Chapter 259: Underworld Grand Formation

"How can you, Shenmu Sect, a major force in the Eastern Desolation, use this as an excuse to kill me and seize my Guo family's spiritual treasures?"

After Lady Guo blocked Bi Yiyuan's attack with her Golden Jade Axe, she spat out a mouthful of blood. Her formerly gentle brows instantly sharpened. Her pale hand drew two purple-gold lead pellets from her belt. As she infused them with spiritual power, faint golden arcs of electricity flickered and danced around them.

"Purple-Gold Divine Thunder!" Seeing the two pellets in Lady Guo's hand, Bi Yiyuan, who had been planning to deliver another blow with his staff, immediately stopped.

Although Chen Mobai didn't know what these items were, he could feel the immense spiritual power contained within the two small pellets. They were likely similar to the grenades used by the Immortal Sect.

"Lady Guo, after the three of us entered here, you used your Golden Jade Axe to attack and awaken the Silver-Armored Corpse. You then guided Sister Yan and me to inject spiritual power into the Corpse Suppressing Charm, helping the Silver-Armored Corpse break its seal. What explanation do you have for this?"

Mei Jingjun was a woman with slightly yellowish skin and a well-proportioned figure. However, her words caused everyone present to look at the pale Lady Guo with suspicion.

"Don't forget, you were the ones who invited me." Lady Guo's gaze was icy, but she remained composed, refuting every word.

Chen Mobai understood her feelings. After all, everyone else present, besides her, was from the Shenmu Sect. If they all agreed she was problematic, they could easily dispose of her body without a trace and then divide her storage bag. She had no choice but to be cautious.

"Let's go first. It's not worth wasting time on her." At this moment, Bi Yiyuan looked with a grave expression at Taoist Feiming, who was slowly rising from the Ebony Pavilion.

Now fully transformed into a Silver-Armored Corpse, his entire body glowed with a dazzling, silver-powder-like sheen. In the environment of the underground cave, he resembled a moon, extremely conspicuous.

Clanging sounds echoed from above. Shan Hongyi had already unleashed his full power, controlling his crimson flying sword like a fiery red serpent. He engaged in a thrilling battle with the Silver-Armored Corpse, which occupied the only upward passage.

"Indeed, one of you was sent here to break the Corpse Suppressing Charm." Taoist Feiming, his face coated in silver powder, held the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp in his right hand. He said with an evil grin, uttering words that made everyone present's expressions change slightly.

"It really is you!" Yan Jinye was startled by these words and glared angrily at Lady Guo. The latter sneered coldly but offered no further explanation. She merely held the two pellets in her hand, watching everyone present with a cold gaze.

"Be careful, this might be a psychological tactic from the enemy." At this moment, Chen Mobai finally spoke. After observing for so long, he hadn't found any immediate problems. However, compared to an unknown spy, whether real or fake, the primary goal now was to leave this cave.

"No matter what, let's get out first." As soon as Chen Mobai finished speaking, everyone nodded.

"Two junior sisters, which way did you come in?" Bi Yiyuan pulled out a full set of armor from his storage bag and quickly put it on, fully arming himself.

"There's an underground passage at the bottom of this lake. We can use the undercurrent to reach another cave. From there, after traveling several kilometers, we can leave Solitary Soul Ridge."

As soon as Yan Jinye finished speaking, Taoist Feiming sneered. He landed on the white jade altar and stomped his foot heavily. Instantly, the ground shook violently. Stalactites plummeted, forcing Chen Mobai and the others to use their various skills, either blocking or dodging.

"Oh no, he's going to collapse the underground current passage!" Yan Jinye instantly understood Taoist Feiming's purpose. She summoned her artifact, a medicinal hoe Chen Mobai had seen before, intending to stop Taoist Feiming.

However, the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp flared with light, and an invisible light barrier reappeared, freezing her medicinal hoe in mid-air. Then, Taoist Feiming reached out and clenched his hand, and a silver-gray corpse aura instantly covered the hoe. With a crisp clang, the hoe lost all its spiritual light and fell into the lake.

*Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!* Three sharp sounds of sword qi piercing the air rang out. They formed the character "three" in mid-air, striking like bolts of lightning just as the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp's wick extinguished. They pierced Taoist Feiming's glabella, neck, and chest.

However, the Crimson Flame Sword Qi, powerful enough to cut through gold and jade, only left a faint scorch mark on the silver-gray skin. This was due to Chen Mobai's Crimson Flame Sword Talisman being fire-attributed; if it had been any other attribute, it likely wouldn't have left even a trace.

Before Chen Mobai made his move, Bi Yiyuan, who had also seized the opportunity as the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp's light faded, swung his spiked club and powerfully struck towards Taoist Feiming. However, his body movement was not as fast as the sword qi, so he only reached Taoist Feiming after the Crimson Flame Sword Qi had been blocked.

Facing the astonishingly powerful and distinct spiked club, Taoist Feiming seemed unwilling to take risks. He opened his mouth and spat out a golden pearl, which shot out like a marble, actually resisting Bi Yiyuan's full-force swing.

Taoist Feiming's dark golden pupils contracted. The lotus lamp in his right hand lit up again. The invisible light barrier flickered, seemingly possessing immense power, forcing Bi Yiyuan back.

At this moment, Chen Mobai, who had been waiting for this opportunity, maneuvered his Divine Wood Sword like a swimming fish. At the exact moment the lamp's wick extinguished, he slipped into the gap where the light barrier had vanished and gently circled Taoist Feiming's neck.

*Screech!* An ear-splitting, teeth-grinding sound rang out. The Divine Wood Sword seemed to have struck a piece of fine iron. Although it cut through the outer layer of skin, it was caught by Taoist Feiming's left hand, unable to go any further.

"Interesting, a sword cultivator no less." Taoist Feiming's dark golden eyes looked towards the unassuming Chen Mobai in the distance. Among the six Foundation Establishment cultivators present, he had paid the least attention to this refined young man. This was because he could sense that the young man's cultivation was merely at the initial Foundation Establishment stage. However, these two swift and agile sword strikes, precisely exploiting the gaps in his artifact's defensive power, showed a keen eye and a sword dao realm far superior to the older Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator above.

At the moment Taoist Feiming looked at Chen Mobai, Bi Yiyuan, who had been pushed back by the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp, swung his spiked club. Seizing the instant his opponent was held back by the Divine Wood Sword, he brought it down heavily on Taoist Feiming's forehead.

*Boom!* Taoist Feiming's head, struck as if it were a baseball, split open with a visible crack. His empty forehead was faintly discernible. His entire body slammed heavily into the cave wall, leaving a human-shaped crater.

"Go!" Having landed a successful strike, Bi Yiyuan didn't hesitate. After retrieving his artifact, he immediately flew upwards.

Going through the underground current passage was too risky, and he didn't know earth-escape techniques. It was better to go upwards, like Shan Hongyi. Chen Mobai didn't hesitate either. His Divine Wood Sword flew back to his side, and with man and sword united, he fled at the fastest possible speed.

Yan Jinye and Mei Jingjun also decisively followed them. "Attack together!" Shan Hongyi called out. Although the five Shenmu Sect disciples hadn't coordinated before, they simultaneously unleashed their most powerful fire-attribute spells towards Taoist Feiming's Silver-Armored Corpse!

Instantly, flames danced everywhere. There were blazing fire snakes, fireballs, and purple fire sword qi, accompanied by booming thunder. They overwhelmingly covered the Silver-Armored Corpse like a meteor shower of fire, melting most of his broad-bladed battle sword.

The five Shenmu Sect members paid no attention to their achievements, rushing into the exit that appeared after the Silver-Armored Corpse was repelled, and flying inside. As they left, Chen Mobai glanced at Lady Guo. She, however, was riding a spiritual light, rushing towards the lake. She had actually chosen the opposite direction.

"It's useless, isn't it? This is my underworld, and all space is under my control." Taoist Feiming's voice rang out. Then, Chen Mobai and the others felt silver mist churning before their eyes, making it impossible to discern any direction. After releasing their spiritual senses and identifying the cave entrance, everyone was about to leave. But they found themselves dizzy, having returned to their original position.

Subsequently, silver mist, carrying an icy yin aura, surged up from below. It filled the entire cave, obscuring their vision.

"Junior brothers and sisters, don't panic!" Shan Hongyi's voice rang out, and a bright light shone within the silver mist. It dispelled all darkness, allowing everyone to regain their sight. It was one of Shan Hongyi's artifacts, perfectly suited for this situation.

Chen Mobai retracted his Spirit-Piercing Eyes and stood on his Scarlet Cloud Silk Robe. He and his four fellow disciples stood firmly at four corners, their expressions grave. Above them, Taoist Feiming's Silver-Armored Corpse had reappeared at some unknown time, blocking the cave entrance.

His entire body was scorched black, and one of his arms had vanished. However, the pervasive silver mist slowly flowed into his wounds, and the places they had injured healed at a visible speed in an instant.

"I'm starting to get familiar with this new body now." Taoist Feiming stepped out of the cave wall. The crack in his forehead, caused by the spiked club, healed rapidly. The smoke emanating from the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp in his hand transformed into silver mist, which was greatly beneficial to the Silver-Armored Corpse.

"Underworld Grand Array, activate!" After becoming familiar with his new body, Taoist Feiming began to manipulate the cave array he had set up during his lifetime. Then, a void opened, and Lady Guo, who should have escaped, rushed out of this opening with a look of panic.

So that's how it is! Seeing this, Chen Mobai and the others realized that they must have also been teleported back in the same manner. What was the origin of this Underworld Grand Array, and how could it be so mysterious?

After Lady Guo landed near Taoist Feiming, she was about to use her Golden Jade Axe to attack and retreat. However, the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp shone on her, freezing her artifact in her hand, and she was heavily smashed against the cave wall. But Lady Guo was not as tough as the Silver-Armored Corpse; this blow almost shattered her. Even so, her vision went black. Although her body remained barely intact, embedded in the wall, her breath was faint, like a wisp of smoke.

"Isn't she one of yours?" Chen Mobai, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but ask. "One of mine? I never said it was her." After saying this, Taoist Feiming grasped the jade-handled golden axe that had been frozen before him. He hurled it at Lady Guo, who had just slid down from the cave wall, directly piercing the beautiful woman's chest. Amidst the gushing blood, he avenged the injury his corpse had sustained from this very axe.

Witnessing such a gruesome scene, Chen Mobai and Yan Jinye slightly frowned. The other three, however, seemed accustomed to it. At this moment, Taoist Feiming pulled the Golden Jade Axe from Lady Guo's unseeing corpse. He then hurled it towards Bi Yiyuan, who was above.

*Clang!* Bi Yiyuan struck the Golden Jade Axe away with his spiked club, but then felt his hand lighten. The three spikes on the club had been severed, revealing sparkling clean cuts. This Golden Jade Axe was incredibly sharp! No wonder it could cut through Taoist Feiming's corpse earlier.

"Junior Brother Bi, come with me. Let's first eliminate the Silver-Armored Corpse above. Junior Brother Chen and the two junior sisters, can you hold off Taoist Feiming for a while?"

Everyone understood the current situation. Although Yan Jinye and Mei Jingjun looked grim, they had no way to refuse and could only nod. Chen Mobai remained silent, and everyone took that as his agreement.

"My person is still among you, you know." At this moment, Taoist Feiming uttered another psychological attack. Shan Hongyi and Bi Yiyuan exchanged glances and simultaneously attacked the Silver-Armored Corpse above.

The two instantly unleashed terrifying spiritual power that shook the entire cave. Within just five or six moves, they defeated their opponent, then rushed into the cave entrance and disappeared.

"Let's go too." Yan Jinye pulled Mei Jingjun, following the path opened by the two, and transformed into a green light, rapidly ascending.

"Oh, aren't you leaving?" Taoist Feiming looked at Chen Mobai, who remained in place, feeling quite curious. "Can they escape?" Chen Mobai, however, asked a strange question.

"Probably not." Taoist Feiming was also quite amusing, giving an ambiguous answer. "What do you mean?"

"Although my Underworld Grand Array is set up using the terrain here, its array disc is flawed. Array masters of the third tier or higher can find a way to break it."

"That's quite unfortunate then. It seems there are no third-tier array masters among us." Shan Hongyi knew a little about arrays, but Chen Mobai guessed it was merely accumulated knowledge from his age. Bi Yiyuan was a body cultivator, Yan Jinye an alchemist. The remaining Mei Jingjun, he hadn't interacted with, but it seemed unlikely she would be a third-tier array master either.

"You guessed correctly; there aren't any." The Five-Colored Lotus Lamp in Taoist Feiming's hand flickered. Its light revealed a scene where Shan Hongyi and the other four continuously flew through the passage, but would never be able to fly out of Solitary Soul Ridge.

"I've separated the four of them. Go hunt them down one by one. I want to play with this sword cultivator slowly." The Silver-Armored Corpse, having recovered under the effect of the silver mist, nodded. Since his own weapon was damaged, he picked up the Golden Jade Axe.

Chen Mobai watched him disappear to pursue his fellow disciples. "Oh, aren't you going to stop him?" Taoist Feiming looked at Chen Mobai, who stood motionless on the cloud, a hint of disappointment in his expression, feeling that his attempt to manipulate hearts had failed.

"No, it'll be easier for me to deal with just you." Chen Mobai, however, uttered words that made him raise an eyebrow.

"Do you know what you're saying?" Taoist Feiming's expression darkened. He raised the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp in his hand. Just as he was about to use this artifact to torment and kill this arrogant boy, a cyan flying sword shot out from Chen Mobai's hand.

Overwhelming sword qi rainbows descended, carrying some flashy, impractical flames. They were easily frozen, fixed, and dissipated by the five-colored light... Too weak!

And just as Taoist Feiming shook his head and sighed, preparing to kill this Shenmu Sect disciple, an unprecedented, dazzling purple light, like a meteor, lit up in his eyes.

He looked up and saw Chen Mobai drawing out his hairpin. He gently swiped it downwards!

Taoist Feiming's expression changed, and he was about to spit out the golden pearl. But the speed of the purple sword light far exceeded his expectations.

He intended to rely on the Silver-Armored Corpse's tough body to withstand the blow. As long as it wasn't a fatal injury, he could immediately recover with the help of his treasures.

But when he came back to his senses, he found his head flying through the air. His eyes could see his own headless body, still holding the Five-Colored Lotus Lamp. How was this possible? A mere sword rainbow could break his defense?

Just as Taoist Feiming was filled with confusion, he finally noticed something amiss. What had just struck him didn't seem to be a sword rainbow!