Vilitan raised his scepter and softly uttered the word "fool," instantly stripping all the psychics present of their abilities.
Xu Mu took half a step back, his gaze no longer fixed on the battle below.
He knew that "fool" was the term for the lowest rank in the Western European continent's power structure, even lower than the Awakened realm in East Asia, equivalent to an ordinary person with no abilities.
Since Vilitan's ability was named after "fool," its purpose was likely to temporarily revert others' realms to the fool stage, thereby preventing them from using their psychic powers.
Gray-White Pupil suddenly recalled that this move had been used against him once before, when they encountered each other in the core region.
However, it hadn't worked.
Therefore, at the time, he had dismissed it as a trivial, insignificant spell. But looking at it now, its effect seemed quite substantial.
Xu Mu nodded slightly, which further solidified his resolve to seize the Heavenly Book.
...
While "fool" had no effect on Xu Mu, it was an unstoppable ability against the psychics of the Demon Extermination Division.
Tuoba Xiaorong, Bai Pu, and others collapsed onto the ground, their faces pale.
Without the support of their psychic powers, and with their internal organs damaged, they could not withstand the injuries they had sustained. They were on the verge of death.
Even Yin Zhongxiu's complexion began to turn ashen.
He had no idea how the old man in the black robe had achieved this. They were enemies of the same stage, yet with a single ability, he couldn't even sense the elemental energy within his Golden Core, as if it had never existed.
This could directly turn him into an ordinary person. But what could a psychic do without their powers?
Despite lacking any confidence, Yin Zhongxiu slowly took three steps forward, holding his long spear.
His subordinates were too severely injured and were meditating to recover. As the governor, he had to ensure their safety, even if all he had now was this spear.
Furthermore, he couldn't believe that the opponent could keep him from using his abilities indefinitely. They were all at the third stage. Based on his experience, such an extremely bizarre ability couldn't be maintained for a long time.
The restriction should be lifted within a few more seconds.
However, as he watched the movements of the old man in the black robe, a sense of foreboding slowly rose in his heart.
Did the opponent deprive them of their powers but refrain from attacking, solely to activate that sacrificial formation?
"Yan Yu, stop standing around like an idiot!"
Yin Zhongxiu gritted his teeth. Yan Yu, standing motionlessly about fifty meters away, remained in his spot.
Even without his psychic powers, he could still see the figure in black through the vast darkness. This proved that Yan Yu's spiritual perception ability was still active.
Therefore, he had not been affected by Vilitan's ability.
Although he didn't know how Yan Yu managed it, it was a good thing, even potentially achieving an element of surprise.
But why wasn't he acting?
Hearing the man's words, Yan Yu's eyelids flickered slightly, and then he continued to stand in his original position.
He had his own thoughts and did not need to report them to Yin Zhongxiu.
Yin Zhongxiu, receiving no response, became somewhat frustrated.
As the governor of the Demon Extermination Division, he couldn't fathom what this kid was thinking.
It was one thing not to know, but why wouldn't he just say it?
Yin Zhongxiu scratched his head.
...
After stripping the others of their abilities, Vilitan did not rush to kill them but instead focused on activating the grand array with all his might.
He knew that once the Soul Devouring Array was activated, even if Yin Zhongxiu and the others regained their powers, they would be no match for him, as the Soul Devouring Array would continuously absorb their psychic energy and replenish him.
This process would not take long, after which he would advance to the fourth stage. At that point, none of them would escape. Therefore, there was no need to rush.
Vilitan's expression turned cold. What concerned him most was Xu Mu, standing on the mountaintop. That guy was too powerful. If he didn't activate the array beforehand, he feared he wouldn't have another chance to do so later!
With this thought, Vilitan raised his scepter, drew several patterns in the air, and then unleashed his psychic energy. Three seconds later, the stone forest array collapsed with a roar.
Crushed stones and dust swirled with the darkness from the pollution source, and the mysterious patterns on the ground spread outwards, expanding to a hundred meters in an instant. Then, a grand and piercing hum echoed through the space.
Vilitan smiled slightly, the Soul Devouring Array now fully formed.
It resembled a colossal dark green cage. Any area covered by the mysterious patterns was considered within the array, firmly engulfing these psychics.
The array would absorb all the psychic energy it covered, whether from the pollution source or the psychics themselves. The absorbed energy would then flow into his body, helping him break through to the fourth stage.
-- This was supposed to be a perfect plan.
He had first established two altars, one in Fengqing Village and another on the graveyard mountain.
These altars were special and could remotely transmit the psychic energy from the pollution sources into the Soul Devouring Array.
Vilitan estimated that he would need the energy of at least two pollution sources to advance. Thus, he had expended immense effort to create three third-stage pollution sources on West Mountain, Graveyard Mountain, and in Fengqing Village.
The one in Fengqing Village was merely for insurance, so even if Feng Tianzhu's activation failed, it wouldn't matter.
To increase the success rate, he had been delaying, using the darkness of the eerie night and the blood of mutated beasts to supplement the energy.
But now, he couldn't afford to delay activating the array; it was because of the swordsman standing on the mountain.
Vilitan felt a surge of frustration. His foolproof plan was now a risky gamble. He wasn't sure if the energy absorbed by the array would be enough... But even with some risk, since it wasn't foolproof, he had no other choice. After all, he couldn't confront two third-stage psychics head-on.
Moreover, his two most powerful abilities, "fool" and "preach," had no effect on that swordsman.
As the array took shape, filling the space with a deep green hue,
Vilitan sensed that the time was right and slammed his scepter onto the ground.
Instantly, the Soul Devouring Array began to operate at full speed. A storm swept through the area, and countless dark green psychic energies surged towards Vilitan's body. The psychic energies within Yin Zhongxiu and the others also erupted.
It was like a breached dam. Yin Zhongxiu and the others had been trying to mobilize their psychic powers but couldn't, not even sensing their existence. However, the psychic energy hadn't vanished; it had remained within their bodies.
When the psychics attempted to control it, it failed to respond. Now, something had finally summoned it forth.
Consequently, the "fool" ability was lifted.
Yin Zhongxiu sensed the change in his body but showed no joy. He could feel his internal psychic energy rapidly draining, being absorbed by the array.
The man hesitated for a moment, then grabbed Tuoba and Bai Pu, who were closest to him, and swiftly retreated outside the array.
"Is he trying to break through to the next stage using this array?"
Yin Zhongxiu did not choose to interrupt Vilitan on the mountain because it was the opponent's territory, where he would be at a significant disadvantage.
More importantly, the green mist was too dense, and the moonlight couldn't penetrate it, greatly diminishing his strength.
"I don't know. If he truly intends to break through, then we can only flee."
"No, we can't escape."
Yin Zhongxiu sighed and slowly replied.
Breaking through from the third stage to the fourth stage meant becoming a Lord-level psychic, capable of possessing their own domain. These domains varied in their properties and effects, some stronger than others.
Even the weakest of these domains would be at the fourth stage. He might have a slim chance of survival, but Bai Pu, Tuoba, and even Yan Yu would likely perish here.
This was almost a complete annihilation. Yin Zhongxiu could not accept such an outcome, so he hefted his silver spear and began to charge.
He would use his strongest thrust to end it all.
Vilitan also sensed the energy fluctuations emanating from outside the array, but he was too preoccupied to deal with Yin Zhongxiu at that moment.
As the Soul Devouring Array accelerated, he absorbed the dark energy cascading from the sky and the essence of various life forms.
Instantly, his realm surged. Vilitan could feel his body filled with an abundance of energy, as if he were immersed in milk, an incredibly pleasant sensation.
But just as he was reveling in it, on the verge of breaking through that barrier and becoming a Lord...
The energy supply from the Soul Devouring Array suddenly stopped.
Vilitan opened his eyes in surprise. The dark green hue in the space had vanished. The energy from the pollution sources had been depleted, leaving the area grey and desolate. Clearly, all the energy had been absorbed by him.
Yet, he had not broken through.
"Impossible! The energy from two pollution sources couldn't possibly be this little!"
Vilitan's face was so grim it could drip water.
The pollution source on West Mountain had been successfully activated. Fengqing Village's was gone. Therefore, the remaining issue must be with Graveyard Mountain. He roared in anger:
"Graveyard Mountain, who went to Graveyard Mountain!"
On the mountaintop, Xu Mu's shadow watched it all unfold and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, Vilitan hadn't broken through.
"It seems burning that altar was the right choice," Xu Mu suddenly mused. He hadn't known what the altar was for when he left, only that it belonged to his enemy, so he had set it ablaze.
Now, it seemed like a very wise decision. Vilitan was just a step away from advancement, and if he had truly become a Lord, it would have been much harder to assassinate him.
"It was you! Only you have the ability!" Suddenly, Vilitan thought of someone and looked up, glaring furiously at Xu Mu on the mountaintop through the vast darkness.
"You lied to me when you said you wouldn't act!"
...
"He sounds like a whining wife," Charles said, staring at him curiously. His tone was too mournful.
"I acted, but I also didn't act."
Facing the accusation, Gray-White Pupil replied indifferently. He stubbornly believed that this body was his own, so Xu Mu using this body to destroy the pollution source should be considered him having cleared it.
However, from an ideological standpoint, he truly hadn't acted, as he had been sleeping soundly in the Heavenly Palace at the time.
...