Catch the leader first

The sky was infinitely beautiful, but it was nearing dusk!

The setting sun was like blood, reflecting the crimson clouds in the sky.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled over the mountains and land, passing through the treetops, casting a swaying overlay of maple leaves.

Overlapping with the leaf shadows was a tall and agile figure.

Zhong Qing stood beside the small courtyard, beneath a withered vine and an old tree.

Blowing in the evening breeze, watching the sunset, listening to the gentle rustle of maple leaves, and then taking a sip of strong liquor, his state of mind felt as if it had been cleansed.

This was the breath and taste of nature.

A gentle breeze wafted, the small grass bent, and accompanying the wind was the urgent figure of Phoenix Aotian.

“Master, something terrible has happened!”

The urgent voice broke the tranquility of the mountains.

It also caused Zhong Qing to furrow his brow slightly.

He knew Feng Aotian’s character; he was not one to make groundless statements.

For him to say something terrible had happened, something major must have occurred.

“What happened?”

The next moment, Feng Aotian’s figure appeared before Zhong Qing.

After bowing to Zhong Qing, he urgently said, “Master, I discovered today that someone tampered with the Disciples of the Phoenix Feather Sect’s Heavenly Dao Institute.”

“A very strange Seal was placed within their bodies. Although this Seal is harmless to people, it can block the Heavenly Dao Rankings’ perception of them.”

“In other words, once this Seal is placed, they will be forever unrelated to the Heavenly Dao Rankings.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Qing’s expression changed slightly.

He had placed great hopes on these Disciples, as they were his guarantee for System rewards.

However, now they had been tampered with, sealing their opportunity to ascend the Heavenly Dao Rankings.

“Do you know who did it?”

Phoenix Aotian shook his head.

“I haven’t found out. As soon as I discovered that the Heavenly Dao Institute’s Disciples had been tampered with, I immediately came to inform Master.”

“How many Disciples were affected by the Seal?”

Phoenix Aotian: “More than two thousand!”

“But Master, rest assured, although that Seal is mysterious and hard to detect, it is not difficult to break. I will help them break this Seal shortly.”

Zhong Qing nodded.

He was quite confident in Phoenix Aotian’s ability to handle matters.

However, this matter clearly could not be simply dismissed.

“You go and help the Disciples remove the Seal first, and by the way, check if there are any suspicious individuals nearby.”

“The Phoenix Feather Sect must have been targeted!”

Phoenix Aotian’s actions were swift.

Upon receiving Zhong Qing’s command, he immediately went to handle it.

Night had fallen deep!

A figure, under the moonlight, quietly sneaked into the Phoenix Feather Sect.

This person was none other than the Ecstasy Child, who intended to explore the Phoenix Feather Sect at night.

As a Supreme Realm Eight-stage expert, the Ecstasy Child was not only powerful but also possessed extraordinary talent in the Dao of Formations.

He immediately noticed the various Formations, big and small, within the Phoenix Feather Sect.

This made his heart tighten.

Previously, he could move freely in the Intercepting Heaven Sect not because of his strength, but because his understanding of Formations far exceeded that of those who laid out the Formations for the Intercepting Heaven Sect by several times.

But at this moment, he noticed that the Formations within the Phoenix Feather Sect were ten times more profound than those of the Intercepting Heaven Sect.

This made him become cautious.

He no longer dared to be as careless as before.

“Who would have thought that such a small Chaotic Land would hide such a terrifying Sect?”

“If I, this old man, wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Formations, I might have been discovered the moment I stepped in.”

Under the bright moon and twinkling stars, the clear moonlight cascaded over the mountains.

At this time, all things were silent, with only the chirping of insects lingering in the air.

The Ecstasy Child, like a ghost, carefully moved through the Phoenix Feather Sect.

He believed he was being careful enough, but he had no idea that the moment he entered, Phoenix Aotian had already sensed him, and a pair of eyes were fixed on him.

Phoenix Aotian did not rush to act.

He wanted to see what kind of audacity this guy had, and for what purpose he dared to act presumptuously in the Phoenix Feather Sect.

The Ecstasy Child passed through the mountain halls, and the further he went, the more serious his expression became.

Because from his perspective, the Phoenix Feather Sect was literally a small Formation every three steps, and a large Formation every five steps.

After passing one, there was another.

There were simply too many Formations within Formations.

“Which bastard laid out these Formations?”

His mindset was a bit shattered, and his low, exasperated voice merged into the night sky with the wind.

The Ecstasy Child had traveled extensively and was well-experienced.

He had seen many Sects’ Right Guardian Hushan Formations.

But none were as exaggerated and outrageous as this.

If Formations were likened to fences, then entering other Formations still allowed for space to move around.

But to what extent were the Formations here exaggerated?

They were truly fences within fences, layer after layer, and besides that, they even had thorns, making it truly impossible to move an inch.

Moreover, these Formations clearly had identification functions; some killing Formations would not activate if their own people entered, but if a stranger intruded without guidance, they could easily trigger a monstrous calamity.

Fortunately, the Ecstasy Child’s Formation attainments were not shallow.

He had no confidence in breaking these killing Formations.

But in a semi-activated state, he was confident in not triggering the killing Formations’ agitation.

Thus, the Ecstasy Child proceeded cautiously, moving quite slowly.

Almost at a snail’s pace.

“No, I can’t go on like this. I need to capture a Phoenix Feather Sect member to lead the way.”

“And by the way, interrogate them about the Phoenix Feather Sect’s secrets!”

At this moment, the Ecstasy Child felt that his intrusion into the Phoenix Feather Sect was too rash.

He should have made full preparations before coming to scout.

However, since he had already entered, it was not so easy to retreat, so he could only go all the way.

Night!

It became even more alluring.

Zhong Qing sat atop a mountain peak, gazing at the myriad stars and the bright moon.

In his heart, he was pondering which force was targeting the Phoenix Feather Sect.

He had a vague guess, but it had not been confirmed.

Just as he took a gulp of wine, his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

In his perception, a young child was tiptoeing towards him.

At this moment, the Ecstasy Child’s heart was quite excited.

Heaven truly helps me!

He had originally been thinking about where to capture someone to interrogate.

Within a few steps, he saw Zhong Qing drinking.

A young child in his early twenties, in his opinion, was undoubtedly the easiest target to deal with.

Perhaps, a simple threat would make the other party kneel and beg for mercy.

Thinking of this, he casually set up a Formation nearby that could block sound and Qi.

He walked directly in front of Zhong Qing, revealing the ferocity unique to a Supreme Realm expert.

A cruel and arrogant smile appeared on his face: “Boy, do you want to live or die?”

This scene made Phoenix Aotian, who had been watching him, change his expression drastically.

Is this bastard really that brave?

How dare he speak so loudly to Master.

And even dare to threaten him.

This is outrageous!

He couldn’t sit still.

He roared, “Three-Eyed Phoenix Hound Clan, where are you?!”

…