Divine Plan, Nine Deaths and Another Tribulation

Under the shattering array wheel, hundreds of white-clothed individuals who acted as the array's eyes suffered the backlash from the Saint Stage Divine Array.

Each person vomited blood as their spiritual essence was drained by the minuscule spiders, only to be swallowed, reproduced, and quickly consumed once more. Xiang Yaoyao remained immobilized, bound by the weapon prohibition order, rendered as a mere spectator. Her attempts to break free from the 'little spider array' would be futile; any contact with the intricate textile patterns would devour her spiritual essence, leaving her weakened and paralyzed.

Amidst the chaos, besides the white-clothed victims, the incapacitated Aunt Xiang, and the corpses littering the ground, a forgotten presence lingered—Ghostface of the Ghost God Gang!

As one of the inheritors of ancient martial arts, Ghostface had previously unleashed the Eight Doors and Seven Constellations, narrowly escaping death at the hands of Dao Qiongcang, who spared him for the sake of the six divisions.

Now that the Hundred World spiritual array had shattered and the restrictions were lifted, Dao Qiongcang had neglected to reapply the weapon prohibition order on him. It would have been ineffectual against an ancient martial artist even if it had been in place.

With Quan Sanqing's appearance diverting Dao Qiongcang's attention, Ghostface seized his opportunity. As the thunder calamity descended, Dao Qiongcang focused on Quan Sanqing, leaving a critical opening.

Without hesitation, Ghostface activated his final trump card.

"Beast Path, Ghostface Eagle!"

A black-light enveloped the burly old man as feathers sprouted across his body. Transforming into an eagle, Ghostface took flight with impressive speed, despite his incomplete mastery of the Beast Path technique. Unlike Wang Dachui, who had only a fragmented grasp of the technique, Ghostface's Beast Path had been imparted by his Big Brother The Divine, though his limited aptitude meant he could not fully master it.

The incomplete technique, though less potent, was still a formidable asset. Ghostface's transformation was nearly complete, and he soared through the air, carrying Aunt Xiang and Quan Sanqing with him.

"Screech!"

The eagle's cry pierced the sky as Ghostface moved swiftly. Though thunder roared in pursuit, it was no match for the speed of the Six Paths. The sky was filled with a red tint as Ghostface maneuvered through the chaos, exhilarated by the unexpected success of his plan.

However, his triumph was short-lived. Dao Qiongcang remained unmoved, a faint smile on his lips. With a slow and deliberate motion, he pinched the second section of his middle finger with his thumb, causing the golden light to wane.

"He is the miracle. This is such a disappointment…"

Dao Qiongcang's voice resonated with an echo of ancient power. "As expected, you know the Six Paths well and are adept at hiding."

The ancient text of the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree illuminated the sky with its decadent Saint Language.

"The Way of the Heavens is slow, and the myriad phenomena have retreated."

"The current situation is uncertain. Heaven's will is on its side."

The ancient characters under the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree transformed into one word:

"Return!"

The Ghostface Eagle, burdened with Aunt Xiang and Quan Sanqing, had already breached the Southern Zone gate and soared into the sky. Suddenly, the cosmic energy and starlight converged, manifesting the Divine Path Principles. They seized the eagle's neck as if it were reins, forcefully pulling it back.

"Screech!"

The Ghostface Eagle screeched in agony as the world seemed to retreat. Despite having left the city, the eagle found itself inexplicably drawn back. The scene shifted, and Ghostface, now back on the ground, was left stunned.

In the distance, Aunt Xiang remained in shock, while Quan Sanqing faced his third Nine Death Thunder Calamity. Ghostface, bewildered by his own predicament, could only watch in dismay as his efforts had come to naught.

The power of the word 'return' in the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree had undone everything.

"Run!"

"Why are you standing there? Hurry up and run… Damn it, run forward, not back!"

Quan Sanqing's desperate shout echoed from below, and Ghostface, momentarily disoriented, looked down to see Aunt Xiang and Quan Sanqing still under his claws. The chaos of the battlefield had returned, with the white-clothed people still suffering and Dao Qiongcang observing with a faint smile.

He had left the city, but the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree held him in place, forcing him to move back toward the city he had just escaped.

"Beast Path?"

Behind him, Hallmaster Dao's mocking voice echoed.

"Compared to The Divine, the difference is like the chasm between the heavens and the earth."

"Your martial philosophy is outdated, stuck in the past for decades. Have you never encountered the Divine Secret?"

"I, on the other hand, know how to handle practitioners of ancient martial arts like you. You are all brash and lack strategy. You can't even see through the simplest illusion of the Way of the Heavens."

After a pause, Dao Qiongcang appeared in front of the Ghostface Eagle and adjusted the star dipper on the divine Sinan.

Greater Teleportation Technique!

An eagle, an elder, and a piece of meat had just flashed out of the city gate when they were instantly transported back inside.

At the same time, the cultivators of Jade Capital City who had witnessed the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree were dumbfounded.

"Hmm? What are we doing here?"

"Wasn't I heading back? Why am I here?"

"Strange, strange. Why am I in the air? If my wife finds out, she'll make me regret it… I'd better hurry home!"

All the cultivators who had intended to rush to the battlefield were bewildered and scattered like frightened birds.

Outside Jade Capital City, amidst the dense forest, Zhu Yike observed the effects of the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree and knew something was wrong.

Just as he was about to turn and retreat, a black ghost-faced eagle emerged from the Southern Zone gate, catching his eye.

One of the figures being carried by the eagle was his target…

"Aunt Xiang!"

Zhu Yike's eyes brightened, and the power of the stars surged within him.

He inserted his left hand into the Path of Principles and threw the stone in his right hand. Then, he took a step forward.

And then…

He took a step back.

"Eh, what am I doing here…"

"The ancestral restrictions haven't been lifted yet. Am I not in the Southern Region?"

He instinctively tried to leave the forest and return to his old domain in the Southern Region.

At that moment, the faint aura of ancestral power on his body trembled. As Zhu Yike regained his senses, Li Fugui's command forcefully entered his mind.

"You, stay outside the city and prepare to receive Aunt Xiang."

Zhu Yike was startled. He remembered everything and quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again.

As expected, the shadow form on the ground revealed the black silhouette that was supposed to be in the main bureau of the city.

Dao Qiongcang had left the city!

His Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree wielded the power of guidance. How was this possible?

Zhu Yike remained stunned for a long time.

He felt he had stumbled upon a momentous secret.

Soon, he shook his head.

"Impossible. That could not have been his Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree. It must have come from the Holy Emperor…"

His thoughts came to a halt.

Zhu Yike was not foolish.

He quickly pondered another contradictory question.

If he had borrowed the power of the Holy Emperor, he should have received the Holy Emperor's Golden Edict. How could it be the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree?

"This is bad!"

At the Southern Zone gate, on the osmanthus carriage.

Li Fugui, still appearing as the coachman Old Man Li, leaned against the carriage, pretending to be asleep.

He held a special small blackboard in his hand.

On the blackboard, special symbols that resembled wriggling earthworms appeared intermittently.

"Quan Sanqing has failed. Under the Great Confinement Technique, he cannot use his spiritual source…"

"Ghostface unexpectedly broke out and activated half of the Beast Path. He carried Aunt Xiang and Quan Sanqing out of the city…"

"Hallmaster Dao used the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree and the three of them returned to the city…"

One message after another appeared. The more he read, the more silent Li Fugui became.

As an intelligence officer, it was naturally impossible for him to enter the battlefield personally.

His value lay in being alive and hidden, far surpassing any direct participation in the battle. Even though Aunt Xiang had saved him, his identity had been exposed.

Aunt Xiang had already surfaced, but Li Fugui was still concealed in the shadows.

He was Lord Li!

Gouzi was his death warrior!

Since entering the battlefield was nearly impossible, Li Fugui could not observe it with his own eyes or spiritual senses.

He knew well the terror of the Divine Sorcerer's reverse spying technique and had warned Zhu Yike about it.

Thus, he had to use other methods to observe the battle.

With the communication board in his hand, he addressed this challenge.

It utilized the coach drivers on every street to transmit battlefield information in encrypted text promptly.

Even if the coach drivers were captured and the Holy Divine Palace managed to decode the text, they would not be able to trace it back to Li Fugui.

On the surface, the communication board was connected to Horse Face.

The coachmen's boss, Horse Face, was Gouzi, who was in the midst of the battle.

Ultimately, the clues were all in the bureau, and outsiders left no trace.

Li Fugui was very shrewd. Otherwise, he would not have survived so long in the intelligence industry.

Even if Dao Qiongcang managed to decipher all the information, he would be perplexed for a while before realizing that he had found nothing.

"Oh no, this is really bad. I didn't underestimate Elder Dao the Flamboyant, but I overestimated you all…"

This statement of 'It's bad' did not come from Li Fugui. Instead, it came from Jin Ren, who was incessantly complaining through telepathic communication.

"Lord Shou, are you worried they will fail?" Li Fugui continued to feign sleep.

"Elder Dao the Flamboyant is too astute. He has many strategies and will block them as they come. Even with Gouzi and Ghostface, they are no match for him… Unless he lifted Aunt Xiang's weapon prohibition order and summoned The Divine. However, this is obviously impossible. He has already blocked all the escape routes…"

Jin Ren was so anxious that he wanted to intervene himself.

Among the Ten High Nobles, only the Ten High Nobles and himself could contend!

When he read those words, he felt that Li Fugui's subordinates lacked everything.

If he sought the Divine Secret, they didn't know how to use it. If he desired ancient martial arts, they only possessed half the knowledge. If he wanted Spiritual Cultivation, they could even be sealed after transcending a tribulation.

This made him, who had a semi obsessive-compulsive disorder, feel extremely uncomfortable. He nearly left the Apricot Realm in his true form, ready to confront and suppress Dao Qiongcang personally.

"Even small people have their own way of surviving," Li Fugui said calmly. After all, he had long become accustomed to hardship. "Lord Shou, do you not have faith in Gouzi and the others?"

"I trust no one," Xu Xiaoshou replied coldly.

"Then does Lord Shou place his faith in power and wealth?" Li Fugui asked cautiously.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression remained unchanged. "Someone once told me, never trust anyone," he said after a moment's thought.

Li Fugui nodded, though inwardly he disagreed. Gouzi and the others were still fighting desperately in the Southern Zone. But he wisely chose to remain silent, knowing that Xu Xiaoshou's words carried deeper meaning, though unspoken.

The osmanthus-scented carriage rattled on, messages from the communication board flickering like ghostly whispers, but the atmosphere remained heavy and still.

In the Apricot Realm, Xu Xiaoshou's eyes suddenly snapped open. He turned to the Cat Spirit, Greedy.

"Refine me!" he commanded. "Use any of the holy medicines you need!"

Greedy the Cat Spirit hesitated for only a moment before its eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Meow!" It replied with glee.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield near the Southern Zone gate, the battle reached its climax.

Their last hope now lay with Ghostface.

Once the moment was ripe, Dao Qiongcang, with his skillful manipulation of the Demi-Saint's Mysterious Decree, would strike. He was always so adept at countering the ancient martial cultivators.

As Ghostface Eagle carried Aunt Xiang and Quan Sanqing back towards the Southern Zone gate, the hearts of the Saint Servants sank.

In the original Hundred World spiritual array, the white-robed cultivators, who had regained their spiritual energy and escaped from the spider array using the Great Stripping Technique, were euphoric.

Hallmaster Dao was indeed omnipotent!

"Boom…!"

A deafening roar echoed as the Nine Death Thunder Calamity descended from the heavens, as expected.

"Activate the Capital's Great Array!" Dao Qiongcang's eyes shone with divine light. He raised the divine Sinan in his hand, channeling immense power.

"Not good!" Quan Sanqing cried out. "Quick, break my ring!"

With his spiritual source sealed, Quan Sanqing couldn't even activate his spatial ring. He frantically reached his hand out from beneath the sharp talons of the Ghostface Eagle.

The Ghostface Eagle, unsure of the situation, responded quickly. Its claws snapped down.

With a sharp crack, the spatial ring shattered, releasing a torrent of treasures into the air.

Quan Sanqing's left hand delved into the fat folds of his belly, retrieving an array wheel, which he immediately hurled into the sky. His right hand darted forward, snatching up a black pill that had erupted from the ring's destruction.

"Heh." Dao Qiongcang chuckled softly.

The great array had not been activated at all.

What Dao Qiongcang had unleashed was the Greater Teleportation Technique!

Realizing that the array wheel was likely Xu Xiaoshou's creation, Dao Qiongcang had not only neutralized the Hundred World spiritual array, but had accounted for the Capital's Great Array as well.

Naturally, Quan Sanqing possessed a second array wheel.

The first was shattered beyond study, but the second… that was an opportunity.

As the array wheel sailed through the air, Dao Qiongcang's sharp eyes observed the squirming nature of the Divine Path Principles etched onto it. He immediately recognized it as Xu Xiaoshou's handiwork. Without hesitation, Dao Qiongcang seized the array wheel, sealing it for later study.

Both Dao Qiongcang and Quan Sanqing exchanged knowing looks.

They were both intelligent men, each aware of the other's plans. Quan Sanqing made his move decisively.

He would barter for her life.

"I am curious," Dao Qiongcang said with a sly smile. "What is that elixir you're so desperate to take, even after discarding the array wheel?"

As Quan Sanqing swallowed the black pill, Dao Qiongcang did not stop him. He was patient, willing to let this play out.

Variables—Dao Qiongcang didn't hate them. In fact, he enjoyed them. They allowed him to grow.

Of course, once he understood a variable, he preferred to eliminate it, ensuring his growth was never hindered.

"Boom!"

Another saint-level thunderbolt struck the Ghostface Eagle, causing it to screech in agony. For a moment, it nearly lost its grip on the cumbersome, portly Quan Sanqing.

As the pill entered Quan Sanqing's body, the Nine Death Thunder Calamity above shifted. Dark clouds churned, and an ominous aura filled the air.

Quan Sanqing exhaled slowly, a wild gleam in his eyes. He turned to face Dao Qiongcang and, with a crazed grin, declared, "Violent Saint Breakthrough Pill!"