159: The Array of Ten Thousand Miles in a Mere Foot

Tianyan Sect.

When these three words were spoken, the atmosphere in the grand hall instantly plummeted from heated excitement to freezing cold.

The face of Luo Ximei, which had previously been filled with a "slay gods and demons" expression, now showed a look of extreme disgust, as if she had swallowed a fly that wasn't quite dead yet.

"Tianyan Sect?"

She sneered, her fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest of her chair, making a clack-clack sound.

"Are those the pedantic scholars who talk about benevolence and morality while committing lewd acts, whose rules are longer than foot-binding cloths, and who act slower than a crawling turtle?"

Chu Weiwei also furrowed her brows, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief in disgust, as if she could smell a sour stench just from hearing the name.

"Revered Master, can we change the destination? Every time Weiwei thinks about meeting those hypocrites, I can't stop my hand from wanting to scatter poison into their water wells."

Su Lin sat in the main seat, his expression unchanged, though a cold glint of memory flashed in his eyes.

Tianyan Sect.

One of the oldest Sects of the Righteous Path, self-proclaimed maintainers of the Heavenly Dao order.

A hundred years ago, when Su Lin traveled the world with his sword, the grudge he formed with the Tianyan Sect could be described as too numerous to record.

The cause was simple: a Grand Elder of the Tianyan Sect at the time took a fancy to a sword in Su Lin's possession. He slapped a label on it, claiming the sword had deep demonic nature and needed to be brought back to the Sect for suppression, intending to rob him.

As a result, the young and hot-blooded Su Lin, with one man and one sword, hacked through the seven Mountain Protecting Grand Arrays of the Tianyan Sect, shaved the Grand Elder's beard clean, and carved the three characters "hypocrites" onto the stone stele at the mountain gate of the Tianyan Sect.

That battle made the Tianyan Sect the laughingstock of the Cultivation World for a hundred years.

The two sides were irreconcilable enemies.

"We cannot change it."

Gu Qiuyue shook her head. As a merchant, she valued efficiency most, even if she didn't like the Tianyan Sect either.

"The 【Ten Thousand Li Trachoma Array】 is a unique relic from ancient times. It is the only one on the entire continent, and it is located under the main peak of the Tianyan Sect, the Tianxue Peak.

If we were to rebuild a teleportation Formation, just positioning the spatial coordinates would take seven days, which is simply too late."

"Then we go."

Su Lin stood up and smoothed his sleeves.

"Since we are borrowing the path, there are rules for borrowing the path."

"If they are willing to lend it, that is for the best."

"If they are not…"

Luo Ximei took over, her white-gold right eye narrowing slightly, the corners of her mouth curling into a bloodthirsty arc:

"If they are unwilling, this Disciple will help them renovate their mountain gate.

Just in time, those three words Revered Master carved a hundred years ago have probably weathered away. This Disciple will go and help you carve them deeper. Using their blood."

...

Half a day later.

Tianyan Mountain Range.

Here, clouds steamed and mist swirled, Spiritual Qi was so dense it formed fog, and countless immortal cranes danced in the clouds. Magnificent palaces were built against the mountains, with golden roofs and red walls, fully displaying the grandeur of a major Sect of the Righteous Path.

However, today's peace was rudely broken by a black shadow.

"Boom."

A massive sonic boom resounded through the sky, tearing the clouds to shreds.

The 【flowing sunset cloud brocade】 did not hide its tracks; it transformed into a dark golden giant warship a thousand feet long, arrogantly intruding into the airspace of the Tianyan Sect.

Warning bells rang out.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

"What kind of monster dares to trespass into the Forbidden Ground of the Tianyan Sect!"

Thousands of sword lights rose from various peaks, dense as a swarm of locusts, attempting to block the advancement of the giant warship.

"Scram."

Standing on the bow, Luo Ximei stood with her hands behind her back.

She only said one word.

The terrifying aura of the Great Perfection of Integration Stage, combined with that trace of Origin power, turned into a tangible sound wave that spread outward in a fan shape.

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!"

The Flying Swords that had just risen into the air were like brittle dead branches in front of this sound wave, snapping and shattering one after another.

Thousands of Tianyan Sect Disciples were hit hard, spitting blood, and fell from the sky like dumplings.

The giant warship hovered directly above the Tianyan Sect's main peak, Tianxue Peak.

The massive shadow cast down, enveloping the magnificent grand hall in darkness.

"An old friend has come to visit, is this how the Tianyan Sect treats guests?"

Su Lin's voice came from the flying ship, not loud, but it clearly penetrated layers of Formation and echoed in the ears of every Tianyan Sect Disciple.

"Su... Su Lin?!"

From inside the Tianxue Peak grand hall came a cry of shock and resentment.

Immediately after, three streams of light rushed out of the hall, transforming into three old men in Daoist robes.

The leader, with white hair and beard, holding a whisk, was none other than the current Sect Leader of the Tianyan Sect, Daoist Cangsong.

He was also the Personal Disciple of that Grand Elder whose beard had been shaved off by Su Lin a hundred years ago.

"Devil Head! You are actually still alive?!"

Daoist Cangsong stared fixedly at Su Lin standing on the bow, his eyes almost spitting fire.

The humiliation of a hundred years ago was an inescapable nightmare for the Tianyan Sect.

Now that enemies had met, they were extremely hostile.

But he did not act immediately.

Because he saw the two people beside Su Lin.

The woman on the left, in a black and white interlaced Dharma robe, with eyes like a god or demon, radiated a terrifying fluctuation that made him, a Middle Stage Body Integration cultivator, feel suffocated.

The woman on the right, in a moon-white long dress, looked weak, but the surrounding air presented a strange distortion because of the poison Qi permeating her body.

The Demonic Path Empress, Luo Ximei.

The Medicine Immortal, Chu Weiwei.

These two, take either one out, and they are ruthless characters capable of making the Cultivation World tremble.

And now, they stood like two guards, one on the left and one on the right, behind Su Lin, who only had the cultivation of the Early Stage of Void Refining.

"Cangsong, a hundred years no see, your cultivation hasn't improved much, but your voice has gotten much louder."

Su Lin looked down at him, his tone carrying a touch of casual mockery.

"I didn't come here today to reminisce, nor to destroy the Sect."

"I am here to borrow your Sect's 【Ten Thousand Li Trachoma Array】."

"I will leave as soon as I am done."

"Borrow the Formation?"

Daoist Cangsong was stunned for a moment, then laughed in anger, pointing his whisk at Su Lin, trembling.

"Su Lin! You killed my Sect members, humiliated my Revered Master, and destroyed my mountain gate!

Now you dare to shamelessly come to borrow the Formation? Do you really think my Tianyan Sect is your back garden?!"

"You won't lend it?"

Luo Ximei took a step forward, light swirling in her white-gold right eye.

"Old thing, this Venerable One advises you to think clearly before you speak. If Revered Master says to borrow, it is giving you face. If this Venerable One speaks, it is not called borrowing; it is called robbing."

As her voice fell, the space behind her began to collapse in pieces, countless black spatial cracks slithering like venomous snakes, emitting an aura of destruction.

Daoist Cangsong's expression changed drastically.

He could feel that this Female Demon Lord in front of him was not joking.

She truly had the strength, and the guts, to raze the Tianyan Sect to the ground.

But he could not retreat.

Behind him were tens of thousands of Disciples, and the face of the Righteous Path.

If he were scared into opening the Mountain Protecting Grand Array and obediently handing over the supreme treasure just because of a few words from three Devil Heads, how could the Tianyan Sect stand in the Cultivation World in the future?

"Arrogant!"

Daoist Cangsong shouted angrily, biting the tip of his tongue and spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the Sect Head's command sword in his hand.

"Invite the Old Ancestor to come out of seclusion! Suppress the Devil Head!"

Following his angry roar, a long-dormant, massive aura suddenly awakened within the Forbidden Ground at the back of the Tianyan Sect.

A golden beam of light shot straight into the clouds. Within the beam, an old man wearing ancient Daoist robes, shaped like withered wood, slowly stepped out.

With every step he took, a golden lotus bloomed beneath his feet.

Lotus blooming with every step.

This was the phenomenon of a half-step Mahayana!

"Who... disturbs my quiet cultivation?"

The old man's voice was ancient and hoarse, carrying an aura of decay, yet it contained a heart-palpitating pressure.

The Tianyan Sect's only foundation, the Grand Elder who had lived for two thousand years, Venerable Drywood.

Seeing the Old Ancestor appear, Daoist Cangsong was overjoyed, pointing at Su Lin and the others, shouting: "Old Ancestor! It is that Devil Head Su Lin from a hundred years ago! He brought two demonesses and killed his way to our door! He even wants to forcibly seize the teleportation Formation left by the Ancestral Master!"

Venerable Drywood's cloudy old eyes slowly opened, his gaze sweeping across the flying ship.

When he saw Su Lin, a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

A mere Void Refining, an ant.

When he saw Chu Weiwei, his brows furrowed slightly.

A Body Integration Stage poison user, a bit troublesome, but killable.

But when his gaze landed on Luo Ximei, especially when he felt the power in her body that was black and white interlaced, faintly carrying a trace of the Origin power of the Upper Realm.

Venerable Drywood's pupils shrank to the size of needle points.

He had lived for two thousand years; although he had failed to achieve Ascension, his knowledge was still there.

That power...

It was not something that should exist in the mortal world!

That touched the Origin of an immortal!

Behind this girl, stood a True Immortal?!

Venerable Drywood, who had been ready to make a move, abruptly stopped his steps. The killing intent that had just gathered was like being doused with a basin of ice water, instantly dissipating without a trace.

He stiffly turned his head to look at Daoist Cangsong, his gaze as if looking at an idiot who was about to lead the Sect into the grave.

Fight?

What is there to fight with?

They possess the Origin of a True Immortal; even if he were not just a half-step Mahayana, even if he were a real Mahayana Stage, going up would be suicide!

"Old Ancestor? Hurry up and attack!" Daoist Cangsong was still clamoring.

"Shut up!"

Venerable Drywood backhanded him, slapping Daoist Cangsong's face from a distance.

"Slap!"

With a crisp sound, Daoist Cangsong was slapped into a spin on the spot, his entire person stunned.

The whole scene was dead silent.

The Tianyan Sect Disciples were dumbfounded.

Su Lin also raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised.

This old guy was quite discerning.

Venerable Drywood ignored everyone's shock. He smoothed his robes, the high-and-mighty posture instantly disappearing, replaced by a rather amiable expression, and he bowed to the flying ship.

"So it is Young Friend Su who has come."

"The junior was ignorant and offended a distinguished guest. This old man apologizes on his behalf."

This speed of changing faces was a unique skill.

Luo Ximei sneered: "Old dog that bullies the weak and fears the strong."

Venerable Drywood's face twitched, but he pretended not to hear and continued:

"If Fellow Daoist Su wants to borrow the 【Ten Thousand Li Trachoma Array】, logically speaking, since an old friend is asking, my Tianyan Sect should not refuse."

"It's just..."

He paused, a look of difficulty appearing on his face.

"It's just that this Formation is a relic from ancient times and has fallen into disrepair."

"Fifty years ago, the 【Star Compass】 at the core of the Formation locked up due to the exhaustion of Spiritual Qi."

"Over these years, this old man has exhausted the power of the entire Sect, but has been unable to restart it."

"It is not that this old man does not want to lend it; it is truly... this Formation is broken."

Broken?

Su Lin's brows furrowed slightly.

He extended his Divine Sense, scanning under Tianxue Peak.

Sure enough, deep in the earth's veins, although that massive teleportation Formation was complete, the Formation Plate at the core was indeed in a silent state, the runes dim, without a trace of Spiritual Qi flowing.

"Broken?"

Chu Weiwei sneered, "If it's broken, then fix it."

"If you can't fix it, that's because you are trash."

"Give you half an hour. If you can't fix it..."

She had an extra dark green medicine bottle in her hand, shaking it gently.

"I will make sure not a single blade of grass grows for a hundred miles around."

Venerable Drywood's face was bitter: "This Fairy, it is not that this old man is shirking."

"That 【Star Compass】 was left by an ancient Formation Immortal, containing three thousand six hundred linked Restrictions. One wrong step and everything locks up."

"This old man has studied it for fifty years, but has only managed to unlock the first hundred."

"Half an hour... even if an immortal descended to earth, they wouldn't be able to solve it!"

His words were true.

He really couldn't fix it, and he really didn't want to lend it.

He would just take this opportunity to send these plague gods away.

"Since it's broken, there is no use keeping it."

Killing intent was revealed in Luo Ximei's eyes, and Devilish Qi condensed into a black spear in her hand.

"Might as well destroy it, so it doesn't get in the way."

"Wait."

Su Lin raised his hand, stopping Luo Ximei, who was about to make a move.

He looked at the bitter-faced Venerable Drywood, then looked at the silent Formation.

"Three thousand six hundred linked Restrictions?"

"Left by an ancient Formation Immortal?"

Su Lin chuckled, stepped out, his body floating down, and stood directly on the square of the Tianxue Peak grand hall.

"Cangsong, lead the way."

"To the core of the Formation."

Daoist Cangsong clutched his swollen face and looked at his own Old Ancestor.

A glint flashed in Venerable Drywood's eyes, and then he nodded.

Since you want to embarrass yourself, don't blame this old man.

Even I cannot solve those Restrictions; what makes you, a Void Refining Stage, capable of it?

When you can't solve it, I'll see what face you have left to linger here.

...

Deep underground in the Tianyan Sect, ten thousand feet deep.

This was a massive karst cave, embedded with countless glowing fluorites, illuminating the place like daylight.

In the center of the cave, a massive stone platform a hundred feet wide floated in mid-air, covered with complex Formation patterns.

And in the center of the stone platform floated a bronze disc with a diameter of three feet.

On the disc, starlight dotted the surface, and countless runes swam and collided within it, evolving into infinite changes.

This was the 【Star Compass】.

Su Lin stood at the edge of the stone platform, looking at that familiar disc, the playfulness in his eyes growing stronger.

"This is what you call... left by an ancient Formation Immortal?"

"Exactly."

Venerable Drywood stroked his beard, his tone containing a hint of pride and helplessness, "This was obtained by the founder of our Tianyan Sect in an ancient Secret Realm, and it is infinitely profound."

"It is just a pity that we juniors are dull and cannot comprehend the mysteries within."

"Heh."

Su Lin laughed out loud.

Venerable Drywood's eyelids twitched. Although he was angry, he maintained that submissive appearance on his face, but the fingers under his sleeves had already quietly crushed a Jade Slip.

"It makes Fellow Daoist Su laugh. Although this item may not meet your Dharma Eye, it is indeed the foundation that my Sect has passed down to this day."

As Venerable Drywood spoke, he moved half a step back without a sound, just in time to reach an inconspicuous groove on the edge of the massive stone platform.

Deep in his eyes was a vicious, poisonous glint.

Fix it?

Perfect.

Originally, with this 【Ten Thousand Li Trachoma Array】 damaged, this old man had no way to use that final trump card.

Since you, Su Lin, are arrogant enough to claim your Formation skills are divine, then this old man will let you fix it!

Once you fix it, the moment you step into the Formation, it will be your death!