"…"
Glancing at Yao Ying—who had successfully broken through to the Core Formation realm, Nuo'er has a subtle smile on her face.
For the time being, Yao Ying is seated a bit away from the table—assuming a lotus posture, as she works to stabilize her cultivation base.
"Ai, Xiao Yao Ying has broken through, while I'm still stuck at the Core Formation realm…"
Turning to Zhen Rong, Bai Wen can only say—
"Fated encounters can be met, but not be begged for. Nothing you can really do, other than to be patient."
In response to these words, Zhen Rong replies—
"Bai-shao, at this point, you must have realized that there is something incredibly off about our bloodline branch, right?"
"Even if you ask me, it's pointless. …However, I bet your elders would know what's wrong. Problem is, none of us here know why they aren't saying anything about it."
"Ai… Would it kill them to at least give us a hint?"
"…"
Sipping wine from his cup, Bai Wen raises his right eye, and replies—
"Maybe it will."
"…?"
Just as Bai Wen had said that—
*…!!!!!!* an ominous sense of tension fills the air, as numerous red magic circles rise into the skies.
Blinking her eyes, Zhen Rong asks—
"What's this?"
"…This, all these magic circles, they're somewhat similar to the sort seen in the magic arrays that demonic practitioners use."
...…
*Thud!* crashing onto the ground, and landing onto his back, Xia Lie Yang has a dumbfounded look on his face.
"…"
Touching his feet onto the ground—
"As promised."
Long Hua deactivates his curse—causing the white fog around him to dissipate.
"Y-You…?"
Raising his head with a bit of struggle, Xia Lie Yang finds it difficult to believe that he had been thrown onto the ground in the span of 60 seconds.
Even now, Xia Lie Yang is attempting to mend his wounds using his essence of life; however, with how much immortal Qi he had expended, the process proves to be rather slow.
"…"
Walking over to Xia Lie Yang, Long Hua draws Shui Yue, and looms its tip over the former's forehead.
"Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant right now. So? How does it feel to be so helpless, mortal?"
"Y-You won't get away with this…! Our Ling Yuan family will definitely-!"
"Nothing original to say?"
Swinging Shui Yue, Long Hua draws a magic circle on the ground—with Xia Lie Yang as a part of it.
Enduring the pain, Xia Lie Yang asks—
"Wh-What are you doing?"
"…"
Ignoring the question, Long Hua stabs Shui Yue directly into Xia Lie Yang's chest—just a centimeter away from where any vital organs are.
Making a grasping gesture towards Xia Lie Yang's storage pouch, the item flies into Long Hua's hand, as he remarks—
"I know a person, he…- Hmm."
While performing the necessary incantation gestures, Long Hua continues to think of how he should describe the person that is on his mind.
"Ai, let's just say, his way of cultivation—it revolves around sacrificing others. Prior to you and your clansmen's arrival, I set up numerous sub-arrays throughout this ruin. The one you're a part of right now, it's the core array."
"…!"
Hearing this, Xia Lie Yang's complexion immediately turns pale.
"Wait, wai-"
"Open."
Without giving Xia Lie Yang the chance to say anything more, Long Hua activates the sacrificial magic array, and following its activation—
*…!!!!!!* an ominous sense of tension fills the air, while numerous red magic circles appear on the ground.
These magic circles are the sub-arrays that Long Hua had drawn up ahead of time.
If one digs into the ground beneath these sub-arrays, they would be able to find a web-like structure of metal that is of a similar design to these magic circles—a ghost face that seems to be crying but also laughing at the same time.
And as these sub-arrays were created specifically to be used on practitioners, all the Ling Yuan family's practitioners who are currently on them—
"Uh?"
"I-I can't move…?"
"Wh-What's going on?"
"What kind of magic array is this?"
Compared to the practitioners—who are bound in place, none of the weapon spirits' movements are hindered; but despite this being the perfect opportunity to finish some of these enemies off—
"These magic circles…"
"They give me a bad vibe…"
"Withdraw."
None of the weapon spirits dared to get anywhere near these sub-arrays, as they took distance from them.
...…
"Rise."
At Long Hua's command, these sub-arrays begin to rotate, as they peel off the ground, and rise into the air—while carrying the practitioners on them along.
Accompanied by the discomforting sound of flesh clinging onto metal, Xia Lie Yang's body passes through the entirety of Shui Yue, staining the weapon red—
"Th-This isn't possible! I-!"
With clear dread in his red eyes, Xia Lie Yang screams in a helpless manner.
Being the core array, Xia Lie Yang's is the first to reach its designated altitude, and upon doing so—
*…!!!!!!* the magic array abruptly expands in size, and mercilessly tears Xia Lie Yang's body into numerous pieces!
"…!"
Left with only his Nascent Soul, Xia Lie Yang looks down at his hands, but before he can even think to escape—
"Soul Extraction Art."
A powerful force of suction emanates from Long Hua's right hand, and unable to resist this pull, Xia Lie Yang is dragged towards the former.
With a cruel smile on his face, Long Hua asks—
"Despairing, is it not, mortal?"
"I…-!"
Seeing the immensely bitter expression on Xia Lie Yang's face is all the answer Long Hua needs, as he mutters—
"Devourer."
Summoning the phantom maw of a serpent, Long Hua tosses Xia Lie Yang into it.
"No!!!"
Amidst Xia Lie Yang's scream, the maw snaps shut and vanishes.
"Now then…"
Retrieving Shui Yue, and cleansing it of blood—prior to storing it away, Long Hua steps into the air, and looms above the core array, which has ceased to expand in size.