Night Crossing at Eaglebeak Gorge

At the beginning of the Hour of the Tiger, the sky was at its darkest.

Thirty li southeast of Northern Garrison Pass, within a concealed mountain hollow.

Zhou Xuanzi held his hands aloft, and a bronze array disk floated before him, radiating a soft silvery-white glow.

On the ground, intricate array markings drawn with precious materials such as refined gold, stardust sand, and void stones gradually lit up, while ripples like water spread through the air.

Lu Chen stood quietly beside the array, with five hundred carefully selected warriors behind him.

Three hundred of them were Evil-Quelling Guards, all clad in black robes and black armor, standard sabers at their waists and Qi-Breaking Crossbows on their backs. Their auras were sharp and steady, their gazes as keen as eagles'.

The other two hundred were hardened soldiers selected from Xu Polu's personal guard. Their cultivation might have been somewhat weaker, but their experience in battlefield slaughter was more seasoned. They stood silent as iron, only the veins on the backs of their hands bulging as they gripped their weapons.

Zhao Tieying and Gu Mingxuan stood to Lu Chen's left and right, slightly behind him.

Mo Qianqiu was not here. He and Xu Polu remained with the main army at the front—both as pillars that steadied the sea and to guard against any enemy Longevity Realm experts who might appear.

"The array is complete!" Zhou Xuanzi barked, and the array disk blazed brilliantly.

The teleportation array, three zhang in diameter, lit up completely. Silver light flowed through it, forming a stable vortex of light.

Beyond the light gate, the faint outline of jagged cliffs could be seen—it was precisely the designated location on the far side of Eaglebeak Gorge!

"This array can last at most one hour, and it only transports one