As the nether-fire burned close to the knees of Daoist Xiao Zhang and the others, Gu Xiechen gritted his teeth and drew out the Grade Nine Divine Spell scroll he had taken from Andre and his group that day. Of the three scrolls, one was inscribed not only with a wing but also... a small shield emblem—a defensive Grade Nine Divine Spell! Gu Xiechen stroked the scroll with a pang of heartache, stamped his foot fiercely, and snapped it in two.

A brilliant white light shot up from Gu Xiechen’s hand toward the heavens. The light rapidly expanded outward, the dazzling pillar of radiance thickening to dozens of meters across, soaring from the ground all the way past the edge of the atmosphere. A vast shower of golden light rained down from within the pillar, and melodious hymns circled down from the high altitude. Gu Xiechen’s mind stirred, and the power of a massive canine seemed to descend upon him from nowhere; he could freely command this immense strength.

Glancing past Daoist Xiao Zhang and the others who were charging into the white mist, Gu Xiechen’s thoughts shifted. Nearly a hundred winged angels swiftly descended from the white light. These angels, whose forms and features were obscured by the blinding radiance emanating from them, hovered above Daoist Xiao Zhang’s group. Divine runes and symbols flowed like water from their hands, tightly wrapping the party in a dense white light.

The white light wove itself into a heavy suit of white armor draped over Daoist Xiao Zhang and the others. Streams of warm energy flowed through their bodies, dispelling the illusions wrought by the Six Harmonies Strange Gate Array, and everyone instantly regained clarity. The nether-fire that had reached their knees was vaporized by the holy light, and their scorched meridians and flesh began to rapidly heal.

Daoist Xiao Zhang and the others were relatively fine, their complexions only slightly flushed, each murmuring their Daoist titles or Buddhist appellations to mask their embarrassment.

Penghua, however, was utterly humiliated. Naked, he shrieked and squatted on the ground, clutching his vital lower region tightly with both hands, howling at the top of his lungs, “What the hell is this thing? Get this off me immediately! Heavens, the Vatican’s Grade Nine defensive divine spell, the Armor of the Holy Angel!” Isn’t this trying to kill me? I am a Jiangshi, I am a Jiangshi!”

Thick plumes of black energy continuously erupted from Penghua’s body, the dense miasma fiercely resisting the invasion of the white holy light from outside. The holiness contained within the Grade Nine Divine Spell, Armor of the Holy Angel, was pure and immensely powerful; every speck of white light carried immense force. Penghua’s corpse-qi was insufficient to resist the intrusion of the holy light. He watched his black energy rapidly dissipate, the white light on the verge of penetrating his body. The Vatican’s holy light was the nemesis of all undead creatures and dark forces; for an ancient Jiangshi like Penghua, the holy light was more than ten thousand times more poisonous than arsenic.

Gu Xiechen, still holding the broken divine spell scroll in his hand, hastily willed his mind to move. The white armor on Penghua’s body suddenly transformed into a beam of white light that shot skyward. The light exploded high in the air, scattering countless specks of white light that rained down. The others enjoyed the warm, comfortable sensation as the white light bathed them, but every drop of white light that landed on Penghua’s naked body was like concentrated sulfuric acid sizzling onto human flesh, corroding away holes the size of a fist, leaving raw, bloody wounds.

“Awooo!” Penghua looked at Gu Xiechen with utter devastation, wailing loudly. Two streaks of bloody tears streamed from his eyes. For a Jiangshi, any drop of vital blood is exceedingly precious; for Penghua to shed a full dozen milliliters of blood-tears proved he was in truly excruciating pain.

Gu Xiechen chuckled dryly. He secured the scroll, which no longer emitted any white light, and said with a bitter smile, “My apologies, my apologies. I was anxious about you all being misled by the formation, so I didn’t realize, Penghua, that you clash so violently with the Holy Light!”

Penghua forced down the grief and indignation churning in his heart. He struggled to put his clothes on, shivering as he muttered to himself, “One day, I will storm the Vatican, slaughter everyone inside, drain all their blood, and smash every single magical artifact they own... Ow, this hurts so much, why is this thing so venomous?”

Penghua looked at Gu Xiechen with a wounded expression, the two streams of bloody tears still clinging to his face, making him look as pitiable as one could possibly look.

Gu Xiechen felt a flicker of panic under Penghua’s mournful gaze. He forced another weak smile and quickly said, “Penghua, I accidentally injured you this time. How about this: if we find any treasures in this ruin, I will give you half of my share as compensation?”

Siren, standing beside Gu Xiechen, started in alarm and hastily tugged at Gu Xiechen’s sleeve, trying to remind him that this concession was too costly.

Gu Xiechen ignored Siren, looking at Penghua with utmost sincerity and earnestness, “Consider this my formal apology, how about it?”

Penghua beamed, his eyes crinkling into thin lines as he laughed, “Good brother, loyal to the bone! Truly a good brother!” Penghua thumped his chest forcefully and, equally sincerely, declared, “If you ever have any trouble at home in the future, like a haunted house or something, come find me, Penghua. I guarantee I’ll handle it beautifully for you!”

Daoist Xiao Zhang chuckled weakly from the side, and Gu Xiechen let out a wry, knowing grin. In his heart, he spat inwardly at Penghua, Damn it, your house is the one haunted! No, your house isn't just haunted; your entire family are living ghosts! Gu Xiechen and Penghua locked gazes with the most sincere expressions, their eyes sharing a look of kindred understanding.

“Hahahaha, hahahaha, hahahaha!”

Gu Xiechen suddenly threw his head back and roared with laughter; Penghua also laughed so hard he doubled over.

Daoist Xiao Zhang then pointed towards the thick white mist and said, “Mr. Gu, please use your power to dispel this Strange Gate Array?” Daoist Xiao Zhang’s eyes were fixed intently on Gu Xiechen, trying to discern his every move. Among the accompanying disciples of the Asian Dao Alliance’s Jingjing School, several specialized in formations like the Houtian Array techniques of the Chaos Sect and the Miluo Sect. However, even these Daoists with profound attainments in formations had their minds clouded by the current Strange Gate Array; clearly, their cultivation levels were insufficient to deal with this grand formation.

The few young Daoists from the Xuanji Sect and Miluo Sect exchanged glances, their eyes burning with anticipation as they all looked towards Gu Xiechen.

The grand array before them was simultaneously fluctuating and stable like a mountain, possessing two distinct attributes: profound solidity and ethereal lightness. The array gate looked imposing and straightforward, yet the formation itself concealed extra-dimensional heart demons, using various illusions to confuse the mind, subsequently inciting the Five Thieves to unleash the Great Tribulation of Nether-Fire. This kind of formation, embodying both righteousness and evil, was only sparsely documented in the scriptures of the Xuanji Sect and the Miluo Sect; they could not deploy it themselves.

Since they couldn't deploy it, they couldn't break it either. Thus, the young Daoists watched Gu Xiechen, waiting to see what means he possessed to shatter the formation.

Daoist Xiao Zhang also watched Gu Xiechen expectantly. If Gu Xiechen truly could break this formation, the Asian Dao Alliance and the Hell Angel Mercenary Corps would certainly become steadfast allies.

If Gu Xiechen failed to break the formation, the Asian Dao Alliance would immediately withdraw. It wouldn't be their concern if the Hell Angel Mercenary Corps were slaughtered to the last man by the Valkyries. Daoist Xiao Zhang himself might even step in to capture Prajñā, Mohe, and the others, handing them over to Ulis to curry favor with the Federation Academy of Sciences.

This was naked self-interest! Daoist Xiao Zhang, as the overall commander of the Asian Dao Alliance’s Operation Heaven Star, though somewhat rash and youthful, saw the core of self-interest with crystal clarity. He had no personal affection for Gu Xiechen; their bond was purely transactional.

Gu Xiechen’s clear eyes fixed upon Daoist Xiao Zhang… The intensity of Gu Xiechen’s gaze forced Daoist Xiao Zhang’s eyes to soften, and he unconsciously averted his head. Gu Xiechen then looked at Penghua, who was smiling broadly at him, his gaze unwavering. Gu Xiechen nodded internally; the hierarchy between Penghua and Daoist Xiao Zhang had been established!

With a slight mental command, a stream of purple light flowed beside him, and Zhao Yi strode out of the light. He knelt on one knee and saluted Gu Xiechen, saying in a deep voice, “Exalted One, what are your orders?”

Gu Xiechen pointed to the white mist ahead and said gravely, “Break this formation and retrieve all the magical artifacts used to set it up.”

Zhao Yi acknowledged with a loud cry and strode into the white mist. In the blink of an eye, the originally slow-flowing white mist began to churn wildly like a tide in a hurricane. Dull thunderclaps continually emanated from within the mist, and lightning bolts as thick as water barrels shot out, blasting craters several meters deep throughout the surrounding dense forest. Countless illusions continuously materialized from the mist: celestial maidens dancing naked in the sky; heavily armored soldiers engaged in bloody combat; opulent palaces of peace and prosperity; and ancient temple courtyards filled with Buddhist chants...

There was also the lush green willow bank of the southern riverlands, the sand-swept Gobi desert, snow-capped mountain plateaus, and vast, misty immortal islands and renowned peaks—too many visions to describe adequately.

The last time Gu Xiechen entered the formation, Zhao Yi had only guided him through the entire array, thus taking very little time. But this time, Gu Xiechen’s command was for Zhao Yi to destroy the entire formation and extract every artifact used within it, so this would take a considerably longer time. When Gu Xiechen previously left the Six-Pattern and Strange Gate formations, he had intended to have Zhao Yi break the whole array and take out the various treasures inside, but an urgent communication from the Hell Angel Mercenary Corps forced Gu Xiechen to rush back immediately, leaving no time for it then.

“Rumble!” More than a dozen pale yellow and greenish dragons suddenly surged out of the dense array. Zhao Yi’s muffled shout echoed from within the formation, “Strike them with the Geng Metal Thunder Technique; we can claim this set of Azure Dragon Stakes!”

Daoist Xiao Zhang roared an order. Two young Daoists wearing apricot-yellow robes beside him stepped forward, brought their hands together to form a seal, and instantly activated the Geng Metal Thunder Spell within their sea of consciousness. They spat a breath of true qi onto the seal and projected it forward. With several sharp chii sounds, dozens of extremely thin golden lightning bolts, like sharp blades, struck the dozen pale yellow-green dragons.

The dragons roared up to the heavens. After enduring the searing strike of the metal-attribute lightning-fire, the dozen dragons coiled and twisted in the air, quickly merging into a set of three dark green wooden stakes, each as thick as a forearm and over three feet long.