Chapter 151: The Aura of Death

Array formation flags are consumable items. He and Mo Sitong had refined a great number of them, but a single set would completely wear out and become useless after about a month of use. He was currently a Tier 4 artifact refiner, and only by increasing his rank would he be able to deploy large-scale Spirit-Gathering Arrays.

With a flick of Liu Junhuai's wrist, thirty-six array flags fluttered toward different directions and submerged into the ground. He immediately cast several array hand seals and placed dozens of high-grade spirit stones in the corresponding positions to provide power for the array.

In the blink of an eye, clouds and mist rapidly surged forth from the spots where the array flags had submerged. Within a short moment, an area of several hundred meters radius turned into a thick mass of fog.

A trace of a smile appeared at the corners of Liu Junhuai's mouth. After all, this was his first time deploying such a large Spirit-Gathering Array. The reason he had slipped out quietly to set up the array was precisely out of fear that he would lose face if his first attempt failed. Now, it seemed he had worried needlessly.

Seeing that the sun was no longer early, Liu Junhuai packed away the remaining weapons, bade farewell to the others, and arrived at the Sect Alliance.

Guan Chaoyong and Fang Yexu had been waiting for a long time. Knowing that Liu Junhuai still had to arrange various trivial matters for his sect, they had not disturbed him.

Upon seeing Liu Junhuai arrive, both of them wore looks of astonishment. Fang Yexu said, "No wonder Sect Master Xiao had such a mysterious look on his face when he returned after seeing Junhuai—it turns out he wanted to give us a surprise! Wonderful, Junhuai! The speed at which your realm is improving is truly startling! Domain Lord Mu has not misjudged his man; you are indeed worthy of Domain Lord Mu holding you in special regard."

Guan Chaoyong was also wearing a look of shock. "They all said I was a genius when I was young, reaching the Nascent Soul stage when I was not yet forty years old, yet I never expected that a monstrous existence like you would be less than twenty years old. Hall Master Fang, if I transmit this news back to my master sect, will it ruin my lifelong glorious reputation?"

Liu Junhuai laughed heartily. "I never expected that Hall Master Guan, who always wears such a stern expression, could also know how to joke. Actually, you look at least ten years younger when you are optimistic. Don't pull a long face all day long; this looks quite good on you!"

Guan Chaoyong laughed and said, "There is no help for it. The Enforcement Hall has this nature; being all smiles and laughter all day is not conducive to the dignity of the Enforcement Hall."

"That is true as well. The Enforcement Hall is inherently a thankless task that offends people, so being a bit more serious saves worry." Liu Junhuai looked toward Fang Yexu again. "Hall Master Fang, Uncle Xiao has already told me about the specific arrangements for this operation. I wonder how many men we have in our team?"

Fang Yexu replied, "Originally, we intended to draw some personnel from your Myriad Phenomena Sect to join. Later, considering that the Myriad Phenomena Sect has just been established and you certainly cannot spare the manpower for the time being, we drew two people from each sect, totaling over forty people. If you feel the manpower is insufficient, it is still in time to think of a way now!"

Liu Junhuai waved his hand and said, "There is no need. Domain Lord Mu requested a covert capture. A larger number of people would instead make it easier to expose ourselves, and the transport airships would also be a problem. The airship Domain Lord Mu lent me can only accommodate twenty people. How is Hall Master Fang's airship?"

Fang Yexu smiled and said, "That problem is of no consequence. My airship can carry over seventy people, though its speed cannot compare to the Galaxy in your hands. But I estimate that Domain Lord Mu has simply given this to you. With his status, how could he possibly ask for it back from a junior?"

Liu Junhuai chuckled, entirely unconcerned as he said, "I wouldn't dare accept Domain Lord Mu's gift. If I were to accept it, I would probably have to sell my life to him for a lifetime. I don't have an addiction to holding power; once the Myriad Phenomena Sect has a suitable candidate, I will immediately transfer it away. Living a carefree and unrestrained life is my most ideal lifestyle."

Guan Chaoyong let out a deep sigh, seemingly connecting it to many things. "There are not many people left with thoughts like Junhuai's. Maintaining a tranquil heart in the face of temptation at all times is no simple matter. I have participated in many cases, and the cultivators I have caught are driven by nothing more than wealth and power. How can such a mind consumed by greed and desire successfully conquer the Heart Tribulation beneath the Heavenly Tribulation?"

Fang Yexu continued, "Indeed. Take the Blood-Slaying Alliance, for instance—immersing themselves in conspiracy and scheming day in and day out, how can they cultivate virtue? For example, the primordial spirit of the Deity Transformation stage is directly related to the cultivation of virtue. High virtue knows no bounds, and its function is boundless. The more good deeds your primordial spirit does and the wider the virtue you accumulate, the more information support your primordial spirit will receive from the natural world. Doing good deeds without seeking reward is a spiritual realm, yet at the level of the Dao, this relationship is the conservation of energy. To respond to peach with plum is beyond one's power. When your merit reaches the state of selflessness, the division and transformation of the primordial spirit can possibly become endless."

"Domain Lord Grand Administration once arranged for us to go and listen to and receive the teachings of the eminent monk Taiyi. During those few months, what had to be recited during the morning class every day was: To study as a person is to have pure and mature precepts, with the three karmas free of evil; one should take the ordinary mind as the Dao, complying with the holy true meaning, engaging in no-action and non-doing, cultivating through non-cultivation, and practicing non-practice; attaining without verification, verifying without any verification. Acting thusly, one will naturally see one's true nature and break through the mortal and sacred barriers."

"This teaches that all actions must comply with correct principles and accord with the Middle Way. If any thoughts arise, the heart immediately stirs and becomes restless. According to the eminent monk's explanation, this is the Buddhist tradition's rule of entering the Dao passed down for tens of thousands of years. Since it has been passed down from ancestor to ancestor and lamp to lamp, all using this method as the core of the mind, naturally, the mindset of birth and death must be transformed into an indiscriminate, ordinary mind. In cultivating the Dharma, one cannot seek elsewhere while abandoning this. Thus, among the upper echelons of the Blood-Slaying Alliance, there is no lack of clever and wise people. How could they not pay attention to the cultivation of virtue?"

Liu Junhuai pondered for a long time. Deep in his heart, there was always a vague feeling, yet he could neither see it nor touch it.

With a thought in his mind, he swiftly activated the Heavenly Eye Vision, gazing for a long time at the blurry mass deep within his heart.

Gradually, the mirror surface of the Heavenly Eye Vision slowly manifested. After a flash of white light, a passage shimmering with golden light appeared within the mirror, making one eager to step inside and see what was truly going on.

Liu Junhuai's power of the primordial spirit cautiously probed into the passage. Suddenly, bursts of intermittent sounds of slaughter transmitted into Liu Junhuai's consciousness.

The power of the primordial spirit probed further forward with even greater caution. Finally, a scorching and dazzling blaze soaring into the sky almost blocked Liu Junhuai's vision.

As Liu Junhuai gradually adapted to this sudden brightness, what met his eyes across the sky was the chaotic noise of magic treasures flying about in disorder. Countless cultivator figures soared through this unknown space, and many grand weapons shattered and tumbled down in a colorful mess.

The ground was a seething mass of humanity. From one end to the other, the countryside was shaking, sinking, and melting, the infinitely vast space trembling just like the ocean. There were extremely violent explosions, endless flesh and blood flying everywhere, and crimson flames burning all over the ground and sky, echoing each other to form a gigantic, bottomless volcano...

On that boundless ground, there was only the crimson of fire and the red of fresh blood, reflecting the roars and screams of millions of cultivators fighting desperately to the death. The clouds in the sky and the clouds emerging from the depths of the earth were scattered across the ground, blending together.

At the end of the piles of corpses lay another scene of slaughter.

Axes were used to hack at chariot wheels against one another; whips and cudgels were used to beat and injure each other. Roars, appeals, the fatal cries of women, and the screams of children—the wide road was already jammed so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. Chariot axles were locked against chariot axles, panting horses were tangled up in ropes in disarray, the crowds were jammed and unable to move, and children were crying in mortal terror.

Suddenly, the pupils in Liu Junhuai's eyes constricted. High above that tragic and fierce battlefield, there was a single person quietly watching the shifting winds and clouds of the battlefield.

This was a young man clad in a deep purple woven brocade robe. His long black hair was tied up casually, revealing a sliver of skin as pure and translucent as white snow. Hanging at his waist was a precious sword with a golden, beast-mouthed, silver-threaded python-entwined green sharkskin scabbard. Beneath his slightly curved black hair, a pair of violet eyes radiated an eerie luster, matching the trace of innate haughtiness between his brows and exuding an aura of death.

The appearance of this person left Liu Junhuai dumbfounded, because the Heavenly Eye Vision could not see through this person's cultivation level at all. However, the aura of death revealed between his brows made Liu Junhuai feel an extreme, hair-raising terror.

Abruptly, that person's eerie gaze swept toward Liu Junhuai's direction. A flash of astonishment vanished in an instant, and his pale pink lips curled upward, bringing out an evil smile.

With his heart and soul shaken and terrified to the core, Liu Junhuai felt a sharp pain originate from his sea of consciousness. Immediately thereafter, the mirror shattered, and the power of the primordial spirit abruptly returned to the space between his brows.

The clamorous dust vanished into nothingness in an instant. After a patch of darkness, Liu Junhuai's dazed gaze moved away from those unknown illusions and slowly opened. He saw Fang Yexu and Guan Chaoyong leaning right over his face, startling Liu Junhuai so much that he shivered violently.

Fang Yexu's eyes were filled with care, the tip of his nose almost touching Liu Junhuai's face. "What is wrong, Junhuai? Just now, your complexion was terrifyingly pale, and your whole body was trembling. You didn't respond even when we called out to you!"

As for Guan Chaoyong, he was supporting Liu Junhuai's forehead with one palm while stroking his own cheek with the other, evidently testing Liu Junhuai's body temperature.

A wave of chilliness washed over Liu Junhuai's heart. He hurriedly flipped over and sat up, calling out with a flustered expression, "I say, two Hall Masters, I happen to like women. Although the two of you seniors have rather unique tastes, you still need to consider my psychological burden!"

"Bah!" The two of them spat simultaneously, their whites of eyes rolling continuously.

Seeing that Liu Junhuai still had the mood to banter, they knew he no longer had any problems and finally set their minds at ease.

Liu Junhuai, however, straightened his expression, bowed deeply to the two of them with cupped hands, and said, "True feelings are revealed in times of adversity. In such a condition, I actually caused the two of you to show such sincere concern. Grateful for the great affection of the two seniors, if there is ever a place where you need Junhuai in the future, just speak up. I will naturally exert myself to the utmost!"

He was truly deeply moved inside. Regardless of what their ultimate motives were, being able to reveal genuine emotions meant they could be considered people worth making friends with.

Fang Yexu and Guan Chaoyong smiled at each other, knowing that their unintentional, heartfelt concern had won the trust of this young genius.

Fang Yexu asked, "Junhuai, what happened just now? You looked extremely terrifying at that moment!"

Liu Junhuai smiled and said, "It was Hall Master Fang's heartfelt words that gave me a certain insight. What I gained insight into, however, was a bloody battlefield. Moreover, I can say with certainty that this Blood-Slaying Alliance is merely a colossal puppet. Behind them lies an even more terrifying existence; perhaps this backing force does not belong to the same realm as us."

Guan Chaoyong's expression changed abruptly. He looked at Fang Yexu's similarly astonished face and said, "Domain Lord Mu was truly right; this kid is indeed a monster!" Then he looked at Liu Junhuai. "Junhuai, regarding you, do you know what Domain Lord Mu said to the two of us? He said you are an extraordinary person, and that you have extraordinary people assisting you from behind. He told us to trust you implicitly, to trust you no matter how strange your words might sound!"

Fang Yexu also said, "Not only is Domain Lord Mu's cultivation realm extremely high, but he also delves deeply into the arts of Yin-Yang and numerology. On the night before our departure, in order to divine a hexagram for you, he deliberately exhausted ten years of his cultivation power just to arrive at his evaluation of you!"