The rain continued to pour down, drenching the ground and the fortress.
The teleportation array was in the open, so the rain quickly washed away the blood on the ground.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Wang Chen's smoky clone was quickly repairing the array formation and changing the destination.
After all, this place had been occupied by the Holy Wave Tribe's Blackguard who had infiltrated Fenghai County. Even if the teleportation array was repaired, it was difficult to ensure the safety of the planned destination.
Therefore, the safer method was to change the destination of the teleportation array.
During the repair process, Kong Xianglong also looked up at the border of the Holy Wave Tribe with a gloomy expression.
"It doesn't seem like this place was specially set up for me. They can't know my whereabouts, and if they were targeting me, they wouldn't have so few people."
"Alright."
"So it's more like they're stopping anyone from approaching the border. There should be more than one problem with the teleportation array fortress."
Xu Qing said in a low voice.
"The Holy Wave Tribe should be searching for the person we need in the area ahead."
Shan Hezi walked over and said slowly.
"Could it be that our route is real?"
Night Spirit said in surprise, then instinctively looked around. According to their previous analysis, the real route was likely to be secretly followed by experts.
"Not necessarily. The Holy Wave Tribe's behavior has also exposed that they still haven't grasped the real route of our spy. Therefore, they should be searching the border areas of many states."
"Alright."
Kong Xianglong's eyes lit up.
Xu Qing nodded secretly.
For this mission, everyone knew that there was a high probability that the person they were receiving was fake. The return of the spy in the Holy Wave Tribe must be similar to nine fakes and one real one.
This made it difficult for the Holy Wave Tribe to accurately target and kill him. Naturally, there were also spies in Fenghai County. Therefore, the movements of the Sword Holding Palace could also represent the exact route of the spy to a certain extent.
This was also the reason why the Field Office had scattered many teams.
Xu Qing even felt that it was possible that all the apparent rescue teams were a smokescreen to confuse the Holy Wave Tribe. Perhaps there were still secret teams on the move.
It was also possible that the spy who had returned from the Holy Wave Tribe didn't need any help.
This was a game between both sides.
However, through this matter, Xu Qing once again felt the decline of the human race.
For example, although there were restrictions on Nascent Soul cultivators at the border, the fact that so many Holy Wave Tribe cultivators below the Nascent Soul realm could come was enough to show that the defense line of Fenghai County was fragile.
Everyone understood this logic and fell silent.
Not long after, the teleportation formation was repaired amid a series of thunderous booms.
It didn't matter whether the reception this time was real or fake, they had already decided to continue moving forward. They quickly stepped into the Teleportation Portal, and as the light from the portal shone, they disappeared in the rain.
When he appeared, he was already at the border of Linlan State, in a hidden valley.
"Everyone, stay alert. There should be quite a number of Holy Wave Tribe infiltrators here. I'll check the hiding place of the spy we're supposed to meet. I hope he's still alive."
"
Kong Xianglong said in a low voice as he pulled out a Feng Shui compass.
There was a series of secret communication methods between sword wielders, and the methods used for each mission were different. Only the person in charge of the mission knew about it.
For example, this compass was equipped for this mission. It was a special artifact that would guide the location of the spy that was to be received.
Their mission was to use the compass to find the other party and help them leave.
Xu Qing understood these things. The Sword Holding Palace had spread and imparted these secret teachings.
In front of everyone, Kong Xianglong made a hand seal and pointed at the compass. Immediately, the needle on the compass spun rapidly. It wasn't just pointing in a direction, but an image appeared as it spun.
There was a red dot in the image. It was some distance away and was flickering faintly.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they saw the flickering red dot.
This meant that the other party was still alive.
Kong Xianglong also perked up and began to make arrangements for everyone.
They couldn't be reckless when it came to receiving the spy. If they went over directly, it was very likely that the other party's location would be exposed.
Therefore, the first thing to do was to lure the Holy Wave Tribe away. At the same time, they would carry out a purge and receive the spy. These three steps had to be carried out together.
Xu Qing had to do his best to purge this area. Night Spirit was cooperating with him.
As for attracting the Holy Wave Tribe, it was Shan Hezi, Wang Chen, and the others.
Kong Xianglong would be responsible for receiving the spy alone.
Xu Qing nodded when he heard Kong Xianglong's arrangements. What they did was very normal and expected. Therefore, they quickly split into three groups and acted separately.
Xu Qing's body merged into the night and he began to search for the Holy Wave Tribe around.
Night Spirit did the same. Their team of Sword Wielders from the Field Office also spread out.
Time passed. An hour later, rumbling sounds reverberated in the air. Sorcery fluctuations came from afar.
Xu Qing looked up and saw Shan Hezi and Wang Chen. They were in charge of attracting the Holy Wave Tribe's attention.
But soon, Xu Qing frowned.
As he moved forward, he didn't find any traces of the Holy Wave Tribe in this area. It was as if the other party didn't exist. This didn't match their previous judgment that the other party was searching for spies.
"Something's not right!"
Xu Qing was even more vigilant.
There were others who also realized that something was wrong.
Shan Hezi and Wang Chen's actions didn't attract any Holy Wave Tribe members.
This strange scene made everyone's heart sink.
Soon after, a signal light formed by a Sorcery shot into the sky and shone in the sky. This was the signal for an emergency gathering.
Xu Qing's heart sank when he saw the signal. He knew that something was wrong.
This was because the signal came from where Kong Xianglong went to receive the spy.
If everything went according to plan, Kong Xianglong couldn't have released the signal there. He should have led his people far away before informing everyone.
Xu Qing immediately changed direction and went straight to where the signal came from. After five minutes, he finally arrived and saw Kong Xianglong, Shan Hezi, and the others from afar.
This was a plain, and a few hundred meters in front of them, there was a person on the verge of death lying on the ground.
This person was a teenager of fifteen or sixteen years old. His entire body was covered in blood and countless wounds. Most of them were so deep that his bones could be seen.
If one took a closer look, one could even see that other than the normal skin on his face, the other parts of his body had been skinned alive!
Clearly, he had suffered unimaginable torture and pain.
More than half of his bones were broken, and all his Dharma acupoints had collapsed.
From the point of collapse, it could be seen that this girl was a prodigy with 120 Dharma acupoints.
Now, one of his eyes was blind. His eyeball had been dug out and placed in his mouth. His two ears had also disappeared.
His body had even been poisoned and was rotting.
He couldn't live. He was only left with one breath.
It was a ghastly sight.
Xu Qing's expression was solemn, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. As he walked over quickly, he noticed that there was an array formation set up on the ground a thousand feet around the teenager.
He didn't understand array formations, but he could feel the shocking killing intent here. This array formation was extraordinary and belonged to the category of ultimate killing array.
That teenager was placed in the center of this ultimate killing array.
"This girl isn't the spy we're supposed to meet, but she should be related. When I came here, she was like this. There's also this jade slip left behind by the Holy Billow Tribe.
"
Kong Xianglong's eyes were red. He gritted his teeth and growled, opening a jade slip he found here.
Immediately, a calm voice came from the jade slip, echoing in the surroundings.
"Hello, Sword Wielders."
"
"It's a pity that I can't meet you, but the Blackguard has left a small gift for you Sword Wielders. I hope you like it and appreciate it."
"
The voice was cold and cruel. In the end, it even smiled.
This was a voice recording.
Shan Hezi, Wang Chen, and Night Spirit, who had also rushed over at this moment,
And the other Sword Wielders looked at all of this and listened to the voice recording in the jade slip. Their expressions were filled with anger.
The matter was very clear. There was no need to think too much. Everyone understood everything.
The Holy Billow Tribe had used the matter of the fortress to delay their rescue. At the same time, they had found the target that the Sword Wielders were supposed to meet.
However, it was obvious that this target wasn't the real spy. Therefore, they used cruel torture to torture him until he was on his last breath. Then, they set up this ultimate killing array and left.
The goal of the Holy Billow Tribe's Blackguard was to let the Sword Wielders witness the death of the mission target.
Once this array formation was stepped into, it would be activated. The person inside would die, and so would the person who stepped in. It was very likely that the activation method wasn't limited to just stepping in. There were other unknown actions that could cause the array formation to activate.
Moreover, even if the array formation didn't activate, the teenager inside was already dead. He was on his last breath and could die at any time.
This was the viciousness of the Holy Billow Tribe.
Everyone fell silent.
At this moment, Wang Chen, who was skilled in array formations, squatted down. After sensing the array formation, he bitterly looked up at Kong Xianglong and said softly.
"This is the Spirit Heart Ultimate Killing Array unique to the Holy Billow Tribe's Blackguard. It is said that this array is passed down from the Blacksky Tribe. It uses a person as the core of the array formation. That teenager has completely fused with this array formation. Any method of entry will be activated. It is useless even if one controls it strangely.
It is still being studied by the County Minister, but unfortunately, there are no results.
"
"It is a one-time activation. There is no solution. Furthermore, that teenager … is already on his last breath."
"
Kong Xianglong's eyes turned even redder and his breathing quickened.
Xu Qing looked at the unconscious teenager in the array formation and silently walked to the edge of the array formation. He didn't know if his shadow could do it, so he spoke softly.
"I can try, but I'm not sure if it will succeed …"
Kong Xianglong clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Just as he was about to speak, the teenager's eyelids trembled and he weakly opened his eyes.
His eyes were still filled with pain as he looked blankly at Xu Qing and company.
"You … are the Sword Wielders?"
The teenager's voice was extremely weak as he softly muttered with a hint of distrust.
Everyone looked over.
Xu Qing took out his command sword. Kong Xianglong and the others also took out their command swords. As their command swords began to shine, a faint light appeared in the dim eyes of the youth lying there on the verge of death.
"The imprint my father left on my soul allows me to sense that you are the Sword Wielders …"
"I'm sorry for letting you see me like this."
The teenager seemed to care a lot about being the Sword Wielders. He tried his best to make himself look more presentable, but he couldn't do it.
"My father is a human and my mother is from the Holy Billow Tribe … I am not the Sword Wielder."
"
"But I know your Treasure Concealment Mystic Technique. My father taught me."
"
"I didn't tell the Holy Billow Tribe's Blackguard. No matter how they interrogated me, I didn't say a word!"
The teenager seemed to have a final burst of energy as his voice regained some strength.
He tried his best to smile, but the pain made his smile lose its beauty.
"My father asked me to bring something here and hand it to the Sword Wielders. He told me that this item will not be destroyed. After I die, you can take it away."
"
"I have completed my mission."
"
The teenager was still trying his best to smile, as if this was his last shred of dignity. The completion of the mission finally made him look satisfied. However, the severity of his injuries made his smile slowly fade and his aura become weaker.
The pain in his body also made his voice tremble.
"My father is the Sword Wielder. He has always been proud of being a Sword Wielder. I also want to be a Sword Wielder, but I am not a human. He said that as long as I complete this mission, I can stay in Good Sea Sealing County and become a Sword Wielder!"
""
These words caused Xu Qing to be moved.
Kong Xianglong and the others also felt their hearts tremble.
"It's like … I want to become a Sword Wielder like my father …"
The teenager murmured. He didn't seem to have much strength to keep his eyes open and gradually closed them. Before he closed them, he tried his best to form hand seals and open his Treasure Concealment Space.
A package
Then, he appeared beside him.
This scene caused indescribable emotions to rise in everyone's hearts. Overwhelming emotions filled their bodies and minds. It was very, very heavy.
"You are a Sword Wielder!"
Kong Xianglong looked at the teenager and said loudly as he raised the token sword in his hand.
"I am willing to become a Sword Wielder. I can finally fulfill my duty and not be afraid of sacrifice."
""
Kong Xianglong shouted the Sword Wielder's Oath. Everyone around him also shouted at the same time. Xu Qing also did the same. His heart was set off strong waves.
The teenager's body trembled. His eyes that were about to close suddenly opened. He looked at everyone and murmured the same words.
"I am willing to become a Sword Wielder. I will never betray the human race and will always be ready to fight."
""
"I am willing to become a Sword Wielder. I will fight for the human race and protect the human race."
""
"I am willing to become a Sword Wielder. I will cut down the fate of dawn and shine the light of heaven and earth."
""
The teenager's voice merged with the voices of the crowd.
The next moment, his eyes closed. The satisfied smile on his face became eternal until an earth-shattering roar erupted from the formation.
He was dead. The formation rose.
A violent wind swept in all directions, lifting everyone's clothes and hair. After a long time … as the storm dissipated, the teenager's body disappeared without a trace.
Only a box appeared at the place where he died.
It was a wish box.
A wish box that had been opened.
That was the information he sent back with his life.