“What’s going on?”

“Did we encounter something?”

The Tianqi Mountain Range was fraught with unpredictable dangers. Even a convoy like Wanbao Pavilion’s traveled day and night without stopping unless absolutely necessary. For it to halt so abruptly now made Su Rumei frown immediately.

A subordinate soon reported, “Steward Su, there’s a problem with the road ahead.”

“A problem?” Su Rumei raised an eyebrow. Without waiting for further explanation, she left the carriage to investigate personally.

Indeed, she saw it. The previously clear path ahead of the convoy was now blocked by a vast bamboo forest stretching as far as the eye could see, leaving only a narrow trail.

“This road… our Wanbao Pavilion has always used it. Cultivators usually travel this way too. Normally, following this path should lead straight to Yunxiao City,” the subordinate explained. “Moreover, just three months ago, I personally traveled this route. It was smooth then—some minor twists and turns perhaps, but definitely no bamboo forest!”

Listening to her subordinate, Su Rumei approached the bamboo grove to inspect it. They were ordinary green bamboos, nothing special. She ventured a few steps inside but found nothing amiss.

Yet… it was precisely this lack of findings that deepened her frown. While bamboo could grow rapidly after a spring rain, reaching such density was not normal.

“Can we take another route?” Su Rumei asked.

“I’m afraid not,” the subordinate shook his head. “If we change paths, we’d have to backtrack to yesterday’s fork. That route is longer, more difficult, and the delay would cost us considerable time.”

Su Rumei frowned again. As cultivators, they could use flight artifacts to fly over; a mere bamboo grove wouldn’t be an issue. But this was the Tianqi Mountain Range, hiding countless unknown dangers. Brief flights were manageable, but flying with such a large merchant convoy was fraught with unpredictable risks.

“Should we send someone to scout the path?” the subordinate inquired.

“Very well,” Su Rumei nodded. “Find a few people to walk into the bamboo forest and see if there are any problems.”

The subordinate promptly went to carry out the order. However, he soon returned with an unpleasant expression.

“Steward Su, everyone is making excuses, unwilling to go…”

“Why?” Su Rumei’s eyebrow arched again.

“The ones I approached were those Qi Refining rogue cultivators traveling with us. They either claimed insufficient cultivation or said they were at a critical stage in their training, all refusing to go. They even said…”

“Said what?”

“They said… since that Dao-Entry cultivator gets to ride in a carriage alone, he must be more capable than them. They suggested we ask him instead…”

Hearing this, Su Rumei’s brow furrowed tightly. She had anticipated these people might find opportunities to target Gu Xiu, but she hadn’t expected them to target him at such a time.

Scouting the path was a simple task any Qi Refining cultivator could handle. These were rogue cultivators hitching a ride; Wanbao Pavilion was paying them. Yet now they were all shirking responsibility.

This made Su Rumei frown deeply. After a moment’s hesitation, she finally said, “Go ask Fellow Daoist Feng if he’s interested in taking a look. Tell him we’ll offer separate compensation if he goes.”

The subordinate left quickly. The Shadow appeared silently beside her.

“You want to give him an opportunity?”

“Yes,” Su Rumei nodded. “Since he seems eager to make an impression on Wanbao Pavilion, I have no reason to stop him.”

As a steward, Su Rumei couldn’t let herself be manipulated by a group of rogue cultivators. What seemed like a concession was actually more about giving Gu Xiu a chance. After all, she believed Gu Xiu was also waiting for an opportunity to showcase himself.

Now, the opportunity had arrived. She believed Gu Xiu wouldn’t refuse.

Sure enough, not long after, the subordinate reported back: “That Immortal Feng has agreed. However, he said it falls within his duties and requires no additional spirit stones.”

This response further confirmed Su Rumei’s suspicions.

Walking towards Gu Xiu’s carriage, she saw the white-robed, white-haired Gu Xiu slowly emerging.

However, all around were gazes full of schadenfreude.

“Kid, this bamboo forest wasn’t here before. You better be careful when you go in; don’t accidentally lose your life in there.”

“He’s someone who gained Steward Su’s favor, able to enter the Dao with just Qi Refining fourth layer cultivation. His strength must be formidable; why would we need to worry?”

“Right? Maybe he’ll easily slay any bandits he encounters inside.”

“…”

Their tones were dripping with sarcasm, their eyes full of mockery as they looked at Gu Xiu. Even Su Rumei couldn’t help but frown at these words.

Gu Xiu himself remained utterly unmoved. His expression was as calm as still water, as if their taunts weren’t directed at him at all.

He simply picked up the wooden staff that had accompanied him on his journey, nodded slightly to Su Rumei, and strode into the bamboo forest.

From beginning to end, he didn’t spare those Qi Refining cultivators a single glance. This left those who had been mocking him feeling like they’d punched cotton—ineffective and frustrating—making their remarks grow even more venomous. Some even maliciously wished for Gu Xiu to encounter danger within the forest.

Su Rumei frowned again. She wanted to reprimand them, tell them enough was enough.

But before she could voice her thoughts, several exclamations suddenly erupted.

“Not good! This bamboo forest is an array formation!”

“It changed! It changed!”

“It really is an array!”

What?

Everyone was stunned for a moment. Su Rumei rushed to the front of the bamboo grove.

Indeed, she saw that the previously narrow passage through the bamboo had now completely closed up. The bamboos were still ordinary green bamboos, looking plain and unremarkable.

But… if she hadn’t just seen this grove moments ago, she might not have realized any change had occurred at all. To achieve this effect, there was only one explanation:

An array formation!

Someone had set up a grand formation here, waiting for them to enter!

Realizing this, Su Rumei immediately leaped into the air. For safety, she didn’t fly too high, but looking down at the bamboo forest now, she couldn’t help feeling profound shock.

As far as her eyes could see, there was nothing but bamboo! Moreover, the bamboo forest was constantly shifting and changing. From above, it looked like a rotating Bagua diagram, incredibly complex.

“This formation… it’s the Green Bamboo Traps the Dragon Array…”

Su Rumei’s eyelids twitched violently. Then her heart sank. “Not good!”

As soon as she spoke, she instinctively descended.

The moment she moved, several bamboo poles radiating intense spiritual energy shot towards her previous position. Had she reacted even slightly slower, she would have been pierced like a hedgehog!

However, even though Su Rumei avoided that attack, as soon as her feet touched the ground, large clusters of bamboo shoots suddenly began sprouting from the earth one after another!

Then, with astonishing speed, they shot upwards, instantly separating the Wanbao Pavilion convoy into isolated sections.

“What’s happening?”

“Where did these bamboos come from?”

“Is this some kind of array?”

“Damn it! Retreat! Retreat!”

“There’s no way back!”

This sudden development caused exclamations from everyone in the convoy.

Seeing this, Su Rumei felt her heart sinking rapidly. She realized now: They had already unknowingly entered the grand formation earlier!

That initial bamboo grove blocking their path wasn’t their first encounter with the array—they were already inside it, and had walked into a dead end! There was no possibility of escape!

And now, the formation was activating at full power, preparing to strike!

Su Rumei knew of this Green Bamboo Traps the Dragon Array. It was incredibly powerful. But setting it up required immense time and vast amounts of spirit stones!

Clearly, whoever erected this formation had targeted their Wanbao Pavilion merchant convoy specifically!

“We’ve penetrated too deeply into the array,” the Shadow’s voice emerged again as his figure materialized nearby. “Our retreat is blocked, our advance hindered—we’re completely trapped within!”

Su Rumei also frowned deeply. “The array master wants to completely split our convoy apart—divide and conquer us one by one! We’re likely going to suffer heavy casualties this time!”

“How do we break this array?”

“I don’t know.”

Their rapid exchange grew increasingly grim-faced.

This was a dire situation! Someone had meticulously planned against their Wanbao Pavilion convoy for quite some time, aiming to wipe them out in one fell swoop! Even more terrifying: they were already trapped within the array, helpless!

Just as they were discussing how to break the formation and survive within it, another exclamation suddenly rang out.

“Huh? Why are these green bamboos… withering?”

This made Su Rumei pause. She turned her head and saw—the previously mystical green bamboos that had been wildly growing around everyone were now beginning to wither one after another, turning into ashes at a visible rate.

In mere moments, the bamboo formation that had just separated their convoy instantly disintegrated.

Everything happened too quickly. Before anyone in the convoy could understand what was happening—even Su Rumei and the Shadow, who recognized the array’s profound nature—they couldn’t help but exchange bewildered glances.

What… was going on?

Tap… tap… tap…

Right then, footsteps sounded.

Then they saw—amidst thousands of emerald bamboos rapidly withering into ashes—a white-robed man with white hair walking leisurely and calmly forward…