Chapter 218

Upon hearing Lin Daochen say he wanted to perform a soul search, Wu Wu Tiangang's disciple, Fang Jun, immediately jumped out and shouted with a face full of fury.

"Lin Shi, you say it so lightly. You know how much mental damage a soul search causes to a person."

"My master is a venerable third-level array master. If there is any damage to his sea of consciousness, can you take responsibility for it?"

"Are you saying that you don't trust the Prince's methods?" Lin Daochen looked at Fang Jun, his expression calm.

When Fang Jun heard this, he subconsciously looked at this Soul Severance realm expert in front of him, and his face turned deathly pale.

He hurriedly bowed respectfully and said with a trembling voice, "Prince, please don't blame me. This junior absolutely does not question your intentions; I was just worried in my haste that my master, in his old age, might not be able to withstand it."

Xuan Yuan Shuo waved his hand, his brows tightly furrowed.

He was no fool. From Lin Daochen's clear and logical words and the inadvertent panic shown by the two men beside him,

as well as their suspicious behavior when they strongly recommended Lin Daochen after learning he had been promoted to a third-level array master, he had already roughly guessed the truth of the matter.

At this moment, he only felt a sense of irritation in his heart.

In the Imperial Capital, all kinds of conspiracies, calculations, and infighting made him extremely disgusted, which was why he had volunteered to come to the border to stand guard.

He had originally thought that the people here were all iron-willed and straightforward, without so many twists and turns.

But he had overlooked one point: wherever there are people, you simply cannot avoid these things.

But what should he do now?

Should he blame Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang, who had been working hard here for five years, or should he uphold justice for Lin Shi, who had been wrongly accused and made a scapegoat?

These three people did not belong to the dynasty's personnel; they were distinguished guests he had specifically invited to help.

Moreover, he didn't care at all who was right and who was wrong. As the highest authority of the entire border, he was now only concerned about what to do with this one and only four-color array.

Afterward, he looked at Lin Daochen and asked with a solemn expression, "Did you mean just now that the array has not collapsed and can be repaired in another day?"

Lin Daochen nodded slightly and said, "I'm not certain. Perhaps, if we all work together to repair it, there is still a glimmer of hope."

He didn't dare to speak too confidently; after all, it was still unknown whether this final spirit pattern could be successfully repaired by Zhou Qing.

Moreover, after venting the anger and dissatisfaction in his heart, he felt his heart soften again.

Just as he had thought before, Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang in front of him were his initiatory mentors and the guides for the path of arrays in the entire fourth-level cultivation nation.

He wanted to give them one more chance for everyone to work together and overcome the difficulties.

Looking at Lin Shi, who possessed such a broad-minded spirit, a flash of emotion appeared in Xuan Yuan Shuo's eyes.

He was giving them a way out.

Afterward, he turned his head to look at Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang and asked in a calm tone, yet with a hint of expectation, "Two masters, what do you think?"

Wu Wu Tiangang sensed the chaotic spiritual power around him and recalled his previous deductions. He immediately bowed, his tone carrying a hint of anger and determination.

"Since the Prince does not trust this old man, then this old man will leave. The mountains are high and the roads are long; I won't trouble you to see me off!"

After saying this, he turned around abruptly, flicked his sleeves, and strode away with his disciples.

Seeing this, Su Su Lishan sighed and said, "I hope the Prince makes preparations early. This array has already been tossed about by them to the point where it cannot last much longer. We shall take our leave!"

Afterward, he also turned and left directly.

Seeing this, Xuan Yuan Shuo felt a panic in his heart and hurriedly chased after them to persuade them: "Everyone, calm down. We are all here to protect the border; there's no need to be so impulsive..."

Watching this scene, Lin Daochen shook his head, his face full of disappointment.

As someone who studies knowledge, being humble enough to ask questions and being willing to admit one's mistakes should be the most basic integrity.

Yet now, these two people had completely lost the humility and demeanor that a scholar should have in order to maintain their pitiful reputation and face.

The complexity of the human heart is sometimes even harder to fathom than the runes of this fourth-level array.

Now, all hope could only be pinned on Zhou Qing.

The Second Master on the side let out a light snort, then unhurriedly put away the image stone and whispered to himself, "Causing such a huge mess and wanting to just walk away like that? I, your grandfather, do not agree."

As he spoke, two beams of light quietly burrowed into the ground and chased out in the direction they had left.

An hour later, Xuan Yuan Shuo returned with a face full of exhaustion, his expression filled with helplessness and disappointment.

Looking at Lin Daochen, he actually bowed to him.

This bow was an apology for before, and also a sign of his respect for him.

"They have left. You should also leave early. In a few days, I will lure some demon tribes over to attack the border. At that time, the matter of the four-color array will be blamed on them; it will have nothing to do with you. This time, I have troubled you!"

Lin Daochen did not expect that the two of them would be so determined, leaving just like that.

They were truly afraid that the collapse of the array would implicate them.

But looking at such a reasonable Prince, Lin Daochen felt a wave of emotion in his heart and hurriedly returned the bow, saying, "The Prince is wise and righteous; Lin is deeply grateful. It's just that this array..."

"Regarding this array, we will not fail the trust placed in us!"

Before Lin Daochen could finish his sentence, Zhou Qing's voice came from behind him.

The three of them turned their heads suddenly to see Zhou Qing standing at the core of the array, covered in sweat, with one hundred and eighty-six spirit seals circling his body, emitting various rays of light.

As he struck the final trace of spiritual power into the spirit pattern he had repaired, in an instant, all the runes of the entire four-color array extinguished simultaneously, and the roaring sound that had been running for over three thousand years also came to an abrupt halt at this moment.

The entire array also fell into a deathly silence.

Seeing this scene, Xuan Yuan Shuo's face turned pale instantly.

The Second Master and Lin Daochen felt an inexplicable tension, their heartbeats involuntarily accelerating.

"You really did not fail the trust..."

Just as Xuan Yuan Shuo opened his mouth, the spirit pattern "Qian Tian Yu Ling Zhang" that had just been repaired by Zhou Qing suddenly lit up with a faint glow.

Following that, it was like the first cluster of flames ignited in the darkness, spreading to the surroundings at an extremely fast speed.

Everywhere it reached, those extinguished runes lit up again one after another.

In the blink of an eye, the interior of the entire array seemed to have been restarted, rapidly turning bright.

This time, every spirit pattern seemed to have been infused with new vitality, showing no signs of decay or old age.

At the same time, the core area began to emit slight vibrations, which grew stronger and stronger, as if a giant beast that had been sleeping for a long time was slowly waking up.

Seeing this scene, Lin Daochen and the Second Master could no longer hold back their cheers.

Xuan Yuan Shuo was completely stunned on the spot, unable to recover for a long time.

He was too familiar with this vibrant, newborn aura; it was almost exactly the same as the feeling when his elder brother had brought that fourth-level array master to set up this Seven-Star Demon-Binding Array here.

Just as in his memories, the spiritual power in the air began to surge crazily, forming huge spiritual power vortices.

These vortices intertwined and collided, emitting deafening roars.

At the same time, the eighteen giant tripods distributed below the city walls also began to emit low and heavy humming sounds.

The seven mountain-sized meteorites also flowed with dazzling runes, forming spectacular pillars of spiritual light that pierced straight into the clouds.

Seeing the array regain its vitality, the soldiers at the border were filled with excitement and cheered directly toward the sky.

The cheers rose one after another, converging into a powerful wave of sound that echoed over the border for a long time.

Everything had finally returned to the right track!

Seeing this scene, Zhou Qing also let out a long sigh of relief, the heavy stone in his heart finally landing.

At least he hadn't embarrassed his teacher and the Second Master who trusted him.

"This... this is simply incredible!" Xuan Yuan Shuo muttered to himself after coming to his senses. Afterward, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he left quickly to inspect other parts of the array.

He had to be sure that this was not a "final flash of brilliance" but a rebirth from the ashes, truly repaired.

"Well done!" The Second Master seemed to have not felt this kind of heart-pounding sensation of bearing pressure and turning the tide with everyone for a long time.

At this moment, he stepped forward with a face full of smiles and gave Zhou Qing's shoulder a heavy pat.

【Heart-Mirror Points +9】

Soon, the original entry on his head, 【A little baby with more talent than me】, changed to 【A trustworthy little baby】.

Lin Daochen's eyes were slightly red.

The most correct decision he had made in his life was when Si Si Yunya brought this slightly shy youth to his thatched cottage, and he agreed to accept him as a student in the inner courtyard.

Who could have imagined that this youth would, on this day, repair the entire array with his own strength?

"You did it, you really did it!" Lin Daochen wept with joy.

This time, he had finally seen the clouds part to reveal the moon!

Facing the gazes of the two, Zhou Qing also had mixed feelings in his heart.

At this time, Xuan Yuan Shuo also returned with a face full of excitement, saying, "It's done, it's done, everything is fine. You... how on earth did you do it?"

Xuan Yuan Shuo looked at Zhou Qing excitedly.

Zhou Qing bowed and said, "This junior just followed the guidance of my teacher to perform the repairs. This is not the credit of this junior alone. If the senior wants to know, you can ask my teacher."

Hearing Zhou Qing's words, Xuan Yuan Shuo was stunned.

Lin Daochen was also taken aback, but soon his eyes were filled with emotion.

This was a supreme gift that Zhou Qing had given him after he was promoted to a third-level array master.

It was conceivable that when Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang returned, they would inevitably draw a line between themselves and him, and even use their influence to slander and smear him.

Even if he had a hundred mouths, it would be difficult for him to explain.

But now, in three days, he had repaired the border's four-color array; this method of clearing his name was undoubtedly the most powerful counterattack.

At the same time, it also caused his status in the array world to be elevated to an unprecedented level.

The Second Master on the side looked at Zhou Qing, the appreciation in his eyes growing even richer.

With such great credit, no other young person would be able to remain so calm, not be arrogant about their achievements, and still be able to share it with others with gratitude.

Xuan Yuan Shuo looked at Lin Daochen's surprised expression and seemed to understand something at this moment.

He couldn't help but take another look at Zhou Qing.

But he didn't expose it; instead, he bowed gratefully to Lin Daochen and said, "Lin Shi, on behalf of the millions of soldiers at the border, I thank you for your help. This kindness, I will always keep in my heart."

Facing Xuan Yuan Shuo's bow, Lin Daochen was filled with shame.

But seeing Zhou Qing and Si Si Yunya smiling and signaling to him, he had to nod and hurriedly help Xuan Yuan Shuo up.

"This is what we should do. Being able to contribute to the peace of the border is our honor."

Xuan Yuan Shuo nodded and was about to say something when suddenly, a huge roar came from one side of the array.

His expression changed instantly, and his eyes became sharp.

He said immediately, "Demon energy is attacking. The three of you, I will not accompany you for now. I will personally host a celebration banquet for you later."

After finishing, Xuan Yuan Shuo left immediately.

When Zhou Qing and the others came out, they saw a huge bronze tripod in the distance constantly ringing, and wisps of smoke shrouded a certain direction.

A large number of soldiers were gathering quickly, and armored warriors in heavy armor were boarding ships.

There were also tamed mounts roaring toward the sky, their voices shaking the wilderness.

In the sky, flying birds with wings spanning several zhang had already set off in advance.

The Longxiang Army, the Xuanjia Army, and the Fenxing Army, the three major legions, set off with a roar.

"Zhou Zhou Shixiong!"

"Old Four!"

Yan Yan Xiaohu and Lu Lu Yaoyao had long been waiting outside anxiously. Seeing the three of them come out, they hurriedly ran over.

Seeing that they were all fine, they finally felt relieved.

Not long ago, they had seen with their own eyes the two masters, Su Su Lishan and Wu Wu Tiangang, angrily take their disciples and leave.

Even the Prince hadn't been able to persuade them to stay.

Before leaving, they had even made harsh threats, saying that if the array was destroyed, none of these people would be able to escape.

This caused many soldiers to speculate and worry endlessly for a while.

Zhou Qing could only smile and say, "It's fine, the array has already been repaired."

Since everyone was not an outsider, Zhou Qing briefly narrated the process of the matter.

After hearing this, Lu Lu Yaoyao was filled with admiration. From the moment the array bloomed with light again and the shouts of countless soldiers, she had already guessed something.

【Heart-Mirror Points +9】

The 【So domineering】 note on top of Lu Lu Yaoyao's head changed instantly to the three words 【Good Daddy】.

Seeing this scene, the smile on Zhou Qing's face froze instantly.

You girl, what are you thinking about in your head all day long?

I'm not many years older than you, and until now, I haven't even held a girl's hand.

And I'm not at all prepared to be a father.

At this moment, he couldn't help but think of the time after the demon king Hou Shan's 【Fusang Fusang Lingkui】 was lost, and they were sent to search everywhere in the Canglan Mountains.

At that time, he was teamed up with Lu Lu Yaoyao.

When they lit a campfire at night, this girl said something about how long it had been since the two of them had had such a quiet moment alone.

She also assumed a bunch of things with him, like what kind of Dao companion she would look for in the future, and so on.

Before going to sleep, she even asked him if she could call him "Daddy," which shocked him so much he fell out of the tree.

How long has it been, and why is it happening again?

At this moment, meeting Lu Lu Yaoyao's sparkling gaze, Zhou Qing's eyes dodged a bit, and he hurriedly looked at the Third Zhou Shixiong.

【Heart-Mirror Points +9】

The 【Little Shidi who talks nonsense】 on Yan Yan Xiaohu's head also changed to 【Little Shidi who is a future array master】.

At this time, he was also extremely excited.

He didn't expect that it would only take three days to complete the task ahead of schedule.

No wonder those two left in such a rage; it was truly disgusting.

If they had stayed a little longer and seen the array being repaired, I wonder if they would have fainted directly from anger.

At this moment, Zhou Qing's mind stirred, and he immediately opened his personal panel.

Although most of the people bound to his talent skill 【Heart-Mirror Vision】 were not around, the Third Zhou Shixiong, Lu Lu Yaoyao, and the Second Master were refreshing points for him from time to time.

【Name: Zhou Qing】

【Age: 35】

【Cultivation: Early Divine Transformation Realm】

【Heart Method: Yin Yang Jue】

【Talent Skill: Daily Appraisal】

【Random Post】 — Strange Post Record — (Corpse-Touching Post)

【Heart-Mirror Vision — LV4 (379/400)】

【Lowering Presence — LV5 (26/100)】

【Skill Fragments: 0/3 (Cannot be obtained)】

It seems that 【Heart-Mirror Vision】 will soon be upgraded to level five, and then he will be able to bind more people.

As for the 【Corpse-Touching Post】, according to the introduction, he can only touch three people and complete their dying wishes to randomly obtain their precious items from before they died.

I wonder if it works on the demon tribe?

"Brother Zhou!" Just as Zhou Qing was pondering, the siblings Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen and Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian also hurried over.

As for the Long Yuanjun Governor Zhong Yao, he had already hurried back after finishing the welcome banquet that night.

After all, as the head of a prefecture with nine counties under his jurisdiction, the government affairs he had to deal with every day were piled up like a mountain, and he couldn't be idle for a moment, so he really had no time to stay long.

"I heard that Master Su and Master Wu have left? Are you all right?" Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen asked hurriedly.

Yan Yan Xiaohu snorted coldly, his face full of disdain, "Two fame-seeking frauds. Leaving is fine; staying would only be asking for humiliation!"

"Third Zhou Shixiong!" Zhou Qing called out softly, then said to the two of them, "It's nothing major. Why didn't you follow the Prince?"

Since they were here at the border to gain experience, occasions like the large-scale slaughter just now should have been a rare opportunity for experience, and they should have followed.

Seeing everyone like this, although Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen was puzzled, he couldn't ask too much. He could ask his Imperial Grandfather about the specifics later.

At this moment, he could only say, "We didn't catch up in time, but I received news from my Imperial Grandfather telling me to make sure I take good care of you."

Lin Daochen stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said politely, "Many thanks to the Prince, but we are also exhausted these past few days, especially Zhou Qing, who has consumed a great deal, so we want to rest."

"No problem, absolutely no problem. I will send you back right now!" Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen replied hurriedly.

At this moment, Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian quietly came to Lu Lu Yaoyao's side, wanting to ask something.

Lu Lu Yaoyao shook her head apologetically; since her daddy didn't want to talk much about it, she wouldn't gossip behind his back.

"By the way, there's one more thing. My mother is coming to the border in a while!" Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian lowered her voice, as if sharing an exciting little secret.

Upon hearing this, Lu Lu Yaoyao's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, "Grandmother... no, wait, Concubine Yuechen is coming? About when?"

You know, when she first saw Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian at the Taiqingmen, she had orange hair.

After learning about it, she found out that it was because she had taken a special elixir during that time, which caused her hair to change color.

However, her normal hair was like Lu Lu Yaoyao's, black with some silver, mainly following her mother.

And this Concubine Yuechen was also a member of the demon tribe; Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian had never mentioned what specific race.

At this moment, Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian was a bit stunned.

Grandmother?

My mother only has me as a daughter, and I don't even have a Dao companion yet. Can you stop calling her that?

We are good best friends.

But then again, if her mother saw Lu Lu Yaoyao, she would definitely be very happy.

Since Lu Lu Yaoyao broke through to the mid Soul Formation realm, there was much more silver in her hair, black with silver, almost the same as her mother's.

If Lu Yaoyao was willing, she would be very happy to let her mother adopt her as a goddaughter.

"You wouldn't happen to be of the Fox Clan, would you?" Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian suddenly reached out and touched Lu Lu Yaoyao's butt, a hint of cunning in her eyes.

Lu Lu Yaoyao was startled and hurriedly dodged, a blush appearing on her face.

"You're the one who's Fox Clan... huh?" Lu Lu Yaoyao reacted instantly; so this Concubine Yuechen was from the Fox Clan.

No wonder the Ninth Princess's hair color was so special.

Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian laughed and said, "No tail, and in human form, it looks like you're not."

Demon commanders in the Soul Formation realm can only barely speak human language, and only after reaching the Demon King level in the Divine Transformation realm can they transform into human form, but certain parts of their bodies will still retain some characteristics of the demon tribe.

"Enough talk, they've gone far!" As she spoke, Xuan Yuan Miss Muqian pulled Lu Lu Yaoyao to chase after them.

Lu Lu Yuanzhi, who had been standing on the side, sighed.

"Why would she suddenly come over? Could it be that she discovered me?"

Lu Lu Yuanzhi muttered to himself, then looked in the direction Xuan Yuan Shuo had left, his gaze flickering, not knowing what he was thinking.

The Shengwu Imperial Dynasty has eight counties and seventy-two prefectures under its jurisdiction, with a vast territory, and the border is even more boundless.

One side faces the sea, and two sides border a third-level cultivation nation and a fourth-level cultivation nation, respectively.

And the remaining southern side is in direct contact with the Endless Beast Mountains.

This is the world of the demon tribe and also the most vigilant defense line of the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty.

Of course, among these Endless Beast Mountains, the greatest threats are the relatively nearby Taiyao Mountain, Blood Prison Mountain, and the Thousand Illusion Maze.

Each mountain range stretches for hundreds of thousands of miles, and the number of demon tribes living there is countless.

For example, in Taiyao Mountain, the most powerful force is the Peng Clan, and among them, a Peng Emperor like Feng Feng Xuan Yi was born.

Unfortunately, this powerful Soul Severance realm expert fell in the eastern region of Lingyun Prefecture.

Now, many demon kings in the entire Taiyao Mountain are restless, coveting the power vacuum left by Feng Feng Xuan Yi, attempting to replace him and become the new hegemon of Taiyao Mountain.

Most of the demon tribes living in Blood Prison Mountain are cruel and bloodthirsty by nature, taking pleasure in devouring the flesh and blood of other living beings, and the strongest among them is the Dragon Emperor, who possesses a trace of true dragon bloodline.

As for the Thousand Illusion Maze, the terrain is complex and ever-changing, with caves crisscrossing, and it is the world of the insect tribe.

The Spider Emperor among them is the hegemon.

This is the specific situation of the four borders of the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty today.

After reading the jade slip sent by Xuan Yuan Brother Yichen, Zhou Qing let out a long breath.

In other words, on the southern border, there are three Soul Severance realm demon emperors threatening them. With such powerful pressure, it's no wonder Xuan Yuan Shuo would personally stand guard here.

But there are more than a dozen Soul Severance realm experts within the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty. If there is really any need, the Old Emperor should be able to organize them.

After all, their breakthroughs were all thanks to the Old Emperor's resources and support.

But at the same time, don't look at the fact that there are only three demon emperors at the border; behind them are the territories of other demon emperors, and one move affects the whole situation.

So for so many years, neither side has dared to act rashly, and they have generally maintained a delicate balance.

It's just that I don't know what clues Feng Lao found in the eastern region about the ancient times that caused Xuan Yuan Shuo to directly take lethal action?

After seeing all this, Zhou Qing finally had a rough understanding of the entire dynasty.

"By the way, Second Master, which is the closest fifth-level cultivation nation to the Shengwu Imperial Dynasty?"

Zhou Qing turned his head and looked at the Second Master, who was sitting cross-legged, constantly waving his hands in the air with a strange smile on his face, and couldn't help but ask.

At this moment, the Second Master would chuckle from time to time, seemingly playing some kind of prank on someone else.

(End of chapter)