Free Web NovelChapter 151: Chapter 151: A Stratagem
Jiang Xu cursed his luck. The two ancestors’ vague warning had landed him in this predicament.
’If I’d known things would get this bad, I would’ve left the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace long ago and returned to the Profound Origin Sect for shelter.’
But life was unpredictable. It was precisely because he had stayed at the Talisman Shop that he was able to glimpse the little shop’s deeply hidden secret.
But now, he would rather not have had such a "reward." After all, the current pressure and danger had him on pins and needles.
Jiang Xu paced back and forth in the cramped shop, his mind racing as he tried to figure out the best way to handle this.
His brow was furrowed. He knew deep down that the wisest course of action was to gather all available forces before the Demon Cultivators attacked and break through their carefully woven defenses.
The problem was, he was just a fledgling Junior Cultivator. His words carried no weight, and he had no prestige to speak of. How could he possibly rally people against an invisible, intangible Demon Array?
What made things even trickier was that the whereabouts and movements of Elder Demon Su—the mastermind hiding in the shadows—remained a complete mystery.
Jiang Xu didn’t know if he was inside the Marketplace watching everyone or outside scheming.
If he rashly exposed the truth and was discovered, he would face retaliation. With his current Cultivation and strength, he probably wouldn’t even have a chance to resist. He’d be a puppet on a string, easily crushed.
Jiang Xu was torn, his heart burning as if scorched by fire.
He was now facing an incredibly difficult choice.
If he chose to act, he would have to put himself in harm’s way, directly confronting the Demon Cultivator forces hiding in the dark. The slightest misstep could expose his identity and doom him to a point of no return.
If he chose to play it safe and do nothing, the hidden threat would close in step by step, gradually consuming the Purple Profound Celestial Marketplace. When that happened, he wouldn’t be able to escape either.
Faced with this dilemma, Jiang Xu couldn’t help but feel a wave of bitterness.
He also understood that running away wouldn’t solve the problem. Only by facing it head-on and finding a way to break the stalemate could he possibly find a glimmer of hope for survival in this crisis.
But Jiang Xu also had a clear understanding of his own abilities.
He might be able to fool the Investigation and senses of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, putting himself in an advantageous position from the start.
But in terms of actual combat power, he was no match for a true Foundation Establishment Cultivator in a head-on confrontation.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the Demon Cultivators, who seemed even more powerful than ordinary Cultivators.
’A direct confrontation is out. I’ll have to use my wits. Even if I can’t expose myself or make a big fuss, I have to make people realize this Demon Array exists!’
At the same time, Jiang Xu recalled that the Demon Cultivators had seemed to be putting something on the ground earlier. Thinking about it now, it must have been something extremely detrimental to the Marketplace’s safety.
But even with his Spiritual Eye Technique, Jiang Xu couldn’t make out its specific form or location.
Clearly, these things were the work of the leader behind the Demon Cultivators. As far as Jiang Xu was concerned, only something at the Golden Core Stage could render his Spiritual Eye Technique ineffective.
’Why do I get the feeling that even my Perfect Level Magic isn’t enough anymore?’
Against a Golden Core, neither his Concealing Breath Spell nor his Spiritual Eye Technique was of much use now.
But Jiang Xu didn’t even know if the Magic on his panel could be upgraded to the next Skill Level.
If there was a next level, it would probably cost one hundred Limit-Breaking Points.
In his current situation, there was no way for Jiang Xu to slowly accumulate them.
Since he couldn’t figure out what those things on the ground were for, Jiang Xu decided to ignore them for now. Dealing with the Demon Array was the most pressing matter.
Even if he couldn’t destroy the Demon Array, he had to let everyone know that it was dangerous to approach.
...
As night fell, Jiang Xu quietly approached the city gate.
Jiang Xu saw that there were still many Cultivators leaving the city, trying to get out of the Marketplace.
And a kilometer outside the city, a massive Demon Array stood tall, like a slumbering beast, silently devouring every life that drew near.
Jiang Xu took out the Ten Thousand Laws Gourd, aiming its mouth at the Cultivators with the highest Realms among those leaving the city.
Saying they had the highest Realms was a stretch; they were only at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage. There wasn’t even a single Foundation Establishment Cultivator among them.
Jiang Xu had tested this Ten Thousand Laws Gourd on Meng Peiyun before and found it to be incredibly useful.
Magic like the Concealing Breath Spell and Spiritual Eye Technique, which he could normally only cast on himself, could now be cast on others with the same Skill Level, allowing them to experience the same effects.
He gently turned the mouth of the Ten Thousand Laws Gourd, aiming at the Cultivators who were about to leave the city and those standing guard.
"SWOOSH!" "SWOOSH!" "SWOOSH!"
More than ten streams of the Spiritual Eye Technique shot out like invisible arrows, silently striking the Cultivators at the city gate.
In an instant, the Cultivators twitched as if electrocuted, their bodies convulsing. Their eyes were intensely stimulated, and tears streamed down their faces.
However, when they rubbed their eyes and opened them again, the world in their vision had changed dramatically. Things they couldn’t perceive before now appeared right before them.
In particular, the Demons lurking in the darkness and the terrifying Demon Array were now in plain sight.
This was precisely Jiang Xu’s plan: have these people see the Demon Array’s existence, and then let them spread the news throughout the entire Marketplace.
Jiang Xu knew he didn’t have the power to fight the Demon Cultivators on his own; he had to tell every Cultivator in the Marketplace about this.
Although this information might cause a panic, Cultivators weren’t made of clay. Their ability to handle pressure was frighteningly high. Letting them know the truth had more pros than cons.
As the Cultivators opened their eyes, they looked around, their faces filled with confusion and terror.
"Ah!"
"What is that!"
"Monsters! Stay away from me!"
Now, the Demonic Qi and the Demon Array hidden in the darkness had nowhere to hide.
The disguises of the Demons, who had been converted by the Demon Array, couldn’t withstand the Investigation of the Spiritual Eye Technique at all; their true nature was completely exposed.
Meanwhile, those who hadn’t been affected by Jiang Xu’s Spiritual Eye Technique, along with the well-disguised Demons, were completely bewildered, having no idea what was happening.
One Demon smiled and approached his former "friend," who had been hit by the Spiritual Eye Technique, only to find that the person didn’t respond. Instead, he recoiled in terror, as if the Demon were some kind of terrifying monster.
The Demon froze for a moment, then pretended that nothing was wrong and asked, "What’s the matter with you? You’re acting strange."
His former friend pulled a Magical Artifact from his Storage Bag and swallowed hard, shrinking back from the Demon.
"Am I the one being strange? You... you seem even stranger."
"Haha, don’t be ridiculous. What’s so strange about me?"
The Demon was secretly furious. He had no idea how the other man had discovered his true identity.
If not for this, he might have been able to swallow his "friend" tonight, and then they would never be apart again!
