Chapter 155 - 154: Ruins

East City Gate.

Gu Xiu stood in mid-air.

In front of him was the blood-red pillar.

His hands changed continuously, and Murran shouted loudly, "Activate the array!"

Instantly,

Red light was emitted simultaneously from the tops of four pillars in the direction of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower of Celestial Water Commandery.

Suddenly, the entire Celestial Water Commandery was enveloped in an array.

"It’s done!"

Gu Xiu gazed coldly at Celestial Water Commandery.

...

"This....."

Chen Xuan saw this scene, and his heart skipped a beat inexplicably.

"Could it be that the blood-red porcelain bottle is the key to the Nine Dust Blood Refining Array?"

Though uncertain, his intuition told him this was indeed the case.

More importantly, he could no longer sense anything within Celestial Water Commandery. Although it was right before him, his spiritual power couldn’t detect it, as if it had vanished on the spot.

"Who knows when Master will go in and bring out Primordial Thunder."

A trace of worry appeared in his eyes.

...

Within Celestial Water Commandery,

Yan Wen’s face was gloomy like a dark cloud, akin to Chen Xuan; at this moment, he felt Celestial Water Commandery was isolated.

Even the spiritual qi in the air was gradually dissipating.

"Don’t panic!"

Suddenly, an old voice came to his ear, and the next moment a blue light shield rose above the hall and quickly spread to the surroundings.

It stopped only when it extended a thousand meters.

"Gather all martial artists inside the light shield!"

All martial artists?

Yan Wen was stunned, does this mean everyone below martial artists will be abandoned?

"Elder Feng, what about the others?"

"Can’t save them, the array is too strong, I can only protect this many people. If you want to save ordinary people, you have to give up those martial artists; you choose yourself!"

Yan Wen was stunned, this was throwing a dilemma onto him.

"What to do?"

So many ordinary people, and regular soldiers, are they really to be abandoned?

At this moment, his heart was in great pain, even though he was ruthless, but to abandon so many at once, he truly couldn’t choose.

"Hurry! You only have half a stick of incense time."

The old voice sounded again.

"Understood, I’ll do as you say!"

As he said this, Yan Wen felt like a deflated ball, the sense of powerlessness made him despair.

But—

For the rebel army, for the destruction of Great Xia, ultimately he decided to abandon those ordinary people.

The next moment Yan Wen disappeared into thin air.

...

At that moment in the East City Gate.

After seeing the phantom of the Cyan Profound Turtle appear above the gate, he sneered.

Then pointed with a finger!

"Boom!"

A red lightning struck from the pillar’s top, and smashed onto the Cyan Profound Turtle.

The turtle that could withstand the Blood Dragon attacks at first was now like paper, unable to resist the red lightning.

"Bang!"

In an instant, the entire East City Gate turned into ruins, and the rebel soldiers on the gate were wiped out in an instant.

However, a bizarre scene unfolded.

Above the ruins, droplets of fresh blood floated, and these droplets seemed alive, merging together into a single blood bead.

"Hmm?"

Gu Xiu slightly frowned as if dissatisfied.

Then he extended spiritual power and began controlling the array.

Suddenly,

Three more red lightning bolts appeared at the other three city gates, and the bizarre scene repeated.

To this point, all four city gates of Celestial Water Commandery had become ruins.

"Hiss...."

North City Gate, Ghost Crane took a cold breath as he looked at the ruins before him, stunned.

One lightning bolt didn’t just smash that damn turtle to pieces, it turned the North City Gate into ruins too.

If it struck him....

He shivered all over instantly, couldn’t even dare to think.

This array’s power was far stronger than the Nine Dragon Array.

Compared to him, Chen Xuan’s eyes were fixed on the blood bead floating in the air.

"That is.....?"

His spiritual power extended the next moment and clung to the blood bead.

Suddenly, his face changed drastically, pupils contracted fiercely.

"No wonder... no wonder it’s called the Blood Refining Array; it truly is refining blood, a living person now turned into a blood bead the size of raindrops!"

"How ruthless of Gu Xiu!"

At this moment, Chen Xuan felt numb, this was something no human should do.

It’s said that killing is never more than a point, but this method actually refines people alive.

Too cruel!

The Nine Dust Blood Refining Array had already been activated, with eerie red halos emanating from the blood-red pillars, like four blood-red suns in the sky.

This was preparing for a full-scale assault.

"That Primordial Thunder! Why hasn’t Master acted yet!"

Chen Xuan suddenly grew anxious, once the array was fully activated, it would be too late for Primordial Thunder...

"Roll... roll....."

Red lightning appeared one after another in the sky, the rumbling sound spread throughout Celestial Water Commandery.

At this moment, the ordinary people of Celestial Water Commandery huddled in their homes,

Either curl up in the covers, trembling.

Or hide with their children in corners, eyes full of despair.

At this moment, the hall of Yan Wen in Celestial Water Commandery was already packed, filled with experts of fourth grade and above.

"Sir, people... it’s full, we can’t let more in."

A young guard dressed in armor spoke in a low voice, his expression terrified.

He had personally witnessed the red lightning strike while heading to the South City Gate; in an instant, the gate that was just intact turned into a pile of ruins.

He was stunned.

Unbelievable, it wasn’t just an ordinary gate; it was built with extremely hard cyan-black stones, even fortified with the Weak Water Profound Turtle Array, yet it couldn’t withstand a single lightning strike.

"Got it!"

Yan Wen’s tone was calm, but the anguished expression between his brows was unmistakable.

He wanted to save those ordinary soldiers, and even the common people, but he couldn’t, powerless!

He was King Yama, but only the King Yama to those enemies. To his soldiers, he had always been a good leader; to those common civilians, he was also a qualified lord.

But now...

Sigh!

With a long sigh, he walked toward the highest point in the hall, approaching an elderly man with white hair but skin as baby-like, "Elder Feng, it’s time!"

He didn’t even know how he managed to say those words.

"Hmm!"

Feng Ri nodded slightly, his face calm, with no ripple in his heart.

He’s seen many such incidents back in the day.

Then he injected a massive amount of spiritual power into the small tower in front of him. Instantly, the small tower emitted dazzling blue light.

At the same time, the thousand-meter-wide blue shield also began to shine brilliantly.

...

"Why isn’t it here yet?"

Chen Xuan at the North City Gate was now extremely anxious. Xuan Er had promised him, would definitely come.

But.... looking up towards the four blood-red light pillars in the sky.

Almost completed!

Suddenly!

He sensed a familiar wave.

"This is Divine Foot Power....! Master is here!"

Normally, he wouldn’t be able to sense the first grade Xuan Er, unless there’s a strand of spiritual power probing him like Gu Xiu.

The reason he sensed it was due to his cultivation of Divine Foot Power with Xuan Er.

Last time when he suddenly appeared in the study of the City Lord’s Mansion, Xuan Er also sensed the wave of Divine Foot Power and knew in advance that he would appear.

East City Gate!

Gu Xiu’s brow slightly furrowed, that was... Xuan Er!

He had been dual first grade in spiritual martial arts for many years, Xuan Er certainly couldn’t hide from him.

"What’s he doing entering Celestial Water Commandery?"

As he was puzzled, he already sensed Xuan Er coming out of Celestial Water Commandery.

"Senior Gu Xiu, he entered Celestial Water Commandery just to find someone, apologies."

Xuan Er’s voice rang in his ear.

"Hmph!"

Gu Xiu squinted his eyes, snorted coldly, he greatly disliked people disobeying his orders.

He had previously ordered that no one was allowed to enter or exit Celestial Water Commandery.

Under normal circumstances, he would’ve taken action to educate them.

But... never mind!

Though confident he’s stronger than Xuan Er, he couldn’t completely suppress him, especially while controlling the array now.

Looking up into the sky, "Almost there, almost there! Once the task is completed, I can leave!"

...

"He’s out!"

The moment Xuan Er left Celestial Water Commandery, Chen Xuan sensed it.

"He should have managed to save them, right!"

He still trusted Xuan Er’s power.

Though wanting to ask, at this moment he dared not leave here.

"Boom....."

Suddenly, four blood-red light pillars instantly struck out thousands of red lightning towards Celestial Water Commandery.

"Rumble....."

A series of loud roars, deafening, continuously echoed from Celestial Water Commandery.

Meanwhile, the entire ground trembled, and some ordinary soldiers directly stumbled and fell.

Red lightning continued raining down toward Celestial Water Commandery.

It lasted for half an hour before stopping.

Huff—huff—

Ghost Crane panted heavily, eyes horrified at Celestial Water Commandery, no! There’s no Celestial Water Commandery anymore!

It had already turned into nothing but ruins.

Celestial Water Commandery under the relentless bombardment of red lightning for half an hour had disappeared.

"Chen.... Xuan!" His speech became stuttered, "Am I... in a dream!"

Merely half an hour, and an entire commandery vanished like that?

And now Chen Xuan, feeling parched, though prepared in his heart, the moment Celestial Water Commandery turned to ruins, he still stiffened, sharing Ghost Crane’s questions, Celestial Water Commandery—gone!

Only half an hour!

Stepped forward, flew towards Celestial Water Commandery’s direction, and Ghost Crane hurriedly followed.

Blood beads, all blood beads!

Countless blood beads drifting above Celestial Water Commandery.

"Look, inside that shield, it’s full of people!"

Ghost Crane pointed toward the hall’s direction, loudly.

Actually, Chen Xuan had long noticed, but now his gaze was entirely absorbed by these countless blood beads.

At this moment, Gu Xiu arrived above the hall, glancing coldly at the blue shield below his feet, "Stay well inside!"

"Gu Xiu!"

Yan Wen’s face was ashen, eyes bulging, glaring fiercely at Gu Xiu in the sky!

Already furious to the extreme!

"You will face divine retribution!"

"Ha!" Gu Xiu scoffed; would he be afraid of such a thing? He looked at him with disdain.