Chapter 85

Pulling the eight magnificent horses that drew the war chariot, all of which were expensive hybrid breeds purchased from the Fire Crow Empire, a mix of horses and beast monsters, with blood-red eyes and astonishing speed. However, such relentless running was too much for them, and by the third day when they finally reached the outskirts of Yangpu City, each of them neighed loudly and died on the spot.

After a moment, everyone finally gathered, all panting and pale-faced.

Li Yunxiao then lazily got out of the war chariot, stretched, and chuckled, looking up at the sky, "Oh, it's already evening? The moon is so full tonight. Everyone, come down and enjoy the moon."

Chen Zhen, Han Bo, and the others then jumped down from the war chariot, each holding a steaming cup of water, taking sips from time to time.

Over two thousand students were all seething with anger and resentment. But thinking of Li Yunxiao's astonishing combat power, they were all furious but dared not speak.

Li Yunxiao's face wore a playful smile, "Alright, tea time is over, it's time to get to work."

Chen Zhen and the others then put down their teacups and began to take out their weapons, drawing on the ground. The two thousand students watched curiously, not knowing what they were doing.

Soon, a huge circle was drawn on the ground. Some students immediately recognized it as an array, encompassing all two thousand people.

"What is this for? What kind of array is this?"

"Heaven, to activate such a large array, how many spirit stones would it cost, and how powerful must a spellcaster be to activate it!" a student with knowledge of arrays exclaimed in shock.

"Didn't you see that a second-rank spellcaster, Master Jia Rong, is with us? Tsk tsk, I get it, it must be a huge recovery array, to restore our energy."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Of course, don't believe it until you see it!"

Li Yunxiao listened to their discussions, a cold smile on his face.

Soon, the array was set up. On both sides of the array lines, countless spirit stones of various sizes and grades were embedded, making everyone gape in amazement!

This is such a waste! The young masters of great families are truly rich!

Little did they know that Li Yunxiao was also in great pain, as setting up this large array had almost depleted all the spirit stones in the World God Stele!

He endured the pain in his heart, walked to the center of the array, and took out the Taiyin Cold Sword and Chunshui Sword, directly inserting them. Instantly, a brilliant light shot up to the sky, and the shadows of the two swords appeared in the air, their light alternating and the coldness piercing.

The students, who had never seen such a magnificent scene, were immediately drawn to look up at the sky.

A cruel smile appeared at the corner of Li Yunxiao's mouth, and he said mischievously, "This array has cost me all my fortune, and the two array eyes are third-grade mystic weapons. This array can help you all become true warriors in a short time! Everyone, start your joyful journey!"

His eyes, under the reflection of the sword light, became abnormally eerie. Several spirit seals were cast from his hands, and ancient, strange characters appeared in the air, falling into the array. Suddenly, everyone was shocked to find that the bright and beautiful moon in the sky had become eerie, gradually turning a blood-red color.

"This, this is?!" Everyone was shocked, the full moon had turned into an eerie eyeball!

Li Yunxiao stood outside the array, his pupils turning blood-red and gradually bending into two crescent moons. His pupils suddenly dilated, and an eerie force rippled out.

All the students inside the array were suddenly shaken, feeling a strange sensation from the blood-red eyeball moon, which instantly controlled their minds. They began to look dazed, their expressions becoming blank.

Those outside the array looked in and saw the students standing still, like wooden chickens, motionless.

"Yun, Yun Shao, what's wrong with them?" Chen Zhen asked in shock, as Li Yunxiao had only told them the steps to set up the array, not its purpose.

Li Yunxiao turned to look at him, his eerie pupils making Chen Zhen retreat several steps in shock.

"You should also go in and play," Li Yunxiao said, taking a few steps and striking out, immediately pushing Chen Zhen, Han Bo, Meng Wu, and Meng Bai into the array. Only Jia Rong and Ji Meng were left.

Jia Rong looked frightened and kept retreating. Ji Meng frowned, wanting to enter the array himself.

Li Yunxiao suddenly said, "Don't go in, you are a Martial Lord, and Jia Rong is a second-rank spellcaster. My eye technique is too weak to control your minds."

Jia Rong let out a sigh of relief, his courage growing, and he cautiously asked, "Yun Shao, this array..."

Li Yunxiao closed his eerie eyes and said calmly, "This is an illusion array, called the Thousand and Thousand Illusion Array. Inside, they will experience some unforgettable, extremely interesting things."

Jia Rong shuddered, the playful and sinister look on Li Yunxiao's face when he said "extremely interesting things" made him feel a chill, and he began to pray for them silently.

Li Yunxiao said quietly, "Ji Meng, protect everyone. I don't know how long I can hold it, so do your best." He drew a small circle under his feet, placed several spirit stones, and sat down, forming seals with his hands, beginning to meditate.

Ji Meng's eyes narrowed, and he leaped up, hiding in a nearby tree, spreading his divine sense to the maximum to protect everyone.

This left Jia Rong with nothing to do, so he sat down on the spot to meditate.

...

Zhang Tao was the most outstanding student of the Heavenly Eagle Martial Academy in town. At just thirteen years old, he had already opened five meridians, with a good chance of condensing his dantian and deriving qi before the age of fifteen, entering the One Yuan realm and becoming a true warrior.

His greatest wish was to save enough money to take the entrance exam for the capital's Jialan Academy, and after graduation, become a national guardian, bringing glory to his family, making his parents live a good life, and finding a good match for his sister to marry in style.

Zhang Tao would come to the back mountain every day to practice alone, and he could punch a large hole in a tree that two people could barely hug.

"Wow, what is this?!" He had just punched a face-sized hole in a tree when a fully white-furred head appeared from inside, it was a wolf!

"How can a wolf be inside a tree?" Zhang Tao was shocked and kept retreating. The white-furred, green-eyed wolf floated out of the tree, making Zhang Tao cry out in shock, "Demon wolf! Beast monster! How can there be a beast monster in the back mountain!"

He didn't have time to think and ran down the mountain as fast as he could. Beast monsters were beings that even true warriors dared not face!

"Ao!~"

The demon wolf howled and pounced, opening its blood-red mouth to bite down.

Zhang Tao couldn't evade in time and quickly turned to plant his feet, telling himself not to panic, "I'm not afraid!"

"Vajra Fist!"

He exerted all his strength, determined to fight. A punch like Vajra, breaking a thousand catties, whistled through the air.

If it were a regular wolf, it would surely die from this punch!

But he faced a demon wolf, and the punch hit the wolf's head. Just as Zhang Tao was overjoyed, he was shocked to find that his fist had passed through the demon wolf's body, as if hitting nothing.

"What, what's happening?!"

His mind went blank, and suddenly the demon wolf on his arm opened its mouth and bit down hard.

"Ah!!~"

A sharp pain shot through his arm, and Zhang Tao's eyes widened in horror as he saw the demon wolf bite off his right arm.

"Beast, I'll kill you!" His eyes turned red, and he clawed at the demon wolf's head with his left hand, using the Eagle Claw technique.

"What?"

The Eagle Claw passed through the demon wolf's body, feeling no resistance. He was shocked and roared, "How, how is this possible!"

"Ah!~"

Another piercing cry echoed, and countless birds were startled in the back mountain. Zhang Tao fainted from the pain and didn't wake up until evening.

"This, how, how can this be..." He stared at the blood on the ground and his mangled arms, both hands eaten by the demon wolf!

"Ah!~ Why, why didn't you just kill me!"

Zhang Tao ran madly in the back mountain, tears streaming down his eyes!

Without his arms, how could he practice martial arts! How could he enter Jialan Academy! How could he become a national guardian! How could he give his parents and sister a new life!

Heaven, why do you treat me like this!

Images of hopeful faces flashed through his mind, and Zhang Tao stumbled, not knowing how he made it back home. In the dimly lit old house, his father was surely smoking water pipe at the door, his mother mending clothes by the bed, and his sister cooking in the kitchen.

He looked at his empty arms, feeling no pain, only a heavy heart, unable to breathe or lift his feet. He didn't know how to face his loved ones.

"Ah!~ No, no, wuwuwu!~" Suddenly, a painful cry for help came from inside the house.

It was his sister's voice!

Zhang Tao looked up and rushed in. The old door was already on the ground. He saw his father raising a hoe to strike someone, but was kicked in the chest and thrown out, leaving a trail of blood. His father fell to the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, dead.

"Dad!~"

Zhang Tao's heart was torn, and he screamed, rushing forward. He wanted to lift his father but had no hands to do so.