Chapter 66

Bai Shi's body instinctively retreated. As he saw the strange pattern, his pupils suddenly constricted. Under the blinding golden light, he clearly heard the sound of swords whistling.

"An array?"

With a frown, Bai Shi murmured, taking two more steps back. Listening to the whistling sound of the swords, he focused his gaze and saw that the strange golden light had formed a complex sword pattern!

Indeed, it was a sword, but it was different. The sword had some peculiar stripes, or more accurately, golden threads. These threads connected the sword, and the position of the sword was exactly where the flame had been.

At the same time, where Bai Shi's gaze fell, the hilt of the sword pattern transformed into a Bagua symbol. This symbol was slowly moving, emitting a powerful aura.

"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"

In the next moment, at the intersection of the threads, golden swords suddenly whistled out. These swords looked exactly like the sword pattern, and the Bagua symbol on the hilt still emitted a powerful aura.

"Indeed, it's an array... But the inscription on the stone wall said that to leave, one must extinguish the flame. The breeze I felt earlier came from the location of the flame... Beneath this sword pattern, there must be another world. However, if I can't break this array, I won't know what lies beneath."

At this point, the golden light was no longer as blinding, and the cave had returned to normal, no longer trembling. The humming sound had disappeared, leaving only the powerful aura of the strange sword array.

Although Bai Shi had no knowledge of arrays, he had heard some things about them. These stories came from the casual chats between him and Xi Chenzi at Xi Chen Manor, under the stars on the mountain peak.

The old man's face was kind, while the young boy's face was puzzled.

"In this world, there are people who are neither spellcasters nor swordsmen... but they are still cultivators. We call them array masters!" The old man smiled kindly and slowly spoke, looking at the young boy.

"Without a doubt, array masters are those who specialize in setting up arrays." The young boy, chin in hand, listened quietly to the old man's words.

"The requirements for array masters are extremely high. Not only must they have a pure soul, but their soul's perception must also be far beyond that of ordinary people." After a long silence, the old man shifted his gaze from the young boy to the stars in the sky.

A complex expression appeared in the old man's eyes, as if he was recalling something or yearning for the pursuit of array masters.

"These array masters don't need to cultivate any weapons; they only need to improve their own cultivation. If they are trapped by an array of the same level and can't break it, then their fate might be to spend the rest of their days inside the array..."

After a long pause, the old man took a deep breath, his gaze returning from the night sky to the young boy. He continued with a smile, "Of course, there are array masters who don't have such high requirements for their souls. These are people who have inherited the legacy of a high-level array master... but their strength is inferior to that of a true array master."

Bai Shi recalled the words of Xi Chenzi from his time at Xi Chen Manor and then refocused his gaze on the sword array.

"Xi Chen Master also said... arrays are not divided into upper, middle, and lower levels, or the highest level... but I have never heard him mention this kind of sword array. If I can learn this array, perhaps in the future, dealing with someone stronger than me won't be so difficult." Bai Shi murmured, looking at the stone wall where the characters had not yet faded. He clearly remembered that the stone wall did not mention this mysterious sword array.

However, at this moment, as Bai Shi's gaze fell, his eyes widened in surprise. After the patterns on the stone wall dissipated, they transformed into a smooth stone wall. On this wall, a faint golden aura was emitted, and beneath this aura, there were shining golden characters!

"This is a sword array. To break this array, one must use the Dragon Transformation Step... To master this array, one must use the Soul Breath. The Dragon Transformation Sword, when unleashed, is this array... To seal the other door of this realm, one needs this sword array!"

Bai Shi silently read the golden characters on the stone wall. After finishing, a surge of joy welled up inside him. This joy made him take a step forward, heading towards the sword array.

But just as he approached the sword array, he suddenly paused, noticing the Fangding in the corner.

The Fangding was still warm, but Bai Shi had not yet refined the Bone Tempering Pill.

"If I break this array now... I don't know if there really is another realm beneath it... Also, the spiritual energy in this cave is very dense. If I give up now, it would be a waste... I might as well absorb all the spiritual energy in this cave and refine the Bone Tempering Pill. Then, I'll return to 'Suxing City' and visit Emperor Qi..."

As Bai Shi said the last three words, his eyes glowed with a strange green light. This green light made him subconsciously grip the Dragon Roar Sword, which immediately emitted a sharp dragon's roar.

"It's not too late..."

Murmuring, Bai Shi walked to the Fangding. The cauldron was very good at retaining heat, so even without the flame, its temperature was sufficient to last for some time.

However, Bai Shi did not delay. He immediately took out the prepared wood from his storage bag. But the wood was not enough to refine the Bone Tempering Pill, so he also took out some animal bones. These bones were originally intended for sale...

Time passed as Bai Shi refined the pill. The wood and animal bones burned for a long time, and Bai Shi sat cross-legged in the cave, his chin now showing signs of a mature beard. But at this moment, he looked weathered.

While absorbing the spiritual energy with his eyes closed, Bai Shi also occasionally felt the aura of the sword array. This aura came from his soul's perception.

He was very clear that to set up an array, one not only needed to remember the array's lines but also to feel the array's aura. Using his soul's perception to activate some mysterious natural laws, he could control the array completely. And these arrays required his own cultivation to improve; the higher his cultivation, the greater the power of the array!

Moreover, while absorbing the spiritual energy, Bai Shi was no longer using his previous consciousness. After the breakthrough in his cultivation and the formation of his divine consciousness, he could not only absorb the spiritual energy more effectively but also detect any abnormalities within a few hundred meters.

However, during this time, no cultivators or hunters had fallen into the 'Devouring Abyss,' but he often detected some beasts falling in. These beasts were often pierced by arrows or hunting guns, likely due to being injured and pursued by hunters.

For Bai Shi, this was not bad news. After all, the fuel he needed to refine the Bone Tempering Pill was insufficient, and these animal bones saved him a lot of trouble.

Summer soon passed, and early autumn arrived...

The Daochen Mountains were already filled with fallen leaves, some of which had begun to rot, emitting a foul smell. This was in stark contrast to the sweet scent of ripe wild fruits...

Suxing City remained as usual. Due to Su Xuan's joining, the Demon Blade Sect had obtained the formula for Hehe Powder. Qi Huanglao of Beigun Manor, however, remained calm, as if he had become accustomed to the thin business. In reality, he was more aware than anyone that, at this rate, Beigun Manor would eventually be swallowed by the Demon Blade Sect. But in recent times, the Demon Blade Sect had spent money to recruit talented people, expanding their influence, making it impossible for Qi Huanglao to attack them rashly.

Now, he was waiting for an opportunity...

This opportunity was buried in his heart. As winter approached, his pupils suddenly constricted. Through the cracks in the wooden window, he saw Xiao Yishen walking out of the Demon Blade Sect.

Walking out with Xiao Yishen were several people holding large knives, all wearing cotton coats, protecting someone. The person they were protecting was the fat man... Su Xuan!

"The time... has finally come."

Qi Huanglao slowly put down his teacup, murmured, and gripped his black staff. The black staff immediately emitted a strange black aura, and a powerful force instantly filled the room, making him stand up abruptly. His eyes glowed with a fierce light as he stepped out of the room.