Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 1016 - 631: City Defense Formation

Chapter 1016: Chapter 631: City Defense Formation

Xu Yuan was telling the truth.

If his deductions were correct, this time the sects’ scheme against the Western Desert likely involved assembling six Saints.

The Ancient Abyss Emperor Bai, the Jiantian Pavilion Master, the Saint from the Qin Family, and that deranged family of three led by Mu Xingyi.

The first three could be considered the pinnacle of the world, especially Emperor Bai and the Jiantian Pavilion Master, while the latter three were probably not even as strong as the Barbarian King who had just become a Saint.

As one of Dayan’s most crucial border strongholds, Zhenxi Prefecture City’s array formations were almost on par with those of Northern Border City. Adding the two Zhenxi Army divisions in the city that formed a military array, the situation wouldn’t have been this precarious.

Zhenxi Prefecture City’s original defensive strength, combined with the Prime Minister Mansion’s Saint and the Qilin Wolf he had brought in, still made the disparity in combat power significant, but at least they had the capital to put up a fight.

After all, the opposing six Saints were unlikely to fight to the death without retreating.

Faced with an unfavorable situation, they’d probably retreat immediately.

They weren’t expendable soldiers, and there wasn’t a supervisory team behind them daring to force their hand to fight for their lives.

Therefore, the first step to sabotaging the sects’ scheme was to gain full control of Zhenxi Prefecture City’s array formations.

To ensure this, Xu Yuan had considered many potential variables.

For instance, leveraging the hidden properties of the Soul-avoiding Clothes, he warned the traitor Mu Qing that, during these tumultuous times, he might be lurking in the shadows watching him at any moment, preventing him from making reckless moves.

For instance, to guard against the possibility that Qin Weishu’s shadow stand-in might have been feigning allegiance from the very start, Xu Yuan stationed Huang Shiwei at his side.

For instance, to counter the contingency of the Zhenxi Army Commander Zhan Xian’an uncovering the shadow’s identity and setting a trap to draw them out, Xu Yuan had been ready to activate the Realm Empty Ring at his fingertips the moment he stepped into Zhenxi’s government office.

However, everything that transpired after entering the office went so smoothly that it caught Xu Yuan off guard.

After announcing themselves at the entrance, an officer clad in a Qu Chang’s armor led them directly from the gate to the secret room where the shadow and Huang Shiwei were.

Neither he nor Li Junwu underwent any form of vetting.

Nor did they see the Zhenxi Army Commander named Zhan.

The ease of the process made Xu Yuan instinctively suspect it was a trap, but fortunately, that concern dissipated as the shadow brought the two of them to the central nexus of the City Defense Array, deep beneath the ground.

It was a massive underground cavern.

Intricate formation patterns were carved into every corner of the cavern, and the faintly glowing light they emitted illuminated the seven prismatic gemstones floating mid-air.

Seven Luminaries Xuanjia Formation.

Staring at the massive formation nexus before him, Xu Yuan unconsciously opened his mouth.

Suddenly, he was struck by an absurd feeling—like being in a master-level ranked match, where he had anticipated countless counter-strategies from his opponent, only to find out that the opponent was a clueless noob.

In that moment, Xu Yuan felt an uncontrollable urge to laugh.

He didn’t particularly believe in the idea that "amateurs build the stage," but now it seemed that this theory did have some merit.

For someone like Zhan Xian’an to reach his current position, to earn the Marquis of Zhenxi’s trust as a spy, he must possess extraordinary qualities.

And yet, such a person had so easily left his side’s Achilles’ heel exposed to their enemy?

But after a brief moment of thought, Xu Yuan quickly pieced together a plausible guess about Zhan Xian’an’s motives.

If he were to think about it from another perspective, imagine there was someone who looked exactly like him, acted exactly like him, and could reveal secrets only he would know, using a calculated plan to deceive high-ranking figures like Zhou Chen and Huang Shiwei. What were the chances of this person succeeding?

Three.

Two.

One.

The answer would be nearly one hundred percent.

Zhou Chen’s toadying personality notwithstanding, even when he met Huang Shiwei—a veteran intelligence figure—he hadn’t produced an identity token.

Meat eaters, even if they weren’t utterly contemptible, would inevitably be influenced by their human flaws.

Fawning over those in higher ranks.

As he ruminated, Xu Yuan silently sighed in his heart, his voice softly reverberating in the minds of the three present:

"The world truly is a two-bit stage; we actually managed to get in this easily?"

"...."

Li Junwu furrowed her brows, staring at the seven dazzling prismatic gemstones as if deliberating about something but didn’t respond.

The shadow maintained a calm and faint smile, looking wholly unbothered, a perfect mimicry of Qin Weishu himself.

Huang Shiwei, closely following the shadow, remained vigilant of his every move, ready to take his life at any moment. Upon hearing the remark, he quietly transmitted his voice in warning:

"Third Young Master, now isn’t the time to dwell on this. Since we’ve entered the nexus, the Princess should test the array as soon as possible."

Xu Yuan glanced at him, nodded lightly, and smiled:

"Mr. Huang is right, but next time we meet, be sure to make me show my identity token first."

The dim light cast across Huang Shiwei’s face showed a slight change in his expression. He nodded solemnly.

Xu Yuan patted Li Junwu beside him and said in a low voice via sound transmission:

"Brother, it’s your turn. Let’s not waste any time."

Li Junwu turned back, pursed her lips, and murmured in a voice barely audible:

"Right now... you want me to cover those gemstones with blood?"

"......"

What do you mean, blood-binding like a spiritual weapon?

Xu Yuan was at a loss for words. Just as he was about to explain, Li Junwu began mumbling to herself in a tone of self-reproach:

"This lady understands that formations are crucial for a commander. Still, you’re partly to blame. If you hadn’t dragged me out drinking and partying all the time back then, this lady wouldn’t be so clueless now. One must know shame before courage. It’s true I’m not as capable as Li Qingyan right now, but I’ll study this stuff in the future..."

"...."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan briefly hesitated, wondering if he’d been too harsh in his earlier criticisms. But then again, he hadn’t expected his dear brother-in-arms to be so sensitive inside. After a moment of quiet, he softly said:

"I also don’t know much about formations; it was my fourth sister who taught me a bit about them."

"Huh? Don’t you have a rocky relationship with that foster sister of yours?" Li Junwu asked instinctively.

"Tsk." Xu Yuan’s forehead throbbed with annoyance.

Seeing this, Li Junwu quickly fell silent, waved her hand dismissively, and whispered:

"Alright, alright. So what should I do now?"

Xu Yuan pointed to the circular formation patterns below the seven prismatic gemstones and said quietly:

"Stand in the middle, activate the military formation technique you’ve been cultivating, and see if it resonates. That’s how Li Qingyan controlled the Northern Border formation back then."

"No blood needed?"

"Do you think this is spiritual weapon binding?"

"Oh..."

Li Junwu pouted, then leapt into the circular formation patterns. Hesitantly, she asked:

"Changtian, my cultivation is based on the Military Array Origin Method. If I activate it, I might be sensed by the soldiers outside, including Zhan Xian’an."

Xu Yuan snapped his fingers, and a surge of black mist enveloped the entire cavern:

"Not anymore."

Li Junwu glanced at the eerie black mist surrounding them, which neutralized will-spirit detection. Smiling, she jokingly rolled her eyes at him:

"Always showing off."

Xu Yuan shrugged. Feeling the Origin Qi fluctuations around her, he cautioned via transmission:

"By the way, most City Defense Arrays come with a Sky Peering Formation. Think of it as a high-altitude view that lets you overlook the entire town. If activating your technique triggers this perspective, it means you can control the great formation."

Li Junwu hesitated upon hearing this:

"And if it doesn’t work?"

Xu Yuan smiled faintly, glancing at the shadow by his side. He spoke softly, laughing:

"No big deal. It’d just get slightly troublesome. Once Tian Ye returns with the Qilin Wolf, we’ll use the shadow as bait, kill him, and seize the control token from his hands."

After this,

Li Junwu nodded slightly, sat cross-legged, and slowly closed her eyes.

Time ticked away,

After roughly one incense stick’s worth, the Seven Luminaries Xuanjia Formation inside the cavern abruptly emitted a flicker.

Suddenly, Xu Yuan felt an immense pressure locking onto him. At the same time, Li Junwu, at the center of the formation, opened her eyes with a radiant smile.

She looked at him, then at her own palms, and spoke in a low voice:

"Changtian, I... I think I’ve succeeded."

Xu Yuan approached her slowly, smiling as he transmitted his voice:

"Well, congratulations. Your old man has committed treason, too. I suppose our two families are accomplices now."

Li Junwu looked dazed.

Xu Yuan quirked an eyebrow and said with a strange tone:

"Don’t you know that altering the fundamental logic of a City Defense Array is punishable by the extermination of one’s entire clan?"

Li Junwu rolled her eyes at him and said:

"Of course I know that. What do you mean by us being accomplices?"

Xu Yuan smiled faintly but didn’t reply.

Li Junwu seemed to realize something. Her pupils contracted slightly, and she stammered via sound transmission:

"Xu Changtian, don’t tell me your father has also tampered with the array in Di’an City..."

"Shh, you can’t go around saying things like that."

"Smack!"

Li Junwu slapped away his hand, glaring at him:

"Disgusting! Don’t press your fingers against my lips."

Xu Yuan didn’t mind. With a chuckle, he suggested:

"Alright, the situation’s resolved. Do we wait for Tian Ye to return, or should we go to the eastern part of the city to celebrate?"

"What? Can you at least show some urgency?"

"I’d love to feel urgent, but the next step has to wait until Tian Ye returns."

"For what?"

"Naturally, to report that you’ve returned to the Prefecture City, take control of all troops in the city, and initiate a full lockdown to prepare for battle."