Chapter 259: Array Deployment, Killing the Divine Refiner

Chapter 259: Array Deployment, Killing the Divine Refiner

At this moment, Xu Yan's eyes turned cold as he looked at Fang Hao and asked, "Junior Brother, how much time do you need to set up the array? Can it isolate the soul power of a Divine Refiner and confuse a Divine Warrior?"

Fang Hao was taken aback, his heart skipped a beat, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

"What do you mean, Senior Brother?"

He swallowed his saliva, a little incredulous.

"Let's set up an array and practice our skills on a Divine Refiner. I also want to test the might of my sword array," Xu Yan said with a brilliant smile.

He had let the brown-robed warrior go to lure out the Divine Refiner.

"Yes, I want to test the might of my hidden blade as well," Meng Chong said, scratching his head.

"I... I want to try too!" Su Lingxiu exclaimed excitedly.

With their Master around, even if the opponent's Divine Refiner was too strong, they wouldn't be in any danger even if they lost.

"No problem, let's use a Divine Refiner as practice!" Fang Hao's blood boiled with enthusiasm.

It is only by daring to challenge the mighty that one becomes truly strong. He realized that he had been lacking some courage.

As a freelance cultivator, the authority of the Spirit Sect and the noble families loomed large, dampening his spirit of daring to challenge them. But now, an opportunity had presented itself.

It was time to break through his mental barriers and look down upon the Spirit Sect and the noble families!

"I've already refined some of the array devices in the past few days, so setting up the array shouldn't be a problem," Fang Hao said.

Although the Qi Men Bing Xia had not been completely refined, he had managed to refine some of the array devices.

The Phantom Soul-Bewildering Array, the Phoenix Fire Trap Array... these two arrays could be set up, and in addition, there was the even more advanced Confusion Inversion Array.

"Good! Let us four brothers challenge the Divine Refiners!" Xu Yan said with a smile.

Li Xuan marveled at Xu Yan's capabilities as a senior brother. He truly possessed the fearless and daring will to challenge the mighty.

This was how invincible powerhouses rose to prominence.

Xu Yan had the makings of a protagonist!

The four disciples left the manor and began searching for a suitable location to set up their array.

From his vantage point, Fang Hao quickly spotted an ideal terrain that was not only perfect for array deployment but would also enhance the might of the Heaven's Qi Men formation.

With the array devices in hand, they quickly set up the formation. But even after the array was complete, Fang Hao didn't stop.

With a solemn expression, he began to sketch restrictions, integrating them with the array, and then deploying the Heaven's Qi Men formation, putting into practice all his recent insights into the Qi Men martial arts.

"Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Senior Sister, put on these array beads so that you won't be affected by the array," Fang Hao said as he handed three array beads to Xu Yan, Meng Chong, and Su Lingxiu.

"Good!" The three of them took the beads.

Su Lingxiu held a shovel in her hand, feeling a bit nervous. After all, they were about to face a Divine Refiner in battle!

Fang Hao stood in his Qi Men formation, awaiting the arrival of the Divine Refiner. His palms were sweaty as this was his first time facing such a powerful opponent.

Xu Yan took to the sky and stood on a large tree, waiting for the enemy to appear.

Meng Chong's figure disappeared within the grand formation.

At this moment, the grand formation had not yet been fully activated and was in a hidden state.

An hour later, two figures sped across the sky in the distance.

After receiving the news, Su Liencheng and Ke Linping had sent a message back to the Jade God Sect and the Su family. They were now rushing towards the outskirts of the capital of Zhenguo, where Xu Yan had appeared.

Although Xu Yan and Meng Chong had joined forces to kill a Divine Refiner, they might be in danger if they faced one alone. However, with the two of them together, there was no need to worry.

"I never thought that Xu Yan would be hiding in Zhenguo. Could he have something to do with Zhenguo?" Su Liencheng said in a deep voice.

"Zhenguo does not involve itself in the martial arts disputes of Yuzhou. Although we have put a bounty on Xu Yan and Meng Chong, they will not get involved or even pass on the message to us," Ke Linping said with a hint of envy.

"To have the support of the Super Spirit Sect is truly enviable!"

Even if Zhenguo was secretly protecting Xu Yan, they wouldn't dare to take action against Zhenguo unless the Super Spirit Sect ordered them to. No force in the Spirit Domain would dare to attack Zhenguo recklessly.

"The door to the Spirit Domain has been closed, and Zhenguo's mission has been lost. Could they still..." Su Liencheng said, puzzled.

"The door to the Spirit Domain is closed, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Naturally, guardians are still needed, and Zhenguo's mission will continue," Ke Linping sighed.

Why couldn't this mission have been given to the Jade God Sect? With their strength and the backing of the Super Spirit Sect, they could easily dominate Yuzhou and become a powerful sect among the first-rate Spirit Sects in no time.

Alas, the mission belonged exclusively to the royal family of Zhenguo, and no one dared to lay a finger on it.

"Hey, isn't that—Xu Yan?" Suddenly, Ke Linping's face changed as he spoke.

Su Liencheng raised his eyes and immediately exclaimed with delight, "Yes, it's Xu Yan!"

The two men glanced at each other and were immediately filled with excitement. With their strength, capturing Xu Yan would be a breeze.

Without hesitation, they moved towards Xu Yan, their soul power surging as they rushed towards him with incredible speed.

"Xu Yan, boy, hand over your life!" Su Liencheng roared angrily.

Xu Yan seemed startled and turned to leave, instantly disappearing into the forest below.

Fang Hao's palms were sweaty with nervousness, for this was the first time in his life that he had encountered the lofty Divine Refiners, and the first time he had dared to take action against them.

Boom! The power of their soul force rippled forth, and as Su Liencheng and Ke Linping stepped into the formation, Fang Hao took a deep breath and stamped his foot, channeling the might of the heavens and earth towards him.

The Heavenly Qi Men formation manifested, using the might of the heavens and earth to counter the oppressive might of their soul force.

The grand formation was now activated, filling the area with heavy mist, reversing directions, and igniting the phoenix fire!

"Not good!" Ke Linping's expression changed as he tried to retreat, only to find himself faced with the terrifying phoenix fire, and his soul force, obscured by the mist, had lost its sense of direction.

He had lost his bearings!

At this moment, he felt as if he had fallen into a mysterious space.

Boom! Ke Linping gripped a large axe and roared, slashing at the phoenix fire with all his might.

Boom!

The phoenix fire raged, and the axe's might was astonishing.

Fang Hao's expression changed slightly, but he remained calm, shifting his footing to manipulate the Heavenly Qi Men formation. He utilized the grand formation's power to redirect Ke Linping's attack to another location, where Su Liencheng was.

Su Liencheng, upon entering the formation, also sensed that something was amiss and immediately became alert, holding a pair of short spears as he guarded against their surroundings.

"Brother Ke?" Su Liencheng called out, but received no response.

Suddenly, an axe blade slashed through the mist towards him.

"Not good!" Su Liencheng's face changed, and he blocked the attack with his spears, the impact causing him to stumble back two steps.

"Brother Su, it's me!" Meng Chong hastily explained.

However, before he could finish, another axe blade slashed at him from the side.

Su Liencheng hurriedly blocked the attack and wondered, "What's going on?"

His heart sank as he realized he couldn't continue like this. Thus, he struck out towards the direction of the attacks.

Ke Linping was also trying to break free from the formation when a sudden strike from a large spear came at him.

"Brother Su!" Ke Linping exclaimed in surprise as he blocked the attack.

Fang Hao was now breathing heavily, as channeling the Heavenly Qi Men formation and manipulating the grand formation's power to redirect their attacks had taken a toll on him due to his lower cultivation level.

He was reaching his limit.

Seeing this, Xu Yan spoke up, "Leave that one to me!"

He pointed at Ke Linping and said, "I'll deal with the elder from the Jade God Sect."

The elder from the Jade God Sect was the stronger opponent.

"Alright, I'll take on the one from the Su family then!" Meng Chong nodded.

Ke Linping took a deep breath, and a ripple appeared on his forehead as he refined his soul force. His aura climbed steadily as he attempted to break through the mist and find an escape route.

Suddenly, his expression changed, and he roared as he brought his axe down in a powerful slash.

Boom!

A young figure emerged from the mist.

Fine gusts of wind swirled around him, layer upon layer, exuding a chilling killing intent.

"Xu Yan, you brat!" Ke Linping gritted his teeth.

"The Jade God Sect sure is generous with its resources. Since you dare to pursue me, you should be prepared to pay the price. Today, I'll take your life!" Xu Yan said coldly.

With a single step, the Mountain River Sword Formation appeared, surrounding Ke Linping with countless sword auras that layered upon each other, interconnected by a unique set of rules.

Gentle gusts of wind circled within the sword formation.

Ke Linping's heart trembled. What kind of sword cultivation technique was this? He had never heard of it nor seen anything like it before!

"The Divine Refiners of second and third-rate sects and families are nothing compared to those of a first-rate sect like the Jade God Sect. Xu Yan, your strength is indeed impressive, but you've underestimated the Divine Refiners of a first-rate sect," Ke Linping sneered.

As his soul force rippled, a vague human-shaped ripple appeared above his head.

Streams of power converged towards him.

A white glow shone from his body, and the axe in his hand blazed with axe shadows that layered upon each other, encircling the area around him.

A heavy aura spread out from him, seemingly capable of countering the sword formation.

Xu Yan's eyebrows furrowed slightly. Ke Linping was indeed worthy of being an elder of the Jade God Sect. Despite both of them being at the early stage of Divine Refinement, Ke Linping's soul force and the martial arts he cultivated far surpassed Dai Sheng's.

"So this is the strength of an elder from a first-rate sect."

Xu Yan's expression turned slightly solemn.

Dai Sheng and the other Divine Refiner he had faced were both weaklings among Divine Refiners. While they might be stronger than most freelance cultivators, they were undoubtedly considered weaklings among the Divine Refiners of sects and influential families.

"Today, I shall test my sword on you!"

Xu Yan raised his hand and pointed, and the sword array sprang to life, the sword lights revealing themselves as murderous intent filled the air, dispelling the mist.

"Junior Brother, leave this array to me."

Fang Hao's voice sounded from within the mist.

"Good!"

Ke Linping's face turned grave. How could this mysterious place be artificially arranged? What kind of ability was this? The killing intent in his heart grew stronger. He had to kill Xu Yan and eliminate this hidden danger; otherwise, the Jade God Sect would be in peril! He couldn't allow Xu Yan to continue growing stronger.

Boom!

As Fang Hao relinquished control of the grand array, it instantly transformed into a sword array. The mist swirled with the gentle breeze of the Xun Wind Sword Intent, and the phoenix fire transformed into a majestic landscape.

"Kill!"

Ke Linping roared, and his axe shadow raged like a storm. The human-shaped ripple above his head rippled, projecting a soul-suppressing pressure that merged with his axe shadow.

Xu Yan stood still, his fingers pointing. The sword array spun, and the landscape surged, enveloping all the incoming attacks. The phoenix fire transformed into countless sharp swords, sweeping forward like a flood.

He had come to this battle to temper his sword array.

On the other side, Meng Chong transformed into a six-zhang tall golden armored giant as soon as he made his move.

Su Liencheng let out a low roar, his eyes shining with a cold light. "Meng Chong?"

He was shocked to his core. A six-zhang golden armored giant was not an exaggeration; it was real.

Could this Meng Chong be a giant?

In the Spirit Domain, had there ever been such a gigantic person? Meng Chong punched out, and Su Liencheng's double-bladed spears slashed, directly breaking through Meng Chong's armor and exposing his flesh. It even left a shallow wound on his body.

However, the Undying Divine Armor instantly recovered, and that little wound had no effect on Meng Chong at all.

"The Refine God technique is indeed too strong. With my Undying Golden Body, I still can't completely defend against it."

Meng Chong's heart trembled.

Su Liencheng was even more shocked. What kind of terrifying body was this?

Boom!

He wielded his double-bladed spears and furiously slashed at Meng Chong.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the earth flipped, and a large blade flew from below, fiercely chopping down. Its might was unparalleled, as if it wanted to cleave the sky itself!

Su Liencheng's face changed, and he slammed his double-bladed spears downward.

Bang!

The large blade shattered, but as it broke apart, the blade light surged in mid-air and chopped down again.

"Where did this blade come from?"

Su Liencheng was startled.

Meng Chong's expression was solemn. Although he had reached the Concealed Blade Realm, where his blade was invisible and his kills left no trace, and blades could be found everywhere in the world, Su Liencheng's strength was just too powerful.

Even with Meng Chong's all-out effort, he couldn't defeat his opponent.

Su Liencheng was initially a little flustered, but as a Refine God cultivator with abundant battle experience, he quickly stabilized himself. His double-bladed spears unleashed a furious storm of attacks.

Meng Chong's armor continued to shatter and recover, and wounds appeared on his flesh.

Buzz!

Suddenly, Su Liencheng felt his body sink as if he had fallen into a swamp. Countless heavy shovel shapes surged towards him.

A young girl, looking both nervous and excited, wielded a shovel and attacked him!

"Who are you?"

Su Lingxiu was both nervous and excited. Finally, she had a chance to use the Great Marsh God Shovel. She replied, "Your great-grandmother—no, wait, I don't have a great-grandson as old as you!"

Su Liencheng's nose twitched in annoyance. Suddenly, he created an opening in Meng Chong's defense and moved towards Su Lingxiu.

Buzz!

The phoenix fire coiled like a giant serpent, sweeping in from the side, and the mist enveloped Su Lingxiu, hiding her from view.

"Chop!"

At that moment, Meng Chong transformed his hand into a blade and chopped down with an Absolute God Chop!

Boom!

Su Liencheng was startled. He frantically circulated his soul-refining technique, condensing his soul power without dispersing it. His double-bladed spears swept out, aiming for Meng Chong!

Boom!

Soul power rippled, and that chop nearly severed his soul.

"This is a soul-attacking technique?"

Su Liencheng was shocked.

This kind of soul-attacking technique was possessed by only a few forces in the entire Spirit Domain, and without exception, they were all core secret techniques.

Without being a direct disciple, one wouldn't be able to cultivate them!

"Who exactly are you people?"

"We're the ones who will kill you!"

Meng Chong replied coldly.

Swish!

Suddenly, fine rays of light flew towards them, and the young girl appeared again.

The phoenix fire and mist also appeared one after another, binding him.

At one point, he swept his double-bladed spears, and his face changed drastically. Clearly, he was attacking the young girl in front of him, so why did he end up striking a stone? And the young girl appeared in another direction, with fine golden needles, one of which pricked his arm.

In an instant, the pricked area seemed to lose its vitality!

Su Liencheng's face paled, and he hurriedly shook off the golden needle.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end