Who Are You

Inside the ruined temple west of town, Zhou Yan lit half a candle and pulled a sheepskin map from under the offering table.

"The Luo Family has set up the 'Nine Yin Gathering Malice Array' in the barren valley north of the city. In three days, at the hour of the rat, they plan to use the souls of a hundred young boys and girls as a catalyst to refine Golden Core Realm corpse puppets."

Lu Chen crossed his arms and remained silent, his gaze sweeping over the map. Suddenly, he asked, "Since you understand formations, why have you fallen to this state?"

Zhou Yan gave a wry smile. "My master was originally a guest elder of the Luo Family. Because he refused to help them refine this evil formation, they crippled his cultivation and threw him into the black market to die."

"When I escaped, I only managed to bring this half-scroll of the Heavenly Evolution Array Compendium. Unfortunately, my comprehension is insufficient..." He rubbed the formation disk, hatred surging in his eyes.

"What if someone could complete the formation diagram?"

"Why would those powerful individuals pay attention to an unknown person like me..."

"Not necessarily." Lu Chen took out a jade token from his embrace—it was found in Lu Mingyuan's storage ring.

"At the wild ferry twenty li south of town, there's a ferrywoman who appears every day at the hour of the snake. Take this token and find her."

Zhou Yan's breathing suddenly quickened. "Brother, how did you know..."

"I've killed enough Luo family members; I'm bound to hear some secrets."

The wild ferry was overgrown with reeds, and in the morning mist, a small boat swayed gently with the waves.

The woman at the bow, clad in a straw cape and hat, was casting her fishing rod.

Zhou Yan clutched the jade token and stepped forward. Before he could speak, the fishing rod suddenly whipped out.

Whoosh!

The fishing line wrapped around the jade token and was pulled into the cabin.

The woman glanced at the token and sneered, "A token from an old Luo dog? Did you kill him?"

Zhou Yan braced himself and said, "This junior wishes to exchange it for the lower volume of the Heavenly Evolution Array Compendium."

"Oh?" The woman lifted her hat, revealing a face crisscrossed with scars. "You understand formations?"

Zhou Yan nodded. "I studied under Master Feng. It's hateful that the Luo Family is so despicable, they harmed..."

"You're Feng Cheng's disciple?" Yun Niang suddenly interrupted him.

Zhou Yan nodded.

"You're saying the Luo Family killed him?"

"Yes, the Luo Family was planning to set up the 'Nine Yin Gathering Malice Array' in the barren valley, and Master didn't agree. They crippled him, and I..."

"Despicable!" Yun Niang roared with anger and leaped ashore. "Lead the way. I will dismantle the Luo Family's tainted formation."

A howling, desolate wind swept through the barren valley. Lu Chen hid among the rock crevices, overlooking the altar at the bottom of the valley.

Nine bronze pillars were arranged in a circle, forming a formation. Chains were wrapped around the pillars, and at their ends were tied dozens of unconscious children.

Three black-robed demonic cultivators were inserting black banners into the formation's core. The leader suddenly looked up at the sky.

Whoosh!

A signal arrow pierced the air. A blasting talisman tied to the arrow's shaft exploded violently. Amidst the smoke and dust, Zhou Yan and Yun Niang darted rapidly into the formation.

"Attack!" Runes on Yun Niang's hand lit up, and ten formation flags shot out, embedding themselves in the open ground between the bronze pillars.

Formation patterns suddenly appeared on the ground, intertwining with the black light of the Nine Yin Gathering Malice Array.

The demonic cultivators roared, "What lowly insects dare to ruin the Holy Cult's grand plan!"

"We'll ask you after you turn to ash." A cold laugh came from overhead. Lu Chen swooped down like a falcon, his blood-colored saber energy surging, cleaving two bronze pillars in a single strike.

The formation was thrown into chaos, and the backlash surged backward. The three demonic cultivators' orifices bled, and they were instantly swallowed by the saber light.

Zhou Yan seized the opportunity to cut the chains, while Yun Niang took out a compass and guided all the residual spiritual energy of the formation into the earth's veins.

When the dust settled, Lu Chen picked up the storage bag of the demonic cultivator leader and found a jade slip.

"The Blood Spirit Sect, their reach is truly long!" Lu Chen sneered.

"Not so, it's King Yanbei colluding with them to rebel!" Yun Niang suddenly said.

Hiss...

Lu Chen gasped.

Has King Yanbei grown this ambitious?

"King Yanbei is power-hungry. Without his consent, the Blood Spirit Sect members would never appear in Yanbei!"

Yun Niang's expression grew grave as she spoke. "There's definitely more than one 'Nine Yin Gathering Malice Array'!"

As she spoke, she looked towards Cangwu City. "The Luo Family cannot be allowed to live."

Two wanted to seek revenge on the Luo Family, and one wanted to eliminate them for colluding with the Blood Spirit Sect. The three hit it off immediately.

Yun Niang clapped her hands, and soon a group of people appeared, taking away the children.

"They are locals. Leave them to us, and we will return them to their parents!"

"Who exactly are you?" Lu Chen suddenly asked Yun Niang.

Yun Niang smiled, "I won't be your enemy!"

Lu Chen looked her up and down, his eyes twitching slightly.

She had a slender figure, with curves that could be described as a devilish figure.

But her face...

It truly lived up to the saying: like a ghost from the front, a demon from the back!

The contrast was extreme.

"Miss Yun's disguise technique is quite exquisite," Lu Chen suddenly said.

Yun Niang's back stiffened. When she turned, her expression had changed to a half-smile, "Young Master Lu isn't hiding deeply either? And you're quite bold!"

Lu Chen narrowed his eyes.

He heard that he shouldn't be difficult, but recognizing him...

Suddenly, Yun Niang spun around, a cold glint from her sleeve shooting straight for Lu Chen's throat.

As if he had expected it, Lu Chen dodged to the side and, with a natural motion, grabbed her wrist and pulled.

Screech!

Half of her blackened face mask fell off, revealing smooth, jade-like skin underneath.

Zhou Yan stumbled to the ground with a thump, pointing at Yun Niang and stammering, "You, you..."

"Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!" Yun Niang hastily covered her right cheek with her left hand.

However, Lu Chen's iron-like grip didn't budge. Instead, he leaned closer to examine the old scar across her nose, "Is it a real injury or a fake one?"

Then he took a deep breath, "It's just the scent on you, it's truly intoxicating... cough!"

Caught off guard, Yun Niang slammed an elbow into his chest, nearly making him throw up the beast meat he'd eaten the night before.

"Do you want to die?" Yun Niang's eyes widened in anger. Her chest heaved, swaying so much that both men felt a little dizzy.

Lu Chen chuckled awkwardly.

What he had just said was indeed vulgar, even base.

Unbeknownst to him, Yun Niang's heart was pounding like a drum at that moment.

She truly hadn't expected this man to be so direct; it was the first time in her life.

Moreover, the aura around him was so scorching, as if it had touched a certain string in her heart.

"If there's a next time, you die!" Yun Niang snorted angrily and kicked a stone.

Crack!

"Ouch!"

Zhou Yan's forehead was hit, and a large lump formed.

"Damn it!" Zhou Yan was about to collapse.

Who did he offend?

That night, in a northern alley of Cangwu City.

Three cultivators in blood-red robes hurried along, carrying an iron cage. The sobbing of the child inside was muffled by a talisman, barely audible like a mosquito's buzz.

The leader suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. He looked back and saw the moonlight like frost, but there was no one there.

"Seeing ghosts..."

He spat and turned around. At that moment, a cold light descended from above his head!

Pfft!

The Soul Severing Saber cut through his protective spiritual light as easily as slicing tofu.

Before the other two could form hand seals, the Myriad Manifestations Furnace descended, reducing their flesh and blood to ashes in an instant.

Lu Chen flicked the blood off his saber, tilted the furnace, and pure energy flowed into his meridians.

"The third one," he glanced at the firelight to the south of the city, a slight smile playing on his lips.

For the past three days, the Luo Family seemed to have encountered a curse.

The grain warehouse in the east market inexplicably caught fire, the villa in the western suburbs was attacked, and even the three Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators sent by the Blood Spirit Sect had suddenly disappeared.

"It must be that brat surnamed Lu!"

In the main hall of the Luo Family mansion, the Luo Family patriarch smashed a purple table with his palm.

When the family's third elder went to capture Lu Chen earlier, his soul lamp had suddenly extinguished. He knew then that things had gone terribly wrong.

"Notify everyone, activate the clan protection formation!" the Luo Family patriarch roared like thunder.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Someone had already infiltrated the Luo Family.