Citywide Deathly Silence, Buddhist Formation
The Star Skiff streaked across the sky at an incredible speed.
Throughout the journey, Baiyue maintained proper manners, occasionally exchanging a few words with Ye Li, subtly introducing the various benefits of the Shiguang Academy and the Main Hall's courteous treatment of scholars.
Ye Li mostly listened, occasionally responding with a word or two, but his gaze was always fixed on the direction of Luoxia City.
As the distance continues to close.
The composure and elegance that Baiyue held for Princess Ling'an was gradually replaced by a subtle, almost imperceptible doubt.
It's too quiet.
The vast Luoxia City, which should have been a bustling border town within the prefecture, now appeared utterly desolate when viewed from above.
There was no smoke from cooking fires, no human voices, and even the calls of birds and beasts had disappeared.
The vast city sits on the earth, yet it gives people an indescribable sense of oppression, as lonely as a dead city that has never been inhabited for thousands of years, with no trace of the city's interior.
Even though the Star Skiff had arrived close to the city wall, there was no sign that the defensive Array Formation had been activated.
There was no other way but to land outside the city gate first.
After Chen Chuan and the other Yao Xuan Envoy briefly examined the area, their expressions immediately turned grim, filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"My lord," Chen Chuan returned, his voice somewhat hoarse as he addressed Ye Li:
"We still can't get in touch with that Luoxia Captain. Several Array Formation isolate the inside from the outside, so we can't investigate the situation inside."
Baiyue frowned slightly, the doubt in her heart beginning to grow.
"Open the door," Ye Li said succinctly.
Chen Chuan immediately led his men forward to attempt to disarm the city gate Array Formation.
However, the city defense Array Formation that originally belonged to the Nine Luminaries Division had become exceptionally strong. As Chen Chuan and his group attempted to forcefully break through it, a cold and imposing Buddhist aura, unlike anything from Dragon Pool County, rushed towards them!
"This... this isn't the Nine Luminaries Division's Array Formation!" Chen Chuan exclaimed in astonishment.
Ye Li's eyes flashed, and he immediately stepped forward.
Without a sound, an overwhelming surge of blood energy emanated from his body, moving even the well-informed Baiyue. He watched as his robes fluttered and he unleashed a powerful punch at the tightly closed city gate!
Boom!!!
Amidst the deafening roar, the entire city's foundations trembled violently!
The sturdy isolation Array Formation, along with the heavy city gate, shattered like fragile Liuli under the impact of the violent blood energy, turning into dust everywhere!
At the same time.
A thick, viscous stench of blood, like a burst dam, surged forth from the wide-open city gates!
Caught off guard, Baiyue was hit by the pungent, nauseating odor. Her elegant demeanor instantly froze, her face turned pale, and she instinctively covered her mouth and nose with her hand, her eyes filled with horror.
Such intense bloodlust... just how many people have died here?!
Only now could everyone fully see the sights of the city.
Upon seeing the scene before them, even Chen Chuan and the others, who were used to seeing battles, were instantly struck as if by lightning, their blood seemingly freezing in their veins!
The streets were deserted.
No, it's not empty!
Large patches of dark red and black blood were splattered everywhere—on the ground, on the walls, under the eaves—like the most clumsy and terrifying ink painting!
The bloodstains, not yet completely dry, gleamed eerily against the gloomy sky.
The houses on both sides of the street had mostly broken doors and windows, as if they had been torn apart from the inside by a tremendous force, and the people who used to live there had long since disappeared.
The entire city was deathly silent.
Only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the broken eaves and walls, and the terrifying, bloodthirsty aura that filled the air.
Baiyue felt a churning in her stomach, and a strong sense of nausea and indescribable fear instantly overwhelmed her.
All the people of Dasheng in Luoxia City are dead?!
Thinking of this, she could no longer maintain the elegance of a palace Maid. Her delicate face was slightly distorted with extreme horror, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably!
"This... this..." Lin Huaijin's face was ashen, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word. He was overwhelmed by immense fear and a sense of dereliction of duty as the prefect.
Chen Chuan and the others stood there dumbfounded, having never seen anything like it before, their minds completely blank.
"..."
Ye Li stood at the very front, his dark robes standing out starkly against the desolate street.
His calm gaze swept across the desolate and silent Luoxia City, finally settling on the direction of the once-thriving Buddhist temple in the city center.
There, a majestic, righteous, and compassionate Buddhist aura was emanating unrestrainedly.
This aura was unusually vast, possessing a powerful pressure far exceeding that of an ordinary domain lord. It seems that the rumors of him being able to fight against a Venerable are indeed quite credible.
There's nothing to hesitate about anymore.
Ye Li composed himself and strode toward the Buddhist temple, his figure flashing by with incredible speed, as if shrinking the distance between them.
A tremendous tremor came from the direction of the city gate—
Inside the Buddhist temple, a young monk dressed in bright red blood-stained robes, with an incredibly eerie appearance, finally revealed a genuine smile.
Finally... they've arrived.
Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult. With the governor of this prefecture preoccupied, all that was needed was to create enough turmoil in the Longtan Grand Commandery to attract the attention of this rising star's close Retainer General.
However, the Fang Ming more diligent than he had expected. He had thought he would have to kill a few of the Yao Xuan Envoy came to investigate first.
I didn't expect to run into the person in question right away.
"This humble monk is truly lucky."
The red-robed monk, his voice tinged with amusement, casually spoke to the trembling middle-aged man across the chessboard:
"Of course, your luck... isn't too bad either."
Even if this humble monk uses Buddhist Treasure to isolate you from the world, someone will still come to save you soon. I just don't know if he will be able to get what he wants.
As he spoke, he placed the last black piece.
On the chessboard, the black pieces are like dragons, while the white pieces are all black.
The outcome is decided.