Wildfire

The Imperial Guards rode horses for the first part of their journey to Zhongnan Mountain, but for the latter part they had to walk.

Even though these people were all skilled in martial arts and were traveling in groups, they still ended up looking somewhat disheveled after venturing into the deep mountains at night.

"Liu Quji, we're here!"

When Han Yan met the new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou at the foot of the mountain, he was clearly somewhat shocked.

Compared to Han Yan and the others' disheveled state as they traversed the deep mountains and forests, Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor were dressed too simply and neatly, just like everyone else when they were in Shanglin Garden.

"It's good that you're here. I've placed a luminous pearl over there. Use whatever firewood you have to start a big fire right there, but be careful not to let it spread!"

Apart from the location where Zhang Xuezhou initially discovered the secret site, the remaining three locations have already been visited by different teams.

These teams were moving at similar speeds, and the new emperor did not do anything in advance, but instead ordered all the Imperial Guards to maintain the same pace.

He gave the order, and Han Yan immediately shouted it out.

Zhang Xuezhou is unreliable, but his abilities often surprise people. Han Yan is slightly less capable, but he will carry out any orders given by the new emperor immediately.

The new emperor sometimes wished these two could complement each other.

"If only I hadn't sent Dongfang Shuo to guard the East Sima Gate of Yangling back then!"

The new emperor sometimes reflects on the arrangements made when he lacked official positions at the beginning of his reign.

If Zhang Xuezhou hadn't been dispatched to Sima Gate, he wouldn't have encountered the Zhu Jiuyin Zhang Xuezhou, Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't have needed to have his skull opened, and his physical ailments wouldn't be as absurd as they are now.

Putting everything else aside, as long as Zhang Xuezhou can operate the Imperial Shuttle during his work and rest periods, this is his most reliable right and left hand, someone he can practically be inseparable from for life.

"It's on fire!"

A hundred meters away in the forest, dry branches and leaves piled up, and a large fire shot into the sky.

The new emperor took the Imperial Shuttle and signaled Zhang Xuezhou to take people into the air.

"Hold on tight!"

Zhang Xuezhou didn't mince words either.

He took the shuttle and gave it a few words of advice.

But this time, the new emperor wasn't as assertive as before; instead, he obediently sat down, just like Zhang Xuezhou.

The shuttle ascended straight into the sky and began to drift through the night sky like a fish.

Compared to the rapid pace of their previous journeys, Zhang Xuezhou's navigation this time felt like sailing on water; the speed was not particularly fast, allowing for a clear view of what lay below.

In the darkness, Zhongnan Mountain lay prostrate below like a giant beast, with the flames burning in all directions resembling the red-stained fingernails on its limbs.

The flames in all directions were exactly as described in the array diagram; all that remained was to find the core of the array by comparing them.

Ordinary array masters still need to rely on compasses and other tools to travel through the mountains and forests and make constant calculations, but flying high in the sky allows them to have a clear view of the surroundings, and the firelight is especially bright in the dark night.

This also led the new emperor to constantly compare the battle formation diagrams to confirm his findings.

"It should be there. Come this way, this way, a little further, and then forward!"

The emperor's heart pounded as he simply gave instructions and they arrived at the designated location.

He took a luminous pearl from his sleeve and dropped it down.

The white light fell without causing any commotion, but it at least determined its location.

Next, the Imperial Guards conducted a thorough search and excavation of the area.

The task of locating the array's core was resolved so quickly that even the new emperor found it somewhat unbelievable, only realizing that the ability to fly was truly a remarkable skill.

Few emperors practice Technique Method, and while those who do possess many ingenious techniques, their on-the-spot reaction time is far inferior to that of martial artists.

For example, the fact that Chao Cuo, a cultivator at the True Self Realm, was no match for Lin Jie's single sword strike and died on the streets of Chang'an's imperial city serves as a lesson.

Technique Method focus on imitating and simulating various forces to unleash powerful abilities, while martial artists cultivate their own strength to minimize the risk of accidents.

None of the most capable generals in the army who excelled in killing were Technique Method; this was a lesson learned from real battles.

Compared to the physical disadvantages of skilled practitioners, the allure of the diverse and ingenious uses of Technique Method becomes less pronounced.

The new emperor enjoyed the wonders of Technique Method and admired those skilled in it, but he did not deny the path of cultivation he had chosen.

"Let's go down and set a fire to summon everyone to search!"

In the deep mountains at night, the best way to guide one's direction is by firelight, which is simpler and clearer than Zhang Xuezhou using the Sky Shuttle to communicate.

The location where the luminous pearl fell from the sky was the core of the formation. Zhang Xuezhou and the others did not go directly into the core of the formation, but moved to a certain position and descended through a gap in the trees.

The ground in these remote mountains is covered with a thick layer of dead branches and leaves, which can easily be piled up to start a large fire.

"The fire we started seems a bit too big!"

Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor piled up ignition materials as tall as a person, and the process of igniting the flames went extremely smoothly.

The two watched the towering flames with great satisfaction until a gust of wind swept by, and Zhang Xuezhou realized that something was wrong.

"Do you have a method to draw water?" the new emperor asked calmly, looking at the scattered wildfires.

"The Yin Yang Nine Heavens Sect I studied only excels in alchemy, medicine making, and formations," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Knew!"

Zhang Xuezhou knew nothing about the formations passed down by the Yin-Yang School. The new emperor could not rely on Zhang Xuezhou for anything more, and Zhang Xuezhou was not a Confucian School cultivator, so he did not have many different kinds of special skills.

He stomped around wildly, then chopped off a tree branch with his longsword and used it to sweep wildly.

Later, even half of the tree branches were burned off, and the new emperor had no choice but to give up.

Looking at the wildfires that had been ignited by the wind and waves, he felt that even a hundred more people couldn't put out the flames.

Cough cough cough!

Dust and smoke filled this deep mountain forest area, driving people further and further away.

"It's hopeless!"

Wildfires spread extremely quickly, and if they are not extinguished at the outset, they will be impossible to put out later.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou wanted to create a firebreak further away, he couldn't. A gentle breeze would cause the burning flames and sparks to scatter onto the dry branches and leaves, which would ignite a new wildfire.

Five groups of people were tending the fire, but only their group encountered a problem.

If there's any benefit to this wildfire, it's probably that the new emperor's notification was very effective, with a hundred Imperial Guards currently heading in this direction.

"It doesn't look like it's going to rain!"

Dozens of meters away from the fire, the new emperor, his face blackened by smoke, looked at the sky and thought that it was unlikely to rain in the next two days.

Looking at the layer of dead branches and leaves he was trampling on, he felt that the wildfire could spread very far, and if the wind blew it slightly off course, it might even spread to Shanglin Garden.

If the secret location isn't found and instead the Shanglin Garden is burned down, the new emperor feels he'll suffer a great deal of liver pain.

"Emperor Gaozu always cursed Xiang Yu for being a scoundrel who recklessly burned everything, directly burning down the capital of the Qin Dynasty, Xianyang. It seems that Xiang Yu may not have intended to burn so much; rather, once the fire was lit, he had no choice in the matter!"

It wasn't until he lit the fire himself that the new emperor realized how troublesome it was.

These remote, untouched forests are flammable and once ignited, the wildfires are completely unstoppable.

The new emperor looked at the approaching wildfire with a headache. He watched Zhang Xuezhou retreating beside him and followed him for a few steps before suddenly remembering a possible solution to put out the fire.