The Modern Martial Immortal

The Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array was the foundation of the Southern Capital. Presided over by a Void-Refining Realm cultivator, it could even trap and kill those Void-Shattering Realm powerhouses who insisted on going toe-to-toe with the array formation.

Against someone like Yaoguang, a top-tier Void-Refining Realm cultivator who could slay even Evil Eye, the Yin Lunar Sect's Void-Shattering experts would likely face mortal danger if they ventured deep into the array.

This was precisely why the Yin Lunar Sect had stayed silent all this time, even though their Void-Refining cultivator had been dead for a month and the Dao Artifact auction had concluded without a hitch. Even the Void-Shattering Realm experts within their sect feared that once they fell into the Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array, there might be no way out.

"Heh... On that point, Perfected Lord Crimson Malevolence, you can rest easy." Facing the Perfected Lord's focused psyche and perception, Jing Zhengyang spoke with complete confidence. "The Jing family has survived in the Southern Capital for so long, after all. Over the years, though this array has never been under our control, we know its workings and every critical aspect of it inside and out. Breaking or destroying it would be very difficult, but simply keeping it from activating smoothly is effortless."

"Good. Then let us sign a cooperation agreement," Perfected Lord Crimson Malevolence said.

"There's no need for an agreement." Jing Zhengyang waved his hand, unwilling to hand the Yin Lunar Sect any leverage over him.

"No agreement? Then how do we know you and Yaoguang haven't deliberately staged this whole drama to lure the supreme elders of our sect into a trap you've prepared in advance? To deal our sect a fatal blow, perhaps even to reopen the thirteen states for yourselves?" the Crimson Malevolence Perfected Lord said with displeasure.

"With unscrupulous fiendish cultivators like you, the moment I sign this agreement, you'll bring it out to threaten me and bend us to your will. I understand that much perfectly well," Jing Zhengyang spoke bluntly, without the slightest courtesy. "Besides, you know full well that within our sect there has always been a tradition of the sect master suppressing the deputy sect master. Deputy Sect Master Song's cautionary example was a mere eight hundred years ago. I think that's proof enough that what we say is true."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "What's more, cooperating with your sect is itself an enormous risk for me. Should word get out, the Jing family would be utterly ruined. So whether or not to act in the end is for your sect to decide."

Hearing this, Perfected Lord Crimson Malevolence wasn't angered. Fiendish cultivators stopped at nothing in their dealings, and one who abandoned a plan over a few words was no qualified fiendish cultivator at all.

"At the very least, you must show us some sign that you're taking action," he said.

Jing Zhengyang pondered quietly for a good while. "The Jing family has a Blazing White Golden Core cultivator who is currently attempting to break through to the Azure Golden Core Realm. A breakthrough at this stage stirs up quite a commotion. Once his breakthrough concludes, success or failure, we will interfere with the Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array. So how about we take the end of his breakthrough as the signal?"

"Just that? What if someone else is breaking through during that window—"

"Hmph. I don't believe that when you make your move, it will be your Void-Shattering powerhouse acting in person. Someone is bound to test the waters first. Once you've tested the waters, you will decide whether your Void-Shattering expert acts. Isn't that enough?" Jing Zhengyang was somewhat displeased by his suspicion. "But I'll tell you this: there's only one chance. If you're unwilling to act, the Jing family will rein in our influence. And if Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang targets us with everything he has, don't blame us for refusing to play along. We'll withdraw from the southern domain and return to the Heavenly Dao Sect immediately."

"Fine! We'll do as you say. That breakthrough into the Azure Golden Core shall be the signal!" The Crimson Malevolence Perfected Lord pressed him no further.

After all, strictly speaking, in this cooperation it was the Yin Lunar Sect that needed something from the Heavenly Dao Sect, and more specifically from the Jing family. With the matter settled, the Void-Refining Realm fiendish cultivator soon departed.

***

Only after he left did Yaoguang put the Recording Stone away. With this, he now had enough evidence to uproot every last one of the Jing family's forces in the southern domain.

Still, it wasn't yet time to deal with the Jing family. He had to wait until those fiendish cultivators charged into the Southern Capital and the evidence was ironclad before seizing the chance to strike.

Otherwise, given the prestige of Jing Yuntian, the supreme elder backing the Jing family, and the presence of Zong Wenxian, a sect master who would surely take their side unfairly, the Jing family might get away.

Worse, they might even claim it had all been their own scheme, that they had been waiting for the fiendish cultivators to attack so they could mobilize their forces and net them all in one sweep.

"But... a hidden trump card within the array?" Yaoguang frowned.

As a level 13 array, the Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array could trap and kill even Void-Shattering experts, essentially reaching the very limit of what a conventional array could achieve.

Beyond that, level 14 array casters were even rarer than artifact paragons, for an array caster's advancement was harder than a refiner's.

The arrays of the four capitals and the level 14 grand array located in the Heavenly Dao Sect's headquarters had all, in fact, been laid down personally by Dao Lords.

And these Dao Lords had not been top-tier array casters to begin with. Only later, once their cultivation rose, could they set up multiple level 13 and level 14 arrays in a short time, thanks to the superior comprehension gained after Dao Integration.

It was precisely because none of them was a top-tier array caster that the Heavenly Dao Sect's strongest array was only level 14, lacking a level 15 array like the Heavenly Sea Sword Pavilion's, one that significantly boosted even the combat power of Dao Lords.

With my current strength, I could face the Yin Lunar Sect's Void-Shattering experts without fear, even without an array's help... But that's only the ordinary ones. Who can guarantee the Yin Lunar Sect's sect master or chief supreme elder, figures who rank at the very peak of the Void-Shattering Realm, won't personally act? Who can guarantee they'll send only one? If multiple Void-Shattering Realm experts come together, then I...

His thoughts paused. Saving my own life and retreating in one piece might not be beyond me, but the foundation of the Southern Capital would be destroyed in an instant. As for the Nine Cauldrons Sect that followed me here, and the others... They would have no way to survive.

He had to find a way to learn exactly where in the Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array the Jing family had planted their hidden trump card.

He could no longer afford to keep listening in on the Jing family. His figure flickered, and he left Carefree Valley, heading straight for the Southern Capital.

But he had only just arrived when a communication jade talisman on his person began to tremble faintly.

As his psychic thought swept over it, Mo Ye's message soon emerged. "Deputy Sect Master, we discovered something. Over the years, to keep timely track of the Yin Lunar Sect's movements, I set up special observation posts in many hidden locations across the states near the Yin Lunar Sect's borders. After several centuries, this vast system of posts has grown into an enormous observation network. It's not very sophisticated, but it makes up for that in sheer numbers, so sooner or later one of them is bound to get lucky. And this time, I happened to discover a Void-Refining fiendish cultivator from the Yin Lunar Sect who has slipped into our southern domain."

"A Void-Refining Realm fiendish cultivator?" Yaoguang was somewhat startled. Surely he doesn't mean Perfected Lord Crimson Malevolence?

He had already seen through this Perfected Lord. What the man cultivated was the Great Dao of signlessness. Formless and shadowless, colorless and signless, it was a Dao extremely skilled in transformation and concealment.

Though not particularly suited to head-on combat, in the arts of hiding, infiltration, and disguise it left the other Great Dao far behind.

Had Yaoguang's True Spirit Light not made further progress after his advancement in the Immortal Dao branch, and had he not been lying in wait outside the Jing family's gate, he might not have sensed this Void-Refining fiendish cultivator in time.

But Mo Ye, a mere Void-Piercing cultivator, had actually detected a powerhouse of this caliber?! Was it truly blind luck? Or had he detected a different Void-Refining fiendish cultivator?

"The audacity. Do they regard our southern domain's defenses as nothing?" Yaoguang said with righteous indignation, then immediately asked, "Where are you now? And where is that Void-Refining fiendish cultivator?"

"I'm currently in the Wu state, examining all the observation posts. They recorded that fiendish cultivator's traces, and from them we'll soon learn where he's headed. Please give me some time, Deputy Sect Master," Mo Ye said at once.

Yaoguang considered for a moment. "Focus your search on the observation posts in the Xuan state. If that Void-Refining fiendish cultivator means to leave, he should be going out through there."

Mo Ye was startled. "Deputy Sect Master, y-you've picked up on a clue as well?"

Yaoguang didn't explain, merely instructing, "Go. I'll follow shortly."

"Yes." Having received an order, Mo Ye didn't dare ask further and quickly left to carry it out.

A Void-Refining Realm fiendish cultivator! Yaoguang mused briefly. There's a risk of tipping off the enemy, but since he's come all this way, how could I let him leave so easily? It works out well. If the Jing family's interference keeps the Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array from opening at the first moment, I might not be able to control the situation against the Yin Lunar Sect's Void-Shattering supreme elders. Better to destroy this fiendish cultivator and use it to deter the Yin Lunar Sect.

The Yin Lunar Sect had cooperated with the Jing family, only for a Void-Refining cultivator of theirs to turn up dead right after.

Until they figured out whether that cultivator had been deliberately lured away and killed by the Heavenly Dao Sect under the pretext of cooperation, the Yin Lunar Sect wouldn't dare make any rash moves, and would no longer cooperate with the Jing family so readily. He would gain a considerable breathing space.

With that time, it will be enough for me to fully master Dao Techniques like the Sovereign Human Emperor and the Torrent of Time. By then, ideally, my Void-Refining Realm progress will have advanced; at that point, even without an array's boost, I'll be able to hold my own against one or two Void-Shattering experts, and last until the array is repaired and opened.

Yaoguang was about to set off in pursuit of that Void-Refining Realm fiendish cultivator, but Tang Fenghua suddenly contacted him. "City Lord, Perfected Lord Wu requests an audience. He says he has important news to report to you."

Perfected Lord Wu? Wu Changfeng?

"I have to leave for a while. Tell him to come back in a few days," Yaoguang said.

"Yes," Tang Fenghua answered.

But just then, Wu Changfeng's psychic thought came through, full of apology. "Forgive the intrusion, Deputy Sect Master Yaoguang. This is truly presumptuous of me, but the matter is so important that I had no choice but to reach you this way."

"Oh? How important?" A trace of displeasure colored the ripples of Yaoguang's psychic thought.

"It concerns the normal operation of the Heavenly Dragon-Slaying Array," Wu Changfeng said in a low voice.

The instant these words were spoken, Yaoguang's figure, poised to leave, came to an abrupt halt.

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