Huai Mountain Guarding Mansion, Celestial Pivot Pavilion.
This seven-story pavilion was the tallest building in the entire county town, with the Star Observation Platform at the top, the control hub of the Huai Mountain City-Protecting Array was established within the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.
During normal times, Zhao Hongyi, the Guarding Envoy of Huai Mountain, would be stationed there overseeing and cultivating.
In times of emergency, he would not leave it for a single step.
However, today this heavily guarded pavilion was without its true master.
Despite this, the Celestial Pivot Pavilion still housed twelve high-tier Qi Cultivation cultivators, three of whom had reached the culmination stage.
Most of these cultivators hailed from Zhao Hongyi's own school and their loyalty was beyond doubt; combined, they could manage the City-Protecting Array, their power rivaling a Purple Mansion.
This was the very confidence that allowed Zhao Hongyi to leave the city and rescue his son, confident that as long as he could return in time, the situation within Huai Mountain would not collapse instantly.
But what the Purple Mansion Superior did not expect was that his departure had long been in his opponent's calculations!
A grey-clad servant approached the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.
At the entrance of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion stood two armored warriors, both Innate Martial Artists.
Upon seeing the grey-clad servant, one of them shouted sternly, "Scram, this is not your place to be!"
The grey-clad servant raised his head, showing a humble yet strangely eerie smile.
His eyes flashed with a demonic glow as he asked softly, "But what should I do if I really want to go in?"
The two armored warriors were momentarily stunned.
They had not expected a mere servant to be so boldly presumptuous.
They were about to teach the offender a harsh lesson, but as they locked eyes with the grey-clad servant, their vision instantly blurred, and the sounds in their ears became ethereal and distant, as if coming from the far heavens.
The will of Innate Martial Artists was very strong, but at this moment the two armored warriors seemed to be trapped in a hazy dream, with a voice continuously whispering in their minds, coaxing them to relax further and further.
And then, the two truly relaxed, even displaying foolish smiles.
The grey-clad servant said with a beaming smile, "Now, open the gate for me. I've come by the order of Guardian Zhao to convey a message to the Immortal Masters stationed in the Celestial Pivot Pavilion."
The two armored warriors nodded subconsciously, "Okay."
They felt that the request was completely legitimate and ought to be executed without question.
So the two armored warriors simultaneously raised their right hands and pressed them on the door rings of the gate behind them, injecting their Innate True Qi.
The Celestial Pivot Pavilion was fortified with special prohibitions; the first gateway at its base required the combined action of these two warriors to unlock it and allow outsiders to enter.
The next moment, the heavy doors began to open slowly inward.
"You've worked hard."
The grey-clad servant's smile grew even more amiable and gentle. "You must be very tired, have a good sleep."
Indeed, the two armored warriors simultaneously yawned, their eyelids drooping as they leaned against the doorpost and fell fast asleep on the spot.
A glint of avarice flickered in the grey-clad servant's eyes.
The two Innate Martial Artists were robust and their bodies near perfect; whether for personal use or sacrifice, they were excellent materials.
He felt an instinctive urge to devour them!
But the grey-clad servant knew the importance of priorities, and current urgencies were not about satisfying cravings for flesh.
He stepped forward, his figure darting into the Celestial Pivot Pavilion like a phantom.
His heart swelled with triumph!
Being able to infiltrate the heart of Huai Mountain City without a stir, the grey-clad servant had already won half the battle.
Next, to kill the cultivators guarding the Celestial Pivot Pavilion level by level, and the Huai Mountain City Defense Array would fall into his hands.
With just a few modifications to this array that enveloped the entire city and the blood sacrifice of all its inhabitants, his Cultivation Realm could achieve a tremendous boost!
By then, he would also be able to hold Huai Mountain City and take down Zhao Hongyi!
The servant in gray had been scheming for a long time. Seeing that he was about to succeed, even though there was not much humanity left in him, he couldn't help but feel joy, and his form became much lighter.
However, just as the servant in gray darted toward the stairs leading up, an invisible mighty force suddenly descended,
and trapped him firmly in place.
The door behind him closed with a bang.
At the same time, the luminous stone lamps hanging on the walls all around lit up simultaneously, brightening the entire space and exposing the despicable intruder down to the last detail—every bit of his ugliness revealed!
The servant in gray could not help but let out a piercing scream as his eyes instantly turned as red as blood, and his entire face twisted.
Wisps of black smoke rose from his body, especially visible under the illumination of the surrounding lamps.
The servant in gray struggled to fight against the force suppressing him and let out a growl of defiance.
At that moment, a young cultivator dressed in blue robes descended the stairs, looking at him with a calm expression.
The servant in gray opened his gaping maw, revealing a mouth full of sharp, white teeth, "You're actually here!"
This young cultivator was none other than Wang Chen, who curiously observed the other, as if looking at a turtle trapped in a jar.
Undoubtedly, this was the culprit causing Zhao Hongyi great trouble and leaving him at his wit's end.
Wang Chen could sense the strong evil power emanating from the other, and if not for the array's suppression, this place would probably already have become a gruesome battlefield!
If one were to look down upon Huai Mountain County from the sky at this moment, one would see that the mana barrier that had enveloped the entire journey had rapidly constricted within the boundaries of the Guarding Mansion.
And gathering towards the Celestial Pivot Pavilion!
"Wang Chen, Exorcist of the West Sea Sect!"
The servant in gray squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth, his voice full of intense resentment, "You dare to plot against me, don't think you've won, I..."
Wang Chen didn't wait for him to finish speaking and raised his hand to cast the Heaven-Ensnaring Punisher Net.
Even when hunting a rabbit, the lion exerts its full strength, and Wang Chen didn't believe that simply relying on the force of the array would ensure the capture of a powerful evil cultivator.
He had no idea what other aces or ultimate weapons the opponent could be hiding, so he used his strongest magical treasure right from the start!
The servant in gray was actually accumulating power, hoping to buy time with his words.
He never expected that Wang Chen would have zero inclination to chivalry, and by the time he realized the gravity of the situation, the Demon-Slaying Net had already completely enveloped him in the air.
This evil cultivator involuntarily let out a mournful scream as wherever the net made contact with his skin, plumes of gray smoke arose, as if a branding iron was searing flesh.
If it were truly a branding iron, he wouldn't be afraid, but this net was not only rapidly tightening, it also arrogantly drained the evil power from his body.
The servant in gray was immediately terrified out of his wits and instinctively struggled desperately, only to stumble and fall to the ground.
The Demon-Slaying Net tightened once again, making this evil cultivator seem like a big fish caught in a net, dragged ashore and futilely thrashing.
Wang Chen, holding the Demon-Slaying Net, felt...
This suspected mastermind behind the scenes was faring much worse than the evil monsters he had previously slain.
First update, delivered.