Chapter 29: The Stronghold

As soon as Lu Fan finished speaking, Zhu Ge Qing Ming flipped over the fortune-telling stall and looked out.

"Brotherhood, Tyrant Blade!"

He muttered to himself. The person approaching was the leader of this Black Market gang. He had dealt with him before—a Fourth-Rank Great Martial Master in the Bone Tempering Realm, with the same cultivation as him, but his true strength was far inferior.

Tyrant Blade arrived with a dozen elite subordinates, looking menacing. His gaze was fixed on Lu Fan, his eyes filled with monstrous rage. Only when he got close did he notice the abnormality of Zhu Ge Qing Ming.

"Iron-mouthed fortune teller, move aside. That kid framed our Brotherhood, I'm taking him and leaving!" Tyrant Blade's rage was suppressed at this moment.

He didn't know the fortune teller's name, but he knew he was dangerous. Several of his strong rivals in the past had accidentally angered the man and were brutally killed by him.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming sneered, his aura surging into the sky; he was no longer the fortune teller lingering in the bustling market. In an instant, it seemed the peak Qi Refining Realm Rune Venerable had returned.

"This is..." Tyrant Blade's expression changed drastically, a feeling of fear and dread rising in his heart. Before he could react, Zhu Ge Qing Ming had already rushed over.

"Brotherhood, you will be wiped out after today!" He let out a strange laugh, waving his large hand, and a sharp, murderous aura rolled out.

"Bang! Bang!" The heads of several burly men beside Tyrant Blade exploded like watermelons, red and white matter spilling everywhere. The peddlers and passersby in the Black Market, used to vicious fighting, all turned pale and fled in panic, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

"Iron-mouthed fortune teller, I'll fight you to the death!" Seeing his capable men turning into corpses one by one, Tyrant Blade's fear turned into rage. With a roar, he swung his cold, gleaming broadsword.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming laughed strangely, not dodging or evading, and grabbed out with his withered hands. "Clang! Clang!" A sound of metal clashing rang out as he caught the spirit tool broadsword with his bare hands.

"Body-protecting True Gang! How is this possible?" Tyrant Blade's face was filled with disbelief. Before he could finish the question, Zhu Ge Qing Ming was already in front of him, waving his large hand and piercing his throat instantly.

A large spray of fresh blood shot out, splashing all over Zhu Ge Qing Ming's head and face. Not only did he not dodge, but he even looked as if he were enjoying it, turning into a fierce god.

The few remaining Brotherhood members finally came to their senses. Their pupils dilated to the extreme, filled with horror and dread, their legs trembling. Where could they run now?

"Ah! Ah!" Several wails echoed through the Black Market, miserable and chilling.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming vented his anger, his ferocious expression not yet fading as he slowly turned around, preparing to sit down and talk in detail with Lu Fan. He frowned and shouted coldly: "Who is it? Come out now!"

From an inconspicuous corner, an old man in a black robe slowly walked out, black energy drifting around him, evil spirits rolling. Following behind him was Xiulan, who had "separated" from Lu Fan not long ago.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming's gaze turned cold as he recognized the man and said coldly: "Gui Xiansheng!"

Gui Xiansheng ignored Zhu Ge Qing Ming, staring coldly at Lu Fan, his pupils filled with slight confusion.

"Clap! Clap!"

Lu Fan slowly stood up, clapped his hands lightly, and laughed: "So your name is Gui Xiansheng! Sneaking around following us all night, the name really fits!"

Before his voice faded, Gui Xiansheng's expression changed drastically, filled with disbelief. He had followed them all night, not even telling Xiulan and the others. How did Lu Fan know?

Seeing Lu Fan's attitude, Xiulan's face was filled with indignation, staring fixedly at Lu Fan, wishing she could swallow him whole.

Lu Fan didn't care at all, walking up slowly and saying leisurely: "Small temple, big demon wind; shallow pond, many turtles. I thought this Brotherhood had some incredible background, but now it seems they are just chickens and dogs. Since Miss Xiulan is fine, I can rest easy!"

To anyone else, these words sounded like polite, concerned remarks. But to Xiulan, they sounded sarcastic and strange.

She couldn't hold it back anymore, walking up to Lu Fan with her hands on her hips, scolding: "You stinky brat! You actually ambushed me and left me there alone! You really have some nerve!"

She originally wanted to say something harsher and fiercer, but found that the words wouldn't come out. Instead, they turned into this, sounding like a complaint, and her momentum instantly vanished.

Lu Fan was stunned, rolled his eyes, and said with a chuckle: "With this Gui Xiansheng protecting you, what do those three pieces of trash matter? I'm tired of wandering the Black Market, let's go see your stronghold!"

As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for an answer, he turned his head to look at Zhu Ge Qing Ming and pursed his lips, signaling him to take down the Seven Star Illusion Mirage Flag and come along.

Gui Xiansheng's gaze sharpened, and as if having made a decision, he finally spoke: "Xiulan, take him to our place as a guest!"

After Gui Xiansheng finished speaking, he turned slowly, his figure drifting and shifting.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming's gaze was slightly solemn, while Lu Fan acted as if nothing had happened, strolling leisurely and following closely behind.

He seemed to be in a very good mood, taking the initiative to talk to Xiulan, completely opposite to when they arrived. Lu Fan was "chattering away," as if he had become a chatterbox, while Xiulan was full of anger, remaining silent.

"Is this your stronghold? It's full of ghost energy, quite something!"

Half a stick of incense later, Lu Fan stood in front of a large mansion. Even though the surroundings were open and the morning glow was shining down, this mansion was filled with shadows and gray energy.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming's expression also turned cold. He naturally knew Gui Xiansheng's identity, but this was his first time at this stronghold. As a former Rune Venerable, he saw the tricks of this mansion at a glance, his face filled with wariness.

"What? Are you afraid?" Xiulan pouted, her face full of mockery and slight disdain.

Lu Fan smiled slightly, touched his chin, and said: "Afraid of you? Could it be that you're going to eat me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward and walked straight in.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming and the others all changed expressions, especially Gui Xiansheng, whose eyes were filled with shock and thousands of doubts.

This mansion was set up with an incredible array and strict restrictions. Unless one knew the secret, anyone who stepped in would immediately be entangled by ten thousand ghosts and refined into a pool of blood.

Lu Fan strolled leisurely, looking around as if he were wandering in his own garden, without any obstruction. It was as if the entire array was just a decoration, having no effect on him at all.

Gui Xiansheng's pupils shrank, and he nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face: "Alright, let's go in together!"

This look didn't escape Zhu Ge Qing Ming's eyes, and he couldn't help but feel suspicious. Lu Fan was his hope for recovery, and he had to plan ahead if anyone had designs on Ye Fei.

"Tsk tsk! I thought it was the Ten Thousand Ghost Fierce Spirit Great Array, but it turns out to be a fake. No wonder it's so mediocre!"

Lu Fan shook his head, looking dissatisfied.

Xiulan was unhappy, mocking: "Stinky brat, you've got a big mouth. Don't think that just because you've read a few books on rune arrays, you can act all high and mighty. Be careful not to flash your tongue!"

Lu Fan didn't care, looking listless. He stopped looking around curiously and said lazily: "Other things aside, you replaced the Seventh-Tier Ghost Emperor with a Fifth-Tier Ghost King. The original Ghost Domain Holy Array immediately dropped a grade. Not to mention this clumsy array change, it's only at the level of a Fourth-Tier Profound Array!"

Zhu Ge Qing Ming's eyes lit up, becoming fiery. He had felt a bit humiliated following Lu Fan, but now it seemed the other party's insight into arrays was even stronger than his own. His hope for recovery was entirely entrusted to this person.

Gui Xiansheng was also pleasantly surprised. Not only was he not angry at Lu Fan's light words, but he became excited. If he had the help of this person, the secret plan he was plotting would surely be a success.

With this thought, he immediately laughed: "Young Master Lu is truly extraordinary, you're right. This array is indeed a simplified version of the Ten Thousand Ghost Fierce Spirit Great Array. To tell you the truth, this Fifth-Tier Ghost King was captured by a senior of our Skull Society a hundred years ago after a life-and-death struggle."

His words were slightly proud. A Fifth-Tier Ghost King was extremely fierce, and even a Sixth-Tier Martial Venerable might not be able to take it down.

"It seems your Skull Society is a bit out of the league!" Ye Fei shook his head, looking down on them, and curled his lips: "With a Fifth-Tier Ghost King, this array should at least be a Fifth-Tier Profound Array! And having been set up for so many years, converting so many fierce spirits, it should have advanced! To be only a Fourth-Tier Profound Array, it's really poor!"

After these words, Gui Xiansheng was unhappy. He had been in charge here for over a decade and was very proud of the Ten Thousand Ghost Fierce Spirit Great Array. Lu Fan's mockery made him feel uncomfortable, and he immediately snorted:

"You speak lightly! In the entire Mingyue Empire, there isn't a single large-scale Sixth-Tier forbidden array. Even the Great True Yang Burning Heaven Array at the Shenfeng Empire's Sacred Martial Hall branch is only a mere Fifth-Tier Profound Array!"

There are many types of rune arrays, the simplest being forbidden arrays and auxiliary arrays. The Fourth-Tier Art Refining Array seen at the Shanjin Town Rune Master Guild was just an auxiliary array.

The array in front of them was not worth mentioning in Lu Fan's eyes, but it was rare in the entire Mingyue Empire.

Lu Fan glanced at Gui Xiansheng nonchalantly and laughed: "The Great True Yang Burning Heaven Array is a peak Ninth-Tier array, barely qualifying as a supreme divine array. That Fifth-Tier Profound Array you mentioned is just a piece of junk not worth mentioning."

His tone was extremely arrogant, making the three people present feel he was crazy. But all three had seen Lu Fan's methods and were shocked. Although these words were even more outrageous, the three remained silent.

Lu Fan didn't care about their expressions and laughed: "This array is broken, but the array spirit of the Fifth-Tier Ghost King is not bad. It's not impossible to turn it into a Fifth-Tier Profound Array!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gui Xiansheng and Xiulan were shocked, looking at Lu Fan and saying in unison: "Young Master Lu really has a way?"

Their Skull Society had always been suppressed by the Sacred Martial Hall, hiding in the shadows. One of the reasons was that their base's array wasn't good enough. If this Fourth-Tier Profound Array could be turned into a Fifth-Tier one, it would be enough to contend with a Sixth-Tier Martial Venerable.

In the Mingyue Empire, apart from the Great Elder Shangguan Zhenghong of the Sacred Martial Hall, there were no other Sixth-Tier powerhouses.

If the Skull Society had a Fifth-Tier Profound Array, no one in the entire Mingyue Empire would dare to target them again.

Zhu Ge Qing Ming was surprised. With his attainments as a former Sixth-Tier Rune Venerable, he couldn't help but shake his head at the scene before him.

It is difficult for a Fourth-Tier forbidden Profound Array to advance! ===== CHAPTER 30 =====