After descending the mountain, my aloof fiancée became completely devoted to me.

A short line of text appeared on the phone screen. Lin Ping clenched his fists tightly, his fingertips pressing against the screen so hard it trembled slightly. The gloom that had been weighing on his eyes for days vanished, replaced by an overwhelming surge of excitement.

"She's alright."

He muttered to himself, his fingertips rapidly tapping the hidden coordinates attached to the pop-up window, his feet instinctively reaching out to leave.

"Sir, please don't rush."

Zhu Xiaohan quickly stepped forward and blocked Lin Ping's path, her brows furrowed and her tone full of doubt.

"I have been based in the southern border region for many years, and I have thoroughly investigated all the outposts and desolate mountains and wilderness. I have been searching for days without finding any trace of Shen Aoxue. This news came too suddenly and is too much of a coincidence."

She looked up at Lin Ping and clearly stated her doubts: "Furthermore, Miss Ao Xue has no martial arts cultivation whatsoever. She would have difficulty dealing with ordinary array formations and mechanisms. The Illuminati's ultimate earth vein sacrifice array is full of killing intent and hides countless deadly moves. It is impossible for her to break the array alone."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a charming, languid voice came from the side of the corridor.

Ake leaned against the carved pillar, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, a hint of mockery in her eyes, her tone laced with a touch of sarcasm.

"Sister Hanhan, why are you nitpicking like this? Are you jealous of Sister Aoxue? Are you afraid that once Brother Ping finds her, he won't be able to see anyone else?"

One sentence struck a nerve with Zhu Xiaohan, causing her face to flush instantly and her aura to turn cold.

"Jealous?" Zhu Xiaohan stared directly at Ake, her voice tinged with suppressed anger. "My feelings for Mr. are completely open and honest. Why should I hide them? You know in your heart that among us, I'm the only one who was betrothed to Mr., yet I've never crossed that line with him. How can I be jealous?"

Seeing that she was really angry, Ake quickly put away her teasing expression, took half a step forward, lowered her head, and put on a frightened and aggrieved look.

"I misspoke, Sister Hanhan, please don't be angry. I was just being blunt, I didn't mean anything by it." She gently tugged at Lin Ping's sleeve and said softly, "I'm just worried that this news is a trap. If it's true, and Brother Ping goes there rashly, we'll all regret it if something happens."

Lin Ping ignored the two women's argument, tapped the encrypted number in the pop-up window, and dialed the number.

There was only a cold busy tone on the receiver. I dialed three times in a row, but no one answered.

"Regardless of whether the clues are true or false, I must go to the coordinates." Lin Ping put away his phone and looked at the group of martial arts masters behind him. "Elder Zhang, I'll trouble you to lead the seniors to stay behind at the manor and protect Adele, Alu, and the other ladies."

The tycoon surnamed Zhang cupped his hands in response, saying, "Rest assured, sir, no one will be allowed to trespass into the manor."

Adele stepped forward, gently smoothed out the wrinkles in Lin Ping's clothes, and softly advised, "Be careful in everything you do, and don't push yourself if something seems wrong."

Alu handed over a protective jade amulet and stood quietly to the side, her eyes full of concern.

Lin Ping nodded, turned around, and drove alone towards the mountain coordinates marked in the anonymous message.

Only Zhu Xiaohan and Ake remained in the courtyard corridor; the warmth dissipated, and the air became tense, almost frozen.

Lin Ping's car disappeared completely around the bend in the mountain road. Zhu Xiaohan could no longer suppress her anger, turned around to face Ake, and spoke in a cold voice.

"You said those things just now on purpose for the teacher to hear, didn't you?"

Ake lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly, looking frightened and weak. Her voice was timid: "Sister Hanhan, I really just said it casually. I didn't mean any harm."

"Just a casual remark?" Zhu Xiaohan stepped forward, her eyes sharp. "You're clearly trying to sow discord, trying to make the master think I'm narrow-minded and can't tolerate Miss Aoxue! When the master returns, I will definitely expose all your intentions and expose your pretense."

Ake's shoulders trembled even more violently, her eyes instantly reddening. She raised a hand to wipe her eyes, looking wronged and helpless, and murmured softly, "I really didn't do anything..."

But beneath her drooping eyelids, there was not a trace of grievance in her eyes, only a chilling, sinister light.

She sneered inwardly: Expose me? That depends on whether Lin Ping survives the earth vein sacrifice array.

Little Fish had already laid a trap. That coordinate was a deadly trap set specifically for Lin Ping. The earth vein array was full of blood energy, and countless modified death warriors and elite members of the Illuminati were lying in ambush in the mountains. Once Lin Ping stepped into the area, there would be no chance of escape.

While undercurrents surged within the manor, Little Fish in the underground base was staring intently at the holographic projection in front of him.

The projected image clearly showed the only mountain path leading to the core of the deep mountain veins, and the subordinate bowed to report.

"Commander, Lin Ping has already driven alone to the coordinates of the sacrificial array, without any martial arts experts by his side, and is going into the trap alone."

Xiaoyuer raised his cold-glowing mechanical right arm, his fingertips tracing Lin Ping's vehicle trajectory on the screen, the mechanical joints clicking, and a maniacal, sinister smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"What an idiot, daring to go to his death alone based on an anonymous message from an unknown source."

The deputy stood to the side and whispered, "Commander, should we mobilize all the hidden assassins now, seal off the entire forest, and kill Lin Ping on the spot?"

"No rush." ​​Xiaoyuer shook his head, his eyes full of calculation. "Once the Earth Vein Sacrifice Array is activated, it will draw on the life force of all living beings in the surrounding area. No matter how strong Lin Ping's martial arts are, he cannot withstand the continuous damage from the array."

"When he is trapped by the great formation and exhausted, we will surround him and take his life."

She paused, then tapped her fingertips heavily on the control panel, her tone ruthless: "Also, send a team to keep a close watch on the suburban manor. If any of those women go out, arrest them all. Lin Ping values ​​these women most; controlling them means controlling his greatest weakness."

"Yes, sir!"

Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, a crimson earth vein array stretched for miles, with faint crimson blood energy flowing between the gullies and the oppressive, suffocating aura enveloping the entire valley.