Chapter 215: Attentive Man

"So many experts have gone and never returned. What makes you think you'll succeed?"

The Empress asked her two consecutive questions, unaware that her doubts were precisely what Xu Yang also wanted to know.

Tuoba Hong was clearly prepared. He took a sip of wine and chuckled, "Many have gone and not returned, but not all of them died by the Taotie's hand. In fact, very few of those who set out to find the Taotie ever encountered the primordial spiritual entity. The vast majority died on their journey."

Xu Yang couldn't help but frown. "The East Sea territory is no longer covered by the Spirit-Sealing Array. If so many experts couldn't find their way, they should have turned back midway. Why did they all end up dead? Could a single Taotie truly incite such immense desire in them?"

The logic here was easy to grasp. Those who dared to seek the Taotie might not all be true powerhouses above the Primordial Spirit Realm, but they were certainly at least at the Cavern Heaven Realm. Anyone below that realm would be committing suicide by venturing into the East Sea.

However, any being capable of cultivating to the Cavern Heaven Realm could be considered a formidable expert. Xu Yang didn't believe they would be so foolish as to knowingly have no chance yet insist on lingering in the East Sea until death.

More importantly, Xu Yang and the Empress had visited the Sangshui City docks three times, but they had only ever seen ships departing. They had almost never seen any ships return. It seemed that going and not returning was the norm.

Xu Yang could even deduce that the reason for the weekly limit on departing ships at the port was not due to a supposed issue with the number of people, but rather a problem with ship supplies!

Regrettably, Tuoba Hong did not provide the answer Xu Yang and the Empress sought. Instead, he dropped another bombshell, using it as leverage to invite them to join his team.

"This is... the legendary Seven-Segment Sea Demon Array!"

Xu Yang instantly recognized the origin of the formation diagram before him, which genuinely astonished both Tuoba Hong and the Empress.

"What excellent discernment you possess! I dare say, across the entire Three Thousand Dao States, no more than ten people could identify this diagram. Sir Xu Yang truly has the bearing of a celestial being!"

This flattery from Tuoba Hong was not merely superficial; he genuinely admired Xu Yang's profound knowledge and couldn't see through the man before him at all.

"Brother Tuoba, you flatter me. I've merely heard a little about it and understand nothing of its profound methods. May I ask, Brother Tuoba, why would the Seven-Segment Sea Demon Array appear in the East Sea?"

The other party chuckled, then hesitated before speaking. "Please allow me, Tuoba, to keep you in suspense for now. Sirs, one night should be enough for you to consider a well-thought-out choice. It's getting late, so please rest well. We'll discuss this further tomorrow morning!"

Tuoba Hong was cunning. He put away the formation diagram in front of Xu Yang and the Empress, then swaggered out of the second-floor hall with a wine bottle in hand. Not until his spiritual energy completely vanished from the lower floor, and there was no third aura fluctuation in the empty second-floor cabin, did the Empress quietly speak.

"What do you think of this Tuoba Hong?"

It was known that very few people across the entire Three Thousand Dao States could make Empress Xue Qinghan listen to their opinions so intently, which showed her considerable trust in Xu Yang's wisdom and strength.

"I don't know this person. His motives and intentions are not something we can ascertain right now. However, Sangshui City itself has a major problem. If my guess is correct, the City Lord's Manor has cast a massive net in this East Sea. Heroes from across the Three Thousand Dao States have gathered, their eyes blinded by the Taotie. Anyone who harbors thoughts of finding the Taotie, the moment they step onto a ship, falls into this net."

Xu Yang chuckled lightly, and with just a few words, he pierced through the mist obscuring their vision, exposing the true nature of Sangshui's colossal trap.

How intelligent the Empress was; she gave Xu Yang a deep look and immediately understood. "You mean, the docks leading from Sangshui City to the East Sea offer no return?"

"Precisely! The so-called Sea Travel Permit is merely a pretext used by the City Lord's Manor to deceive people. Ships continuously transfer supplies from collaborating forces across the Dao States, sending batches of those blinded by greedy desires into the vast sea! On one hand, they maintain the absolute dominance of the City Lord's Manor to the greatest extent through the Spirit-Sealing Array. On the other hand, they accumulate enormous wealth through special currency exchange rates!"

"And those pitiable cultivators sent into the sea ultimately cannot escape the fate of being buried at the bottom. If my guess is correct, these categorized ship types represent several different routes. After leaving the coastal waters, those ships either sink or trigger special mechanisms that attract frenzied attacks from sea demons."

The Empress suddenly understood, nodding repeatedly. "That's another reason why outgoing passenger ships have no crew and are piloted by cultivators themselves! Because these ships can never return to shore; they are merely cheap sacrifices! What a terrifying City Lord's Manor! I truly want to know who is controlling the City Lord's Manor from behind the scenes!"

Xu Yang sighed helplessly. "This is a scheme designed for immense profit, with every link perfectly connected. Setting up such a man-eating trap using the East Sea as their board shows just how grand their scheme is. The group controlling Sangshui City's Manor from behind the scenes must possess a power base no weaker than an empire. And right now, aren't we also caught in this very net?"

As they conversed, the Empress's expression grew colder. "It seems we have no choice but to cooperate with Tuoba Hong. If I'm not mistaken, the formation diagram he revealed must be the only key to breaking free from this net. Only by following the route outlined in that formation's solution can we avoid the same fate as others and truly enter the East Sea territory we intend to reach."

"Exactly. If the Taotie hadn't taken our people as hostages, we might not even have any value for Tuoba Hong to exploit."

Xu Yang chuckled softly, poured himself a cup of wine, but instead of drinking it, he offered it to Xue Qinghan with a smile.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't be so tense. We're in the same boat; why would I harm you? This wine is strong, but it's an excellent tonic for generating warmth and vital energy. A little will do wonders for your current physical condition, warming you up."

For some reason, the Empress, who usually strictly avoided alcohol, suddenly felt a flicker of goodwill towards this seemingly harmless man before her. Xu Yang's thoughtful attentiveness came as a slight surprise to her.

Watching the cool-faced Empress raise her hand, down the cup of wine, and then leave on her own, Xu Yang had no way of knowing that this was the first cup of alcohol the Empress had ever consumed in her life.

Perhaps it was due to the wine she drank, but that night the Empress did not practice cultivation or meditate. Instead, she returned to her room and fell into a deep, high-quality sleep. It seemed the pain from the icy cold that had afflicted her body's meridians every night for years had suddenly significantly eased.