Chapter 447 309: Confrontation
All eyes turned to Zhao Xuanqi, who had just leaped into the courtyard. They sized him up from head to toe; everyone present was, in a sense, here for him.
He Xijun's gaze was particularly scrutinizing. Of everyone there, she was the most curious about his identity.
However, the face she saw was completely unfamiliar.
He was very young and couldn't be called handsome, but his unique aura was unforgettable.
It was an effortless, powerful confidence, a tranquil composure as unmovable as a great mountain and as still as the water in a deep abyss.
His presence was like that of an apex predator at the pinnacle of its domain. It inspired an unspoken trust, making him the natural center of attention and his will difficult to defy.
'An aura like this...'
He Xijun was inwardly surprised. As far as she knew, this kind of aura typically belonged only to the most powerful experts who stood at the very top—like the Sect Leader she had once met, who had a similar presence.
'I don't know him. He's a complete stranger. So why can he use our sect's Golden Fire?'
He Xijun only grew more puzzled.
Meanwhile, a look of confusion crossed Chen Zhanyun's face as well. Zhao Xuanqi was using his formidable physical control to alter his features, masking Zhao Xing's true appearance. As a result, Chen Zhanyun couldn't recognize him.
Nearby, Zhuang Li had been watching He Xijun and Chen Zhanyun the entire time. She took in their reactions, her eyes narrowing slightly with a glimmer of amusement.
'They don't recognize him. So, who is he, really?'
Zhao Xuanqi's gaze swept over everyone present. First, he looked at the three from the Yin Mountain Sect and the Five Elements Gang's Geng Metal Hall, then at the two from the Red Heart Sect. His eyes paused on Chen Zhanyun for a moment before moving on.
"Zhao, let me introduce you to the newcomers..."
Zhuang Li stepped forward to introduce the others to Zhao Xuanqi, and then introduced Zhao Xuanqi to them.
'Zhao Qi?'
The name was completely unfamiliar to both He Xijun and Chen Zhanyun.
"Senior Brother Zhao, are you a disciple of our Red Heart Sect? Was that our sect's Golden Fire you used just now at Feihong Pavilion?"
He Xijun hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and cupping her fist in a salute to Zhao Xuanqi.
Hearing He Xijun's words, Qi Ziliang, Lu Ren, and the others all looked over, a thoughtful expression on their faces as if they were beginning to understand something.
"I am indeed a disciple of the sect."
Zhao Xuanqi admitted with a nod.
"Then why have I never seen you in the sect, Senior Brother Zhao? May I ask which Elder or Steward you study under?"
He Xijun pressed.
"Junior Sister He, that's not important right now,"
Zhao Xuanqi said with a smile.
"You're right, Senior Brother Zhao. I was being presumptuous."
He Xijun fell silent for a moment, then nodded and didn't press the issue further.
'Whatever his identity is, we're all on the same side for now. If we can't end this Ghost City event, we'll all die here anyway. Knowing who he is would be pointless.'
'And if this Ghost City event does end and we escape, I can always investigate him then, if he's truly part of the sect.'
"Everyone, this isn't the place to talk. Let's head inside. The Evil Spirits will be returning to their posts soon, and we'll be easily exposed."
At Zhuang Li's words, everyone nodded and entered one of the rooms in the residence.
"Anyuan Street is most likely the source of this Realm. But I and Li Yue... hmm, Zhuang Li, have explored it before. It's not just teeming with Sword Soldier Ghosts that are difficult to kill; there's also more than one special Evil Spirit. Even if all of us join forces, I doubt we could destroy them."
Zhao Xuanqi began, glancing at Zhuang Li as he spoke. He had just learned that she had given him a fake name earlier.
Zhuang Li stared straight ahead, completely ignoring his gaze.
She was unbothered, certain that 'Zhao Qi' wasn't his real name either.
"So, as things stand, our first priority is survival. But we also need to consider if there's a way to bypass the Ghost City's memory block. We need to bring back our memories and intel to the sect's leadership. That way, we can get more support the next time this happens."
Zhao Xuanqi continued, looking at the others.
"This is the first time any of us have been dragged into the Ghost City, so we don't understand this so-called 'memory lock' and can't make any accurate judgments," He Xijun said. "However, the most likely method here to bypass it would be your Yin Mountain Sect's Spirit Capturing Technique, wouldn't it? Speaking of which, four of the Heqing Dao's Five Sects are represented here. We're only missing those folks from the Rebirth Palace. Did none of them get pulled in?"
"We've never experienced this either, so we don't know the extent of the memory lock," the taller of the two Yin Mountain Sect disciples, Luo Rongxian, said after a moment's thought. "But based on what Zhao said, I'm afraid we won't be able to avoid it. Aside from the Main Spirit that's fused with our Primordial Qi, our other Spirit Bodies weren't brought into the Ghost City. The Main Spirit is bound to our Primordial Qi, so it's theoretically part of our bodies. If our memories are sealed, its memories will be sealed too."
'Spirit Capturing Technique, hmm?'
A flicker of interest appeared in Zhao Xuanqi's eyes when he heard the term.
"In any case, just keep that in mind. Everyone should try using their own methods. It would be best if someone succeeds."
"I was just observing the Blood Moon. We have a little over an hour before it reaches its zenith. When that happens, the Night Parade of Hundred Demons that Zhao mentioned will begin. We need to decide how we're going to handle it now."