Lord Wei, your Sword Within the Realm,” Chief Zhu Gu handed the sword to her. “Lord Wei, you’ve been observing covertly—what do you make of Lord Luo He?”

“He gives me a unique impression,” the gentle woman said with interest. “I’ve traveled across all cities of Yu Nation since leaving the Royal Capital. I feel Lord Luo He is the most astonishing I’ve ever encountered.”

Chief Zhu Gu was startled: “The most astonishing?”

“Just a feeling,” the woman added. “Thank you for the trouble, Chief Zhu Gu. Now that I have the Sword Within the Realm, I’ll take my leave.”

“It was nothing,” Chief Zhu Gu remained eager to serve. His strength was equal to hers, but her background far surpassed even the Five Great Families—he had to keep her well-disposed.

…

In the days that followed, Luo Feng sold some of his past “loot” to various guilds in Hu Yang City, converting everything into Cosmic Sands.

“I now have 3.3 million Cosmic Sands. The three body refinement stages require an estimated 3.6 million in materials, plus unforeseen losses during refinement—I should prepare a little extra.” Luo Feng thought. “I’m short by several tens of thousands. What to do?”

He had no intention of selling the Life Blood River or the Ten Thousand Worlds Escape Talisman.

He still had some Eternal True God-tier armor, weapons, and beast materials—collectively worth thirty to forty thousand Cosmic Sands.

He still had over half of the ‘Yeh Beast Blood’ gifted by the City Lord’s mansion, worth fifty to sixty thousand Cosmic Sands—but he didn’t want to sell any of it.

"I'll take another bounty mission to make up the shortfall," Luo Feng nodded slightly. "I've been inactive for so long—I'm afraid I've lost my intimidation."

“Pick someone who deserves to die,” Luo Feng began scanning the assassination tasks in the hidden chamber of Yan Feng Guildhall, carefully selecting.

Suddenly—

“Lord Luo He, hurry to Tian Yan Gate,” Mo Li Meng sent a message to Luo Feng.

“What’s wrong with Tian Yan Gate?” Luo Feng frowned. Tian Yan Gate was the alchemy sect founded by his friend, Sheng Tian Yan.

“The Shi Nation has captured several array experts—and they may come for Sheng Tian Yan next,” Mo Li Meng messaged.

Luo Feng’s heart tightened.

Over the past twenty eons, Sheng Brother had answered every question he had about body refinement. And after so much time together, Sheng Tian Yan was the only true friend Luo Feng had in Hu Yang City.

As for Black Butcher, Mo Yu Hu, and others, their relationships were never equal—they fell far short of “friend.”

“Qing Yan, guard the cave mansion,” Luo Feng ordered, then boarded his flying vessel with Mo Luo Sa and swiftly departed. “What’s happening?” Mo Yu Qingyan watched from afar. “Is the master anxious?”

…

Tian Yan Gate.

“Lord Luo He,” Sheng Tian Yan’s burly figure stepped forward to greet them, watching Luo Feng and Mo Luo Sa step from the vessel.

“Mo Li Meng messaged me—you’re in danger?” Luo Feng said.

Sheng Tian Yan shook his head. “Tonight, eight array experts in Hu Yang City were simultaneously captured by a mysterious force. All eight were Eternal True Gods—and none resisted.”

“Simultaneously?” Luo Feng was astonished. Capturing an Eternal True God alive was difficult; capturing eight at once, each in a different location, meant this force was immensely powerful.

“Yes. Most were taken from their own cave mansions,” Sheng Tian Yan nodded. “All were captured alive. Even the City Lord’s mansion cannot trace them. Only the Shi Nation has such power—and motive.”

“Why capture them?” Luo Feng pressed.

Sheng Tian Yan said: “Hu Yang City’s entire array is vast, formed by countless interconnected arrays. Over millennia, many array experts have repaired them. Nine such experts still live in Hu Yang City. Tonight, eight of them were taken. I am the last one.”

“They took eight—and left me alone,” Sheng Tian Yan shook his head. “The City Lord’s mansion probably suspects I’ve allied with the Shi Nation.”

!.

Luo Feng understood: “The eight captured were all serving the City Lord’s mansion. Why won’t they rescue them?”

“I’ve asked the City Lord’s mansion,” Sheng Tian Yan gazed at the night sky, sighing. “They replied: the moment the eight were captured, their karmic message talismans were destroyed—they can no longer locate them.”

“The City Lord’s mansion must have karmic imprints of these eight,” Luo Feng said. “With those imprints, they should be able to trace their positions.”

“Trace positions using only karmic imprints?” Sheng Tian Yan shook his head. “That’s a technique only a Chaos Sovereign possesses.”

“Yan Feng Guildhall can do it,” Luo Feng said.

“Yan Feng Guildhall requires one million Cosmic Sands to trace via karmic imprint,” Sheng Tian Yan shook his head. “The City Lord’s mansion won’t spend it. Past experience shows: once taken by the Shi Nation, life or death is entirely up to them.”

Luo Feng nodded slightly.

“So don’t get involved in their struggle—get caught in it, and you’ll be crushed instantly,” Sheng Tian Yan said. “Yet we array experts are ordered by the City Lord’s mansion to repair damaged arrays. We have no right to refuse.”

Sheng Tian Yan looked at Luo Feng: “I have no ties to the Shi Nation. They didn’t take me this time—I suspect… they’re afraid of offending you.”

“Nine of us—they spared only me,” Sheng said. “The eight taken were all my friends. We often discussed arrays together. I wonder if they’ll survive.”

In a treasure-space.

Xue Yun Shenjun, Yu Tian Hu, and Yu Tian Yi stood together, while over a dozen Eternal True Gods interrogated captives in separate chambers.

The Shi Nation had two teams in Hu Yang City: a weaker one led by Zan Yun, and a powerful one led by Xue Yun Shenjun! Zan Yun could only contact Xue Yun Shenjun—he could not reach any of Xue Yun’s subordinates.

“Answer honestly, and you live. Refuse, and you die—your clan will be wiped out,” the Eternal True Gods threatened.

They had countless methods to make these array experts beg for death yet be unable to die.

Soon, all captured array experts confessed.

In truth, they knew only a tiny fraction of Hu Yang City’s array.

“One of these eight was already loyal to us. The other seven finally talked,” Xue Yun Shenjun smiled.

“What do we do with them?” Yu Tian Hu asked.

“Release five, kill three,” Xue Yun Shenjun said casually. “First, let Hu Yang City know serving the City Lord’s mansion leads to no good end. Second, let them know the Shi Nation is merciful—we spare some obedient Eternal True Gods.”

Yu Tian Hu frowned: “We only need to complete the mission. I say kill them all.”

“Do as I say,” Xue Yun Shenjun glanced at Yu Tian Hu, then confirmed the five survivors—including the one who had defected.

That night.

The five surviving array experts were released.

…

At Tian Yan Gate.

Luo Feng and Mo Luo Sa sat facing each other, drinking.

Sheng Tian Yan drank, gazing at the night sky, deeply troubled—then suddenly his expression changed as he pulled out his karmic message talisman.

“What is it?” Luo Feng asked.

“Three of the eight captured friends… their karmic signatures just vanished,” Sheng Tian Yan stared at the talisman. “Karmic signature gone—they’re dead. They offered no resistance, yet the Shi Nation still killed them.”

(End of Chapter)