Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

Chapter 369: Chapter 244: Griffin Mountain Range, Heaven and Earth Lock Void

Xu Yunhe thought for a moment, then said in agreement, "Brother Song, you’re absolutely right. So, what now?"

"I just had an idea. Come, follow me up the mountain," Song Changsheng said with a smile, pointing to a peak ahead.

The two of them flew to the summit on their swords. The entire vista of the Griffin Mountain Range immediately came into view.

"Brother Song, what’s on your mind?"

Xu Yunhe was a little confused. If it was just to get a higher vantage point, hadn’t they already seen everything from the Flying Ship?

"Brother Xu, I didn’t notice it when we first arrived, but thinking about it now, I realize I overlooked something.

The Great Demon’s concealment abilities might be extraordinary, but with so many experts in the Griffin Mountain Range—many with profound skills—it’s almost impossible that not a single clue has been found yet.

Even a Great Demon at its peak couldn’t possess such abilities, let alone one that’s severely injured.

Let’s assume the Great Demon hasn’t fled but is hiding somewhere in this vast mountain range. That leaves only one possibility.

An Array!"

"An Array?" Xu Yunhe was taken aback.

"Brother Song, are you saying the Great Demon is hiding inside an Array? But don’t Demon Beasts only learn the way of arrays after they achieve Transformation?"

"That’s true. But the Demon Beast might not have been the one to set up the Array. It could have formed naturally, or it could have been man-made." A cold glint appeared in Song Changsheng’s eyes.

Xu Yunhe’s heart jolted. He asked hurriedly, "Brother Song, are you suggesting someone is pulling the strings?"

"It’s very likely."

When he first heard the news, Song Changsheng hadn’t been suspicious. However, after arriving here, he began to feel that something was wrong.

The news had spread far too widely. It was one thing for Purple Mansion Cultivators to show up, but even many Qi Cultivators had come to join the excitement.

And that wasn’t all. The crucial point was that after so many people had searched the Griffin Mountain Range for days, not a single trace had been found. It was simply too abnormal.

That’s when Song Changsheng thought of an Array. It wasn’t unheard of for naturally occurring Arrays to form in uniquely blessed locations. He and Xu Yunhe had even encountered one before on the outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

That was why he had climbed this mountain with Xu Yunhe.

He had observed earlier that this mountain was located at the center of the Griffin Mountain Range. If there was a naturally formed Array, then according to the principles of array formations, this mountain would definitely be one of its crucial nodes.

But after reaching the summit, Song Changsheng activated his [Eye of Truth] and found no trace of any Array Patterns.

Instead, he detected an incredibly intense surge of golden light to the southeast.

Based on his experience, the more brilliant the light, the stronger the Spiritual Object’s Spiritual Attribute—or in other words, the greater its power.

Such an intense golden light could only be emitted by a Purple Mansion Level expert.

However, according to Song Changsheng’s experience, while his [Eye of Truth] could spot the Spiritual Light emitted by Spiritual Objects, its effective range was very limited.

The range was only long when observing Array Patterns. Song Changsheng didn’t know why; perhaps he would only find out after awakening the Daoist Scripture’s Artifact Spirit.

But back to the matter at hand. It was precisely for this reason that Song Changsheng hadn’t initially planned to rely on his [Eye of Truth] to find the Great Demon.

But that expanse of golden light had appeared so vividly before his eyes, standing out with stark clarity in the black-and-white world he perceived.

Song Changsheng quickly realized that it wasn’t the Spiritual Light of a Great Demon, but an overwhelming expanse of Array Patterns.

’What an extravagant display.’ Song Changsheng had only seen Array Patterns of this scale a few times before: one was the Song Clan’s Clan Protection Array, and another was on the walls of Luoxia City. All of them were Tier Three Arrays.

It was important to remember that the only Tier Three Spirit Vein in the Griffin Mountain Range had already been moved. Therefore, the cost of maintaining a Tier Three or higher Array would be astronomical.

So, what kind of Array Master would choose to set up such a massive Array in the desolate Griffin Mountain Range?

’Something this strange can only mean trouble.’

"Brother Song, since the other party has laid such a grand trap, they must have something to back it up. It would be wise for us not to get involved," Xu Yunhe said, his voice laced with worry.

"My thoughts exactly." Song Changsheng nodded.

Suddenly, his expression changed. "Oh no! Fellow Daoist Zhuang!"

"What?" Xu Yunhe was startled.

"The southeast! Fellow Daoist Zhuang and her group went southeast!" Song Changsheng said urgently.

"Then we have to warn them!" Although Song Changsheng hadn’t specified the details, an Array capable of scheming against Purple Mansion Cultivators couldn’t possibly be a simple thing.

"Right, I’ll immediately use..."

Before Song Changsheng could finish, a world-shaking BOOM erupted from the horizon. The next moment, a boundless wave of Demon Qi swept across the land.

"Such dense Demon Qi! It’s the Great Demon’s aura!"

"Quick, to the southeast!"

Shouts rang out one after another. Then, as Song Changsheng and his companion watched, streaks of light shot toward the southeast.

"Damn it, they’re making their move." Song Changsheng’s expression changed drastically. He hurriedly used a Communication Flying Sword to send a message to Zhuang Yuechan and the others.

But after waiting for nearly half a quarter-hour, the message was like a stone dropped into the sea—there was no reply at all.

"The Array hidden in the void has been activated. It’s sealed off the Space, and messages can’t get through."

Song Changsheng’s face grew grave. ’This is going to be trouble.’

"Brother Song, we should hurry to Luoxia City and ask for reinforcements!"

"Luoxia City is thousands of miles away. By the time we bring back help, I’m afraid it will be too late."

Suddenly, Xu Yunhe seemed to remember something and hurriedly asked Song Changsheng, "Brother Song, has the Array been activated now?"

The question seemed a bit contradictory, because the area of Space had already been sealed off, which of course meant the Array was active.

But upon hearing this, Song Changsheng’s eyes lit up, as if the clouds had parted and everything became clear.

’The Array set up by the mastermind is powerful, but their goal must be to lure all the experts in the Griffin Mountain Range inside. That’s why they haven’t fully activated the Array yet; they’ve only sealed off the Space to block communication between the inside and outside.

If I can expose their plot now and get everyone to work together to break the array, there’s still a chance to turn things around.

After all, if their strength was enough to overwhelm everyone, they wouldn’t have resorted to setting up such a scheme.’

Song Changsheng didn’t know if anyone else had realized it was a trap, but he couldn’t just hope for the best.

"I suppose I still owe her a favor," Song Changsheng said with a bitter smile, shaking his head. "Whether I succeed or not, I have to go take a look."

’At a time like this, the smart thing to do would be to learn from a certain senior in the Cultivation Realm and just turn around and run.’

Unfortunately, that didn’t align with Song Changsheng’s character, nor was it a choice his heart would let him make.

Fortunately, he wasn’t alone.

After exchanging a look with Xu Yunhe, the two of them hurried toward the southeast...

By the time Song Changsheng arrived, streaks of light were still occasionally rushing into the Array.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Song Changsheng didn’t call out to warn them. Besides, even if he did, some people certainly wouldn’t believe him, and it would be a waste of breath.

The two arrived at the edge of the Array. After just one glance, Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed deeply. The entrance was a massive cavern.

He knew without even entering that the inside was surely a sprawling network of tunnels. The Cultivators who had entered would be scattered throughout the different caves, which completely wrecked his original plan.

Because in a situation like this, it would be impossible for him to unite everyone.

Just as he was growing anxious, a flash of inspiration struck Song Changsheng. He slammed a fist into his palm and exclaimed, "I have a way!"

"What way?" Xu Yunhe, who knew nothing about arrays, was still rather bewildered.

"This is a Tier Three Low Grade [Heaven and Earth Lock Void Array]. Its main purpose is to conceal tracks and trap enemies; it has no offensive capabilities.

If the enemy plans to move against them, they’ll have to pick them off one by one.

This means their efficiency will be low, which gives us an opportunity to break this stalemate.

This array is composed of forty-nine nodes arranged in the void. I can use a Secret Technique to find Fellow Daoist Zhuang. Once we rendezvous with them, we just need to pull out these nodes one by one to break the array!"

Song Changsheng clenched his fists, his eyes glinting with excitement. ’An opportunity to crack a Tier Three Array doesn’t come by often!’

...