Chapter 196: Chapter 195: A Major Event for the Holy Land Begins to Arrive

At this moment, fog began to appear on the other levels as well.

It wasn’t just the fourth and fifth levels; even the third level was starting to fill with a swirling fog.

Chi Xue Child frowned. "Where is this fog coming from?"

Xiao Xiaomo, Chen Yi, and the others were even more surprised.

"This fog seems to affect one’s senses. You guys try it," said Chen Yi.

As members of the Perception Department who specialized in sensory abilities, they were naturally the first to notice.

Liu Yiyi tried it herself and nodded. "It really does affect perception. Did the Holy Land do this?"

"The Holy Land didn’t do this. When I was on my way over, the Holy Land Disciples also seemed very surprised." The Black-robed Demon Cultivator suddenly appeared before them.

He tossed Demon Cultivator Mo Yan onto the ground. She was badly beaten.

Chi Xue Child and the others were already used to this, but Liuyue Xue had a headache. She would have to be the one to heal her again.

The Black-robed Demon Cultivator then said, "I’ve recently started a security business. For one Fifth Grade spirit stone, I’ll provide protection for the duration of the sacrificial rite.

Would any of you like to buy some insurance?"

Chi Xue Child: "Don’t have time."

Liuyue Xue used her phone’s text-to-speech: "Not interested."

Blade Master Hai Bian: "Not interested."

Demon Cultivator Mo Yan said weakly, "Get lost."

Everyone: "..."

’He’s a Tier Four cultivator. Is it really a good idea to be so disrespectful? Forget everyone else, isn’t Mo Yan afraid he’ll beat her to death?’

’Then again, considering how she acts, it’s no wonder she gets beaten half to death every day.’

Chi Xue Child curiously asked Mo Yan, "Why didn’t he beat you to death? And he even brought you back?"

Demon Cultivator Mo Yan said, grief-stricken, "I gave him one... one Fifth Grade stone to save my life."

After speaking, she shot a resentful glare at Chi Xue Child and the others. To think they didn’t even try to save her.

Everyone: "...!"

Just then, a broadcast came from the Holy Land:

Fellow Daoists, due to the heavy fog, fishing is now prohibited. Please evacuate the Sacrificial Space.

We ask for your cooperation in evacuating the area.

Everyone was a little surprised to hear the broadcast. ’It’s just a bit of fog, why do we have to evacuate?’

Liuyue Xue sighed. She couldn’t fish if they didn’t leave, and Mo Yan was still seriously injured.

She felt that ever since Chi Xue Child had "rescued" Mo Yan, she herself had become the biggest victim.

Blade Master Hai Bian also said, "Let’s go. Time to leave. There’s no need for us to risk staying behind just to fish."

Since the Holy Land hadn’t specified an evacuation deadline, it meant people could linger for a short while longer.

Everyone was an adult and could do as they pleased, but the Holy Land had already warned them not to stay long.

Chi Xue Child and his group left, but some people were unwilling to go. Who knew if the fog might be some kind of fortuitous opportunity? Who knew if its arrival might increase the chances of catching something while fishing?

In any case, they could wait and see for a while. If things got dicey, they could always leave then.

Zhang Songxian didn’t leave either. His mission wasn’t complete, and with so many people around, he didn’t dare make a move.

The fog might even be a help to him. All he had to do was grit his teeth and stick it out.

"Don’t be afraid. Just be brave and go for it," Yin-Yang Fish Sixteen encouraged.

Zhang Songxian retorted, "Talk is cheap."

***

「Deep within the Holy Land」

"This fog isn’t a good omen, is it?" Yue Xi asked.

The old woman frowned and finally shook her head. "I don’t know. However, a few of ’them’ have started to move.

The entire Holy Land has been put on high alert.

Anyone who dares to come now will be met with their own destruction."

Yue Xi was stunned. ’How could ’they’ have mobilized?’

’They are one of the Holy Land’s deepest foundations. Why would they mobilize unless it was a matter of life and death?’

"Does this mean something major is about to happen?" Yue Xi asked.

The plain-looking woman sighed. "Something is definitely going to happen. The question is whether it will be good or bad.

There are no records of such a phenomenon in the Holy Land’s archives. You, a former Saintess, don’t know of it either, which means it isn’t recorded in the sacred texts of the Saintesses.

But it has stirred ’them’ into action. That’s enough to prove that this is part of a mechanism set in place when the Holy Land was first founded."

Yue Xi’s brow furrowed deeply. Without another word, she headed for the Forbidden Land.

’If this was arranged from the beginning, it’s highly likely to be related to the Forbidden Land and the Saintess.’

’As for what it is exactly, I don’t know. But I can go and ask.’

’Perhaps the one in the Forbidden Land will know.’ 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

***

Meanwhile, on the sixth level, massive explosions rang out continuously.

The power of the Array and the energy of the Heart-piercing Snake saturated the air.

Both sides were attacking with their full strength.

It was as if the slightest faltering from either one would result in being completely overwhelmed by energy.

Jiang Zuo frowned. His opponent was even stronger than he had anticipated.

’This doesn’t make sense. As a mere Candidacy Saintess, the power she can borrow should be limited. With my current level of attack, she should at least be injured by now, even if she’s not dead.’

Yet, she showed no signs of faltering at all. On the contrary, he felt she still had plenty of power in reserve, which Jiang Zuo couldn’t comprehend.

To make sure he hadn’t miscalculated, Jiang Zuo even took out an Array Stone to glance at while extending his senses.

He confirmed it again: there was no mistake. The authority Jiu Xi wielded far exceeded that of a normal Candidacy Saintess.

Jiang Zuo let out a soft sigh. ’So she’s using a cheat code, too.’

’Looks like I need to change my strategy. If this war of attrition continues, I’m liable to lose.’

’I can’t outlast her.’

Both his own Spiritual Qi and the Heart-piercing Snake’s energy were being constantly drained.

The Holy Land’s Array, on the other hand, was consuming almost nothing.

This was never a fair fight to begin with.

That’s right. In Jiang Zuo’s eyes, the only unfairness was on his opponent’s side. Even though she could match him blow for blow right now, it was still unfair.

’Victory will always be on my side. My strength is not something she can even hope to match.’

Jiang Zuo then altered his tactics. His attacks no longer tried to intercept hers; instead, they both aimed directly at each other. It became a question of who could withstand whose blow.

In that instant, Jiang Zuo’s feet shifted, and it was as if he were standing directly upon the Holy Land’s Array.

’As long as I’m on the Array, I can dismantle any attack it generates.’

The power of an Array is different from the power of a person.

Of course, to anyone else, there would be no difference.

He had yet to meet a second person who could do what he did.

Therefore, he now intended to dismantle her attack directly.

Because of the fog, his original plan had been to use absolute force to overwhelm and kill Jiu Xi.

However, since he had failed to overwhelm her, he had to resort to this more troublesome method (the fog obscured everything, making it necessary).

Jiang Zuo’s attack bypassed his opponent’s, and she made no move to intercept it either. This was even better.

BOOM!!!

Jiang Zuo’s attack struck Jiu Xi a moment before her own attack reached him.

Having put away his Life-Protecting Treasure, Jiang Zuo intended to casually swat aside Jiu Xi’s attack.

However, the instant he made contact with her attack, Jiang Zuo froze.

He retreated rapidly as the Heart-piercing Snake flew over to defend him from Jiu Xi’s attack.

BOOM!!!

Jiang Zuo was sent flying and crashed into the lake below.

PFFT—

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Jiang Zuo was injured. The moment he’d touched Jiu Xi’s attack, he had realized with shock that it wasn’t the power of the Array at all.

"What kind of cheat code is this woman using?"

Jiang Zuo thought he had already been taking Jiu Xi seriously enough, yet he had still been put at a disadvantage.

’This woman is as infuriating as ever.’