Night Raid Test, Might of the Inner Array

The moon was dark, the wind was high, and the starlight was dim.

It was already deep into the night. Myriad Manifestations Academy lay silent in the darkness like a dormant beast. Only the glow atop the Central Tower and the Nine-Colored Radiance flowing across the protective barrier provided a faint illumination.

In the darkness beyond the academy's perimeter, countless eyes greedily watched this forbidden ground. The astronomical bounty was like lethal poison, eroding their reason.

"Boss, we've checked it out. The patrol passes the northwest corner every half hour, leaving a gap of about three minutes. The barrier's energy fluctuations there seem slightly weaker than elsewhere." A thin figure slid out of the shadows like a gecko and quietly reported to the leader crouching in the grass.

The leader had a savage scar across his face and a fierce gaze. His Soul Power fluctuations clearly marked him as a Soul Emperor-level powerhouse. He licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with greed and daring. "Three minutes... enough! Fifth, can your Soul Breaking Cone temporarily disrupt the barrier's energy? Third, can your Earth Drilling Martial Soul handle the reinforced layer underneath?"

"No problem, Boss! If the energy disruption works, give me one minute and I'll drill us a hole!" a short, burly man replied in a muffled voice.

"Good! Once we pull this off, we'll never have to worry about food or drink for the rest of our lives! Move!" the scar-faced leader barked.

At once, five or six dark figures shot silently toward the academy's northwestern barrier from different directions like arrows loosed from a bow!

One of them took out a peculiar spindle-shaped Soul Tool and fiercely activated it at the barrier! A twisted gray beam that disrupted the stability of Soul Power shot out and struck the barrier!

Buzz! The section of the barrier that was hit immediately flickered in disorder, its glow noticeably dimmer than the surrounding area!

"Now!" the short, burly Third roared. Martial Soul Possession! His hands transformed into enormous drills, and he viciously bored into the ground beneath the barrier! Dirt flew everywhere, and he soon reached the reinforced foundation layer. The drill bits scraped against the rock with a piercing screech.

The others vigilantly watched their surroundings.

Yet they had no idea that every one of their actions had long been keenly detected by the invisible Pure Heart Evil Cleansing Talisman Array beneath the academy!

The abnormal energy fluctuations released by the disruptive Soul Tool, the malicious thoughts in their minds, the vibrations from digging into the ground... all the information was instantly gathered at the inner array's core. With Qin Mo's authorization, the automatic counterattack protocol was triggered!

Just as the short, burly Third was about to drill through the foundation layer!

A sudden change erupted!

The ground beneath him abruptly lit up with countless golden runes without warning! A scorching, pure force of purification erupted from underground like a volcanic blast, instantly swallowing him whole!

"Ah—!" The short, burly Third only had time to let out a miserable scream. Under the burning purification force, his drill Martial Soul melted as if made of wax. Like someone thrown into a steel furnace, he was instantly reduced to a lump of charred remains!

At the same time!

The Soul Tool in the hands of the Soul Master wielding the disruptor suddenly overloaded and exploded without warning! The terrifying blast blew him to pieces, and the fragments struck the two people beside him as well!

Meanwhile, the scar-faced leader and the other two Soul Masters standing watch felt an invisible, crushing force field descend upon them. It weighed on them like mountains, instantly hindering the circulation of their Soul Power and making it hard to breathe! At the same time, a sharp alarm piercing straight into their souls blared madly in their minds, leaving them dizzy and nearly incapable of thought!

"Something's wrong! It's an ambush! Retreat!" The scar-faced Soul Emperor was terrified out of his wits. Desperately driving his Soul Power to resist the horrifying force field suppression and Soul Impact, he spat out blood as he fled frantically backward!

The other two were likewise scared senseless and scrambled after him.

But they had not even taken a few steps.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several sharp arrows and streaks of soul skill light shot out from within the academy's barrier, accurately striking their legs and backs! The patrol guards, alerted by the alarm, had made their move!

Amid screams, the two men collapsed at once. Only the Soul Emperor leader, relying on his formidable strength, managed to endure the attacks and suppression before fleeing miserably into the darkness and vanishing.

From start to finish, the battle had lasted no more than a minute or two.

The academy's northwest corner soon returned to peace. Only the charred corpse on the ground, the two prisoners felled by arrows, and a few remnants of the explosion proved what had just occurred.

The disrupted portion of the barrier quickly recovered its former glow, becoming even brighter than before.

Inside the tower, Qin Mo watched the battle results displayed on the light screen, his expression calm.

"Inner array counterattack assessment: highly responsive to evil energy and malicious attacks. The purification force is notably lethal against evil-type targets. Force field suppression and soul alarms are effective against ordinary Soul Masters. Overall performance meets expectations." He calmly recorded the data.

"Dean, we captured two prisoners. How should we deal with them?" Bing'er's voice came through the communicator.

"Interrogate them for the mastermind, then hand them over to the Imperial Patrol Camp for handling according to the law," Qin Mo ordered. He could not be bothered wasting time on such small fry.

"Yes."

After this incident, the restless observers around the academy's perimeter felt as though they had been doused with a bucket of ice water, instantly sobering up for the most part. The astronomical bounty was tempting, but they needed to stay alive to spend it! Myriad Manifestations Academy's defenses were even more terrifying and strange than they had imagined!

The bounty in the underworld remained posted, but for the time being, no one dared to make another attempt.

However, Qin Mo knew this was only the beginning. The hidden mastermind capable of offering such an enormous bounty would never have only this much up their sleeve.

The real storm was still ahead.

He had to pick up the pace.

His gaze fell once again upon the construction plans for the Soul Tool Research Center and the Body Refining Hall.

Strength was the foundation for weathering every storm.