After the other Daoists had prepared, Bai Yichen took an extra piece of jade stone from Yungshou Zhenren's hands. Seeing this, Yungshou Zhenren didn't say anything further, as if he had already known about his plan.
Before leaving, Master Guanzhi asked again, "Are you really not going with Junior Brother Guanjian and the others?"
"Uncle, don't worry; I have my plans. Moreover, ancestor hasn't stopped me; you should also take care!"
Bai Yichen said with some ease.
"I didn't expect that Junior Brother Guanyun would pass away, and within half a year, you would... Never mind; fortunes and misfortunes are like twisted strands. I shall take my leave."
Then, the three masters each headed in a direction indicated by Yungshou Zhenren.
The remaining seven Daoists, all at the acquired level, led by Master Guanjian from the Scripture Hall, formed the Seven Stars Celestial Array and gathered together, heading in one direction.
This was the important reliance that Yungshou Zhenren had had these masters prepare and train over the past few days.
The Seven Stars Celestial Array was created by a past master of Xuanzhen Temple, referencing the positions of the Big Dipper, and had been refined over generations by several innate experts.
The Seven Stars are divided into two parts. The "Doubt" section consists of four stars: Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, Tian Ji, and Tian Quan. The "Handle" section consists of three stars: Yu Heng, Kai Yang, and Yao Guang.
Among them, Tian Quan is the dimmest in brightness, yet it is situated at the junction of the handle, making it the most critical, and is held by the strongest martial artist among the seven, Guan Jian.
The essence of this formation lies in its versatility; it can both attack and defend, and can be large or small. In a smaller capacity, it can unite to fend off enemies, while in a larger capacity, it can charge into battle.
When facing enemies, those at the forefront do not need to exert effort in defense; the person beside them will counterattack from the side, as if one person possesses the power of several, resulting in tremendous force.
If caught in the Tian Gang Bei Dou formation, unless one is well-versed in its variations or possesses the strength to overpower the seven, escape is utterly impossible.
If the formation is composed of seven individuals at the perfected Acquired realm, it can even contend with innate masters. Moreover, the Seven Stars Tian Gang formation has been developed into multiple variations, which can also be used for large-scale battle formations.
Initially, when faced with five killers from Heishi at the perfected Acquired realm, it was planned to use smoke and mist to separate the five Heishi killers, and then let the three Duzhu masters each deal with one.
The remaining two would join forces under Bai Yichen and Guan Jian's leadership in the Seven Stars Tian Gang formation to eliminate one, and then deal with the remaining person.
If all went smoothly, perhaps one of the Duzhu masters could join in after defeating their opponent and still have energy to assist.
However, due to Bai Yichen needing to resolve identity issues, he suggested he and Daoist Guan Zhi had a prior appointment, and that together they had a way to eliminate one person.
To get rid of the Heishi Qingzhou branch master An Sha.
Thus, before Guan Jian and others set out, he went ahead outside the formation.
As for Guan Jian and the others relying on the Seven Stars Tian Gang formation to hold off a perfected Acquired individual, that was not an issue.
In fact, if they seized the right opportunity, eliminating evil and upholding justice could be just around the corner.
...
Half a stick of incense ago.
In front of the Xuanzhen Temple, outside the guest room of the scripture-passing hall master.
The night was as dark as ink, and two figures dressed in Heishi night attire moved like ghosts, silently approaching with cat-like stealth.
One of them slowly extended a hand, gently pushing open the wooden door, the movement so delicate as if afraid to disturb a speck of dust. Following that, the two entered in unison.
In an instant, two cold flashes appeared like startled swans.
One sword was thrust straight into an empty couch, vibrating with a buzzing sound.
The other sword, however, ruthlessly pierced through the vital point of the first person.
"You dare betray the organization!" the person in front suddenly turned around, eyes wide open in disbelief.
No words were spoken, only blood splattered.
The second person expressionlessly withdrew the sword, which shimmered ominously in the dim light.
The person in front stared in shock, his eyes filled with deep confusion and endless unwillingness, before collapsing to the ground with a crash.
The second person's face was as somber as water, silently sheathing the sword and stepping out of the guest room.
Looking up, he saw that in the ancient forest of the Xuanzhen Temple's rear courtyard, a mist was rising, like smoke and fog, creating a hazy scene.
It seemed he caught sight of the agreed signal, and with a flicker of his figure, he cleverly avoided a few places where others in night attire were positioned and leaped swiftly towards that direction.
Behind him, a series of alarmed shouts began to sound.
"There's no one; it's all empty!"
"Bad news! It's a trap!"
"Could it be… hurry to find Lord Hei lin!"
Upon hearing these cries, he quickened his pace, instantly disappearing into the night.
...
Relying on the guidance of the jade and his extraordinary perception, Bai Yichen swiftly navigated through the ancient forest.
That extraordinary perception was something he discovered after awakening.
Bai Yichen did not know if it was due to the reincarnation seed from achieving innate perfection in his previous life or an innate talent for martial arts in this life.
However, this indeed allowed him to possess a perception close to that of an innate individual even at the Acquired realm.
With the jade and his own sensory abilities, Bai Yichen had long sensed there were people ahead, and his path was clear and unobstructed.
After a while, he found himself standing at the entrance of the blue stone path that Daoist Guan Xu had led him through that day.
A gust of wind blew past.
Suddenly, a figure dressed in Heishi night attire appeared before Bai Yichen.
The person removed his mask, revealing a familiar face— it was Daoist Guan Zhi.
Bai Yichen immediately asked, "How did you handle the matter mentioned in the letter, Daoist?"
"I have prepared the medicinal powder according to the recipe you gave me, and then, at the right moment, I applied it to An Sha's night attire."
"We need to hurry; the incident of the accompanying Heishi killer being killed can't be hidden for long."
Bai Yichen nodded in agreement and handed another piece of jade to Daoist Guan Zhi, explaining its origin.
After that, Daoist Guan Zhi followed Bai Yichen as they headed towards a certain direction in the ancient forest.
At this moment, although there was still mist swirling around and fine rain falling in the ancient forest, sounds of fighting could be heard, indicating that several individuals had encountered each other and were in the midst of a clash.
However, the two of them had already established their goal for this journey and naturally avoided each confrontation without wavering.
Suddenly, Bai Yichen stopped behind an ancient tree, and Daoist Guan Zhi followed suit.
With the help of the jade, they were able to see that the person ahead was indeed the Heishi branch master An Sha.
At this moment, he was surprisingly calm, choosing to wait in place, as if he had already passed through the initial chaos.
Seeing this, Bai Yichen frowned slightly; it was a bit late. It would have been best to take action while the other was still in a state of panic.
Fortunately, he was well-prepared.
Daoist Guan Zhi took off his night attire and mask, handing them to Bai Yichen.
After a while, a man of regular build dressed in Heishi night attire reappeared, walking toward An Sha.
Daoist Guan Zhi anxiously stared at Bai Yichen's back, one hand resting on his sword, ready to act at any moment.
Bai Yichen appeared flustered, his steps unsteady, rushing in with an air of urgency.
Upon seeing An Sha, his face was filled with fear and eagerness, like a drowning man who had spotted a life-saving straw, and he shouted loudly.