Daily Intelligence: From Miner to Dao Ancestor of Alchemy and Talismans

But when he looked into Xu Yuan's calm eyes, his hesitation vanished in an instant.

His current position, his very life, are all thanks to Xu Yuan. Without Xu Yuan, he would have been killed by Zhang Kui long ago, let alone now holding the reins of the guard. Forget a large array blueprint; even if Xu Yuan wanted his guard command, he would have to think twice.

"Alright!" Li Qinghe gritted his teeth and readily agreed. "Brother Xu, you wait here, I'll bring the blueprints over tonight!"

He kept his word. That very night, under the cover of darkness, he wrapped the complete original map of the protective array in a waterproof tarpaulin and secretly brought it into Xu Yuan's courtyard.

The blueprints were spread out on the table, covering half the table's size. They were densely marked with every array eye, every rune, the route of spiritual energy flow, and even the records of every repair since the array was built.

"Brother Xu, look here." Li Qinghe bent down and pointed to the markings on the blueprint, explaining to Xu Yuan in detail, "These three are the core main array eyes of the great formation, personally controlled by the direct descendants of the Zhao family, and are also the power source of the great formation; these eight are the secondary array eyes, which are the weak points that the Blood Fiend Sect wants to destroy; this is the spiritual energy center of the great formation, and once it is destroyed, the entire great formation will be paralyzed."

He pointed to several markings on the edge of the blueprint and continued, "And here, the abandoned warehouse in the northeast corner of the market, and the underground secret chamber of the Zhao family ancestral hall are blind spots of the great formation. Even if the great formation is broken, or even contaminated by the blood sacrifice formation, these two places will not be affected. They are emergency hiding places and escape routes reserved when the great formation was designed. This underground water channel leads directly to the Xiling River outside the market and is the last escape route. Only the successive heads of the Zhao family know about it."

Li Qinghe was completely open and honest, telling Xu Yuan everything he knew about the grand formation, including the Zhao family's trump cards, without holding anything back.

Xu Yuan listened intently, his fingertips tracing the lines on the blueprint, carefully imprinting every key point, every escape route, and every blind spot into his mind.

After Li Qinghe left, Xu Yuan didn't close his eyes. He studied the complete blueprint of the grand formation all night long.

He not only figured out the operating logic of the great formation, but also accurately found all the loopholes and weak points of spiritual energy in the great formation. He even deduced the most likely attack routes of the Blood Fiend Sect after the great formation was broken, as well as the corresponding escape plans.

The abandoned warehouse in the northeast corner of the market is closest to his small courtyard and serves as his first temporary hiding place in case of an emergency; the underground secret chamber of the Zhao Family Ancestral Hall is the second safest point and also the best location for him to intercept the ancient talisman seal; the escape route through the underground water channel is his last resort, allowing him to evacuate the market directly along the water channel and head straight for his hiding place in Wohu Mountain if the situation gets out of control.

Three routes, each building upon the last, offering both offensive and defensive options. Even if the great formation is broken and a bloodbath ensues, he is absolutely confident he can find a way to survive.

As dawn approached, Xu Yuan put away the blueprints and carefully locked them in a hidden compartment of the secret room.

He hadn't slept a wink, yet he felt no fatigue; on the contrary, his eyes shone even brighter. With the complete blueprints of the grand formation in hand, and having figured out all the escape routes and vulnerabilities, he felt as if he had bought the most reliable insurance against this life-or-death catastrophe.

He had just sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of iced tea when his fingertips touched the cool glass and his aura suddenly froze.

His divine sense clearly detected two extremely concealed auras at the corner of the alley outside the courtyard gate. They were locked onto his small courtyard, their breathing extremely restrained. If he hadn't broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining and his divine sense hadn't surged, he wouldn't have been able to detect them at all.

They are from the Zhao family.

Zhao Qiuyue eventually began to suspect him.

The night was as dark as ink, spilling over every corner of Qingyafang.

The protective array's light screen gleamed coldly in the night sky, and the clanging of armor plates from the patrolling guards echoed through the streets and alleys. Yet, the secluded cultivator settlement in the western corner was so quiet that not even the chirping of insects could be heard. A dark figure, like a ghost, evaded the three patrolling guards and silently scaled the wall of Xu Yuan's courtyard, landing without a sound, not even disturbing the weeds at the base of the wall.

It was Zhang Kui, who had been on the run for many days.

He was dressed in black, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of bloodshot eyes filled with overwhelming hatred. At his waist hung a long, jet-black sword, its scabbard engraved with blood-red patterns, faintly radiating a chilling, bloody aura—the Blood Soul Blade, the evil weapon bestowed upon him by the Blood Fiend Sect.

Ever since Xu Yuan's anonymous letter exposed irrefutable evidence of his treason, he went from being a powerful deputy captain of the guard to a scoundrel in Qingya Village, hated by everyone. His gambling debts were cleared, his future was gone, and he even lost his place to live, forced to hide in the Black Wind Stronghold's den of thieves, enduring endless scorn.

He directed all his hatred at Xu Yuan.

He had only one purpose in sneaking back to the market this time—to kill Xu Yuan, take his head, and curry favor with the Blood Fiend Sect Master to secure a new future.

He had already figured it out: Xu Yuan was just a rogue cultivator who had just broken through to the seventh level of Qi Refining. Even if he could draw a few talismans, he was nothing more than an ant that he could crush at will in front of him, a veteran cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining who wielded the Blood Soul Blade.

Zhang Kui crouched low, crept to the door, and listened to the steady breathing inside. A sinister smile crept across his lips. He took a deep breath, kicked the door open, and instantly drew his Blood Soul Blade, imbued with a thick aura of blood, slashing fiercely at Xu Yuan, who was sitting cross-legged inside!

"Boy! Prepare to die!"

Before the blade even arrived, a chilling aura of blood rushed towards them, carrying an evil power capable of eroding meridians. The spiritual power of the eighth level of Qi Refining erupted without reservation, and the air in the entire room instantly froze.

Xu Yuan, sitting on the couch, didn't even lift his eyelids, showing no panic on his face, as if he had expected him to come.

Just as the Blood Soul Blade was only three inches from Xu Yuan's head, Zhang Kui's toe suddenly struck a silken thread as thin as a hair.

"Click—"

With a soft click, the three trapping talismans were activated simultaneously!

Three pale golden light curtains instantly rose simultaneously from the ground, the roof, and the four walls, like three inverted iron bells, locking the entire room completely shut without a single gap. Zhang Kui's slash struck the light curtains, and the enormous recoil caused his hand to split open, nearly causing his Blood Soul Blade to fly out of his grasp.

"Oh no! An ambush!"

Zhang Kui's expression changed drastically as he instantly realized he had fallen into a trap the enemy had laid. He tried to turn and break free, but his back slammed into the indestructible light barrier, leaving him no way to retreat.

In that split second, Xu Yuan finally slowly opened his eyes and gently pinched his fingertips.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Eight high-quality Rock-Splitting Runes detonated simultaneously!