In the palace.

A man and a woman sat on a wall, a massive horde of Blood Demons gathered below them.

And every one of them was Tier Three or higher.

"Fifth Elder, Sixth Elder, the Holy Land has broken in," a Blood Demon reported to the man and woman.

The man laughed. "Isn’t it perfectly normal for them to break in? From the day the news leaked, it was only a matter of time. I’ve been waiting for quite a while."

"Pass down my orders. Modify the permissions for the Blood Demon Grand Array. Let everyone Tier Three and above pass through. Trap all the Low Tier ones outside and let them play among themselves."

"Yes, sir."

"Wait," the woman ordered. "I recall the Holy Land Saintess came as well. Have the Centurions bring her in. I’ve already given them the plan. I want to personally ’educate’ that Saintess."

"Does she think she’s so special just because she’s pretty?"

"Yes, ma’am."

After the subordinate left, the Fifth Elder stood up and looked at the palace. "I never would have thought a place this good existed here. What’s even more unexpected is that the Holy Land actually came back."

"I was already prepared for failure. Oh, right, but the thing that truly surprised me was that a traitor really did appear among us. The heavens are truly on my side."

"I’d love to thank the person who helped us leak the news in person."

The Sixth Elder smiled. "And how do you plan to thank them?"

"By sending them to their grave, of course. After all, they helped us out so much. Hahaha."

******

Meanwhile, Jiang Zuo was still walking through the second layer. He had been walking for a long time, modifying many things and leaving countless contingencies in his wake.

If not for his insufficient Spiritual Qi, he could have left even more.

Even so, the parts of the second layer he had traversed were now practically his domain.

BOOM!!!

The sound of a massive explosion reached Jiang Zuo’s ears.

Jiang Zuo was surprised. ’What’s happening? Did the Holy Land break in?’

Then, his expression relaxed. ’It’s normal for them to break in. After all, attacking on a set schedule would just give the enemy time to prepare. Still, it would have been better if they’d waited another two days.’

’Unfortunately, the Holy Land couldn’t wait.’

The fifteen-day deadline was looming over them; they truly didn’t dare to delay.

It was only now that Jiang Zuo realized the Holy Land had been deceived. In fact, everyone had been deceived, even the ordinary Blood Demons.

The whole "half a month" and "attacking the Holy Land" story—it was all fake.

The arrangements here had been completed from the very beginning. As for the attack? If no one had come in, they would have never launched an attack. At most, this place would have simply become a permanent garrison for the Blood Demons.

’Thinking about it that way, it wasn’t wrong for the Holy Land to attack,’ he thought.

Without dwelling on it, Jiang Zuo continued forward. After a long while, he saw the entrance to the third layer.

This passage was a bit special; it was a staircase of Restrictions.

It looked similar to the one leading from the first layer to the second, but in reality, it was completely different.

’It seems the Blood Demons have never been to the third layer. There are no signs of this Restriction being stepped on. Or perhaps they took a different route.’

Shaking his head, Jiang Zuo walked up to the third layer normally. To him, the Restrictions might as well not have been there.

The moment Jiang Zuo arrived on the third layer, he was suddenly dazed. His spirit had become unstable for an instant.

If not for his absolutely unshakeable will, he might have lost himself in that brief moment.

This place was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

Although it wasn’t a physical attack, it was more terrifying than one.

He suddenly realized that the first, second, and third layers all launched assaults on the mind—or rather, on the spirit.

When Jiang Zuo came to his senses, he was stunned once again. Before him stood a mighty army, with every soldier radiating a powerful aura.

Each person’s aura was steeped in boundless Evil Qi. They were truly warriors who had carved their way out of armies a thousand strong—every single one of them.

Jiang Zuo believed this single troop could crush all the current Sects combined.

However, these people were all stone statues.

Jiang Zuo frowned. ’Who are these people? Why have I never heard of them? And why have I never seen them in any records?’

If these people were still alive, they could have actually tried to take on his former self. Although they’d have little hope of success, they could have at least stirred up some trouble.

Then, Jiang Zuo looked toward the spot these soldiers were gazing at. It was a throne, but it was empty.

It was as if they were all waiting in anticipation for the return of the throne’s master.

A wait that had lasted for countless years.

******

Outside the Blood Demon Grand Array, everyone below Tier Three was trapped. Whether they were Blood Demons, people from the Holy Land, or those who had accepted commissions, they could only operate in this area.

For those who had accepted commissions, operating here was enough. Going any further would be dangerous. After all, with the Blood Demon Grand Array in the way, getting in was hard, but getting out was even harder.

But Jingyue didn’t think so. She was the Saintess. How could she be forced to linger outside?

Jingyue currently had the appearance of the Saintess. An ethereal aura emanated from her, giving her a holy air.

In her Saintess mode, she, a Tier Two, wouldn’t necessarily lose to a lower-level Tier Three. That was why she had to get inside.

Moreover, as the Saintess, she possessed special support abilities. There was no way she would be a burden if she went in.

But the main point was, she couldn’t get in.

"Saintess, you can’t go in. It’s too dangerous! Martial Uncle said you are not to act rashly," a fair-skinned young man beside Jingyue said with concern.

He knew what the Saintess was thinking, but he was terrified that she had such an idea.

Jingyue said, "This doesn’t concern you."

Here, amid the flashing blades and endless barrage of dazzling techniques, Jingyue couldn’t find any peace, especially since that feeling was growing stronger and stronger.

She needed to prove her worth in a short amount of time.

Just then, a man fending off Blood Demon attacks made his way over to Jingyue.

But as soon as he arrived, he was blocked by the fair-skinned young man. The newcomer immediately said, "Fellow Daoist, Fairy, don’t attack! I’m on your side. I’m here to offer you a way in. I just obtained some information about the Array. There’s a chance it could get you inside, but it’s only a chance because I don’t know if the information is genuine."

Jingyue looked at him coldly and asked, "How much?"

"Five Fifth-Grade Spirit Stones."

Jingyue’s brows furrowed. ’That’s outrageously expensive.’

The man beside her also said, "You dare sell it for such a high price when you don’t even know if it’s real?"

"I am Bai Zhang, and I have always staked my reputation on my word. If I could confirm it was real, the price wouldn’t be five Fifth-Grade Spirit Stones. It would be five Sixth-Grade Spirit Stones."

"So, does the Saintess want it?"

Bai Zhang. She had indeed heard of him. He was quite famous—famous for being an unscrupulous merchant.

"Fine, I’ll buy it."

As Jingyue and Bai Zhang were making their transaction, Liuyue Xue and Liu Yiyi saw them from a distance.

Liu Yiyi immediately said, "Isn’t that the Saintess? Look at the man next to her. Doesn’t his profile look like the spy Fellow Daoist Po Xiao warned us about?"

Liuyue Xue nodded. It was indeed a close resemblance.

Liu Yiyi said, "Come on, we have to get over there quickly. He’s definitely up to something."

With that, Liuyue Xue and Liu Yiyi hurried over.

However, a constant stream of Blood Demons blocked their path.

Liu Yiyi cursed, "Of all the times for Chi Xue Child and Demon Cultivator Mo Yan to be absent! This wouldn’t be so troublesome otherwise. Demon Cultivator Mo Yan’s Nightmare Specialization is incredible for sending messages, and Chi Xue Child is amazing at cutting people down with his Red Sword. Plus, his own damage output is insane."

"Right, where’s your Heaven-Breaking Spear? Take it out!"