That was right. He had become a mummified corpse!

Zhao Nan, the Daoist Master from the Zhongnan Mountains, stared wide-eyed, his face a canvas of terror and disbelief. He seemed unable to comprehend why Li Sanbai had suddenly turned on them. The other two Daoist Masters wore expressions of equal fear. Their mouths were agape as if they wanted to scream for help. Unfortunately, the dead cannot speak.

"Interesting," Xu Lai chuckled softly. "With such a low Boundary, it's impossible to lay a true Spirit Gathering Array. They can only use fresh blood as a catalyst to forcibly create a Pseudo-Spiritual Vein, taking the heretical path."

Dongfang Xun looked baffled, vaguely understanding that Xu Lai was implying there was something wrong with his master's Formation. He hurriedly explained, "Senior, my master is a gentleman. There can't be any problems with his Formations."

Li Sanbai. The number one Feng Shui master in Southeast Asia. Though not the top martial artist in Harbour City, he was, in the truest sense, the foremost figure—a spiritual leader. For decades, Li Sanbai had done countless good deeds.

"Oh?" Xu Lai gave Dongfang Xun a meaningful glance.

Compared to his master, Dongfang Xun, who only scammed people with fake Magic Artifacts, is 'kind' indeed.

"Mr. Xu, could it be dangerous here? Should we head down the mountain first?" Su Daiyi asked respectfully.

"Didn't you come to watch the show?" Xu Lai laughed lightly. "Since you're here to watch, you should see it through to the end."

Xu Lai was actually quite curious to see what kind of stunt the widely revered Li Sanbai intended to pull today. Once this heretical Formation was activated, the void wouldn't be filled by a mere three lives. It would likely demand the thousands of Martial Artists on and below the mountain, as well as the members of the major families from Jiangnan and Jiangbei who had rushed over. This Li Sanbai had planned from the very beginning to bury thousands of people here.

...

Zou Qingsheng also heard Xu Lai's words. He couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Xu Lai, have you lost your mind? How dare you slander Master Li Sanbai by claiming his Formation has a problem? Gao He, what do you think?"

Gao He remained silent. His confidant, Tan Chang, absolutely believed in Xu Lai, and he, in turn, absolutely believed in Tan Chang. Still... to claim this Formation has a problem is utterly disrespectful! He said nothing, pretending to rest with his eyes closed. I'll just consider this a favor to Tan Chang.

Zou Qingsheng jeered, "Xu Lai, you may be a Ninth Grade Martial Ancestor, but you're not invincible. You need to understand that there is always someone stronger."

"That's right," the other Eighth Grade Martial Ancestors from Jiangbei chimed in mockingly. "If you don't show reverence for your betters, you'll die a miserable death."

Xu Lai just smiled without saying a word. In Zou Qingsheng's eyes, however, that smile was filled with scorn. It was an outright show of disdain!

Just as he was about to explode with rage, a roar echoed from the mountain's peak: "Formation, complete!"

As Li Sanbai's voice fell, countless Spirit Stones engraved with Array Patterns gradually vanished from sight. The Formation was successfully deployed!

In the next moment, endless Spiritual Energy gathered from all directions, instantly enveloping Mount Fu in a dense concentration of Spiritual Energy. Vaguely, one could even see Immortal Cranes condensed from Spiritual Energy dancing among the trees, while the clouds above shimmered with iridescent light.

This sight filled the Martial Artists and ordinary people at the foot and halfway up the mountain with immense joy.

The Formation succeeded? Just like that? Master Li Sanbai, the foremost authority in Feng Shui, is truly remarkable!

Forget Martial Artists below the Sixth Grade; even Seventh Grade Martial Ancestors didn't want to miss the massive flood of Spiritual Energy from the nascent Spirit Vein. They hurriedly sat down cross-legged, intent on enjoying the first slice of the cake!

The ordinary people followed suit, imitating the cultivation posture of the Martial Artists, but their joy lasted for less than ten seconds.

Suddenly, the scene before them changed. The dancing Immortal Cranes vanished, and the vibrant clouds dimmed, twisting into clumps of inky black. Across the surface of the vast Mount Fu range, layers of blood-red liquid began to ooze forth, emitting a nauseating, bloody stench. Within the liquid were white Skull Heads and stark white bones.

In the blink of an eye, the serene Spirit Vein had transformed into Hell. A chilling wind blew, carrying with it hair-raising, pitiful screams.

This was... the suppressed monster of the Blood Pool!

Atop the mountain, Dongfang Xun recognized it at a glance and began to tremble with fear. It's here! It's here again! That terrifying thing is back!

If it hadn't been for the Magic Artifacts Xu Lai gave Su Daiyi and Old Jiang Ba last time, he knew he wouldn't have gotten off with just a shattered Dao foundation—he would have lost his life in that hotel. Remembering this, Dongfang Xun quietly moved to stand behind Xu Lai.

If not for his fear of displeasing Xu Lai, he would have desperately clung to the man's leg, hanging on like a koala...

"What is this thing?" Gao He, Zou Qingsheng, and the others paled.

No one answered.

From the pool of blood covering the ground, pairs of skeletal hands shot out, attempting to seize their prey. But how could a group of Eighth and Ninth Grade Martial Ancestors allow themselves to be captured so easily? They mobilized their Spiritual Energy, intending to soar into the air and fly away, but unexpectedly... The moment they tried, their Spiritual Energy was drained away by the Formation, completely beyond their control!

"This—" Zou Qingsheng's scalp crawled with terror. His Spiritual Energy had vanished, completely beyond his control.

"AHH! What is this thing?! Help! Someone help me...!"

"My Spiritual Energy... it's draining away! What's happening?!"

"Attack together! We have to break out of here!"

...

The Martial Artists at the foot of the mountain and on its slopes initially tried to escape, but they quickly fell into despair. Their Boundaries were too low. A terrifying pressure bore down on them, rendering them immobile as the Formation forcibly siphoned away their Spiritual Energy. Once their Spiritual Energy was gone, pairs of skeletal hands rose from the reeking blood pool. They latched onto their legs and arms, dragging them down, one by one, into the depths.

They couldn't understand what had gone wrong. Wasn't this supposed to be a Spirit Vein? Why had it suddenly become Hell?

WHOOSH—

A gust of Demonic Wind swept past, dispersing the Mist at the peak.

Li Sanbai's face was deathly pale, completely drained of color. He staggered to his feet and spat out a large mouthful of blood. His expression was tinged with madness!

"Another Pseudo-Spiritual Vein... Why is it another Pseudo-Spiritual Vein? The Array Patterns were perfect, and my Boundary is clearly higher than it was twenty years ago... but I've failed again."

Li Sanbai's face twisted, and he couldn't stop himself from letting out a long, agonized roar to the heavens: "I've failed again!!!"

"Master..." Dongfang Xun was stunned. He had never seen his master lose his composure like this, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He quickly cried out, "Master, the monster of the Blood Pool has escaped again! Please, you must save them!"

"Save them?" Li Sanbai turned and tilted his head. He smiled, a smile so brilliant it made Dongfang Xun's eyebrows twitch uncontrollably as a profound sense of unease washed over him.

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