Chapter 665: A Scholar Meets a Soldier

Black clouds fill the surroundings, and Ning Zhuo continues to grope his way through them.

He has already flown far away from the first hub marker, moving rapidly through the black clouds in a trajectory that spirals outward from it, while also accounting for vertical positioning.

His spiritual sense spreads out in all directions while actively sensing the changes in the pouch's snow light.

A moment later.

The literary qi in the pouch trembles gently, like a heart beating softly. At the same time, the shape of the halo reflected by the snow light also undergoes extremely subtle changes.

Ning Zhuo's heartstrings are plucked, and he immediately changes direction.

With the success of the first experience, his actions are more swift and powerful.

Moreover, the literary qi snow light seems to be pulled by an invisible hand, the degree of deformation increasing until it once again forms a clear, cone-like shape.

The tip of the cone points directly toward a certain direction.

Ning Zhuo follows the trail.

"Marked! The second hub!" Ning Zhuo feels a surge of excitement in his heart, holding a jade slip in one hand, silently outlining the position within it.

By now, he has figured out the correct method.

"But how many hubs will there be here?"

Ning Zhuo suppresses the worry in his heart, leaves the second great array hub, and continues to fly rapidly.

He is like a cartographer groping through a dark maze; hindered by his attainments in array formations, he can only use relatively clumsy methods to find them one by one and...

... mark the positions of the hubs.

In this way, time is dragged out.

"Can Luo Si hold on?! Now, I need you to help me buy time..."

Luo Si's quick defeat or surrender would render Ning Zhuo's actions futile and cause the loss of the final chance for survival.

This is a test of the degree of mutual trust between Luo Si and Ning Zhuo!

Wangchuan Xiancheng.

The old man and the young boy arrive at the core of the City Lord's Mansion and see the strange giant rock.

The two do not know: the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord has arranged the Heaven-Connecting and Earth-Linking Array. The heart of the Heaven-Phase Array is the sacrificial altar that hosts the Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Ritual, and the heart of the Earth-Phase Array is this heavy treasure—the Earth Lung Turbid Qi Surging Barrier!

Zeng Zeng Jide wants to take revenge on the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord, regain his face, and soothe his feelings of being humiliated, but when the moment comes, he falls into hesitation.

Sun Sun Lingtong is not the same.

He gazes intently at the giant rock, his mind triggered repeatedly, and he has an increasing urge to steal it.

He is all too familiar with this kind of urge!

When he was very, very young, he had such urges that he couldn't suppress; the more he suppressed them, the itchier his heart became. Only by following this urge and carrying out the theft could he calm down and find relief for a period of time.

Simply put, his addiction to stealing has flared up.

His eyes become brighter and brighter, and he suddenly uses his stealing technique to strike at the giant rock.

"Don't be reckless!" Zeng Zeng Jide is startled and hurriedly reaches out to stop him, but it is already too late.

Sun Sun Lingtong's stealing technique lands on the giant rock, and his expression changes drastically; he feels as if he is pulling a stone ox, while he himself is as weak as an infant.

The giant rock, stimulated, trembles slightly. Immediately, the spiral holes on the surface of the giant rock begin to shrink like living things, erupting with a terrifying suction force, intending to suck Sun Sun Lingtong in and bury him directly!

Zeng Zeng Jide has no choice but to step in and help.

His intervention is no small matter and immediately changes the situation.

The same stealing technique is applied to Sun Sun Lingtong, doubling his strength and allowing him to suddenly suppress the giant rock in return.

Whoosh.

With a soft sound, a stone-like round core is stolen out by Sun Sun Lingtong, flying out directly from the inside of the giant rock, following the holes on the surface.

This stone-like round core is the size of an adult's head, elliptical and spherical, as if it were a living person's organ, beating slightly.

The stone-like round core falls into Sun Sun Lingtong's hands, and the latter widens his curious eyes: "What is this?"

Zeng Zeng Jide, however, does not answer, but instead wears a serious expression and immediately takes action.

He pinches finger seals, his fingers dancing like butterflies, dazzling to the eye.

Soon, a sealing spell is cast, making the stone-like round core silent as death, completely cutting off its connection with the main giant rock.

Cold sweat drips from Zeng Zeng Jide's forehead, and he glares at Sun Sun Lingtong: "You brat, your guts are too big; do you know you were on the verge of death three times?"

Sun Sun Lingtong chuckles, holds the stone-like round core with both hands, and hands it to Zeng Zeng Jide: "Senior, aren't you still by my side? With you covering me, I'd even dare to steal the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord's underwear!"

Zeng Zeng Jide's mouth twitches, and he can't help but curl it into a slight arc.

Sigh, who told him that he was too lonely wandering in the underworld? And under such circumstances, he encountered a young junior from the same sect whom he greatly appreciated.

Sun Sun Lingtong's flattery truly hit the mark for Zeng Zeng Jide, making the latter feel: Ah! Returning to the City Lord's Mansion this time was truly the right choice.

Zeng Zeng Jide suppresses the arc of his mouth and continues to glare: "You didn't even know what this was. You didn't even investigate what the array here was, yet you dared to strike?! Acting recklessly like this is simply seeking your own death!"

"After all, I won't always be by your side to clean up your mess, you brat."

Sun Sun Lingtong argues back: "How did I not recognize this array? It's very clear that this array is completely out of place with the surrounding defensive arrays; it must have some other purpose."

"The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord has been foolish. Precisely because it is out of place, he left this area empty, causing the defense here to be far weaker than other places. I concluded that this was the best place to strike!"

"And the fact that he values it so much, preferring to abandon defense to arrange it this way, all goes to show that this heavy treasure is worth a fortune!"

Zeng Zeng Jide is so angry that he gently pats Sun Sun Lingtong's head: "Do you think I didn't anticipate what you thought of?"

"This array is Earth-element, yet it is set within Wangchuan Xiancheng. The latter is the main city of Water-element, hovering above the Wangchuan River."

"Precisely because Earth-element and Water-element are not compatible, it allowed me to easily assist you."

"If it were a Water-element great array, I fear you would have already been rolled into meat paste and bone dregs by the water vortex. Even if I used my full strength, I fear I couldn't have saved you."

Sun Sun Lingtong laughs loudly, stating directly: Senior Zeng's strength is extraordinary, and he would definitely be able to protect him. He also understands his good intentions, just wanting to scare him so that he will be more cautious in the future.

Having said this, Sun Sun Lingtong takes the opportunity to thank Zeng Zeng Jide, blocking many of the latter's words.

Then, Sun Sun Lingtong asks again: "Senior, Senior, what exactly is this?"

This time, even Zeng Zeng Jide is somewhat hesitant and troubled.

He stares at the stone-like round core for a moment, then shakes his head: "I cannot identify its origin either; I can only speculate that it must be an Earth-element heavy treasure from underground."

"This is one of the essences of the giant rock. I have just investigated and found that there are quite a few such stone-like round cores contained within the giant rock."

Sun Sun Lingtong pillows his head with his hands and says excitedly: "That's great! With so many round cores, let's take a few more."

"Hmm." Zeng Zeng Jide strokes his beard and nods.

The stealing has already been done, and there hasn't been much reaction after the theft.

Coupled with the fact that such a mysterious treasure indeed made him more curious, and he subconsciously raised his estimation of its value. All these things made Zeng Zeng Jide's heart itch as well.

"Since things have reached this point, taking a few more won't hurt."

Zeng Zeng Jide takes action himself, and his efficiency is several times higher than Sun Sun Lingtong's.

One by one, the Earth Lung nodules are taken away, and the momentum of the giant rock rapidly slides downward.

Sacrificial Altar Battlefield.

Pfft, pfft, pfft...

After a series of deflating sounds, the originally tall and mighty Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God has shrunk to only slightly larger than a normal person.

What happened?!

Such a shocking change is beyond the expectations of everyone present.

Luo Si takes the opportunity to explode backward, opening up a safe distance.

"The Earth-Phase Array, it's the Earth Lung Turbid Qi Surging Barrier at the heart of the array that has a problem!" The main body of the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord glares in the tributary.

A sense of unease rises in his heart, and almost the moment the problem occurs, he sends out a message. He wants to mobilize the entire Wangchuan Xiancheng and...

... use all his strength to protect the Earth Lung Turbid Qi Surging Barrier and eliminate all enemies!

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God looks at his own divine body and feels regret for the first time.

He forcibly sealed Luo Si's Nine Abyss Water-Leaking Pouch onto himself; this spell, based on a magic treasure, is powerful. Once the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God himself is weakened, the Nine Abyss Water-Leaking Pouch can immediately exert its power, making him weaker than weak, leaking again and again.

The dual superposition of the Earth-Phase Array heart's Earth Lung Turbid Qi Surging Barrier and the Nine Abyss Water-Leaking Pouch causes the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God to shrink significantly, and his combat power slides straight down.

Luo Si's eyes flash with brilliance, and his morale is greatly boosted!

"It's the Young Master, it must be him!"

"My defection was not wrong. Senior Gray Bone's guidance was incomparably correct!"

"In this battle, the momentum is on our side; we can win!!"

Luo Si fights again.

This exchange is clearly different from before.

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God wants to shake off the Nine Abyss Water-Leaking Pouch, but how could Luo Si let him succeed easily? He uses all his strength to bind the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God with the water-leaking pouch!

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God previously relied on the Earth-Phase Array, thinking he had endless support, and was full of confidence. As a result, he lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet; the heavy treasure at the heart of the Earth-Phase Array had a problem, which, for him, was simply pulling the firewood from under the cauldron!

The impact is truly too great.

It just so happens that the main body of the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord is still in the Wangchuan tributary and has no strength left to fight—the bead string in his hand has mostly collapsed, and the silhouette of the Nether Flood Dragon just now was his final full-strength strike!

Luo Si's combat power has dropped significantly, and he is seriously injured, so he wisely adopts a hit-and-run tactic.

The Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God has simple methods and pursues with all his might; although he can still occupy the upper hand, he cannot turn the advantage into a victory, leading to a stalemate in the battle.

The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord watches the battle, secretly anxious, and feels a sense of awe.

He wavers in his heart: "Should I not have been greedy for this convenience and let my distraction forge a natural divine body? What if I had split off another Water-element distraction? At least the methods would be rich enough."

"Should I not have arranged the Earth-Phase Array heart so far away? Wangchuan Xiancheng is at a distance beyond my reach, and the loss during transmission is astonishing. In fact, the damage to the Earth Lung Turbid Qi Surging Barrier is not serious, but the reaction here is extremely obvious. If it were arranged nearby..."

The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord immediately shakes his head in his heart: "No, if it were arranged nearby, fighting against Yin Yin Jiuzhu and others before, I fear they would have already found it and destroyed it!"

"The situation is gradually becoming unfavorable to me; the momentum is evolving and targeting me!"

The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord has already had relevant realizations. He stares at the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors in the ice coffin, his eyes bloodshot, urgent and angry as if he wants to eat someone: "Damn it! What way is there for me to quickly retrieve this national treasure?"

The evolution of momentum is a quite dangerous thing.

Especially now, after many fierce battles, his state has dropped to the bottom.

The Nether Flood Dragon Scissors is a national treasure that can suppress momentum; with this treasure protecting his body, he can largely offset the unfavorable evolution of momentum.

The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord understands his own situation and knows very well that retrieving the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors is the most critical thing!

But the Nether Flood Dragon Scissors is trapped in the ice coffin.

Although the ice coffin is being constantly worn down, it remains an annoying obstacle.

"Yin Yin Jiuzhu!!!" The Wangchuan Prefecture Lord roars in his heart, his hatred for the Ghost Fire Prefecture Lord...

... surging countless times.

Intense fatigue and pain wash over Ning Zhuo's will like a tide.

The Golden Core in the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel is already dim and has shrunk to the size of a soybean.

Ning Zhuo strikes like lightning, replacing it with a Golden Core that is still in a relatively full state.

Unlike before, after the defensive battle of White Paper Xiancheng, the number of Golden Cores in his hand is not small. The main cultivation methods of these Golden Cores are not mastered by Ning Zhuo.

So much so that in such a critical and time-sensitive situation, Golden Cores have luxuriously become consumables.

"The ninth hub."

Ning Zhuo's all-out exploration has achieved phased results. In his mind, a rough hub map has already been outlined.

A solid foundation in array formations makes Ning Zhuo feel: the hubs of this great array are not many, and the map of nine hubs has already covered most of it.

Should he continue to explore, or take different actions?

Ning Zhuo does not know that over in Wangchuan Xiancheng, Sun Sun Lingtong has naturally achieved a breakthrough, indirectly changing Luo Si's situation.

The longer time is dragged out, the more anxious Ning Zhuo becomes!

He identifies this map in his heart: "The Guest Star shines upon the Northern Literary Pivot... meaning it is in the northern direction of the hub map."

"Although this map is incomplete, it is possible to determine the north."

Ning Zhuo changes his flight direction and rushes rapidly toward the north of the hub map.

Upon reaching a certain area, the literary qi of the pouch changes abruptly. This time, it no longer just points to a certain direction or stabilizes into a snow light sphere.

Instead, it turns into countless rays of light, winding and twisting, as if pulled by invisible threads, turning into thousands of strands, spreading messily in all directions.

Ning Zhuo's eyes show sharpness: "There is clearly no hub here, why is there such a change?"

"The Heavenly Ghost Incarnation Ritual is a Confucian sacrificial ritual, so it uses literary qi as a hub. The heart of the array should be that sacrificial altar, and this is the internal space of the great array."

"Could this be the invisible hub mentioned in books? The previous hubs were all visible hubs. Using the visible to set off the invisible, using the invisible to control the visible?"

Ning Zhuo's heart beats faster, and he cannot help but feel his mouth go dry.

His attainments in array formations are only basic, and he can only rely on guessing. His Confucian cultivation is even more miserable, fortunately, he had consulted Wen Wen Ruanyu before.

The more he thinks, the more he feels it should be here.

"I don't have much time left."

"At the final step, I still need to take a risk!"

Confucian Art—A Scholar Meets a Soldier!

This Confucian art was also taught by Wen Wen Ruanyu, relatively simple and easy to cultivate.

It can use military evil to counter other Confucian arts.

Ning Zhuo has long since learned the 【Bearing Military Evil Art】, possessing much military evil, forming a good match with this 【A Scholar Meets a Soldier】 Confucian art.

Rumble...

A drastic change occurs! ===== CHAPTER 666 =====