Unity of Heaven and Man!

"Brother Hu, Zimo, how are you guys?" Shen Zhui and the other two emerged from behind the rockery.

"We're finally out, we're fine," Rong Zimo said, his face relaxing.

"These guys aren't a threat to us," Zhao Hu declared boldly.

"Brother Han, he..." Rong Zimo noticed Han Mao's pale complexion.

"It's nothing, I've recovered a lot," Han Mao said with a smile. It was already a great result that he alone had destroyed a branch shrine using Divine Power.

"Let's leave quickly," Han Mao ordered immediately.

"Go."

As the group prepared to break through and retreat, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended from all around, and the sky darkened.

Shen Zhui and the other four immediately felt a tightness in their chests, their internal Vital Energy no longer circulating smoothly but becoming extremely sluggish.

"Shameless scoundrels!!" A furious roar echoed from all around, and at the same time, an enraged bald Daoist appeared in the sky above the manor. It was Daoist Xiangyang, who had rushed over.

He looked down from above, his face ashen. "You five Houtian Martial Artists actually destroyed a branch shrine while I was away?"

"I will tear you to shreds!"

Without hesitation, Daoist Xiangyang flicked a rhombic plate the size of his palm from his sleeve.

"Array, activate!"

With this furious shout, the surrounding pavilions, waterside terraces, rockeries, and trees all emitted wisps of faint light, enveloping the entire manor.

Shen Zhui and the others felt the oppressive feeling intensify several times, making it even difficult to breathe.

"He's back?" Rong Zimo exclaimed. As a Qi Cultivation True Person of the same Xiantian realm, his methods were far more powerful than a Martial Artist's.

"This is bad! It's the Vitality Locking Array!" Han Mao's face turned deathly pale.

Daoist Xiangyang had used the surrounding rockeries as foundations and the pavilions and waterside terraces as pillars to set up the Vitality Locking Array. This array could affect the actions of enemies within it and cut off their path to absorbing spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

Within the Vitality Locking Array, trapped individuals would find their recovery of Vital Energy slowed by more than half, and attempting to borrow the power of heaven and earth would double the difficulty of control. Coupled with the tangible pressure from the array's foundation acting upon their bodies, their physical speed would decrease significantly.

Meanwhile, the array's master remained unharmed.

With this disparity, even an enemy a realm higher than Daoist Xiangyang would find it difficult to escape!

"Everyone be careful, this is the Vitality Locking Array, head south!" Han Mao, with his extensive experience, immediately sensed the change and led the group to break out towards the south.

At this moment, Daoist Xiangyang could see them, but they couldn't determine the enemy's location, so they dared not be careless.

"Hm? You actually recognize this as the Vitality Locking Array?" Daoist Xiangyang was somewhat surprised.

"But this isn't a simple Vitality Locking Array, it's the Wind Fire Vitality Locking Array!"

Daoist Xiangyang was full of confidence. As the guardian of this branch shrine, how could he not have some tricks up his sleeve? This array was a killing formation he had meticulously set up with resources provided by the Li Family, not just a formation to trap enemies!

As expected, when Han Mao and the others began to break out from the south, the surroundings suddenly changed.

"Whoosh~"

A wall of flames, seven or eight zhang high, suddenly appeared, blocking the path of Han Mao and the other four.

"What? This..." Han Mao was startled, but he immediately ordered, "Go back!"

"Shen Zhui, hurry up," Zhao Hu shouted.

Retreating north, they hadn't taken a few steps before they were suddenly hit by strong gusts of wind.

Sand and stones flew everywhere, obscuring their vision and causing them to lose their direction.

"Wh-what in the world is going on?" Rong Zimo became somewhat flustered.

At this moment, the flames formed a semicircle and began to close in, while on the other side, strong winds blew, carrying stones that attacked them.

Somewhere, a hidden Xiantian Master was waiting for an opportunity.

Although they still had the trump card of Summon Deity unused, they couldn't even locate the enemy right now.

Shen Zhui closed his eyes and felt carefully.

A formation, after all, borrowed the power of heaven and earth. However, by combining special formation materials, different attack effects could be created.

Shen Zhui felt that if he were to use his saber techniques, he should be able to break through that wall of flames.

Just then—

"Old thief! Come out and fight!" Zhao Hu roared.

"Brother Hu, don't!" Shen Zhui shouted, but it was too late.

Zhao Hu had already activated the token in his hand, borrowing Divine Power to empower himself.

The green token in his hand vibrated, its tip pointing towards the sky. Zhao Hu immediately shot up from the ground, flying in the direction the token indicated.

"Zhao Hu, don't be rash!"

"Brother Hu!"

Han Mao and Rong Zimo both shouted in unison, but it was too late. The next moment, Zhao Hu's figure disappeared from their sight.

"Shout! Go mad!" Daoist Xiangyang watched Zhao Hu thrashing below, a hint of glee in his eyes. "It would be best if you all invoked Divine Power and wore yourselves out in this grand array!"

The Wind Fire Vitality Locking Array could trap even Xiantian Masters, let alone martial artists who knew nothing of Daoist Magic. Trapping them would be even easier.

"Hmm? He's flying up to court death?" Daoist Xiangyang coldly stared at Zhao Hu, who was charging skyward from below.

"If the branch shrine hadn't been destroyed, and I could borrow the power of the Yin God, I could have increased the array's power by another level. I could have ground down early-stage Xiantian martial artists with just the killing array, and wouldn't have needed to act personally..."

"These bastards!"

Daoist Xiangyang descended slightly, two beams of green light appearing in his hand. They transformed into two great mountains, pressing down towards Zhao Hu.

"Die!"

"Pfft~" Zhao Hu fell from the air, his face deathly pale.

"Brother Hu," Shen Zhui quickly went to support him.

"I... I can't beat him," Zhao Hu sighed.

He had just entered the Ninth Stage of the Acquired Realm. With the power boost from invoking deities, he was only comparable to an early-stage Xiantian martial artist.

As for Daoist Xiangyang, although his strength was equivalent to an early-stage Xiantian martial artist, with the array's amplification and his Daoist Magic techniques, he was actually infinitely close to a mid-stage Xiantian.

Zhao Hu naturally couldn't win. He had sustained a minor injury.

However, the other party hadn't pursued him. They were likely still planning to wear them down.

"Brother Han, what do we do now?" Rong Zimo looked at Han Mao.

"I only have a superficial understanding of Daoist Magic," Han Mao sighed. "It seems there's only one way to break the array, and that's for all of us to invoke Divine Power and force our way out."

This was the disadvantage of being an Acquired Realm martial artist.

If one didn't reach the Xiantian realm, their Vital Energy couldn't be released externally in large amounts to protect their bodies before it transformed into Xiantian Spiritual Energy.

Facing this burning fire and howling wind, if they forced their way out? They would likely be burned to death.

"If it were just the array, one person invoking Divine Power could protect everyone. But now there's an enemy hidden in the dark, so we can't delay any longer!"

"If we delay any longer, and reinforcements from the Li Family arrive, not a single one of us will escape!"

"No, cousin," Yan You said anxiously. "You've already used Divine Power once. If you use it again, you'll have to burn your Lifespan."

"Survival is paramount!" Han Mao shouted. "Everyone prepare yourselves. If we can break out, we might survive!"

"I..." Yan You fell silent. But to use up all their invoked deity power in this one battle was an outcome they hadn't expected. If it really came to that, it was uncertain if they could even make it back to the county town.

* 'We all need to invoke Divine Power to get out of this array?' Shen Zhui's heart tightened.

* 'I've reached the Unity of Heaven and Man realm. My perception and control over spiritual energy are far superior to others, almost comparable to a true Xiantian Master.'

* 'Perhaps I can break this array without borrowing Divine Power!'

* 'Let's try!' Shen Zhui made up his mind.

"Brother Han, Yan You, Zimo, follow me!" Shen Zhui suddenly roared.

"Brother Hu, you cooperate with me. When I tell you where to attack, strike immediately!"

This furious roar made Han Mao and Yan You involuntarily look at Shen Zhui.

Shen Zhui casually swung his steel saber. There was no trace of him borrowing Divine Power, yet the raging winds automatically parted half a meter in front of him, forming a small, windless space.

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