Ling Fan remained as still as a petrified Ming King throughout.
Not even his eyelids twitched.
Bai Shao's embarrassment eased slightly.
After the infant in her arms finished feeding.
She quickly pulled her clothes back down.
The carriage traveled along the rugged mountain path.
Fortunately, the horses pulling the carriage possessed some demon beast bloodlines, making their speed and strength formidable. They were getting closer and closer to Miyun Mountain.
A hesitant expression appeared on Bai Shao's delicate face.
After a long while, she bit her lip and said, "Young Master Ling, you... you should leave as soon as possible. I fear there will be danger if you continue to stay. Master Guo and the others are not good people."
Ling Fan did not open his eyes.
He merely said, "Why do you advise me to leave? I was going to Miyun Mountain anyway."
Bai Shao assumed Ling Fan intended to go to Miyun Mountain to seek apprenticeship and cultivate.
A hint of disappointment surged in her heart.
She had thought this young man was a righteous person who championed justice, but unexpectedly, he was going to Miyun Mountain to become one of them.
She feared he would become another malevolent dragon in the future!
Thinking of the demonic deeds of the people of Miyun Mountain, Bai Shao fell silent.
Ling Fan did not press further.
This only strengthened Bai Shao's conviction in her guess.
"I heard someone say a young master named Ling Fan is going to challenge the Master of Miyun Mountain. How wonderful it would be if he could destroy Miyun Mountain; it would truly benefit all living beings..."
"However, Miyun Mountain is too powerful. For this young master to shake Miyun Mountain is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. How can it be easy? I fear he might perish along with it. Alas."
"We, with our lives as cheap as ants, ultimately have no hope."
Bai Shao gazed out the window, murmuring to herself.
Ling Fan opened his eyes and glanced at Bai Shao.
The beautiful, delicate face of the young woman was clouded with deep worry and helplessness.
The infant in her arms, having been fed, was playfully tugging at its mother's clothes with its tiny hands.
The young woman's face flushed red with embarrassment again.
"Xixi, don't pull."
She gently removed the infant girl's hands.
Ling Fan asked, "What were you just saying?"
The young woman, having already categorized Ling Fan as being with Miyun Mountain, replied somewhat coldly, "It's nothing. You misheard."
Ling Fan indifferently lowered his gaze.
He playfully teased the infant girl.
The infant girl giggled at Ling Fan, her little face rosy, as if carved from jade.
Ling Fan also smiled heartily at the infant girl.
What a vibrant young life.
He rubbed the thumb ring on his finger.
A jade slip appeared in his hand.
This was a spare protective trinket he had made earlier, capable of blocking several attacks from those below the Tian Yuan realm.
He then imprinted a wisp of divine sense into the jade slip, leaving behind a Earth-tier cultivation technique.
If this girl had the fate to embark on the path of martial arts in the future.
Then this jade slip might serve some purpose.
Ling Fan extended the jade slip towards the infant girl.
The infant girl excitedly grabbed the jade slip with both hands and refused to let go.
"Good baby, we can't accept other people's things."
Bai Shao immediately tried to return the jade slip to Ling Fan.
But as soon as she tried to snatch the jade slip, the infant girl began to cry.
She had no choice but to give up.
One day later.
The convoy appeared at the foot of Miyun Mountain.
On the mountain peaks, pavilions and towers were nestled amidst ancient pines, ancient trees, and misty white clouds.
An indescribable aura of majestic pressure settled upon everyone's hearts.
"Who goes there."
Two powerful individuals from Miyun Mountain stepped forward to question them.
Guo Defu scurried over, bowing and scraping, "Two esteemed sirs, we are from Guo Family Village within Miyun Mountain's territory. We are ordered to bring these array offerings. Kindly grant us passage."
The two Miyun Mountain powerhouses glanced at the infants at the back of the convoy.
They waved their hands and said, "Your Guo Family Village is quite diligent! You've brought the most array offerings. You know where to deliver them, so go ahead yourself."
"Certainly!"
After the convoy moved on.
The Miyun Mountain powerhouse said, "I say, isn't our Mountain Master being a bit too cautious this time? To use so many infants at once to activate that grand array. It's just some young master, how powerful can he be? Even if he's powerful, can he defeat our Mountain Master? Is it necessary?"
The other replied, "Caution is never wrong. Master Ying has already fallen. It's not unreasonable to be careful. For anything, one fears capsizing in a ditch."
"That's true. This is also an opportunity to awe the world. Many powerful individuals from various parts of Tian Chu have already arrived in the past few days. We can let the entire Tian Chu witness the true foundation and strength of our Miyun Mountain."
...
The convoy continued to advance towards Miyun Mountain.
Not long after.
They arrived at a square in front of a grand hall.
The square was entirely constructed from various rare and precious stones, with extraordinary materials. Countless strange patterns were etched upon it.
It presented a sinister dark red hue.
As if it had been soaked in countless drops of blood.
A gust of cold wind blew.
Everyone shivered.
The martial artists from Guo Family Village were filled with reverence.
While the young couples held their children numbly and despairingly, like lambs awaiting slaughter.
In front of the square.
Nine powerful individuals wearing the elder robes of Miyun Mountain were seated in various positions.
In the array eye between them lay the mangled remains of countless infants, with blood flowing profusely.
These were the "array offerings" supplied by various regions over the days.
Terrible, pale white arms emerged from underground, dragging the corpses into the earth.
It was a scene of purgatory.
When Guo Family Village arrived with its villagers and infants.
Naturally, Miyun Mountain powerhouses came to receive these children.
Many young couples, upon witnessing the incredibly cruel scene, suddenly seemed to awaken and tried to flee with their children.
But how could these ordinary people resist the powerhouses of Miyun Mountain?
*Poof*
*Poof*
One by one, those who attempted to escape were ruthlessly cut down.
The infants were seized.
And prepared to be sacrificed into the array eye.
When Bai Shao stepped out of the carriage.
She was instantly scared pale, her delicate face turning extremely ashen.
"You demons! You are all demons!"
Bai Shao turned to flee.
However, Master Guo and the others appeared and blocked her path.
Master Guo said to Ling Fan, "Young Master Ling, I'll take you to meet someone. This is a truly important figure in Miyun Mountain, belonging to the highest echelons. If you wish to join Miyun Mountain, finding him can save you a lot of trouble. It's even possible to become his disciple!"
Ling Fan glanced at the panicked and helpless Bai Shao.
He nodded and said, "Lead the way."
Bai Shao's heart became even more certain.
Ling Fan was here to join Miyun Mountain.
This young man seemed like a good person.
But unexpectedly, he was still a villain at heart!
Master Guo, with a smiling face, led Ling Fan towards the direction of the array eye.
"Elder Luo Su!"
Master Guo respectfully called out to the old man seated in the center of the array eye.
"How do you think I've done with my task this time? A total of one thousand and twenty-five infants! I searched the entire village."
"You have done well."
Luo Su, without opening his eyes, sat cross-legged in the array eye.
Array patterns were cast from his hands.
They merged into the array eye beneath him.
"Elder Luo Su, I've also brought you a great gift. Look at this, a Xuan Gang realm cultivator at seventeen or eighteen years old! A true genius! I believe you will like him."
Master Guo's fleshy face contorted into a fawning, obsequious smile.
Upon hearing this, Luo Su's eyes snapped open.
"What! A Xuan Gang realm cultivator at seventeen or eighteen years old... He can be considered a genius. Not bad, not bad, Fatty Guo, you are thoughtful! I like this gift very much. It will be absolutely superb for refining into a puppet, and it will possess considerable potential. The puppet's strength can continue to be improved in the future."
Luo Su became more and more satisfied as he thought about it.
Originally, after being severely wounded by Shen Yi in Xing Sha City and returning.
Everything had gone wrong.
He felt extremely unlucky.
He never expected that his luck would turn around today.