The first nail sealed the heart, blocking the circulation of blood and qi. The second nail pierced the Baihui acupoint, closing the heavenly gate and blocking the resonance of fortune.

Xu Qi’an’s blood and qi were simultaneously blocked, sealing away all his cultivation.

Most lethally, these golden nails inscribed with Buddhist scriptures seemed to have a special damaging effect on Shenshu. With just two nails entering the body, Shenshu fell silent.

He had been sealed.

Without any warning, neither Xu Qi’an nor Shenshu received any danger signals when faced with the white-robed mage’s sneak attack.

Although they were severely injured and in poor condition, for their current level of cultivation, this was absurd.

But the white-robed mage had managed it.

The white-robed mage held the remaining seven nails between his fingertips. Instead of acting immediately, he looked towards the Star-Observing Tower, at Salun Agu and the Supervisor on the Eight Trigrams platform.

The white-robed mage chuckled softly: “The Buddhist Invisible Zhenzhu is indeed useful. Without it, I wouldn’t have been confident in teleporting silently to your side without you or the demon monk noticing.

“To deal with him, the Buddhist sect has spared no expense.”

In his palm was a Buddhist bead that had been reduced to powder.

He is the first generation Supervisor… Salun Agu is also in the capital, along with the current Supervisor, three generations of the family are gathered… Xu Qi’an’s heart slowly sank.

All the gifts had been secretly priced.

Now, the debt collector had arrived.

With two nails in his body, his blood and qi stagnant, his limbs were difficult to move.

Except for being able to think, he could do nothing.

Xu Qi’an’s eyes kept moving, and he saw that on top of the Star-Observing Tower, the sky that had previously cleared suddenly became overcast. Thick bolts of lightning struck down, and beams of clear light raged across the sky.

The white-robed mage withdrew his gaze and looked at Xu Qi’an, saying:

“The capital is his territory, but Salun Agu has lived for thousands of years after all, with profound foundations. If he exerts all his effort, it won’t be difficult to hold him off. The Black Lotus Sect Leader is blocking Luo Yuhen.

“The only one who can save you is Zhao Shou. However, a Third Realm great scholar is a bit lacking.”

This white-robed mage’s face was blurred, as if pixelated, preventing Xu Qi’an from seeing his true appearance. But judging from his tone, he was leisurely and calm, exuding confidence that everything was under control.

Imperial Sword, save me quickly… Xu Qi’an cried out in his heart.

The Imperial Sword vibrated, emitting endless sword intent.

But with a casual wave of his hand, the white-robed mage quieted the bronze sword. The Imperial Sword was briefly sealed.

“A divine weapon tempered by six hundred years of national fortune is a powerful killing tool for high-level cultivators of ordinary systems. But for a mage skilled in manipulating fortune, crafting artifacts, and creating formations, it poses no threat.” The white-robed mage said calmly.

As he spoke, he also took the Confucian Saint’s Engraving Knife from Xu Qi’an’s hand. The knife trembled, clear light dispersing from his fingertips, but unable to harm him in the slightest.

Soon, the Confucian Saint’s Engraving Knife also quieted down, briefly sealed.

“This engraving knife still needs to be in the hands of a Confucian to display its true power. Otherwise, any divine weapon, without the empowerment of its master, is like duckweed floating on water, unable to be used continuously. Each time its power is exhausted, it needs to be nurtured for a while. This is a bit of knowledge that only mages understand. You should learn more.”

He spoke unhurriedly, causing Xu Qi’an’s face to turn pale and his heart to fill with anxiety.

Whoosh!

At this moment, an unparalleled blade light rose against the sky, slashing towards the white-robed mage.

He casually caught it, gripping the Taiping Blade in his hand, shaking his head with slight disappointment: “Once a divine weapon chooses its master, it only recognizes that master. For others, its usefulness is greatly diminished.”

Clear light glowed in the white-robed mage’s palm, layering onto the Taiping Blade. Soon, the vibrating blade body settled down, and the Taiping Blade was also sealed.

With a casual toss, the Taiping Blade fell at the collapsed city gate ruins.

It stuck into the ground.

“Any other tricks? If not, I’ll be taking you away,” the white-robed mage said.

At this point, Xu Qi’an found he could speak again. He tentatively asked, “The fortune on my body, was it hidden by you?”

The white-robed mage didn’t answer. He pressed his hand on Xu Qi’an’s shoulder, his form flickered, and they teleported away.

Xu Qi’an’s vision blurred, and in the next second, he found himself on the outskirts. To his left were stretches of barren fields, to his right a small lake, and in the distance, mountains gathered.

Where is this…

The mage’s teleportation was completely unreasonable; he had no idea where he was now.

“Teleportation is forbidden here!”

In a mellow, deep voice, a figure appeared in front, wearing a semi-sage Confucian cap and old Confucian robes. The hair that was usually unkempt was now neatly tucked into the Confucian cap.

Principal Zhao Shou!

“Physical contact is prohibited.”

His tone was calm, but his words contained an irresistible law.

A beam of clear light forcibly separated the white-robed mage and Xu Qi’an.

Relying on the semi-sage Confucian cap, Zhao Shou forcibly elevated his status to the Second Realm.

After separating the white-robed mage, he waved his sleeve: “Retreat a hundred li.”

The blurred-faced white-robed mage immediately disappeared.

“Well, saved? Wasn’t it agreed that teleportation wasn’t allowed? The Confucian school is indeed a big bully…”

Xu Qi’an felt relieved, almost falling into Zhao Shou’s arms to call him father.

But the next moment, Xu Qi’an saw the white-robed mage appear at his side, smiling and saying:

“That’s right, the fortune on your body was implanted by me, to deceive the Supervisor.”

Xu Qi’an was stunned for a moment: “How did you come back?”

The white-robed mage smiled and said: “I walked back.”

As he spoke, an Eight Trigrams formation lit up under Xu Qi’an’s feet, with the white-robed mage standing precisely on the Wind Gate.

? Xu Qi’an looked at him in confusion, his heart sinking again.

Zhao Shou’s expression remained unchanged as he said leisurely: “Draw a prison on the ground!”

A beam of clear light descended from the sky, enveloping dozens of li of land, completely isolating it from the outside world. Inside the prison was one world, outside was another.

He was stalling for time, waiting for the Supervisor to arrive.

The white-robed mage smiled and said: “Then let’s play for a while.”

He stomped his foot, and an array of patterns appeared out of thin air, enveloping Zhao Shou.

These arrays were all different: some interweaved with lightning, some shrouded in mist, some filled with sharp energy, some blazing with flames, yet they perfectly merged into a single formation.

They appeared simultaneously under Zhao Shou’s feet, jointly attacking him.

The Confucian cap on Zhao Shou’s head emitted clear light, and righteous qi protected his body. He raised his finger and inscribed a Buddhist scripture in the void.

The scripture merged into his body, and instantly, a golden gloss bloomed, with the Vajra Divine Skill protecting him.

The righteous qi and Vajra Divine Skill protected him thoroughly.

For high-level Confucian experts, as long as they’ve seen it, they can copy it for free.

This time, Zhao Shou had copied Xu Qi’an’s Vajra Invincibility for free.

Then, imitating the white-robed mage, Zhao Shou stomped his foot. Layers of array patterns emerged from beneath him, quickly spreading, attempting to encompass the white-robed mage.

But the white-robed mage merely waved his sleeve, sweeping away all the arrays Zhao Shou had deployed.

How could arrays possibly be effective against a mage?

The white-robed mage calmly took off the sachet at his waist, and instantly, magical artifacts flew out as if they cost nothing.

Rows of cannons lined up, crossbows fell to the ground, magical firearms and military crossbows floated in the air, all aiming at Zhao Shou.

Swords that could cut through iron like mud flew through the air.

In addition, there were other magical artifacts with strange effects, such as ropes for binding, bronze mirrors for shocking the primordial spirit, bronze bells for sealing…

This is flashy. Compared to this, warriors can only be described as crude… Witnessing the battle between a high-level Confucian and a high-level mage, Xu Qi’an couldn’t help but sigh.

Amidst the roar of cannons, the white-robed mage picked up a nail and pierced it into Xu Qi’an’s dantian.

Xu Qi’an felt intense pain in his lower abdomen, breaking out in a cold sweat. Enduring the pain, he said:

“Why did you give me the fortune?”

The white-robed mage didn’t answer, picking up another nail.

Xu Qi’an’s heart tightened, instinctively wanting to step back, but his body couldn’t move. “Was the tax silver case orchestrated by you, to get me out of the capital in a ‘reasonable’ way?”

The white-robed mage smiled and said: “You guessed correctly.”

“But I can’t guess why you needed to use the tax silver case as an excuse to get me out of the capital. With your methods and abilities, even with the Supervisor stationed in the capital, you could still take me out of the capital.”

Xu Qi’an stared at him, trying to see through that layer of “pixelation” to observe his expression.

The white-robed mage patted his head, his voice gentle, like an elder talking to a junior:

“Aren’t you Great Feng’s genius case-solver? Given so much time, you still haven’t figured it out?”

I’ll figure out your mother… Xu Qi’an almost cursed out loud, but he held back, trying to stall for time: “In Yun State, it was you helping me, right?”

“Mm!”

The white-robed mage replied concisely.

“You helped me, not because you were giving me gifts, but because Yun State is Xu State, the stronghold of your lineage, right?”

Xu Qi’an’s words were shocking.

“Not so stupid after all.”

The white-robed mage’s tone remained calm as he held the nail and pierced it into Xu Qi’an’s upper dantian in his chest, saying: “How did you guess?”

Xu Qi’an’s face paled, his forehead breaking out in sweat. His voice was slightly weak:

“Because Yun State’s geographical location is too good. It backs onto the sea, so even if your uprising fails, you can still escape overseas by ship. And why Yun State, not other coastal states? Because Yun State is rich in resources. In terms of grain production, it’s second only to Yu State and Zhang State, known as the ‘granaries of Great Feng’.”

“In terms of iron ore, medicinal herbs, and other mountain treasures, Yun State is second only to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains of the Southern Frontier. Combined with the rampant banditry in the area, it’s the best cover for you to station and train troops.

“The Shaman God Sect also had their eyes on this place, so they’ve been secretly plotting for years. Supporting mountain bandits, colluding with the Qi faction, and supplying military needs. This infringed on your interests.

“So you used Duke Wei’s hand, and my hand, to uproot the Shaman God Sect. This way, you wouldn’t expose yourselves while clearing out the Shaman God Sect’s forces.

“If all my guesses are correct, then Yang Chuannan, the Commander of Yun State, is one of your people, right?”

The white-robed mage applauded lightly. His face couldn’t be seen clearly, but he was full of smiles: “You’ve guessed it all correctly. What else have you figured out? Feel free to say it. I’ll give you a chance to buy some time.”

“It’s a pity I realized too late,” Xu Qi’an shook his head and smiled bitterly.

The reason he was able to quickly identify Song Changfu, the Provincial Administrator of Yun State, as the true culprit behind the scenes that day was entirely because he had captured the cripple Liang Youping, who had been sent by the white-robed mage.

And Liang Youping… was a good friend of Li Miaozheng, uncovered by Yang Chuannan, the Commander of Yun State.

Yun State was a strange place. Despite being very wealthy, it was plagued by bandits, and the people lived in hardship. Not just Xu Qi’an, even Zhu Guangxiao had exclaimed how unreasonable it was at the time.

After summoning Ji Qian’s soul in Jian State and questioning the spirit, Xu Qi’an had been wondering where Xu State actually was.

For a long time, he couldn’t figure it out, until later when he had cleared everything up and suddenly realized.

“Back then in Yun State, why didn’t you extract my fortune?”

“You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” The white-robed mage raised the nail in his hand and said:

“The sealed object from beneath Sang Lake is inside you. To extract the fortune from your body, I would have to face him.

“This demon monk is no ordinary figure. Even I can’t seal him. So I made a trip to the Western Regions and told the Buddhist sect about Shenshu being inside you.

“They were quite willing to lend me their treasure, the Demon-Sealing Nails.”

No wonder he could easily break through my Vajra Divine Skill and easily seal Shenshu. Indeed, only monks can deal with monks… Xu Qi’an used sarcasm to alleviate the despair in his heart and said:

“Why didn’t you borrow them earlier or later, but waited until now?”

The white-robed mage’s voice carried a leisurely and amused tone: “Of course, to wait for Wei Yuan to die in battle, for your dragon vein to dissipate, and for you to kill Zhen De.”

Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes: “How did you know Yuan Jing was Zhen De?”

The white-robed mage asked in return: “Guess.”

Without waiting for Xu Qi’an to speak, he continued: “If Wei Yuan didn’t die, not only would the Shaman God Sect be unable to rest easy, I too would be unable to rest easy. With Great Feng’s War God alive, who would dare to rebel? Now that the dragon vein has dissipated, chaos will surely ensue in the Central Plains. This is the perfect opportunity for rebellion.

“It’s also the best time for me to reclaim the fortune.”

As he spoke, another golden nail pierced into Xu Qi’an’s Dazhui acupoint.

Xu Qi’an groaned, nearly fainting. The five nails in his body resonated, eroding his life force, further sealing his cultivation, and further sealing Shenshu.

He was in a very bad state now. After killing Zhen De and shattering the jade twice, he was already severely injured.

Now, with the first-generation Supervisor piercing him with the Demon-Sealing Nails, he experienced a rare weakness, like the exhaustion after pulling an all-nighter in his previous life, the kind of weakness where he felt he could die at any moment.

“Back then, how did you escape the encirclement and killing by Emperor Wuzong, the Buddhist Bodhisattva, and the Supervisor of that time?” Xu Qi’an didn’t forget his original intention of buying time.

The white-robed mage glanced at Zhao Shou in the distance, once again opened his sachet, and summoned one magical artifact after another. Top-tier artifacts whistled out as if they cost nothing, replenishing his “forces”.

At the same time, he stomped his foot again, spreading out formations that could borrow the power of heaven and earth, encompassing Zhao Shou.

Principal Zhao Shou was already at the peak of the Third Realm, and with the empowerment of the semi-sage Confucian cap, he wouldn’t be weaker than the Second Realm… As expected of the first-generation Supervisor, he’s probably just a hair’s breadth away from the First Realm… Xu Qi’an felt despair again.

After restraining Zhao Shou again, the white-robed mage picked up a nail, infused it with clear light, and said:

“Is it that easy to kill a First Realm expert?”

The sixth nail was inserted into the Mingmen acupoint at the lower back.

“He’s still resisting. As expected of a demon monk that even gives the Buddhist sect a headache. Once I’ve completely sealed him, I’ll set up a formation to retrieve the fortune. At that time, you might die.”

“With the fortune on me, if you harm my life, aren’t you afraid of the fortune’s backlash?”

Xu Qi’an’s face was pale, not from fear, but from weakness.

“The Supervisor doesn’t dare to touch Zhen De because he’s the Supervisor of Great Feng. Five hundred years ago, he reached the First Realm relying on this line of the royal family. Killing the emperor would be like destroying his foundation. The fortune on you also comes from this lineage.

“Killing you won’t destroy my foundation, I only need to bear the backlash, and for certain reasons, this backlash would even be lighter than if an ordinary high-level expert dealt with you.”

The white-robed mage smiled.

“What are these certain reasons? Are they related to why you hid the fortune in my body back then?” Xu Qi’an narrowed his eyes.

The white-robed mage answered indirectly: “Do you know what the First and Second Realms in the mage system are called? If you knew, you could figure out many things on your own.”

The seventh nail pierced into Xu Qi’an’s central pivot acupoint.

Blood and sweat mixed, staining his tattered blue robe red. He fell silent for a moment, then nodded:

“I am indeed very curious about the truth behind the Supervisor’s killing of his master back then.”