Breaking the First Formation

In the imperial system that has lasted for thousands of years, humans and demons are irreconcilable, and under the Demon-Revealing Mirror, no demon can deceive the court.

This is a lesson learned from the fall of the once mighty Shang Dynasty, a time when the world was unified under one rule.

Only powerful demons bestowed with imperial decrees were able to evade punishment and thus live near Chang'an City.

What Ao Li, what Pi Lan, if they were to be found near Chang'an City, they would be nothing more than a wisp of a dead soul under the Demon-Revealing Mirror.

Even powerful demons like Zhu Jiuyin and Nine Spirits Primal Sage were wary of the Demon-Revealing Mirror, and after arriving in Chang'an City, they could only rely on their stealth and mobility to quickly resolve the situation.

Pilan originated from the Kunlun Sacred Land. Although he was a bit talkative, as a fellow member of the Kunlun Sacred Land, Zhang Xuezhou did not want to see Pilan suffer hardship or even die nearby.

He tried to get close to the new emperor, and even managed to get a name for the little chicken demon.

"Go back up in the big tree and wait for us. We'll definitely send you a cartload of herbs in the next couple of days, and then send some pastries to Sichen in a couple more days!"

The sky darkened, leaving only the moonlight to illuminate the earth.

The new emperor's gaze swept towards Zhongnan Mountain. So much time had passed, and they had only accomplished half of their important task.

After dismissing Bilan, they would set off for Zhongnan Mountain to complete the remaining search.

Regardless of whether the search would lead to the secret location or what risks it might pose, he needed to investigate before deciding on his next step.

"Hey, you guys better come! Don't abandon us like Ao Li did!"

"Definitely!"

"Rest assured!"

The mentally unstable Pilan finally decided to trust the men one more time. Before flying away, she was reluctant to leave and gave them some words of advice with a hint of anxiety.

Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor repeatedly assured him, and only then did Pilan roll up his feathered robe and leap into the night sky.

"That woman is a gossipy old lady; only believe half of what she says, anything more is unreliable!"

After exchanging glances, Zhang Xuezhou spoke first.

Zhang Xuezhou and Bi Lan didn't interact much, and there wasn't much gossip between them, but Zhang Xuezhou was also afraid that Bi Lan would exaggerate.

He took the initiative to prevent the new emperor from having any unfounded thoughts.

"How do you know her?" the new emperor asked with interest.

"We lived outside the city for a while before, and even ventured deep into Mount Li," Zhang Xuezhou said. "At that time, she hadn't had children yet, and she liked to disguise herself as a woman and wander around. But the appearance of a beautiful woman in the deep mountains and forests was obviously suspicious!"

"That's right!"

Zhang Xuezhou made a casual remark, and the new emperor nodded repeatedly, which made Zhang Xuezhou immediately conclude that Bilan, that gossipy fellow, really hadn't said much about anything related to him.

It's satisfying to hear other people's private matters from Pilan, but it's undoubtedly unpleasant to have them spread by Pilan.

Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to mention Bilan's tendency to be both agile and talkative, urging the new emperor to be careful when interacting with Bilan, lest the benefits he gained outweigh the trouble caused by leaking secrets.

For example, the fact that Zhang Xuezhou piloted the Imperial Shuttle to carry people on long-distance flights is neither a big deal nor a small one. If the new emperor wanted to rely on him to travel long distances and caused some trouble, such news would be a traceable clue if it were leaked.

He gave two instructions, which the new emperor immediately understood, realizing that Pilan was a double-edged sword.

"Where is that Dragon King?"

"He's lost a lot of Essence Blood and needs rest to recover. We won't see him for the next few days!"

Zhang Xuezhou thought about Ao Li, who was lying flat in the Gaoyou Water Palace.

If it weren't for things like alchemy and medicine making, Zhang Xuezhou thought it wouldn't be surprising if Ao Li stayed in Jiangdu for a year or two.

In other words, Ao Li has a high demand for elixirs that replenish Qi and Blood and enhance virility, and he will not return for two or three days after adjusting.

After chatting with the new emperor, and mentioning the thrilling battle that determined the outcome, the two sat on the Imperial Shuttle and seemed to be having a good time.

"Liu Quji?"

"Dongfang Shuo, are you still alive?"

When the Imperial Shuttle descended upon Zhongnan Mountain, torches illuminated the entire mountain, and numerous Imperial Guards were constantly digging at the mud mounds formed by landslides.

Han Yanhu's voice was extremely hoarse, and he was constantly cursing and swearing. Wuqiu Shouwang, the commander of the Imperial Guards, had a grim face and kept ordering the Imperial Guards to use all means to find the person.

A fire ignited the deep mountains and forests, and a torrential downpour washed away the areas burned by the flames.

The embers, mud, water, and remaining trees mixed together and landslided, eventually forming a new mudslide in the mountains, which buried everything.

Digging a mountain is no easy task. Wuqiu Shouwang repeatedly wanted to give up, since no one could survive if they fell into such a mudslide. However, Han Yan, who was delivering the order, was shouting and cursing like a madman, and even threatened to kill his entire family.

Unable to determine the background of Liu Quji and his men, Wuqiu Shouwang had no choice but to grit his teeth and get to work.

"No need to dig anymore, come over here!"

In the muddy mountains, a drifting sound came from afar, causing Wuqiu Shouwang's heart to skip a beat, while Han Yan, who had been cursing, suddenly turned rosy-cheeked.

"Liu Quji and the others are high up in the mountains!"

Han Yan called out in a hoarse voice, then, holding a torch, began to climb the mountain with all his might.

"Walk!"

Wuqiu Shouwang clapped his hands, gave a brief order, and then his Imperial Guard, also dragging their weary bodies, began their ascent up the mountain.

The sound seemed somewhat ethereal, but high up in the mountains, a luminous pearl shone brightly.

After searching for a long time without success, King Wuqiu Shou never expected that the people were still at the original place where they had first gathered.

"This place is so eerie, what secrets does it hold?"

If you don't understand the profound principles, you'll find yourself completely isolated from others in the field.

Although I had heard some insights, the reality was quite different when I actually faced it.

Wuqiu Shouwang was destined to find it difficult to understand the mysteries of Zhongnan Mountain.

When he led his many Imperial Guards, panting, to the meeting point, he saw Commander Liu Quji, dressed in formal attire, standing at the highest point of the landslide, constantly gesturing and measuring. Another official named Dongfang Shuo was wandering around, occasionally exchanging a few words with Han Yan.

"It's a pity you didn't seize the opportunity when the white light appeared to investigate!"

When Zhang Xuezhou and others returned to Jinghe after extinguishing the fire, a white light appeared on the horizon.

Even if Zhang Xuezhou used his Technique Within the Clouds, he still couldn't get back to Zhongnan Mountain, let alone with the new emperor on board.

They watched the white light appear from a distance, but they couldn't investigate it or pinpoint its exact location, so they had no choice but to ask Han Yan and the others.

Upon learning that the white light was covering the location of the array's core determined by the new emperor, Zhang Xuezhou couldn't help but feel a little regretful.

The formation appeared to have been created due to a landslide, but it also seems to have been moved or locked down.

The secret place is another dimension, and no matter how much everyone digs in Zhongnan Mountain, it's useless.

No one seized the opportunity at that time, and it was almost impossible to enter the secret area to dispel the second layer of the formation. They could only wait for another chance.

This is also why Zhang Xuezhou wandered around looking around.

Although the new emperor was somewhat unwilling, he had no choice but to temporarily give up after all the busy work.

The group did gain something from the experience. Zhang Xuezhou felt that the new emperor had at least confirmed that the outer perimeter of this secret place was indeed a four-gate protective formation.

If an opportunity arises, stepping through this key point of the formation will allow one to rush into the secret realm and then encounter the second formation.

Once the second array is broken, the secret realm will surely be under our control.