276: Chapter 274 Two

He pushed open the door and walked out. The courtyard gate closed gently behind him.

In the night, Huai Tree Alley was very quiet. The moonlight was obscured by clouds, leaving the alley pitch black. Yun Ming's Divine Sense had already locked onto those setting up the Formation—two on the eastern roof, three at the western alley entrance, one on the northern treetop, and seven or eight others in the south, scattered in different positions.

More people continued to appear one after another.

The Formation Flags and Formation Plates in their hands were still flickering with spiritual light, and the formation patterns were connecting bit by bit.

Yun Ming took a deep breath and retrieved the cauldron of all things mother qi from the map of mountains and rivers. The Golden Crow Flame at the mouth of the cauldron was particularly piercing in the darkness. He did not hide, nor did he need to. He raised his hand, and the flame in the cauldron transformed into a golden fire Dragon, pouncing toward the nearest Formation setter.

That person was concentrating on setting up the Formation when he suddenly felt a terrifyingly high temperature approaching. Looking up, a fire Dragon had already pounced in front of him. He let out a miserable scream and was swallowed by the flames, not even his Golden Core managed to escape.

The other Formation setters were shocked and stopped their work one after another, taking out Magical Artifacts to attack Yun Ming. Blade light, Sword Qi, techniques, and spiritual talismans covered the sky. Yun Ming did not retreat. He activated the Golden Crow Flame to form a protective shield around his body, blocking all attacks, and then stepped out, rushing toward the next target.

His speed was astonishingly fast. With his Golden Core Perfection spiritual power fully activated, coupled with the blessing of the Dao Scripture, his movement technique was no longer something an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator could keep up with. The second person hadn't even reacted before his chest was shattered by a punch. The third person turned to run but was caught by the Golden Crow Flame and burned to ashes.

Yun Ming killed quickly.

Wherever the Golden Crow Flame passed, the Formation setters turned to ash one by one.

But the opponent was clearly well-prepared, and their numbers far exceeded his estimation. He killed seven or eight, but the remaining dozen or so had already planted the Formation Flags in their designated positions.

The formation patterns lit up. Instead of rising from the ground, they surged from all directions simultaneously like a giant spider web, enveloping the entire small courtyard along with the surrounding alleys, roofs, and treetops.

Space began to distort, and the sounds, light, and Spiritual Qi from the outside world were rapidly receding.

In less than three breaths, Yun Ming felt as if he were in another world. The surroundings were gray; he couldn't see the sky or the ground, only the endless Void Realm. The great Formation locking down the space was complete.

Yun Ming's heart sank. He looked up; the moon was gone, the starlight was gone, and even the houses on both sides of Huai Tree Alley had disappeared.

His Divine Sense probed out, hit an invisible barrier, and bounced back.

Before he had time to think more, two terrifying pressures descended from the sky.

That was the pressure of the Late Nascent Soul Stage. Not one, but two.

The two auras were like two great mountains, crushing down from the Void Realm, pinning Yun Ming firmly in place.

His body felt as if it were gripped by an invisible giant hand; every inch of muscle and every bone was trembling. The flow of spiritual power stagnated, and the five Golden Cores in his Dantian seemed frozen, motionless.

He couldn't even perform a self-detonation.

Two figures descended from the gray Void Realm and landed in front of Yun Ming.

The one on the left was burly, wearing a black brocade robe, with a resolute face and a hostile aura of someone who had long held a high position. The spiritual light around him was blazing like a brilliant sun, pushing back the surrounding gray mist by thirty feet. Hall Master Zhao of Xuanming Hall. Late Nascent Soul Stage, he had operated in Tianyuan City for over a hundred years and had countless desperate criminals under him.

The one on the right was slender, with a face so handsome it was almost eerie, wearing a golden robe patterned with copper coins and covered in gold ornaments that sparkled under the spiritual light. President Qian of the Shanhai Society. Also Late Nascent Soul Stage, with immense influence, well-connected in both the light and dark worlds.

The two stood there like two demon gods stepped out of myth.

Yun Ming couldn't see their faces clearly; the spiritual light was too bright, making his eyes ache. He could only vaguely feel those two gazes falling coldly upon him, like looking at a lamb to be slaughtered.

"Is it him?" Hall Master Zhao spoke, his voice deep and carrying an unquestionable authority.

"It's him." President Qian's voice was much softer than Hall Master Zhao's, even carrying a hint of a smile, but what lay beneath that smile was more chilling than Hall Master Zhao's authority. "A junior at Golden Core Perfection actually required both of us to act personally. Brother Zhao, aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out?"

Hall Master Zhao snorted. "Anything that can make both of us covetous is worth it." His gaze swept over the small courtyard behind Yun Ming, his pupils shrinking slightly. "That Formation... is it Rank Six?"

President Qian also glanced at it, the smile on his face fading slightly. "A Grade 6 Illusion Array. In the entire Tianyuan City, there are no more than three sets of Rank Six Formations. An illusion Formation is even more unique." He withdrew his gaze and looked back at Yun Ming, "A mere Golden Core Loose Cultivator, where did you get it from?"

Yun Ming didn't speak. He was pinned down by the Spiritual Pressure of the two, unable to even move his lips. President Qian seemed to realize something and slightly withdrew some of his Spiritual Pressure.

"Kid, if you're smart, hand over all your storage treasures, spatial Magic Treasures, and the Formation map for that Grade 6 Illusion Array. We can leave you a whole corpse."

Yun Ming's mouth could finally move. "In your dreams." Two words, the voice not loud, but very clear.

Hall Master Zhao's face darkened. "You have backbone. I like young people with backbone the most. I hope you can still be this stubborn in a while." He took a step forward, and the Spiritual Pressure increased again. Yun Ming's body made a cracking sound, his bones groaning.

"That Grade 6 Illusion Array of yours is indeed powerful, but you are not inside the Formation. With only an Early Nascent Soul Stage fox demon presiding over it, how much power can it exert?" Hall Master Zhao sneered, "We'll trap you, and the people outside will slowly wear it down. That Formation won't last long. When you die, they won't live either."

Yun Ming did not respond.

President Qian took a pitch-black token from his sleeve, engraved with a distorted rune that emitted a cold aura. "Brother Zhao, why waste words with him? Let me. I have a secret technique that can seize a person's vitality and extract their Lifespan. The process is extremely painful, the best method for interrogation. No one has ever been able to withstand it." He raised his hand and pointed the token at Yun Ming.

Black runes flew out from the token like venomous snakes, drilling into Yun Ming's body. Intense pain instantly exploded. Not physical pain, but pain deep within the Soul. Yun Ming felt as if his life were being drawn out of his body, as if an invisible tube were inserted into his Dantian, sucking everything away. His skin began to wrinkle, his hair began to turn white, and his nails became brittle. His Golden Core was trembling, his spiritual power was draining, and his Lifespan was evaporating. In just a few breaths, he went from his prime to old age, and from old age to the brink of death.

That kind of pain was more torturous than being cut into a thousand pieces. Yun Ming's consciousness wavered on the brink of collapse.

But just then, a warm surge of vitality suddenly gushed from within his body, flowing through his Meridians to his entire body. His withered skin became full again, his gray hair turned black again, and his lost Lifespan seemed to be replenished by something. In less than three breaths, Yun Ming returned to his original state, even more spirited than before.

President Qian's expression changed. He increased the output of spiritual power, and the black runes drilled into Yun Ming's body more densely. Yun Ming aged again, suffered again, but that warm power gushed out once more, repairing everything. Aging, recovery, aging, recovery. After repeating this five or six times, beads of sweat had formed on President Qian's forehead.

"Impossible!" He withdrew the token and stepped back, his eyes wide. "He has... something on him. Something is extending his life. My secret technique is useless against him."

Hall Master Zhao's face also darkened. The two looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other's eyes. A Golden Core Cultivator actually had a treasure that could counter a Late Nascent Soul Stage secret technique. This could no longer be explained by being "wealthy."

Hall Master Zhao gritted his teeth. "Forget it. Capture him first, take him back, and interrogate him slowly."

President Qian nodded. Both reached out simultaneously to grab Yun Ming. Yun Ming closed his eyes, with only one thought in his mind—Xue Ji is in the Formation, Ah Yuan is in the Formation. As long as they are safe. As for himself, at worst, it's just death. It's not the first time anyway.

Before the hand could touch Yun Ming, a white figure flew out from within the courtyard wall. Xue Ji, holding a short sword, her white hair dancing wildly in the night wind. Her eyes were ice blue, cold as the ice of the far north.

"Let him go." Her voice was not loud, but every word carried killing intent.