latelenovela Chapter 502 Sacrificing the Array Core
Chapter 502 Sacrificing the Array Core
"The reason why the fourteen main cities are more important than ordinary passes is not only because they are the core of the formation. If an ordinary pass is attacked, 30% of the attack power will be distributed to the nearest core of the main city. Even if an ordinary pass is breached, as long as the core of the main city is still intact, it will only take a few days to repair the formation."
"But if the core of the main city's formation is destroyed, repairing it will not only require time... but also lives."
Rong Shu was startled: "Fill in the gaps?"
“That’s right.” Yun Duan nodded heavily. “Back then, the explanation given to the outside world for those 108 array masters was that they died from exhaustion. In reality, they all sacrificed themselves to the array and used their blood to draw out the spirits so that the array could be formed.”
"Once the core of the formation is broken, it will not only mean the fall of Zhongzhou and the devastation of its people, but also the sacrifice of at least one more formation master to form a new core."
Rong Shu: "At least one? Isn't one enough?"
Yun Duan: "Since the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array was built, the main city's array core has been destroyed four times."
"The first repair required the sacrifice of five array masters."
"The second repair required the sacrifice of two array masters."
"The third repair involved the sacrifice of three array masters."
"The fourth repair involved the sacrifice of two array masters."
"The method of sacrifice is not guaranteed to succeed; it always requires trial and error."
The cost of trial and error is paid in human lives.
Rong Shu turned to look at the pitted and uneven city wall, feeling slightly relieved: "Then this time, none of the fourteen main cities were breached, which is good news."
Cloud: "Yeah, I guess so."
"After the Demon Tide ends, we should stay here for another three to five years. If the border is stable, we can return to Jixia Academy ahead of schedule."
“Junior Sister Rong Shu, you are already a Nascent Soul cultivator. If you continue to stay in Buzhou Domain to kill evil demons, you can accumulate military merits. Military merits can be taken to the Suppression of Nightmare Division to exchange for cultivation resources. If you can accumulate a million military merits, the Suppression of Nightmare Division will issue you a pass token that allows you to freely travel to various passes, making it convenient to enter and leave Buzhou Domain.”
"The Buzhou Domain is known as an ancient battlefield. In recent years, whenever there has been a surge of evil spirits or fluctuations in the seal, a group of cultivators have unfortunately perished there. Some of the storage bags of these fallen cultivators have been lost inside. If someone finds them, according to the rules of the Suppressing Nightmare Bureau, only the items that still bear the original owner's identification mark should be returned. The rest of the items belong to the scavenger."
Speaking of this, Rong Shu was no longer sleepy.
"Senior Sister Yunduan, do you mean that we can still enter Buzhou Domain now, but in the future, the Zhenyan Division will need to strictly approve our entry?"
Yun Duan nodded: "That's right."
Upon hearing this, Rong Shu immediately made up his mind to stay at Wuqu Pass for a longer period of time.
She's not after treasures from Buzhou Domain!
Being outside also made it easier for her to turn back and find her senior brother Wuhua and the others.
"Junior Sister Rong Shu, would you like to continue teaming up with us and scavenging in the Buzhou Domain?" Xuanhe rubbed his hands together.
Sunset scratched his head, his tone hesitant: "...Ahem, well, I want to go back to my hometown first. I haven't met my sister yet."
Rong Shu: "Senior Brother Luo Ri, your injuries haven't fully healed yet. Why don't you wait until you're fully recovered before going back?"
"It's nothing, just a minor injury." Sunset grinned, turning to look at Cloud with expectant eyes: "Boss~ I'm requesting to leave the team and go home~"
Yun Duan waved his hand: "Get lost."
"I also have something to do and need to leave Wuqu Pass for a while. Xuanhe, you two team up with Junior Sister Rong Shu, remember to take good care of her."
"Thank you, boss!"
"No problem, boss!"
Yun Duan didn't stay long and soon said goodbye to the others.
The sun needs to go home.
Chen Xin declined Xuanhe's invitation to team up, turned around and caught up with Yun Duan, tentatively asking, "Sister, are you going to Ziwei Pass? I'll go with you."
Yun Duan looked puzzled: "What would I do there? There are still many things to do here at Wuqu Pass..."
Chen Xin pursed her lips: "Sister, Uncle and Aunt were once renowned array masters, but why did they suddenly disappear without a trace? The elders in the family are also keeping silent..."
Chenxin had once wondered about this, but he had never found an answer.
All he remembered later was his parents repeatedly telling him to take good care of his older sister, to listen to her, and not to upset her...
Even now, a vague answer has emerged in Chen Xin's heart: "Are my uncle and aunt... the two array masters who sacrificed themselves to repair the Ziwei Pass array eye for the fourth time?"
"Hmm," Yun Duan replied softly. "I didn't mean to hide it from you. You were still young then, there was no need to look so gloomy all the time."
Chen Xin was unconvinced. He was no longer the little kid who followed his older sister around back then, and he could help his older sister revitalize the family.
"Alright, to tell you the truth, I have developed a demon in my heart. If I don't overcome this demon, I will be stuck at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm forever, barring any unforeseen circumstances."
"A piece of trash whose cultivation may forever stagnate at the Nascent Soul stage is not qualified to attend the Academy's Millennium Dragon and Tiger Ranking, much less to become a role model for future students." Yun Duan's tone was sarcastic, his face showing no trace of gloom, and he even had the mind to joke with Chen Xin:
"Xuanhe Luori and the others all thought I was too lazy to participate in the Dragon and Tiger Ranking competition, and they didn't brag about me being the boss."
"Chen Xin, don't tell them that I, as the boss, still have to save face for them."
Chen Xin immediately retorted, "Sister, you're not a good-for-nothing!"
Yun Duan patted Chen Xin on the shoulder, her eyes filled with relief: "Chen Xin, you've grown up. Although you have a proud and aloof personality, you can take things in stride. I believe you can overcome the inner demon tribulation when you advance to the Void Refinement stage."
"Your future will be even brighter than your older sister's."
"...No, sister, in my heart you've always been the strongest, always number one."
"Alright, alright, I understand... You really want to come with me to Ziwei Pass? Not to team up with Rong Shuxuanhe and the others to kill the evil demons?"
"No, I'll stay with my sister."
"..."
On the other side, Xuanhe watched helplessly as Chenxin left without looking back, shaking his head and sighing, "Alas, little Chenxin has abandoned us too. Now, it's just the three of us left."
Qingniao chuckled: "Xuanhe, why don't you come too? I'll go scavenging with Junior Sister Rong. We're both female cultivators, so we'll have more in common than you."
"Hey! Bluebird, that's not fair of you! You're discriminating against people..."
"Slightly~"
"..."
Rong Shu had long been accustomed to the frequent bickering among Xuanhe and the others, and simply stayed away from the 'battlefield' to observe the situation.
The demon tide has receded, and there's nothing else to worry about.
Rong Shu finally had a moment to take out the Nine Palaces Mirror and check the unanswered messages that had accumulated inside.
There is the senior disciple Leng Mingjing, who is far away at Zhanming Mountain;
There is the fifth senior brother, Di Chuchen, who is stationed at Ziwei Pass;
Senior Brother Wuhua and Senior Sister Jingyue also sent messages... mostly asking if Rong Shu was safe and reminding him to be careful.
Rong Shu replied to each of them.
"...Why hasn't Fourth Senior Brother said a word?" Rong Shu blinked, his mind racing as he imagined the possibilities.
Could it be that Fourth Senior Brother is afraid to accept the truth?
Or was it because the war was too intense that Xiao Zian, a ninth-grade alchemist, was too busy to spare any time?
So, Rong Shu tentatively sent two messages:
[Fourth Senior Brother, are you alright?]
[You know that Senior Sister Yunduan is a woman, right? When are you going to settle accounts with her?]
After waiting a while, Rong Shu sent another message: [Fourth Senior Brother, stop pretending to be dead, you must have seen it, right?]
This time, Xiao Zian on the other side finally decided to speak up.
[……Depend on!]
[…Aaaaaaah! I, the patriarch, am too ashamed to live! Junior sister, please stop!]
Oh ho~
Rong Shu raised an eyebrow.
Seeing that Xiao Zian could still send such a 'lively' message, she felt relieved, thinking that nothing serious had happened.
Rong Shu simply switched interfaces and told Di Chuchen to go check on Xiao Zi'an's situation, so she could satisfy her curiosity later.
ヾ(≧▽≦*)o Hmm~ Just curious~
As her dearest junior sister and doting daughter, she absolutely had no intention of seeing her fourth senior brother make a fool of himself.
Rong Shu continued scrolling down and saw several messages sent by Duan Yuyan. She suddenly remembered Yan Youwei's matter, and the smile on her face slowly faded.