Chapter 592 - 592: Little Junior Brother is Amazing

"Maybe they've been kept in the dark, too?"

Jiang Xinghai looked back toward the shore, at the War Department soldiers on duty.

These soldiers were all under the command of Zheng Wuji of the Eastern Territory!

If they've truly turned traitor, it would be unforgivable!

"However..."

Cao Qing, the Prince of the East, continued with a smile, "Young Master Jiang, maybe I'm just being paranoid. Let me ask Zheng Wuji."

As he spoke, he contacted Zheng Wuji.

"So that's how it is."

Cao Qing ended the call and looked at Jiang Xinghai. "Young Master Jiang, it seems we misunderstood. According to Zheng Wuji, the duty of the soldiers stationed on Lightning Island is merely to guard the shore. They are forbidden from going within a hundred meters of the bamboo forest."

"That explains it, then," Jiang Xinghai said with a faint smile.

"Young Master Jiang, this array is exceedingly profound. Is there a way to break it?" Cao Qing asked.

"It is profound indeed. I need to study it carefully. I have to make sure I can guarantee my parents' safety the moment the array breaks." Jiang Xinghai had originally intended to shatter it with brute force.

However, he worried the noise would alert those inside Mirror Lake Manor.

So, to be safe, he quickly searched his mind for the name of the faint, almost-imperceptible array before them.

"The Profound Void Seven Illusion Array!"

Suddenly, Jiang Xinghai and Zhong Yunman spoke in unison.

They were from the same sect, so they naturally shared the same legacy.

"Second Senior Sister, when I break this array, you and the Prince of the East will clear the path. I'll enter Mirror Lake Manor the moment it's down," Jiang Xinghai laid out his meticulous plan.

Zhong Yunman's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Don't you worry. It's been a long time since your Senior Sister has had a good slaughter. My hands are itching for a fight."

After coming to an agreement, the three of them sprang into action.

Jiang Xinghai took charge of breaking the array. Cao Qing waited, ready to clear any obstacles the moment it fell, with Zhong Yunman providing support from the side.

After a period of analysis, Jiang Xinghai finally found a way to break the array.

Drawing on his knowledge, he gathered his True Qi in his hands and formed thirty-six consecutive Dharma Seals in the air, creating a formidable power.

"Here it goes!"

Jiang Xinghai's voice rang out sharply as the power formed in his hands shot toward the array's core.

"BANG!"

"BANG! BANG! BANG!!!"

With a series of deafening booms, the once ethereal yet incredibly solid array instantly shattered, turning to dust and vanishing into the air.

"Little Junior Brother, you're amazing!"

Zhong Yunman's face lit up with elation at the sight.

Cao Qing was also stunned. He hadn't expected Jiang Xinghai to break the array with such ease.

The two of them immediately acted on their prior agreement, rushing toward the interior of Mirror Lake Manor.

Jiang Xinghai followed close behind, a single thought consuming him: 'I have to find my parents and get them out of here, fast!'

Soon, they threw the entire area around Mirror Lake Manor into chaos.

The array had been dismantled by Jiang Xinghai, and the surroundings were in shambles thanks to Cao Qing.

Just then, five figures rushed out, blocking their path.

"Who are you wretches? How dare you break the Villa Protection Array of our Mirror Lake Manor?"

The leader, an old man with a goatee, wore a look of utter shock, an expression he hadn't worn in a long time. The four men beside him looked just as stunned.

This array had been jointly cast by three of their Shadow Sect's gray-robed Elders—all experts of the Guiyuan Realm!

No one below the Guiyuan Realm should have been able to break it!

"What? The Prince of the East?"

When Tao Wenbing recognized one of the three intruders as Cao Qing, the Prince of the East of Shanghai, his expression changed drastically.

He thought Cao Qing had broken through to the Guiyuan Realm, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

'No, that's not right!'

Cao Qing's aura was clearly still that of the Human Emperor Realm.

"Old man Cao Qing, is this an open provocation against my Shadow Sect?!" Tao Wenbing shouted, pressing forward.

"Tao Wenbing! Isn't it obvious?"

Cao Qing retorted with a cold laugh. Then, he and Zhong Yunman unleashed their full killing intent and charged.

"You mere weaklings from the secular world dare to ignore our agreement and launch a sneak attack in the middle of the night? We'll show you the consequences of provoking the Shadow Sect!"

Tao Wenbing and the other four were Human Emperor Realm experts of Mirror Lake Manor, serving as jailers who guarded the prison here.

Their strength was comparable to Cao Qing's group.

"Kill!"

Cao Qing and Zhong Yunman closed the distance, engaging Tao Wenbing's group in a fight to the death.

The battle was exceptionally fierce. Both sides were top experts, and every move and technique packed immense power.

Although it was just the two of them, and they had only just begun to fight together, Cao Qing and Zhong Yunman's coordination was surprisingly good.

They flanked the five men from the left and right, forcing Tao Wenbing and his group onto the defensive, struggling to keep up.

However, with their years of combat experience, Tao Wenbing's group was not so easily defeated.

Moreover, they hailed from the distant Celestial Profound Realm Shadow Sect!

Using their familiarity with the terrain of Mirror Lake Manor, they deftly evaded the duo's attacks while searching for an opening to counter.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, a sudden gust of wind swept past, and a figure descended from the sky to join the fray.

It was none other than Jiang Xinghai!

"Careful, everyone! He's the one who broke the array!"

Tao Wenbing's heart jolted when he saw Jiang Xinghai appear.

'A junior this young actually broke an array set by Guiyuan Realm experts? Could he be in the Guiyuan Realm, too?'

But his warning came half a beat too late.

As Jiang Xinghai swept past, he casually slaughtered two of the five men.

"You two, finish this quickly!"

Jiang Xinghai had no intention of joining the fight; his only goal was to enter Mirror Lake Manor unimpeded.

SWISH!

His figure vanished in a flash.

"So strong!"

Tao Wenbing was stunned. In a single pass, two of his comrades had been decapitated!

They were Human Emperor Realm experts!

Even if they were only in the initial stage of the Human Emperor Realm, in the secular world of the Dragon Country, they would rank in the top fifty of the Martial Arts Hidden Dragon List!

"Fall back! Now!"

By the time Tao Wenbing reacted, his two remaining companions were already losing stamina under the onslaught of Cao Qing and Zhong Yunman.

'This is bad!'

Watching Jiang Xinghai's disappearing back, Tao Wenbing immediately decided to flee.

Even if he stayed, he couldn't turn the tide.

It was better to track Jiang Xinghai and call for reinforcements—their Commander, Tan Yuan, a late-stage Human Emperor Realm expert stationed inside Mirror Lake Manor!

「Meanwhile.」

Jiang Xinghai stood before a massive manor built into the mountainside.

Although the manor itself was relatively modest in scale, the surrounding lakes, gardens, and mountain peaks made it look like a paradise on earth.

This was just what he could see in the dark of night; in the daytime, it would surely be even more breathtaking.

A wave of emotion washed over him.

'To think that this mystical-looking place is actually the prison built by the Celestial Profound Realm Shadow Sect in the Dragon Country!'

"Young man, who on earth are you?"

Just then, Tao Wenbing caught up.

Looking at Jiang Xinghai's back, he said with a smirk, "You want to enter Mirror Lake Manor? That's no easy feat. Of course, given your ability to break the array and kill two of my companions in a single strike... perhaps you really can get in."

"And?" Jiang Xinghai asked without turning around.