Chapter 74: Unknown Call

June 7, 2016, Earth calendar.

That is, the third day of the fifth lunar month in the year of Huaxia.

This day is also the third day of the fifth month in the year 2491 of the Yuanwu Continent calendar.

Facing Facing Cang Luo discovered that the Yuanwu Continent calendar and the Huaxia lunar calendar on Earth are synchronized, which further proves the theory that the Yuanwu Continent and Earth are parallel worlds.

The two worlds diverged 2491 years ago when nine strange stars suddenly appeared on Earth, splitting Earth in two and thereby creating a parallel world.

Subsequently, the two worlds entered different development trajectories.

Earth took the technological path.

The Yuanwu Continent took the cultivation path.

Of course, this is merely Facing Facing Cang Luo's speculation; based on the information currently available, it is impossible to thoroughly prove the parallel world relationship between the two worlds. Facing Facing Cang Luo has not deliberately investigated, nor does he have time to investigate.

Now, Facing Facing Cang Luo's thoughts are entirely focused on how to improve his cultivation and strength, and everything related to cultivation.

For example, learning how to set up formation arrays.

Since the martial arts competition with Kong Sheng Academy on May 25, Facing Facing Cang Luo has not left the dormitory for thirteen days.

During these thirteen days, Facing Facing Cang Luo has been healing his injuries while researching formation arrays. The formation array textbook was obtained from the Inner Sect Treasury Pavilion; it is titled "Theory and Practice of Formation Arrays," with a line of small text beside it: Recommended for practitioners with Martial Spirit cultivation or above.

The reason it is said to be "obtained" is that Facing Facing Cang Luo could not afford to buy it; after much pleading with the steward of the Inner Sect Treasury Pavilion, he was finally allowed to rent it for half an hour at the price of two gold coins.

After renting it, Facing Facing Cang Luo took out his mobile phone and clicked-clicked...

The book mainly introduces the functions of the runes that compose formation arrays, as well as simple combinations and suppression relationships between runes, and includes several Yellow-grade formation arrays as case studies.

After studying these past days, Facing Facing Cang Luo has memorized all the runes recorded in the book and is now studying the combination effects and suppression relationships between runes.

Once this is mastered, one can independently set up formation arrays.

Although there are only over seven hundred types of runes that constitute formation arrays, the combinations and pairings between runes are countless; in other words, there are countless formation arrays.

Formation array masters and high-level martial artists on the Yuanwu Continent have always been exploring and creating new formation arrays; unfortunately, the number of formation arrays currently composed accounts for only the tip of the iceberg of the unknown total.

Facing Facing Cang Luo also tried using his mobile phone calculator to compute it; unfortunately, he pressed the calculator until it exploded but still could not calculate the number of formation arrays; it seems there are even more variations than in the game of Go.

One can imagine how terrifying the number of formation arrays is.

This also indirectly indicates that formation arrays possess infinite possibilities; as long as one has sufficient time and energy, along with formation array materials, one can create new formation arrays.

However, creating new formation arrays is not a simple matter, and it is very dangerous.

The suppression relationships between runes and between rune chains are extremely complex; if a formation array master's understanding is insufficient and their attainment is not deep, a slight carelessness will result in a massive explosion or the formation array turning against them.

Furthermore, the function and power of a formation array are directly proportional to the number of runes used; the more runes used, the more powerful the function and power of the formation array.

At the same time, the complexity of the formation array will also increase, as will the materials and Yuan power consumed to set up the formation array.

Therefore, formation array masters nowadays rarely create new formation arrays; at most, they only improve existing formation arrays.

This is also what Facing Facing Cang Luo intends to do.

Facing Facing Cang Luo's purpose in learning formation arrays is to manufacture Yuan power batteries; he thinks this should not be difficult; as long as he improves an existing formation array capable of releasing lightning, it should suffice.

The formation array textbook "Theory and Practice of Formation Arrays" provides several Yellow-grade low-tier formation arrays for beginners to learn, one of which happens to be a lightning-attribute formation array.

It is named the Primary Lei Guang Array; as the name suggests, this array can release lightning.

Facing Facing Cang Luo decided to thoroughly master the Primary Lei Guang Array and then improve it, reducing its power to a controllable level; this way, it might be possible to manufacture Yuan power batteries.

However, improving the Lei Guang Array and subsequently manufacturing Yuan power batteries requires extensive experimentation and a large amount of materials.

Facing Facing Cang Luo is currently a pauper and cannot afford the materials to set up formation arrays, so he has decided to hunt demons in the Demon Beast Mountain Forest to be self-sufficient.

Facing Facing Cang Luo plans to go in a few days; today he has matters to attend to.

Today is the day the War Wolf Gang was established.

Facing Facing Cang Luo is to convene the gang's first general meeting, where issues regarding personnel for important positions and the gang's future development plans must be resolved.

At this moment, it is nearing noon.

Yesterday, Facing Facing Cang Luo had asked Gan Lei from the neighboring dormitory to notify Wang Fuhai and others, arranging to hold the gang meeting during lunch today at the location where the martial arts competition with Kong Sheng Academy was held previously.

Checking his mobile phone, it was past twelve o'clock; the meeting was about to begin. Facing Facing Cang Luo put away his phone and prepared to set off.

However, just then, the mobile phone suddenly vibrated; it was a call from an unknown number.

Looking at the unknown number, Facing Facing Cang Luo felt puzzled; his phone number had been changed by Feng Lin Huo Shan, and only Feng Lin Huo Shan, his own family, and his cousin Yang Yongshan knew the new number.

Did they dial the wrong number?

With a hint of puzzlement, Facing Facing Cang Luo pressed the answer key; as soon as the call connected, a hoarse electronic voice came through.

"Facing Facing Cang Luo?"

"......"

Facing Facing Cang Luo said nothing, his brows furrowed tightly.

The fact that the other party knew his name meant it was not a wrong number; moreover, the voice had been processed, clearly indicating the caller had ill intentions.

How did the other party know his number? And why conceal their identity?

Facing Facing Cang Luo had a bad feeling and asked in puzzlement, "Who is this?"

"Heh!" The electronic voice coldly sneered stiffly, then said, "This young master will not waste words. Give you one hundred million US dollars, and you hand over the content of the first layer of Meiti Shengong."

Even with the voice processed, one could still hear a tone of superiority in the other party's voice; the other party was not negotiating with Facing Facing Cang Luo but notifying Facing Facing Cang Luo.

You must hand over Meiti Shengong!

Facing Facing Cang Luo was instantly startled; the other party not only knew he was in another world but also knew he possessed Meiti Shengong?

Most crucially, the other party also knew that Meiti Shengong had content in its first layer.

What is this situation? How did the other party know? And what is their identity?

What does the other party want Meiti Shengong for? The other party is undoubtedly on Earth; does Earth have a way to cultivate? Or are they taking it for research?

At this moment, Facing Facing Cang Luo's thoughts were myriad, his mind turning a hundred times.

Back then, he first sent photos of Meiti Shengong to his cousin, but his cousin could not restore them, so he did not know those photos were of Meiti Shengong.

Even if restored, he did not know he had been transported to the Yuanwu Continent, so even if he saw the content of Meiti Shengong, he would merely treat it as some ancient text.

Later, he sent the photos to Feng Lin Huo Shan, and eventually restored seven pages—exactly the content of the second layer of Meiti Shengong.

Zhu Ge Qing asked him why he didn't have the first layer's content; he lied and said he didn't, but he suspected she didn't believe him.

So?

If it wasn't your cousin who leaked it, then it must be Feng Lin Huo Shan?

Did the other party steal the information from Feng Lin Huo Shan?

Or is the other party someone inside Feng Lin Huo Shan?

Or perhaps a spy from another nation?

Facing Facing Cang Luo thought for a moment and felt it was more likely that the other party learned of it from Feng Lin Huo Shan, or was directly one of Feng Lin Huo Shan's people.

Because if they were spies from another nation, they could have negotiated with him calmly and peacefully—there was no need to command him with such arrogance from the very first word.

It seems Feng Lin Huo Shan isn't absolutely safe or loyal!

After figuring it out, Facing Facing Cang Luo probed: "Are you from Feng Lin Huo Shan?"

"Hah! So much nonsense." The other party growled impatiently. "Don't test me. Don't bother asking who I am. My identity is not something you're fit to know. All you can do is hand over Meiti Shengong."

"......"

Facing Facing Cang Luo was extremely annoyed—the other party was too arrogant.

My status isn't fit for me to know?

And you keep saying "this young master" like you're so high and mighty?