Chapter 75: The Wish-Fulfilling Five Elements Array

But with this mist permeating everything, how could one know what kind of array this was? The group looked at one another, all at a loss for what to do.

Compared to the stumped group, Yinqiao looked quite relaxed and at ease; seeing the bewildered crowd, she actually began to smile.

"It's no wonder. Most arrays spoken of in cultivation are Mysterious Arrays, Weapon Arrays, or Talisman Arrays, but besides learning these, Exorcists also have another type: the Dust Array." As she spoke, Yinqiao walked toward the large rock where Banxia had been sitting just moments before.

"Dust Array? What is that?" Banxia asked, puzzled, feeling that it was quite interesting.

"The three types I mentioned just now are only the common ones today. In fact, the ancient art of Stepping on the Dipper and Heavenly Stems is also a form of array technique. Even current Talisman Methods, though derived from ancient totems, are actually a manifestation of arrays. To us Exorcist Families, they are small-scale arrays," Yinqiao said, crossing her arms and speaking with pride.

"But what does that have to do with this?" Zhao Wuyang asked, feeling completely lost.

"What I actually mean is that array formations are mysterious and ever-changing, so naturally, they have many uses. Take our current situation," Yinqiao said, patting the stone, "we have stones, trees, light, and mist, but we are missing one thing."

Missing one thing? What did that mean? The group looked blank, but Yinqiao didn't keep them in suspense and explained directly:

"Stone represents Earth, trees represent Wood, light represents Fire, and mist represents Water. Of the Five Elements, there are four, but Metal is missing. I suspect this is a Five Elements Dust Array. This Dust Array is different from other array techniques; the method of setting it up uses common objects nearby as metaphors—if it exists, it can serve as a phase. Now that the Five Elements are missing Metal, I imagine that as long as we find the right place to fill in this phase, we can break it."

Hearing this, Liu Xia frowned and asked, "Then where should this place be?"

"This..." The look of pride on Yinqiao's face had not yet faded, but when asked this, her expression vanished instantly. "I only heard my elders talk about these things when I was at home, but I never knew how to set up the array..."

"If that's the case, if this array isn't broken, we can't leave this place?" Long Qi suddenly spoke up and asked.

Hearing this, Yinqiao nodded: "I suppose that must be the case."

Seeing her like this, Long Qi quietly leaned over to Xin Yi and whispered: "Your cultivation is the highest, and you also come from an Exorcist Family, so you must know about this array, right?"

But Xin Yi shook his head: "Most Exorcist Families have their own unique skills. Just as your Long Family was famous for its swords in the past, and the Qiao Family is better than others at divination and Demon Sealing Techniques, the Lu Family specializes in arts of concealment and assassination. Although I have heard of array formations, it is only a superficial understanding."

This was the first time Long Qi had heard this. He cast a skeptical glance at Xin Yi: to think this guy had previously been heavily injured by him—he had thought he was so formidable, but when it came to a critical moment, he was still unreliable.

But at this moment, Banxia suddenly asked Zhao Wuyang: "I remember the Qingwei Peak Master mentioned some Five Elements array formations when teaching the Five Elements Hand Seal, didn't he?" She only blamed herself for focusing solely on the Talisman Method at the time and not listening carefully.

Zhao Wuyang recalled for a moment and said: "He did indeed mention some. It seemed he said that the layout of a Five Elements array is either a Five-Foot Star Array or a Four Phases Combined; it definitely wouldn't be anything outside of these two."

"Since that's the case, why don't we just try both methods and see?" Banxia suggested.

"No need to try both," Yinqiao interrupted at this moment: "Now that the mist is pervasive, the Water phase cannot occupy the position in a Five-Foot Star Array. Looking at it this way, it can only be Four Phases Combined."

"But..." Zhao Wuyang hesitated: "If it is Four Phases Combined, the Earth phase should be the main phase, but this mist seems to be the main phase..."

"Eh~ don't be limited by that, the earth is also Earth, after all," Yinqiao said, stomping her feet.

"But if that's the case, there would be two main phases..." Banxia questioned.

For a moment, the group was at a loss, caught in a dilemma.

"Is it possible..." Liu Xia touched the stone beside him illuminated by the light and said: "That it is the method of Five Elements Mutual Generation?"

But the others did not understand what he meant.

"I remember when the Elder in Charge was teaching, he said that the Five Elements have mutual generation and mutual overcoming. Since that's the case, why not try this?" Saying this, he drew the sword in his hand, performed a series of movements, and thrust it into a crack in the stone.

At first, nothing happened, but before long, they saw water droplets on the sword detach and float up, then slowly gather and grow larger. Even the surrounding mist gradually thinned.

Afterward, the ground began to shake. Before the group could be astonished, those beams of light moved and shone onto several trees. In an instant, the trees were ignited. Before long, scorched leaves fell, but a wind rose from the flat ground, wrapping these scorched leaves and branches, swirling them around Liu Xia's sword.

The scorched wind swirled for a long time. They saw the steel sword on the stone emit a red glow, and in a moment, it turned into molten steel and flowed down from the stone. This molten steel seemed endless, and as if it had a life of its own, it twisted and meandered, igniting the withered leaves and branches on the ground, drawing a Fire Array under everyone's feet.

When the open flames died out, the firelight remained on the array. At this time, the previous beams of light suddenly shone onto the array, and the surrounding mist gathered instantly. They continuously poured into the water droplets that had floated up from the sword. The water droplets grew larger and larger, and when the mist dissipated, they dove into the ground and vanished.

Only then did the group discover that those so-called lights were actually emitted from the eyes of a giant spider. This giant spider, which everyone had previously thought was dead, suddenly lifted one leg and slammed it onto the ground. In an instant, the ground cracked and mountains crumbled outside the array, followed by a massive surge of water, surging like a tidal wave.

Before the few could react, they were submerged. They sank to the bottom of the water along with the vortex, while the Foggy Forest seemed as if nothing had happened, returning to its original state.

Chengkai and Shuzhu were completely baffled, not knowing where exactly things had gone wrong. But since the giant Flood Dragon was like this now, it was enough to show that their previous assumptions were correct.

The two racked their brains and paced back and forth, but they saw Shanhuai exclaiming over the smoothness of the giant Flood Dragon's mane, then praising the beauty of its scales, showing no signs of any burden at all.

Could it be related to Shanhuai? Chengkai looked at Shuzhu, whose eyes were also filled with questions. This Shanhuai was usually careless but exceptionally fierce; however, seeing him act like a child like this was a first.

Fearing the giant Flood Dragon's volatile temper, the two carefully walked behind Shanhuai. Chengkai pulled him back and leaned into his ear to ask in a low voice: "Have you guessed the mystery here? Why don't you show even a hint of nervousness?"

Shanhuai looked innocent: "Isn't it you two who always say I never bring my brain when I go out? Now that I have you two, what else is there for me to think about? The brain is too heavy an object; carrying it out is a burden. I left it at Zhuyuan for today's martial arts drill."

One sentence left the two speechless.

"This is a critical moment, and we have been delayed here for too long. If you are so indifferent, how can we break through this drill?" Shuzhu heard this and hurried over to say.

But even so, Shanhuai himself still didn't know what to do. Looking at the giant Flood Dragon in front of him, he suddenly had a plan in his heart. Why not...

He walked past the two to the front of the giant Flood Dragon, touched it, and said: "The situation here is like this, do you know how to break it?"

Seeing him do this, Chengkai and Shuzhu felt he was truly lacking a few screws. This place was originally an illusion, and this giant Flood Dragon was naturally a void object, so how could it know these things?

But the outcome exceeded their expectations. They saw the giant Flood Dragon shake itself and stand up, actually nodding toward Shanhuai. Both were extremely astonished; Shuzhu swallowed the words he was about to say, nearly twisting his tongue.

And seeing the giant Flood Dragon do this, Shanhuai asked directly: "Then can you take us to break the mystery and walk out of this illusion?"

The giant Flood Dragon did not move upon hearing this. After a long while, it nodded. But before the three could breathe a sigh of relief, it suddenly soared into the air, its tail coiled around the three and threw them into the air, then opened its crocodile-like mouth wide and swallowed the three into its belly!