Chapter 540

At this moment, outside Buried Immortal Valley.

White clouds drifted; the sky was clear for ten thousand li.

Although several hundred cultivators had already gathered outside the valley, the surroundings still appeared remarkably calm.

This group had merely been sent to observe Jiang Hongyan's movements; they neither intended to strike nor dared to strike.

Long before arriving, Liu Jingning had removed her Human Skin Mask together with Xu Que to restore her true appearance. Those several hundred cultivators had long recognized her identity: the Holy Maiden of the Extreme Bliss Sect, a figure of great renown. Even without the prestige of Dong Genji, she was still someone this group dared not offend.

Moreover, Jiang Hongyan possessed the realm of Infant Transformation Stage Peak; no one dared to come up and throw their life away.

The two were also watching Xu Que set up an array in the distance, remaining silent toward each other.

After a short while, Liu Jingning turned to look at Jiang Hongyan and said with a smile, "I never expected this little lad to be so devoted to you. Unfortunately, tomorrow is destined to be a fierce battle. No matter how many arrays he sets up, they cannot hold those people back for even a few breaths!"

Jiang Hongyan fell silent for a moment, then shook her head lightly and said, "He never does anything without certainty!"

"After interacting with him these past few days, I fully agree with you! But this time is different; the situation is already set. There are over a hundred Void Refining Stage experts, and even our Extreme Bliss Sect has sent five Void Refining Stage Elders! Fortunately, my master did not come, otherwise I would not be able to stay here to protect your formation now!"

Saying this, Liu Jingning sighed helplessly and said, "But by tomorrow, I will not be able to stay here anymore!"

She knew very well that staying by Jiang Hongyan's side now would cause no issue if others saw it.

But if she were still here tomorrow, the Extreme Bliss Sect would be dragged into it. Given the conduct of those great factions, they would surely seize the opportunity to make excuses and claim the Extreme Bliss Sect intended to favor Jiang Hongyan!

"Tomorrow, take Xu Que and leave together. His talent is extraordinary, and he has a bright future. There is no need to offend the entire Eastern Wasteland because of me," Jiang Hongyan said solemnly.

Hearing this, Liu Jingning immediately shook her head and gave a bitter smile. "Actually, there is no difference now. Whether they should be offended or not, this lad has already offended almost everyone!"

Jiang Hongyan was stunned and frowned, asking, "What happened?"

Liu Jingning sighed as if weary from the heart and recounted to Jiang Hongyan everything Xu Que had done since arriving in the Eastern Wasteland.

On his very first day, he offended Bright Moon Pavilion and killed the Heavenly Prides of the Jiang Family and the Gong Family. Then, passing through the Stone Polishing Field of the Jiang Family, he killed another batch of people. That same night, at the Stone Polishing Conference, he tricked all the major factions. Finally, he thoroughly mocked the Three Great Families. Even on the road over these past few days, he had directly become the "Lightning Thief" whom everyone chased and shouted to beat!

After hearing this, Jiang Hongyan was completely dumbfounded, her face filled with shock.

It had only been a few days, yet Xu Que had managed to offend all the major factions of the Eastern Wasteland!

However, very quickly, she realized the problem: the things Xu Que encountered all seemed to stem from others, not from him actively causing trouble. Rather, as if by some unseen force, these matters had actively sought him out!

A dim expression appeared in Jiang Hongyan's eyes as she murmured to herself, "Ill Fate Entanglement..."

"Don't worry. That little lad is not afraid of any Ill Fate Entanglement. These past few days, I have truly learned a thing or two. Everyone else fears Ill Fate, but only this little lad fears nothing but chaos. Moreover, I always feel that after this little lad realized he was entangled by Ill Fate, he seemed quite happy!" Liu Jingning said with a strange expression.

After hearing this, Jiang Hongyan was also momentarily stunned and was just about to open her mouth to say something.

Boom—!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar like rolling thunder came from the sky.

Both of them were startled, thinking those major factions intended to strike early. But after looking up, both of them were left dumbstruck!

Above the clouds, a massive vortex was furiously swirling Spiritual Energy from all around. Even the vast Spiritual Energy inside the entrance of Buried Immortal Valley was being sucked out like a flood.

Immediately after, on the ground several hundred meters away from them, Spiritual Light burst forth. Spiritual Energy gathered, and suddenly a wall of light rose up.

In the blink of an eye, the entire entrance of Buried Immortal Valley was blocked by this light curtain, precisely separating those people outside. At the same time, black flames surged from the ground, shooting into the sky and forming a Fire Sea. Black flame Ghosts, entirely black in color, drifted out and floated around, emitting a terrifying, scorching aura that twisted the very Void.

These flames were the Strange Fire that Xu Que had additionally added—the Eight Desolations Destruction Flame!

"This... this momentum is... a High-Stage Formation?" Liu Jingning was visibly moved on the spot, filled with disbelief.

Jiang Hongyan was also stunned.

Originally, seeing Xu Que setting up an array, they had not thought much of it. Even Jiang Hongyan, knowing Xu Que's extraordinary means, had completely not expected that what Xu Que had set up was actually a High-Stage Formation.

Outside the array, everyone also widened their eyes, their faces filled with shock.

"A... a High-Stage Formation? Is that lad crazy?"

"My heavens! Even the Mountain-Protecting Great Array of our Mirror Flower Water Moon Sect is only a High-Stage Formation!"

"Nonsense! Besides the Jiang Family and the Gong Family, who else in the Eastern Wasteland can afford to set up a Spirit Stage Array, let alone a High-Stage Formation?"

"Damn it, is that lad sick? He actually set up a High-Stage Formation here!"

"Wasting a precious resource! Absolutely insane, damn it!"

The several hundred cultivators sent by the various factions to keep watch on Jiang Hongyan trembled and cried out in shock.

The group from Xiaoyao Tower, led by Dong Genji, was also dumbfounded.

Immediately after, the man beside Dong Genji looked extremely regretful and said with deep pain, "That lad is definitely sick. If I had known he was setting up a High-Stage Formation, I should have struck out and seized it just now!"

The others remained silent, their faces already dark.

The value of a High-Stage Formation far exceeds what can be measured by Spirit Stones or Treasures. Array Masters in the Eastern Wasteland are extremely rare, and High-Stage Formations are even fewer, appearing only occasionally at large auctions over decades.

Even the protective formation of their Xiaoyao Tower can only use a Middle-grade Array.

But now, Xu Que, in order to help Jiang Hongyan resist the various factions, directly set up a High-Stage Formation here. This was completely an act of wasting a precious resource!

"A High-Stage Formation, just wasted like this. Sigh!" The young woman who had been observing Xu Que also shook her head and sighed, her face full of regret.

"What exactly is the background of that lad?" someone asked, looking at Dong Genji.

Dong Genji's face was gloomy, and his heart was also raging with fury at this moment.

He had underestimated Xu Que, and as a result, he missed out on a High-Stage Formation, which made him very displeased.

"Just now, he claimed to be Wang Sicong of the Bomb Heaven Gang. Has anyone heard of the Bomb Heaven Gang faction?" Dong Genji said coldly.

The few people beside him were immediately stunned, their faces blank, clearly having never heard of it.

At this moment, one of the men in white robes widened his eyes and said in shock, "I heard that a few days ago, during the Stone Polishing Conference jointly held by the Jiang Family and the Gong Family, it was disrupted by someone from the Bomb Heaven Gang. Moreover, the Three Great Families suffered huge losses, but that person's name was Zhou Runfa!"

"There's such a thing?"

"Yes. It is said that the Zhou Runfa of the Bomb Heaven Gang cooked a kind of Stinky Tofu that could indiscriminately increase a cultivator's Divine Soul Power by ten percent!"

"What? Does such a thing exist in the world?"

"Heh, that is still the small matter. What is truly amazing is that the lad also produced a Divine Object capable of seeing through ancient stones. The Three Great Families bought it at the high price of five million Top-grade Spirit Stones. But in the end, that Divine Object was seized by Jiang Limu of the Jiang Family after he betrayed them. Its whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Because of this, the Jiang Family suffered huge losses and compensated the Gong Family and the Bai Family with three Ancient Cities!"

……

【Second Update, more coming shortly!】