Chapter 392

Chapter 392: Danger, Danger, Danger

“The Nine-Turn Formation: once activated, it absorbs the world’s spiritual energy at nine times the normal rate, giving the setter a steady, endless supply.”

“The Constellation Formation: once activated, it grants the power of the stars. It can be used on people or on objects.”

“The Nine Heavens Mirage Formation: it creates nine layers of illusions.”

It’s worth noting that Hundred-Flower Slaughter is also an illusion array-more exactly, an illusion-killing array that uses hallucinations to kill.

But Hundred-Flower Slaughter is only Yellow Grade; the farther you go, the stronger the formations become.

For sharp experts, the moment they step into the first layer of illusion, they sense something is off and break the array right away.

The Nine Heavens Mirage Formation, however, is more advanced. It’s said that anyone who enters will lose themselves and treat everything inside as if it were happening in the real world.

The formation Gao Wen Feng used against Yu Zhi Yi earlier should have been the Nine Heavens Mirage Formation.

When Yu Zhi Yi first entered it, she had brief amnesia.

Calling it “amnesia” isn’t exact. It’s more like she slipped into another role-a well-behaved, rule-following new wife.

New memories were planted in her mind, and she forgot her own identity and past.

Except for the instant when Gao Wen Feng, disguised as Du Zi Heng, called her “Jin’er” and she felt a faint wrongness, she noticed nothing unusual at all.

This shows just how powerful the Nine Heavens Mirage Formation is.

[If it’s that powerful, can it trap people of the Gao Clan-and that mysterious person the Empress Dowager just met?]

“The Formless Thunder Killing Formation: a terrifying killing array. Once it starts, in fifteen minutes it summons eighty-one bolts of heavenly thunder-enough to wipe out a whole city.”

Yu Zhi Yi lined up the formation manuals in a neat row, and a vague plan began to take shape in her mind.

Imperial Palace.

After morning court, just as the emperor was about to eat breakfast, he suddenly remembered and asked: “Has Inspector Yu not returned yet?”

Eunuch Hu froze for a heartbeat-only a heartbeat-then answered quickly: “Your Majesty, Inspector Yu has already returned to the capital.”

The emperor’s hand, still holding chopsticks, paused as he said with quiet authority: “Oh? Already back?”

Eunuch Hu lowered his head and didn’t answer. He didn’t dare rub the emperor the wrong way.

The emperor chuckled, tone unclear: “People of the Mystic Sect are truly proud.”

Eunuch Hu hurried to change the topic: “Your Majesty, the dishes are getting cold.”

The emperor let the matter drop.

…

Morning light flooded the streets.

After tidying up and eating breakfast, Yu Zhi Yi stepped out the door.

Xiao Qing Xuan brought Jiang Liu Yun to accompany Red Luan to Yiluan Charity.

Yiluan Charity provides room and board for its workers. Ordinary clerks share four-person rooms, and each person has a private wardrobe.

Han Lian Qiao is the only resident physician, so her treatment is better than a regular clerk’s.

She has a single room with a private bath.

Yesterday was her first day on duty. Worried she might not be used to it, Yu Zhi Yi had wanted her to stay at her own residence for a few days, then move into the shop after she adjusted to Yiluan Charity’s pace and got to know everyone.

But Han Lian Qiao refused.

Smiling, she said: “I came for Yiluan Charity, not to live in comfort. I also think staying here will help me get to know the staff faster. Plus, the courtyard has many elders and patients. If they feel unwell at night, I won’t be able to help in time if I live far away.”

So Yu Zhi Yi arranged the best courtyard for her.

It wasn’t time to report to the Ministry of Justice yet, so Yu Zhi Yi sat outside the Hundred-Flower Slaughter formation, reading through the formation manuals.

She’s best at illusion arrays and defensive arrays, so she focused on the Nine Heavens Mirage Formation.

She had expected it to be hard, but when she opened the pages, this mysterious formation looked… simple?

It was just like when she first saw Hundred-Flower Slaughter.

There was some difficulty, but nothing she couldn’t handle.

If she could understand it, she could set it.

“They’re both illusion arrays-could I combine the Nine Heavens Mirage Formation with Hundred-Flower Slaughter?” she thought, tapping her chin with a curled index finger. “Also, the Constellation Formation and the Nine-Turn Formation are both support arrays. It feels like there’s room to work with them.”

Suddenly, Zhang Xiang came to report: “Miss, someone from the palace has arrived.”

Yu Zhi Yi raised an eyebrow.

Standing up, she took out copper coins and cast a quick divination.

As before, she still couldn’t see her own future, but she could faintly sense that the visitor came with ill will.

“Let’s go.”

The visitor was Eunuch Hu.

This kindly looking eunuch kept his eyes lowered today as he said, very contained: “Official Yu, His Majesty summons you.”

Yu Zhi Yi asked: “May I ask, Eunuch Hu, did His Majesty say why he is summoning this official?”

Eunuch Hu waved his hands again and again: “Oh my, Official Yu, I am only a servant. How would I dare to pry into the sacred will?”

After a brief hesitation, he added in a lower voice: “But… I heard an immortal has arrived in the palace. His skills are vast. He can even cure people who are paralyzed.”

In the end, he slipped Yu Zhi Yi a favor.

As for why he hadn’t dared say more while still in the palace-well, the palace is never short on ears.

If he said even one extra sentence in there, he might be punished the next day for something as small as stepping into the hall with his left foot first.

Two powerful figures were about to clash, and no one could predict the winner.

He didn’t know if Official Yu could win, but he was willing to bet on her.

And if she lost… so be it.

Yu Zhi Yi’s heart sank. [So they came after all.]

“Please wait a moment,” she said. “This official must give a few instructions, then we can leave.”

Eunuch Hu gestured for her to proceed.

Yu Zhi Yi pulled Zhang Xiang aside and spoke quietly.

Most of it was to tell Zhang Xiang to pass a message to Xiao Qing Xuan: she might stay in the palace for a while, with no set return date, but she would be fine.

Why was she so sure she would be fine?

This was the sixth sense of a Mystic Arts Practitioner.

Anyone who knows the will of heaven can sense a little of their own fortune.

If death is certain, struggling won’t help.

[This time I won’t die. At most, I’ll suffer a bit.]

There was no need to explain more.

Because it was a direct imperial summons, no one blocked Yu Zhi Yi from entering the palace this time.

In the great hall, the emperor and the Empress Dowager sat side by side.

On the Empress Dowager’s right sat a man in white.

His whole bearing was unusual; his strength ran deep and could not be measured.

The instant Yu Zhi Yi saw him, the hairs on her arms stood up. [This person is extremely dangerous!]

As Yu Zhi Yi looked at Immortal Qing Feng, Immortal Qing Feng looked back at her.

Unlike Yu Zhi Yi’s alert gaze, he only glanced her way. After sensing her strength, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

But he withdrew his gaze right away, his expression full of contempt.

Seeing that disdain, Yu Zhi Yi’s heart sank even more.

If his strength was only a bit above hers, he wouldn’t dare show such an attitude.

That meant his strength was far above hers.

At the very least, he was early-stage Golden Core.

She frowned hard, concentrating, trying to see his exact realm.

She knew she couldn’t, but this was a natural reaction for someone who wanted to live-and protect the people she loved.

[If Master were here, I’d ask: didn’t they say the Mystic Sect had withered, with hardly any Foundation Establishment experts left?! Why, in less than a year since my rebirth, have I met several Foundation Establishment experts-and even a Golden Core cultivator?!]

[And how does just one Gao Clan have multiple Foundation Establishment experts-and even a Golden Core expert sitting in town?!]