I Can Extract Divine Power

He wasn’t the only one. Many people from other forces, including the Wild Taoist Sect and the Wild Buddha Sect, were also present.

A bald Monk in monastic robes had blood constantly seeping from a stain on his chest.

"Sigh... It’s no use dwelling on it now. We should be thinking about how we’re going to survive," the bald Monk said.

Beside him, a Fat Daoist’s injuries were the lightest, though a trace of blood still stained the corner of his mouth.

"A nice thought," the Fat Daoist said with a sneer. "But for us, ’survival’ is a luxury right now."

Surrounded like this, they were lucky to live another day.

After the Fat Daoist spoke, everyone present fell silent.

The reason was simple: every word the Fat Daoist said was true.

For them, just staying alive would be enough.

Monk Yuanzhen clenched his fists. "Cultivation is a path that defies the heavens. Our chances of survival may be slim, but that’s no reason to give up."

The Fat Daoist sneered. "And what’s your brilliant plan? If you ask me, this all comes down to your Wild Buddha Sect’s Abbot Xuanzhen. If he hadn’t set his sights on the Mysterious City—if he’d taken a more gradual approach—we wouldn’t have all been wiped out by Shen Bai in one fell swoop."

Hearing this, Monk Yuanzhen retorted angrily, "But your Wild Taoist Sect’s Qi Huang Taoist agreed to participate! We weren’t acting alone—it was a collective decision. And now you have the gall to blame me?"

"So what if I do? Your Wild Buddha Sect led this operation. When things go this wrong, who else is there to blame?" the Fat Daoist sneered again and again.

"You’re really pushing it."

Monk Yuanzhen took a step forward, and the members of the Wild Buddha Sect behind him followed suit, their faces masks of fury.

The Fat Daoist sneered. "You really think I’m afraid of you?"

Numerous members of the Wild Taoist Sect gathered around him as well.

The two sides faced off, their animosity palpable.

In truth, this same argument had already broken out several times.

While on the run, it wasn’t just them; the other local Demonic Forces also squabbled and blamed one another.

After all, it was the only form of communication they had while fleeing for their lives.

If they didn’t have an outlet for their frustrations, they would likely have gone mad long before the Observatory’s people found them.

Zhao Xuan looked at the two men, who were at each other’s throats like fire and water, and shook his head. "If you two keep this up, we really will have no chance of survival."

When Zhao Xuan finished speaking, the two factions, who had been on the verge of blows, froze.

They turned to face Zhao Xuan, their brows furrowed.

"What’s that supposed to mean? We haven’t even gotten around to blaming you for this mess, and here you are, pointing fingers at us."

The Fat Daoist seemed to have found a new target for his frustration, and his voice grew agitated.

Monk Yuanzhen didn’t speak. He’d caught the implication in Zhao Xuan’s words and asked, "What you just said... does that mean you have a solution?"

Just a moment ago, Zhao Xuan had said that if they kept this up, survival was impossible. The implication was clear: if they stopped their infighting, perhaps there was still hope.

When those words were spoken, the Fat Daoist, who had been burning with rage, suddenly fell silent.

It wasn’t just him. Even the members of the other Demonic Forces turned their gazes toward Zhao Xuan.

Their suffering had been immense.

Every day was an exhausting flight for their lives, spent exposed to the elements, terrified they would wake up one morning to find themselves surrounded by the Observatory’s forces.

Now, hearing the hidden meaning in Zhao Xuan’s words, a flicker of hope—the will to survive—ignited in everyone’s eyes.

In this world, no one is without fear of death.

Perhaps, at times, there are things more precious than life itself, things that make people unafraid of death.

But for this band of Demonic Forces, life itself was the most precious thing of all.

Nothing was more important than staying alive.

The scene fell silent at once.

The intensity of their stares made Zhao Xuan’s scalp tingle.

Still, he steadied himself and began to speak slowly.

"It’s not that we’re out of options. The Observatory is powerful, yes, but I know of a massive secret within Nanxing Prefecture."

"It’s a secret only the people of my Xinhua Academy know."

As he said this, the looks they gave him grew even more intense.

No one interrupted, waiting for him to continue.

Zhao Xuan paused in thought for a moment before continuing slowly, "The previous Prefecture Chief was publicly executed by the Observatory’s General Department for colluding with Demonic Forces. And back then, the ones closest to that Prefecture Chief were us, the Xinhua Academy."

"That Prefecture Chief was no fool. He knew he was walking a path of no return, yet he did it anyway. There was a deeply mysterious reason behind his actions."

"Hidden within Nanxing Prefecture is something terrifying, something said to have been left behind from the War of Ten Thousand Cities."

At this, a flicker of confusion appeared in the eyes of many members of the Demonic Forces.

The War of Ten Thousand Cities was a secret, one unknown to even many Jianghu People.

When Zhao Xuan mentioned it, even Monk Yuanzhen and the Fat Daoist looked bewildered.

Clearly, they had no idea what the War of Ten Thousand Cities was.

Zhao Xuan knew this wasn’t the time or place for an explanation. He cut straight to the point. "You don’t need to worry about what the War of Ten Thousand Cities was. All you need to know is that right here, in Nanxing Prefecture, an entire city lies buried beneath our feet."

"And if that buried city is activated, it will immediately replace all of Nanxing Prefecture. The very ground we stand on will collapse."