Unveiling the Formation Diagram, Wuchen Prepares to Break the Killing Game

As dawn broke, I opened my eyes.

I hadn't slept all night. The Heaven-Slaying Origin within me circulated on its own, like a tide. The more I tried to suppress it, the faster it accumulated. Last night's bronze nail had turned to ash. The Jade Slip on the table lay quietly, its array patterns clear as if carved. I reached out and rolled it up, my fingertips brushing the words "Twin Blood Seal" with a slight pressure.

They wanted to use my blood and hers to ignite the killing array.

But they didn't know that the true person to break the stalemate doesn't rush to dismantle the array—they wait for it to be fully set.

I called for Afu. When he entered, his footsteps were lighter than usual, clearly afraid of disturbing something. I stared at him. "Go to Ye Qingwan's courtyard. If she's awake, tell her I have a fragment of a medicinal prescription left by her mother to return."

He blinked. "A prescription? But where would we get..."

"Just say it," I interrupted him. "You don't need to go inside, just deliver the message."

He opened his mouth, but ultimately asked no more questions. He lowered his head and retreated.

Half an hour later, the courtyard gate creaked open.

When I went to meet her, she was standing just outside the threshold. She still wore her moon-white dress, the Medicine Pestle half-visible in her sleeve. A faint golden mark flashed and disappeared between her brows. She didn't speak, her gaze falling on my hand.

I turned and went back inside. She followed, closing the door behind her.

"Ji Hantian's people have planted an array eye in your residence," I said, placing the Jade Slip on the desk and unfolding it. "Eight directions, using the earth's veins as a conduit. Blood will ignite it upon contact. The activation method is called 'Twin Blood Seal'."

She walked closer, her eyes cast down at the diagram. Her finger hovered in the air, not touching it.

"How is it activated?" she asked.

"On the martial arts stage. As long as both of us draw blood simultaneously, the array will draw our life force along our bloodlines, refining living people into sacrifices." I paused. "They won't tamper with the stage rules, but with the foundation beneath. So no one will investigate, and no one can stop it."

She looked up. "How long have you known?"

"Last night," I replied. "Someone sacrificed their soul to send the diagram out."

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Aren't you afraid this is a trap? A fake diagram to lure me in?"

"It's not fake," I said, pointing to one of the array eyes. "The tribulation energy seeping from here, I can absorb it. The Heaven-Slaying Origin wouldn't mistake true killing intent."

She stared at me for a few breaths, then let out a cold laugh. "So you're telling me now, is it out of trust, or necessity?"

I looked up, meeting her eyes directly. "It's both."

She didn't move, nor did she retreat. The room was so quiet I could hear the faint sounds of Spiritual Power circulating around the edge of the Jade Slip.

I continued, "When the red light shoots into the sky, that's when the array will activate. If you see the sky turn red, crush this Jade Slip immediately."

She finally reached out and picked up the Jade Slip. The moment her fingertip touched the surface, she paused slightly—that trace of residual warmth from the Heaven-Slaying Origin was still there, like a hidden fuse, buried deep within the runes.

"You're hiding something else," she said.

I didn't deny it.

I opened my palm, and a faint golden light slowly emerged, condensing into a thin line, which I offered to her. She hesitated for a moment before extending her hand.

The instant the Origin entered her body, her breath hitched. A golden glint flickered in the depths of her pupils. The crimson at the tips of her hair quietly spread an inch before she forcibly suppressed it.

"This will protect you for a while," I said. "It will prevent the array from corroding your bloodline. But it won't last long, at most three sticks of incense."

She withdrew her hand, clutching the Jade Slip, her voice growing colder. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? If I had known in advance, I could have prepared."

"Prepared?" I chuckled. "The moment you made a move, they would have noticed. And what I want is for them to think everything is going smoothly."

She stared at me. "You want them to complete the array."

"Yes," I nodded. "The more complete it is, the more loopholes there are. When they think they've succeeded, that's when we'll strike."

She suddenly asked, "Have you considered what would happen if I got injured on the stage first, and the array activated prematurely? You wouldn't have time to react."

"That's why I'm giving you this wisp of Origin," I said, looking at her. "It's not just a shield, it's also a sensor. If you start having your life force drained, I'll know immediately."

Her eyes flickered, as if she realized something.

"Are you saying... our resonance will be amplified?"

"More than amplified," I said softly. "It's locked on. Wherever you feel pain, I'll know what's wrong. If you're bleeding, I'll feel it too."

She looked up sharply, as if seeing my true intentions for the first time.

This wasn't protection.

It was a shared descent into a death trap.

Outside, the sound of a broom sweeping across bluestone could be heard as the morning mist gradually dispersed. She stood there, her knuckles slightly white, yet she never let go of the Jade Slip.

"Aren't you afraid I'll act impulsively?" she asked.

"You won't," I said. "You know better than anyone that impulsiveness will only get you killed. How your mother died, you still remember."

Her pupils contracted sharply, as if struck by an old wound.

I didn't look away. "I know you hate them, but you can't expose yourself now. You have to pretend you know nothing, compete as usual, fight as usual. When the moment comes, I'll let you see with your own eyes—who it was that wanted to use your blood to ignite their evil array."

She bit her lip and finally nodded.

"Keep the Jade Slip safe," I said. "Don't let anyone see it, and don't try to probe its spiritual energy fluctuations. It's like a bomb ready to explode right now; we can only wait for the signal."

She tucked the Jade Slip into her sleeve, close to her body, and turned to leave.

"Qingwan," I called out from behind her.

She paused.

"If you trust me this time, don't do anything unnecessary," I said. "Don't investigate, don't respond, don't ask. When the red light rises, you just need to crush it, and then—stand firm and don't fall."

She tilted her head and glanced at me, her eyes complex. Finally, she flicked her sleeve and left.

The moment the door closed, I immediately summoned Afu.

He practically tumbled in, sweat still drying on his face.

"Young Master! Miss left. I followed her secretly for a bit and confirmed no one was tailing her!"

I took out a talisman and pressed it to his forehead. The talisman was blank, but it was a sound-sealing secret talisman. Once imprinted, he wouldn't be able to utter a single word related to the formation diagram unless I unsealed it.

He widened his eyes. "You're really going to seal my mouth?"

"I want you to live," I stared at him. "From now on, if anyone asks about my whereabouts, tell them I'm in seclusion recuperating. If anyone inquires about Miss Ye, say you don't know. If anyone mentions words like 'formation,' 'blood,' or 'red light,' you are to leave immediately, not come to me, and not send any messages."

His face turned pale, his lips trembled slightly, and he finally nodded heavily.

"I understand," he said. "If I don't say anything, no one will get anything out of me."

I released my hand, and the talisman silently merged into his brow.

Afterward, I went alone to the communication pavilion at the back of my residence. It was secluded and rarely visited. I crouched by the wall, condensed a wisp of extremely fine, pale golden light at my fingertips, and quickly etched a rune in the gap between the bricks—three curves and one bend, with the tail hooked like a hook.

This was a hidden mark Qing Ming taught me back then, called the "Qi Qi Rune." It didn't seek a response, only to inform a certain existence in heaven and earth: the game is set, the pieces are about to fall.

After finishing, I stood up and brushed the dust from my fingertips.

The morning bell rang in the distance, three tolls. The martial arts tournament registration was about to begin.

I walked down from the pavilion, returned to my room, and sat at the desk.

Sunlight slanted in through the window, falling on the corner of the desk and casting a long, thin shadow.

I reached out and placed my hand on the desk surface. A wisp of Heaven-Slaying Origin slowly seeped into the wood grain, like a dormant snake coiling beneath the projection of the formation diagram.

The streets outside began to liven up, voices rising.

Meanwhile, my fingertips gently tapped the desk, once, then again.

The rhythm was steady, like a heartbeat, like the final flick of a sword blade before it's drawn.