Chapter 978: 暗号

"That guy must be Zhang Xuan in disguise..."Even King Jinye, if he were any duller, would have understood by now. His face was ashen, almost exploding with rage.

They had been brainstorming ways to capture the individual, only for him to disguise himself as one of their own, secretly approach them, and activate a formation disk.

Had they been prepared, they might have violently destroyed the formation. But with it activated at such close range, trapping them, destroying it would be far more troublesome, requiring them to locate its core.

"Hmph! A seventh-level formation disk is powerful, but my greatest expertise lies in formations. I refuse to believe I can't break it!"Rage burned within him, but he knew this was not the time for anger. His gaze sharpened.

Among the kings, he had delved deepest into the study of formations. This was precisely why he was qualified to traverse the seal. Although a peak seven-star formation could trap them for an extended period, this was merely a formation disk, not a fully established one... trapping him with it was nearly impossible!

He swayed and shot upwards, flying for several breaths, only to find the surroundings still shrouded in mist. He then stopped, circling in all directions.

"This formation is quite potent; it inverts everything, making it impossible to distinguish up from down, left from right, or even cardinal directions!"His expression grew serious.

After his full circuit, he recognized the formation's complexity. Breaking it was certainly achievable, but completing it swiftly would be challenging!

He flipped his wrist, produced a compass, and was about to meticulously study the formation's "life gate" when a pained scream echoed from deep within, followed by the sound of something striking the ground.

"Is that guy ambushing our people?"His pupils contracted.

A bewildering formation typically doesn't kill. Even if trapped, there's usually no harm. Especially with a formation disk, which consumes immense spiritual energy, it might exert great power for a short time, but those trapped usually emerge unscathed, while the one activating the disk might become exhausted and lose combat ability.

He had previously thought he had ample time and wouldn't be harmed, so it was nothing significant. He never imagined that this individual, while activating the formation disk, also had the capacity to kill! He was practically seeking death!

His body flickered, and he flew straight towards the source of the scream. Upon arrival, he indeed saw one of their kin beaten to death with a single punch, their storage ring also stolen.

"Ah!"As he seethed with anger, another scream rang out, signaling that another kin had met a grim fate.

Of the over two hundred Spirit Race members, those currently building houses here were the approximately fifty who had been sent out to search but found no trace. From the looks of it, this guy intended to wipe them all out!

The cost to their race for allowing these members to pass through the seal was unimaginable. The death of even one was an immense loss. To think he wished to slaughter them all was a pipe dream!

He flipped his wrist, and a jade tablet appeared in his palm. This was a unique sensory jade tablet of the Spirit Race! With this item, he could easily detect the nearest of his kin and rush to their aid.

The jade tablet flew from his hand, and he swiftly followed. A glance made his eyebrows twitch. He saw a body sprawled on the ground. Clearly, this kin had already been slain. And the opponent's attack speed was just a fraction faster than his arrival.

He continued his search, finding seven or eight more victims in succession. King Jinye's face twitched with utter exasperation. Under his senses, his kin were always intact, yet by the time he arrived, they were dead. The enemy seemed to know his every move and next action in advance.

"This guy not only activated the formation disk but also possesses an understanding of formations no weaker than a seven-star formation master..."His face darkened. King Jinye finally grasped the terrifying nature of his opponent.

If he merely activated the formation disk without understanding its structure, he could, at most, bewilder people. But this opponent could move freely within the formation, unrestrained, and even anticipate his movements. His understanding of formations was no weaker than his own! Perhaps... even stronger!

"Damn it, don't let me catch you. Once I do, I'll kill you..."His teeth ground audibly. As he raged, he felt a powerful surge of murderous aura, followed by the distinct energy of a combatant.

"It's King Qingye!"His eyes lit up, and King Jinye rushed over.

The individual named Zhang Xuan, when disguised as him, had previously engaged King Qingye in combat, and their strengths were comparable. If King Qingye encountered him, he would surely be able to hold him back. If both of them attacked simultaneously, killing him would not be difficult.

*Whoosh!*In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the source of the sound and indeed saw King Qingye battling someone. This person was the very Spirit Race member who had just reported the news to them and then activated the formation.

The two were locked in combat, power exploding outwards, the force immense.

"King Qingye, I've come to assist you!"With a roar, King Jinye charged forward. The individual named Zhang Xuan, seeing him approach, turned and fled, vanishing into the bewildering formation in an instant, leaving no trace.

"Where do you think you're going...?"Just as he was about to charge after him, he heard King Qingye's voice: "Don't rush in! This formation was set by him; he controls it and can escape at will. Rushing in blindly will only put you at a disadvantage!"

"That's right!"King Jinye reacted, stopped in his tracks, and turned to look. Only then did he notice King Qingye clutching his chest. A massive fist print, two inches deep, had almost ruptured his heart. He was severely wounded.

"You... how are you so gravely injured?"King Jinye was horrified.

His strength was comparable to the opponent's, and King Qingye's was nearly identical. Even if it was an unexpected sneak attack, it shouldn't have been so vicious, causing such grievous injury! It seemed if he hadn't dodged quickly, he might have died on the spot.

"Cough, cough! This guy... just disguised as you. I wasn't prepared..."As he spoke, King Qingye spat out a mouthful of blood, his face pale.

"Disguised as me?"King Jinye's fist tightened.

He had personally witnessed the opponent disguised as him, utterly flawless, even able to recount his own shortcomings. Indeed, it would be difficult to detect such a deception if aimed at King Qingye.

"Yes, this guy can change his appearance at will, and his weapon can even simulate soul auras. He's impossible to guard against... you must be careful too!"King Qingye warned.

"Understood!"King Jinye nodded.

Inside the bewildering formation, where visibility was poor and the opponent could disguise himself, it was indeed terrifying. One could say that any cultivator they encountered might be the enemy.

At the same level, with similar strength, a successful sneak attack is difficult. But if disguised as a friend, then attacking, even he would find it hard to avoid.

"Alright, I'll recover here for a bit. You go rescue the others. To prevent him from disguising as me and ambushing you, let's use a code phrase when we meet. If it's correct, it's one of us. If not... it's a disguise!"After a moment of hesitation, King Qingye sent a telepathic message.

"That's a good idea!"King Jinye's eyes lit up.

To rescue the remaining members, they couldn't stay together constantly. Once separated, that guy would very likely launch a sneak attack. They absolutely needed a method of identification.

"Okay, you decide the phrase. When we meet, you say the first part, and I'll say the second. If it doesn't match... quietly get close and strike directly!"With a solemn expression, King Qingye transmitted.

"Alright!"King Jinye nodded: "Okay, I'll say, 'Slay the Master Teachers,' and you say, 'The Spirit Race shall reign!' If it doesn't match... attack!"

"Good!"King Qingye nodded.

"It's settled then..."King Jinye let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, another scream echoed. He didn't hesitate: "I'll go check! You be careful!"

"Don't worry. After being ambushed once, it won't be so easy to kill me again..."King Qingye raised his eyebrows, a look of confidence on his face.

"Okay!" King Jinye nodded, stomped his foot, and rushed out.

He arrived at the source of the sound. Just like before, that member had also been killed, using the same brutal methods.

"No, if this continues, we'll always be passive. We must break this formation..."Seeing that the formation showed no signs of weakening or dissipating after so long, indicating the opponent's spiritual energy was still plentiful, King Jinye's eyebrows furrowed. As long as the formation wasn't dealt with, they would remain passive, and eventually, they would be picked off one by one.

"Where do you think you're going...?"Standing still, still studying the bewildering formation, he heard an angry roar, and then a figure rushed straight towards him. He looked up, and it was none other than King Qingye.

"Brother Yin, did you see anyone come this way just now?"Seeing him there, King Qingye breathed a sigh of relief and quickly asked.

"No..." King Jinye shook his head, scrutinizing the King Qingye in front of him. He saw that this person was completely unharmed, as if he hadn't been injured at all moments ago. His eyes, sparking with electricity, seemed to want to pierce through him.

"Slay the Master Teachers!"Without hesitation, King Jinye sent the telepathic message.

"That's right, we must slay the Master Teachers. I've already confirmed that guy is a Master Teacher. He just ambushed me. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and dodged his attack!"The King Qingye opposite him waved his hand and snorted.

"We must kill that guy!"Hearing his reply, King Jinye's eyes flashed, concealing a hidden killing intent. He nodded and walked forward.

"Indeed!" King Qingye had no suspicions and nodded.

"That guy's strength is not weak. Only if we join forces can we defeat him... I happen to have something here. Take a look; it might help us kill him!"With a grunt, King Jinye flipped his wrist, took out a jade tablet, and came closer.

"What is this?"King Qingye looked at the item in his hand, puzzled.

"It's..."Seeing the other party unprepared, King Jinye's eyes suddenly blazed with fierce light: "I want you dead!"

With a roar, he unleashed a punch at King Qingye beside him!

*Boom!*He was close and incredibly fast. Before the other party could fully react, the fist had already reached his chest.

"Brother Yin, what are you doing...?"His pupils contracted. King Qingye cried out in alarm, his body rapidly filling with power.

"What am I doing? You Master Teacher, still trying to deceive me? Die!"

*Boom!*An incredibly powerful punch landed directly on King Qingye's body. The latter felt a thunderous crash in his chest, which immediately caved in. He was sent flying backward, spitting out blood.