Chapter 852: Preparations from All Sides

"What on earth has happened? Why have we all been summoned here?"

"I heard that all the experts at the Creation Realm and above from the various great families of Luo Town have also been summoned."

"That's not right. In the past, the Divine Array Hall never allowed Array Pulse Soldiers and Array Reserve Soldiers to come here."

Inside and outside the Divine Array Hall.

All the Array Pivot Envoys discussed the matter incessantly, and everyone's expression turned grim.

Even the most foolish person could feel that a storm was brewing at this moment.

Someone looked at Chen Yan inside the Divine Array Hall, their gaze sweeping over Chen Yan's back as they clicked their tongue in wonder.

"Chen Yan, he actually survived."

"I heard that the Mu family accompanied Chen Yan to Qiming Village at the time; perhaps it was because of Mu Yanwan."

"That's right, Mu Yanwan was originally going to become an Array Pivot Envoy, but I don't know why she stopped."

Many people discussed it in hushed tones; after all, Chen Yan had been sent to Qiming Village by Xu Zhifan, and many Array Pivot Envoys had assumed Chen Yan would surely die.

But now, Chen Yan was sitting perfectly fine inside the Divine Array Hall, meditating. Many people felt suspicious and uneasy, immediately thinking of Mu Yanwan, who had gone to Qiming Village with Chen Yan.

Chen Yan sat cross-legged in the Divine Array Hall, as if he were in a place where no one else existed.

When resisting the Small Tide at Qiming Village, Chen Yan had tapped into the power of the 【Annihilation】 Divine Array.

For Chen Yan, this was the first time he had clearly felt the might of a Divine Array.

How vast it was.

The true essence of Qi and blood was explained by the array, bringing Chen Yan a different kind of realization.

Chen Yan gained a great deal.

In a place others could not see, Chen Yan had been continuously executing 【Eternal Tribulation Counter-Blood】, constantly extracting energy and opportunities from the Sea of Malice.

Within his body, the second level of the True Martial Path—his own universe—was forming, being destroyed, and forming again in a cycle.

Now, Chen Yan's understanding of the Qi and Blood Martial Path was even more profound; while re-cultivating, he could achieve the best in almost every aspect.

He sat there, looking completely normal, yet terrifying changes were occurring within his body; the overwhelming power of the True Martial Path surged and grew continuously.

Vast, abundant, and unimaginably powerful.

Studying the 【Annihilation】 Grand Array could increase Chen Yan's understanding of the Martial Path, and re-cultivating the True Martial Path allowed Chen Yan to perfect his understanding of the 【Annihilation】 Grand Array through practice.

This was a virtuous cycle.

At this moment, Chen Yan no longer possessed the Heavenly God Armor, the Ember-Evil Spear, nor the Yin-Zhe and Xun-Ting Qi and blood.

Yet, the current Chen Yan could instantly kill his former self, who was also at the early stage of the Creation Realm, even without using the Path of Will.

The path of martial arts seemed to have no end; even during re-cultivation, one was constantly gaining.

Chen Yan was absolutely confident that when he ascended to the Eighth Rank, the strength of his pure True Martial Path alone would make him the greatest Eighth Rank in history.

He was rapidly closing the gap to the level of Chen Zhu and Lu Xunyang, gaining the powerful strength that a Lord of the Martial Path should possess.

As for what was happening in the outside world, Chen Yan had not paid it any mind.

Above his head hung the sharp blade of the Ancient God's impending awakening, making it difficult for him to spare the focus to manage other matters.

Whoever blocked his path, he would simply cut them down.

At this moment.

Outside the Divine Array Hall, sounds of shock suddenly erupted.

Everyone except Chen Yan looked toward the rear.

And there, they saw.

A woman being forcibly brought in.

Green-light array patterns coiled around the woman's limbs like living snakes, the silver-chain-like light ropes tightening until her shoulders turned pale, and even the woman's fingers were locked by the array power.

The woman was none other than Wen Jianjian.

At this moment, Wen Jianjian struggled continuously, yet she could not even make a sound.

Seeing this, everyone's expressions changed drastically; someone spoke up, looking at the man dragging Wen Jianjian:

"Array... Array Master, what is this..."

The one dragging and sealing Wen Jianjian was none other than Xu Zhifan.

Xu Zhifan's expression was cold and stern; he first looked at Chen Yan's back inside the Divine Array Hall, a flash of nervousness in his eyes, then looked at the crowd and said:

"The Array Pivot Envoys are holding a meeting, and this woman insisted on not coming, so I did this. Does anyone have any objections?"

After Xu Zhifan's voice fell, many people dared not speak.

It was also at this moment.

"Ugh!!!"

Wen Jianjian suddenly began to struggle violently.

Her pupils shrank to pinpoints, her lips trembling, yet she could not utter a single sound, only thin, fragmented gasps leaking from between her teeth.

Cold sweat slid down her temples into her collar, her originally soft, bright hair sticking to her pale cheeks; every struggle caused the array patterns to bite in tighter.

Wen Jianjian had clearly seen Chen Yan's back and was now desperately trying to escape.

But the binding array Xu Zhifan had cast was extremely powerful; Wen Jianjian could not break free at all.

Xu Zhifan felt a jolt in his heart, following Wen Jianjian's gaze to see Chen Yan's back.

At this moment, his mind became instantly clear.

So, the reason Wen Jianjian had fallen into a serious illness was because of Chen Yan.

Perhaps Jiang Guanxin had also gone missing because of Chen Yan.

At this moment, Xu Zhifan finally felt a sense of sudden realization.

Chen Yan, Chen Yan, it had always been Chen Yan.

An Eighth-Rank eroded by malice had been right under his nose the entire time.

All the Array Pivot Envoys and Array Vein Soldiers saw the crazed Wen Jianjian.

Their eyes flickered with complex, shocked, and terrified expressions.

Someone gathered their courage and looked at Xu Zhifan, saying:

"Venerable One, is this really appropriate?"

Xu Zhifan looked over with cold eyes:

"Are you the Array Master, or am I the Array Master?

Or perhaps, for the next tide, you wish to go to a village-level Pure Land?"

That person was momentarily speechless and could not help but step back.

The remaining Array Pivot Envoys all wore shocked expressions and dared not say anything more.

They all understood that the reason they were still alive was because they knew how to protect themselves and blend in with the crowd.

As the Array Master of Luo Town, Xu Zhifan had always been corrupt, lawless, and arbitrary.

Although they were Array Pivot Envoys, when the tide arrived, a single order from Xu Zhifan could decide their life or death.

That Xu Zhifan could become what he was today was also due to the constant support from them and the families behind them.

Everyone dared not speak again; after all, the outcome for Chen Zebin was still fresh in their minds.

As for Wen Jianjian, she was already driven mad with anxiety at this moment.

She was not insane; she was simply terrified.

She did not want to see Chen Yan.

That was perhaps a Primordial God-Beast capable of ignoring the Divine Array.

I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die!

The desire to survive made Wen Jianjian struggle desperately, but she could not break free from Xu Zhifan's restraints.

At this moment, Xu Zhifan looked at Chen Yan's back once more.

From beginning to end, Chen Yan had remained as motionless as a mountain, just as usual, which made him feel a chill rising in his heart.

That was, after all, an Eighth-Rank.

Immediately, Xu Zhifan sent a voice transmission to Yin Baiyi outside the Divine Array Hall:

"Are you not going to strike yet?"

Outside the Divine Array Hall, Yin Baiyi looked toward another direction in Luo Town and smiled as he sent a voice transmission:

"You go to the Array Master Hall first to deal with those family dignitaries; I have a small problem here."

Yin Baiyi's voice arrived, and cold sweat instantly beaded on Xu Zhifan's forehead:

"What problem?"

"I already said, it's a small problem." Yin Baiyi said with a cold expression:

"After today, Luo Town will change, and Chen Yan must die. I said this, so remember it well."

Xu Zhifan cursed Yin Baiyi in his heart, then looked at the Array Pivot Envoys beside him:

"Watch Wen Jianjian well, I'll be back shortly!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Four or five Array Pivot Envoys bowed in salute.

Many people realized that after today, Luo Town might change.

But until now, no one questioned it, and no one stood out.

Many people felt a chill in their hearts, but they were also prepared to go with the flow.

After all, in this world.

Being able to stay alive was already quite good.

Meanwhile.

East of Luo Town, inside an alley leading to the Divine Array Hall.

Ma Zhiyao and Peng Linjun, who had originally been covered in sweat and walking quickly toward the Divine Array Hall with expressions of awe, came to a stop.

Because four or five men in black had already appeared at the entrance of the alley.

Ma Zhiyao frowned and looked behind him; his path back was also blocked by several men in black.

"Do you... know who I am?"

Ma Zhiyao shouted coldly.

Among the men in black, someone walked out and bowed to Ma Zhiyao:

"Lin Yi, Second Master of Black Wind Hall, greets the Deputy Envoy of the Prefecture."

"Black Wind Hall!" Peng Linjun was instantly shocked, and array patterns flickered in his hand, condensing into a long sword.

"People from Black Wind Hall actually dare to waylay me?" Ma Zhiyao was so angry he almost laughed.

Following that, he stared at the smiling Lin Yi, and Ma Zhiyao's gaze gradually turned cold:

"Did Xu Zhifan defect to you?"

In an instant, endless rage erupted in the depths of Ma Zhiyao's eyes. Blue light flickered on his body, rippling like water waves and transforming into a suit of cyan battle armor with flowing talisman light. He gripped his right hand, and a large axe appeared in his grasp.

Lin Yi slowly cupped his hands and said:

"Lin Yi of Black Wind Hall, greetings to you."

Immediately, Lin Yi tapped the wall of the small alley with his right hand.

Click-clack!

The next moment.

Array patterns, either vertical or upright, spread out from the spot where Lin Yi struck the wall.

The pitch-black array patterns darted through the alley like ink snakes; the patterns on the ground intersected into a web, the walls were covered so densely that not a breath of air could pass, and even the high sky was woven into a dome by the dark patterns.

In an instant, the entire alley was wrapped in pitch-black patterns, the air stagnated, and Peng Linjun only felt a powerful gravity strike, causing her to kneel directly on the ground, unable to move.

Ma Zhiyao narrowed his eyes; the power belonging to the peak of the Creation Realm within his body overflowed, yet it was like a clay ox entering the sea, neutralized by the gravity circulating through the array pattern space.

Hum!

A figure flickered and arrived; it was a Law Enforcer of the Black Wind Hall who had charged over, holding a long sword and slashing down toward Ma Zhiyao's head.

"Go to hell!" Ma Zhiyao roared, swinging the great axe in his hand.

Carrying incomparably fierce blood-energy, the great axe and the long sword collided instantly.

The long-sword-wielding Law Enforcer was knocked back.

With a squelch.

Another man in black launched a sneak attack from behind Ma Zhiyao, stabbing a broken blade into Ma Zhiyao's back.

Ma Zhiyao groaned in pain, grabbed the man's neck with a backhand, smashed him into the ground, and slammed a foot onto the opponent's chest.

Boom, boom, boom!

Inside the alley, terrifying roars continued incessantly.

But outside the alley, there was absolutely no sound transmitted at all.

Such a fight should have produced earth-shattering roars, but the overflowing energy waves were completely absorbed by the array patterns shrouding the few people.

In the small alley, a powerful battle of the Creation Realm was erupting, but outside the alley, no one felt a thing.