“These broken bamboo stalks… they’re carved with formation patterns and Dao Rhyme!”

“You’re right! There’s still a mysterious power lingering on them. This was part of the Green Bamboo Traps the Dragon Array just now. These few bamboo stalks are… are…”

“They’re the formation eyes! These are the formation eyes!”

“Yes, they’re the formation eyes! The array didn’t fail due to a mistake; someone destroyed the eyes and shattered the formation!”

“…”

Amidst the exclamations, many had already noticed the intricate lines etched into the bamboo. Because they had just been destroyed, faint traces of power still pulsed from them, refusing to dissipate.

Hiss—!

Someone sucked in a cold breath and instinctively looked towards Gu Xiu’s carriage.

What he said earlier about cutting a few bamboo stalks… Could it be that he just happened to cut these exact formation eyes?

“Aren’t they just a few broken bamboo stalks?”

“Maybe he was just lucky, and those few stalks happened to be right in front of him. If it were me, I’d also casually cut down whatever was blocking my path!”

Mou Xingsheng curled his lip, his face full of disdain.

His words made everyone pause. That… seemed plausible? Could it really be just luck?

But… how could it be such a coincidence?

The Green Bamboo Traps the Dragon Array was incredibly profound; its formation eyes were constantly shifting. How could an ordinary person possibly encounter them by chance? Moreover, the array master controlling the formation would have been actively manipulating it. It was impossible that they would stupidly place the formation eyes right in front of Gu Xiu for him to chop, right?

That would be utterly foolish.

For a moment, everyone was at a loss for words. Even the members of the Victory Gang fell silent.

“Hmph, are you all scared by a few broken bamboo stalks?”

“Do you really think this Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivator, who was only at the fourth layer not long ago, understands such a powerful formation?”

Mou Xingsheng spoke again. This time, his words made everyone nod slightly. Although it felt somewhat forced, the explanation seemed reasonable. Even Su Rumei couldn’t help but feel doubtful.

Could it really have been a coincidence?

“These few broken bamboo stalks are an eyesore.”

Having convinced the crowd, Mou Xingsheng channeled energy into his palm and struck towards the green bamboo.

But…

“Huh?”

Mou Xingsheng was surprised. He had only struck casually, but if it were ordinary bamboo, it should have been shattered into powder. Yet, after his strike, the severed stalk remained completely unmoved.

What in the world?

Mou Xingsheng cleared his throat awkwardly and immediately used fifty percent of his strength.

Chii!

This time, the green bamboo emitted a strange sound. Mou Xingsheng felt as if the force of his palm had struck cotton. It was dissipated and absorbed.

As for the bamboo… It wasn’t damaged in the slightest! Not even a single mark was left!

This…

Mou Xingsheng was dumbfounded. The others were also stunned, looking at him with suspicion. Are you even capable?

“This green bamboo is quite something; I underestimated it,” Mou Xingsheng said awkwardly.

Without changing his expression, he struck out with another palm. Although he looked calm, he had secretly used his full strength this time!

The full-force palm strike of a Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator might not be earth-shattering, but it could turn stone into powder.

Yet…

Chii!

The same strange sound echoed again. Mou Xingsheng felt most of his power being deflected. Fortunately, the remaining force landed entirely on the bamboo.

Crack!

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the point of impact collapsed and cracked.

But… it only cracked! His full-force strike failed to sever the bamboo!

At this moment, Mou Xingsheng was stunned. He looked at his own palm, then at the bamboo, wondering if he had grown weak or if this bamboo was simply abnormal.

But… if this bamboo was so tough, how did Feng Bugui manage it?

Looking at where those stalks had been severed earlier—the cuts were smooth and level, completely cleaved through by a single sword strike, seemingly with power to spare.

Is Feng Bugui that powerful???

“Although the bamboo is already broken, the formation patterns and Dao Rhyme still exist, continuing to strengthen it. Brother Mou underestimated them; it’s indeed impossible to sever these stalks that way,” someone spoke up to save face.

Mou Xingsheng nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, right. I underestimated this green bamboo.”

As he spoke, he drew his treasured blade, channeled his full power into it, and slashed at the bamboo with all his might.

This time, the green bamboo finally snapped.

But the smile on Mou Xingsheng’s face was very strained. He realized that even with his full-power slash, he almost failed to achieve as clean a cut as before.

Did that Qi Refining seventh-layer white-haired rogue cultivator really do this?

“Is Feng Bugui that strong?” the Shadow exclaimed softly into Su Rumei’s ear. “And this is after the formation is destroyed! If the formation were still intact, their strength would be far greater! This would require at least Foundation Establishment level power to accomplish!”

Su Rumei frowned deeply, instinctively glancing towards Gu Xiu’s carriage with shock in her eyes.

She hadn’t only noticed this; she had also thought of another point.

Just moments ago, everyone said Feng Bugui casually cut these down and destroyed the formation eyes by sheer chance.

But… which Qi Refining seventh-layer cultivator would use that level of power just to casually cut down a stalk of bamboo? And how could they coincidentally sever exactly the formation eyes???

This wasn’t a coincidence!

Feng Bugui truly saw through the location of the formation eyes and used power surpassing his cultivation stage to break them!

He really was a formation master! And not just any formation master—one capable of fighting above his cultivation stage and wielding Foundation Establishment level power!

“Continue forward!”

Without hesitation, Su Rumei gave the order. Her gaze held fervor and pleasant surprise. She wanted to see who those “people” Feng Bugui mentioned killing were. She couldn’t wait to see what other surprises he would bring her.

She had a premonition. She had stumbled upon a treasure!

Soon, the caravan moved forward again. This time they hadn’t traveled far before several corpses appeared on the road ahead.

“I know this person! This is Chou Liandong! A Qi Refining ninth-layer cultivator!”

“This one is Fu Haijie! Qi Refining seventh layer!”

“Wu Huanran! Qi Refining seventh layer!”

“There’s also a Qi Refining eighth layer here! Kou Wenyou!”

“…”

Exclamations arose one after another.

In Wanbao Pavilion’s caravan, besides their own people, over half were bounty hunters who came to help—most of them rogue cultivators. Many recognized the faces in this pile of corpses.

But precisely because they recognized these individuals, a chilling dread crept up their spines.

Those lying lifeless on the ground were all figures with notorious reputations. Yet now, without exception, all had perished.

Even more terrifying… the injuries on these people were identical. All pierced through the heart meridian.

One strike, fatal.

Killing one person every ten steps.

What kind of terrifying existence could achieve such a feat? These people were no small fry.

“If these people had charged into our midst within the formation earlier, we all would have died. No way we could have held them off.”

“Did that Feng Bugui kill these people?”

“This… His strength… is terrifying!”