A mist suddenly rose in the forest, quickly obscuring visibility.
Chu Dingjiang slowed his pace slightly, waiting for those behind him to catch up.
“Sir, this fog seems strange,” said a shadowy figure similar in build to Chu Dingjiang. “Could it be poisonous?”
“No,” Chu Dingjiang replied cautiously. “Quickly regroup with the trial participants.”
Recently, Chu Dingjiang had been unfairly treated. Earlier, when leading the Crane Control Army’s trial, they were ambushed. Thanks to his quick and appropriate response, he managed to preserve part of their strength. However, the leaders of the Crane Control Bureau still used this against him. Afterward, it was a downward spiral as the Divine Martial Army’s people gradually pushed him out. If another mishap occurred this time, they would likely try to finish him off.
An Jiu reminded him, “That Wei Yuzhi understands the weaknesses of spiritual power well. He taught the Misty Mountain Villa people to disguise themselves as trial participants. Be careful.”
Chu Dingjiang grunted in acknowledgment, tightening his hold on her. “We’re thirty zhang from the target. Stay alert.”
The others heard An Jiu’s words and understood his order’s meaning—if they discovered these people were impostors, a fight would be inevitable.
“Commander Chu!” a woman’s voice called out from the thick fog.
Among the trial participants, Lou Mingyue had the strongest spiritual power. She had detected Chu Dingjiang when he entered the formation, but the paths within were complex, so they dared not wander and waited in place instead.
“It’s me,” Chu Dingjiang halted.
Six figures emerged from the dense fog.
An Jiu’s gaze sharpened as she looked at the approaching silhouettes, her killing intent suddenly locking onto them.
Chu Dingjiang’s eyebrows raised. His sword left its scabbard as he lunged forward like an arrow. Even An Jiu’s keen eyes could barely follow his movements. When he came to a stop, the six black-clad figures lay on the ground.
The other Crane Control Army shadows, momentarily stunned by An Jiu’s sudden burst of immense pressure, took a while to react. They couldn’t help but cast inquiring glances her way.
Earlier, they had observed Chu Dingjiang constantly embracing a woman. Although they found his behavior somewhat arrogant, they didn’t pay much attention to it. In the Crane Control Army, it was permissible to have companions to fulfill certain needs, even allowing mutual support during missions. This meant many people used their bodies to please the powerful in exchange for protection.
However, An Jiu’s sudden display of power was no weaker than Chu Dingjiang’s!
Those in the transformation realm were few and far between, let alone one who appeared to be such a young woman!
“Sir? What happened?” Lou Mingyue sensed the battle. “We seem to be trapped in a formation within a formation and can’t get out.”
From the current situation, it appeared Wei Yuzhi had set up a formation within a formation, trapping the trial participants. However, being close enough to hear each other’s voices, the Misty Mountain Villa assassins seized this opportunity to launch a sneak attack.
“Foolish!” Chu Dingjiang exclaimed.
Even if there were dozens more, they wouldn’t be enough for a single sweep of his sword.
He gestured for Lin Qihan to go check, then glanced back at the path they had come from. “A formation within a formation. Hm, well played, Wei Yuzhi.”
When they had entered, everything on the outskirts seemed normal. Now, Chu Dingjiang was almost certain that Gu Jinghou, who was positioned on the outer perimeter, must also be trapped in the formation.
Lin Qihan, sweating profusely, reported, “Sir, this linked formation has many variations. Carelessly trying to break it could turn it into a deadly trap.”
“How can you solve it?” Chu Dingjiang asked.
“Finding the exit is easy, but…” Lin Qihan bowed, “It would take at least ten days to half a month to break this formation completely.”
Chu Dingjiang frowned, pondering for a moment before turning to An Jiu. “Tie a rope to an arrow and shoot it across.”
Everyone instantly felt the immense pressure on An Jiu’s behalf. With the night so dark and the fog so thick just two zhang away, it meant she would have to shoot blind. The trees ahead were so dense that finding a gap under these conditions seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven.
However, An Jiu said nothing and simply took out a roll of fine silk thread, tying it to the arrow’s tail.
Hearing the conversation, Lou Mingyue cut a long branch and tapped the tree trunk on the opposite side, indicating the direction for An Jiu.
An Jiu nocked the arrow.
The onlookers watched the slender woman draw her bow, holding their breath, afraid to make even the slightest sound that might disturb her.
An Jiu closed her eyes.
To others, she appeared to be in a trance, but in reality, every cell in her body was activated. Her ears focused on the tapping sound of the branch, her spiritual power extending over thirty zhang in that direction as if everything was before her eyes. She quickly calculated, estimating the environmental factors of the area.
The world fell silent, save for Lou Mingyue’s tapping. The rhythmic sound seemed to beat against everyone’s hearts, gradually making them feel an increasingly heavy pressure. Their legs weakened, and cold sweat formed on their palms.
Whoosh!
An Jiu released her fingers, and the arrow with its thin line shot forth, swallowed by the dense fog.
As the pressure dissipated, everyone suddenly felt lighter, swaying slightly.
Thud!
“Heavens!” Sui Yunzhu exclaimed.
“What is it?” Chu Dingjiang asked.
Lou Mingyue immediately answered, “The arrow passed through the branch I was tapping and embedded itself in the tree trunk.”
The shadows stared in amazement.
A smile flickered in Chu Dingjiang’s eyes as if everything had unfolded exactly as he expected.
Lou Mingyue and the others followed the silk thread out. Upon seeing Chu Dingjiang, they bowed in salute, “Sir.”
“At ease,” Chu Dingjiang sheathed his sword and said coldly, “Find the path out of the forest! We’ll go and destroy the Misty Mountain Villa’s hidden point!”
Lin Qihan hesitated before asking, “Sir, shouldn’t we wait for the Deputy Commander?”
Lin Qihan was Gu Jinghou’s subordinate. If they discussed it properly, it might have been impossible to convince him later, so Chu Dingjiang spoke with spiritual pressure in his voice. “Commander Gu is known for his wisdom. How could a mere formation trap him?!”
Lin Qihan, only a second-rank martial master, couldn’t withstand his spiritual power. His legs weakened, and he was about to fall.
In a flash, Chu Dingjiang appeared before him. As he withdrew his pressure, he reached out to steady Lin Qihan, saying, “The forest path is slippery. Be careful, sir.”
As clarity returned to Lin Qihan’s eyes, Chu Dingjiang said, “Please lead the way, sir. We can’t linger here. We’ll wait for Commander Gu outside the forest.”
Although Lin Qihan was part of the Crane Control Army’s shadow division and not directly under Chu Dingjiang’s command, he was still a low-ranking shadow. Chu Dingjiang addressing him as “sir” was an enormous honor.
After the intimidation, a way out was provided, and a face was given. How could Lin Qihan dare say “no”?
Lin Qihan was far inferior to Wei Yuzhi, but fortunately, the Crane Control Army’s urgent attack hadn’t given him much time to set up the formation. This hastily arranged linked formation was likely meant to buy time.
After twisting and turning for half an hour, they finally found a weak point and escaped the formation.
Chu Dingjiang probed the area and found he could no longer sense Gu Jinghou and the others’ auras, confirming they too had been trapped.
For Chu Dingjiang, it would be best if Gu Jinghou remained trapped here forever, saving him the trouble of preventing An Jiu from being forced into the Dragon Martial Guard.
At this thought, the true qi in his body grew turbulent again. “The Misty Mountain Villa people have retreated. You all stay here. I’ll be back soon!”
His eyes were frighteningly sharp as he said, “Since they’ve broken the rules, they can’t blame me!”
This hidden point was quite remote. No one had expected Wei Yuzhi to appear and disrupt the trial. Since Wei Yuzhi had made his move, how could the Crane Control Army’s transformation realm expert sit idle and suffer a loss?
Everyone remained silent, thinking: Weren’t we the ones who started this…?
Chu Dingjiang’s figure flickered and disappeared into the night.