Wait a minute, where is my master?

Near Gusu City, deep underground.

Hall Master Zou received a message from a spy, knowing that the Taoist had left the city. He vanished into the underground, ready to unveil the fangs of a plan that had been prepared for decades.

Meanwhile, Hall Master Xia reported this news to the Demon Sect's Third Elder in distant Shangjing City, simultaneously activating a device left at Five Dragon Mountain.

...

The forest canopy blocked the sky, and the sound of cicadas filled the air.

Five Dragon Mountain, on the outskirts.

Jin Xu stared at the flying boat beside him, which had begun to emit plumes of black smoke, and he found himself questioning his life choices.

Zhao Dabao had told him that with this flying artifact, it wouldn't take even the time of one incense stick to fly from Gusu City here.

Indeed, he hadn't taken even the time of one cup of tea to fly here.

But he hadn't mentioned that the thing was single-use.

Had he perhaps injected too much spiritual power, breaking the flying boat?

The Taoist furrowed his brow in resignation, accepting that he might have to run back to Gusu City soon, and then released his spiritual sense to envelop the entirety of Five Dragon Mountain.

"Zhao Qian…is here!"

Shortly, Jin Xu pinpointed Zhao Qian's location, which seemed to be in a cave. He dashed headlong into the dense forest.

Quickly save the person, then rush back to Gusu City.

...

Gusu City.

After seeing off Jin Xu outside the city, everyone returned.

Li Mi had to return to his watch station to send out the cultivators who had returned to the city because of newfound clues and assign them to continue the search.

The families of Zhao, Liu, and Li each went their separate ways.

Xia Yunzhao was pulled along by Yu Yaoer and Little White, intending to explore the city center.

However!

Just as they had stepped through the city gate, the City Protection Array of Gusu City activated without warning, enveloping the entire city in a spiritual power light shield.

"What's going on?"

Li Mi looked towards Zhou Fengyu. The City Protection Array hadn't been attacked from the outside, so how could it have risen without any control?

The Great Commander Zhou Fengyu was also bewildered at the time. The City Protection Array could only be used by three main officers within the city, and no one else had the authority to operate it.

"It's not the City Lord, I just communicated with them, and the City Lord is still in seclusion."

The commander of the city guard explained, while trying to breach the formation, but found that they could no longer leave.

The City Protection Array had trapped everyone inside Gusu City in reverse.

If it wasn't the City Lord or himself, then… Officer Lin?!

This man's presence was so low that they hadn't noticed when he disappeared.

Li Mi thought carefully and realized that when they had left the city to escort the Taoist, this man hadn't followed.

"There's a Demon Sect spy in the city, beware, everyone!"

After saying this, he tried to mobilize his part of the formation authority, but the City Protection Array of Gusu City didn't budge, clearly showing that the formation had been tampered with.

Yu Yaoer, overhearing this, took out a Deceiving Heaven Cloth, putting it over herself and Little White. After a moment's consideration, she also pulled Xia Yunzhao inside.

She then crushed a green pearl, and the three women disappeared to another unknown location.

In the void, space began to ripple, and a figure struggled to pass through—it was Xia Sunyang, who was proficient in the art of space.

"The space inside the city is being gradually locked down. I almost couldn't make it," he explained.

Since flying was forbidden in the city, he had no choice but to traverse through the art of space.

"How's the situation at the station?"

Seeing the other party suddenly appear, Li Mi asked.

"I just found out that the array was activated and immediately informed the Suhan Sanmi. They have already set up the Three Talents Formation of Heaven, Earth, and Man at the station. It's still safe for now. By the way, where is the Seventh Princess?"

"The Seventh Princess is at..."

Huh?

Where is the princess again, lost?

Li Mi had always thought that Xia Yunzhao was right behind him. When he turned around, he found that she had disappeared again.

Fortunately, the two demon pets that were with Taoist Jin Xu were also missing—it seems Jin Xu had left some emergency measures for them.

Mr. Li reasoned.

"The Seventh Princess should be safe. Let's return to the station first to see what the other side's purpose is in controlling the City Protection Array."

"What about... could someone please tend to me?"

Zhao Dabao spoke weakly, as he had been walking at the back, watching Yu Yaoer and two other women disappear. After discovering that the array blocked their path, the heads of the Liu and Li families hurried back to their clan lands.

As the only ordinary person, without Zhao Qian by his side, this moment felt very helpless to Fatty Zhao.

"I should have gone to Five Dragon Mountain with Taoist Jin Xu! He recalled those secure times on Lezi Mountain."

"Hall Master Xia, please take care of him, this man is closely related to Taoist Jin Xu, we must protect him well," Li Mi said.

Xia Sunyang nodded in agreement. He had also heard of Jin Xu's terrifying power and had noted that the Seventh Princess seemed to have taken an interest in the young Taoist.

Since a friend of the young Taoist was a friend of their princess, he felt it only right to protect him.

Not daring to teleport in space for fear Zhao Dabao's ordinary body couldn't cope, he created a light shield with spiritual power and enveloped him within it, heading towards the watchman's station.

As for Li Mi, he went ahead to see if he could regain control of the City Protection Array.

Zhou Fengyu went straight to the City Lord Mansion, trying to awaken the City Lord who had been in closed-door breakthrough for a long time and also ordered the city to enter a wartime state. If anyone took advantage of the situation to commit evil, the city guards were authorized to kill them on sight.

While several people acted separately, in the old mansion of the Zheng family, Hall Master Zhou relentlessly cast spells at the Transformation Pond in front of him.

"The array control is good, right? Once this Transformation Pond is completely unsealed, we must immediately leave the city, otherwise, we'll end up buried here as fertilizers for this entire city," the voice, like two pieces of dry bark rubbing against each other, sounded.

"Don't worry, the token is in my hand, and with the techniques passed down by the Third Elder, they can't turn the tables. After being subordinates in this city for decades, today we are finally free," the man standing with him lightly shook the token in his hand, his face wearing a mocking expression.

This person was none other than Officer Lin, who had previously been so angered by the head of the Li family that his face turned red.

...

In the high skies.

On top of a fiery red flying sword.

Stood a larger version of Fatty Zhao, who was Zhao's father, having left the city for several days.

In his early years, he had studied under the Blazing Sun Sword Sect and after finishing his learning, returned home but never cut ties with his sect. The forging and spiritual mineral business that Zhao's family primarily dealt with was intricately linked with them.

So, after learning that his son was the once-in-a-millennium Ice and Fire Dual Spirit Roots, he went back to his sect to beg his teacher for help.

After much persistence and offering some resources, he finally secured an opportunity for Zhao Dabao, despite his older age of over twenty, to join the Blazing Sun Sword Sect.

Additionally, Zhao's father's master also promised to help his son undergo the Wash Essence and Marrow and possibly help Zhao Dabao to reach Foundation Establishment.

With that, he embarked contentedly on his return journey.

However, during his time away, he communicated daily with Zhao Qian through a Jade Talisman and knew about the troubles caused by the Demon Sect in Gusu City.

Adding to his anxiety, Uncle Qian hadn't responded to his communication Jade Talisman this morning, so his worries intensified.

"Nothing must go wrong, absolutely nothing!"