A Sect from a Spirit Vein

Chapter 60: Chapter 57: Facing Foundation Establishment Head-On

Qian Ruyi’s Flying Sword spun and plunged downward, but with his escape speed, after just a few breaths, everything before his eyes was still a vast expanse of white. He had not exited the array and immediately understood in his heart.

This mist was exceedingly strange, thoroughly disrupting his Divine Sense. He felt as though he was diving downward, but had certainly chosen the wrong direction, hence he was still within the array.

His gaze sharpened, Dao Patterns vibrated, and the Longsword stood upright as a torrent of cold surged forth, causing the mist around him to freeze into Ice Pearls and fall with a crackling sound.

With this, the mist around Qian Ruyi quickly cleared a small space. Grasping the Longsword, he launched himself forward, and on both sides, the mist condensed into ice and fell, allowing him to carve a path through the mist-filled Grand Array.

Truly deserving of the title Foundation Establishment Feather Scholar!

Lu Qian and Master Xuan Ji exchanged solemn glances. Qian Ruyi’s methods caused the mist to deplete rapidly, and they could only unceasingly replenish it, but given the scope of the array, his reckless dashing about could very likely let him break free.

Master Xuan Ji shouted, ”We can’t let this continue! Stop replenishing the mist, let’s hit him hard first!”

Lu Qian nodded, and the two of them altered the composition of the Array Base. What was once the Wood, Water, and Earth creating Heavenly Torrent Spiritual Mist now operated in a familiar combination, precisely the perfected deployment of the Water, Earth, and Wood Triple Transformation—Gui Water Divine Thunder!

Divine Sense was consumed rapidly, causing Master Xuan Ji’s face to turn pale instantly, and Lu Qian also bore a significant burden. The Array Map sucked in the collected Stone Milk like a whale inhaling water in an instant.

Before Qian Ruyi, a tide-like Spiritual Power gathered and twisted, suddenly transforming into a head-sized, eerie black thunderball, from which emitted a heavy buzzing sound, with thread-like lightning strands fluttering in the wind!

Qian Ruyi halted abruptly, his hairs standing on end. He could clearly feel the terrifying tearing and devouring power contained within this thunderball.

The power of this thunderball could rival an all-out strike from a Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, posing an enormous threat to someone like him at the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment!

What is going on? Who exactly is this Array Cultivator?

Qian Ruyi felt a chaos in his mind as the Gui Water Divine Thunder buzzed and charged at him ferociously.

At the moment, he let out a loud roar, retracted the Frost Longsword, and a cyan jade ring slid from his sleeve.

Spiritual Power surged wildly around him, and the jade ring emitted a brilliant glow, rotating violently. The engraved Cyan Simurgh let out a clear cry, shaking its head and swinging its tail before coming alive and flying away from the ring.

Reluctantly gazing at the Cyan Simurgh, Qian Ruyi commanded with a Spell: ”Go!”

The Cyan Simurgh’s body radiated with cold light, transforming to a size of three zhang. Its wings unfolded, casting down spots of ice flowers, and it flew upwards.

Facing the Gui Water Divine Thunder, which was breaking the sky, the Cyan Simurgh’s light intensified as it opened its mouth to swallow it into its belly.

In the next moment, a piercing screech and buzzing sound echoed throughout Spirit Snake Peak. A bit of black light suddenly expanded within the Cyan Simurgh’s belly, dense black thunder rays burst out of its body, tightly binding it, and started to collapse inwardly.

Qian Ruyi gritted his teeth, cast a Sigil, and the Cyan Simurgh let out a final cry before instantly turning into a pristine ice sculpture.

With a crashing sound, the Cyan Simurgh’s ice sculpture shattered instantly, along with the Gui Water Divine Thunder in its belly, the black light flashed and dissipated with the broken ice shards into thin air.

The jade ring feebly flew back, and Qian Ruyi caught it to inspect it intently, feeling heartbroken. A crack now ran through the Cyan Simurgh’s body, causing the entire simurgh to lose its Essence Qi, its Spiritual Light vanished.

This jade ring had always been his most cherished treasure, a rare consumable among Spiritual Artifacts, capable of perfectly withstanding enemy attacks, yet it was diminished with each use. He had always treasured it highly, never expecting it would suffer damage at this minor Spirit Snake Peak.

He gritted his teeth in fury, once again grasped the Longsword, and swung it, sending out waves of Ice Cold Sword Qi, turning large swaths of mist into falling Ice Pearls.

Both Lu Qian and Master Xuan Ji were shocked, as cold sweat ran down their backs and the pressure they felt multiplied. Such a full-strength strike hadn’t inflicted any harm on Qian Ruyi!

By now, Lu Qian sensed that a third of his Divine Sense had been consumed. Looking up, he noticed Master Xuan Ji was already pale and hurriedly asked, ”Elder Zhou! Can you hold on?”

Master Xuan Ji forced a smile: ”Foundation Establishment is truly formidable! I can endure, we should give him another harsh shot.”

But seeing his severely drained state, how much longer can he hold out?

Lu Qian knew this was not good, and a quick thought later, he firmly said: ”Elder Zhou, let’s switch roles. I’ll control two Array Bases, and you control one.”

This decision meant shouldering the main stress upon himself. Master Xuan Ji was startled, about to refuse, when suddenly shouts and calls came from outside the array—Qian Ruyi’s fifty-plus elite Cultivators had arrived!

The leader saw the familiar Escape Light darting within the misty array, and immediately understood, shouting, ”Everyone, strike together and help Elder Qian break this array!”

What? It wasn’t just that Foundation Establishment coming alone; he also had reinforcements!

Master Xuan Ji forced a laugh: ”I was just thinking if we couldn’t hold on, we’d drop the array and let the Sects’ cultivators confront this Foundation Establishment. Didn’t expect he had reinforcements, now even if we can’t hold on, we must!”

Lu Qian also internally sighed, perhaps used to being a lone Loose Cultivator, Master Xuan Ji’s Five Elements Command Banner didn’t come with a Token to freely enter and exit the array. Otherwise, the Array Token could be given to the three Sect Leaders, allowing them to lend a hand inside the array.

Now, Lu Qian and Master Xuan Ji each controlled a Command Banner, utilizing a Double Transformation to raise an Array Light Shield to block enemies. Lu Qian shouted to Zhao Changzong, who guarded the cave entrance: ”Sect Leader Zhao! Quickly lead the disciples of the Three Sects to ascend and confront the enemy, I will unlock the Grand Array for you!”

Zhao Changzong knew this was the most crucial moment. If the array were broken, Spirit Snake Peak would no longer stand a chance, so he immediately directed his Magical Artifact to rush to the Sect’s Square, loudly calling out from afar.

Jiang Qingfeng, standing beside Lu Qian and Master Xuan Ji, felt utterly helpless, unable to aid, becoming increasingly anxious and self-reproaching.

Just as the three Sect Leaders led their disciples into the air, an external wave of attack was already at hand!

With a muffled rumble, dozens of Talismans, Magic Techniques, and Magical Artifact lights burst upon the Array Light Shield. In an instant, the Array Map trembled violently, absorbing all spiritual energy within the cave, causing the Stone Milk from the Spirit Vein illusion to pause for a moment.

The Spiritual Qi supply from this First-Level High-Tier Spirit Vein had failed!

Lu Qian flipped his palm, taking out two Spirit Crystals, one complete, the other half-used, and pressed them fiercely on the Array Map. The surging Spiritual Qi was instantly absorbed by the Array Map, finally stabilizing it.

Master Xuan Ji’s face grew even paler; one hand pressed on the Array Map, the other propped against the stone wall beside him to steady himself, preventing a fall.

Lu Qian was greatly anxious, but noticing that the Three Sects’ disciples had entered the array, he quickly maneuvered the Grand Array to open a pathway, escorting the Sect Leaders and disciples out.

Enemies meeting ignited fierce animosity. Especially the Qingli Sect and Liuhua Valley cultivators, witnessing those who destroyed their sects, had eyes red with fury, and grit their teeth, yearning to tear them apart.

Now it was up to the three Sects to defend their homeland, with Spirit Snake Peak disciples being particularly vigilant, exerting all their efforts from the onset.