The Azure Sword Sect’s grand flying ship cut smoothly through the sea of clouds.
On the rear deck, Su Mei knelt over a low wooden table, her hands trembling slightly as she unrolled a detailed parchment map of the Central Continent’s capital—Golden Dragon City.
Yan Shuo sat casually on a plush silk cushion, swirling a cup of warm spirit tea. Tantai Zhi was sitting so close to him that their shoulders were pressed together, her head resting contentedly against his arm. She was completely ignoring the map, entirely focused on humming a happy, off-key melody while feeding him peeled spirit grapes.
Ever since he had called her Zhi’er, she had been in a state of absolute, unshakeable bliss.
"The Golden Dragon City is protected by the Nine-Heavens Absolute Array," Su Mei explained, pointing a slender finger at the outer walls depicted on the map. "It is a continent-grade defensive barrier. If we approach with a warship, the barrier will instantly activate. It can withstand the combined strikes of ten Nascent Soul Grandmasters."
Yan Shuo swallowed a grape and leaned forward, his dark eyes scanning the map. "An array of that size cannot operate on its own. It requires living array masters to anchor the formation flags."
"Exactly," Su Mei nodded, her intelligence background making her voice steady despite her fear of the Saintess. "There are four Gatekeeper Elders. They sit in profound meditation in the four directional towers. They are considered the most honorable, incorruptible pillars of the Righteous Alliance."
Yan Shuo let out a soft, highly amused chuckle.
"Incorruptible," Yan Shuo repeated, the word rolling off his tongue like a joke. "Miss Su, in my experience, an ’incorruptible’ righteous elder is just a cultivator who hasn’t been offered the right heavenly resource yet. Tell me what they want."
Su Mei hesitated, looking at the fifteen-year-old youth. He spoke with the cynical, absolute certainty of an ancient emperor.
"Well..." Su Mei pointed to the eastern gate. "Elder Han guards the East. He is notoriously strict. He executes disciples just for accepting bribes. But... his only grandson suffered a severe Qi deviation three years ago. The boy’s meridians are shattered, and he is bedridden."
Yan Shuo didn’t even blink. He flipped his wrist over his spatial ring.
Clink.
A flawless, glowing jade bottle landed on the wooden table. The sheer density of the medicinal fragrance inside was so thick it practically formed a physical mist.
"A Supreme-Grade Marrow-Cleansing Pill," Yan Shuo stated lazily. "Forged by a reclusive alchemist two centuries ago. It won’t just heal shattered meridians; it will rebuild them to be twice as strong. Have a shadow guard drop that on Elder Han’s balcony with a note asking him to close his eyes during our arrival. The Eastern Gate is ours. Who is next?"
Su Mei stared at the priceless, legendary pill sitting on the table like it was a cheap rock. She swallowed hard and pointed to the western gate.
"Elder Lin," she said, her voice slightly breathless. "He cares nothing for family. He is obsessed with breaking into the Late Nascent Soul realm. He has been stuck at the middle stage for fifty years. His lifespan is running out."
Clink.
A rusted, ancient bamboo slip landed next to the pill.
"The Heavenly Breath Lotus Art," Yan Shuo said, looking entirely bored. "A lost meditation mantra from the ancient era. It guarantees a smooth breakthrough for anyone stuck at a severe bottleneck. Leave it on his meditation mat. The Western Gate is ours."
Within ten minutes, Yan Shuo had produced four priceless, legendary treasures from the depths of his Abyssal spatial ring. He didn’t spend a single spirit stone. He targeted the profound desires, fears, and lifespans of the "incorruptible" Righteous Elders with terrifying precision.
It was the ultimate soft-power siege. He was dismantling a continent-grade fortress without drawing a single sword.
Su Mei looked at the four items on the table. Her mind was completely blown. The wealth hidden inside this boy’s ring rivaled the treasuries of ancient empires.
"Lord Yan," Su Mei whispered in sheer awe. "With these... the outer barrier will fall. The four Gatekeepers will absolutely turn a blind eye and let our ship sail right over the walls."
"Good," Yan Shuo smiled, taking a sip of his tea. "Then we fly directly to the Patriarch’s grand palace."
Su Mei’s expression suddenly faltered. A shadow of genuine confusion crossed her pale face.
"We can pass the outer walls," Su Mei said hesitantly, her voice dropping into a nervous whisper. "But Lord Yan... the inner palace defenses are strange. Three years ago, the Patriarch completely overhauled the central array core. He replaced the traditional Righteous suppression formations with something... entirely different."
Yan Shuo raised an eyebrow. "Different how? The Righteous Alliance has used the same golden light arrays for three thousand years. They lack the creativity to change it."
"That is exactly why the intelligence operatives were confused," Su Mei explained, tracing the center of the map. "The new inner array doesn’t suppress demonic Qi. It specifically targets and isolates heavy, gravitational energy. It is designed to completely paralyze anyone who uses a heavy foundation."
Yan Shuo’s teacup paused halfway to his lips.
His dark eyes narrowed slightly. A heavy, gravitational foundation? That was incredibly specific. In the entire mortal realm, the only cultivation art that relied on pure, crushing gravity was his own Heaven-Swallowing Abyssal Art.
Why would the Righteous Alliance Patriarch, who believed Demon Lord Yan had been dead for a century, suddenly spend an unimaginable amount of resources to build an inner defense specifically designed to counter an extinct demonic technique?
"Did the Patriarch design this new array himself?" Yan Shuo asked, his voice dropping an octave, completely devoid of his usual lazy warmth.
"No," Su Mei shook her head. "Rumor says he took the blueprints from an Honored Guest. A mysterious wanderer who arrived at the capital three years ago. The Patriarch treats this guest with the utmost reverence, but no one knows his identity."
Yan Shuo stared at the map.
His pragmatic, veteran brain began to turn. The Golden Dragon Pavilion trying to bleed him dry. Elder Mo throwing a supreme karmic nail. And now, an inner fortress specifically designed to trap a gravitational core.
The Patriarch wasn’t smart enough to coordinate this. Someone else was pulling the strings in the Central Continent. Someone who was incredibly paranoid about the return of a specific, ancient threat.
Interesting, Yan Shuo thought, a cold, dangerous thrill running through his dormant demonic blood. It seems the Alliance has a very cautious spider spinning webs in their capital.
He didn’t know who the Honored Guest was yet, but he knew one thing for certain: they were walking into a highly calculated trap.
"Husband?"
A soft, warm hand gently cupped his cheek.
Yan Shuo turned his head. Tantai Zhi was looking at him, her beautiful face filled with deep, frantic worry. She didn’t understand array formations, but she felt the subtle, chilling shift in her husband’s Qi.
"Husband, your hands are cold," she whispered, leaning in to press her forehead gently against his. "Are you worried about the inner palace? Do you want me to just cut the array core in half before we land? I will turn their Honored Guest into ash if he makes you frown."
Yan Shuo looked into her fiercely devoted, golden eyes.
If he pointed a finger, she would charge into the Central Continent and fight the entire Alliance to the death. But Yan Shuo was a sovereign. He didn’t walk blindly into unknown traps, and he certainly wasn’t going to let his wife bleed for him again without knowing exactly who was waiting in the shadows.
He swallowed his dark suspicions, forcing his racing mind to calm down. He placed his hand over hers, giving her a slow, reassuring, perfectly charming smile.
"No need to cut anything yet, Zhi’er," Yan Shuo murmured softly, his thumb brushing her cheek. "I am just marveling at how much money the Alliance wastes on bad architecture."
He turned his gaze back to the terrified fox maid across the table.
"Miss Su," Yan Shuo ordered, his voice echoing with absolute authority. "Send the bribes. Lower the outer walls. We are sailing directly to the Patriarch’s front door."
He looked back at the horizon, where the golden peaks of the Central Continent were just beginning to pierce through the clouds.
Spin your webs, little spider, Yan Shuo thought, the dark abyss in his eyes promising absolute ruin. Let’s see if your trap is strong enough to hold a monster.