Chapter 845: The Master

One rank higher in officialdom can crush a person to death.

Xu Zhifan is servile and timid when meeting Ma Zhiyao, but is bossy and arrogant toward subordinates, even deciding their life or death on a whim.

She only feels fortunate that the Wen family has always offered tribute to Xu Zhifan on a regular basis.

Otherwise, she might have been among those sent out.

Soon, Wen Jianjian arrives at the Divine Array Hall.

Inside the main hall, Chen Yan has been sitting cross-legged the entire time, quietly meditating.

Wen Jianjian looks at Chen Yan's back, knowing full well that those three, Chen Zebin and the others, might still have a chance at survival.

But Chen Yan is likely beyond saving.

After all, the malice within Chen Yan's body has long since seeped into his marrow.

Involuntarily, she lifts her head:

"Chen Yan, the Array Master orders you to depart for Qiming Village immediately to resist the Minor Tide."

"White Village will provide array-pulse soldiers, array-reserve soldiers, as well as array-technique apprentices and array-attendants."

Her voice falls.

Chen Yan slowly opens his eyes:

"Understood."

Wen Jianjian frowns; Chen Yan has not shown any of the panic displayed by those three, Chen Zebin and the others.

Does he not understand?

Wen Jianjian continues:

"Villagers from the other three villages will head to Qiming Village; by then, you alone will need to protect the villagers of all four villages."

"Originally, an Array Pivot Envoy in the past only needed to protect two villages, but this time, the number of Array Pivot Envoys in Luo Town has decreased significantly."

Chen Yan stands up, nods indifferently, and walks toward the entrance of the main hall.

For Chen Yan.

When the Minor Tide arrives, it does not matter where he goes.

Chen Yan's primary goal is the aura of the Ancient God hidden within the tide of malice.

Wen Jianjian's eyes are full of astonishment.

Chen Yan has actually maintained an air of indifference from beginning to end.

It is precisely because of this that Wen Jianjian initially thought Chen Yan was unfathomable and took the initiative to befriend him.

Only later did she learn that Chen Yan was already a man on the verge of death.

She originally intended to mock him a few times, but upon thinking that there was no need to ridicule a dead man, she simply couldn't be bothered.

Just as she watches Chen Yan about to disappear from her sight, Wen Jianjian chuckles:

"Brother Chen, have a safe journey."

A smile appears at the corners of her mouth.

The next moment, she sees Chen Yan's body pause, and he slowly looks back at her.

Wen Jianjian suddenly feels a wave of panic and is about to say something.

Screech!

A sharp, piercing shriek suddenly explodes in Wen Jianjian's mind.

In an instant.

Wen Jianjian feels as if she has fallen into viscous darkness.

Her fingertips touch slick scales and the billions of tentacles upon them.

Her ears are filled with chaotic roars.

Countless twisted, evil-filled lights and shadows flicker before her eyes.

She opens her mouth wide, even her breath stained with decaying chill, her consciousness trembling as it is gripped by terror.

The next moment.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

Wen Jianjian lets out a blood-curdling scream, endless terror engulfing her.

Immediately after.

Wen Jianjian regains her senses; she is still inside the Divine Array Hall.

And within her line of sight, Chen Yan has already turned and vanished from before her.

Thump.

Wen Jianjian sits on the ground, her eyes filled with horror, her lips trembling as she cannot utter a complete sentence, cold sweat streaming down her neck.

She suddenly remembers when she went to the Jiang residence to look for Jiang Guanxin.

The elder Jiang said that Jiang Guanxin had encountered an extremely powerful Ancient Beast of Pure Malice.

But how could even the strongest Ancient Beast of Pure Malice enter Luo Town, which has a Divine Array?

Unless that Ancient Beast of Pure Malice is already powerful enough to ignore the Divine Array.

Or even, can sit right in front of the Divine Array without any issues at all.

"So... so... so... so... so..."

Wen Jianjian's teeth chatter incessantly.

She has been scared to tears.

She finally understands Jiang Guanxin.

The fear buried deep in the hearts of the human race toward Ancient Beasts can never disappear.

…………

Very quickly.

When Chen Yan returned to the residence and notified Bai Ling.

Several Array Attendants from Luo Town were already guarding the entrance of the residence, waiting for Chen Yan.

Despair was revealed in the eyes of these few Array Attendants.

They had been forcibly ordered by Xu Zhifan to head to Qiming Village and could not refuse.

What was even more desperate was that they had to go along with Chen Yan.

Everyone knew that Chen Yan was an Array Pivot Envoy who had just entered the Divine Array Hall, and his mastery of auxiliary arrays was likely the lowest among all Array Pivot Envoys.

Just as the few Array Attendants were secretly discussing how to survive.

Mu Yanwan and the Head of the Mu Family arrived with a group of core members of the Mu Family, waiting respectfully.

Seeing Chen Yan walk out of the residence, Mu Yanwan hurriedly spoke:

"The entire Mu Family is willing to go together."

"Mm."

Chen Yan nodded.

Suddenly, the few Array Attendants who had been in despair were stunned.

They did not understand why Mu Yanwan would follow Chen Yan.

Could it be that she was not afraid of death?

All at once, these few Array Attendants looked at each other, and for a moment, they all saw the astonishment in each other's eyes.

Mu Yanwan leaned close to Chen Yan and whispered:

"May I ask to what extent the Honored One has mastered the eighteen auxiliary arrays."

Chen Yan swept a faint glance at Mu Yanwan:

"I don't know a single one."

"Ah?"

Mu Yanwan's red lips parted slightly, and she was stunned.

Immediately, she beamed with a smile:

"The Honored One must be joking."

Very quickly.

Chen Yan and his party headed to Qiming Village.

…………

Qiming Village.

A village-level Jing Tu was nowhere near as vast as a town-level Jing Tu; the architecture was extremely crude, consisting entirely of farmhouses.

At this moment, Qiming Village was overcrowded, with over a dozen people sitting inside many of the farmhouses.

Within the Sea of Malice, even more leaf-boats carrying villagers were arriving.

Qiming Village, which originally only housed one thousand people, now had a population approaching four thousand.

Villagers from the three nearby villages had gathered in Qiming Village, and many of them had eyes full of sorrow.

"What is going on this year? In the past, only two villages would gather together, but this year it is a full four."

"I heard... six Array Pivot Envoys from Luo Town have died."

"Could it be... could it be that there are no more Array Pivot Envoys to protect us?"

The villagers of the four villages discussed privately, and their complexions grew increasingly ugly.

Many people cried outright.

"We have been abandoned by Luo Town."

"It's over, it's all over!"

Someone stood up and roared:

"What are you panicking about? The Array Pivot Envoy lords will protect us!"

When that person finished speaking, more people began to clamor.

"Six Array Pivot Envoys are dead, what will they use to protect us!"

"It's over, it's over..."

Many village women lay directly on the ground and began to wail.

Many young Tainted Blood Human Race members were already frightened pale.

It was also at this moment.

A leaf-boat sailed over.

Standing upon it were dozens of people; the dozen or so in the lead wore white robes, their auras obscure and profound.

The villagers who had been crying and clamoring saw this and hurriedly quieted down.

Very quickly, the dozens of people on the leaf-boat entered Qiming Village.

The Village Chief hurriedly went to greet them.

The person in the lead spoke: "Where are the Array Pivot Envoy lords from Luo Town?"

The Village Chief said bitterly:

"They have not yet arrived."

The person in the lead frowned, then instructed the people behind them:

"According to the original plan, first begin building the defensive walls and the defensive array clusters."

As his voice fell, the people behind him hurriedly began to busy themselves.

The leader looked at the thousands of panicked villagers and said loudly:

"I am Peng Linjun, an Array Pulse Soldier of White Town.

I have come under the orders of the White Town Array Master to help Luo Town overcome this crisis!"

Peng Linjun scanned everyone and spoke righteously:

"Luo Town has suffered such a calamity, and I, Peng Linjun, am heartbroken.

I swear here that before we Array Pulse Soldiers and Array Reserve Soldiers all fall in battle, not a single one of you fellow villagers will shed blood!"

Peng Linjun's voice fell.

In an instant, hope appeared in the eyes of all the villagers in Qiming Village, and many cheered.

His arrival was like a spark of fire in the darkness, instantly illuminating everyone.

However, the expressions of the other White Town personnel who came with Peng Linjun were not good.

Hei Shan and Sister Chun were among them.

At this moment, Hei Shan and Sister Chun were moving bricks and stones according to the instructions of the other Array Pulse Soldiers.

The two walked together, both seeing the distress in each other's eyes.

"Grandfather used everything he had to get me into White Town to study array techniques; I never expected it would end up like this."

Hei Shan said bitterly.

He had used all his strength to enter White Town, dreaming that he could become an Array Pulse Soldier or an Array Reserve Soldier.

He even dared to dream that one day in his life, he could become an Array Pivot Envoy.

But he never expected that his first mission would be to come to Luo Town to die.

Hei Shan was, of course, clear about the situation in Qiming Village.

"Actually... it's alright," Sister Chun said, her head covered in sweat:

"Following the Array Pulse Soldier lords, we at least still have a glimmer of hope.

White Town itself has few strong individuals, and now that it has to subsidize Luo Town, over at White Village..."

Sister Chun slowly shook her head.

To subsidize Luo Town, White Town had bled heavily.

It was very likely that those village-level Pure Lands under White Town's jurisdiction would run into trouble.

Hei Shan looked at Sister Chun, the bitterness in his eyes deepening.

Sister Chun glanced at Hei Shan:

"Look at how spineless you are. Since we have become Array Apprentices, we are a cut above the rest.

I am an Array Attendant; others must bow when they see me.

We are already superior people, be more confident."

Thinking of how she had snatched the Array Attendant qualification from Bai Ling and was now enjoying all sorts of glory.

While Bai Ling, whose qualification she had snatched, was still suffering in a place like White Village, and perhaps had long since died at the hands of the Penalizers.

Sister Chun felt no regret for her choice.

She carried the bricks and stones, lifted her head, looked at the villagers nearby, and said coldly:

"What are you standing there for? We are here to save you, and you just watch?"

Scolded by Sister Chun like this, those few villagers hurriedly bowed and scraped, taking the bricks and stones from her hands.

It was also at this moment.

"The Array Pivot Envoy has arrived!"

A grand voice rang out.

In an instant, all thousands of the Tainted Blood Human race in Qiming Village stopped their work in unison.

Even Peng Linjun and the other Array Pulse Soldiers hurriedly stood still, waiting at the edge of Qiming Village, extremely respectful.

Sister Chun and Hei Shan stood respectfully, their gazes fixed on the leaf-shaped boat sailing in from the Sea of Malice.

The next instant.

Sister Chun's whole body shook, her face instantly drained of color, and she stared blankly at the two figures on that leaf-shaped boat.

Beside her, Hei Shan's pupils dilated sharply, and he froze in place as if struck by a thunderbolt, his lips trembling but unable to make a sound.

"Chen... Chen Yan..." Sister Chun said these two words hoarsely.

Immediately after, she saw Bai Ling behind Chen Yan, wearing beautiful red clothes, with a clean and full face, looking somewhat uneasy.

Bai Ling also recognized Sister Chun among the crowd, and a smile first appeared on her face.

But then, thinking of how Sister Chun had snatched her Array Attendant spot, she shifted her gaze away.

And how could Sister Chun not read Bai Ling's expression? For a moment, she only felt a thick barrier between herself and Bai Ling.

What shocked her even more was Chen Yan.

The one saved by Bai Ling was actually the Array Pivot Envoy lord.

The high and mighty Array Pivot Envoy.

Soon.

Chen Yan and the others entered Qiming Village.

"My lord, I am Peng Linjun of White Town." The man named Peng Linjun immediately bowed and began to report his plan to Chen Yan.

"Mm."

Chen Yan nodded indifferently:

"Just handle it as you see fit."

Peng Linjun was stunned, then immediately said, "Does the Lord have any other instructions?"

"Prepare a single room for me," Chen Yan said.

"Ah?" Peng Linjun was stunned, then only then nodded and said:

"Yes!"

Chen Yan walked past, and the crowd watching all lowered their heads to clear a path.

"L... Lord..."

Hei Shan suddenly spoke, looking at Chen Yan with a trembling voice; he summoned all his courage, wanting to say something.

"Hmm?!"

A Garrison Soldier standing in front of Hei Shan swept a cold glance at Hei Shan, and Hei Shan immediately dared not speak.

Chen Yan and Bai Ling walked past Hei Shan and Sister Chun, and the latter two could only clear a path, burying their heads even lower.