Crushing Like Dry Rot!

It was not just his arms; from the neck down, nothing remained of Yan Xuan but a skull.

Every ounce of his flesh and all his internal organs had been plundered and pulverized by the seemingly casual ripples of the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array.

He looked like nothing more than a human head suspended above a skeleton.

Boundless pain surged over him like a tide. Yan Xuan opened his mouth; the formidable vitality of a fifth-realm martial artist kept him from dying instantly, but being only fifth-realm... was not enough to save his life.

Qi Da followed like a shadow, appearing behind him, his clenched fist glowing with a brilliant light.

Then, he smashed it down.

"Uh... Principal, didn't we need to leave him alive for questioning?" Chu Yuan was somewhat surprised. Given the power of the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array, it could have instantly annihilated Yan Xuan; he had intentionally left the man with a breath of life.

He hadn't expected Qi Da to show no mercy at all, killing him outright.

Qi Da wanted to say something but stopped, looking at Chu Yuan with a complex gaze, choosing not to pick up the thread of conversation.

Chu Yuan paused, feeling the wariness and estrangement in Qi Da's eyes, and felt a sense of helplessness.

"Principal... if I told you I was only getting close to him on purpose, would you believe me?" he explained. "I could only seize control of the array by making contact with its core."

Qi Da remained silent. In truth, judging by the current outcome, there was nothing wrong with what Chu Yuan said.

If he truly had to touch the core to seize control, then his previous actions were merely a ruse to deceive Yan Xuan.

But the problem was... how did an Internal Breath Realm martial artist manage to seize control of the entire array from Yan Xuan in a single instant?

The Blood Sacrifice Array had already taken form; Yan Xuan was not the only one leading it, nor was he the only focal point... furthermore, was this even the Blood Sacrifice Array anymore? The Blood Sacrifice Array did not have the ability to kill a fifth-realm martial artist in a single strike!

"This array... what is its current status?"

Chu Yuan hesitated for a moment, replying vaguely, "You could call it an upgraded version of the Blood Sacrifice Array."

"...So, is the entire Chenyang City under your control now?"

"You could say that..."

Having received his answer, Qi Da said helplessly, "Then what else is there to say? I believe you."

What else could he do besides believe in Chu Yuan?

The lives of everyone in Chenyang City were now in Chu Yuan's hands... under these circumstances, if he really pushed Chu Yuan into a corner, the result would simply be the death of them all.

Chu Yuan's tense expression relaxed slightly. There was no helping it; the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array was merely an external force, and at his core, he was still just a minor cultivator who hadn't even reached Foundation Establishment.

He still had to make a living in the Great Qin... he couldn't afford to be labeled as someone with an "unclear stance."

To stand tall and act tough, he would at least need to reach the "Accountability Period."

"Since the array is in your hands, hurry up and put an end to this chaos."

Chu Yuan nodded and added, "Principal, I have one more request."

"Speak."

"I need this to be kept confidential."

"I could attribute it all to myself, but if I do that... you won't be able to receive the corresponding merit."

Chu Yuan smiled. "There will be no shortage of opportunities in the future... besides, I trust that the Principal will not treat me unfairly."

"..."

While they spoke, Chu Yuan was already channeling the Blood Sea Soul-Locking Array.

The sky suddenly turned a dark red. Thick, blood-colored chains emerged from the void, winding and slithering in every direction like giant serpents swimming through the heavens.

Jiang Fei stood atop the ruins and looked up, his expression bewildered.

The moment he sensed that the array's power, which had been constantly draining him, had ceased, he knew that things had changed.

But upon stepping outside and seeing the scene in the sky, he couldn't tell if this change was good or bad.

Although the Blood Sacrifice Array was no longer exerting force... the scene before him looked even more terrifying than the Blood Sacrifice Array!

And it didn't look like anything friendly at all.

But he was only an Air-Traversing Realm martial artist, and a severely wounded one at that.

Even if he were worried, he could not change the overall situation.

Compared to Jiang Fei's location, the area outside the city was far more chaotic!

Originally, members of the Day of Vengeance had joined forces with various anomalies to blockade Chenyang City, preventing anyone from escaping to seek reinforcements.

But after the sky changed—especially after seeing those anomalies being plucked away out of thin air—the situation shifted instantly!

In the brief moment of stunned silence from Ma Hui and the others, the few Supernatural Realm martial artists of the Day of Vengeance didn't even hesitate before attempting to flee!

The array had already spiraled out of control. Whether the authorities had a hidden expert or there was a traitor within their ranks... the result was the same.

That was, this operation had failed completely!

Even if Chenyang City were to be blood-sacrificed, the final fruits of victory would not be theirs.

Why bother fighting to the death?

Not everyone likes fighting...

When Ma Hui and the others realized what was happening, they immediately moved to intercept!

Even if they didn't know what was going on, if the enemy wanted it, they had to stop it!

"Ma Hui! The formation is complete! You still have the leisure to bicker with me here?" a warrior from Day of Vengeance, blocked by Ma Hui, yelled in exasperation.

"Isn't it a good thing your formation is complete? Why are you running?" Ma Hui slashed down with his saber, his sharp aura locking onto the opponent. Faint lightning crackled on the blade.

"What business is it of yours! I'll fuck your..."

At this moment, a blood-red chain appeared out of thin air.

It wrapped around the neck of the Day of Vengeance warrior and pulled back.

It seemed to have no substance, yet it easily passed through the opponent's neck...

But Ma Hui's pupils contracted, and he looked in horror at the end of the chain.

A phantom was being dragged out of the warrior's body by the chain! The phantom's face... was that of the warrior!

At this moment, his expression was one of terror and despair. He opened his mouth to shout something, but no sound came out.

Then, as the blood-red chain glowed slightly, it transformed into a lustrous bead and disappeared into the void...

"Soul..."

A word appeared in Ma Hui's mind!

This blood-red chain... had dragged a Supernatural Realm warrior's soul out of his body and refined it!?

With icy hands and feet, Ma Hui saw the warrior's body crumble as if weathered. Before it could even hit the ground, it turned to dust and vanished in mid-air...

His heart jolted, and he turned to look around.

He saw streaks of blood-red chains being withdrawn silently.

The opponents his colleagues were facing, the members of Day of Vengeance, were repeating the process of that warrior...

This process was extremely brief!

After a few breaths, only the official warriors remained on the scene.

But no one rejoiced in this inexplicable victory. The scene was deathly silent...

A moment later, someone finally spoke, their voice dry, "What... what the hell is this thing?"