176: Deployment

By the time Xiao Zhuo and Qiao Zimo returned to the inn, the bright moon was already hanging high.

After conversing with Profound Bone, Xiao Zhuo knew that even if he changed the form and color of the Soul Slaughtering Sacred Method, it would still be difficult to hide it from the Soul Refining Sect's powerhouses, who originated from the Sacred Soul Sect.

Tribulation Crossing Realm powerhouses no longer worried about their lifespan; as long as they suppressed their cultivation and aura, not undergoing the Tribulation of Ascension to Breakthrough to Mahayana, they could live forever.

It was likely that Profound Bone, as the vice palace master of the Soul Refining Sect, was also a figure from a hundred thousand years ago.

He must be very familiar with the Sacred Soul Scripture, and it would indeed be difficult for Xiao Zhuo to deceive someone so intimately acquainted with it.

However, Xiao Zhuo also understood the importance of the Sacred Soul Scripture to the Soul Refining Sect.

They would certainly not give it up.

But he was not afraid; even if that Chang Tian Quasi-Immortal personally made a move, Xiao Zhuo had a way to escape.

His Divine Sense swept over the City Lord's Mansion, and Xiao Zhuo's brows furrowed slightly.

The small building where Profound Bone resided had a Formation set up to block detection.

It seemed that besides themselves, the other party had guests arriving tonight.

His Divine Sense swept over Qiao Zimo, who was recuperating in the adjacent room, and Xiao Zhuo's eyes lowered slightly. With the Myriad Ages Evergreen Realm about to open, and his current strength, the only one who could pose a threat to him was Cao Yunqing.

All others were not worth worrying about.

Therefore, if Profound Bone wanted to make a move against him, it would definitely be before the Secret Realm opened.

"Why not strike first?" Xiao Zhuo pondered, but he also feared unexpected complications. Profound Bone was not weak; as an old-brand Undergoing Tribulation cultivator, he felt even stronger than Heaven Slaughter to Xiao Zhuo.

Without knowing his trump cards, Xiao Zhuo was still a bit hesitant.

Moreover, once Profound Bone was killed, it would inevitably alarm the entire Soul Refining Sect. Beilu Prefecture was the Soul Refining Sect's old nest, and making a move here might lead to unforeseen changes.

Thinking of this, Xiao Zhuo walked out of his room, his aura becoming obscure and profound.

He seemed to merge into the Void Realm; this was the marvelous use of the Universe Extreme Divine Body, allowing him to conceal his body within a spatial interlayer, capable of appearing in the outside world at any time or retreating into the spatial interlayer.

Those in the outside world could see his form but could not detect him with Divine Sense in the slightest.

They couldn't even break through the spatial attack, unable to even touch him.

However, while it had some use in battles above the Undergoing Tribulation stage, it wasn't significant, but against those below Undergoing Tribulation, it was practically invincible.

Xiao Zhuo walked out of the inn, taking a single step that covered a thousand zhang. In just a few blinks of an eye, he had entered the Boundless Green Sea.

He continued walking, heading deeper into the green sea.

Since he knew that Profound Bone was very likely to be hostile towards him, he naturally had to make some preparations.

Xiao Zhuo went directly ten thousand li deep into the Boundless Green Sea, spreading his Divine Sense to thoroughly investigate an area of a thousand li.

"Three Undergoing Tribulation Beast Kings?" Xiao Zhuo murmured, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. Within a thousand-li radius, there were three Undergoing Tribulation Stage Beast Kings, the nearest one in a high mountain cave not far from him.

However, he came here not to hunt Demonic Beasts but to set up a Formation.

In these past nine months, he had not only read countless Cultivation Techniques and Divine Abilities but also studied many grand Formations.

With the panel by his side, Xiao Zhuo's Formation attainments had now reached the Earth-Grade Medium Grade level.

Instantly casting some small Formations was easy, but to deal with Profound Bone, he needed to make some preparations.

With a wave of his hand, over a hundred blood-colored Formation Flags were taken out. With another wave, the Formation Flags immediately traced mysterious trajectories, spreading throughout the surrounding ten li.

There was no time to painstakingly carve Formation patterns, so Formation Flags were essential.

Fortunately, Xiao Zhuo had long ago exchanged many Earth-Grade Formation Flags with his contributions in the Blood Palace.

They now came in handy.

He successively took out three sets, totaling three hundred and twenty-four Earth-Grade Formation Flags.

Xiao Zhuo set up a self-created grand Formation here, combining confinement and killing, named "Heaven-Subduing Soul Slaughtering Formation."

This Formation could not only isolate sound and energy fluctuations within the Formation but also significantly reduce the speed of those who entered it, while simultaneously sealing spatial displacement. Moreover, once Xiao Zhuo presided over the Formation, he could continuously amplify Divine Soul attacks using the Formation, and even unleash Divine Soul attacks through it.

Although it was a Formation set up using Formation Flags, far less powerful than slowly carving Formation patterns, the three sets of Earth-Grade Formation Flags could still achieve thirty percent of the Formation's full power.

It should be enough to deal with an Undergoing Tribulation stage cultivator.

If he wasn't afraid of unexpected complications, of Profound Bone summoning the Soul Refining Sect's powerhouses, Xiao Zhuo would not have been so cautious.

After completing everything, Xiao Zhuo headed towards Qingsong City.

Under the moonlight, the Boundless Green Sea was tranquil yet eerie.

Xiao Zhuo's figure moved like a ghost blending into the night wind, silently passing between towering ancient trees.

He did not return to Qingsong City but stopped about a thousand li from it, finding an open clearing in the forest.

He sat down cross-legged, deliberately converging his aura to the Body Integration Middle Stage, yet he carefully released a faint, unique Soul Power fluctuation originating from the Sacred Soul Scripture, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, with a hint of provocation.

This fluctuation was extremely weak, difficult for ordinary Undergoing Tribulation cultivators to detect, but for the vice palace master of the Soul Refining Sect, who deeply studied the Dao of Soul and had the Sacred Soul Scripture's aura imprinted in his heart, it was as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark night.

"Profound Bone, don't you want the Sacred Soul Scripture? A thousand li outside the city, deep in the green sea, I'm giving you a chance." Xiao Zhuo murmured in his heart, a cold arc forming on his lips. He was betting that Profound Bone's greed for the Sacred Soul Scripture would outweigh his caution, betting that he would rely on his cultivation and home-field advantage to personally investigate.

City Lord's Mansion, inside the small building.

Profound Bone was secretly conversing with two figures shrouded in black robes, who were Heaven Slaughter and Zou Yulang.

Before the three, a bead shimmered with an ominous black-purple glow, from which wisps of destructive aura emanated. It was the great killer weapon brought by Zou Yulang — the myriad poison immortal slaying pearl!

This bead required activation with essence blood and Divine Soul power. Once detonated, the potent poison and destructive energy it contained were enough to severely wound or even annihilate an ordinary Mahayana Early Stage cultivator!

Suddenly, Profound Bone's deep, soul-fire eyes narrowed sharply.

"Hmm? The aura of the Sacred Soul Scripture! In the green sea outside the city!" He abruptly stood up, his face showing a mix of surprise and greed. "So faint yet so pure... Is it that Xiao Zhuo? How dare he deliberately reveal his aura?"

A bloody light flashed in Heaven Slaughter's eyes, and he sneered, "Bold! It seems he sensed danger and wants to lure you out of the city to deal with you alone? Hmph, perfect! It saves us the trouble of acting within the city. Fellow Daoist Profound Bone, as planned, you'll pin him down from the front, I'll be the main attacker, and Zou Yulang will seize the opportunity to lock onto him with the myriad poison immortal slaying pearl!"

Zou Yulang gave a sinister smile, carefully putting away the myriad poison immortal slaying pearl: "Don't worry, as long as he's entangled by you two for a moment, I'll definitely be able to slay his Physical Body. His Divine Soul will then be handed over to Fellow Daoist Profound Bone for disposal."

"Go!" Profound Bone no longer hesitated, nodding slightly. He transformed into a hazy soul shadow, instantly piercing through the small building's isolation Formation and speeding towards the detected direction.

Heaven Slaughter and Zou Yulang followed closely, three powerful auras tearing through the night sky, silently pouncing towards the depths of the green sea.

Xiao Zhuo sat cross-legged in his original spot. Although his Heaven-Observing Divine Eye wasn't fully open, his powerful Divine Soul perception already covered the surroundings like a spiderweb. When the three undisguised terrifying auras rapidly approached like three burning meteorites, he understood.

"Heaven Slaughter? Hmm! And one more person!" Xiao Zhuo slowly stood up, not a trace of panic on his face.

He did not immediately flee to the pre-set Formation area but stood still, quietly waiting.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The three figures descended in a triangular Formation. The violent auras instantly crushed the forest, turning trees into dust.

Profound Bone stood in the center, his soul robe fluttering, his gaze like a hook locking onto Xiao Zhuo: "Your Highness Saint, hand over the Sacred Soul Scripture! This old man might spare you a complete corpse!"

Heaven Slaughter's body was engulfed in viscous, materialized bloody Devilish Qi. A huge blood-colored demonic blade appeared in his hand out of thin air, his Killing Intent almost solidifying: "Kid, the humiliation of the Blood Palace will be repaid today. This place will be your burial ground!"

Zou Yulang quietly retreated half a step, hiding behind Heaven Slaughter, his Divine Sense probing into his Storage Pouch, his eyes venomous like a snake, searching for an opportunity to deliver a killing blow.

Xiao Zhuo surveyed the three, his gaze lingering on Heaven Slaughter and Zou Yulang for a moment, but he did not directly admit his identity, saying calmly: "Saint? I am not! Profound Bone, and these two... Do you think you can take me on by teaming up?"

Before his words finished, his figure suddenly blurred!

"Attack!" Profound Bone roared, his withered claw grabbing, and an intensely condensed gray soul spear tore through space, piercing directly towards Xiao Zhuo's glabella!

This soul spear contained the Soul Extinguishing Intent, specifically designed to break Divine Souls!

Heaven Slaughter roared even louder, his Slaughter Domain erupting!

Endless bloody phantoms and mournful wails filled the space, and the demonic blade in his hand, carrying the might to cleave heaven and earth, unleashed a hundred-zhang blood-colored blade Qi!

Within the blade Qi, the true meaning of slaughter boiled!

Facing the enraged strikes of two old-brand Undergoing Tribulation cultivators, Xiao Zhuo's eyes burst with brilliant light!

"Universe God Step!" His figure seemed to merge into the folds of space, narrowly avoiding the soul spear's lock at the critical moment. At the same time, his right hand clenched into a fist, and a dark gold long halberd, formed from pure Killing Intent and vast Soul Power, instantly materialized—Soul Slaughtering Sacred Method: Breaking Army Halberd!

"Clang—!"

A colossal clang, like metal striking metal, reverberated through the green sea! The Breaking Army Halberd fearlessly met Heaven Slaughter's blood-colored blade Qi!

A violent energy shockwave exploded, and the ground instantly collapsed dozens of zhang! Xiao Zhuo grunted, his body sent flying backward by the immense force, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He, with his Body Integration Middle Stage magical power, clashed head-on with a Peak Tribulation Stage's Slaughter Demonic Blade. Even with his formidable Physical Body, his Qi and blood inevitably churned.