Chapter 333: Chapter 134: Ghost Moon Returns, the Grand Array Activates, the Resentful Spirit Is Born, Disaster Strikes

With every node destroyed, North City grew that much safer.

Meanwhile, deep within the County Magistrate’s Office, Zhang Yunpeng was also waiting.

He was waiting for word from Dragon Ridge Mountain, for the reinforcements sent by Divine Sacrifice Envoy Lingkong Jade, and for the experts dispatched from Qing Province.

Even a handful of Divine Power Realm experts would be enough to help him stabilize and activate the Grand Array, complete the Blood Sacrifice, and find that all-important "key."

He was like a gambler sitting on the edge of an erupting volcano, terrified yet clinging to a sliver of hope.

However, fate gave neither side the response they were hoping for.

What Zhang Yunpeng got was Ghost Moon—drenched in blood, his aura faint, crashing into the secret chamber of the County Magistrate’s Office like a beaten dog.

At the sight of Ghost Moon, Zhang Yunpeng’s face went pale with shock!

Judging by his state, Ghost Moon was clearly fleeing for his life!

"How could this happen? Why are you back?"

Zhang Yunpeng had lost all composure.

Ghost Moon’s eyes were bloodshot. Ignoring his injuries, he grabbed Zhang Yunpeng by the collar and retorted, "How could this happen?! Zhang Yunpeng! I’m the one who should be asking you that!"

"I fought with my life on the line, and all my elite subordinates are dead... After all this time, why haven’t you activated the ’Nine Nether Spirit Locking Array’?!"

"I had to destroy a precious Profound Weapon just to barely escape with my life! It’s been days! What about your backup plan? Why haven’t you started it?!"

His voice was twisted with pain and fury.

Of all the experts he had led to intercept the Demon Suppression Bureau’s reinforcements, he was the only one left.

He’d held off the men from the Demon Suppression Bureau with an Array for so long, only to return and find Zhang Yunpeng still drinking!

The "Nine Nether Spirit Locking Array" was still not active!

"Activate it? How am I supposed to activate it?!"

A startled and furious Zhang Yunpeng slapped Ghost Moon’s hand away with a gust of Force and growled, "The experts from Seven Stars Castle and all our sect members in the city have been slaughtered by that damned Ghost-faced Man! I don’t have a single person left to command!"

"The Ghost-faced Man! It’s him again!"

Ghost Moon was so enraged that his chest heaved violently. A coppery taste rose in his throat, and he nearly coughed up blood.

Zhang Yunpeng’s face was grim. "If you hadn’t provoked him and massacred the Blood Saber Sect and the Seven Stars Gang, would he be latched onto us like a rabid dog? Now, the reinforcements from Qing Province are nowhere in sight, and I’m all alone! My only choice was to send someone to Dragon Ridge Mountain for help!" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Help? Hahahaha..."

Ghost Moon let out a shrill, miserable laugh filled with despair. "It’s useless! It’s all over! If we can intercept the Demon Suppression Bureau, don’t you think they can intercept the men from Qing Province? The person you sent to Dragon Ridge Mountain is probably dead on the road already! We have no way out!"

He lunged forward, his bloodshot eyes locking onto Zhang Yunpeng, his voice like something that had crawled out of the netherworld. "Listen to me! The three from the Demon Suppression Bureau that I risked my life to hold back are almost here!"

"What’s more... I have confirmed intelligence that a ’Demon Suppression Envoy’ from the Bureau has already been dispatched!"

"Once he arrives, forget about us... He’ll coordinate with Yue Mankong from the inside. Even my master, Lingkong Jade, won’t be able to escape!"

BOOM!

The words struck Zhang Yunpeng’s mind like a clap of thunder.

Even when the situation had spun out of control, he had still felt there was a glimmer of hope.

But the news Ghost Moon brought was one of absolute, utter despair!

Every escape route, every last shred of hope, had been cut off!

"Activate the ’Nine Nether Spirit Locking Array’!"

Ghost Moon roared hysterically, "We have no other choice!"

"You can’t! My lords!"

In the secret chamber, the few Moon Worship Sect experts who had been trembling from the argument were now scared out of their wits. They scrambled to intervene. "We don’t have nearly enough people! If we force the array open, we won’t be able to contain the Resentful Spirit! When it loses control and lashes back, we’ll be the first to die!"

"Shut up!"

Ghost Moon looked like a madman. "So what if the Resentful Spirit escapes? The only ones who’ll suffer are these ants—the common folk!"

"Our only option now is to use the power of the Grand Array and the Resentful Spirit to Blood Sacrifice North City! Only then can we find the array hiding the key before that Demon Suppression Envoy arrives!"

"And only by activating this Grand Array can we stop the three from the Demon Suppression Bureau who are hunting us down!"

"My master searched Dragon Ridge Mountain for so long without finding it. That thing must be in Cyan Yang Ancient City!"

"This is our last chance! Either we activate the array now and gamble on our survival, or... we all run for our lives and wait to be crushed by the Demon Suppression Bureau!"

Zhang Yunpeng’s face was deathly pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

In the end, his frenzied will to survive overrode everything else.

He nodded heavily. "Fine! We’ll do it your way!"

Under the despairing and terrified gazes of their seven subordinates, Zhang Yunpeng and Ghost Moon forced the order.

The seven men knew this was suicide, but under the pressure of their two crazed superiors, they could only accept the order with trembling bodies. As if marching to their own executions, they each hurried toward a key node of the "Nine Nether Spirit Locking Array."

At that moment, inside the County Magistrate’s Office, Lu Tao walked out with a grim expression.

He ducked into a small alley, and the Cyan Snake shot out from his sleeve.

"I barely get a moment to rest, and now you want me to find him again," the Cyan Snake grumbled, her tone full of exasperation. "You people are going to be the death of me!"

Despite her complaints, her speed was astonishing.

There was no helping it...

A moment ago in the County Magistrate’s Office, she had sensed the arrival of a Divine Power Realm expert with an unstable aura.

Not long after he arrived, the seven Moon Worship Sect disciples hiding in the County Magistrate’s Office had rushed out.

Something big was clearly about to happen!

The Cyan Snake no longer cared about being exposed. Pushing her Escape Technique to its limit, her body enveloped in a black mist, she shot toward the Chu Family’s Old Mansion like a bolt of lightning.

In no time, she arrived outside the Chu Family’s Old Mansion.

Chu Fan, who had just settled into his cultivation, sensed the Cyan Snake’s return so soon after her departure and immediately rushed out of the house!

...

「Midday. North City, Cyan Yang Ancient City.」

The sunlight, which should have been at its most brilliant, suddenly vanished.

The sky darkened without any warning...

It wasn’t that clouds had covered the sun, but a heavy, unnerving gloom that settled over everything.