NOVPUBXu Zimei slowly opened her eyes, and the world before her began to stabilize.
He stepped out of the Teleportation Array.
After casually inquiring with a few people around, he learned that he had arrived in Safety Sky City, within the Phoenix Perching Empire.
He wandered around the city and found that its scale was very small.
It was almost equivalent to a small town.
After several days of spatial teleportation, Xu Zimei’s body and mind were somewhat tired.
As night gradually fell, he decided to stay here for the evening.
After finding an inn and having dinner, Xu Zimei went back to prepare for comprehending "Demonic Skills".
...
The deep night in Safety Sky City was exceptionally quiet.
Because the city was situated on the edge of the empire, it hardly had any connection with the so-called prosperity and bustle of a major city.
The residents within the city had gone to sleep early.
In this silent darkness, a sudden gust of wind rose outside the city.
Three figures draped in black and red robes appeared outside the city.
They stood in front of the city gate and calmly gazed at the city for a long, long time.
Eventually, the figure in the middle broke the silence and spoke.
"Is it confirmed? Is it here?"
"There is no mistake in the message," the middle figure nodded slightly.
"What did the organization say, to destroy the city or...?"
"The Divine Sect must not expose themselves completely here, do you understand?" the figure in the middle said indifferently.
"Then what should we do? Just the few of us go and destroy the city?"
"Do you think they would be unprepared? We few are not enough."
"So what do you suggest?"
"Let’s borrow a knife to kill someone!" the figure with the piercing gaze said.
...
Phoenix Perching Demon Forest, this is a vast forest stretching across mountains, snow mountains, and plains.
The forest crosses half of the Phoenix Perching Empire.
It’s a notorious danger spot.
Not only the people of Phoenix Perching Empire but also those from other empires around know
it’s a troublesome place that has always been insolvable.
There is only one type of creature in Phoenix Perching Demon Forest.
"Monster Spirits!"
They are creatures born from heaven and raised by earth, normally feeding on the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, and their nature is gentle and timid, never daring to enter the world of humanity.
However, these Monster Spirits are very particular about the concept of territory.
They become inexplicably irritable upon seeing any creature intrude into Phoenix Perching Demon Forest and will attack and kill the target until it is dead.
Therefore, the Phoenix Perching Demon Forest has been the most troublesome place for the empire for many years.
But because the Monster Spirits are naturally timid, there has been peace with humans for many years.
To prevent humans from accidentally wandering into Phoenix Perching Demon Forest, or Monster Spirits from suddenly venturing out one day,
the Phoenix Perching Empire started building a Defensive Array along the starting point of the Monster Forest a long time ago.
The array starts from Shanyang City in the east and extends to Phoenix Perching Valley in the west.
After hundreds of years of construction, gathering nearly all the Array Masters of the entire Phoenix Perching Empire,
they finally succeeded in enclosing the entire Phoenix Perching Demon Forest within the array.
North of Safety Sky City, not far away, runs the path where Phoenix Perching Demon Forest spreads.
Therefore, there is a fortress there that is very important for controlling the Defensive Array.
...
In the deep spring season, the weather is not cold but rather cool.
The spring breeze drifted through the Monster Forest, lifting a few emerald leaves to twirl in the sky.
Eventually, they softly landed on the ground.
Standing atop the fortress, one could clearly see the situation for several kilometers around.
Two soldiers clad in red armor were sitting on top of the fortress.
An older man and a youth.
"Uncle Han, keep watch for me so I can take a nap," the youth said to the old man with a smile.
"What were you up to during the day, you rascal?" the old man grunted in response.
"If something goes wrong in the Monster Forest, we’ll see what you’re going to do."
"How could it? Uncle Han, you’ve been guarding this fortress for over thirty years without a single problem."
The youth chuckled, "I’m not that unlucky."
As he spoke, the youth leaned against the wall and fell asleep, while the old man beside him shook his head helplessly.
The wind was strong at night, and the sky gradually darkened.
For those who guarded the fortress, what they liked least was hot weather, as well as heavy rain or snow.
Uncle Han glanced at the sky, eventually stood up, and set his eyes in the direction of the Phoenix Perching Demon Forest.
He was completely unaware that several figures were approaching him in the darkness.
A gust of wind swept past his ear, and before he could respond, a mass of black fog enveloped him and completely dissolved and corroded away.
Three figures in black robes looked at the youth still lying on the ground asleep, and one kicked him awake.
"Uncle Han, what are you doing?" the youth slowly opened his eyes, asking sleepily.
But when he saw the scene in front of him, the three black-robed figures just standing there calmly, he was completely stunned.
"Big brothers, may I ask who you are?" the youth asked with a wry smile.
"Open the defensive array," the black-robed figure in the center said indifferently.
"I can’t open it; I’m just ordered to guard this place and don’t have the authority over the formation," the youth quickly shook his head and said.
"Then what use is there for you to be alive?" the black-robed figure on the left said as his right hand fell swiftly.
The youth didn’t even have time to scream before the black fog silenced and corroded him.
...
"What now?" the black-robed figure on the left asked.
"First, let’s check the formation."
The three left the fortress and went straight to the formation of this place.
The formation was always active, invisible, and intangible.
After observing the site for a long time, the figure in the middle breathed a sigh of relief.
He said, "It seems my guess was not wrong.
Although their formation is a whole, it is made up of several smaller formations leading to it."
"So do we not need to break the entire large formation but only need to break this part to open a small exit?" asked the black-robed figure beside him.
"You two go stand guard; I’ll give it a try," the black-robed figure in the middle nodded back.
About an hour later, the formation at this place started to fluctuate.
The originally invisible formation became clear, like a transparent blue shield.
The figure in the black robe took out a bottle of black potion from the Storage Ring and poured it all over the shield.
"Crackle pop" soft crackling noises suddenly erupted on the formation.
Not long afterward, a small opening was corroded in the formation.
The figure in the black robe gestured, calling the other two who were keeping watch to come over.
He said gravely, "There are three hours until dawn, which means we must complete all preparations within three hours.
Otherwise, we will be discovered."
"Understood," the other two black-robed figures nodded and then walked through the small opening into the Phoenix Perching Demon Forest.
...…
In the early morning, the faint light of dawn cast a soft glow just beginning to peek over the horizon.
