148: Chaos 2

Eunuch Cao was slowly and methodically twirling his Dark Jade Prayer Bead, his narrow eyes scanning the chaotic scene. His gaze lingered on Chen Linsheng, Yan Chen, Mu Qingxue, and Han Tie one by one, then swept over the four pillars of light, the Formation patterns emerging from underground, and several figures in the frantic crowd who seemed crazed but moved with calculated precision.

He was evaluating, waiting.

"Eunuch, should we intervene?" an attendant on his left whispered.

"No rush," Eunuch Cao said calmly. "Let the fire burn for a while. I also want to see just how capable these young talents of Jiuqu Prefecture really are. Besides..."

He cast his gaze toward a shadow in the Drill Ground: "The mastermind hasn't shown their face yet."

...Chen Linsheng fought while retreating, eventually reuniting with the people from the Yangwei Martial Arts Hall.

The Martial Arts Hall Master's face was grim. His Hunyuan Palm strength was peerlessly vigorous; with every palm strike, a Blood Puppet would be sent flying with its bones shattered. Instructors like Di Moyu, Liu Ruyan, and Zhao Linger each led Disciples in a defensive Formation. Although there were occasional casualties, their Formation remained steady.

"Linsheng, how are your injuries?" The Martial Arts Hall Master shattered two Blood Puppets with a palm strike and asked in a deep voice.

"Just flesh wounds, no matter. Master, this Formation is strange; it's absorbing blood, Qi, and fear to strengthen itself. We must destroy the pillars of light as soon as possible!" Chen Linsheng said quickly.

"I've noticed that too. But the pillars of light must be heavily guarded; charging the Formation blindly is suicide." The Martial Arts Hall Master's gaze swept toward the viewing platform. "Lord Ling Feng is already organizing the Pojun Guard for a heavy assault. We should hold our ground and protect more examinees and commoners."

Chen Linsheng nodded, but he knew that passive defense was not a long-term solution. If the Formation wasn't broken, the Blood Puppets would be endless (he noticed some downed Blood Puppets were slowly absorbing blood Qi to recover), and the Yin-Fiend Qi would erode their minds. Over time, their combat strength would inevitably decline.

He looked again at the trajectory of the Formation's energy flow.

His perception from [Tracking Perfection] was pushed to the limit at this moment. Blood-colored patterns, the gathering of blood Qi, the circulation of Yin-Fiend energy, the intense pulsing of the light pillars... countless pieces of information intertwined and were analyzed in his mind.

Suddenly, his pupils constricted slightly.

The energy of the four pillars of light was not uniform! The one in the southeast corner was the thickest, followed by the one in the northwest. The pillars in the northeast and southwest were noticeably thinner, and their energy fluctuations had a slight intermittent feel!

"That's it... the Formation was set up in a hurry, or the Formation foundations were interfered with by underground rock layers or old building foundations, resulting in uneven energy transmission!" Chen Linsheng's eyes lit up. "The northeast and southwest points are relative weaknesses! If we can concentrate our strength to attack one of them, we might be able to shake the Formation!"

But just as his thoughts turned, a bone-chilling killing intent suddenly locked onto him!

It wasn't from the Blood Puppets, nor from the chaotic crowd, but from—underground!

"Watch out!"

Chen Linsheng shouted a warning while simultaneously lunging backward!

"Boom!"

The ground where he had been standing suddenly exploded! Debris and soil, carrying cold blood Qi, shot into the sky! A hand, withered like a ghost claw with dark blue-black nails, burst out of the earth, reaching straight for his calf!

If not for his keen perception and early evasion, this claw would have been enough to crush his leg bone!

"Cowardly rats hiding their heads!" The Martial Arts Hall Master roared, striking a palm toward that spot on the ground from a distance!

The vigorous palm strength blasted an even larger crater, but only shattered a few pieces of blood-stained cloth—the attacker, having missed, had actually retreated back underground!

"It's the White Lotus Sect's 'Earth-Walking Ghost Hands'!" Liu Ruyan's face changed slightly. "They specialize in Earth Escape assassinations; they're impossible to guard against!"

Before she finished speaking, several spots on the ground exploded simultaneously. More ghost claws reached out, grabbing at the lower bodies of the Martial Arts Hall Disciples!

Screams rang out as two Disciples were caught off guard. Their calves were struck by the claw winds, and their flesh immediately tore open. The wounds quickly turned black and festered, clearly poisoned!

"Form the array, keep moving, don't stay in one place!" Chen Linsheng shouted. At the same time, he grabbed a broken wooden stake from the ground, infused it with Python Dragon Strength, and hurled it fiercely at a spot on the ground that had just moved!

"Puchi!"

The stake sank three feet into the ground. A muffled groan came from below, and then there was no more movement.

But during this distraction, three Blood Puppets took the opportunity to break through the defensive line, roaring as they pounced toward Su Wan, who was applying medicine to the wounded!

Su Wan had just achieved a Breakthrough in the fourth level of the Plain Heart Art, "Clear Mirror, Still Water," and her mind was far calmer than an average person's. She didn't panic; she raised her slender hand, and three silver needles coated with trauma medicine powder shot out, accurately hitting the Blood Puppets' eye sockets!

Amidst a "hissing" sound, white smoke rose from the Blood Puppets' eye sockets, and their movements faltered.

Chen Linsheng had already arrived like the wind. His left palm, using "Suppressing the Mountain," crushed one head, his right leg swept out to break another's knee, and the last one had its chest split open by the arriving Shi Poyue's axe!

"Wan'er, are you alright?" Chen Linsheng stood in front of her.

"I'm fine." Su Wan quickly bandaged a wounded person and looked up at Chen Linsheng, deep worry in her eyes. "A Sheng, your hand..."

The wound on Chen Linsheng's right palm had split open, and blood was dripping down his arm. He didn't care, tearing off a piece of his hem to wrap it roughly. "It's just a surface wound. Take the wounded and the weaker Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters toward the viewing platform. There are guards there, so it's relatively safe. Master, please assign two Instructors to escort them."

The Martial Arts Hall Master nodded. "Moyu, Ruyan, take some people and escort Wan'er and the others! Linger, stay with me and hold this position!"

"A Sheng, you..." Su Wan hesitated.

"I must stay." Chen Linsheng looked toward the pillar of light in the northeast corner. "The Formation has a weakness; there might be a chance."

Su Wan bit her lip and said no more, only stuffing a bottle of trauma medicine and two Heart-Clearing Pills into his hand. "Be careful."

Just as the people from the Martial Arts Hall split up, the situation on the Drill Ground worsened again!

In the direction of the northwest corner, Han Tie's battle Formation was finally broken! An exceptionally tall Blood Puppet endured three saber strikes, grabbed a soldier, and opened its foul-smelling mouth to bite his neck fiercely! The soldier screamed, thrusting his battle saber into the Blood Puppet's abdomen with all his might, and both perished together.

With one corner of the Formation broken, the rest of the Blood Puppets swarmed in! Han Tie's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his battle saber wildly, slaying three Blood Puppets in succession, only to be tackled from the flank by a fourth! He was about to have his throat torn open by sharp teeth—

"Ice Seal!"

A cold female voice rang out, and a streak of ice-blue Sword Qi arrived first, piercing and freezing the Blood Puppet's head!

Mu Qingxue arrived gracefully, her sword light flashing again to sever the legs of another Blood Puppet pouncing on Han Tie. The few people following her were also covered in wounds; clearly, fighting their way through had not been easy.

"Thanks!" Han Tie scrambled up, panting heavily.

"Form up and move toward the northeast corner," Mu Qingxue said quickly. "That pillar of light is weaker. Lord Ling Feng has already gathered forces to attack the southeast; we can try to provide support from the northeast."

Han Tie looked toward the northeast and indeed found that while there were many Blood Puppets around that pillar, there seemed to be fewer White Lotus Sect elites guarding it, and the pillar's light was flickering unsteadily.