The frail counselor you said, you fight against three heroes alone?

The sound of the cellar collapsing was like the roar of a giant beast, with dust and gravel flying everywhere, choking Su Heng so much that she could hardly breathe.

Guanglingzi still maintained his calm appearance, as if the collapse of heaven and earth could not disturb him in the slightest.

The man in green walked step by step towards the secret guard bound by chains. In his eyes, there was a hint of pity, a hint of... understanding?
"We are all trapped." The Green Shirt Man's voice was low, almost drowned out by the deafening roar.

Su Heng's heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to her mind.

The Heavenly Secret Lock is a legendary mechanical formation that is powerful enough to trap gods and demons!
At this moment, the earth stopped shaking, as if the angry beast had finally calmed down.

However, this calmness is even more terrifying, like the calm before the storm, suffocating.

Su Heng struggled to get up, covered in dust and looking miserable.

She looked up and saw that the roof of the cellar had disappeared, replaced by a gray sky and - Sima Zhao.

He stood on a high city wall, wearing a dark robe that rustled, looking down at everyone with a sinister smile on his lips.

"Welcome to my Bagua formation." His voice was tinged with teasing, as if he was admiring the fight of a trapped beast.

Teams of armored guards poured out from the cracks in the city walls. They were clad in heavy black iron armor and marched in unison, making dull metallic clashing sounds, like an army from hell.

In the gaps of the heavy armor, Su Heng vaguely saw the iconic bronze patterns of the Tianji Pavilion.

Could it be that... Sima Zhao is also in collusion with Tianji Pavilion?

Suddenly, a figure rushed out from the ruins, covered in blood, but still with an indomitable fighting spirit.

It’s the leader of the secret guards!
"Cough cough..." He coughed violently, blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes red.

"Back then... the Prime Minister came to investigate the family annihilation case... ahem..." His voice was intermittent, but it exploded in Su Heng's ears like thunder.

Prime Minister?

Killing the door?
Is it...

The leader of the secret guards bit his finger and used his blood to draw an incomplete formation diagram on the ground.

"The fifth department...the hub of the organization..." He used up his last bit of strength to say this sentence, then fell to the ground and died.

"Master Lei!" A rough voice sounded, and a burly man rushed out from the crowd, picked up the body of the dark guard leader, and was heartbroken.

He raised his head suddenly, "Brothers, for the Prime Minister, for Master Lei, fight them!"

After saying that, he led a group of people and rushed towards the West Market Restaurant.

That was the weakest point in the Iron Guards' defense and also their only chance to break out.

At the same time, a woman in red, Ms. Mo, also discovered something unusual about the murals in the restaurant.

There is a hidden mechanism on the mural!
She was about to go forward to check, but was suddenly blocked by a figure.

He was a general in armor, tall, with a stern face, holding a long sword that shone with cold light in his hand.

There was a strange light flickering in his eyes, like... the prime minister's jade pendant!

"Puppet!" Su Heng exclaimed. She recognized the jade pendant. It was the prime minister's personal item.

Sima Zhao actually used the prime minister's jade pendant to control the puppet general!
Captain Lei and his men fought bloody battles but were unable to break through the Iron Armored Guards' defense line.

Ms. Mo was tightly entangled by the puppet general and could not get close to the mural.

Su Heng and Guanglingzi were trapped in the ruins, with no way out.

"It seems that we need to find another way." Guanglingzi looked at the scene in front of him and said lightly, as if all this was within his expectations.

Su Heng's heart sank to the bottom. Could it be that they were really going to be trapped here and die?
Suddenly, the man in green walked to the incomplete formation diagram, squatted down, and observed it carefully.

"Interesting..." he muttered to himself, "I see..."

He stretched out his finger and lightly tapped the incomplete formation diagram, "Here... there's still a piece missing..."

His finger stopped at the center of the formation diagram. There was nothing there... as if... it was waiting for something to fill it...

Where the green-shirted man's fingers rested, there seemed to be an infinite suction force, which sucked in all the dust around it.

Su Heng held her breath. She vaguely felt that the Man in Green Shirt seemed to have found the key to breaking the impasse!
"This... could this be the legendary 'celestial star entering destiny'?" Guanglingzi stroked his beard, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes, "Only at a specific time, under the shining of a specific star, can this incomplete formation be activated..."

Before he finished speaking, there was a crisp "click" sound. Deep in the dungeon, Master Xing slapped his thigh and said in ecstasy: "It's done! I finally solved this damn astrology map!"

He stumbled to his feet, wiped the dust off his face, and pointed excitedly at the complex patterns on the wall: "See? The locations of the five mechanical hubs are marked here! But to activate them, we have to wait until... 12:30 pm! When the Big Dipper is aligned in a straight line!"

"Three quarters after pm?" Su Heng frowned, looked at the gray sky above his head, and felt anxious.

Once the secret lock is opened, all the celestial phenomena will be in chaos. Who knows what time it is now?
At this moment, a white figure appeared in everyone's sight like a ghost.

He tapped his toes lightly, and in a few leaps and bounds, he had already climbed up to the tallest bell tower in the city.

"It's that man in white!" Su Heng exclaimed. She remembered that the man in white was holding a mysterious secret book in his hand, which seemed to be related to breaking the Heavenly Secret Lock.

A man in white stood on the top of the bell tower, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, like a banished immortal.

He slowly unfolded the secret book in his hand, and a faint fragrance spread out, making people feel relaxed and happy.

However, the next moment, everyone's expression changed.

Because they saw that Sima Zhao also appeared on the bell tower!

He held a black jade mirror in his hand, with a strange light flowing on the mirror surface.

“Hahahaha…” Sima Zhao let out a creepy laugh. “Do you think you can break my Heavenly Secret Lock with just a crappy book? You are too naive!”

He raised the black jade mirror and pointed it at the sky. The originally gray sky instantly became more chaotic, as if it was being stirred by an invisible giant hand.

"Oh no! He used the black jade mirror to distort the celestial phenomena!" Guanglingzi exclaimed.

Before he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
In the city, the people who were originally running and shouting were now frozen in place as if they were under a spell.

Their skin began to become rough and the color gradually darkened...

"They... they are turning into stone statues!" Su Heng shouted in horror, her voice trembling slightly.

At this critical moment, an unexpected figure appeared—Xiaohong!
She broke free from her restraints without knowing when, clutching the half-blood-stained jade pendant tightly in her hand, and stumbled towards the bell tower.

"Give me back... Daddy..." She said hoarsely.

"Xiaohong! Don't!" Su Heng wanted to stop her, but it was too late.

Xiaohong suddenly inserted the half jade into a groove in the base of the bell tower!
"Om-"

A strange sound, like a call from ancient times, resounded throughout the city.

The secret book that the man in white opened suddenly moved without wind, and the pages turned "rustlingly", and finally stopped at a blank page.

Immediately afterwards, a dazzling light shot out from the secret book, projecting a huge, holographic star map in the air!

The star map rotates slowly, complementing the real celestial phenomena, yet it is completely different.

Everyone stared at this miraculous scene in amazement, and for a moment they even forgot that they were in danger.

Suddenly, Su Heng's attention was attracted by something on Sima Zhao's neck.

It was a jade pendant, crystal clear and emitting a faint light.

That is... the Prime Minister’s jade pendant!

"The Prime Minister's jade pendant...how did it end up in Sima Zhao's hands?" Su Heng murmured to himself, his heart full of doubts.

At the same time, a familiar cough was heard from deep within the City Lord's Mansion.

"Cough...cough..."

Although the sound was faint, it was clearly heard by everyone.

"Yes... Daddy?" Xiaohong suddenly turned her head and looked in the direction of the City Lord's Mansion, and the light of hope rekindled in her eyes.

"Old Cai?!" Su Heng also exclaimed.

"He is not dead yet..." Guanglingzi stroked his beard, thoughtfully.

Sima Zhao stared at Xiao Hong with sinister eyes, growling with gritted teeth: "You..."

The light of the blood jade was brighter and more mysterious than the star map. It seemed to have life, pulsating and breathing, echoing the jade pendant on Sima Zhao's neck.

No, it’s more like a blood jade than a jade pendant, a crystal clear jade pendant with a faint blood color.

This is exactly what Xi Yu has, that unique symbol!
Xiaohong's heart suddenly shrank and an inexplicable premonition surged into her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She subconsciously stretched out her hand, wanting to touch the blood jade, but stopped in mid-air.

At the same time, the blood-colored lines on the secret book seemed to come alive. They began to flow and spread, and finally converged into a strange pattern.

That pattern is exactly the same as the lines on the blood jade!
"Oh my god..." Guanglingzi exclaimed, his beard trembling, "This is... blood resonance!"

Golden lines crawled up Sima Zhao's neck like a spider web. He roared in pain but was unable to break free.

The fear in his eyes was clearly visible, as if he had seen something terrible.

At this moment, a white figure appeared like a ghost and snatched the blood jade from Sima Zhao's hand in the blink of an eye.

Something unexpected happened!

The moment the blood jade left the body, the golden lines on Sima Zhao's neck suddenly disappeared.

He was breathing heavily, staring at the white figure in shock.

However, before he could react, the blood jade turned into a stream of light and with a "whoosh" sound, it penetrated into Xiaohong's forehead!

Xiaohong only felt a burning sensation between her eyebrows, and then a powerful force surged into her body, making it almost impossible for her to bear it.

She staggered back a few steps, golden stars dancing before her eyes.

At the same time, from deep within the City Lord’s Mansion, there came a long roar like a dragon’s roar, deafening and heart-pounding.

"Roar--"

This voice...is Xi Yu!

The armored guards covered their ears in pain. Their armor began to disintegrate, turning into pieces and scattering all over the ground.

The leader of the secret guards was seriously injured, but he struggled to point his finger in the direction of the underground palace of the City Lord's Mansion, and roared with his last bit of strength: "Prime Minister...back then...there was a blood letter...only...the bloodline of the Cai family...can break...the Heavenly Secret Lock!"

Before he could finish his words, he collapsed to the ground and died.

In the dungeon of the City Lord's Mansion, Lao Cai suddenly opened his eyes, and a strange tattoo suddenly appeared on his neck, which was exactly the same as the pattern on the secret book!
The tattoo emitted a strange light, as if responding to something.

Sima Zhao walked up to Lao Cai with a grim smile, and placed a huge bronze tripod on his head. His voice was as cold as if it came from hell: "Twenty years ago, you stole half of the Tianjilu... Now, I will use your body to complete the altar!"

Outside the dungeon, a strange altar slowly rose up, engraved with mysterious runes, exuding a suffocating pressure.

"No..." Xiaohong struggled to stand up, but she felt weak all over and could only watch everything happen.

Sima Zhao raised the dagger in his hand, which flashed with a cold light, and pointed it directly at Lao Cai's heart.

"Stop!" A cry resounded through the sky, but it didn't come from Xiao Hong...

The wind howled, stirring up the dust at the dungeon entrance and blurring everyone's vision.

A figure, as light as a swallow, descended from the sky.

Not a fairy, but better than a fairy.

Cai Wenshuang, she is back.

Not the weak mountain girl, but the goddess of vengeance with tremendous rage and determination.

What she was waving in her hand was not a sword, but a colorful banner embroidered with strange patterns. The edges were decorated with tiny bells, which made crisp sounds as she moved.

This is the "soul-guiding banner" unique to the mountain people. It is usually used to summon souls and pray for blessings, but at this moment, it has become her weapon to fight against fate.

The soul-guiding banner flew out like a spirit snake, wrapped around the huge bronze tripod, and made a low "buzzing" sound, as if it was wailing, or as if it was resisting.

Cai Wenshuang landed on the ground. The moment his feet touched the ground, an invisible air wave spread out in all directions, making everyone's clothes rustle.

Her eyes were red and tears were welling up in them, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She stared at Sima Zhao intently, then suddenly turned her head to look towards the altar. There, Xi Yu's breath became clearer and clearer, making her feel more and more unfamiliar and frightened.

“Xi Yu!” She screamed, her voice hoarse but with the power to penetrate people’s hearts, “Back then, you held me and my father hostage to look for medicine. It turned out that it was all for today! In order to use his blood to break this Heaven’s Secret Lock!”

Her voice echoed in the empty dungeon, hitting the walls and everyone's hearts.

Sima Zhao was stunned. He didn't expect Cai Wenshuang to appear suddenly, and he didn't expect her to know all this.

He opened his mouth and wanted to explain, but found that any explanation seemed pale and powerless.

At this moment, the seriously injured leader of the secret guards used his last bit of strength to stab the broken sword in his hand into his heart.

Blood gushed out and spilled on the cold ground, like a gorgeous blood-red flower blooming.

What's even more strange is that the blood did not flow randomly, but followed a certain trajectory, outlining an incomplete formation pattern on the ground.

As the leader of the dark guards sighed for the last time, the formation pattern suddenly lit up, emitting a dazzling red light.

"Click, click..."

The sound of gears turning came from the direction of the clock tower, dull and regular, like the death knell.

The puppet generals who were originally facing the city gate suddenly turned towards the City Lord's Mansion in unison, with red light flashing in their eyes and murderous intent.

Sima Zhao's face changed drastically. He looked towards the direction of the bell tower in horror, then looked at the body of the secret guard leader on the ground. He seemed to understand something, but it was too late.

"You...you guys..." He pointed at Cai Wenshuang and the dead leader of the secret guards, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.

Cai Wenshuang ignored Sima Zhao. She stared at the direction of the altar. There, Xi Yu's aura was getting stronger and stronger, making her feel more and more chilled.

"Xi Yu," she murmured to herself, her voice low and sad, "Who are you? What do you want?"

She stretched out her hand, trying to grab something, but it fell down weakly.

"Could it be that... all this is..."

On the altar, the green flame inside the bronze tripod flickered, illuminating the weather-beaten face of Cai's father.

Suddenly, his gray hair seemed to be pulled by some mysterious force, and each strand stood up, turning into a dazzling silver-white in an instant.

The pupils of those cloudy old eyes suddenly contracted, revealing a chilling double star totem - that was the iconic symbol of the Tianji Pavilion!

He opened his mouth, and his cracked lips moved, uttering hoarse and strange syllables. It was not any known language, but more like some ancient spell, with a creepy rhythm.

Even someone as knowledgeable as Xi Yu had never heard of such secret words.

An ominous premonition, like a poisonous snake, entangled his heart.

Xi Yu's pupils suddenly shrank, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

Without time to think, he waved his sleeves, and three "soul-locking nails" flashing with cold light broke through the air and pierced directly into the top of Cai's father's head.

This soul-locking nail was his hidden weapon, which he would never use unless it was absolutely necessary. But today he had to use it to deal with this innocent country bumpkin.

"Dad!" Cai Wenshuang exclaimed, and without thinking, he rushed forward and used his body to block his father.

With a muffled "puff", a soul-locking nail pierced Cai Wenshuang's left shoulder. Blood gushed out and dripped onto the altar.

What was shocking was that the bright red blood did not flow randomly, but instead gathered together strangely to form a miniature Tianji formation diagram!

The array pattern flickered with a faint light, wriggling like a living thing, and emitting a heart-pounding aura.

"Wenshuang!" Xi Yu's eyes were bloodshot. He didn't expect Cai Wenshuang to rush out recklessly.

He wanted to move forward but was blocked by an invisible force. He could only watch as the blood soaked her clothes.

It all happened so fast. In a flash, before anyone could react, Guanglingzi, who had been lurking in the dark, appeared next to the altar like a ghost.

With a sinister smile on his face, he pressed the strange black spot on his arm onto the altar without hesitation.

"Om-"

The altar began to shake violently, and a powerful wave of energy swept out, and the ground of the entire city began to crack, spreading like a spider web. (End of this chapter)