Just as Diwu Fusheng was about to speak, he saw Nalan Yiren leap off the city wall at the South Gate. Her bamboo hat had fallen off somewhere, and her long black hair danced wildly in the stormy wind.

In a few swift movements, Nalan Yiren landed in front of Chen Mo.

"Miss Nalan, where did you go?" Chen Mo asked in confusion, thinking she had already slipped away earlier.

"I got lost," Nalan Yiren replied calmly.

But in truth, she herself didn't quite understand why. Halfway through her retreat, she suddenly felt her actions weren't right and decided to return, only to find that Chen Mo had already left.

Chen Mo didn't dwell on it and said, "Miss Nalan, I didn't do anything to you earlier. Asking you to release your Innate Spiritual Qi was just to prove something. The Spiritual Qi being drawn away should be caused by the Soul Devouring Array, and now that we're outside the city, that feeling is gone immediately."

Nalan Yiren nodded, her face expressionless.

Chen Mo didn't have time to worry about her, saying, "Since you're fine, Miss Nalan, wait here outside the city."

"You're going back in?" Nalan Yiren frowned.

Chen Mo nodded: "Since it's the Soul Devouring Array, I can't simply let Lu Sheng break through so easily. Otherwise, everything will be for naught."

Chen Mo dashed towards the city.

"But the Soul Devouring Array will absorb your Innate Spiritual Qi, leading to you becoming weaker and Lu Sheng stronger. No matter how strong you are, you're still just at the Divine Power Realm. You can't be his opponent," Nalan Yiren shouted inexplicably.

Chen Mo ignored her; he still had something to prove.

He didn't activate his Cultivation Technique and entered the city, discovering that his Innate Spiritual Qi was no longer forcibly drawn out.

He then activated his Cultivation Technique, releasing Innate Spiritual Qi, and instantly, an invisible force invaded his body, slowly drawing Qi from his Dantian.

But since this was at the edge of the Array, the loss of Innate Spiritual Qi wasn't as rapid as on Vermilion Bird Street.

Chen Mo quickly retreated from the city, stopped activating his Cultivation Technique, and entered the city gate again, finding that the invisible force had disappeared again.

He understood something and exited the city.

Diwu Fusheng and the others were puzzled to see Chen Mo entering and exiting repeatedly.

Nalan Yiren, however, somehow exhaled in relief.

But at this moment, Chen Mo said, "I understand now. As long as you don't activate your Cultivation Technique to release Innate Spiritual Qi while in the city, the Soul Devouring Array won't draw your Innate Spiritual Qi."

Saying this, Chen Mo looked at Diwu Fusheng and Sun Meng, giving instructions: "Diwu Fusheng, Jiang Li, follow me into the city immediately, and remember not to activate your Cultivation Techniques. Sun Meng, Liu Ji, stay outside the city and guard the rear. If General Yue and General Wu arrive, promptly inform them of what I've discovered."

After speaking, Chen Mo didn't hesitate any longer and dashed into the city.

Diwu Fusheng and Jiang Li followed closely behind, obeying Chen Mo's words, and didn't activate their Cultivation Techniques.

Watching Chen Mo's departing figure, Nalan Yiren opened her mouth, yet still said nothing.

Less than a quarter of an hour after Chen Mo left, Yue Ruyan and Wu Yanqing arrived, already guessing that the changes in the city were due to the Soul Devouring Array.

Yue Ruyan immediately inquired about Chen Mo's situation.

Sun Meng relayed everything he knew and what Chen Mo informed him to Yue Ruyan.

Without a second thought, Yue Ruyan lifted her Broadsword and quickly rushed into the city.

Wu Yanqing gritted his teeth and entered the city again.

"A bunch of lunatics..."

Nalan Yiren coldly whispered, discarded her raincoat, and entered the city as well.

"Miss Nalan..."

Sun Meng wanted to stop her, as the Marquis had told her to stay outside the city, but just as he raised his hand, Nalan Yiren vanished.

...

On Vermilion Bird Street.

Although Chen Mo had left, the Chen Army wasn't in disarray. With morale at an absolute high, even under Xia Zhining's command, the Chen Army swiftly fought their way through Vermilion Bird Street.

Moreover, having been with the army for such a long time, Xia Zhining had grown significantly and no longer lingered on theoretical strategy.

The street was full of corpses, layered upon each other. Even with the continuous rain, it couldn't wash away the blood.

The Lu Army, though retreating step by step, had almost no courage left. But with the Supervision Team's presence, they barely held together.

At this moment, a sharp cry suddenly resounded from within the Chen Army's ranks, as a dark figure appeared above them, wielding a Tang Blade like a Hell Asura, diving into the Lu Army.

The Chen Army soldiers in front suddenly found their field of vision opening up. At the moment the dark figure landed, several were slain, and the enemy's Iron Shields seemed to be as fragile as paper before the blade of the shadow.

Chen Mo, his body covered in blood, wielding a nearly half-zhang-long Tang Blade, long hair flowing, exuded a chilling presence.

"Duke An..." the Chen Army soldiers exclaimed.

Even Xia Zhining, who was directing from behind, was startled when she saw Jiang Li had returned, and Diwu Fusheng had arrived too.

"Where are the Xianzhen Guard, Fish Scale Guard, Personal Guard Battalion, and Vine Armor Army?"

"Present."

As Chen Mo's voice fell, the Chen Army soldiers shouted in unison.

"Follow me to kill!" Chen Mo charged into the Lu Army like a fierce tiger.

The Lu Army, barely held together by the Supervision Team, was thrown into disarray by Chen Mo's charge, and they were slashed down like vegetables by the Chen Army.

Under such a fearsome force, the Lu Army dared not resist any longer, scattering like birds and beasts.

Chen Mo captured an enemy general, asking where Lu Sheng was.

But the other side claimed not to know.

Seeing him trembling like this, Chen Mo figured he probably didn't know.

Fearing Chen Mo would kill him, the enemy confessed his speculation, suggesting Lu Sheng might be at the Prime Minister's Mansion and pointed out its direction.