235: Chapter 235 Ten Killing Arrays

"Is the news you transmitted accurate?"

"Five Golden Core Cultivators, three hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, all dead?"

Facing these words, Han Zheng's lips moved, his voice somewhat dry.

"Accurate."

Shen Yunzhou was silent for a moment, as if waiting for him to add something that could reverse the situation, or perhaps confirming that this loss was already irreversible.

At this moment, various thoughts flashed through his mind, as if he were listing the subsequent repercussions of this loss, evaluating them one by one, and confirming whether he could handle them.

His hands were clasped behind his back, his knuckles slowly tightening and then relaxing within his sleeves.

Three hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators, not three hundred Loose Cultivators.

These were elites drawn from all areas under the jurisdiction of Tianyou City, mobilized in batches, registered, and centrally allocated by the Yuexuan Guard Hall.

He had seen the list; he knew the background, cultivation level, and assigned sequence of every single person.

Now they were all gone, not even their bodies could be recovered, leaving only a newly recorded roster of the fallen, waiting to be submitted.

Five Golden Core Cultivators, two of whom were borrowed from elsewhere; their Sects and Families would demand an explanation, and they wouldn't be dismissed with a single official document like the local Cultivators.

This loss was not just a gap in combat power; it was more about the interrogation from above and the need for someone in the imperial court to take the blame—someone with enough weight to bear this responsibility.

Shen Yunzhou's gaze fell on Han Zheng, and he finally let out a long sigh.

"Someone from above will come to investigate this matter soon; this affair requires an explanation."

"Commander Su Qin, change the content of Han Zheng's report."

"The turtle demon self-destructed, and everyone was lost inside! Including... Han Zheng!"

Commander Su Qin was not stupid; he immediately understood what Shen Yunzhou meant.

Shen Yunzhou's intention was clear: he wanted to protect Han Zheng.

"Then, my lord, what about Han Zheng's new identity..."

Shen Yunzhou let out a long breath. He did not immediately answer Commander Su Qin's question but walked to the desk at the head of the room, sat down, took out a Jade Slip from the side of the desk, and injected spiritual power into it.

A pale blue light shimmered on the surface of the Jade Slip, and rows of names and identity information appeared line by line on the light screen, looking like a prepared list of candidates. Behind each name was a line of small text indicating their place of origin, cultivation level, background, and current status.

His gaze swept slowly over those names, and his fingers swiped across the light screen a few times, as if selecting something inconspicuous but suitable.

A moment later, his finger stopped on a certain name and tapped it lightly.

That line of text on the light screen lit up, as if selected, and floated to the very front.

"Zhao Heng, Golden Core Middle Stage, originally from Pingyang Prefecture, Qingzhou, a Loose Cultivator, died three years ago in a demonic disaster on the outskirts of Black Stone Ridge, body never found, registration not yet cancelled."

After reading this line, Shen Yunzhou acted as if he had flipped over a prepared spirit tablet, checked the back to ensure there were no chips, then put down the Jade Slip, turned his gaze to Han Zheng, and said in a calm voice: "Use this identity from now on."

Han Zheng stood where he was and immediately stepped forward.

"This subordinate understands."

Shen Yunzhou nodded, moved his gaze away from Han Zheng, and landed on Commander Su Qin.

He did not rush to speak, as if going over the next words in his mind to ensure nothing was missed, and then said: "Han Zheng, go down and lay low for now. Do not show yourself during this period; wait until the storm passes."

Commander Su Qin stood at the lower position. Upon hearing this, he nodded slightly without interrupting, waiting for Shen Yunzhou to finish the second half of his sentence.

"You must personally monitor the situation at the teleportation Formations."

"Ten large-scale teleportation Formations set up in such a place is absolutely abnormal. Those above suspect that there should be a Secret Realm there."

"Send people to watch that area, report any unusual activity immediately, and do not venture deep without authorization."

Commander Su Qin cupped his fists and replied.

"This subordinate understands."

Shen Yunzhou said nothing more, waved his hand, and signaled for the two to withdraw. Commander Su Qin and Han Zheng each performed a salute and turned to walk out of the hall.

...

Meanwhile, Wu Li and Bai Chi had circled around to the location of the ten teleportation Formations.

This area was not too far from the Evil Pool, and the aftershocks of the self-destruction had reached here; the ground was scorched and cracked, several Formation bases had been shaken from their original positions, and the stone slabs were covered in cracks.

Wu Li crouched on a piece of overturned Formation base debris, his gaze sweeping over the arrangement of the ten teleportation Formations.

"Hmm?"

A trace of doubt flashed in Wu Li's eyes.

"This is not right."

Wu Li was quite well-versed in the Dao of Formations; for teleportation Formations, which involve spatial fluctuations, being placed so close to each other was absolutely abnormal.

Once the spatial fluctuations interfered with each other...

Bai Chi did not understand Wu Li's doubt at this moment, but he did not dare to ask.

He followed beside Wu Li, looking in the direction of his gaze.

'Moreover, besides the position...'

'The location where these ten teleportation Formations were set up does not look like ordinary teleportation Formations; it looks more like they are guarding something.'

Wu Li murmured inwardly.

He stood up, walked to the nearest Formation base, crouched down, and used his claw tips to brush away the rubble and scorched earth on the surface, revealing the remaining patterns on the stone slab.

He looked for a while, and the Blood Pupil on his forehead slowly opened, its scarlet light sweeping over the broken Formation bases.

The light from the Blood Pupil passed through the cracks, seeped into the surface of the stone slab, and flowed through the broken patterns, as if traveling upstream along a broken riverbed, searching for where it originally flowed.

"Hum!"

"So that's how it is."

Wu Li turned his head and looked at Bai Chi.

"Bai Chi, it seems your Opportunity is right here."

The light of the Blood Pupil had already allowed him to see clearly the layout beneath those Formation bases; the ten teleportation Formations were merely a facade. Hidden beneath the Formations were ten Killing Formations that sealed the central area in an encirclement; the moment any one of the teleportation Formations was triggered, it would simultaneously activate the surrounding Killing Formations.

And within the encirclement of those ten Killing Formations, there was an entrance that was deeply concealed.

"Since that is the case, Old Ancestor, then we..."

Bai Chi spoke excitedly, but before he could finish, Wu Li raised his hand to interrupt.

"This Formation is not ordinary; the ten Killing Formations are connected. Moving one affects the whole."

He withdrew his claws, and his gaze landed once again on the debris of the Formation bases.

"The power of those Killing Formations inside is not insignificant. With our current means, if we were to force them to trigger, even I would not be able to withstand it."

"Moreover, this place has already been targeted by the people of the Youyue Dynasty."

"Let them solve this problem for us."

"Now, let's..."

Wu Li paused, as if thinking about what the next step should be. Just as he was about to say something, a burst of Demonic Qi came from behind.

In the distance, a squad of demon soldiers was moving quickly along the edge of the swamp toward this side. The figure leading them was burly, covered in grayish-brown scales; it was E Kuang.

Behind him followed twenty or thirty demon soldiers, their pace hurried.

Wu Li did not say anything more, only turned his head to look at Bai Chi. Bai Chi also saw that figure and did not hesitate. The two figures simultaneously transformed into ink-purple and gray crows and flew away from here.