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In Jiangnan, when it comes to families of magicians, the first that comes to mind is the Shen Family.

As a magician family for a thousand years, the Shen Family’s status in the entire world of magicians is among the top, with the most extensive collection of techniques, leading all other prestigious families.

Each legitimate wife married into the Shen Family’s twelve branches comes from a family of great magicians, bringing with them nothing but extraordinary techniques.

Especially the main branch of the Shen Family, which had cleverly acquired the primary techniques of the northern Celestial Wolf Family.

The number of techniques from other branches is countless, yet even with such an extensive repository, all the heads of the Shen Family were stirred up when they saw the dragon’s chant in the sky!

Shen Lao Liu, Shen Yixin, the normally composed patriarch, couldn’t sit still either.

He immediately activated a technique and arrived at the family’s Stargazing Tower, staring at the green light piercing through the mist in the sky, speechless for a long time.

Within a few moments, the heads of the other branches arrived, including the youngest of them all, the head of the twelfth branch who was only twenty years old: Shen Yichen.

“Azure Dragon Sorcery!” Shen Lao Si, the tallest one who looked more like a strongman than a magician, spoke out, “That direction is Lyuzhou, right?

Old Liu, how many days has Second Brother and his group been in Lyuzhou?”

“Three days!” Shen Yixin took a deep breath, somewhat excited.

The Four Holy Spells, oh!

Back in the most prosperous era of magicians, the Four Holy Sorcerers were recognized as the pinnacle.

If it were not for the Royal Family’s strict protection, that one in the Capital City would have long been snatched up by other magician families.

“Since it has appeared in Jiangnan, then it belongs to our Shen Family!” A voice as harsh as metal chimed in.

Amongst the heads, one was covered in bandages, only revealing a single eye and looking extremely bizarre—it was none other than the Thousand Eyes Sorcerer: Shen Lao San, Shen Yifeng!

“Seventh Brother is right!” A tall and refined man nodded, “This time, even if the Siao Family comes, on our turf, we cannot give in!”

The speaker was the youngest legitimate descendant, head of the twelfth branch, Shen Yichen.

He inherited the Divine Fire Sorcery left by the first wife of Old Ancestor Shen, which is the most difficult path to master in the Shen Family’s collection of techniques, second only to the Dragon Transformation Sorcery of the main branch!

Back then, Shen Yuyan nearly burned his foundation when he tried to follow this path, just a step away from completion.

He should have passed on the ‘Yan’ character to the new head of the twelfth branch, but the young man didn’t take it, choosing the character ‘Chen’ instead, symbolizing the early yang of the Shen Family, the child most adored by the old ancestor nowadays.

Looking at this spirited youth, the other direct brothers all showed a smile.

Yes, in Jiangnan, the Shen Family has been in control for a thousand years.

Even during the most chaotic periods of the previous dynasty, no power could reach into Jiangnan.

Even if the Emperor of the Great Jin himself came, this Four Holy Technique would not be conceded!

“The tricky part now is this fog…” the always silent pale-faced man finally spoke.

His complexion was pale without a trace of blood, appearing so weak as if he could pass away at any given moment, seated in a wheelchair and even breathing with the help of a pipe.

It was Shen Family’s Old San.

Although he appeared as if he might die of consumption at any moment, no one dared to underestimate him.

Even when the eldest brother was around, he treated Old San with great courtesy.

The reason was that Old San inherited the most dangerous Blood Refinement Sorcery from the Shen Family!

Shen Yixin nodded when he heard these words, “Since the appearance of this mist yesterday, I felt something was amiss.

I’ve dispatched several fast boats to investigate, but as soon as they approached the mist…

they would return…”

“Return?”

The others were stunned, “What do you mean?”

“Return as in literally coming back…” Shen Yixin said with a wry smile, “It sounds bizarre, but that’s what the people on the boats say.

Even though they were following the wind without changing direction, after sailing all night, as soon as they left the mist, they were back where they started!”

“A soul-confusing array?” Shen Lao Si frowned as he looked towards the river, “Then this range is somewhat exaggerated.

It’s not just the waterway; at one glance, the whole of Nan Ming is enveloped.

To sustain a city-encircling soul-confusing array of this level, at least a hundred fourth-rank magicians are needed, right?”

“Is it targeted at our Shen Family?” Old Shi’er, Shen Yichen, furrowed his brows.

Shen Yixin frowned.

This was what he was most worried about.

Fourth-rank magicians, they might not sound formidable, but having one or two in a magician family that isn’t from the direct line of succession is already considered quite good.

A hundred?’

To organize such a group of magicians, there are only two forces in the world that can do so—one is the Imperial Court, the other is an old power from Yundu.

If either of them is targeting the Shen Family, it would be a huge problem.

Furthermore, the Shen Family has made many arrangements in Nanyang, and to be encircled by this fog without any warning—how meticulous must the planning have been?

It’s likely that it not only requires a hundred fourth-rank magicians for the array but also the cooperation of insiders from Nan Ming.

Who could it be?

Who wants to target the Shen Family?

Who in Nanyang City is the insider aligning with outsiders?

Does the sudden appearance of the Azure Dragon Sorcery have anything to do with this targeted act?

“Cough cough…

Neither the Imperial Court nor Yundu has the motive to target the Shen Family,” Old San coughed for a long time before catching his breath and speaking, “I admit the Imperial Court has the capability to deal with our Shen Family, but at great cost.

We already ceded most of Jiangnan’s wealth to the Imperial Court and helped them control the situation in Jiangnan.

The Imperial Court has no reason to make a move against us.”

Shen Yixin nodded upon hearing these words, this logic was correct.

Years ago, under Liu Yu’s influence, the Shen Family supported the Imperial Court.

Fifth Brother, Shen Yinian, even came out of seclusion to become Minister of War.

With such an attitude, if the Imperial Court still acted against them, it would be indefensible.

Not to mention stirring up the other sorcerer families across the land, just the cost of dealing with the Shen Family would allow the powers in Yundu to take advantage of the chaos, after all, the Shen Family is no easy target, not something the Imperial Court can squeeze if they wish!

As for Yundu, the situation is the same.

Dealing with the Shen Family comes at a great cost.

If they don’t care about the cost, it is very likely that the Imperial Court will find an opportunity to wipe them out in one sweep.

It shouldn’t make sense at all.

“Is it possible…

that someone knew in advance about the appearance of the Azure Dragon Heritage?”

Shen Lao San nodded, “Old Liu, your idea is indeed similar to mine.”

“Third Brother, Sixth Brother, what do you mean?” Old Shi’er Shen Yichen asked curiously.

Facing his youngest brother, Shen Yixin explained patiently, “If someone knew in advance that the Azure Dragon Heritage would appear in Jiangnan, then everything makes sense.”

“As the local powerhouse in Jiangnan, our Shen Family is the best at seizing the initiative.

The best way to snatch the prize from the tiger’s mouth is, of course, to trap us ahead of time and prevent us from making a move!”

“I see!” Shen Yichen suddenly felt excited, “How interesting!”

“Indeed, it’s interesting…” Shen Lao San smiled, “To think they want to trap the Shen Family with a mere Technique, it truly is interesting.

Old Liu, what do you say?”

Shen Yixin also smiled, “Well then, let’s go meet them, and see what impressive creation by some great power intends to entrap the Shen Family!”

——————————————-

“Azure Dragon Sorcery?”

At this moment, in Nanming Prefecture, the Jiangnan Capital, Mu Hongqing, who was with the Jiangnan Admiral studying the fog, also fell into shock.

The fog had come from the West Sea and spread along the Zhu River, with Lyuzhou and Nanming being the first to be reached and also the first to be locked down!

As the capital of Jiangnan, Nanming Prefecture naturally housed the majority of the Imperial Court’s naval forces, especially after the redeployment of Lyuzhou’s marine troops.

Now the stationed troops in Nanming Prefecture exceeded one hundred thousand.

Yet even with such formidable military power, many officials in Nanming still felt uneasy.

After discovering that the boats could not navigate out of the fog, the Jiangnan Admiral, together with the Educational Governor, had spent an entire day investigating, but the results were terrifying.

A force of thirty thousand troops, a hundred military ships, and more than a dozen Magicians including Mu Hongqing spent the whole night trying, yet not a single ship managed to get out!

Such bizarre circumstances, akin to a massive siege Technique, even led Mu Hongqing and others to suspect the old powers of Yundu had made their move!

Because a large-scale Technique like this one could only be deployed by a few forces in the world…

And having spent the entire night in harried alarm without emerging from their astonishment, they then witnessed the sudden appearance of the Azure Dragon Sorcery, which had been lost for a thousand years.

Even Mu Hongqing and the genuine Magicians were shocked beyond measure, let alone the Admiral who came from a bloodline Sorcerer Family.

He too was astoundingly shaken.

He had personally witnessed how the Sorcerer Families had encircled and besieged the Fei Family back in the day.

With the appearance of the Azure Dragon Sorcery in Jiangnan, chaos was bound to erupt.

“Master!” The excited apprentices around Mu Hongqing all chimed in, “Does that mean…

could it be?”

Mu Hongqing remained silent and appeared exceedingly aloof.

The apprentices he was leading were assigned by the Yin Yang Academy, and apart from his eldest disciple Qi Rui, the rest were merely fulfilling routine obligations.

These apprentices, coming from Sorcerer Families, had transparent motives to Mu Hongqing.

If it weren’t for the strange fog trapping them, they would probably have already sent messages to their families!

“Master…

that direction is…” A man in his thirties, with a square face, spoke softly.

“Hmm…” Mu Hongqing nodded slightly, “Lyuzhou…”

“That means little Junior Sister…”

“Your Junior Sister is cautious by nature and won’t take risks lightly.” Mu Hongqing hesitated and then spoke.

The man’s mouth twitched at the response.

Aren’t these words of comfort from the teacher?

How can you call her cautious?

Isn’t she the one who dares to take the most risks?

Furthermore, for a Technique of this caliber, any Magician would go mad, let alone someone with the temperament of a Junior Sister.

Mu Hongqing was also worried.

A Technique of the Four Saints’ caliber would stir a commotion that his little apprentice couldn’t possibly get involved in.

Yet, she somehow ran into it.

The key was that this eerie fog prevented him from immediately going to his apprentice’s aid.

Had he known Lyuzhou would be so sinister, he would never have sent his prized pupil there.

What to do now?

He did not wish for his apprentice to take that risk at all.

Now, since the fog enveloped a wider area than just Nanming Prefecture, it must be the masterpiece of some force that had been plotting for a long time.

With the Azure Dragon Heritage emerging at this time, it had to be a trap.

He could only hope that his pupil would stay clear-headed and not dash into danger like a moth to a flame!