Chapter 32: Tense

“Boom!” As Li Zhen conversed with the two women, a massive explosion resonated from afar.

Feeling the very earth tremble beneath him, Li Zhen swiftly moved to shield Han Wenqin, his gaze fixed on the direction of the sound.

Han Wenqin lowered her head, manipulating her identity bracelet. She was contacting her clan to inquire about what had transpired.

“It’s one of the formation nodes in the city defense array that’s been sabotaged!” she murmured shortly after.

“How could this be possible?” Rong Honghui exclaimed incredulously. “The formation nodes of the city defense array are always under strict protection!”

Li Zhen, naturally well-aware of the city defense array, understood its crucial role for Yunxi County’s security.

Under normal circumstances, the full power of the city defense array wasn’t activated; instead, it operated primarily as a surveillance system. If spiritual energy fluctuations within the city reached certain thresholds, they would trigger alarms through the array.

For instance, during Li Zhen’s earlier battle outside the Ghost Market, the conflict hadn’t been intense enough to raise concerns—especially since the Security Bureau’s attention had been focused elsewhere at the time.

However, the most critical function of the city defense array was monitoring late-stage Qi Refining cultivators entering the city.

When such cultivators approached, their unique spiritual energy signatures were detected by the array. This allowed the Security Bureau to pinpoint their locations instantly, ensuring swift response to any potential threats posed by these powerful individuals.

The destruction of a node in the city’s protective formation immediately signaled to Li Zhen that someone was planning a major event in Yunxi County.

No one would go to such lengths to sabotage a node of the protective array unless their ambitions were immense; the difficulty involved made it clear this was no minor scheme.

Li Zhen couldn’t help but worry about his own home, hoping fervently that nothing untoward would happen there.

“Let’s skip training today,” Han Wenqin said, her mind no longer on practicing at the Going Beyond Swordplay. “Be careful, both of you!” She turned to leave, addressing Li Zhen and Rong Honghui with concern etched across her face.

Li Zhen rushed back as quickly as possible. On his way, he had received messages from both Father Li and Mother Li, expressing their unease over his safety.

Upon entering his house and seeing his unharmed parents, he finally allowed himself to relax completely.

“Mom, Dad, I fear something significant is brewing in our city over the next few days,” Li Zhen warned them.

“What news have you heard from the Han family?” Father Li pressed, keenly aware that any information reaching Li Zhen must originate from them. “And what caused that explosion just now?”

“The protective formation around our city—one of its nodes has been sabotaged!” Li Zhen replied without reservation.

Father Li drew in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly through gritted teeth. He exchanged glances with Mother Li, whose eyes mirrored his shock and growing alarm.

“Son, follow me!” Father Li instructed Li Zhen.

Leading the way, Father Li nodded towards his son with a meaningful glance that Mother Li echoed, signaling for Li Zhen to accompany them.

They reached a storage room on the first floor. In its farthest corner, Father Li kicked at a specific wall tile three times.

“This is the mechanism to access the hidden chamber,” he whispered softly. “The warehouse lacks surveillance; even Mei Yun is unaware of this secret hideout!”

A section of the floor lifted up, revealing a concealed entrance below. As it rose, Li Zhen could hear the faint whirr of machinery.

Father Li descended first, followed by Mother Li and Li Zhen through the opening.

Below was a modest space, barely fifteen square meters in area. The majority of it was filled from floor to ceiling with neatly stacked supplies—spirit rice cakes and water. These spirit rice cakes were made from spirit rice, a type of spiritual food capable of long-term preservation.

“These reserves are our insurance against any unforeseen calamity,” Father Li explained to Li Zhen. “They’re enough to sustain all three members of our family underground for an entire year. Moreover, these walls are constructed from the companion stone found alongside spirit ore deposits, which can effectively block psychic detection to some extent!”

This sanctuary, meticulously prepared by Father Li for his family’s safety, remained unknown even to Mei Yun’s comprehensive database—a testament to how deeply he had safeguarded their lifeline.

While Mei Yun was a obedient intelligent housekeeper, it was possible for experts in artificial intelligence or those with higher authority to bypass its security protocols.

If they didn’t keep this place secret from Mei Yun, once the home’s security system were compromised and the intelligent housekeeper fell under control of others, their lifeline would lose all meaning.

Li Zhen couldn’t help but marvel at Father Li’s resourcefulness in creating such a sanctuary—a testament to the immense effort he must have devoted to ensuring his family’s survival.

Guard Shang stood before the massive hole, his brows deeply furrowed. The Records Office building had been devastated by an explosion, leaving behind only ruins.

This site marked one of the critical nodes within the city’s protective formation array. As both a vital government department and a strategic point, the Records Office boasted not only its own security measures but also housed a small contingent from the Security Bureau.

However, amidst the chaos gripping the city, the Security Bureau had redeployed that squad elsewhere—providing opportunists with just the opening they needed.

Had the security team remained stationed here, even if just delaying the intruders briefly, reinforcements from the Security Bureau could have arrived in time to intervene.

But with the squad withdrawn and the Records Office’s internal defenses failing to activate, the saboteurs had breached the defense effortlessly. They reached the core area, destroyed the formation node, and escaped safely thereafter.

“How long will it take to repair the array node?” Guard Shang asked upon seeing a cultivator emerge from within the cave.

This cultivator was a low-tier Array Master—a rarity in Yunxi County, which struggled to retain talent. Such experts were few and far between in this region.

“The damage is too severe,” the low-tier Array Master replied with a wry shake of his head. “With my abilities alone, I cannot mend it. At least a mid-tier Array Master would be needed for such repairs!”

“But isn’t it just an array node? We have spare materials available!” Guard Shang protested, failing to grasp the situation fully.

“I suspect they used a Broken Array Pearl,” the Array Master explained helplessly. “It caused a spiritual energy upheaval here and irreparably contaminated the array node itself!”

Upon hearing mention of a Broken Array Pearl, Guard Shang fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation.

Even an inferior-grade Broken Array Pearl was equivalent in value to a high-quality first-rank magical artifact. Generally speaking, without activating the city’s protective barrier, one could approach the array nodes relatively easily and potentially destroy them using ordinary magical artifacts.

To expend a Broken Array Pearl under these circumstances indicated that their adversary did not merely wish to disrupt the city’s defenses but ensure that any recovery efforts would be thwarted as well.

“Focus on repairing what you can first,” Guard Shang instructed firmly. “I’ll request assistance from higher-ups immediately.”

Unconcerned with the disgruntled expressions of the low-rank array masters, Guard Shang immediately contacted the chief of public security.

After reporting the situation, he understood its gravity as well. The chief promptly began escalating the report upwards through channels.

“Could someone be targeting the Nine Heavens Group?” Guard Shang muttered to himself after ending the call.

This seemed unlikely. Despite rumors circulating about potential appearances at the annual auction—such as Broken Vein Pills or even Foundation Establishment Pills—the Nine Heavens Group would undoubtedly have stringent security measures in place for any such items.

A Broken Vein Pill was a Boundary Breakthrough Pill used by cultivators transitioning from mid-Qi Refining stage to late Qi Refining stage. Similarly, a Foundation Establishment Pill, though not explicitly mentioned here, served as a crucial aid for breaking through from Qi Refining stage to Foundation Establishment stage—a significant milestone in every cultivator’s journey.

Both these pills could drive cultivators to near madness; the former for those in mid-Qi Refining seeking advancement, and the latter for those already in late Qi Refining stages. Naturally, the Nine Heavens Group was fully aware of this fact.

Guard Shang found it more plausible that cultivators might rob each other rather than attempt to breach the heavily guarded annual auction. Such thefts would allow them to amass resources needed to participate effectively in the auction later on.

However, the recent sabotage of the city defense formation’s node—an act requiring substantial effort and risk—was far too grandiose for mere inter-cultivator robberies. In truth, the value of just one Broken Array Pearl alone could fetch a single Broken Vein Pill.

In Yunxi County, news quickly spread: the city defense formation had been compromised and wouldn’t be repaired until after the annual auction.

At first, few cultivators believed the rumor, but soon enough, confirmation came—instantly turning speculation into grim reality.

When two mid-Qi Refining cultivators engaged in combat, their spiritual energy fluctuations should have been immediately detected by the Security Bureau’s surveillance system. According to protocol, they would swiftly dispatch personnel to intervene.

Yet even as one of these mid-Qi Refining cultivators lay dead and the other injured, no help had arrived from the Security Bureau.

Other cultivators who ventured cautious probes further confirmed that the city-wide protective array truly was compromised.

One could only imagine what might unfold when a group of unchecked cultivators operated without oversight—a scenario ripe for chaos.

Fortunately, most local cultivators in Yunxi County were of low rank with little wealth to speak of. Conflicts typically arose between visiting outsiders rather than locals.

Each year, cultivators attending the annual auction brought substantial resources along—a single successful robbery could yield immense riches for any thief.

The Security Bureau was nearly driven to madness; warnings continually poured in from patrols sent out by the four major clans. The bureau itself suffered from chronic understaffing. While it could request assistance from the four great families’ patrols, getting them to send high-ranking experts alongside policemen was an impossibility—the clans would never agree to such terms.

A figure soared into the sky above Yunxi County—it was none other than its headman himself.

He took flight, circling high over the city. In this aerial display of power, he dispatched two mid-Qi Refining cultivators and one late-stage Qi Refiner on the spot. This chilling demonstration effectively stunned all visiting cultivators within Yunxi County, underscoring the consequences of crossing authority.