Wakeup Trap

A black dome. That was the first sight Xu Yuan saw after clawing his way out of the earth and rubble that had buried the secret chamber. The azure sky he had seen before entering the chamber was gone. In its place hung an inverted black canopy over the Xu Manor, completely severing all connection between the Jingjiang Xu Manor and the outside world. Yet this canopy was not entirely pitch-black. Through its surface, one could faintly make out the intricate array markings visible to the naked eye in the sky beyond. The city defense array of Jingjiang City was active. Array markings a zhang wide flashed with white light, spreading across the heavens in arcane lines. Yet this black canopy blanketed the entire Xu Manor, preventing the colossal array from locking onto its target. Soon, Xu Yuan's gaze fell upon four figures in the distant sky: Ying'er, Zhou Chen, Si Ziyu, and... an illusory afterimage. Even while sustaining this black canopy, that Saint's remnant soul showed no signs of flagging under the siege of three Grandmasters. Under his immense intent-soul perception, the various martial skills of the Third Rank Grandmasters could hardly land a hit on him. And Xu Yuan's gaze quickly settled on Zhou Chen, who stood motionless where he was. As violent winds gathered around him, the aura surrounding the hilt gripped in Zhou Chen's hand grew ever stronger. The light flashing at the sword's tip brightened continuously as Source Qi condensed, until finally, Xu Yuan could barely look directly at the glare upon that blade. In a single instant, time seemed to freeze, and the hand gripping Zhou Chen's hilt whipped forward. Nine Heavenly Peak Swords, Sword-Nurturing Stance. The sword light flashed, shaking the air in its wake. Yet his target was not that illusory remnant soul of the Saint, but the black canopy spanning the sky. With a single sword technique, a gash over thirty zhang wide was ripped open in the black canopy. Outside, the white light of the prefectural city array's markings, poised for action, instantly shifted to a sinister red. Unfortunately, before the condensed beam of Source Qi could fire, the black canopy had already knitted back together, though the dark light across its surface faded by several degrees. Just then, a thunderous roar echoed from the horizon: "Qin Mo, hurry up! I've already broken the array over there! Grab that kid quickly, or neither of us is getting out of here!!" Hearing those words, Xu Yuan's pupils shrank violently. No, that's not right! The Saint wasn't controlling Qin Mo's body to fight—he had manifested directly to confront three Grandmasters in his intent-soul form. Then... where the hell was Qin Mo?!! "Third Young Master!! Are you all right?" At that moment, a squad of muscle-bound brutes barged into the courtyard. Xu Yuan was quite familiar with the leaders; they were all instructors from Wuxuan Courtyard at the peak of the Sixth Rank, Close Integration. Yet Xu Yuan's breath hitched at the sight. He circulated his cultivation technique with all his might to remain on guard, asking aloud, "Instructor Wang, where are the others?" "The others?" Instructor Wang looked somewhat confused. Xu Yuan cut straight to the chase. "Where are the retained elders of the Fifth Rank Soul Condensation and Fourth Rank Body Integration?" Instructor Wang hesitated briefly and murmured, "I'm not sure. But they were maintaining the array over this northwestern courtyard just now, and now that it's broken..." He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. Hearing this, Xu Yuan raised a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, suddenly overcome by an urge to laugh. Xu Changge was off slaying a Second Rank Origin Realm cultivator, three Grandmasters were tied down by the old grandpa trope, and now the only ones guarding him were Sixth Rank peak guards. It was all back. It had all fucking come back. Just as he thought this— *Crash!* A figure clutching an ancient patterned saber vaulted over the courtyard wall and landed heavily onto the garden lawn. Rivulets of blood dripped continuously down the sharp, heavy blade of the ancient saber, and his rough hempen clothes were soaked in crimson blood. Qin Mo had slaughtered his way here. Xu Yuan frowned and retreated behind the group. After a second of silence, Xu Yuan looked at the story's protagonist, who had revealed his true appearance, and called out, "Qin Mo?" He was trying to buy time with talk therapy. But Qin Mo clearly had no intention of talking. Saber in hand, he walked straight toward Xu Yuan. Seeing this, Instructor Wang moved to shield Xu Yuan of his own accord. "Halt!" "..." As Qin Mo advanced, Xu Yuan hesitated for a fraction of a second, decided against saying more, and spun around to run. The guy had clearly reached the Seventh Rank. With Xu Yuan's current strength, where defeating an Eighth Rank took real effort, staying here would only drag them down. Seeing Xu Yuan flee, Qin Mo's brows knitted slightly, and almost simultaneously, he stomped violently against the ground. Flagstones shattered! His figure blurred into an afterimage, charging at the guards blocking his path. The martial apprentices of Wuxuan Courtyard were all selected from the Tian'an Martial Hall, which served as a crucial source of soldiers for the Chancellor's Manor. The cultivation techniques and martial skills they practiced were tailored for the battlefield. In nearly an instant, the squad of guards formed a small battle array, arresting Qin Mo's advance. Even though their opponent was merely a Seventh Rank Bone Tempering cultivator, Instructor Wang showed no sign of taking him lightly. The Third Young Master was right behind him; there was no room for carelessness. The battle array formed, the auras of the apprentices within stacking together as their Source Qi formed a closed loop, continuous and unbroken. Xu Yuan did not look back at the battle behind him, but after a few leaps took him atop a pavilion, he suddenly stopped. The sight before him was suffocating. The immense black canopy in the sky encased Jingjiang Xu Manor like an enormous cage. Several figures dressed as servants attempted to flee through it, only to have their intent-souls drained the moment they touched the barrier, dropping dead on the spot. Beyond the northwestern courtyard, the Xu Manor—once an orderly estate of elegant, tranquil pavilions and courtyards—had collapsed into a wasteland of dirt mounds and rubble. Charred craters, deep gouges carved by sword qi, and wreckage caused by shockwaves littered the ground everywhere. Composing himself, Xu Yuan prepared to search for other guards in the estate, but looking around, he could not find a single living soul. Everywhere his eyes fell were corpses. Guards, servants, and stewards—the shockwaves of a battle between Third Rank Grandmasters could kill ordinary mortals and low-rank martial apprentices from a distance. In the once-bustling Xu Manor, the living could now be counted on one hand. It was like a sealed purgatory on earth. And this purgatory raged on, though the four people dueling in the sky had all tacitly steered clear of this northwestern courtyard. Xu Yuan took a deep breath. He couldn't leave. With that black canopy blocking the way, he had nowhere to run even if he tried. If this squad of guards below was wiped out, he would have to face Qin Mo all by himself. In the brief moment he had left, the fight in the courtyard had reached a fever pitch. Yet the scene was bizarre: Instructor Wang and the guards in their battle array were practically taking a one-sided beating. Every martial skill Instructor Wang unleashed against him was deflected by some invisible force, while each of Qin Mo's slashes, though failing to pierce the tortoise-shell defense of their formation, sent Source Qi shuddering violently through the array with nearly every strike. Xu Yuan realized almost instantly that this plot protagonist had likely received a buff from the Saint's remnant soul. Qin Mo was striking at the formation's weak points every single time. At this rate, the array would break any second. His heart sank, but Xu Yuan did not draw closer. Keeping his distance from Qin Mo was paramount. Su Jinxuan had mentioned that he possessed a dashing technique that could teleport and abuse invincibility frames. Standing atop a courtyard wall over a dozen zhang outside the battle, he focused his mind and began charging up an ultimate skill while laughing aloud to distract his opponent: "Qin Mo, meeting you in person truly exceeds your reputation! You're quite something, taking on a peak Sixth Rank battle array with mere Seventh Rank cultivation." "..." Qin Mo acted as if he hadn't heard a word. Seeing this, Xu Yuan pondered for a moment before suddenly shifting his tone, a smirk playing on his lips: "Jinxuan kept mentioning your name in bed, warning me to watch out for you. My ears practically grew calluses from hearing it." He had suddenly recalled what the succubus lady had said to him earlier. "..." Hearing Su Jinxuan's name, Qin Mo snapped his gaze up and glared at Xu Yuan. "Shut up!" With a low bark, the ancient saber in his hand flared with white light. Thousand Mechanisms Slash! Under this slash, the weapon of an Eighth Rank Meridian Tempering apprentice in the array flew from his grip, and the man went hurtling backward through the air! The corner of Xu Yuan's mouth curled up. A reaction was good. Silence was what he feared. Continuing to gather energy for his ultimate, Xu Yuan smiled and said, "Judging by that look on your face, you came to my manor to save her, didn't you?" Qin Mo said nothing more, focusing his mind on breaking the formation. Yet that bastard Xu Changtian sat on the wall, prattling on without end. "Ah, do you know how I snatched her from Zuixian Tower back then?" "The first time, Jinxuan cried out in pain. Before I could even finish enjoying myself, she passed out..." "If only you were a bit stronger, perhaps the outcome would have been different." "Quite the devoted romantic, aren't you? Pity you seem to be a little too late..." "..." Qin Mo treated his words as hot air meant to disrupt his concentration, keeping the ancient saber in his hand rock-steady. Until... Xu Changtian smiled brightly and threw out another line: "Ah, you don't think I was controlled by Jinxuan, do you?" "..." Qin Mo froze. "You really are pitiful. Your humble background limits your imagination after all. Isn't it just a mere Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique?" "..." Qin Mo's breathing grew slightly ragged. Xu Yuan's voice continued to seep in like maggots clinging to bone: "Terrifying as the Bewitching Soul Fiend Physique may be, my father is the Prime Minister of the imperial court. Isn't it only natural for me to have a secret treasure that protects my intent-soul? "Qin Mo, would you like to hear the details of what Jinxuan and I did?" "Shut up!!" Qin Mo suddenly erupted, slashing Heaven-Seizing Slash through the air. *Boom!!!* A deafening roar erupted in the courtyard as saber light exploded outward, the shockwave whipping up rolling waves in a small pond over twenty zhang away! Instructor Wang groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he was knocked back several zhang, leaving a massive opening in their defense. Having delivered the strike, Qin Mo ignored the turbulent backlash of his Source Qi. He sidestepped to the left, stepped half a pace back, and lowered his center of gravity. Recognizing this familiar opening stance, Xu Yuan narrowed his slender eyes, his pulse quickening, yet he continued in the same unhurried drawl: "Oh, right. Qin Mo, do you want to know my verdict on Jinxuan?" "..." Qin Mo's eyes snapped sharp. Void-Stepping Slash! Qin Mo lunged forward with sudden acceleration, then vanished completely from sight. And at that very moment, Without a second thought, Xu Yuan unleashed the ultimate move he had spent so long charging straight into the space before him. Blood Phoenix Drill! In the next instant, Qin Mo's figure reappeared, materializing out of thin air right in front of Xu Yuan. A ferocious grin spread across Xu Yuan's lips. *This was the exact move I was waiting for!* Their gazes met at point-blank range for only a fraction of a second. The next instant— *Crash!!!!!* Qin Mo's entire body flew backward like a kite with a snapped string, slamming heavily into the courtyard wall and kicking up a cloud of dust. At the sight, Xu Yuan's heartbeat gradually steadied. Though his Source Qi was largely drained, he rose to his feet atop the courtyard wall and said with a chuckle: "Qin Mo, my verdict on her is... "Very moist~"