Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

「Three ancient hours earlier.」

Zhuang Yuechan, Yinn Shang, and their party had received the news long before Song Changsheng. However, they had been occupied with affairs within the city and hadn’t paid it any mind.

After all, they had slain a considerable number of Great Demons in the previous battle, obtaining at least a dozen Demon Pills. A single Great Demon wasn’t worth mobilizing for.

But today, they received a piece of news by chance: the grievously wounded demon that had fled to the Griffin Mountain Range was none other than Golden Armor, the Great Demon of the Profound Armor Turtle clan who had led his forces to attack Luoxia City!

After being severely wounded, Golden Armor had used a Secret Technique to escape the battlefield, and his whereabouts had since been unknown. Unexpectedly, someone had discovered him in the Griffin Mountain Range.

Upon learning this, Zhan Tianxia decisively sent Yinn Shang, Niu Dazhuang, Zhuang Yuechan, and a group of other Second Generation Disciples to the Griffin Mountain Range, both to give them practical experience and to eliminate a future threat.

Golden Armor was no ordinary Great Demon; he had the potential to become a Demon King, which was precisely why Lei Ming had sent him to his death.

Upon reaching the Griffin Mountain Range, the group used a turtle shell fragment they had found on the battlefield to perform the Trace Origin Secret Technique, which led them to Golden Armor’s hiding place...

Standing before the entrance to a massive grotto and staring into the pitch-black passage, Zhuang Yuechan looked hesitantly at the young cultivator in front of her. ”Senior Brother, the paths inside are a labyrinth, and the environment is complex. I don’t think it’s wise to rush in.”

The young cultivator was dressed in white robes with a Jade Flute tucked at his waist. He held his right hand before his chest, where a small, golden turtle shell fragment emitted a hazy glow.

He stared at the pitch-black entrance, his brow furrowed in a moment of hesitation.

”What’s there to hesitate about, Eldest Senior Brother? It’s just a cave. Perfect for catching a turtle in a jar,” Niu Dazhuang boomed. ”If you’re scared, Junior Sister, you can just guard the entrance and not come down.”

Zhuang Yuechan immediately shot him an angry glare. ’This guy is as brash as ever.’

At that moment, Yinn Shang, who stood at the head of the group, spoke slowly. ”Regardless, we must complete the mission the sect has given us. Once we’re inside the grotto, remember: do not act impulsively, and under no circumstances are you to leave the team.”

As he said this, he shot a pointed look at Niu Dazhuang.

With the instructions given, Yinn Shang took the lead. Following the guidance of the Secret Technique, he was the first to step into the grotto. The others filed in closely behind him.

As Niu Dazhuang was about to enter, he suddenly stopped and glanced around, a flicker of doubt on his face.

”Second Senior Brother?” one of the younger disciples asked, surprised by the pause.

”It’s nothing. Probably just my imagination,” Niu Dazhuang said, shaking his head before following Yinn Shang and the others.

Once the entire party was inside the grotto, a gust of wind swept through, blowing away the fallen leaves and loose soil. Where Niu Dazhuang had been standing, a pitch-black insignia was revealed...

The grotto opened into a vast space with numerous branching tunnels. Fortunately, they had the turtle shell to guide them. After nearly an ancient hour of walking, Yinn Shang came to a halt. ”There’s Demon Qi!” he said in a low voice.

Everyone’s guard went up, and they slowly advanced.

Soon, they stepped into a massive underground cavern. An overwhelmingly dense wave of Demon Qi washed over them instantly.

And then they saw a sight that left them all utterly horrified...

After figuring out the nature of the Array before him, Song Changsheng turned to Xu Yunhe. ”Brother Xu, are you willing to come with me?”

”I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Xu Yunhe’s stern face was devoid of fear.

”Good. Let’s go down and see just who dared to set such a trap.”

The two arrived at the grotto’s entrance. Song Changsheng activated his Eye of Truth, and the network of the Array became clearly visible to him. Naturally, the black insignia on the ground before the cave could not escape his sight.

’They found the first node this quickly?’ Song Changsheng frowned slightly. The residual aura on the insignia felt familiar.

”Brother Song, what should we do?”

”Don’t touch the insignia yet. The Array hasn’t been activated. If we destroy this node now, we’ll alert our enemy. Let’s just memorize its location for now and continue searching for the other nodes.”

Song Changsheng took a thumb-sized, brown Pill from his Qiankun Bag, embedded it in the cavern wall, and explained:

”Once the Array activates, we’ll likely lose our bearings. This is a Hundred Flowers Pill. It has a very long-lasting fragrance. Planting it here beforehand will ensure we don’t lose track of the exit.”

After doing all this, Song Changsheng led the way, and they began tracking in the direction of Zhuang Yuechan’s party.

Just as they entered the grotto, they felt a violent tremor, as if an Earth Dragon were turning over in its sleep.

”The Array is activating! Whoever is behind this is making their move! Brother Xu, hold on to me!”

Xu Yunhe’s expression changed as he grabbed Song Changsheng’s arm.

The next moment, waves of golden Array Patterns surged into view. If one were to look down from the sky, they would see that the space above the grotto was sealed shut by a massive net woven from these golden patterns.

”What is this?”

”Why is there an Array here?”

A few cultivators, who had been a step behind and hadn’t yet entered the grotto, stared at the sudden development, completely bewildered.

But they quickly realized it was likely a trap and scattered in all directions like frightened animals.

Some tried to break the Array, while others attempted to warn the cultivators trapped inside.

However, the Heaven and Earth Lock Void Array was famous for its ability to seal off space. It could only be broken from within; to shatter it from the outside would likely require the power of a Golden Core Master.