"Could it really be her? Situ Qingqing!"
When Fang Xi saw Situ Qingqing, his figure did not pause for even an instant. He simply brushed past her like an ordinary passerby.
Yet after she passed by, Fang Xi suddenly felt a little nervous.
That was because several Late Qi Refining cultivators seemed to be surrounding Situ Qingqing in a circle as they headed toward the cave-dwelling district.
"Cultivators from the Enforcement Team? They aren't acting openly, but sneaking around instead... A secret mission?"
Fang Xi felt his scalp go numb and subconsciously headed toward the market's exit.
If something major was about to happen, his first reaction was to flee to Daliang and lie low for several years.
However, this reaction still came a little too late.
He had just reached the edge of the thin mist when his expression suddenly sharpened, and he hastily retreated!
Buzz, buzz!
The faint mist that had originally shrouded the market was rapidly growing dense. Powerful spiritual fluctuations spread through the air, while countless multicolored runes swam leisurely through the thick fog like tiny fish, each one carrying an extreme level of danger.
"What's going on?"
"That's the protective formation of Green Bamboo Mountain Market—the Second-grade Great Formation, Azure Water Array! Why has it suddenly been activated at full power?"
A Rogue Cultivator immediately cried out anxiously.
The formation of Green Bamboo Mountain Market normally operated at the lowest possible cost. It would only be activated for major matters.
Now that it had suddenly begun operating at full power and sealed off the entire market, there was clearly something wrong!
The hidden bandits in particular were already as frantic as ants on a hot griddle. "Where are the people from the Situ Family? Come out and explain yourselves! Let us out!"
"Everyone, don't panic!"
At that moment, a group of cultivators wearing uniform dark-black robes flew through the air on swords. Clearly members of the Situ Family's Enforcement Team, they shouted through an amplification spell, "The market's formation has been activated today only to capture Rogue Cultivators. Fellow Daoists, please remain where you are. Do not move around!"
Within a fully activated Second-grade Great Formation, even a Qi Refining Perfection cultivator could not control a magic artifact and fly.
Only the Situ Family's Enforcement Team, with authorization and recognition, could do so!
When Fang Xi heard this, he suddenly thought of Situ Qingqing, whom he had just seen. His expression grew even more solemn.
Before long, he saw the enforcement cultivators surround several buildings. Even the Hundred Skills Tower was among them.
Boom!
Clang, clang, crash!
The explosions of spells and the collisions of magic artifacts abruptly rang out!
Then, another deafening boom suddenly sounded. The entire Hundred Skills Tower collapsed with a roar, turning into a field of ruins.
Several streaks of light shot out from the ruins. At the head of them was none other than Shopkeeper Qi Liu!
"Hmph! Your Qi Family dares to attack my Situ Family?"
The squad leader of the Situ Family's enforcement cultivators shouted angrily.
"Hahaha... The Situ Family is without virtue. The Upper Sect has issued an order: every family shall join together to destroy it!"
Although there were traces of blood on Qi Liu's chest, he controlled a bronze bell magic artifact that firmly sheltered himself and several people behind him. His voice spread far and wide. "Red Leaf Valley has already been wiped out... Your Situ Family will be next!"
Before long, several other voices rang out at the same time. "By order of the Upper Sect, annihilate the Situ Family!"
Judging by where the voices came from, they had clearly originated from major buildings such as the Heavenly Talisman Hall and Ming Qing Pavilion.
Several Late Qi Refining cultivators charged out of these buildings and clashed with the Situ Family's Enforcement Team.
"It's actually these major forces joining hands to attack..."
An old cultivator wore a stunned expression and muttered to himself, "The heavens... are about to change!"
Anyone who could open a shop in Green Bamboo Mountain Market had at least a Foundation Establishment force backing them.
Now, several families had simultaneously made things difficult for the Situ Family. Did that not mean the Situ Family was about to face several enemies of the same rank?
What was more... that order from the Upper Sect was truly enough to set one's imagination running wild.
"That's right... The heavens are about to change. This is our chance! Brothers, what are you waiting for? Loot them!"
A cultivator concealing his figure had Blood Light blooming in his eyes, clearly practicing an evil technique. After letting out an excited roar, he charged toward a lavish building.
For countless Rogue Cultivators, a market descending into chaos was an opportunity they might not encounter even once in their entire lives!
Damn it... Why did this have to happen now?
Fang Xi was incomparably depressed.
He had never expected that, while coming to purchase pills, he would happen to run into the moment when the Situ Family confronted these rebellious forces.
Fortunately, with his Golden Finger for escaping with his life, Fang Xi was not too panicked.
He carefully looked around and saw that the only ones currently engaged in fierce combat in the market were the Situ Family's Enforcement Team and the rebellious forces.
The Rogue Cultivators who belonged to neither side actually made up more than eighty percent of the crowd!
However, someone had shouted something that threw everyone into a panic. Sporadic disturbances had already appeared, while an even greater chaos was brewing.
Seeing this, Fang Xi did not, as he had in his dreams, go loot the Pill Cauldron Pavilion. Instead, he headed toward a place with fewer people.
He had the Golden Finger and immortality within reach. He would never take risks for a trifling gain.
Even if there were Foundation Establishment Pills inside the Pill Cauldron Pavilion... he still would not consider it!
After all, his cultivation was too low!
As he walked, Fang Xi activated the Camouflage Cloak, doing his best to lower his presence.
He also took out the Ghost Head Saber and gripped the Bone Piercing Nail in his hand, ready to unleash them at any moment.
Only after reaching the edge of the formation, far from the market, did Fang Xi stop and begin to think.
"Earlier, Ming Qing Pavilion was also among the rebellious forces... As far as I know, Yunmeng Fairy seems to have some connection with that pavilion... And there's Shen Haoran. That person has a deep relationship with the Heavenly Talisman Hall... Chen Ping... Could it be that Situ Qingqing found clues from Chen Ping and then traced them to evidence of the rebellious forces?"
Although the rebellious forces were shouting ferociously at this moment, Fang Xi was certain that the Situ Family still held the upper hand!
The evidence was the fully activated Azure Water Array before his eyes!
With this Second-grade Great Formation assisting them, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would suffer severe injuries inside it!
What was more, the people in charge of the various forces within the market were only Late Qi Refining and Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivators.
Rumble, rumble!
Sure enough, before long, the thick clouds and mist began to roil again.
Countless restriction runes converged into multicolored balls, which fell from the sky and began precisely striking the rebellious cultivators.
These multicolored balls looked utterly inconspicuous, but every strike was equivalent to the full-power attack of a Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator!
Buzz!
After the bronze bell magic artifact belonging to Qi Liu took one such blow, the entire light barrier let out a mournful cry, while a crack appeared on the artifact itself.
"Damn it... Yunmeng Fairy, are you still not going to act?"
He looked toward Ming Qing Pavilion.
Over there, Yunmeng Fairy was manipulating a ribbon that transformed into countless flower petals, trapping Situ Qingqing and the other enforcement cultivators.
Her cultivation had astonishingly reached the Late Qi Refining stage!
Clearly, her previous cultivation may have been an act!
This woman must have mastered an extremely brilliant Breath Concealment Technique!
"Heehee... There's no need for Shopkeeper Qi to be anxious. Our reinforcements have arrived!"
Yunmeng Fairy smiled like a flower.
As if to echo her words, the Azure Water Array suddenly rippled violently. A layer of mist parted, revealing multicolored, translucent restrictions.
Beyond the restrictions, a pitch-black greatsword several yards long was fiercely attacking the entire formation!
The one controlling this greatsword was a barefoot, black-robed giant of a man. His disheveled stubble framed a pair of eyes blazing with sharp light and terrifying might.
"A Foundation Establishment cultivator!"
Upon seeing this scene, Fang Xi instinctively shrank back.
The barefoot, black-robed giant's face was cold as iron. He suddenly waved his hand, and the pitch-black greatsword floated above the formation. A layer of black flames began burning at its tip as terrifying spell fluctuations spread through the air.
"Alas... We haven't met in several decades, yet Daoist Long has indeed advanced to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!"
At that moment, a blue figure flew out of the market and stood upon the wind, his voice spreading in every direction.
He was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Situ Family!
This person wore a blue Daoist robe and was thin to the point of being skeletal, with a trace of sorrow perpetually lingering on his face. He spoke loudly, "Since Daoist Long has seen me here, you should know that all your schemes have come to nothing... I may be unworthy and merely at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, but with this Second-grade Great Formation, stopping you will be no problem at all!"
The moment this Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Situ Family appeared, all the bandits in the market seemed to have a basin of cold water poured over their heads. Their thoughts vanished, and the brewing chaos was swiftly brought to a halt!
That was right!
Even if they could loot their way to wealth, they were still inside someone else's formation. Moreover, the Situ Family had a Foundation Establishment cultivator guarding the place. How could they escape?
Once reason regained the upper hand, the chaos gradually subsided.
No!
At this moment, Fang Xi's hair stood on end.
It looks like the Situ Family received the news and seized the initiative. They even ambushed a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator beforehand. But that barefoot, black-robed giant shows no intention of retreating at all. He must still have a trump card!
Just as Fang Xi was wondering what that trump card could be, he suddenly saw a streak of Blood Light fly out from the market and land atop the Azure Water Array.
The Blood Light exploded, revealing a talisman within. Silver ripples spread from it, twisting the fluctuations of the formation's operation...
"What is this..." Fang Xi voiced the guess in his heart. "A Forbidden Breaking Talisman?! A Second-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman?! How is that possible?"
If a First-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman could still be considered relatively common, a Second-grade Forbidden Breaking Talisman was practically a strategic resource. It rarely appeared on the market, and whenever one was sold, corresponding news and intelligence would inevitably spread.
At the very least, the Situ Family could not have been caught off guard!
Yet everything was happening right before his eyes!
Buzz, buzz!
A Forbidden Breaking Talisman was specifically designed to shatter formations. Moreover, this Forbidden Breaking Talisman had detonated from inside the formation, making its power even greater!
In an instant, amid the furious roar of the Situ Family's Foundation Establishment cultivator, the Azure Water Array collapsed layer by layer. Countless clouds of mist scattered, and the multicolored restriction runes shattered in all directions...
"The Situ Family's destiny has run out!"
The barefoot, black-robed giant waiting outside sneered, and the pitch-black greatsword descended straight down!
Boom!
Within the market, the largest building was instantly cleaved in two.
The Rogue Cultivators who had originally been cowed now had bloodshot eyes. They began killing each other madly once more, and true chaos took shape—chaos that could no longer be restrained!
Under the lure of immense profit, any Rogue Cultivator could transform into a bandit!
That was the Cultivation World!
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