Star Trace Gate

"Whoosh...!"

The Corpse-Dissolving and Soul-Scattering Powder, emitting a faint glow like stardust, slowly drifted down onto the corpse. Suddenly, a strange bluish-green flame rose up, burning the corpse to ashes in just a few breaths, leaving not a trace.

A step away, Monk Fulai watched as the fire gradually died down. Then, he channeled his divine soul power to carefully sense everything before him, confirming that the corpse had left no trace or aura. Only then did he turn to look at the others.

He looked at the group of old monks and travelers and said in a steady voice, "Those carrying storage magic treasures, quickly gather the star energy here, and be quick."

"Yes."

At a command, more than forty former monks and travelers stepped forward, each activating their consciousness space to summon magical treasures of various shapes, and then began to collect the enormous star energy within the thatched hut.

Monk Fulai did not move, but stood outside the tent and instructed, "After collecting the Star Source, everyone must leave Beifeng Town with me from the East Gate. After leaving the city, those who carry the Star Source will accompany me, and the rest will leave on their own according to the pre-arranged plan."

Inside the thatched hut, the group listened to the monk Fulai's instructions while quickly collecting the loot. In just a short while, the starlight reflecting the crimson blood on the ground was completely taken. This once tranquil and secluded mountain retreat was now nothing but a field of mangled corpses lying in gruesome disarray.

After seeing that everyone had completely finished their murder and plundering, Monk Fulai carefully inspected the crime scene in the landscape illusion again, and only after confirming that no clues had been left behind did he lead his men away from the blood-soaked, pungent-smelling massacre site.

The group left the illusion and returned to the Yangxin Xiaozhu building. Monk Fulai looked at everyone and slightly raised his hand, saying, "Use the art of disguise to confuse them."

As soon as the words were spoken, the group of old monks and travelers took out disguise pills, human skin masks, or used witchcraft and sorcery to quickly change their appearances amidst the surging divine light. But strangely, they did not transform into strangers, but gradually became the appearances of the more than one hundred civil officials who had been slaughtered and then had their bodies burned and their souls scattered.

In the center of the crowd, Monk Fulai also pasted a faceless human skin on his face and used strange magic to transform into the appearance of the corpse he had personally burned. He looked rugged, strong, and full of a wild and unruly air.

After changing his appearance, Monk Fulai slowly raised his right arm and summoned an ancient-looking soul-binding talisman. Then, spiritual power flowed through his fingertips, and the talisman spontaneously combusted, transforming into a faint rainbow of divine soul light that suddenly vanished from the world.

With everything settled, Monk Fulai said softly, "Let's go."

"Boom boom boom...!"

This time, the old monks no longer tried to conceal their auras. Instead, they exerted their spiritual energy and leaped into the air one after another, closely following Fu Lai as they fled towards the east gate.

Inside and outside the front courtyard of the Warrior Monk's Residence.

The hundreds of gray-robed monks temporarily stationed here, their armor stained with blood, were loosely gathered together, discussing amongst themselves in small groups. After Moro led his army into the Martial Monk's Mansion, Feng Yiyang took two hundred monks to the Yangxin Xiaozhu (Hall of Mental Cultivation), while the rest were responsible for guarding the area inside and out.

After a fierce battle, the Grey Robe Camp's monks suffered heavy losses. The surviving monks were exhausted, so even though they sensed the bloody battle raging at the North Tower's No. 1 teleportation array, they felt no emotional reaction. They just wanted to wait for the "rest" order from their superiors so they could slip away as quickly as possible.

"Boom boom boom...!"

Just then, from the direction of the Yangxin Xiaozhu in the East Courtyard, a surge of powerful spiritual energy suddenly rose up, causing the monks inside and outside the front courtyard to look up in astonishment at the sky.

"Damn it, what's happened again?! Why are so many cultivators from the East Courtyard flying up all at once?"

"Who knows what they're up to now!"

"Stop struggling, I really have no strength left."

"Wait a minute, something's not right. Those people rising up all seem to be civil officials from the inner court!"

"That's right, look at the leader, isn't he the one who hangs out at Baolaifang every day?"

"...!"

The monks discussed amongst themselves and quickly recognized the group of people who had flown up from the east courtyard as civil officials sent by the inner court to carry out their duties.

"Damn it, why are all these civil officials rushing towards the east gate? It looks like they're trying to escape...?" a monk-soldier officer muttered suspiciously.

"They can't be trying to run away, can they? Otherwise... our Lord Feng will definitely come back with a message, right?!"

"...!"

This sudden turn of events left many of the monk soldiers feeling uncertain. They knew all too well that they were just cannon fodder at the bottom of the hierarchy, and whatever happened in North Wind Town was only known to those at the top, not to them.

Just as everyone was feeling uncertain, a senior military officer, the team leader, frowned and said, "Hiss... something's not right. Before Lord Feng left, he didn't mention any special arrangements for tonight. These civil officials suddenly took to the air and rushed towards the east gate... this is definitely not normal. Come on, Lao Xu, Lao An, you take some men and come with me to Yangxin Xiaozhu to take a look... let's ask Lord Feng together."

"Let's go...go and take a look!"

A group of veterans chimed in, and followed the squad leader and military officer to Yangxin Xiaozhu.

……

It is about three or four miles away from the North Tower No. 1 Formation.

Moro, leading four hundred old monks and over seven hundred soldiers from the cookhouse, was "hurriedly" heading to the No. 1 teleportation array to provide support.

"Om...!"

Suddenly, a faint yet familiar aura of divine soul energy, like a thread, quietly flowed into Moro's brow. He was immediately overjoyed, knowing that Monk Fulai had finished his work and, according to the plan, had successfully led the group of old monks and the huge amount of star energy to safety.

Moro's control over tonight's events was meticulous and composed. His earlier reluctance to reveal his true intentions and his repeated restraint were precisely to ensure that no matter which force suddenly appeared tonight, he could securely obtain the enormous sum of Star Source and successfully escape after framing the perpetrator.

Now that Monk Fulai has activated the talisman to send him a message, it means his plan has succeeded. And his biggest goal in coming to Beifeng Town has also been achieved.

Currently, Moro is left with only two proactive choices. First, he can continue to lead the group in front of him to reinforce the North Tower No. 1 teleportation array at all costs, help the Netherworld Iron Cavalry stabilize the situation, and then forcibly destroy the array to completely thwart the Divine Court's idea of ​​retaking the city.

The advantage of doing this is that once it succeeds, he will have performed an "unparalleled feat," and his status in Tianzhao Temple will inevitably rise sharply in 251. This will allow him to access greater opportunities and take on higher-ranking duties in the Heavenly Dao. However, the disadvantage is that this choice is undoubtedly full of risks, because the reinforcements sent by the Divine Court are far stronger than he thought.

The second option is relatively safer: you've already achieved your goal, so there's absolutely no need to risk your life for your future...

Moro was never an indecisive person, so after only a moment's thought, he made an extremely decisive choice.

He frowned slightly and immediately transmitted his voice to his men: "Daoguang, listen to me...!"

Before long, the monk Daoguang, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped flying through the air and floated under the night sky, staring at the North Tower No. 1 teleportation array with an extremely solemn expression.

"What's wrong, Brother Daoguang? Why did you suddenly stop walking...?" a former monk traveler asked loudly.

Daoguang, dressed in a black kasaya and holding a monk's staff, slowly turned around and shouted, "Please wait a moment, everyone. I need to say a few words to Brother Moro...!"

Upon hearing his shout, the group of travelers all stopped abruptly, floating in mid-air and no longer moving forward.

Daoguang hurriedly came to Moro's side and said to the group of familiar faces, "Brother Moro, my friends... I have something to say, but I don't know if I should say it."

"The North Tower No. 1 teleportation array is already in a precarious state. Speak quickly, don't waste time," Moro urged, raising his eyebrows.

After a moment's thought, Daoguang replied in a low voice, "I think... it's too late to support the North Tower No. 1 teleportation array now. Going there rashly would be unwise."

Beside him, Ren Ye, who had been following Moro, suddenly had a strange look flash across his eyes after hearing what the monk Daoguang said.

"What do you mean by this?" Moro asked, frowning.

Dao Guang's expression was solemn, and his words were steady: "Senior brother, you are a fifth-grade cultivator... you should have sensed it long ago. In the North Tower No. 1 teleportation array, there are not only a large number of Divine Court prisoners of war, but also the Wang family and Divine Court reinforcements fighting side by side, vowing to resist to the death... while the Netherworld Iron Cavalry is clearly at a disadvantage. If we go there now, we may not be able to save the array, but instead we will be surrounded and it will be very difficult to escape."

"What are you saying?!" Moro immediately turned angry and shouted, "I am the chief official of the inner palace, on equal footing with that Niu Dali...!"

Just then, Ren Ye, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "Senior Brother Moro, I also think that Lord Daoguang is right."

Moro suddenly turned his head and asked sharply, "What?! This is cowardice! Spineless!"

Ren watched his performance quietly and said to himself, "To be honest... I also feel that the North Tower No. 1 array is in dire straits. Or rather, the six teleportation arrays in North Wind Town are already in a state of extreme difficulty to be saved, and there is no need for us to lend a hand."

"You...!" Moro was about to retort upon hearing this.

Ren completely ignored his reaction, turned around abruptly, and pointed towards the North Tower No. 1 teleportation array, saying, "Lord Moro, listen to me... After the Nanshan Illusion was broken, all six arrays in our city were controlled by the Divine Court's captured soldiers. Although the Netherworld Iron Cavalry sent a full six thousand monk soldiers as reinforcements, they have always used a strategy of suppressing them from multiple directions. Some Netherworld cavalry went to support Niu Dali, while others went to besiege other arrays... In short, the Netherworld Iron Cavalry did not act as a group, but rather divided their forces to attack. But now... their two thousand Netherworld cavalry are already engaged in a fierce battle in the North Tower No. 1 array, and as everyone has just sensed, even the Netherworld General Feng Daoquan is seriously injured. In addition... the reinforcements sent by the Divine Court are all experts of the fourth or fifth rank, and there is also a Divine Transmission person leading the army... Therefore, even if we go to reinforce them now, it will be extremely difficult to turn the tide."

"Look again. All six teleportation arrays in the city are currently radiating divine light. This means... the six arrays have already been repaired by the Divine Court and are in the process of reviving. If we send reinforcements now, and even one of these arrays fully revives, the Divine Court's army will swarm in from Tiandu like locusts. We will all become trapped like turtles in a barrel, unable to escape, and will either be captured or die on the spot."

"Furthermore, you must understand that Niu Dali is dead, and the monk soldiers in the city are without a leader. You and I lack the authority to unite them, so they are now a disorganized mob, completely incapable of defending the city. Therefore... with just these six thousand Netherworld Iron Cavalry and the rest of us, we cannot stop the revival of the great formation. Even if you can clear out the Divine Court soldiers of the North Tower No. 1 Great Formation, you still cannot stop the revival of the other great formations."