Chapter Thirty-Two: The Formation Rises
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Yet, seeing the gaze of this child of eleven or twelve, Liu Chen felt that leaving without a word would be inappropriate. After some thought, he said, “Now that you have become a member of the Daoist sect, your parents cannot be saved by others; only when your cultivation reaches a high level can you do it yourself.”
Upon hearing Liu Chen’s words, Zhen An’s eyes flickered with a trace of disappointment. But that bit of disappointment quickly faded, replaced by a resolute expression.
“Yes, Patriarch. I will certainly cultivate diligently!” With his small fists clenched, Zhen An spoke to Liu Chen with utmost seriousness. Seeing this, Liu Chen could not help but smile, then gently said, “You have good talent. If you work hard, there’s hope for you to become a true master.”
Encouraged by Liu Chen, Zhen An lowered his head shyly, but soon recovered and asked, “Are you returning now, Patriarch?”
Liu Chen was somewhat surprised by the child’s perceptive question; this sharpness was, in his view, better than his own. “Yes, it is time to leave. Do you have anything else?”
Perhaps due to the connection between them, Liu Chen felt rather kindly toward Zhen An and patiently waited for his reply.
“There’s nothing really; I just thought Zhen Chang would surely like to meet you as well, Patriarch, if—” Zhen An smiled and glanced at Zhen Chang, seemingly wanting to ask Liu Chen to stay, but in the end, he did not say it aloud.
Zhen An’s intent was obvious, and Liu Chen naturally understood what he left unsaid. But he had no desire to meet this clever Zhen Chang face to face; if he were exposed, it would be quite awkward.
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So Liu Chen smiled and shook his head, then departed Changle Palace with a gust beneath his feet.
Leaving the palace, Liu Chen followed the Xin River south, intending first to visit Xin City. However, he had not gone far before he saw a bank of mist blocking his way, much like the fog he had encountered before at He Family Fortress.
At this sight, Liu Chen frowned, realizing that his delay in the night had allowed the Heaven’s Net formation to be fully deployed. After some consideration, he halted and found a nearby hill, climbed atop it, and surveyed the surroundings.
All he could see was a mass of spiritual mist at the horizon. Yet, these mists varied in density, and if one wished, it was possible to slip through the gaps.
“This Heaven’s Net is both loose and leaky; it likely won’t stop Zhao Qian and his group. But for me, it’s hardly good news. With a true master stationed and spirits guarding, entering Xin City directly is far too risky!”
With a long sigh, Liu Chen felt troubled. His spirit, strengthened by the subtle replenishment he’d experienced overnight, was much improved—but there had been no qualitative change. His methods were still limited to the same Netherworld Spirit Flame.
“Alas, my methods are still too few. I can handle anyone below master level with ease, but against a true master, I am powerless. It seems I must diligently practice the Eighteen Enemy-Breaking Moves to guard against such situations!”
After some thought, Liu Chen felt his martial arts needed reinforcing, lest he be caught unprepared by a strong master and lose even the chance to escape.
Yet, he only reminded himself briefly; his main focus remained on how to safely seek revenge on Lu Qingcai under these circumstances.
His mind was still active, and although it was hard to concentrate on one thing, his thoughts were broad and he did not fixate on the dilemma of Xin City.
“At present, I cannot deal with Xin City with a true master guarding it, but the other altar priests are much easier. Even after the formation rises and their power increases, it would only take a single blaze to finish them. If I burn seven or eight altars in succession, I refuse to believe the master in Xin City can remain unshaken!”
Once he looked beyond Xin City, Liu Chen felt the situation was much more open—no longer a dead end.
However, this plan, though feasible, would take a long time, and he would inevitably encounter Zhao Qian’s army.
But at this point, Liu Chen had no other options. After all, Xin City housed a genuine Daoist master; the chance for swift revenge was slim.
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Thinking of Zhao Qian’s army, Liu Chen suddenly conceived another plan.
“If I help Zhao Qian’s governor drive straight to the gates of Xin City, the master Changming will have no time to worry about other matters. If so, it would be much safer for me to enter the city and seek revenge on Lu Qingcai.”
With this thought, Liu Chen felt it was almost settled. No matter how capable that master was, he would not be omnipotent; he must have his limits, or he wouldn’t need to painstakingly set up the Heaven’s Net formation.
Since that was the case, it would be best to give him something else to worry about, such as an army at his doorstep. At that time, no matter how important Lu Qingcai’s status was in the Lu family, it could not compare to the fate of the entire city. If Liu Chen acted discreetly, perhaps the master would not even pay him any mind.
The more he considered it, the more likely this plan seemed compared to the alternative of uprooting strongholds one by one to provoke the master in Xin City. Liu Chen nodded in satisfaction, deciding to proceed accordingly.
Yet, how to bring Zhao Qian’s governor rapidly to Xin City was a troublesome matter.
In Liu Chen’s view, after his departure, he and the Daoists had jointly killed the nobles who left the city; this could be seen as direct opposition. Even if he now went to propose cooperation, the other side would hardly trust him. If the governor was a decisive man, Liu Chen might have to fight him first, which would be a real inconvenience.
So, after some thought, Liu Chen decided to use a mixed strategy: first, uproot all the altars along the line from He Family Fortress to Xin City, then observe Zhao Qian’s reaction.
If the governor seized the opportunity and advanced swiftly along this route to besiege Xin City, that would be ideal. If they hesitated, Liu Chen would try to use this chance to divert the master’s attention.
“Ah, what a nuisance! Hopefully, I won’t have to rack my brain like this in the future. Enough complaining—time to act.”
With his plan set, Liu Chen took a moment to review everything and realized that his current scheme would affect thousands. This gave him a sense of unease, as if he could not control it, but at this moment, he could only grit his teeth and press on.
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