Chapter 68: The Maze Formation

The mountain road was rugged, with small hills rolling and undulating like waves.

The team entering the mountains trudged arduously through the forest; the students from the Martial Arts Hall, who had appeared somewhat worse for wear earlier due to the bumpy ride, were now demonstrating better stamina than the inspectors.

These students were well-nourished and underwent high-intensity training every day, giving them much better physical fitness than the inspectors; they all persisted while trekking over mountains in heavy stab-proof vests, without appearing overly exhausted.

Li Fei, Lu Zhangwu, and a dozen other disciples from the Inspectorate were quietly arranged at the very front, following closely behind Lu Sheng and several official martial masters from the Stop-Goe Academy.

Being at the very front seemed dangerous, but it was actually safe, as the entire team's most elite combat power was concentrated there. Moreover, if a good opportunity arose, Li Fei, Lu Zhangwu, and the others could be the first to participate and earn merit.

The reason they could enjoy such preferential treatment was naturally because the leader of the Inspectorate team was Lu Sheng.

"Liu Asi, how much further?"

Lu Sheng asked the guide leading the way; his forehead was sweating, and he was panting slightly.

The guide, Liu Asi, was an honest mountain dweller with rough, chapped skin; hearing this, he turned around in a hurry and said cautiously:

"Officer, it should be just ahead, not far now."

To eradicate the influence of the Peace-Seeking Sect, the Inspectorate had posted a large number of flyers in all the villages and mountain strongholds around Xingcheng, reminding people to be vigilant against the evil sect and welcoming reports, with rewards for those who reported.

Liu Asi was an ordinary hunter from Luoshan Stronghold. A few days ago, while hunting in the mountains, he inadvertently discovered a stronghold in the forest. Inside the stronghold was an altar, and the symbols on it were exactly the same as the symbols of the Peace-Seeking Sect on the flyers. Thus, harboring the idea of collecting a reward, Liu Asi went into the city to report it to the Inspectorate, which led to this operation.

The Inspectorate had interrogated Liu Asi repeatedly and secretly investigated the other party at Luoshan Stronghold. After confirming that this person had no issues and that there were indeed traces left by the Peace-Seeking Sect at Luoshan Stronghold, they reported it to the City Lord's Mansion and contacted the Stop-Goe Academy to launch a large-scale operation.

The group continued to advance. After walking for a few minutes, mist gradually appeared in the forest, and the temperature plummeted.

Li Fei suddenly felt his internal steel armor implant becoming restless and slightly uneasy, which immediately made him alert.

Ever since the steel armor implant began to stir and grew closer to the Body-Breaking Realm, he had discovered that his perception of danger was becoming increasingly acute. When sparring at the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold, he could sometimes sense where his opponent was about to attack without even needing to look.

The introduction to steel armor implants in the "Comprehensive Guide to Implants" given to him by Hao Yi only mentioned that this type of implant could enhance the human body's defensive power; it did not mention that it would also enhance one's sensory abilities.

Li Fei guessed that this must be the difference between a second-grade superior steel armor and an ordinary steel armor implant.

"Something's not right."

Just as Li Fei felt a sense of crisis, the team leader, Wang Ping, also spoke up suddenly.

Wang Ping was an official martial master from the Stop-Goe Academy and the Regional Commander of this operation; as soon as he spoke, the people around him immediately stopped in their tracks.

"My lord?"

Lu Sheng looked toward him.

Wang Ping looked at the thin mist ahead: "This mist is not right."

After saying this, he walked toward a large tree nearby and struck out with his palm, and a visible red gas surged from his palm.

This gas carried a scorching high temperature; Li Fei could feel the heat even from over ten meters away.

"Is that innate Qi?"

Li Fei thought to himself.

Only those in the Body-Breaking Realm could be considered formal martial artists, and those who reached the Qi-Transformation Realm could be called martial masters. Wang Ping was an official martial master appointed by the imperial court, so he naturally possessed innate Qi.

The red innate Qi dissolved all the white mist around the large tree, and a puff of white smoke rose from the trunk, emitting a sizzling sound.

After the white smoke dissipated, Wang Ping walked to the large tree and squatted down to examine it.

The people around gathered around one after another.

Li Fei saw some eerie marks carved at the base of the tree trunk, with red powder still remaining on them.

Wang Ping dipped his finger in some red powder, smelled it in front of his nose, and then stood up:

"It really is a maze formation."

Hearing this, Lu Sheng asked hurriedly: "Does Lord Wang mean that the mist around here was created by a formation?"

"Yes, someone has set up a maze formation here. It seems the headquarters of the Peace-Seeking Sect is indeed here."

Wang Ping said.

Lu Sheng frowned upon hearing this and immediately called Liu Asi over:

"When you came here before, was this mist here?"

If this maze formation had always existed, how did Liu Asi, an ordinary person, manage to break through it and discover the Peace-Seeking Sect's headquarters?

And if this maze formation was built only recently, did it mean the Peace-Seeking Sect had already become aware of them?

"I don't know, sir. There was no such mist when I came here before."

Liu Asi said with a nervous expression.

Lu Sheng stared at him for a while and found no issues, then turned to look at Wang Ping:

"My lord, I fear there is something suspicious about this."

Wang Ping remained calm and said casually:

"Maze formations also require regular maintenance. It is possible that when this person came here, it happened to be during the formation's maintenance, so he successfully discovered the Peace-Seeking Sect's headquarters. Of course, it is also possible that this formation was built recently and the people of the Peace-Seeking Sect have become alert. But regardless of which it is, we are already here; can we really just turn back?"

"This..."

Lu Sheng hesitated.

Wang Ping said confidently: "Don't worry, watch me break the formation."

After saying this, he turned to look at Li Fei and the others: "Everyone, stay back and cover your ears."

Li Fei immediately followed suit, retreating while covering his ears.

The others also followed suit one after another.

Finally, Wang Ping stood alone at the very front and took a deep breath.

This breath was very long, as if a whale were inhaling water.

His chest swelled high, and his neck thickened by a circle; then he opened his mouth wide and exhaled violently:

"ROAR!!!"

It was as if a muffled thunderclap had sounded in the forest; a mass of visible red energy erupted from Wang Ping's mouth and spread in all directions, whipping up a gale that made the surrounding branches sway!

The surrounding inspectors and students looked at Wang Ping with horrified eyes, unable to believe that this was a sound a human could make.

Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger; Wang Ping's roar was like a tiger howling in the forest, triggering a fierce wind that gave Li Fei goosebumps and triggered an instinctive sense of crisis.

He fixed his eyes on the scene and saw the surrounding mist being swept away by the gale, dissipating rapidly.

"A martial artist's yang-filled blood and Qi can disrupt the ritual path of sorcery, thereby breaking the spell."

The words Hao Yi had told him surfaced in his mind; the scene before him now perfectly confirmed this statement.

With Wang Ping's roar, the maze formation before them was broken!

After the mist cleared, several figures appeared on the hillside ahead, holding crude hunting guns.

"Enemies!"

An inspector shouted a warning.

"Charge!"

Lu Sheng gave the order and waved for everyone to charge up.

Clang—

Li Fei drew his saber.

(End of chapter)