449: Chapter 448 Array Plate Exchanged for Heavenly Dao Fragments

"It seems the Empress has become suspicious after all."

Qin Changsheng withdrew his Divine Sense, a glimmer of wisdom flashing in his eyes as he instantly deduced most of the Empress's intentions.

Over the past two years, the Empress had been investigating in secret, and it was clear she had narrowed the scope of her suspicion down to Liu Feng and Master Wang.

Sending out the fake blood bottles this time and dispatching them to the so-called "Secret Land" was merely a probe to lure the snake out of its hole.

The Empress wanted to use these two "moles" to pass false information to the Human Race experts behind them, thereby luring the main force of the Human Race to that false Secret Land, while she secretly initiated the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth at the real altar.

"What a brilliant move: openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang."

Qin Changsheng tapped his long fingers lightly against his knees, falling into deep thought.

"If I were to act against Master Wang now, or have Liu Feng turn traitor halfway, the Empress would inevitably become even more suspicious."

"Since you want to put on a show, this Emperor shall accompany you until the play is finished."

Qin Changsheng made his decision.

He chose to remain still, not only refraining from attacking Master Wang but also having his Clone, Liu Feng, cooperate with Master Wang to smoothly and safely play out this charade of "initiating the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth."

However...

Qin Changsheng's gaze narrowed slightly; he still had to obtain the heavenly dao fragment in Master Wang's possession.

If he could obtain another heavenly dao fragment and upgrade Fear into a Heavenly Dao Trait, he would have greater certainty in defeating the Yao Race when the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth began.

"Master Wang's life can be spared, but that heavenly dao fragment must be taken."

Qin Changsheng slowly closed his eyes and, through his Divine Sense, issued a secret order to his Clone, "Liu Feng," who was far outside Yaoling City.

...

Deep within the Yao Race's Secret Land, jagged rocks were scattered about, and sinister winds howled.

An ancient and dilapidated altar stood silently on the edge of an abyss. The altar was carved with dense, ancient Yao Race characters, exuding an unsettling aura of wilderness and destruction.

This was the "Secret Land" that the Empress spoke of for initiating the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth.

Liu Feng and Master Wang landed side by side before the altar.

Master Wang looked at the altar before him, his breathing becoming involuntarily rapid, his face filled with fanaticism and joy.

The Great Master stared fixedly at the black jade porcelain bottle in his hand, his voice trembling slightly from excitement, "As long as we pour these two bottles of blood into the altar, the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth will descend early! By then, our race's billions of troops will march south, and the Human Race's lands will all belong to us! You and I will be the unparalleled heroes who founded the Yao Race's nation!"

In his excitement, Master Wang turned his head, looking intensely at Liu Feng beside him, and urged, "Fellow Daoist Liu, there is no time to lose. Let us act together now, pour the blood into the altar, and trigger the Great Calamity!"

However, faced with Master Wang's excitement, Liu Feng appeared unusually calm.

He shook his head slightly, reached out to stop Master Wang, and said in a deep voice, "Master Wang, hold on. Although this place is hidden, there is no guarantee that there aren't Human Race experts watching in secret, or that the altar won't cause too great a commotion when it opens, attracting unnecessary trouble. To ensure nothing goes wrong, let us wait a moment. Let me set up a concealment and defensive Universe Great Array here before we act."

Master Wang was slightly stunned, then nodded, "Fellow Daoist, your words are true. You are indeed more thoughtful."

Liu Feng flipped his wrist, and an exquisite Formation Plate, dark gold in color and carved with complex star patterns, appeared out of thin air in his palm.

As soon as this Formation Plate appeared, starlight faintly flickered in the Void Realm, emitting an unfathomable, mysterious fluctuation of Law.

Liu Feng's expression was solemn; he pointed his fingers like a blade and tapped a few times in the air above the Formation Plate.

Hum—!

In an instant, the dark gold Formation Plate erupted with ten thousand rays of divine light. Countless mysterious Formation runes flew out of the plate like golden dragons, instantly merging into the Void Realm for several miles around.

Rumble!

Accompanied by a low roar, a massive golden light shield appeared out of thin air, completely enveloping the entire altar and the space for several miles around. In an instant, a terrifyingly extreme Formation Pressure swept out, covering the sky and earth, pressing down until the Void Realm twisted slightly.

Feeling this nearly suffocating, terrifying Pressure, Master Wang's eyelids twitched wildly, and the joy in his eyes was instantly replaced by endless shock and greed.

His eyes were fixed on the dark gold Formation Plate in Liu Feng's hand, and his breathing even became heavy.

Master Wang himself was a famous Formation Master among the Yao Race; precisely because of this, he knew better than anyone the terrifying nature of the move Liu Feng had just performed!

"This... this is forming an array in an instant?!" Master Wang screamed frantically in his heart.

Normally, to set up a defensive Great Array of this scale, even he would need to prepare countless precious Materials for the Formation in advance, spending days or even months surveying the earth's veins and burying Spirit Stones.

Yet Liu Feng, relying solely on a Formation Plate, had set up a super Great Array that even a Golden Core Stage Cultivator would find difficult to break through by force in just a few breaths!

"This Formation Plate...!" Greed, undisguised, flickered in Master Wang's eyes.

For a Formation Master, such a treasure was simply priceless. If he could snatch this Formation Plate, his attainments and strength in the Dao of Formations would absolutely gain a earth-shattering leap!

Master Wang squeezed a kind smile onto his face and asked tentatively, "Fellow Daoist Liu, this Formation Plate of yours... is truly a divine skill! I wonder if you have any intention of selling it? If you are willing to part with it, this old man is willing to pay any price—Spirit Stones, Cultivation Technique, or even High Grade Yao Cores. As long as you speak, this old man will not refuse!"

Hearing Master Wang's inquiry, Liu Feng was slightly stunned, then a look of conflict and hesitation appeared on his face.

"This..." Liu Feng pulled the Formation Plate closer to his chest, looking troubled, and said, "Master Wang, to tell you the truth, this Formation Plate is a Lifebound Treasure passed down to me by my late master before he died. It is precisely because of this object that I have been able to escape danger several times during life-or-death crises. If I were to sell it, I would truly be failing the spirit of my master in heaven..."

Seeing that Liu Feng did not refuse outright but instead showed hesitation, Master Wang was immediately overjoyed, thinking to himself that there was a chance! What he feared most was Liu Feng having a firm attitude; as long as the other party hesitated, it meant the bargaining chip was not enough!

How could Master Wang know that this was all a trap set by Qin Changsheng? This Formation Plate, which others considered a Divine Artifact, was nothing more than a trinket easily made by Qin Changsheng, who possessed the Dao-Grade trait [Heavenly Dao: Ancestor of Ten Thousand Arrays]. If he wanted to, he could make eight or ten in a single day.

He deliberately had his Clone use this move to arouse Master Wang's greed, making him take the initiative to deliver the heavenly dao fragment.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, you cannot say it that way." Master Wang stepped forward and earnestly advised, "Your master passing this object to you was also in the hope that you could go further on the path of cultivation. Now that we are about to initiate the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth, once the calamity begins, the world will be in chaos, and strength is the hard truth. Although this Formation Plate is good, it is ultimately just an external object."

"This old man has several defensive Magic Treasure for saving one's life here, all of High Grade, and even a large amount of cultivation resources. If they can help you achieve a Breakthrough in your Realm, wouldn't that be more useful than keeping this Formation Plate?"

As he spoke, Master Wang took out several shimmering Jade Box from his Storage Pouch, and even a heavy bag of Top-Grade Spirit Stone.

However, Liu Feng only glanced at them, then shook his head slightly and sighed, "Great Master, although these things are good, compared to my Lifebound Treasure, they still lack some weight..."

Master Wang gritted his teeth, a flicker of pain flashing in his eyes. He knew that he couldn't move the other party without bringing out some real treasures from the bottom of his box.

A flash of inspiration struck his mind, and he suddenly remembered a mysterious object he had obtained a hundred years ago in an ancient ruin, barely surviving the ordeal.

It was a broken golden stone fragment with a peculiar texture; it was neither gold nor stone, and it was indestructible. He had studied it for over a hundred years, using all sorts of methods, even refining it with infant fire, but he couldn't leave even a trace on it, nor could he ever comprehend its mysteries.

But he dared to conclude that it was absolutely a Divine Artifact with an astonishing origin.

"Forget it, nothing ventured, nothing gained!" Master Wang steeled his heart. He reached into his robes, groped for a moment, and took out a sandalwood box sealed with layers of Restriction.

The moment the wooden box opened, a faint but extremely pure and noble golden light instantly illuminated the surrounding Void Realm.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, take a look at this!" Master Wang carefully held the wooden box and said proudly, "This is a Divine Artifact I obtained in an ancient Immortal Cave. This object is impervious to water and fire, and unbreakable by ten thousand Laws. Although I have yet to comprehend its secrets, it contains a trace of Law and Dao charm that transcends heaven and earth. I will Exchange this object, plus the Spirit Stone and Magic Treasure from before, for your Formation Plate. How about it?!"

The moment he saw the golden stone fragment, Qin Changsheng, far away in the Cave-Heaven Blessed Land, felt his breath tighten. That was it! The unique fluctuation resonating with the Heavenly Dao was exactly what he had been dreaming of—a heavenly dao fragment!

Liu Feng's gaze was fixed on the fragment emitting a faint golden light, his brows furrowed tightly, his face full of struggle and conflict. He looked at the Formation Plate in his hand for a moment, then at the sandalwood box Master Wang was handing over, his breathing even becoming somewhat heavy. He looked exactly like a Cultivator painfully choosing between a "master's legacy" and an "unknown Divine Artifact."

Master Wang was afraid that Liu Feng would change his mind at the last minute, so he hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "Fellow Daoist Liu, this Divine Artifact is definitely not an ordinary item. Although I have not comprehended it after studying it for many years, that is because my Opportunity was insufficient. Fellow Daoist, your Luck is astonishing; perhaps once this object is in your hands, you will immediately be able to unlock its mysteries and help you ascend in one step!"

After a long while, Liu Feng let out a long sigh, a bitter smile of self-mockery and determination appearing on his face.

"Forget it..." Liu Feng shook his head and said somewhat dejectedly, "Since Master Wang is so sincere, and this Formation Plate can indeed unleash greater power in your hands, Fellow Daoist, then I will Exchange it! I hope my master's spirit in heaven can understand my predicament."

Having said that, he finally nodded.

"Good! Fellow Daoist is truly a straightforward person!" Seeing Liu Feng nod, Master Wang was overjoyed, fearing that delays would lead to complications. His movements were as fast as lightning; with a wave of his hands, he stuffed the sandalwood box containing the heavenly dao fragment, a large bag of Top-Grade Spirit Stone, and several shimmering defensive Magic Treasure into Liu Feng's arms all at once. At the same time, he impatiently snatched the dark gold Formation Plate from Liu Feng's hand.

The Formation Plate felt heavy in his hand, and the mysterious Law fluctuations flowing on it made Master Wang tremble all over. He stroked the star patterns on the Formation Plate over and over, his Divine Sense sinking into it, feeling the near-perfect structure of the Formation patterns, and his whole body began to tremble slightly with excitement.

"Wonderful! Truly a rare treasure unseen in the world!" Master Wang laughed wildly in his heart.

In his view, although that golden fragment was mysterious, it had been useless after years of study; it was just a piece of "scrap metal" that was a bit hard. But this Formation Plate was a Divine Artifact for saving one's life that could instantly set up a defense capable of resisting attacks from the Nascent Soul Stage!

"This kid is too young after all, fooled by me in just a few words. This deal, I have earned a fortune!" Master Wang felt extremely smug, and the look he gave Liu Feng even contained a hint of condescending pity.

Liu Feng, on the other hand, wore an expression of extreme pain as he silently put away the Spirit Stone and Magic Treasure in his arms. At an angle where Master Wang could not see, Liu Feng's fingers gently brushed over the sandalwood box, his movements appearing casual, but in reality, he was very covertly putting the heavenly dao fragment into his deepest Storage Space.

Hum.

As the fragment entered the Storage Space, the main body of Qin Changsheng, far away in the Cave-Heaven Blessed Land thousands of miles away, felt a violent tremor deep within his Divine Soul.

After exchanging the treasures, Master Wang suppressed the wild joy in his heart, took a deep breath, and refocused his attention on the altar before him.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, since the Formation is complete, let us begin!" A glimmer of fanaticism and ruthlessness flashed in Master Wang's eyes as he was the first to pull the stopper from the black jade porcelain bottle in his hand.

In an instant, a thick smell of blood permeated the Great Array. Liu Feng also nodded slightly and pulled open his bottle stopper as well. The two looked at each other and simultaneously circulated their magic power.

Two streams of blood, pitch-black as ink and mixed with resentment and demonic power, gushed out from the bottle mouths, turning into two blood-colored long snakes that landed precisely on the core runes of the ancient altar.

Whoosh—

The eerie blood flowed slowly along the dry grooves on the altar, gradually dyeing the complex ancient Yao Race characters a dark red.

Master Wang held his breath, his eyes fixed on the altar, his heartbeat involuntarily quickening. He was waiting for the thunder that would shatter the firmament, waiting for the Void Realm crack that would tear through the Void Realm, waiting for the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth that would be enough to destroy the Human Race in the Southern Region to descend with a bang!

However...

One breath, two breaths, ten breaths passed. The entire altar, apart from being dyed red, did not undergo any changes.

There was no earth-shaking, no destructive aura of a sky full of Lightning Tribulation, and not even a trace of the most basic spiritual power fluctuation arose. Inside the entire Secret Land, it remained dead silent.

The blood that had been poured out seemed as if it had just been poured onto ordinary stubborn rocks, unremarkable.

"This... how is this possible?!" The fanaticism on Master Wang's face instantly froze. He rubbed his eyes, full of shock and disbelief.

He hurriedly stepped forward a few paces, his Divine Sense scanning back and forth over the altar, murmuring in both shock and suspicion: "The blood of a million living beings has been sacrificed, and the altar is intact; why is there no reaction? Where is the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth? Why hasn't the Great Calamity started?!"

Master Wang could not figure it out despite thinking a hundred times. He turned his head abruptly and looked at Liu Feng with some panic and confusion: "Fellow Daoist Liu, you are knowledgeable and experienced; do you know the reason for this? Could it be that there is a problem with this altar?"

Liu Feng looked at the altar, which had no ripples, his heart clear as a mirror, but his face feigned a look of gravity and confusion.

He walked to the altar, crouched down, and observed it carefully for a moment, then slowly stood up, shaking his head with furrowed brows:

"Master Wang, the runes on this altar are operating normally, and there are no traces of damage. In my humble opinion, I am afraid the problem is not with the altar..."

Liu Feng paused deliberately, his tone sounding somewhat unfathomable, yet carrying a few parts of just the right amount of awe: "Initiating the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth is a ten-thousand-year plan of our race; perhaps only Your Majesty truly knows the key to it. This place is not suitable for a long stay; if the commotion attracts Human Race experts, we will not be able to escape even with wings."

"In my humble opinion, we should return first and report the situation here truthfully to Her Majesty the Empress, and ask Her Majesty to make the decision."

Hearing Liu Feng's words, although Master Wang was anxious, he felt it made sense. Moreover, he had just obtained the dark gold Formation Plate he had dreamed of, and his mind had already flown to how to refine the Formation Plate; he did not want to delay here any longer. If there really was a flaw in the altar, he could not afford to be blamed by the Empress if he stayed here.

"Fellow Daoist Liu is absolutely right." Master Wang put away the empty porcelain bottle, suppressed the doubts in his heart, and nodded in agreement: "The matter of the Great Calamity concerns the Luck of our race and cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness. Let us set off now and return to report to Your Majesty!"

"Good, please, Great Master." Liu Feng smiled slightly, put away the defensive Great Array, and together with Master Wang, turned into two streaks of light, quickly leaving this silent "Secret Land" and speeding toward the direction of Yaoling City.