Hmm?"
Qin Chuan's eyes suddenly lit up. Wasn't this formation useless? On the contrary, it was quite remarkable. It was just a broken formation, and the damage was very special, reducing its power to less than ten percent.
But even with less than ten percent, it could still serve as a protective formation for the imperial city, which meant that this formation was incredibly powerful. It was a pity that its value was hidden, and no one knew it was such a valuable thing.
This discovery made Qin Chuan feel overjoyed. It was truly important, because in the current situation, Qin Chuan was somewhat helpless, but now with this formation, things were different.
In the eyes of others, this formation was useless, even worthless, but in Qin Chuan's hands, it was different; it was simply an unparalleled formation at this stage.
Now there was no time to hesitate, so Qin Chuan directly modified the formation, which could only be considered a minor modification, mostly repairs, requiring the collection of several materials.
Fortunately, these materials were not difficult to find, although scarce, they could be obtained.
Chaos reigned throughout the capital, everyone's hearts were in turmoil, but Qin Chuan couldn't afford to worry about that now. He had already begun working on the array.
The Imperial Tutor and the Empress knew that Qin Cha wouldn't do anything without certainty, much less without a reason. Qin Chuan's actions were clear; they understood he was repairing the great array.
Although they trusted Qin Chuan, it seemed a bit late now. Besides, they also knew the array well; repairing it was practically impossible. There
was also the matter of time.
The other side had sent messages and letters, which should arrive in about three to five days, at the shortest three days and at the longest no more than five days, based on Qin Chuan's sensed distance.
Qin Chuan felt the time was about right; he needed to hurry and couldn't afford to slack off. Success or failure hinged on this array. Repairing it would provide a safe haven. He
was confident in this.
Qin Chuan didn't know how strong the Five Qi Yang Sect was, but he was confident that once the array was repaired, he could handle the current situation.
The repairs went smoothly, and Qin Chuan encountered no obstacles. During this time, some people couldn't bear the oppressive atmosphere of the capital and chose to leave, sneaking away, but ultimately died. This further increased the pressure on the people of the capital.
Death itself isn't always frightening; what's truly terrifying is the process of waiting for death. That's exactly what the capital was like at this moment, shrouded in the shadow of death, making people feel as if they dared not even breathe.
This atmosphere could drive people mad.
The Empress reassured the people of the capital, telling them not to panic, that everything would be alright, but most didn't believe her. After all, it was the Five Qi Yang Gate, and the Heavenly Kingdom had no hope of stopping it.
Under these circumstances, three days had passed.
Qin Chuan's repair of the formation had reached its final stage, but this time it was a bit unsuccessful, wasting more than an hour of his time. Meanwhile, the people from the Five Qi Yang Gate had arrived at the capital, right at the city gate.
It was impossible for Qin Chuan not to be anxious now; if everything went smoothly, he could finish the repairs without any delays.
The Five Qi Yang Sect didn't send many people, only a little over a hundred. They were all dressed in black armor, hats, and masks; only their eyes were visible—cold, ruthless, and bloodthirsty.
"Don't resist. The Five Qi Yang Sect's word is law. Surrender obediently, and I'll give you a quick death."
"Dream on!" the Empress said indifferently.
"Very well, you won't shed tears until you're satisfied. I'll see how long you can hold out. Attack! Leave no one alive, kill them all!"
"Yes, yes..."
These people prepared to enter the imperial city. The current formation was already in effect. Although it wasn't fully repaired, its power was far greater than before, so even the current formation could hold them off for a while.
Boom!
These people crashed directly into the formation's barrier, becoming dazed and disoriented. The leader of the Five Qi Yang Sect frowned; he saw the formation, but it was unfamiliar to him.
Although unfamiliar, he had heard of it and knew a great deal. This formation sent a chill down his spine, for it was so similar to a legendary formation he had once seen.
He quickly dismissed the thought.
He considered several possibilities, but regarding this particular formation, he reached a conclusion: it was unbreakable, a guaranteed failure, with absolutely no hope of success.
Unbreakable?
The man was furious and immediately ordered the formation to be broken. Among those who came were formation masters and physicians—everything was available to handle any unexpected situation, preventing a chaotic scene.
The formation master who arrived was no ordinary man either; he quickly realized the problem and looked at the middle-aged man from the Five Qi Yang Sect with a pale face.
The middle-aged man, seeing the formation master's expression, knew the situation was dire, but he didn't know the state of Ju Ri.
"How is it?" the head of the Five Qi Yang Sect, the middle-aged man, asked.
The formation master exhaled and looked earnestly at the middle-aged man from the Five Qi Yang Sect, saying, "I can break it, but the sacrifice will be too great."
"Never mind, use it! I want to break the formation and destroy the Heavenly Kingdom!"
The man from the Five Qi Yang Sect gave a direct, death order, leaving no room for negotiation.
"Alright, then we must capture five hundred men and five hundred women. Their blood can break this formation," the formation master said.
This formation master was quite tall, dressed in loose black robes, exuding a ghostly aura. A snow-white skull was embroidered on his clothes; not too terrifying, but certainly eye-catching.
Capturing five hundred men and five hundred women was too easy, as there were no requirements—the elderly and children could all be captured.
So, a chorus of cries erupted below. After the enemy slashed two men to death, the remaining people fell silent.
"I've heard the Empress has always loved her people like her own children. Now is your time to choose. Whether they live or die is entirely up to you. If you want them to live, tear down the formation," the man said with a cold smile.
This was a dilemma. Removing the formation was impossible, but not removing it would damage his reputation, with potentially incalculable consequences. History had similar examples, and the person who did choose not to remove it naturally did so.
As a result, the people below the city were massacred. Although he survived, he lost the hearts of the people, and soon his empire and the entire royal family perished. This incident served as a warning.
Now, the dilemma rested with the Empress. It was indeed a difficult choice. She knew she couldn't choose that way, because opening the formation would result in a bloodbath in the capital.
But if she didn't open it, the people below would die.
The choice was truly hard.