High-level martial arts: Long spear with black flames to suppress demons.

The living room was quiet for a while.

A breeze carrying the scent of flowers blew in through the window, lifting a corner of a piece of paper on the table. Shen Chang'an reached out and pressed it down, while Bai Chongguang gathered the scattered documents back together and pulled out the architectural drawings underneath.

"Besides these, there's something else that's very unusual. This is information that my subordinates collected at the time, and all related materials were destroyed afterward. At first, I didn't take it seriously, but looking back now, there are many anomalies."

He spread out the blueprints and gestured for Shen Chang'an to look at the markings on them.

"When those families were preparing for the birth of their children, they appeared to be interacting more closely than before, but in private they were very careful. Instead of going to medical institutions in the capital, they each set up delivery rooms and pregnancy care areas within their clan territory."

"This in itself is not a problem. Each family has its own methods, and they are worried about the successor. It is understandable that they are cautious. However, in addition to protection and gathering of spiritual energy, these formations also have very complex isolation structures, which not only prevent external divine sense from probing, but also conceal the flow of spiritual energy inside."

Shen Chang'an took the blueprints and compared them one by one.

The outer layouts of the various formations are clearly different; some are more defensive, while others are better at gathering spiritual energy. However, looking into the deepest part, the positions and connections of several key nodes are quite similar.

He put two of them together and asked, "They're so similar, could they have been set up by the same person?"

"It may not be the same person who did it, but the core structure should come from the same source."

Bai Chongguang pointed at the blueprints.

"When I asked them about it afterward, they all said it was designed by their elders and had nothing to do with anyone else. But how can there be so many coincidences when these things are placed together?"

"What's even more puzzling is that, based on what I learned later, they seemed genuinely unaware that other families were also using similar formations. When I noticed the anomaly, I destroyed all the relevant information except for this one copy."

Looking at the similarities, Shen Chang'an gradually formed a guess: "Perhaps someone contacted them separately without telling them that other families were involved?"

"That's what I think too. Some people give the same thing to different families, making each family think that they have the only one."

He paused briefly, then added, "However, this is just my speculation; I haven't obtained any concrete evidence."

"What I can see is that those families are arranging weddings and preparing for children at the same time, and they have each built similar formations. They are obviously waiting for a result, otherwise, there would be no need to make so many arrangements."

Bai Chongguang was silent for a moment, then said, "I've always had a suspicion... that someone brought these families together, perhaps wanting to use those children to fuse different bloodlines together."

He pointed to the photos of Gu Tianyang and Murong Xiangqing: "The marriage between the Gu and Murong families was originally intended to combine the bloodlines of both families. Although Xu Mingjing does not have a powerful family to back him up, his talent surpasses that of his peers in the capital. Naturally, his child with Gu Qin will also be targeted by others."

"A normal marriage can only combine the bloodlines of both parents, but what if someone told them that there's a way to also incorporate the bloodlines of other families, and even transfer Xu Mingjing's child's talent to their own child?"

Shen Chang'an looked down at the array diagram on the table, and then remembered the overly concentrated wedding dates and due dates, and vaguely understood Bai Chongguang's meaning.

"So, that's why those families were arranging the marriages while secretly setting up protective formations and guarding against each other?"

"But can they really believe something based on just a few words? Aren't they afraid of problems arising from testing their own children on it?"

Bai Chongguang said, "Of course it's not just a few words. However, methods such as altering bloodlines, transplanting talents, and seizing other people's physiques are not entirely non-existent in the cultivation world."

"As long as the other party presents some verifiable results and exaggerates the benefits to a great extent, there will always be someone willing to try. One success could mean that the family will not lack top experts for hundreds of years to come. Few families can easily resist such temptation. Just imagine, if the bloodlines of all the major families in the capital are concentrated in one person, how high must that person's talent be..."

Shen Chang'an did not respond, but his suspicions were confirmed one by one.

Bai Chongguang looked at the array diagram on the table: "If my guess is correct, that person understands their thoughts very well. He didn't call everyone together and clearly tell them that this is a plan that requires everyone's participation."

"Because once you know that everyone is involved, the first thing you'll think about is whether your own child will be the one whose bloodline is ultimately taken away."

Shen Chang'an continued, "So, he made each family feel that they were the ones who would ultimately benefit."

Bai Chongguang nodded slowly: "Yes, in the eyes of the person behind the scenes, they are just objects that they think they can use. Every family thinks they are the ultimate beneficiary, so they will all agree to this."

As Shen Chang'an looked at the blueprints, the words left behind by Ji Siye flashed through his mind.

He has been reborn in the Eastern Empire, but his memories are distorted and his consciousness has been altered. He himself is very likely a life form created by Him.

If Bai Chongguang's speculation is close to the truth, then the person who promoted the marriage alliances and extracted the lives and bloodlines of those children back then was very likely Him.

But who is He now?

In what capacity did you come into contact with those families?

Shen Chang'an temporarily suppressed these thoughts: "With so many formations operating at the same time, didn't the capital city notice?"

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Bai Chongguang's face: "That's really not the case. Moreover, before the incident, several military forces in Beijing that could quickly intervene had been transferred away."

"Including the First Army Group?"

"Yes, at that time, about 50% of the First Army's strength was transferred away."

Bai Chongguang found a copy of the transfer order in the documents and pushed it over.

"Six hours before the incident, fluctuations resembling a large abyssal rift appeared on the border. The capital ordered the First Army Group to mobilize its main force to deal with it. The news was of a very high level, and we did not delay after receiving the order."

Shen Chang'an looked down at the transfer order; the date, number, and signature were all complete.

"But when my subordinates arrived at the location, they discovered that there was no real abyssal rift at all, but rather a spiritual energy shock that had been artificially amplified."

"The incident happened without any warning and was completed silently. After the incident, Xu Mingjing used the power of the stone slab in the capital to open the abyss. Even though the capital reacted quickly and paid a great price to deal with the stone slab, it did not manage to keep Xu Mingjing."

His voice trailed off as he finished speaking.

Upon hearing the words "stone slab," Shen Chang'an's gaze sharpened slightly, but he didn't interrupt immediately. He kept this clue in mind and continued looking at the transfer order in his hand.

"Was this order ever checked afterward?"

"I checked, and there are signatures from the Zhenye Division, the military, and high-ranking officials in the capital. The intelligence reporting, risk assessment, and troop mobilization procedures all match up. Looking at any one of them, it seems like a normal handling of an emergency."

Bai Chongguang pointed to the paper: "But this transfer deliberately avoided the most critical few hours. The person who created the false information is obviously very familiar with our procedures and knows how to make the order go through all the procedures smoothly."