Volume 1, Chapter 243 – Sealing the City

Shi Lan had actually already had some premonition about this move by the Demon-Suppressing Army when she first heard Yue Xiuwen say that the Demon-Suppressing Army would be taking full control of Xianwu City.

The words seal the city had left far too deep an impression in Shi Lan’s mind. Before long, the Demon-Suppressing Army would absolutely begin gathering every bit of force it could gather and fight the demon race to the death.

Shi Qinghu let out a muffled groan, pulling Shi Lan’s thoughts back. With her mind thrown into disorder, she had nearly sent the qi astray.

Steadying her mind, Shi Lan began the final phase of the process.

The heavenly foundation inside Shi Qinghu’s dantian had already basically taken shape, and the phantom image of the divine phoenix was clearly visible.

In the blink of an eye, another half hour passed.

Bzz—

With a muffled sound, the first layer of the heavenly foundation fully solidified. Shi Qinghu’s dantian was completely opened, and strands of crimson true qi began to move through his extraordinary meridians and eight channels. Vigorous life force appeared within his body, extending his lifespan.

Cry—

The instant Innate true qi spread through his entire body, a lifelike divine phoenix totem emerged across Shi Qinghu’s back. Accompanied by a clear cry, it echoed through the secret chamber and lingered for a long time.

“The grade of this phoenix blood exceeds even my expectations. There is still some will within it that has not been worn away. This divine phoenix had to have been at least an eight-star existence in life,” Reincarnation suddenly said upon hearing that cry.

Eight-star…

Shi Lan’s pupils contracted for an instant. An eight-star existence was equivalent to a peak expert at the level of a Human Emperor. Ancient Phoenix City was only a small city, yet it had actually hidden Demon Emperor blood within it. There might well be some unknown secret buried there.

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Shi Lan slowly withdrew her power, removed her palm, and sat down cross-legged on the spot. Taking out two high-grade spirit crystals from the Qiankun Bracelet, she began regulating her breathing. This entire process had consumed a great deal of her strength. Even with an Innate spiritual body, the true qi in her body was running rather thin.

A quarter of an hour later, Shi Qinghu opened his eyes, and a faint trace of dark red could be seen deep within his pupils.

He clenched his fists, feeling the surging, scorching true qi inside him, his face full of excitement. He sprang to his feet, but when he saw Shi Lan still circulating her cultivation not far away, he did not dare disturb her. Suppressing the joy in his heart, he saluted Wu Lingkong, who was still standing there lost in thought, then quietly slipped out of the secret chamber.

An Innate spiritual body absorbed spiritual qi with overwhelming ferocity. Shi Qinghu had been gone no more than the time it took to drink a cup of tea before Shi Lan’s condition had already returned to its peak. As her true qi circulated to the utmost, one of the three dragon gates along her spine had already begun to loosen.

“I have to return to the main camp first. Sealing the city will require a great deal of manpower, and sealing it so suddenly will definitely cause unrest. That will need people to suppress it as well.”

Seeing that Shi Lan had more or less recovered, Wu Lingkong steadied her emotions and prepared to leave.

“Right now, all kinds of people are in Xianwu City. Be careful.”

Shi Lan did not try to keep her. As a member of the Demon-Suppressing Army, there were some things one simply could not avoid.

The identity of the Demon-Suppressing Army certainly offered protection in many situations, but from another perspective, it was also a burden, or rather a set of shackles.

Where there was gain, there was loss. In this world, nothing came for free.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Wu Lingkong nodded and walked out of the secret chamber.

Shi Lan touched the black Demon-Suppressing Token at her waist and let out a soft sigh. Although she did not know why Bai Weiyang had not sent down a command ordering her back, she did not want to dig into it right now. Cherishing the present moment and gaining even one more measure of strength would give her one more measure of certainty later.

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Casting aside her tangled thoughts, Shi Lan calmed her mind and was just about to strike at the dragon gate along her spine when movement suddenly came from outside the secret chamber.

…

The moment Shi Lan opened the door to the secret chamber, she saw Shi Qinghu. Beside him stood Wu Lingkong, who had left not long ago, along with Gu Rentong and his family, who had already departed several hours earlier.

Shi Qinghu still had joy on his face, but Gu Rentong’s expression was somewhat bitter.

“No one can get out of Xianwu City anymore?”

Looking at the people before her, Shi Lan immediately understood.

“That’s right. Not long after I left the front gate, I ran into them coming back. The city gates have already been sealed shut. The city-protecting grand formation has been activated. At each of the four gates, one Demon-Suppressing Marshal is stationed, controlling a Demon-Slaying Platform and leading seven hundred thousand Demon-Suppressing Army troops. I had wanted to ask the gate guards to make an exception, but it was completely useless.”

Wu Lingkong nodded, her expression rather helpless. The Demon-Suppressing Marshals had issued a dead order. Right now, no one dared privately let anyone leave the city.

Shi Lan nodded and looked toward Gu Rentong.

“Don’t be anxious yet. Let me think of a way. There may still be a chance.”

“Many thanks for your trouble, Miss.”

Gu Rentong cupped his hands in salute, but his expression remained bitter. In his heart, he no longer held much hope. A decision by the Demon-Suppressing Army was absolutely not something one person could change.

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Noticing that something was wrong with the atmosphere, the joy on Shi Qinghu’s face faded, and he asked in confusion, “Big Sister, is something wrong?”

“Don’t think too much. Just stay home, focus on your martial training, and leave everything to me.”

Shi Lan smiled and rubbed Shi Qinghu’s head, then turned and said,

“You all rest here for now. I’m going back to the main camp first.”

The perception of the Demon-Suppressing Token told Shi Lan that her superior, Bai Weiyang, was currently in the direction of the main camp.

In Xianwu City’s current situation, the only person Shi Lan could think of was Bai Weiyang.

For one thing, she did not know many important figures in the Demon-Suppressing Army. For another, Bai Weiyang was a Demon-Suppressing General. Sending a few people out of the city should have been no more than a trivial matter for him.

…

Shi Lan and Wu Lingkong soon returned to the main camp. The camp, which had been bustling a few days earlier, was now somewhat deserted. Barely anyone could be seen at a glance. Most of the Demon-Suppressing Army had already been transferred to the city walls or sent to suppress unrest within the city.

For a city with a radius of a thousand li, even several million Demon-Suppressing Army troops were still not enough once spread out together.

Through the perception of the Demon-Suppressing Token, Shi Lan quickly found Bai Weiyang’s command tent.

Since she was not under the same command structure, Wu Lingkong did not enter the tent and remained outside to wait.

Inside Bai Weiyang’s command tent, aside from Bai Weiyang himself, several Nascent Soul Realm experts she had seen last time were also present.

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The Demon-Suppressing Army’s sudden sealing of the city had made these people rather anxious as well, but first, Yan Jun had not yet returned, and second, Bai Weiyang had set his heart on refusing to leave. Because of that, they too had been stranded here.

Looking at those people, Shi Lan suddenly lost some of her confidence. Strictly speaking, Bai Weiyang had no particular reason to help her, and she had only recently refused the Bai family’s invitation.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

Seeing Shi Lan’s hesitant expression, Bai Weiyang shook his head slightly and waved a hand.

After hesitating for a moment, Shi Lan explained the entire sequence of events.

Under the current circumstances, every moment of delay made the situation more dangerous.

After listening, Bai Weiyang was silent for a while, then unexpectedly smiled.

“Give me a reason to help you.”

Hearing that, Shi Lan fell silent and did not know what to say for a moment.

“Agree to her.”

Just as the atmosphere in the command tent was turning somewhat delicate, a spatial passage suddenly opened out of nowhere, and a figure in white slowly stepped out.