I Can Extract Divine Power

According to the ancient texts, although Red Makeup was born into misfortune, she was actually very kind at heart.

It was for this very reason that Zheng Xing suspected Red Makeup’s kindness might have caused an anomaly in the Mysterious City’s arrival.

"It’s just a theory. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions about these things," Shen Bai said.

Zheng Xing nodded. "Yes, Lord Shen. I understand."

Wu Tian spoke up. "Our men are all assembled, Lord Shen. When do you plan to depart?"

"Right now, of course," Shen Bai replied.

Everyone was here. There was no reason to delay.

The sooner they left, the sooner they could settle this, and the sooner Shen Bai could get back to grinding his Skill Level.

Besides, arriving at the designated location early would allow Shen Bai to plan ahead.

This event was already in motion. Although the early arrival meant that many Jianghu influences were unaware, he still had to be wary of those bastards from the Wild Taoist Sect, Wild Buddha Sect, and Xinhua Academy.

Safety was paramount.

It was also an opportunity to wipe out the Demonic Forces—killing two birds with one stone.

"Move out!"

Shen Bai stood at the center of everyone’s attention and gave a sweeping wave of his arm.

In unison, they all cupped their fists. "As you command!"

Led by Shen Bai, the members of the Observatory marched out of the building.

Before long, they vanished at the end of the street.

Zheng Xing and Wu Tian did not go with them.

Besides Shen Bai, the two of them were the Observatory’s top fighters. They had to remain behind to guard their headquarters and prevent the rear from being left vulnerable.

A worried look crossed Wu Tian’s face. "I wonder if this mission will go smoothly."

They all had faith in Lord Shen, but they were dealing with the Mysterious City—an utterly enigmatic and bizarre entity.

This was precisely why they were so worried.

"It should be fine."

Zheng Xing looked away from the street. "Ever since Lord Shen arrived in Nanxing Prefecture, he’s had a knack for turning disaster into triumph. I believe that not only will he be unharmed on this mission, but he’ll also deal a heavy blow to our enemies."

"Let’s hope so."

Wu Tian nodded. "All we can do is hold down the fort here, so Lord Shen doesn’t have to worry about us or deal with any trouble on this end."

"So let’s get back to it. We have work to do," Zheng Xing said slowly.

The two men didn’t linger any longer and began to tackle the day’s affairs.

...

「Cold Years Mountain.」

This was a mountain on the northernmost edge of Nanxing Prefecture.

Due to its remote location, very few people knew of it.

After learning the precise area of effect yesterday, the Observatory had brought its people and cleared out all unauthorized personnel.

Now, as Shen Bai arrived with the members of the Observatory, he looked up at the mountain peak soaring into the clouds and narrowed his eyes.

"Not bad. A beautiful, scenic place," Shen Bai commented.

Jia Shou Yao Long nodded. "You’re right, Lord Shen. If I ever quit the Observatory, it would be wonderful to bring my family here to live in seclusion."

Shen Bai glanced back at him. "It’s a nice thought. This place is indeed perfect for a reclusive life."

Yao Long just smiled.

’Seclusion?’

’Anyone who joins the Observatory, even if they have such thoughts, quickly dismisses them.’

’We are members of the Observatory. We fight for the future of the Great Zhou Country and protect the safety of the world.’

’Once you join the Observatory, no one ever leaves by retiring.’

’Unless they suffer an injury that prevents them from continuing their duties.’

’Of course, this is a path we all chose willingly.’

’Before an adult does anything, they must consider the consequences.’

’And before we joined, we had already accepted those consequences.’

"Set up the perimeter defenses. Be extremely careful," Shen Bai added.

After giving the order, he said nothing more. He found a spot to sit and rest, awaiting the arrival of the Mysterious City.

While Shen Bai waited, a massive, swarming crowd had already gathered at the base of the mountain.

A quick glance revealed there were at least a thousand of them.

Their strengths varied, ranging from the Void Realm to the Unity Realm.

And every one of them had a crazed look in their eyes.

They were all elites from Xinhua Academy. While they were a far cry from the Observatory’s forces, they were the best that the Nanxing Prefecture branch of the Xinhua Academy could muster.

Abbot Xuanzhen, Qi Huang Taoist, and the Vice Dean stood at the forefront of the group. They stared at the woods not far ahead, but hesitated to advance.

"They’ve already surrounded the mountaintop. Getting in now will be nearly impossible."

"Once the Mysterious City appears, if they leave a detachment here to guard the perimeter, it’ll be even harder for us to get inside," said Qi Huang Taoist.

They truly hadn’t expected this. Today of all days, just when they had arrived full of confidence, leading elites from all over to the location of the Mysterious City and preparing to make their big move, they found that the Observatory had already beaten them to it.

According to Abbot Xuanzhen’s original understanding, the Observatory wasn’t supposed to know that the Mysterious City would be appearing here.

But now, something had gone wrong.

Not only did the Observatory know, but they had also completely cordoned off the entire mountain.

When the Mysterious City descends, it manifests within a certain area. If you aren’t inside that area, you can’t enter the city at all.

This made the current situation rather tricky.

If the Observatory members formed a tight ring around the Mysterious City’s manifestation point, it would be extremely difficult for them to get any closer.

It didn’t look like they had done that yet, but they still didn’t dare set foot inside the perimeter.

Abbot Xuanzhen gritted his teeth, a look of utter exasperation in his eyes.