246: Chapter 28 Breaking Through the Clouds 246: Chapter 28 Breaking Through the Clouds Two days, twenty-four hours each.
Both lingering and fleeting.
In these two days, under the watchful eyes of dozens, Xie Xuanyi sat calmly under the mast, meditating, his whole figure shrouded in shadows, like the lingering image of a wind banner fluttering in the breeze.
He was very clear.
About the “deathtrap” he was facing, and who had initiated it.
It wasn’t Wu Qiong.
Nor was it these evil cultivators from the Southern Border.
But Yuan Jimo, far away in the Imperial City, and Qing Sun, lurking in the shadows.
They were the ones who truly wanted him dead.
They were also very clear.
To kill him, relying on these people alone, would surely not be enough.
So…
The real death trap would be after “landing”.
For Xie Xuanyi, the greatest challenge lay right there, similar to the hardships he faced at the North Sea in the past, with three points of resemblance.
Although those surrounding him to attack were much weaker.
But the essence of the predicament was the same.
If you look around and find enemies all around, how can you kill them all without getting hurt yourself?
“Whoosh!”
The Jiageng cloud ship swept across the sky over the Northern Border Great Wall, the temperature around it plummeted, countless winds tearing through the sky, and the evil cultivators of the Southern Border, whether lying or sitting, stood up one after another.
These past two days.
The atmosphere on the ship was like a cold cellar; no one spoke, no one moved, no one uttered a word.
At this moment…
There was finally some “movement”.
Xie Xuanyi opened his eyes.
Calmly, he watched those silhouettes rise one after another.
“If it happened once more,”
Xie Xuanyi murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear, “I would not make the same mistake again…”
The reason for his bitter defeat in the battle at the North Sea years ago
was that he was gravely injured right from the start, leaving no chance to break through to the Yangshen Realm.
He did not have the slightest chance to catch his breath.
Ants may be small, but gathered together, they can still kill a giant elephant.
Moreover.
In the battle at the North Sea, there were top powerhouses like the White Ghost involved, constantly distracting him…
After being revived in Yuzhu Town.
Xie Xuanyi told himself that in this life, he would not give his powerful enemies the opportunity to seriously injure or besiege him.
“What are you saying?”
The Jiageng’s large sail fluttered in the wind, billowing high, creating a series of impassioned, fierce sounds.
Wu Qiong stood at the bow with her hands behind her back, overlooking the black-robed youth seated at the base of the ship’s mast.
As the Jiageng crossed the boundary above the Northern Border Great Wall.
It meant.
At this very moment.
The group had already left the Dachu Dynasty.
Wu Qiong no longer concealed her identity, and she revealed her “trump card”.
A strand of crimson flame ignited between her eyebrows, and a blood-red moon opened up.
This was her Grotto Heaven.
This moon of Grotto Heaven unfolded above the Jiageng, with the full moon spreading out, turning into a portal several zhang wide.
Right after that.
Three “puppets” with Vajra-like physiques slowly walked out from the Grotto Heaven.
The Southern Border Sky Puppet Sect, along with Yin Mountain, is well-known for its special technique of refining cultivators into living corpses, known within the sect as “Puppet Making Technique”.
The more advanced the mastery of Puppet Making Technique, the more complete the living corpse retains its abilities from before death.
According to the sect, the ranks of living corpse puppets are divided into four levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.
At this moment.
The living corpse puppets Wu Qiong summoned all had the cultivation of the Vajra Realm, reaching the “Earth” grade in terms of quality!
These three puppets landing on the Jiageng cloud ship
instantly caused the whole ship to tremble, perhaps due to the great pressure it was bearing, as the ship’s body even sank slightly.
Wu Qiong stood in the piercing wind.
Behind her, the blood-red Grotto Heaven exerted immense pressure, causing the other evil cultivators to turn pale and instinctively move farther away from this Sky Puppet Sect demon.
Only one person.
Did not change expression.
“Grotto Heaven with Nine Heavens?”
Xie Xuanyi saw the Grotto Heaven and was slightly relieved, “It seems that ‘Perfect Grotto Heaven’ isn’t so common these days.”
Wu Qiong’s face turned grim.
To her, these offhanded words
were clearly mockery!
“Xie Zhen.”
Wu Qiong’s voice was ghostly, “It’s not too late to beg for mercy now, if you kneel down at once, maybe I can spare your life.”
On the Jiageng, two camps were distinctively separated.
One camp
consisted of more than twenty people, as well as three fearless “Vajra” Earth Puppets!
The other camp
only housed a lonely single person, and a sword.
“My lord?”
Xie Xuanyi held the umbrella sword and coldly said, “Do you also deserve to be called ‘my lord’?”
On this Northern Hunt, he brought only one thing with him,
and that was this umbrella sword.
The moment Xie Xuanyi grabbed the umbrella sword, the entire Jiageng cloud ship vibrated with a deep Sword Sound.
Up in the clouds, countless swaying mists trembled with the Sword Intent, boiling over.
…
…
“So, in your opinion, how should Xie Zhen break the formation?”
You Yuan squinted her eyes and couldn’t help but ask.
Twenty-three evil cultivators from the Southern Border.
These people, whose strengths varied considerably, but whose advantage lay in their overwhelming numbers, were skilled in blood battles!
Among them, there were fourteen from the Cave Heaven Realm.
Whether or not they had consumed elixirs, these evil cultivators at least possessed the “Divine Skills” of the Cave Heaven Realm.
Even though You Yuan had seen many geniuses.
He truly couldn’t imagine, if a fight broke out, how Xie Zhen could kill them all cleanly and efficiently?
The most important thing was—
After killing these evil cultivators, how could he do it without getting injured?
In a few more hours.
The Cloud Ship would arrive at the border of Snow Mountain, and at that time, all the major sects and great families would notice the abnormality of “Jiageng.”
“I’m not sure.”
Qing Sun smiled indifferently and frankly said, “To tell you the truth, I’m also looking forward to Xie Zhen’s ‘performance.’ I know he must have some incredible secrets hidden on him, daring to enter the Imperial City, to participate in the Northern Hunt, the Sword Palace will also prepare some forbidden methods for him.
If Wu Qiong can force out such a trump card, then the arrangements for Jiageng would be successful.”
You Yuan frowned and then asked, “Wu Qiong holds no humble position in the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
If this person dies here, how will you explain it to the Heavenly Puppet Sect?”
“He won’t die.”
Qing Sun said blankly, “Da Chu Imperial City has already accepted the submission of the Heavenly Puppet Sect.
It won’t be long before the two forces will cooperate…
The arrangements for this Northern Hunt are managed by Yuan Jimo, and you know him as well.
Since he arranged for Wu Qiong and Xie Zhen to board together, he must have a ‘finish up’ method.”
“Does this kid have a teleportation talisman carved by the Da Chu Imperial Family’s Array Pattern Master on him?”
You Yuan instantly guessed the ‘finish up’ method mentioned by Qing Sun.
“Heh…”
Qing Sun laughed nonchalantly and said, “In theory, as long as a strand of Primordial Energy is left, it’s possible to activate the array patterns and leave instantly.
Wu Qiong is most skilled in the ‘Puppet Making Technique,’ and has nurtured who knows how many Living Corpse Puppets in his Cave Heaven.
If a real fight breaks out and he senses something is wrong, he can trigger the talisman and leave.
Of course, if he really dies, it has nothing to do with me, because this was arranged by Yuan Jimo.
What does it have to do with me?”
If we take a step back.
A person who is about to die, why care about explanations?
“…”
You Yuan took a deep breath.
This Northern Hunt supervising ship examiner, after hearing Qing Sun’s arrangements, felt an ominous premonition and couldn’t help worrying for Xie Zhen.
The actions of the Imperial City officials this time were really too fierce…
Or rather, too despicable.
Just as he was about to send out a strand of Divine Thought, a resonant sound suddenly emanated from the clouds not far away.
“Oh, has it started?”
Smiles began to form on Qing Sun’s face.
But the next moment.
The smile froze on his face.
Two Yin Gods sent their Divine Thoughts towards Jiageng at the same time, but the strange thing was…
both divine thoughts were “blocked” at the periphery!
“Is this…
array patterns?”
You Yuan was startled for a moment.
Qing Sun was too.
Around Jiageng, blue dazzle Array Patterns and Talismans emerged, the talisman paper used for these was not of a particularly high grade, merely some rough yellow paper, but the residue of array patterns on them were extremely mysterious, forming a blue dazzle canopy, shrouding Jiageng.
For the past two days.
Xie Xuanyi had been meditating, seemingly in quiet contemplation, but in reality, he had permeated Jiageng with his Divine Thought.
His Divine Soul Realm surpassed everyone on this journey.
Including the ship examiner You Yuan.
In these two days.
Xie Xuanyi silently claimed Jiageng as his own and at the same time altered the majority of the array patterns on this Cloud Ship.
The reason for this.
Was for this moment, right now.
…
…
The moment he gripped the umbrella sword.
Countless Sword Intents surged like swimming fish, encircling Jiageng.
Xie Xuanyi raised the umbrella sword above his head.
He didn’t rush to unsheathe his sword, but instead invoked a strand of Divine Thought.
This strand of Divine Thought set the peripheral talismans of Jiageng ablaze.
At this moment, this great ship was completely severed from You Yuan’s “control”.
And then.
The array patterns roared!
Xie Xuanyi invoked his Divine Thought, Sword Qi soared to the sky, and in a flash, hundreds of dazzling thunders oscillated out.
The few Cloud Ships accompanying Jiageng all felt this extremely terrifying “coercion,” dozens of Divine Thoughts swept in, only to be blocked by the talismans.
Thus.
In full view of everyone.
The “tragic sight” of Jiageng was exposed in everyone’s Divine Thought perception.
The tall mast, rising like a sword, was broken by the Sword Qi, and the falling Wind Banner turned to ash in an instant.
This Cloud Ship instantly broke away from the “Northern Hunt” party, becoming a straight plummeting meteor, with its bow pointing like an arrowhead towards the majestic and continuous Snow Mountain below, diving headlong down.
Xie Xuanyi calmly watched this scene.
At the moment when the array patterns shattered, the Cloud Ship was pierced by the fierce winds above the Northern Border, the cold wind sharp as knives.
However, he felt an unprecedented ease in his heart.
Yes.
This was the answer he provided…
If someone had already meticulously plotted and set up the Northern Hunt, then Xie Xuanyi only needed to do one thing.
Break the game.
He refused to follow anyone’s plan.
Everyone was waiting for his “Northern Hunt.”
He just wanted to get the Divine Fruit.
There was still some distance to Snow Mountain in the Northern Border…
but to him, that distance meant nothing.
These evil cultivators on board were never a threat.
If they could survive till the “Cloud Ship” crashed to the ground.
Then he would deal with them one by one after the crash.
Boom!
The thunderous roar of Sword Qi breaking clouds echoed in the ears of all the evil cultivators, turning their expressions extremely ugly.
No one expected.
Xie Zhen would make such a choice!
“Xie Zhen?!”
Wu Qiong’s face turned pale.
He gripped the railing at the prow, steadied himself, and shouted in a shrill voice, his face filled with disbelief, “Have you gone mad?!”