After laughing, No-Face shook her head in utter disappointment. "Xu Lai, I thought you were a smart man, but it turns out you're just as cliché as the rest."

Indeed. Not everyone knows how to adapt to the circumstances. The world will always have its share of fools, dimwits, and the vast majority of ordinary people destined for mediocrity. So be it. After Xu Lai is dead, I'll possess his wife and daughter and keep their bodies for my collection. That would be a fitting way to repay him for helping me break the seal.

Thinking this, No-Face stretched out her pristine white palm.

A ball of blood-red flame congealed within it. The temperature of the flame was so high that it instantly evaporated the massive lake within the Mount Fu mountain range. At the summit, Dongfang Xun and the others turned pale and instinctively ducked behind Xu Lai.

BOOM!

No-Face hurled the flame. It descended like a meteor, emitting a terrifying shriek.

The Human Race simply couldn't withstand such a flame!

Yet, Xu Lai didn't even raise an eyelid. "You said earlier that my wife's and daughter's bodies were excellent. In that case, I'll use your soul for Soul Lighting, and have your body support this mountain for one hundred thousand years."

The moment Xu Lai finished speaking, he made no discernible movement. The flame abruptly reversed course and flew back, transforming into a massive, fiery red candle that stood tall atop the mountain peak.

No-Face's beautiful face changed dramatically. She couldn't believe her attack had been deflected so effortlessly! And why is my heart suddenly beating so fast? Where is this sense of immense dread coming from?

No-Face instinctively retreated, wanting to flee.

But it was too late.

Her body trembled violently. She felt like she was going mad as her very soul was ripped from her body and merged with the candle's flame.

How fragile is a soul? Even that of a Golden Core expert is incredibly delicate. And with a single flick of Xu Lai's finger, the candle flame grew millions of times more terrifying!

The flame could have annihilated her soul in an instant, yet it contained a boundless life force that rapidly regenerated her soul even as it seared it.

Agony. Unending agony.

No-Face shrieked miserably as her soul struggled to escape, but it was futile. She wanted to kill herself, but even that was impossible.

The pain was indescribable. Only her wretched screams echoed across every corner of the mountain, giving all who heard them goosebumps.

But this was only the beginning.

As her scorched soul writhed in the flame, her Golden Core body slowly sank into the ground, forced to bear the weight of the Mount Fu range. It rose by exactly three centimeters—the very same three centimeters the mountain had sunk under her oppressive aura.

Body. Soul. The dual torment nearly drove No-Face insane in an instant. The thought of spending the next hundred, thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand years here… She was on the verge of collapsing.

No-Face continuously slammed against the cage of candle flame, wailing pitifully, "AAAAH! Xu Lai, let me out!

"I beg you, Xu Lai, please let me go! I promise I'll never harm your family again. I'll be your slave for all eternity!

"If you don't release me, the Formation will still activate! The more than two thousand seven hundred people inside will all die! Only I can disable it!

"XU LAI! I curse you to die by a thousand cuts! When I get out of here, I'll do to your wife and daughter—"

Her pitiful pleas and enraged curses trailed off, making Gao He, Su Daiyi, and the others shiver to their very souls.

Dongfang Xun swallowed hard, suddenly feeling immensely fortunate. He was so glad that even during their past conflicts, he had never said a single harsh word about Xu Lai's family. Otherwise, he would be the one suffering that torment right now.

A devil. This man is a devil. He must never, ever be provoked, or the consequences will be truly tragic.

"S-Senior Xu," Gao He said cautiously, his face pale. "The Formation isn't broken yet. Should we let her out for now, and wait…"

Dongfang Xun finished the thought, "Wait until the ordinary people inside the Formation are safe, then… put her back in."

"That's not a Formation," Xu Lai said flatly. He waved his hand, and the Blood Pool Divine Skill dissipated. The ordinary people and Martial Artists who had been dragged into the pool collapsed to the ground, their faces blank with confusion.

At the same time, the crude, half-finished little Formation shattered. The priceless Spirit Stones, inscribed with countless Array Patterns, dissolved into mist.

Gao He felt a pang so sharp he could barely breathe. He slumped to the ground, his face utterly drained of color. For this Jiangnan Spiritual Vein, he had requested a full one billion in funds from the Martial Dao Association headquarters. Adding the money pooled from the thirteen Jiangnan city branches, the total came to a staggering one and a half billion!

And now… it was all down the drain. The pain was indescribable; it was as if his entire world had collapsed.

"Uncle Gao, ask Mr. Xu for help," Su Daiyi whispered as she helped him up. "If Mr. Xu knows how to set up Formations, I'm sure he won't stand by and do nothing. Of course, remember to pay him."

Years ago, Gao He had been in charge of the Hangcheng Martial Dao Association and had received a small favor from the Su Family's Old Master. Because of that, the Su Family had gotten the opportunity to rise from a minor clan. Su Daiyi was happy to return the favor now, which would also indirectly generate some income for Xu Lai. As she saw it, Xu Lai seemed to be very short on money, and since she couldn't just hand him cash, this was the next best thing.

Xu Lai!?

A flash of insight struck Gao He, and his breathing quickened.

That's right. Xu Lai hadn't moved a single step, yet he'd suppressed the terrifying Faceless Demon and shattered the Formation… However, he wasn't sure if Xu Lai actually knew how to perform Array Setting.

With a sliver of trembling hope, Gao He asked, "Senior Xu, do you know how to set up a Spirit Gathering Array? To turn this place into a Spiritual Vein…"

"A Spiritual Vein?" Xu Lai frowned.

Gao He's heart sank. Could it be that he doesn't know how? It would make sense. After all, Array Masters and Artifact Refiners were as rare as a phoenix's feather in the Cultivation World. Li Sanbai, the top Feng Shui Master in Southeast Asia, could only create a Pseudo-Spiritual Vein. If Xu Lai, with his unfathomably profound Martial Dao Boundary, also knew about Formations… that would be simply monstrous!

"You can't do it?" Su Daiyi, standing not far away, started to regret her suggestion. If she hadn't said anything, the atmosphere wouldn't have become so awkward.

"It's a bit troublesome, but I'll give it a try," Xu Lai said softly.

At his Boundary, a single thought could gather limitless Spiritual Energy, naturally forming a Dragon Vein. To create a mere Spiritual Vein, he'd have to carefully control and dilute most of the Spiritual Energy, allowing only a fraction of it into the Formation. It wasn't difficult, just somewhat of a hassle.

"You really can?" Gao He grew excited.

If the Formation succeeded, even if it was just a Pseudo-Spiritual Vein, it would mean the money wasn't wasted. He might even be able to request more funds. In any case, as long as the Formation was a success, all would be well. If it failed, he would have to take all the blame.

Just as Gao He brought his hands together, ready to pray to the heavens, he heard Xu Lai say, "It's done."

"…"

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