Chapter 387: The Tragedy of the Wind Master [Monthly Ticket Bonus Chapter—Request Monthly Tickets, Combined]

Beneath the earth.

Li Rui moved like a fish through rock and soil.

He precisely avoided every ambush site planted by the Purple Gold Palace.

Even though he used the Earth Submersion technique with his Thick Earth body, he remained cautious, keeping at least two li away from Purple Gold Palace elites.

These past few days, he appeared to have stayed constantly within the Deputy Commander's residence.

In truth, every day he secretly slipped out of Qinghe City using Earth Submersion to scout conditions beyond the walls.

There are always stronger people out there.

To think one could easily deceive the world with Earth Submersion alone is to vastly underestimate the strength of the world's strongest warriors.

According to what he knew,

Those with Earth-form true qi could also perform Earth Submersion.

The Purple Gold Palace might very well have some extraordinary individual capable of countering Earth Submersion.

One must be on guard.

Only after confirming he would not be detected by Purple Gold Palace elites did Li Rui dare proceed to Yunzhou.

He avoided the Purple Gold Palace elites lying in wait outside Qinghe City.

The rest of the journey became much smoother.

Qinghe was far from Yunzhou; although Li Rui could use Thick Earth Submersion, his speed could never match that of traveling on the surface.

Even so, he chose to travel the entire distance via Earth Submersion.

As a martial cultivator, going a month without food was common.

He would not feel fatigue either.

He walked for two days and two nights.

Finally, he reached Yunzhou's territory.

Outside Yunzhou City.

A thin, black-clad man walked up to Blood Shadow Ancestor.

"Ancestor, intelligence has come from Qinghe City—all is normal. He Qianian has not stepped out of Qianhe Martial Hall even once. That Li Rui is also in seclusion and has not left Annan Town a single step. All those connected to them are under our surveillance."

Upon hearing this,

Blood Shadow Ancestor nodded in satisfaction.

Regardless of circumstances, anyone connected to He Qianian—even those who had merely entered Qianhe Martial Hall—became a target of Purple Gold Palace surveillance.

All to ensure absolute safety.

Just as Blood Shadow Ancestor was about to turn away,

He suddenly spoke: "That Li Rui has been in seclusion the whole time?"

"Yes."

The thin black-clad man bowed respectfully: "Since returning to the city to recover from his injuries, Li Rui has rarely left his residence. The only time he went out was to Qianhe Martial Hall; otherwise, he mostly stayed indoors recovering."

Blood Shadow Ancestor halted his steps.

He slightly narrowed his eyes, then suddenly widened them.

"Trouble!"

Within Yunzhou City.

A plain-dressed Li Rui, indistinguishable from an ordinary peasant elder, walked along a bustling street.

Good.

Li Rui had slipped past the Purple Gold Palace's guards and entered Yunzhou City.

As he had expected,

The Purple Gold Palace had indeed stationed elites to lie in wait at several city gates.

Even Blood Shadow Ancestor had come in person.

Li Rui had remained underground for nearly seven or eight days.

Extremely patient.

Only after fully mapping out the Purple Gold Palace's deployment did he slip into Yunzhou City during the weakest moment of its defenses.

Everything went smoothly.

In just moments,

Li Rui arrived before a mansion in Yunzhou City even grander and more magnificent than the provincial governor's residence.

Above it were four large characters—"Annan Marquis Mansion"!

"Who are you?"

The gate guards shouted sharply.

Li Rui lowered his head, pulled out a jade pendant from his robe, and said: "I am a relative of Master Wang Li of this Marquis Mansion. Please inform him—a friend has come to visit."

The guard took the pendant, frowned, and pondered.

Wang Li frequently entered the inner quarters and had clearly become the Marquis's trusted confidant—he dared not offend him.

After a moment's hesitation, he said: "Alright, wait here."

With that,

One guard turned and entered the Marquis Mansion.

While waiting, Li Rui glanced at the mansion.

Though he had once been the Marquis's martial instructor and still carried a token granting him entry, he had never once set foot inside.

"Truly majestic."

Though he kept his head raised,

His mind was entirely focused on the surroundings of the mansion.

The safer it seemed, the more dangerous it might be.

The Purple Gold Palace might have truly gone mad and planted assassins within the mansion.

Hence, he did not reveal his identity outright, nor did he present his token to seek Yuan Marquis directly—he settled for the next best option: finding Wang Li.

Soon after,

Wang Li emerged.

He looked at the unfamiliar old man before him and smiled: "Cousin, you've come."

Hearing this was Wang Li's cousin,

The guards all looked astonished.

Who didn't know Wang Li came from a powerful clan? Though he was a bastard son, the Wang family still held far greater status than ordinary people.

No one expected this plain-looking old man was truly Wang Li's cousin—his own cousin.

They silently thanked their luck for not having done anything reckless.

Li Rui: "Cousin."

Wang Li immediately grabbed Li Rui's arm warmly and led him into the mansion.

But Wang Li did not head to his own courtyard.

Instead, he went straight to the inner quarters where the Marquis resided, his smile fading, his expression solemn: "Brother Li, what's happened?"

Li Rui smiled slightly: "You understand me, Brother Wang. I need to see the Marquis. Other matters can wait."

Wang Li took a deep breath: "Alright."

Just now,

When he received the jade pendant from the guard, he already knew the visitor was not a relative—but Li Rui.

Because that pendant had been given to Li Rui by him.

Li Rui had long been a veteran of the Marquis's household.

If he had come to Yunzhou and wished to enter the mansion or find Wang Li, he needn't have gone through such trouble.

Wang Li immediately understood:

Li Rui was being watched.

That was why he cooperated with Li Rui in putting on this act.

With that,

Li Rui strode toward the inner quarters.

At this location, even if assassins were present, they would be killed by Yuan Dingting before they could strike.

Absolutely safe.

The Marquis Mansion was luxurious and elegant; the inner quarters overflowed with the wealth of the world.

Pavilions, terraces, towers, all glittering with gold and jade.

Li Rui had walked only a few steps when he saw Yuan Dingting instructing a boy in martial forms within the courtyard.

"Marquis."

Li Rui bowed respectfully.

Yuan Dingting, seeing Li Rui suddenly appear in the mansion, flickered a sharp gleam in his eyes.

He patted the boy's head: "Hu Zi, this is Master Li—you once paid your respects to him. Do you remember?"

The young heir inherited his mother's beauty and was exceptionally handsome.

He regarded Li Rui with curiosity.

His father and mother often spoke to him of another master, but his memory of that person was extremely vague.

Today, he finally saw him.

The young prince bowed with proper etiquette: "Greetings, Master Li."

Li Rui did not dare to be presumptuous: "Your Highness."

Yuan Dingting finally spoke: "Enough, Huizi, go find your mother—I have matters to discuss with Master Li."

The young prince nodded obediently.

Then he turned and left.

Only after the young prince had vanished far away did Yuan Dingting speak softly: "Speak."

Li Rui took a deep breath.

He told Yuan Dingting everything he had learned from He Qianian and Jiang Linxian, without omission.

At the mention of the "Heaven-Seizing Array," Yuan Dingting slightly narrowed his eyes.

In Li Rui's startled gaze,

Yuan Dingting seized the silver spear beside him and strode toward the marquis's gate.

As he walked, he spoke.

"Let's go—the time has come."

"The Purple Gold Palace must fall."

Outside the city.

"Worthless! All of you are worthless!"

The Blood Shadow Ancestor stood atop a hill, visibly furious.

After all this elaborate planning,

they still failed to stop it—Yuan Dingting must have gotten word and personally led troops out of the city; the direction was clearly Qinghe.

The Blood Shadow Ancestor's face turned utterly grim.

This is the critical moment of the Heaven-Seizing Array—if Yuan Dingting intervenes, the situation will become dire.

"Withdraw."

The Blood Shadow Ancestor spat out the word reluctantly.

Then he turned and left.

Yuan Dingting was too formidable—he did not want to be discovered.

With that said,

the Purple Gold Palace forces vanished into the forest.

The next day, at noon,

Yuan Dingting arrived at Qinghe.

Provincial Military Commander Zhou Dinghai received word and hurried out to greet him.

"Marquis."

He immediately recognized Li Rui standing beside Marquis Yuan.

Li Rui stepped quietly to Zhou Dinghai's side.

He quietly recounted the entire sequence of events to Zhou Dinghai, in full detail.

Zhou Dinghai's expression turned grave.

Yuan Dingting spoke: "The Purple Gold Palace seeks to defy Heaven—every person under Heaven has the right to destroy it. General Zhou, give you half an hour to muster your troops and march with me."

Zhou Dinghai and the several officers beside him all stirred with excitement.

Yuan Dingting said "march with me."

Not merely "march."

The difference between those two words was immense—it meant Yuan Dingting would lead the troops in person!

The Saint of War marches.

His spearhead would be unstoppable.

They understood even better:

Yuan Dingting's appearance meant the final battle had begun prematurely.

Zhou Dinghai said in a deep voice:

"Yes!"

In barely half an hour,

nearly all the strong cultivators of Annan Town poured out in full force.

That night,

over ten thousand iron cavalry rode out of Qinghe!

Inside the Purple Gold Palace,

"Lord, the Yu Kingdom forces are now less than ten li away."

The Blood Shadow Ancestor's eyes turned dark and sharp.

Three days ago, Annan Town launched a fierce assault; the watching Jiannan and Huaidong Towns also struck simultaneously.

Under three-sided siege,

the Purple Gold Palace struggled to hold on.

Meanwhile, the Wu Kingdom's army advanced directly toward the Eastern Wu Imperial Court—no reinforcements could return.

The Purple Gold Palace had reached its most desperate hour.

Si Feng spoke calmly: "I understand."

His expression showed no change.

"Lord—"

The Blood Shadow Ancestor tried to speak again.

But Si Feng waved him off impatiently: "Go."

!

Seeing this,

the Blood Shadow Ancestor could only sigh softly and slowly withdraw.

He stared grimly at the smoke in the distance.

Even within the Purple Gold Palace, the sounds of battle could be heard clearly.

After the Blood Shadow Ancestor left,

Daoist Sheng emerged from the main hall, still chuckling eerily.

Si Feng glanced at Daoist Sheng with indifference:

"Daoist Sheng, how much longer will you hide your Thousand Souls Banner?"

Daoist Sheng, his secret exposed, showed no change in expression—still grinning: "Don't worry—I've already completed it. When the time comes, I'll act."

"Good."

Si Feng snorted coldly.

He had originally intended to devour Daoist Sheng outright.

But now he changed his mind—the Thousand Souls Banner still had some use in this battle; he could eat him later, once it was useless.

With that, he swept his sleeve and turned into the main hall.

In the imperial bedchamber,

a beautiful young woman was bound tightly to a warm red bed.

Dressed in robes.

It was clearly Zhu Yun, whom Si Feng had taken as his Daoist acolyte.

At this moment, Zhu Yun stared at Si Feng in terror, her eyes filled with despair.

Si Feng's lips curled slightly as he extended a finger to trace her delicate skin:

"I've treated you well—why did you try to flee?"

Zhu Yun's pupils dilated.

Her worst fear had come true.

She and Qi Tong had long suspected why they were taken as Daoist acolytes.

Then Qi Tong died.

Only she remained to wonder.

One day, she saw Si Feng's alchemical furnace—and finally understood his purpose in taking disciples.

He meant to refine her and Qi Tong into a great elixir!

Zhu Yun panicked.

That was why she plotted to escape the Purple Gold Palace.

Yet just as Annan Town attacked, Si Feng found her.

Si Feng's smile deepened:

"This body is quite fine—it should make an even better Xuan Shui Elixir."

In the next instant.

Zhu Yun's body burst into flames.

A heart-rending scream echoed through the imperial bedchamber.

The firelight illuminated the palace ceiling.

At the other end.

Amidst the ruins of palace halls.

Rows of soldiers were clearing the battlefield, guarding the outlying halls of Zi Jin Palace, now reduced to only seven.

When all are swept clean, the day of final battle arrives.

"Damn bastards."

Ning Zhongtian spat on the ground, muttering under his breath.

Yet his eyes gleamed with excitement.

In this battle, he had amassed considerable merit.

Zi Jin Palace resisted fiercely, but to no avail.

He glanced at the man in silver armor and white horse nearby.

Marquis of An Nan, Yuan Dingting.

All Yu people knew one truth: wherever Yuan Dingting appeared on the battlefield, there was no defeat.

Ning Zhongtian turned to Li Rui: "Big Brother, why hasn't Zi Jin Palace reacted at all?"

These past few days,

though we've fought several battles with Zi Jin Palace, they were all against outlying halls—no reinforcements have even been sent from the main palace.

Li Rui shook his head:

"I don't know."

As the two spoke,

heaven and earth suddenly changed!

First, the ground began to tremble slightly; then the shaking grew stronger and stronger.

The earth dragon turns!

All soldiers' faces showed shock.

At that moment, someone's trembling voice cried out: "Look—what is that?!"

All in An Nan Town looked up together, gazing toward Zi Jin Palace.

There,

a golden curtain slowly appeared above Zi Jin Palace, like a giant bowl covering the entire palace.

Li Rui's pupils contracted sharply.

The Mountain-Protecting Array!

At this moment, Yuan Dingting, Zhou Dinghai, and Xue Gui also stared at the disturbance ahead.

Xue Gui opened his mouth: "Such a powerful array."

He had seen many arrays before, but never one with such grandeur.

Zhou Dinghai drew a deep breath:

"Marquis, could this be the legendary Heaven-Seizing Array?"

Yuan Dingting narrowed his eyes:

"The one holding the array's core must be a master of array arts—how could he reverse the array so completely?"

Even he said this.

Clearly, the array was extraordinary.

Zhou Dinghai and Xue Gui exchanged glances.

Both saw the gravity in the other's eyes.

Without doubt, what followed would be a prolonged, brutal battle.

The immortal's methods were truly formidable.

Li Rui glanced toward Yuan Dingting and the other two; he had heard every word they spoke.

His gaze at the array flickered with something strange.

Because

he had sensed a trace of the Five-Spirit Body Refinement Scripture within the Heaven-Seizing Array.

All outlying halls around Zi Jin Palace had been eradicated by An Nan, Jian Nan, and Huai Dong Towns.

The three armies united.

They completely encircled Zi Jin Palace.

The Yu army could not enter; Zi Jin Palace's forces could not exit.

A stalemate ensued.

This stalemate lasted a full month.

On this day,

Li Rui, as usual, led troops to patrol the perimeter of the Heaven-Seizing Array, preventing anyone from escaping.

As he approached a thicket,

the bushes rustled.

The soldiers behind him tensed instantly.

Li Rui raised his hand to calm them.

Then a middle-aged man stepped out from behind the bushes.

Seeing him, the soldiers froze.

Li Rui's face broke into a smile: "Brother Jiang, you're alive."

Since the day he learned from He Qian Nian that Jiang Lin had been hunted by Zi Jin Palace elites and fled to Wu Country, he had not seen him again.

As he had expected,

Jiang Lin was unharmed—still full of vigor.

"Big Brother Li, long time no see."

Jiang Lin chuckled.

He showed no trace of being hunted.

He looked full of vitality.

"Big Brother Li, how is Elder He?"

Li Rui smiled: "Fine—he ate my great elixir and can now lift ten thousand catties of iron."

Jiang Lin smiled lightly: "Good."

Then the two walked deeper into the woods.

Jiang Lin recounted everything that had happened to him in recent days.

It largely matched He Qian Nian's account.

He and He Qian Nian went to Zi Jin Palace, uncovered the secret of the Heaven-Seizing Array; to let He Qian Nian escape, he took three blows from the Ten-Thousand-Evil Daoist, then fled to Wu Country.

Fortunately, the Great Witch intervened.

That allowed him to return to the Ten-Thousand Mountains before the battle escalated.

Li Rui also told Jiang Lin everything he had experienced.

Jiang Lin praised:

"Big Brother Li, you handled things perfectly."

Anyone else might have been ambushed and killed halfway by Zi Jin Palace.

Military operations are such that one step behind means falling further behind.

If I had returned later, the Heaven-Seizing Array might have already swallowed not just Zi Jin Palace's main hall.

Li Rui stared at the Heaven-Seizing Array, barely a li away:

"Brother Jiang, this Heaven-Seizing Array is truly formidable—tens of thousands of troops have charged it, yet not even a tremor. No wonder it's the immortal's handiwork."

Jiang Lin smiled mysteriously:

"Big Brother Li, rest easy—this array will fall within three days!"

At the other end.

Deep within Zi Jin Palace.

Before the underground altar, Si Feng sat quietly atop the Heaven-Seizing Array.

With him as the array's core,

even another hundred thousand troops could not break through.

Si Feng's lips curled into a smile.

Violent spiritual energy poured endlessly into his body; his immortal power rapidly revived.

At this moment,

His spiritual roots had been forcibly upgraded to supreme spiritual roots by the overwhelming spiritual energy, and his cultivation base had reached its peak.

Unprecedentedly powerful!

This was his ultimate trump card.

After swallowing the Black Water Pill, he completed the final step of the reversed Great Reverse Array.

Thinking of this,

he silently cursed the waste.

There should have been another Flame Pill, but Qi Tong was dead, so he had no choice but to forcibly reverse the Great Seize Heaven Array with the Black Water Pill—naturally, the effect was diminished.

Otherwise, the array would now be engulfing hundreds of li in every direction!

That kind of spectacle was true terror.

Just as Si Feng frantically absorbed spiritual energy,

the space before him suddenly rippled.

Then two Daoists appeared out of thin air right before him.

When he recognized the newcomers,

Si Feng's pupils shrank sharply.

The young Daoist was Gu Changsheng!

Gu Changsheng smiled warmly at Si Feng:

"Look, keep looking—we've come to collect you."

(End of Chapter)