Chapter 849: Chapter 738: Array-Breaking Cone (Extra Chapter for Subscriptions)
Whoosh!
This talisman was bright yellow, with complex vermilion ink inscriptions on it.
Suddenly, it boomed and a miniature altar emerged!
The altar kept expanding, transforming into a small Immortal Array that shielded Fang Xi within.
The array shone with golden light and emanated a Zen-like aura; it was not the Nine Netherworld Underworld River Mysterious Sand Array, but another Brahma Gate Array.
"The Great Diamond Secret Three Vehicle Mantra Altar?"
Upon seeing this scene, Shi Xianzi let out a surprised gasp in her heart.
This array was a closely-guarded secret of the Brahman Sect, particularly skilled in defense and capable of restraining numerous curses and overpowering methods.
It was something the Heterodox Incarnations had obtained through struggles in the Sky Brahman Domain, exchanged from the Sky Brahman Army.
Being protected by this array in many Returning to Emptiness battles, to say one would be invincible is somewhat of an overstatement.
But initially, it could indeed greatly strengthen defenses and gain an upper hand.
"A talisman-based array method?"
Old Qiao, with a head full of silver hair, holding a pitch-black Demon Banner, saw this scene and felt slightly wary, "When did such high-level Array Talismans appear in the Earth Immortal Realm?"
In the Earth Immortal Realm, there were naturally methods involving Array Talismans; Fang Xi even saw Xiao Chong’s mother using them.
But those were mostly low-level arrays, sealed within talismans.
High-level arrays like this talisman were truly quite rare.
"Heh heh... During an underground auction, I spent a hefty sum to acquire this talisman. After all, it does have some uses."
Fang Xi, surrounded by flurries of Sky Flower petals, held a string of Buddhist beads. Amidst the Brahma Sound Chants, he sat upon a golden lotus throne, observing the situation in the field, "Friend Chi... We’ve known each other for many years. Do you really think I’m a traitor?"
"Hmph! If I wanted to betray, I wouldn’t have waited until today," Shi Xianzi retorted coldly.
"It was my lapse in composure. Please, both of you, don’t take offense," said Chi Songzi as he waved the Red Pine Mystical Tree in his hands. Threads of red radiance crisscrossed the Void, protecting him and Elder Tong within while his gaze wandered around, seemingly searching for a way out.
However, at this moment, several bands of Returning to Emptiness Escape Light had already completely enveloped them.
These included both Human Cultivators and a sixth-order Golden Lion, as well as a Silver-haired Demon Wolf.
They were likely associated with the Sky Demon Association.
At this moment, these cultivators each brought out a dark green Array Flag. Immediately, a misty green fog appeared, sealing off the surrounding ten-thousand-mile areas.
"Friends Wang and Shi..."
Old Qiao shook the Demon Banner in his hand, and endless pitch-black fog emerged, containing several Devil Corpses that emitted the fluctuations of the sixth order, faint yet discernible.
This person turned out to be a grandmaster of Refining Corpses and even had sixth-order Devil Corpses under his command, which were not to be taken lightly.
Old Qiao spoke calmly, "We had agreed beforehand that if you turned against us, you must provide a breakthrough pill and even the chance for future Integration. If not now, then when would we act?"
In Fang Xi’s ears, however, Divine Consciousness Transmission from Old Qiao followed, "Friend Wang... Don’t you also wish for a chance at Integration?"
Clearly, Old Qiao had been slandering earlier, and only now was he starting to enlist support.
Fang Xi believed that Fairy Shi must be experiencing the same kind of situation.
"A chance for Integration? Haha... Is that why you’re willing to serve the demon race?"
Fang Xi laughed coldly and flatly refused, "Throughout my life, I’ve been upright and open. How could I act in such a way?"
"You... upright and open?"
Old Qiao was baffled.
How could someone who had cultivated to the Returning to Emptiness realm and was an ancestor of a region not exploit his subordinates?
When the Wang Family Ancestor spoke like this, it was clear he was not willing to board the Sky Demon Association’s ship!
"Hmph, Sir, your choice is rather unwise. You might end up losing your life here today, and perhaps this will be the beginning of the Wang family’s downfall!" threatened Old Qiao.
"The affairs of the Wang family are not of your concern, Sir. The children have their own luck, and if the Wang family is extinguished... I will seek revenge on whoever laid the hands!" Fang Xi chuckled coldly in response.
What did the life and death of the Wang family members have to do with someone surnamed Fang?
"Excellent, Sir. With such a resolute mind, you really ought to join our side," praised Old Qiao. Suddenly, a blood corpse appeared behind Fang Xi, extending its blood claws.
Pop!
The surface of the Great Diamond Secret Three Vehicle Mantra Altar Array was suddenly covered by bursts of golden Xia Light, accompanied by Brahma Sound Chants and endless Crimson Brahma characters emerging.
The pair of blood claws from the blood corpse, nearly capable of tearing apart the defenses of a sixth-order Monster Beast, were blocked by the golden Brahma characters and couldn’t advance an inch.
Golden Light flashed, revealing the blood corpse’s true form – withered features, dark eyes; at a quick glance, it bore a striking resemblance to Old Qiao.
"The methods of Sacrificial Refining of Devil Corpses have always had a trick: refining one’s blood relatives into Devil Corpses for easier control..."
Fang Xi picked up the Brahma Sound Bell, gently swaying it.
Accompanied by the clear ringing of the bell, ripples of golden waves spread out, falling upon the blood corpse.
This blood corpse, expressionless, was suddenly covered by surging blood-blisters under the golden light, only to heal quickly thereafter.
Meanwhile, Shi Xianzi let out a sharp cry, and the Thousand-Flower Treasure Mirror flashed with prismatic Xia Light, immobilizing another Devil Corpse arrayed in green-black armor with elongated nails and blue-black facial features.
She, too, seemed to have reached an impasse with Old Qiao.
"Friends Wang and Shi, I shouldn’t have acted that way... If we can return to the city today, I’m willing to offer double the promised Immortal Jade reward!" Chi Songzi kept waving the Red Pine Treasure Tree, filled with regret upon this realization.
"Seeing as Sir has spoken, I’ll take you at your word," Fang Xi replied secretly, smiling, "It’s just that for now, we still need to think of a way to escape... Currently, with the Great Array locking us outside and Old Qiao playing the tyrant inside, if all of us were to fall in battle, no amount of reward would be of any use."
"Sir Wang appears to have a strategy to counter the enemy?" Shi Xianzi’s expression shifted.
"Heh heh... though I’ve no strategy to repel the enemy, I do have a method to flee for our lives. At that underground auction, by a stroke of luck, I exchanged for a few ’Array-Breaking Cones.’ These cones, crafted from the horns of a sixth-grade Tri-Horned Yuan Rhinoceros, possess a natural ability to break through arrays... If used all at once on a single point, creating a temporary escape route should not be difficult!"
Fang Xi looked towards Chi Songzi, "However, these Array-Breaking Cones are highly expensive and are also my life-saving trump card..."
"Once we return to Moon Invitation Immortal City, no matter the cost you’ve incurred, Sir Fang, I’ll cover it all!" Chi Songzi declared magnanimously.
"That would be most excellent! And would Fairy Shi bear witness to this!"
Fang Xi laughed heartily and raised his hand to release two more talismans.
Two miniature arrays instantly formed, one swirling with endless thunder, the other with faintly howling winds... Suddenly, they merged, turning into a bi-colored swirl of aqua and purple.
"This... a mixed array?"
Old Qiao’s expression changed dramatically, and he ordered several Devil Corpses to stand guard before him.
"Explode!"
Fang Xi smiled faintly and self-destructed the two high-level arrays.
Earlier, he had expanded the Great Diamond Secret Three Vehicle Mantra Altar to include Chi Songzi, Fairy Shi, and the others within it.
Now, observing the swirling aqua-purple hues beyond the array, he addressed Chi Songzi with a pleasant expression, "Sir... these three Array Talismans should also be added to the account!"
Such talismans were naturally his own creations, and he was effectively using his own resources now.
The art of Array Talismans had long been in circulation within the Earth Immortal Realm, though most were rather low-level.
By Fang Xi’s current level, however, he was contemplating enhancement and integration.
After all, whether it’s Array, Talisman, or even alchemy or Talisman forging... at higher levels, they all seemed to converge on a common destination.
From what Fang Xi had seen, there were various paths like alchemy-equipment integration and Talisman-equipment integration.
Perhaps at advanced stages, the Hundred Arts of Immortal Cultivation ultimately lead to a convergence of myriad streams into one vast ocean!
In the past five hundred years, thanks to Tai Yi and his own efforts, his knowledge of arrays and talismans improved by leaps and bounds.
After all, if he could realize the ’Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity Grand Array’ he envisioned, it would almost be at the standard of Immortal Arrays! That is, a truly ninth-grade Array!
As for talismans, with the higher-level talisman heritage he had acquired, he had steadily entered the sixth grade.
After numerous attempts, Fang Xi managed to use micro-carving techniques to inscribe some small arrays onto his own talismans.
From then on, the release of a single talisman would be equivalent to setting up an array!
This Brahma Gate Array Talisman was his most prideful creation.
Unfortunately, producing such talismans not only consumed a great deal of resources, but their potency was also far from the original version.
Therefore, they could only be used for temporary and surprise attacks.
On the contrary, from the combined application of Array and Talisman, he derived another aspect, and the method of forming arrays with countless talismans turned out to be a great success, showing Fang Xi another path.
The so-called ’Talisman Array Formation’ doesn’t combine the power of a great array onto a single piece of paper. Instead, different talismans serve the role of array-forming instruments.
When used, a large number of talismans are released at once, instantly forming an array!
Though it’s a one-time array, its capability is nearly on par with the original!
Still, many details required further refinement.
Seeing Moon Invitation Immortal City as an easy target, he naturally intended to settle the account thoroughly.
’Not quite right, I saved so many Return to Emptiness cultivators for Moon Invitation Immortal City, plus vital materials, so what’s a little Immortal Jade in comparison? After returning, I should settle the account vigorously!’
Seizing the opportunity while Old Qiao was distracted by the storm created by the two self-destructed array talismans, Fang Xi had already reached the misty edge of the array with Chi Songzi, Shi Xianzi, and the others.
A brilliance flickered in his hand as three sharp, cone-shaped magical artifacts appeared.
"Begin!"
Fang Xi formed a hand seal with one hand, and one of the Array-Breaking Cones shot out.
Laden with the force of wind and thunder, it pierced fiercely into the misty fog, its surface sparking with dark golden electrical arcs.
Crackle!
Countless arcs exploded, tearing a large hole in the misty fog array.
Fang Xi did not hesitate to enter, and another Array-Breaking Cone ascended.
This time, a Five-color Xia Light smashed onto the misty array.
"This isn’t good!"
From outside, the Silver-haired Demon Wolf let out an exclamation as an Array Flag in its hand shattered in an instant.
Then, a massive hole burst open on top of the misty array.
"Split up and run!" Fang Xi roared, a string of golden radiance bursting from his prayer beads, blessing his legs with the ’Divine Foot Thorough.’
He turned into a streak of golden light and disappeared into the sky in the blink of an eye.
Shi Xianzi chuckled softly, turning into a colorful long rainbow herself.
Even Elder Tong clenched his teeth, pulling out a Blood-colored Talisman. Upon activation, he transformed into a streak of Blood-colored Escape Light and vanished into the sky in an instant.
Whoosh whoosh!
At this moment, the misty array dissipated, revealing Old Qiao, slightly disheveled. Seeing this scene, he snorted coldly, "Split up and pursue them! Call upon Steward Peng to take action!"
Splash!
The Mysterious Dark Sea roiled suddenly, and a massive Monster Bird emerged that seemed neither fish nor fowl.
It was none other than the Kunpeng that had previously escaped!
Compared to its past self, the current Kunpeng exuded a profound aura, likely having reached the peak of the sixth grade, just a step away from the seventh!
Moreover, thanks to its awakened bloodline, its speed of escape was astonishingly fast.
Regardless of which route it chose, anyone targeted was almost certainly doomed!
The Kunpeng transformed into a streak of Blue Light, chasing after one of the paths, and seeing this, Old Qiao immediately chose another route to pursue.
Several Return to Emptiness Escape Lights chased through the Mysterious Dark Abyss, leaving the lower-level cultivators who were fishing agape in astonishment, overwhelmed by a sense of impending doom...