The saber flashed with icy brilliance toward Vice Manager Yuan's neck.
Crimson blood erupted in a sudden spray.
Simultaneously, the jade pendants dangling from Yuan's waist disintegrated in a chorus of sharp snaps. An emerald protective light flared wildly, barely slowing the blade for a fraction of a breath.
"You bastard! How dare you!" Vice Manager Yuan's scream tore through the battlefield, shrill with fury and terror.
Before the saber could sink deeper and claim his life, a brilliant multicolored radiance erupted from his body. Layers of light wrapped around him like a cocoon of shifting light, his flesh blurring at the edges and dissolving into a cluster of brilliant streaks.
With a shrill whistle, those streaks shot straight into the sky, tearing through the night and fleeing far into the distance.
He somehow managed to snatch his life from the jaws of death.
The cultivator adorned in the golden Buddha mask remained motionless, coldly watching the direction Vice Manager Yuan vanished.
He made no move to give chase.
Inside the formation, the final two Jade Heart Plantation cultivators stood frozen, eyes wide and mouths agape. The hope that had ignited moments earlier shattered completely. Their savior had arrived, spoken grand words, then fled without hesitation.
"No… this cannot be happening…" one of them muttered, his voice hollow and unsteady.
The masked cultivators did not waste time. Steel flashed once more, and fresh blood stained the earth in dark spreading pools as the final cries of resistance were cut short.
Quiet fell once again as profound relief washed over the masked cultivators imprisoned within the barrier. Several nearly laughed aloud.
"Team Leader Buddha is here! We are saved!"
"Senior Buddha, destroy the formation nodes quickly!"
"Please, there is no time to waste, get us out of here!"
Their voices overlapped with urgency and excitement. To them, the appearance of the Buddha masked cultivator was like finding water in a desert.
Amid the rising clamor, the Golden Demon masked cultivator remained composed. He sheathed his sword slowly and turned toward the Buddha masked cultivator, his gaze sharp and probing. "Why are you here? Weren't you guarding the concealment array around the plantation? Or did you somehow know we were trapped here?"
Before he could continue, the Buddha masked cultivator raised a hand and spoke in a calm, even voice. "The concealment array will not be an issue."
He glanced briefly at the glowing barrier as he continued, "The real problem lies here."
"What problem?" The Golden Demon masked cultivator frowned as he gestured around them. "Every enemy inside has been killed. The resources are already in my possession."
He continued, "Although this formation is difficult to escape from the inside, destroying the five nodes outside will allow us to leave. If my timing is not wrong, there are still nearly two hours before the concealment arrays lose power."
His eyes gleamed sinisterly. "We have ample time to even continue slaughtering and looting."
The Buddha masked cultivator shook his head slowly and sighed. To the complete surprise of everyone present, he directly sat down on the grass and pointed at the formation node in front of him.
"I shall not destroy it."
The masked cultivators present were stunned silent, as if unable to process what they had just heard. Then their shock curdled into fury.
"What?"
"You won't do it?"
"This is bullshit!"
"You want us to die here!?"
"What treachery is this, Buddha?!"
Anger and suspicion suddenly surged sky high.
"Silence!" the Golden Demon masked cultivator ordered. His glare swept across the group like an icy blade. Memories of his earlier brutality on the battlefield surfaced instantly, and the noise died down at once.
He turned back to the Buddha masked cultivator, his expression dull. "Is this some kind of joke?"
The Buddha masked cultivator met his gaze. "What do you think?"
The Golden Demon masked cultivator fell silent before replying honestly. "I think you are serious."
His brows furrowed in genuine confusion. "But I do not understand. You clearly have the ability. Why won't you destroy the formation?"
Before the Buddha masked cultivator could answer, a silver masked cultivator shouted angrily, "This man has evil intentions!"
The accusation had barely left his mouth when it was cut short. The flat of a sword struck his face with brutal force, sending him flying backward as he crashed to the ground, blood spraying outward while three of his teeth scattered across the grass like discarded dice.
The Golden Demon masked cultivator looked down coldly. "Speak again without permission and I will cut out your tongue."
He raised his eyes to the group.
"He is my elder brother."
A ripple of hushed murmurs passed through the crowd. Rumors existed of certain brother pairs serving under Senior Brother Sun at the fifteenth layer, men known for their fierce loyalty to each other and ruthless treatment of enemies.
The tension eased slightly.
Even so, the injured masked cultivator struggled to his feet, clutching his bleeding mouth as he spoke hoarsely, "Team Leader, do not misunderstand. I know your brotherhood is strong, but what proof do we have? Would your elder brother really refuse to save us?"
He spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground before continuing, "I believe this is someone else pretending to be him."
Those words struck deeply, touching upon the very doubts that had already begun to form within the Golden Demon masked cultivator's mind.
He knew his elder brother well. Once a plan was set, he would follow it through to the end, treating duty as law. That was why his sudden appearance here felt strange. As if one crack in his character was not enough, refusing to help after arriving made it worse. Two cracks began to look like a fracture.
It was impossible for such behavior not to plant seeds of suspicion in his mind.
But he was hesitant to voice them.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion rocked the earth.
Outside the formation, the ground split apart in a massive spiderweb of cracks, sinking several meters. Golden radiance surged as tiger phantoms roared soundlessly, then dissipated into the air.
The Buddha masked man retracted his arm. "Is this enough proof?"
"Enough. Only my elder brother could wield the Heavenly Tiger Fist with such destructive mastery." The Golden Demon masked cultivator did not hesitate. The suspicion in his eyes faded greatly.
The Buddha masked cultivator spoke again. "I cannot break the formation because doing so would alert a powerful enemy."
The words commanded everyone's attention.
"Who?" someone asked.
"Inner disciple Hei Wei, the owner of this Jade Heart Plantation."
A deathly hush fell.
Masked Cultivator Fifteen stepped forward instinctively. "Team Leader Buddha, how could breaking a formation here alert someone so far away?"
The Buddha masked cultivator spoke unhurriedly. "When I assassinated Head Manager Peng, he was drunk in bed with a spirit farmer girl. He, for some reason, revealed to her that this formation has dual uses. Breaking it once would activate the formation's second set of abilities. But breaking it a second time would notify a will bound to it. That will apparently belongs to Foundation Establishment cultivator Hei Wei."
Buddha shook his head slightly. "My formation knowledge is limited. I did not understand all the intricacies of his drunken blabbering, but I grasped the danger and rushed here."
His gaze swept over the group. "You were unfortunate to be trapped, but that misfortune was also your fortune. Being trapped stopped you from fully destroying the node. Otherwise, you would have invited a calamity named Hei Wei."
The logic held the group in a cold grip. The mere thought of an inner disciple's arrival sent shivers down their collective spines.
Only Masked Cultivator Fifteen felt a thrill. 'This is rare formation knowledge. I was unaware that a will could be tethered to a formation in such a fashion!'
'So that is why.' The Golden Demon masked cultivator sighed inwardly.
It made more sense to him now. Although he had acted trusting toward the Buddha masked man, beneath the surface, doubts had brewed in his heart too. Seeing the Heavenly Tiger Fist, especially when used with the left hand, had been a good sign and eased some of his suspicion, but it was not enough.
Many people knew his brother was left handed, and a clever schemer could prepare for such details. Only after hearing this explanation for refusing to destroy the nodes, which even Number Fifteen, with his formation knowledge, did not refute, did his mind finally settle. The mist of suspicion dispersed. The man before him was his brother.
Of course, all of this could have been avoided with a simple face reveal, but that would have forced them to kill their silver masked partners to keep their identities secret, something they did not wish to do unless truly pushed.
More importantly, he felt relieved that nothing terrible had happened to his elder brother.
Then the question resurfaced.
How to leave?
The masked cultivator who had lost three of his teeth spoke again anxiously. "What do we do now?"
No one answered.
The Buddha masked cultivator was about to speak when Masked Cultivator Fifteen stepped forward.
"I cannot guarantee it, but when that Vice Manager operated the formation earlier, I memorized his hand seals. They were fairly simple," Number Fifteen said cautiously.
He hesitated for a moment. "If Team Leader Buddha is willing to cooperate, I can guide him. We can try, but I cannot guarantee success."
For a breath, everyone froze.
Then cheers erupted.
"Number Fifteen, you're heaven sent!"
"If I live through this, I shall name my firstborn after you!"
Even the Golden Demon masked cultivator's eyes softened. "If this succeeds, I will personally report your merit to Senior Brother Sun."
"It is nothing. Just luck." Masked Cultivator Fifteen laughed nervously.
The atmosphere turned joyful.
Only the Buddha masked cultivator's eyes flickered with a fleeting, ruthless glint. Then he laughed aloud and said, "Very good, Junior. Now, quickly teach me the hand signs. I will surely save everyone."