This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

Chapter 259 Escape

The situation reversed so quickly, like a sudden storm, that the youth behind the Immortal Cone was thrown into a panic. These once invincible weapons of the Refining Heaven Sect were now like tigers with their spines removed, losing their former might and becoming as listless as mice before a cat.

"Is this the astrologer?" The boy's mind kept recalling the taboo rumors about astrologers, and the old man's figure gradually became clearer, as if he had stepped out of the dust of history.

"In the ancient war of gods, the thirty-one sects of the nine realms and twenty-four schools gathered beyond the heavens, and at the cost of their own deaths, they annihilated the Astrology School."

His face showed horror, as if he had seen the end of the world.

On the wall of flames, in the middle of the magic array, the old man's face was clearly visible, exactly the same as the portrait hanging in the center of the Ancestral Hall. This was actually the soul image of the ancestor of the Refining Heaven Sect!

In the first battle back then, everyone thought that the astrologers had been wiped out, but now it seems that not only were they not completely wiped out, but a portion of the ancestors' souls were even imprisoned.

Only in the face of such a powerful soul shadow would the divine artifacts of the Refining Heaven Sect lose their effectiveness. After all, these divine artifacts were all made by the ancestors, so how could they harm their creators?

You must escape and report this news to the sect leader! Once this news gets out, the Refining Heaven Sect will do everything in its power to completely destroy the Great Qian Dynasty to avenge harboring the remnants of the astrology sect—a crime punishable by death!

Ning Chen's lips curled into a chilling smile. Without hesitation, he erected the Burning Heaven Formation like a shield, as if declaring to the world that any news about his identity would be blocked by this unbreakable defense.

That magic cone was indeed wondrous, but in his presence it was nothing more than a clay chicken or a tile dog.

To his surprise, the battle between Emperor Wu and the black-robed figure was still raging on. He knew Emperor Wu's strength all too well, and under the pressure of this great formation, he would surely break the shackles of the seal.

However, the black-robed figure was like a ghost, exceptionally troublesome, which made him uneasy. Time was of the essence, and he dared not delay for the slightest. He rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow, shouting, "Immortal Cone, smash this great formation open for me!"

The Immortal Cone hurtled away like a meteor, colliding violently with the great formation.

However, unexpectedly, it suddenly turned like a snake and slammed violently to the other side.

The young man from the Refining Heaven Sect had sharp eyes; he saw through the illusory image of the ancestor in the formation at a glance. If he were to fall for it again, he would be utterly foolish.

"Not good!" Ning Chen thought to himself, his hand gestures changing rapidly like a phantom.

Just as the Celestial Cone turned around, the magic array vanished like a bubble. But for some reason, a powerful resistance suddenly appeared on his body, like an invisible wall, causing him to stop abruptly.

At this critical moment, the Immortal Cone struck the Blazing Flame with the force of a thunderbolt.

With a deafening roar, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had split open, the boundless flames vanished rapidly like a tidal wave, and a huge black hole, like a ferocious beast, emerged on the great formation, baring its fangs and claws.

The boy's face lit up with ecstatic joy, but before he could escape, the figure in black robes appeared before him like a ghost. The figure darted and weaved across the imperial palace like a candle flickering in the wind, desperately dodging the Martial Emperor's attacks. He was filled with fear of the Martial Emperor's true power, while simultaneously watching the battle closely.

He knew that the only way to escape was by relying on the fairy cone. Therefore, at the very moment the fairy cone struck, he rushed towards it like lightning.

"Go first and pray for good fortune."

The man in black chuckled slyly, then plunged into the black hole. By the time the young man tried to escape, Ning Chen's formation had already begun to repair itself.

"Damn it, you damn it, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and kill you."

The cactus spike charged wildly, and the black-robed man was inevitably caught in the shockwaves behind him. Despite swallowing a mouthful of blood, he managed to escape.

Ning Chen and Emperor Wu were both enraged, and attacks rained down. Within the great formation, mysterious symbols from all directions transformed into countless chains, directly locking the Lian Tian Sect youth in mid-air.

"Just now I was stopped by another force, although it was only for a moment, but I am certain that it came from the Imperial Palace. This Imperial Palace is not clean."

Ning Chen explained,

“I understand. I’ll clean things up soon. Take this Lian Tian Sect member back to the Astrological Platform. You must find out why they came to Yong’an.”

As Emperor Wu gave his instructions, his gaze swept over the deep palace, seemingly understanding the source of the obstacle Ning Chen had mentioned. However, he chose not to expose it.

As for the black-robed figure, that was the power of the Sacrificial Clan. Emperor Wu recognized it immediately. He was pleased with the existence of the Sacrificial Clan, which was why he had been playing hide-and-seek, hoping to allow them to escape. He still had a great use for the Sacrificial Clan.

This is why Ning Chen had doubts about why Emperor Wu couldn't get rid of the black-robed man; it was all just Emperor Wu's little scheme.

Ning Chen nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the prodigy of the Refining Heaven Sect vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, he was already on the Astrological Platform.

Ning Chen shook his head and chuckled, unable to help but admire Emperor Wu's cunning. This imperial palace had already tricked many people; many believed it to be a mortal's palace, but in reality, even the Refining Heaven Sect had suffered losses here. This wasn't the first, nor would it be the last.

Ignoring the anger of the genius from the Refining Heaven Sect, Ning Chen thought of the black-robed figure and wondered to himself, "Who is the black-robed figure?"

His gaze pierced through the Heaven-Burning Array and landed above Yong'an.

There, as the Heaven-Burning Array disappeared once more, the flames burning in the sky slowly dissipated, darkness returned, and the figure in black robes was revealed.

He seemed to have lost the pull of the thread, like a withered leaf, helplessly drifting down in the endless darkness.

Despite his difficult struggle to emerge, the black hole created by the immortal cone resembled a ferocious maw, a forbidden zone for mortals. He exhausted all his strength to find a glimmer of hope in the brief moment the black hole closed.

However, at the same time, the severe damage from the backlash of the ritual had overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, leaving him on the verge of unconsciousness. In his last glimpse, he caught a glimpse of a woman's figure, and a surge of resentment welled up within him.

Neither the Refining Heaven Sect nor the Sacrificial Earth Sect could take his life, yet he unexpectedly met his end here.

Xi Zhu had already arrived outside the Burning Heaven Formation. She originally intended to force her way in, but the changes that had occurred inside the Imperial Palace made her feel uneasy.

However, the moment she lifted her foot to take a step, she abruptly pulled it back. The rules stood like an insurmountable mountain before her. Forcing her way through the Burning Heaven Formation was no small feat, and those who could overcome this formation were truly beyond the reach of ordinary mortals.

Once such a person exists in the world, it means that the rules have been completely broken, and the series of chain reactions it triggers will be like a surging wave that will completely engulf her.

Therefore, she stared at the fiery city wall for a long time, as if engaging in a silent confrontation with it.

However, to her utter surprise, before the formation had even dissipated, someone broke through and emerged. This sudden turn of events was like a bolt from the blue, leaving her stunned and speechless.

Without a second thought, she swiftly swept the falling black robe into her arms. Having confirmed that the great formation had begun to withdraw, she knew that everything within the imperial palace had been settled, and the person before her must know the whole story.

Without hesitation, she donned her black robe and sped towards the Prince Kao Shan's mansion like an arrow released from a bow.