With the weapon synthesized, Lin Xuan's tactical mind accelerated, running the entire infiltration and extraction sequence as a seamless spiritual simulation. He refined the five steps into a fluid, millisecond-by-millisecond operation, leaving no room for mortal or spiritual interference.
He briefed Li Mo, not with words, but with direct, simple commands that reinforced her role as the anchor. She was to drive the beat-up, unassuming sedan, parking several blocks away from Ma Feng's compound. She was his eyes and ears in the mundane world, tasked with monitoring all local media and social traffic for any sign of preemptive activity by the martial artist. Her loyalty was absolute, her fear now sublimated into focused determination.
"If the Spirit Sense I leave on you falters," Lin Xuan instructed, his voice low and firm, "drive immediately to the pre-designated location. Do not look back, and do not attempt communication. I will handle the remainder."
Li Mo simply nodded, her gaze steady. She had accepted her role in the Emperor's war.
Lin Xuan used the hours before dawn to perform one final, critical sweep of the city using his Elementary Spirit Sense Technique. He needed confirmation that no other high-level threat was moving to support Ma Feng or, more importantly, that his true objective, the Rank B Formation at the Library, remained dormant.
He focused his Immortal Gaze on the Library complex. The colossal spiritual void remained, a massive, quiescent power source. But as the clock edged toward 04:00, Lin Xuan noticed a subtle, alarming new development.
The faint, chaotic Qi flows associated with the construction crew—the renovation project he was aware of—were not just moving tools. They were beginning to interact with the outer edges of the Rank B Formation itself. An ignorant foreman, trying to install new foundation supports or utilities, was inadvertently pushing metallic rods and sensors into the Formation's ancient, outer layer of protective energy.
Lin Xuan detected microscopic sparks of Qi leakage—not enough to activate the Guardian Sentinel he anticipated, but enough to constitute a ticking clock. The formation was stable, but the mundane interference was escalating. If he delayed the Rank B Formation breach for too long, the interference might accidentally trigger a catastrophic shutdown, destroying the resource entirely, or, worse, activating the Formation's deep, self-defense protocol against an external intrusion before he was ready.
The timeline is non-negotiable, Lin Xuan realized. The martial artist must fall first, and the Library must be breached immediately after. There is no time for Qi recovery or prolonged planning.
He rose to his feet. The city was silent, awaiting the first light of dawn. The air was cold, perfect for rapid infiltration. Lin Xuan's dark jacket concealed the Molecular Phasing Edge and the deadly Spiritual Paralysis Pin.
At 05:00, precisely thirty minutes before Ma Feng's scheduled meditation, Lin Xuan cast his final, strongest Qi-Concealing Veil. He became a pure non-entity to the mortal world. He gave Li Mo a final, silent nod and slipped out of the apartment.
The Emperor had finished his preparation. He was marching uptown to execute a Stage Four martial artist and, in doing so, clear the final obstacle before claiming the ultimate prize hidden beneath the ancient Library. The silence of the city was merely the sound of a countdown.