Although Shen Hao harbored quite a few grievances against Wu Changhe in his heart, he would not shirk his responsibilities when it was time to fulfill them. Just as before, when he had risked overstepping his bounds to urge Wu Changhe to retreat, this time he was still determined to try again.

As Shen Hao hurried over to the Restriction Array, he saw for himself how this so-called "counteract" was executed: formations of Xuanqing Guards were targeting the "protrusion points" detected by scouts and attacking them simultaneously, using Thunderbolt Talismans.

Within his line of sight, every attack was focused onto a circular area with a radius of one chi, guided by assigned personnel. When the blast struck the intended spot, a strange ripple would appear in what seemed like empty space, as if a large rock had been tossed into the tranquil surface of a lake.

Wu Changhe stood not far away, hands clasped behind his back, closely observing the changes in the Restriction Array ahead. With a cultivation of the Primordial Pill Realm Third Layer, he was the highest in the scene, and this was his confidence to remain so close to the Restriction Array.

From the moment the first protrusion point was struck, Wu Changhe felt an obvious fluctuation in the previously concealed Restriction Array before him, to the extent that even those with lower cultivation could finally sense its existence. Moreover, these fluctuations were growing weaker with each round of counteracting blasts at the protrusion points.

As long as this layer of Restriction Array was broken, everything that had transpired inside would be clear at a glance, and Wu Changhe was ready to report upwards with the final result.

Yet, seeing that man named Shen hurrying over, Wu Changhe’s originally serene mood was immediately disturbed, his brows tightened. He had grown very unpleasant toward this man, who ignored his commands and was becoming increasingly undisciplined.

"Subordinate pays respects to Lord Thousand Households!"

"Mm." Wu Changhe glanced at Shen Hao, who bowed before him, snorted nasally, and continued to focus on the ongoing counteracting deployment ahead, making it clear he had no intention of conversing with Shen Hao.

Seeing Wu Changhe in such a state, Shen Hao dared not delay, stepped two paces closer, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, this subordinate made some minor discoveries while scouting the perimeter today. There may be something unusual about the Restriction Array at Caiyuan Village—there might be mysteries hidden within. Therefore, I beg you to suspend the counteraction and allow this subordinate to report in detail."

Wu Changhe’s lips twitched, his tone calm: "Lord Shen, you’ve worked hard. Just keep probing the perimeter; the rest is not for you to worry about. Stand down."

"But my lord, I discovered something important..."

"Stand down!"

Just two words, but they struck Shen Hao like a heavy sledgehammer, leaving him dizzy and his body subconsciously collapsing to the ground. Only then did Wu Changhe withdraw the overwhelming pressure that had flashed from his body.

This was a forceful suppression using cultivation, a clear sign he did not wish to hear another word from Shen Hao.

He thought privately: Cultivators of the Primordial Pill Realm are terrifying indeed.

Shen Hao did not speak further. After catching his breath, he rose from the ground. Under Wu Changhe’s gaze, he offered a slight bow before turning to leave. Only, in the instant he turned away, his previously calm expression had turned ashen.

"Hmph, continue the bombardment!"

Wu Changhe watched Shen Hao’s departure coldly; the pent-up frustration in his chest finally eased somewhat. If not for Jiang Cheng’s sake, he would have used his pressure to knock Shen unconscious right then, making the man thoroughly embarrass himself. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Even as Wu Changhe was feeling relieved, another round of counteracting strikes fell from the formation ahead. Each volley of ten Thunderbolt Talismans now carried power surpassing a full-force strike from the Primordial Pill Realm Fifth Layer, smashing the protrusion points of the Restriction Array. Each strike neutralized a vast amount of energy, causing the array’s fluctuations to weaken.

But this time, after a thunderous crash, Wu Changhe keenly sensed something was amiss.

"What’s going on? Just now I clearly felt a fresh surge burst out from inside the Restriction Array! Is this..." Wu Changhe’s mind grew inexplicably unsettled. He turned to look at Luo Rencheng behind him, only to find that the Array Master no longer wore his usual calm, but rather looked stupefied.

"Master Luo, did you sense that just now? What’s happening?"

"Yes, this is array reconstruction! How could this be? The protrusion points are being neutralized—by right the array’s energy should have been rapidly fading away to nothing. Could it be... could there is a massive energy source within Caiyuan Village? That’s... that’s impossible!"

Luo Rencheng’s words made Wu Changhe’s heart clench. He was no Array Master, but his cultivation at the Primordial Pill Realm had exposed him to array theory; he knew well what "array reconstruction" meant. At the very least, it meant that their original plan to violently breach this Restriction Array by brute force was too simplistic now.

"Then, Master Luo, do you think the counteracting should conti—Oh no!"

Wu Changhe hadn’t finished his sentence when the Restriction Array behind him suddenly rebounded like an over-compressed spring, violently erupting with a flood of energy several or even dozens of times stronger than before, then the array began to expand.

"Move, now!"

Wu Changhe seized Luo Rencheng beside him, unleashed his full strength to dash away. Within several seconds, the two had already leapt dozens of zhang...

A dozen breaths later, Wu Changhe stopped, face pale, at the position over a li further back where they had retreated before. Behind him, just a few chi away, was the shifting boundary of the expanded Restriction Array.

If Wu Changhe had reacted even half a beat slower, neither he nor Luo Rencheng could have escaped. Faced with the array’s sudden expansion, they would have been engulfed just like all the Xuanqing Guards within the prior one-li radius who hadn’t managed to get out in time.

Luo Rencheng’s face was equally pale. He knew that, even though Wu Changhe had pulled him out at the last moment and spared him from being caught in the array, what awaited him would not be pleasant. As a dignified Array Master, to have committed a blunder of such magnitude, causing what could be the greatest casualty in the Xuanqing Guard in decades—this responsibility...

Wu Changhe’s heart was already bitter to the extreme. The only consolation, perhaps, was that he had been sharp-eyed and quick enough to drag Luo Rencheng out with him—having someone to share the blame with was always somewhat better.

Looking around once more, Wu Changhe could only let out a silent, long sigh. Aside from Luo Rencheng, there was no other Black Robe beside him.

Wang Yiming, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, was ghostly pale. He had yet to find his own superior; no need to guess—seeing how Wu Changhe was now almost completely alone, he knew the rest had likely all been swallowed up.

Wang Yiming dared not approach Wu Changhe; the latter’s Evil Qi was overwhelming and impossible to meet head-on. And Wang Yiming also understood—regardless of the casualties among those caught in the array, this Lord Thousand Households was unlikely to remain secure in his position.

He thought again of the report he had just dispatched to the Governor’s Office before escaping; perhaps, if he acted now, he could retrieve it in time, for the situation here would certainly require further explanation and an urgent plea for aid.

In fact, Wang Yiming’s calculations were unnecessary; with most of the Xuanqing Guards once again caught within, only the garrison soldiers remained unharmed—their encirclement spanned thirty li. With yet another upheaval, the garrison outposts had already scrambled to report back to their superiors, Zhang and Gan...