Chapter 228: Attempt to Break the Barrier
Qin Sang glanced at Wandering Man, noticing that he stood with several fellow disciples from the Taiyi Core Sect. Their gazes met briefly, and they exchanged polite nods without speaking further. Both focused their attention on Che Yutao, uncertain about the tasks the Golden Core cultivators would assign to them.
After witnessing the earlier scene, everyone’s expressions grew heavy with unease. Even the smile on Mu Yifeng’s face had long disappeared, as he realized this mission might not be as promising as it first seemed.
Four Golden Core cultivators working together had been unable to overcome the black hole. Worse, they had been forced to retreat when the dark light counterattacked. If such a formidable barrier existed just outside the ancient cultivator’s mansion, how much more dangerous would it be inside?
Some had joked before that they were mere cannon fodder, paving the way for others. Now, it seemed that grim jest might become a reality.
Unfortunately, they knew little about the full details of the clues or the ancient cultivator’s mansion.
Qin Sang's mind raced as he evaluated his situation. With his artifacts and three malevolent corpses, his strength was not among the weakest here.
Weighing the risks and rewards, Qin Sang resolved to prioritize his survival over treasures. There might not even be anything within the mansion worth risking his life for. His goal was simple: stay alive.
"Senior Brother Mu..."
Qin Sang transmitted a message to Mu Yifeng. "These seniors—aside from Senior Uncle Che and Senior Uncle Xuanyu—I have never met before. Could you help introduce them to me so I don’t accidentally offend someone later?"
Though Qin Sang knew of the Golden Core cultivators stationed at Xuanlu Stronghold, he couldn’t match their names to faces. He feared making a mistake in identifying them.
This wasn’t confidential information, so he wasn’t worried about the Golden Core cultivators noticing his inquiry.
Standing beside Qin Sang, Mu Yifeng replied in a low voice, "The woman in palace robes wielding the phoenix hairpin is Senior Sikong Muyue from the Taiyi Core Sect. The middle-aged scholar is Senior Du Yi, sect leader of the Qingluo Sect. The one with the crutch is Senior Di Que, once a rogue cultivator who later became a guest elder at Xuanlu Stronghold. He has close ties with the Qingluo Sect, Medicine King Sect, and others."
As Mu Yifeng identified each figure, Qin Sang carefully noted them, ensuring he remembered their names. Upon confirming there were no Golden Core cultivators from the Medicine King Sect, he felt relieved.
Yin Xingge was likely acting under the orders of a Golden Core cultivator when he sought the Qianyang Crystal in the mines. Since the Fire Jade Centipede he had obtained from Yin Xingge bore no identifying marks, Qin Sang decided it was safe to use it without concern.
Using the Fire Jade Centipede as a guide might even give him an advantage over the others.
The Fire Jade Centipede could sense fire-based spiritual items, which weren’t as useful as spiritual wood, but still valuable enough for trading. Instead of aimlessly searching for spiritual wood, it was better to secure whatever he could first.
With his decision made, Qin Sang focused his attention on Che Yutao’s orders.
"Daoist Sikong will now impart to you a joint array called the Nine Radiant Galaxy Array. You will have one hour to study and comprehend it. Then, using this array, you will enter the ancient immortal’s estate..."
After speaking, Che Yutao nodded to Sikong Muyue. She lightly flicked her fingers, sending more than twenty streaks of light from her jade-like fingertips toward Qin Sang and the others.
Qin Sang watched as the streak of light flew straight toward the center of his forehead. Resisting the urge to dodge, he allowed it to merge into him. In an instant, his mind was filled with knowledge of the Nine Radiant Galaxy Array.
This array required nine people to occupy nine designated positions, combining their strength to unleash power far greater than their individual capabilities.
The array was complex and demanded much from its participants. Qin Sang dared not be careless, immediately immersing himself in understanding it. Fortunately, his prior studies of array arts from Senior Sister Qingting’s notes provided him with a foundation, allowing him to grasp the formation with relative ease.
Less than an hour later, Qin Sang opened his eyes, his gaze briefly flashing with star-like light. He withdrew his consciousness from the array and observed the others.
Some had already comprehended the formation and appeared at ease, while others furrowed their brows in frustration, struggling to grasp it.
By the end of the hour, everyone had comprehended the array. Without waiting for Che Yutao’s command, they naturally grouped into teams of nine and took their designated positions as dictated by the array.
Che Yutao nodded in satisfaction. "Now, attempt to operate the array. Then, align the three groups together and stack the arrays!"
Everyone froze in surprise. Stack the arrays? Does that mean we need to combine the power of all twenty-seven participants to break the barrier?
Under Che Yutao's urging, no one dared to hesitate. They hurriedly moved closer to the center, channeling their spiritual power as they did. Streams of spiritual power surged out of their bodies, gathering above their heads.
As the arrays solidified, the swirling spiritual power overhead began to merge, eventually stabilizing into a brilliant galaxy—a radiant segment seemingly plucked from the Milky Way and brought down to the mortal world.
The galaxy was breathtakingly beautiful. Those forming the array were drawn into its power, slowly floating into the river itself. Surrounding them, streams of light surged, transforming them into the nine brightest stars within the galaxy.
The galaxy pooled the strength of nine individuals, their spiritual power hidden within the stars and emanating faint but potent waves of energy.
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But this was not the end. The cultivators followed Che Yutao's orders, linking the three galaxies into one unified formation. The result was a deeper, more expansive starry sky—a vast, majestic cosmos unfolding in their midst.
"Excellent!"
Seeing the array complete on the first attempt, Che Yutao's face showed approval. He declared loudly, "From this moment, advance slowly toward the ancient cultivator's barrier. Everyone, focus your minds inward and channel the power of the galaxy to protect yourselves. No matter what happens, you must not resist in the slightest. Rest assured, if you face mortal danger, we will step in to save you."
The participants concentrated fully on maintaining the Nine Radiant Galaxy Array, unable to respond, but they immediately obeyed his command, moving cautiously toward the center of the rocky area.
Within the galaxy, Qin Sang was enveloped by its energy. Even without Che Yutao's instructions, he found himself unable to act independently, compelled to follow the galaxy's movement.
As the galaxy entered the rocky zone, spiritual energy surged, and the black hole materialized in the center out of thin air.
Inside the galaxy, everyone remembered Che Yutao's warning and focused solely on safeguarding themselves. The galaxy made no aggressive moves, so although the black hole's fluctuations grew increasingly intense, the destructive dark light from before did not appear.
Meanwhile, Che Yutao and the other Golden Core cultivators exchanged glances before surrounding the black hole. With some apprehension, they watched the galaxy approach it.
The atmosphere grew unbearably tense as the galaxy neared the black hole. The five Golden Core cultivators released faint waves of spiritual power, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice.
As the galaxy finally made contact with the black hole, it appeared to compress slightly under the immense gravitational pressure but showed no signs of shattering. The leading segment of the galaxy effortlessly passed into the black hole.
Seeing this, Che Yutao and the others’ eyes lit up with joy, their faces breaking into smiles.
"The barrier’s power against Foundation Building cultivators is indeed different from what we encountered!"
Che Yutao shouted, "Everyone, reverse the array and retreat from the black hole!"