"Everyone, remember..."

Having just crossed the hurdle of Core Formation and formed a True Core, Gu Hong barely had time to rejoice before being shocked by what Li An said.

She hadn't expected the upper echelons of Celestial Yang City to be so complex!

Multiple great powers were engaged in struggle and games of strategy.

And Li An was merely a small pawn in the game.

"Husband, don't worry, I will do my utmost."

She took a deep breath, her eyes resolute, seemingly harboring an unbreakable thought.

Li An nodded, preparing to leave, but just before departing, he couldn't help but turn back. "Remember, your time to escape will be very brief, extremely brief—"

"I still can't determine the opponent's cultivation, but they are definitely strong. Even a Core Formation wouldn't stand a chance against them!"

Gu Hong looked at Li An and smiled faintly, a smile so calm and gentle, "I know."

"Mm."

Li An prepared to leave.

"Husband..." Gu Hong suddenly called out instinctively.

Li An paused, looking back at her, puzzled.

"It's nothing."

Gu Hong suddenly said nothing more, just smiled, "You should go quickly."

...

Li An left her cultivation chamber, sneaked out of the seclusion area, reached the main entrance, and lifted a floor tile.

Underneath the tile was all fine soil!

Li An had deliberately modified it; he buried himself within and used the Life Nourishing Immortal Skill to conceal his presence. In this way, he merged with the soil, so much so that even a Core Formation powerhouse passing by might not detect anything.

His plan was this:

When the Demon Sect intruded into Zuo Mansion, entered the seclusion area, Gu Hong within would activate two Rank Three arrays to trap them.

At the same time, Li An would escape from here.

Then Gu Hong would also flee.

As Gu Hong made her escape, the fake Li An, who had been refined into a puppet, would appear and flee from another direction—

The Demon Sect would surely chase the fake Li An.

Only then would Gu Hong have a sliver of chance to survive.

He lay buried in the fine soil, motionless, holding his breath.

It was the first time he felt time pass so slowly!

Every heartbeat was crystal clear; he even heard his own fear, which quickly transformed into calmness, prompting swift calculations and simulations in his mind.

Finally, a voice came: "My master is in seclusion for Core Formation; who dares to intrude—"

A concubine's voice came.

Li An's Core Formation aura had already spread throughout the mansion. Those concubines who had been harboring various motives became incredibly loyal, all working to protect Li An and even activating a Tier Two array to fend off intruders.

"Noisy—"

A cold female voice resonated.

Boom!

An overwhelming force erupted in an instant. Li An heard a loud explosion, followed by screams and wails, as if the entire Zuo Mansion had collapsed—

Li An dared not use his Divine Sense to probe, so he could only rely on his hearing to perceive the outside, unable to ascertain the true situation.

But his heart sank; eight Foundation Establishment concubines, with the help of the Tier Two array, couldn't withstand a single move from the intruder...

What kind of Great Cultivator had arrived?

Moreover, he was even more puzzled by the female voice just now...

It sounded so much like the sickly young girl from White Tiger Mountain!

What exactly happened on the side of King Jingbei's Mansion?!

Yet all these thoughts flashed by; now was not the time to seek answers, and he strained his hearing to the limit.

He wanted to hear the opponent's footsteps, to judge their whereabouts, but gained nothing.

The opponent made no sound while walking!

But then a voice shouted sharply: "Do you want to harm my husband?! Husband, run!"

It was Gu Hong's voice!

As the voice sounded, Li An, concealed under the floor tile and within the fine soil, without hesitation, swiftly pushed aside the tile and darted out the door—

At this moment, in the rear.

Gu Hong was already in control of two fully activated Rank Three arrays.

The aura from the two restraining arrays enveloped the entire Zuo Mansion, and under the impact, every brick, every tile, every flower, every plant in the mansion was destroyed.

Simultaneously, six Tier Two arrays detonated together!

At the center of the great array, Gu Hong, already in Core Formation, bore formidable power, ascended into the air, and eyed the "sickly young girl" stepping into the ruins—

The sickly young girl looked up at Gu Hong, seemingly puzzled, "Why is it you… Core Formation?"

She seemed to understand something, and her face turned utterly cold, as cold as a volcano about to erupt in fury!

"Deceiving me?"

A chill exuded from her eyes.

Gu Hong's body suddenly trembled slightly; at that moment, she felt an illusion that she couldn't remain airborne.

In the presence of such an existence, it seemed impudent, even offensive, to fly.

Compulsively wanting to descend, to kneel.

What level of existence was this...

Nascent Soul?

Or perhaps... higher?

In any case, definitely not Core Formation!

A Core Formation powerhouse could never possess such might, such a stature!

But Gu Hong supported herself with tremendous will, gritted her teeth, and said: "Die..."

She exerted her utmost strength, inciting the force of numerous arrays, launching a fierce attack on the "sickly young girl."

"Overestimating oneself."

Yet the "sickly young girl" spoke coldly, a mere wave of her hand dispersed the forces of the two Rank Three arrays and the six Tier Two arrays entirely!

With just a wave!

The airborne Gu Hong could no longer support herself, her complexion pale, falling abruptly, stumbling among the ruins, with blood seeping from the corner of her mouth—

At that moment, according to Li An's original plan, the "puppet" Li An rushed out at high speed from another direction.

The puppet Li An, infused with mysterious Demonic Qi, appeared identical to Li An in both appearance and aura, making it impossible for anyone to distinguish between the puppet and Li An himself.

But the sickly young girl didn't even glance at him.

"Cunning indeed, since that's the case, none of you shall leave—"

The sickly young girl roared coldly, released a surge of Demonic Qi, and where Cold Ice reached, instantly froze all living things within the entire Celestial Yang City—

Including all cultivators and ordinary people in the streets and alleys.

Including Gu Hong.

Including the fleeing puppet.

And also...

Li An, who had used a Flying Talisman to soar more than ten miles out, nearing the city gate—

When the icy chill filled with Demonic Qi froze his body, Li An felt a profound fear welling within...

He hadn't made any mistakes!

Escaping from Zuo Mansion, quickly navigating two or three miles, blending into the crowd, then fleeing with a Flying Talisman.

The first Flying Talisman was just used up!

The restraining arrays of Zuo Mansion had been completely ineffective.

Gu Hong utterly failed to stop them.

Moreover, the enemy didn't chase the fake Li An...

Instead, they directly froze the whole city!

"What kind of monster, Nascent Soul... No, more than Nascent Soul—"

Li An's heart surged with colossal waves!

An indescribable despair and helplessness permeated his entire being...

This was an absolute crush of power!

What use was there in Li An scheming every step, employing every intrigue of the mind?

In the face of absolute power, all the concealment and hiding of a mere ant were so laughable!

Like an ant that hides beneath a withered leaf when a mischievous child blocks its path.

The child indeed cannot see the ant anymore.

But the child can easily crush the entire leaf—

"Fate and destiny—"

Li An sighed mournfully, lamenting aloud.

Reborn anew, yet still unable to grasp control over his own destiny...

He once again affirmed that in this vast Cultivation Realm, though once a Transmigrator and now reborn...

He was not the protagonist.

...

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