Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

Chapter 1890 The City Lord's Terror, The Mystery of the Deadly Kill!

at the same time!

In Anhe Xiancheng, on the seventh floor of Shiquan Restaurant, in an elegant private room by the window, the air was thick with the aroma of alcohol.

With the carved wooden window half-open, one can see the towering city towers in the distance and the faint spiritual energy fluctuations remaining on the horizon.

At that moment, a startled cry shattered the tranquility of the private room:

"How is this possible!"

Am I...am I seeing things?"

The speaker was a middle-aged cultivator whose body was filled with a powerful aura of a Golden Core cultivator, and who wore an exquisitely crafted dark blue robe with star patterns.

The jade wine cup in his hand stopped at his lips, the spirit wine in the cup rippled slightly, reflecting the undisguised horror in his eyes.

His gaze was fixed on the sky outside the window, where a few traces of light and shadow still lingered.

His voice trembled with disbelief:

"The city lord's final blow... was terrifying!"

That was a full minor realm beyond, and he actually killed Zuo Yin Zhenjun on the spot!

Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator... just like that, he perished?

This is unbelievable!

He abruptly turned his head to look at his friend sitting opposite him, seemingly eager for approval.

It was as if he was trying to convince himself that what he had just seen was not an illusion.

Upon hearing this...

The young cultivator sitting opposite him slowly put down the white porcelain wine cup he had been playing with for a long time.

He had a refined and scholarly air about him, dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe, and his demeanor exuded composure.

The young cultivator first refilled his and his friend's spirit wine, then raised his eyes and spoke slowly:

"Brother Li, why are you so surprised?"

What's so incredible about that?

A knowing smile played on his lips as he gently tapped his fingertips against the faint, omnipresent curtain of spiritual light that enveloped the entire city outside the window.

"Didn't you notice?"

The city lord's final strike, amidst its shimmering light, subtly echoed the celestial constellations, and the surging spiritual energy resonated faintly with the city's geological ley lines.

This is clearly due to the power of the city's protective formation!

Otherwise, how could someone with only the early Nascent Soul stage cultivation unleash such devastating power capable of tearing through the sky and piercing through clouds?

Having said that,

He paused slightly, picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, letting the cool, refreshing liquid dissolve in his throat, before continuing his eloquent narration:

"otherwise.

The difference between the early and middle stages of the Nascent Soul realm is as vast as heaven and earth...

Even if the city lord's cultivation techniques are profound and his magical treasures are powerful, it is absolutely impossible for him to confront Zuo Yin Zhenjun head-on for so long.

Let alone winning the battle.

To be honest…

He put down his wine cup, his gaze deepening, and his voice lowering slightly:

"If the battlefield is outside the immortal city, without any array formations to rely on, one can freely draw upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth..."

If the city lord were to encounter the notoriously cunning and ruthless Zuo Yin Zhenjun, it would be uncertain whether he could escape unscathed.

Saving one's life might be possible, but how about turning the tables?

It's incredibly difficult, like climbing to heaven.

"wrong!"

The middle-aged cultivator in blue robes, addressed as "Brother Li," frowned and immediately retorted.

His initial shock was replaced by rational thought, and the sharp mind of a Golden Core cultivator was working at lightning speed.

“Brother Zhao, I agree with what you said about using the power of the formation to erupt within the city.”

The reason why True Lord Zuo Yin dared not linger in the Immortal City and fled in haste was simply because he feared being surrounded and killed by the great formation; this is perfectly understandable.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze intense, his fingers tracing an escape path on the sandalwood table:

"But the key point is that Zuo Yin Zhenjun has finally succeeded in flying out of the Immortal City!"

We both clearly sensed that he had fled to the sky three hundred miles away, completely escaping the core coverage area of ​​the city-protecting formation!

Even if the power of an array can reach far, its effectiveness will inevitably diminish with each layer.

"With the city lord's cultivation foundation at the early stage of the Nascent Soul stage, how could he still unleash such devastating power at such a distance, enough to annihilate the primordial spirit and physical body of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in one blow?"

This cannot be simply explained by the word "borrowing resources"!

His tone grew increasingly certain, and his eyes gleamed with insight:

"This is a difference of a small realm!"

We are both Golden Core cultivators, and we should know that within the Golden Core realm, there is a vast gap between the early and middle stages. The purity of our magical power, the range of our divine sense, and our control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth are all worlds apart.

At the Nascent Soul stage, the difference between even a minor realm is far greater than that between the Golden Core stage.

That's a difference in the level and dimension of life!

The more he talked, the more reasonable his speculation seemed, until he finally said almost definitively:

"In my opinion, the city lord is very likely hiding his true cultivation level!"

On the surface, he appears to be at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, but this is merely a strategy of concealing his true strength. His actual cultivation level is likely already far beyond this stage.

He must be at least a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

Even higher is possible.

"When Zuo Yin Zhenjun was in the city before, the reason why the city lord did not do his best to stop him was, on the surface, because Zuo Yin Zhenjun's movements were strange and swift, giving the city lord no chance to react."

In fact…”

He lowered his voice, a hint of smug satisfaction in his voice, as if he had discovered a secret:

"This is probably something the city lord did on purpose!"

Within the Immortal City, if two Nascent Soul cultivators were to fight to the death, how terrifying would the aftershocks of their battle be?

Even with the weakening of the city's protective formation, it's hard to guarantee that innocent bystanders won't be affected.

Damaging buildings and markets is a minor matter; if low-level cultivators and mortals within the city are accidentally injured...

What will be damaged is the foundation of the immortal city and the reputation of its city lord.

"Therefore, the city lord held back and deliberately let him leave the city."

When Zuo Yin Zhenjun thought he had escaped and his mind relaxed, he struck again with lightning at the edge of the immortal city, killing the great enemy and saving the city from disaster.

This is a win-win situation, a testament to great foresight!

After saying that, he glanced smugly at his friend, the cultivator surnamed Zhao, who was sitting opposite him, picked up his wine cup, and prepared to enjoy the expression on the other man's face as he was impressed by his "brilliant" reasoning.

however.

The refined-looking young cultivator merely glanced at him indifferently, then chuckled and uttered four words:

"That makes absolutely no sense!"

"you!"

The blue-robed cultivator surnamed Li immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his wine cup slamming heavily in his hand, spilling the fine wine slightly.

"Zhao Wenyuan! How can you be so vulgar!"

You always present yourself as a refined gentleman!

His face turned slightly red with anger.

"If you don't give me a clear explanation today, don't blame me for not showing you any mercy!"

I remember someone back in Yunmengze, trying to sneak into the 'Fairy of a Hundred Flowers' private banquet, but..."

Stop! Halt!

Brother Li! Brother Li! My dear brother!

Zhao Wenyuan, who had been composed and elegant just moments before, instantly lost his composure. His expression changed, and he quickly raised his hand to stop him, a slightly ingratiating smile plastered on his face.

The slight sneer and composure from before vanished without a trace.

"Then...those old stories, haven't they been turned over a long time ago?"

Between us brothers, can we... please not bring this up again?

His tone was clearly pleading.

"cannot!"

The cultivator surnamed Li raised his chin slightly, snorted, and revealed an expression that said, "I've got you figured out." He then slowly sipped his wine.

"I plan to eat you alive for the rest of my life to keep this secret."

If you want me to keep quiet, you'd better make things clear today.

otherwise…

Hehe, maybe there will be some new stories at the teahouse storytelling tomorrow.

Seeing his old friend's unyielding attitude, Zhao Wenyuan could only sigh helplessly, temporarily suppressing his other thoughts, and explained seriously:

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you."

Brother Li, your speculation just now seemed logical and reasonable, with each point seemingly connected.

If it weren't for the fact that some time ago, I needed the approval of the Cultivator Association to handle a batch of scarce 'Earthfire Spirit Iron' for the Chamber of Commerce, and happened to visit the Association several times, where I inadvertently noticed something strange, I probably would have guessed the same thing as you.

Upon hearing this,

The cultivator surnamed Li was taken aback and subconsciously asked:

"Strange thing? What is it?"

What is the connection between this and the city lord killing Zuo Yin Zhenjun?

The voice just fell,

A glint flashed in his eyes. A cultivator who had reached the Golden Core realm possessed an exceptionally sharp mind; he instantly connected the dots and hesitated before saying:

"Could it be... something about the formation?"

I think I heard some time ago that the Cultivator Association transferred a group of people from the Array Masters Association...

Zhao Wenyuan nodded slightly, a look of "You finally figured it out" on his face, and lowered his voice:

"Exactly."

About half a year ago, a group of people from the Cultivator Association arrived. There were only about seven or eight of them, but each of them exuded a calm and collected aura, with array patterns and Daoist charm flowing around them.

The minimum cultivation level is the late Golden Core stage.

I glanced at the gray-robed elder in the lead from afar and felt a stinging pain in my divine sense; he was at least a Nascent Soul Realm array master!

Upon their arrival, they did not make a big fuss, but instead, armed with the association's highest-level token, directly took over some authority over the central core of the Immortal City's grand formation.

He paused, then continued:

"For the next three months, these people hardly left their homes, working day and night to survey and adjust the core nodes and extensions of the city's protective formation."

Although they acted discreetly and set up arrays to prevent prying eyes, the subtle changes in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the power of the earth's veins caused by the gathering of such high-level array masters over such a long period could not escape the notice of those who were interested.

Especially for us Golden Core cultivators who are extremely sensitive to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

The cultivator surnamed Li listened intently and couldn't help but ask further:

"Are they modifying the grand formation?"

"Most likely!"

Zhao Wenyuan affirmed, dipping his fingertip in the wine and sketching a simple line on the table.

"Although I am not proficient in advanced formations, I do know a little bit about them."

The city-protecting formation is designed for both offense and defense, but under normal circumstances, its attack range and power are mainly concentrated in the airspace above the city and near the city walls, with the aim of deterring and resisting enemy attacks.

Locking onto and killing a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator fleeing at high speed from an extremely long distance is by no means an easy task.

unless…"

A knowing glint flashed in his eyes:

"Unless they adjusted or even reforged some of the core array patterns of the great formation, perhaps strengthening its 'soul-chasing and life-reaping' attack extension characteristics?"

Perhaps it temporarily improved its efficiency and range in gathering and transmitting the spiritual energy of heaven and earth?

even…

It may contain a forbidden formation unknown to us that can temporarily and greatly amplify single-target attacks.

Only in this way can we explain why the city lord was still able to use the power of the formation to launch such a deadly attack even after Zuo Yin Zhenjun escaped the coverage of the regular formation.

The monk surnamed Li stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Seeing that his expression softened, Zhao Wenyuan pressed his advantage and said:

"Furthermore, Brother Li, think about it more carefully."

If the city lord is truly a great cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage or even higher, why would he need to hide his cultivation and confine himself to being a city lord in Anhe Immortal City?

Yes, Anhe Immortal City is prosperous, but compared to the headquarters of the Cultivator Association, or a more resource-rich megacity?

What does this even amount to?

His tone became rational and calm:

"Within the cultivators' association system, mid-Nascent Soul cultivators can already hold important positions, wielding power far exceeding that of ordinary city lords."

Moreover, the resources they can mobilize and the secrecy of their access are worlds apart.

A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator is someone capable of founding a sect and influencing the格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall situation and overall dynamics) of a region. The association would certainly treat them as honored guests, granting them whatever they desire.

Why should we 'condescend' here?

Unless it is the lord of those three holy cities that dominate the endless sea.

Otherwise, any powerful individual aspiring to the pinnacle of immortality would never deliberately conceal their cultivation level and relinquish higher positions and resources.

This is completely counterproductive and utterly unnecessary.

On the surface, Zhao Wenyuan spoke eloquently and analyzed things logically, but deep down, a hint of "evil thought" was quietly growing.

He looked at his old friend across from him, who was nodding frequently and seemed to have been convinced, but his thoughts drifted elsewhere:

'This guy has been using that old, sordid matter to manipulate me for so long…'

Next time, I must find an opportunity to let him experience this feeling too.

I heard that a new place called "Illusion Pavilion" has opened in the North City. The illusionary robes inside are incredibly exquisite, and they can even simulate auras...

Why not find an excuse to trick him into giving it a try?

It would be best to arrange another "accident" so he can also experience the "fun" of being chased...

Yes, a photo-taking stone must be prepared.

This is a treasure that can be passed down as a family heirloom... no, it's a good thing that can be used as a "talisman".

That way, everyone will have leverage over each other. Next time he tries to blackmail me using the Yunmengze incident, he'll have to think twice.

He had already made up his mind, but his face still showed a sincere expression of wanting to open up and answer his friend's questions.

Just as Zhao Wenyuan was silently plotting...

The cultivator surnamed Li, sitting opposite him, rubbed his chin, seemingly completely unaware of his old friend's "sinister" intentions. Instead, he was led into new thoughts by the other's words.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded:

Now that you mention it... it makes sense.

The fact that the formation master secretly adjusted the grand formation is indeed more likely to explain that cross-border attack.

If the city lord is truly in the late Nascent Soul stage, there is indeed no need for him to waste time here.

I had overthought things.

A look of relief crossed his face, but he quickly straightened up again and glared at Zhao Wenyuan with a threatening look:

"Your analysis is reasonable this time."

However, Zhao Wenyuan, watch your mouth next time you talk to me!

Don't be so rude all the time!

Otherwise, you know the consequences!

"Yes, yes, Brother Li is right."

Zhao Wenyuan immediately snapped out of his scheming and put on an expression of receptive agreement and sincere assurance.

"Rest assured, fellow Daoist, there will be no next time!"

"Come, let me offer you a toast as an apology for my slip of the tongue earlier."

The two raised their glasses and drank together, and the atmosphere became harmonious again.

And scenes like this—of shock, speculation, debate, analysis, and secret scheming...

This is currently unfolding in various corners of Anhe Immortal City, whether luxurious, simple, or secluded.

And it's spreading and fermenting quietly at a speed faster than the wind!

This will also become the most fascinating topic of conversation in this immortal city for a long time to come.

...(End of this chapter)