These people were all ordinary villagers and were under control. Ye Xingchen couldn't bring himself to kill them, so he could only knock them unconscious.
However, the number of villagers is too large, and this will consume a great deal of internal energy.
Suddenly, a figure flashed, and Si Qianyu appeared from the cave entrance. With a flick of her sleeve, she repelled the villagers in front of her. Then, with a snap of her right hand, hundreds of hidden weapons were about to rain down.
"No, these people are just ordinary people." Ye Xingchen was startled and quickly stopped her.
Helpless, Si Qianyu had no choice but to put away her hidden weapons and use her bare hands to force the villagers back.
Ye Xingchen leaped up, over the crowd, grabbed Si Qianyu, and jumped to a platform more than two zhang high.
"Why are you here?" Ye Xingchen asked.
“I encountered Yi Tianchen and the people from the Xuanwu Sect on the way, so I brought them here. But when I saw the old man, I was worried that something might have happened to you, so I followed him in,” Si Qianyu said.
"Have the Xuanwu Cult arrived? Their sect has a magical artifact called the Xuanwu Bell, which can break the soul-controlling technique of the Nine Chrysanthemum lineage." Ye Xingchen looked at the densely packed villagers trying to leap onto the high platform, feeling somewhat helpless.
Even if he exhausted his true energy, he could only restore the sanity of a few hundred villagers at most. However, the Xuanwu Bell was a magical artifact, and when combined with the Xuanwu Cult's incantation techniques, it could instantly break the soul control spell.
"They've arrived." As Su Jin's voice rang out, she led in a woman dressed in Miao clothing. This woman was Qing Miao, one of the five witches of the Xuanwu Sect.
She glanced at Ye Xingchen, then raised a copper bell in her hand and shook it gently.
A mesmerizing bell rang out, and the green light in the villagers' eyes slowly disappeared.
They stood there, somewhat bewildered.
"Everyone, follow me, don't get lost," Su Jin shouted.
She grew up in the village, and most of the villagers knew her. In the emergency, there was no time to figure out what was going on, so they quickly followed Su Jin out.
"Ye Xingchen, the Imperial Preceptor Yi Anchen has discovered that the Nine Chrysanthemums lineage has set up a great array around Tongtian Peak, gathering spiritual veins from all directions to break the Dragon Locking Array. He is now looking for someone to break the array, and you are responsible for finding out where the Japanese are," Qingmiao said.
"No problem, thank you, senior." Ye Xingchen nodded, then turned to Qianyu and said, "Qianyu, you can go out too. The Japanese should be here."
“I’m not leaving, I want to stay with you.” Si Qianyu shook her head: “Now that my mission is complete, you have no reason to send me away.”
“Then you have a new task. It will take a long time for so many villagers to get up there. What if something goes wrong? You will help Su Jin lead the villagers out,” Ye Xingchen said.
"I don't accept it." Si Qianyu shook her head: "I want to be with you."
"Why are you making this of yourself? They're just a few Japanese people; there's no need to take them to heart," Ye Xingchen said with a wry smile.
"I'm at least at the Heavenly Realm now, I won't hold you back." Si Qianyu rolled her eyes at Ye Xingchen.
"Alright then." Ye Xingchen whispered in her ear, "We'll cultivate together a few more times later, and then you'll awaken your indestructible immortal bones, which will be more than just the Heavenly Realm."
"Can you be serious for once?" Si Qianyu blushed. She knew exactly what this lecher was thinking.
"I'm talking about serious matters, how is this being unserious?" Ye Xingchen said in a serious tone.
Seeing that all the villagers had left, Ye Xingchen was about to check if there was a secret passage nearby when suddenly, with a loud bang, a huge rock fell from the only exit.
"The Gate-Blocking Stone?" Ye Xingchen was shocked. This was the only exit. This huge stone was specially made and probably weighed over a hundred tons. It blocked the exit completely. How could they get out?
"Hahaha, Ye Xingchen, you can't get out now, can you? It wasn't for nothing that I painstakingly set up this trap." A figure flashed, and a short Japanese man with sinister eyes appeared. He was none other than Shinmu Ryouta.
"Plan? I'm your target?" Ye Xingchen slowly turned around and looked at him.
This guy used Yin-Yang magic to create a clone; the one appearing here is not his true form.
"So it was you all along. The blood sacrifice of three thousand villagers was a ruse, and Sato Matsuichi's attempt to lure you away was also a ruse. It was all to lure you into our trap step by step." Shinmu Ryota was very satisfied with his scheme.
"What's the reason? Is it to kill me?" Ye Xingchen asked.
"Heh... Kill you? You are going to die, but you have more valuable assets than death." Shenwu Lingtai laughed loudly: "You are the key to opening the Dragon Locking Formation."
"I do have the Jade Slip Heavenly Book, but who would be foolish enough to carry such a thing on their person?" Ye Xingchen smiled slightly: "So the Seven Star Sect was originally meant to be cannon fodder."
“They were stupid enough to stop me at the door, but from the beginning you knew they couldn’t stop me.”
“They can’t stop you, but they can fight you to the death. It’s just a pity that there are too many variables. Who would have thought that crazy old man would be so strong?” Shenwu Lingtai said with a chuckle.
"I can activate the Dragon Locking Formation?" Ye Xingchen expressed doubt: "If I'm so powerful, how come I don't know it myself?"
"The one in charge is a mystery," Shenwu Lingtai said leisurely. "You are the chosen one. Killing you and using your blood and head as a sacrifice is equivalent to a blood sacrifice of three thousand villagers, and the effect will be even better."
"I'm actually a person chosen by fate." Ye Xingchen muttered to himself, "I'm well-versed in divination and I don't even know my own destiny?"
“A doctor cannot heal himself. Locking you up here today is a desperate gamble. We didn’t intend to leave alive either.” Shenwu Lingtai said solemnly.
"You want to die with me? Forgive my bluntness, but I'm afraid you don't have the strength for that, do you?" Ye Xingchen grinned.
"I alone do not possess that kind of strength, but we can disregard life and death for the rise of our nation." Shenwu Lingtai sneered, then roared, "Sacrifice!"
His figure slowly solidified, transforming into a physical form, while sixteen Onmyoji dressed in long robes appeared to his side.
Sixteen Onmyoji stood in four rows, their bodies swaying before they knelt on the ground, seemingly performing some kind of ritual.
Shenwu Lingtai slowly landed, kneeling on one knee and punching the ground heavily while uttering a phrase incomprehensible bird language.
A streak of light rippled outwards from him, instantly enveloping the sixteen Onmyoji.
The sixteen Onmyoji simultaneously drew a dagger and, without hesitation, plunged it into their own hearts.
*Pfft...* The heads of the sixteen Onmyoji tilted to one side, and a ray of crimson light flew out from between their eyebrows, converging on Shenwu Lingtai.
Shenwu Lingtai, who was kneeling on one knee, slowly stood up. With a shake of his arms, his Yin-Yang Master robe suddenly tore open, and he was now wearing a heavy armor.
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