Chapter 197: The Setup (Part One)
Chapter 197: The Setup (Part One)
As Young Master Ma fully activated the Spirit Annihilation Array and idly waited to reap the spoils, Tang Jinbiao, riding atop the Azure Dragon transformed into the Big Yellow Dog, raced rapidly toward the area twenty miles away through the dense forest.
Boom!
Suddenly, an immense surge of energy swept over from the direction of the Spirit Annihilation Array. Sensing this power, the Azure Dragon halted abruptly, and Tang Jinbiao’s expression shifted instantly.
“What is that?”
Though still twenty miles away, Tang Jinbiao merely lifted his head and saw the colossal Spirit Annihilation Array radiating a blood-red glow. His eyes widened with horror as he asked.
Young Master Ma and his Compass Disk were too distant to perceive clearly.
Discovering the vast crimson formation, Tang Jinbiao instinctively narrowed his Spirit Eyes, attempting to discern the details of the scene.
“What?”
But upon looking, he realized in shock that he could perceive nothing clearly. A haze of scarlet spiritual energy filled his vision, obscuring any discernible information.
“Master! Something dire has occurred up ahead!”
The Azure Dragon had immediately noticed the anomaly and spoke, a trace of fear flickering in its eyes.
Though Tang Jinbiao possessed Spirit Eyes, the distance was too great, limiting his sight less than the Azure Dragon’s.
“What happened?”
Unable to see clearly, Tang Jinbiao had to question the Azure Dragon, his heart pounding as he inquired.
“Someone has deployed an overwhelming formation there, marked by sixty-four formation cores. Each core employs a Core Formation Cultivator as a blood sacrifice! The situation within the formation itself eludes me, yet such scale suggests not even a Nascent Soul Cultivator could escape!”
The Azure Dragon instantly recognized the Spirit Annihilation Array’s exceptional nature, disclosing this with visible unease.
“What?! What is it?”
But midway through its warning, the Azure Dragon observed something even more staggering. Its eyes radiated utter disbelief.
“What is it?”
Tang Jinbiao couldn’t see for himself, relying only on the Azure Dragon’s account.
“Master, catastrophe unfolds! We must retreat immediately! Unlikely as it seems, what you encountered previously may well be the legendary Red Worm, one of the Rainbow Seven-Colored Insects!”
Though once the exalted Demon Emperor, a primal fear now gripped the Azure Dragon—an instinct forged through countless death-defying trials.
This was the principle behind prolonged hardship making one wise!
“What?! How?!”
Hearing this, Tang Jinbiao gasped in disbelief.
He had harbored suspicions before, yet never imagined such a reality-twisting entity could truly exist.
“Plausible. Extremely plausible. Not merely possible—almost certainly! Master, even in the Demon Realm, this formation bears dark renown. There, it is called not the Spirit Annihilation Array, but the Demon Annihilation Array. Yet this is not its complete form—the true Demon Annihilation Array demands blood sacrifices from over ten thousand cultivators. What we see now is merely an infinitely simplified version, utilizing just sixty-four Core Formation Cultivators as formation cores to render a ten-mile radius lifeless! Still, this is trivial! The vital point is: consider the mastermind who orchestrated such an act?”
As it spoke, the Azure Dragon began retreating, determined to distance itself. It refused to gamble with danger.
“It couldn’t be a Nascent Soul Cultivator… A Nascent Soul Cultivator might?”
Tang Jinbiao lowered his head in contemplation, voice somber and thoughts unreadable.
“No, Master. This vicious formation was laid neither by a Nascent Soul Cultivator nor by a Nascent Soul Cultivator. The architect is… a mere Core Formation Cultivator!”
Green Dragon spoke tensely while sprinting, fearful of alerting the formation master.
“What?”
Tang Jinbiao’s eyes widened in terror at these words.
For a moment, neither Green Dragon nor Tang Jinbiao spoke further, fleeing toward the distance.
But just as they’d run only the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, Tang Jinbiao looked back, gaze resolute as it fixed on the crimson Spirit Annihilation Array.
“Ah Huang! Suppose Red Worm is trapped in that Spirit Annihilation Array—what are its chances of survival?”
Refusing to give up, Tang Jinbiao frowned deeply. Staring at the sky above the formation, he glimpsed something indistinct and asked softly.
“Ten out of ten!”
Green Dragon didn’t stop, continuing its rapid sprint, answering with absolute certainty.
“What does Red Worm fear?”
Tang Jinbiao didn’t ask why, instead inquiring about the creature’s weakness.
If Red Worm truly lived up to the legends, Tang Jinbiao clearly knew the Spirit Annihilation Array couldn’t destroy it—no need to state the obvious.
Thud!
Green Dragon’s heart lurched upon hearing this, asking uncertainly: “Master, are you… running a fever?”
“Hmm?”
Tang Jinbiao said nothing, only darkening his expression slightly with displeasure.
“They say Red Worm fears cold—not ordinary chill, but an inner, spiritual cold. Similar to Orange Worm, yet Orange Worm dreads physical cold, while Red Worm fears an intangible cold. To be precise—the kind humans call the heart’s cold!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s displeasure, Green Dragon dared not waste words, sharing all it knew.
“Heart’s cold, is it?”
Tang Jinbiao’s frown deepened further.
“What cultivation level is the formation master? Early-stage Golden Core? Mid-stage? Late? And what defines him?”
Pausing briefly, Tang Jinbiao then inquired about the caster.
What kind of medicine is he brewing in his gourd?
Ever since the Captain Wang incident, Tang Jinbiao had transformed utterly. Now Green Dragon couldn’t grasp his thoughts at all, silently grumbling.
“That man’s at the early-stage Golden Core cultivation level! If he has a trait… it’s a frail build and sickly pale face. No—right now his complexion looks utterly abnormal!”
Still, Green Dragon glanced back toward that direction.
“As expected! Him!”
Tang Jinbiao’s eyes narrowed to slits, as if he’d already guessed it, and seemed to have formulated a plan.
“Ah Huang, we turn back. Succeed here, and I’ll lift your first Seal!”
Tang Jinbiao deliberated briefly, finding no flaw in his plan, then stated with firm conviction.
“What?! Have you gone mad?! That’s combat against a Nascent Soul Cultivator! A mere Third-tier Body Refiner like you seeks death?!”
Green Dragon staggered in shock, its words tumbling out unbidden.
“Hmph, am I the master or are you the master?” Tang Jinbiao snorted disdainfully and asked.
“Yes, Ah Huang knows his mistake!” Seeing that Tang Jinbiao was about to flare up, the Azure Dragon immediately bowed his head to admit fault.
“Then why aren’t you leaving?” Seeing that the Azure Dragon wasn’t leaving, Tang Jinbiao frowned and inquired.
“Um, master, before we leave, could you please undo the first layer of Ah Huang’s seal? Because then, Ah Huang can perform a secret art. If we stay still, even a Tribulation Transcendent won’t detect our presence!” The Azure Dragon spoke hesitantly, stating his request.
“Oh? Is that so?” Tang Jinbiao seemed not to trust the Azure Dragon entirely and asked with a half-smile.
“Absolutely, Ah Huang would never dare deceive the master! If Ah Huang deceives the master, may Ah Huang never be able to undo the seal for his whole life!” Seeing Tang Jinbiao’s suspicion, the Azure Dragon immediately expressed his determination.
“Fine, I believe you!” Tang Jinbiao didn’t say more; he merely nodded, then silently closed his eyes. He began recalling in his mind the method to release the Divine Confinement Seal.
…
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the restriction on the Azure Dragon was removed by Tang Jinbiao. The Azure Dragon emitted the profound cultivation level of the Great Perfection of Core Formation.
“Haha, haha, haha!” The Azure Dragon laughed wildly, seeming to greatly enjoy the improvement in his cultivation level.
“Hmph, hurry up, don’t be tedious! If you cause trouble, I dare to remove your restriction; I dare to impose it again!” But before the Azure Dragon could be happy about anything, Tang Jinbiao’s cold voice sounded.
“Yes, yes, yes! Master is ready, Ah Huang will immediately perform the secret art!” Though displeased inside, the Azure Dragon spoke in a fawning tone.
Puff! The Azure Dragon opened his mouth slightly and blew out a ball of cyan Dragon’s Breath. Just feeling the slightest bit of the Dragon’s Breath’s temperature, Tang Jinbiao’s expression slightly changed. He immediately activated his Qi Energy within his body to resist the heat.
“Heh heh!” Upon discovering Tang Jinbiao’s discomfort, the Azure Dragon inwardly felt a slight relief.
“Hmm?” After a short while, it seemed like the Azure Dragon hadn’t performed the secret art at all. Tang Jinbiao seemed to notice something and frowned slightly.
“Bad luck, this darn kid discovered it!” Realizing that Tang Jinbiao was aware of something odd, the Azure Dragon inwardly cursed in alarm. However, he explained immediately, saying, “Master, performing this secret art takes some time! Ah! Change!”
Bang! As the Azure Dragon uttered the word “change,” that ball of cyan Dragon’s Breath instantly transformed into a large green-cyan net, descending toward the two of them.
As soon as the giant cyan net covered them, it vanished instantly. Simultaneously, Tang Jinbiao and the black dragon disappeared completely from the sky.
…
Hundreds of miles away, within a massive fortress.
This was exactly the Divine Wind Academy outpost Tang Jinbiao had planned to report to.
Deep inside the most concealed chamber of the fortress’s central stone hall, a Nascent Soul Cultivator radiating intense pressure sat meditating.
Buzz!
Suddenly, the restrictive barrier before him flickered brightly as a Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator rushed in, face etched with panic.
“Instructor Ye, bad news! Something huge has happened!”
The Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator blurted out the words the moment he entered.
“Hmm? What major event? Panicking like this is unbefitting your station.”
Instructor Ye frowned slightly, not even opening his eyes as he responded coolly.
“An enormous burst of spiritual energy erupted at the Rocky Knoll five hundred miles away! It could be powerful cultivators or demon beasts battling there!”
The Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator handed over a jade slip, his expression deeply unsettled.
“Hmph! Virtually all demon beasts above level four have been driven into the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Mountain. What powerful beast could possibly be here? It’s likely just some demon beast, cornered by cultivators, resorting to detonating its core. Nothing worth fussing over.”
Irritation showing between his brows, Instructor Ye opened his eyes with displeasure. He took the jade slip but tossed it aside without a glance.
“But—”
The Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator seemed ready to persist.
“You take a few students. Go investigate using the Cloud-Soaring Chariot. Report back if there’s anything significant. Now then, that’s all. I must cultivate!”
Instructor Ye cut him off before he could finish, effectively dismissing him. He casually picked up a small model boat from a nearby table and handed it to the Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator.
“Yes!”
The Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator clearly still had more to say, but he swallowed his words. He took the model boat and left.
“Tch! Students these days are so alarmist over nothing!”
After the Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator departed, Instructor Ye snorted contemptuously. He hadn’t spared the jade slip a single look throughout the entire exchange. Slowly closing his eyes again, he sank back into meditation.
Once outside the stone chamber, the Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator’s eyes flashed with anger. He cursed inwardly: Damned instructors, so full of themselves! If things really go south, they’ll just throw us lowly students under the chariot! Leaders are never wrong!
This won’t do. I need to go check. If it’s truly bad, I’ll flee alone. I’ve got the Cloud-Soaring Chariot now. As long as I don’t run into a Nascent Soul Cultivator, I should be fine!
The more he thought about it, the more something felt wrong. A growing sense of unease gripped him.
“Li Qing! Ma Hong! You two, come with me!”
The Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator beckoned to two Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators standing nearby.
“What is it, Senior Brother Tang?”
“What’s wrong, Senior Brother Tang?”
Li Qing and Ma Hong looked puzzled when called, asking simultaneously.
“No time for questions! Follow me!”
The Mid Foundation Building Stage cultivator grabbed their arms without explanation, pulling them as he rushed towards the exit…