Chapter 381: Entering the Array

Seeing Xu Jian walking around on his own initiative instead of observing the array's changes from one spot, the Lushan Five Immortals were somewhat surprised: "This brat seems to have some substance; he actually knows the changes of the Gate of Life."

"He is still a half-baked amateur, not knowing that the principle of solar terms is subject to variations in speed; whether they come late or early, they always follow the rain. The sudden change in the Qi of heaven and earth happens in no more than a single night. Aside from the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, there are also the changes of day and night, the rotation of yin and yang. He has entered the Frost Descent solar term, which belongs to the autumn killing energy; let's give him a taste of it."

Suddenly, the array formation shifted, reversing the great array and turning from Awakening of Insects toward Grain Rain.

Xu Jian sensed the Frost Descent, and suddenly cold rain began to fall within the array. The rain carried cold, evil Qi. If this rain fell on an ordinary person, they would catch a cold, cough, and have a runny nose... When a practitioner is struck by this inverted Qi, the true Qi in their body stagnates, unable to move freely.

The next moment, the frost dew drops exploded, turning into cold mist. With cold mist and cold rain, the body became damp, wet, and cold. Yet, the body's yang energy was rising rather than being stored, and there were even signs of shivering. As the pores opened to sweat, all forty-eight thousand pores immediately had forty-eight thousand strands of wind and cold evil entering the body...

Xun Taizi was here, randomly consuming these lewd winds and evil winds that were blown over, providing protection for Xu Jian.

Xu Jian held a pill in his hand, which was the "Wind-Fixing Pearl" taken from the centipede's body. He also held an umbrella to block the cold rain. This umbrella was just an ordinary one, but having been used for over ten years, it was an old umbrella that possessed the concept of "avoiding rain." Although this rainwater had some array energy and magical properties, it could not penetrate the umbrella to fall on Xu Jian.

"Shoot arrows!"

Hearing only one command, the soldiers on the boat nocked their bows and fired.

It was precisely "Frost Arrows."

It turned out that Xu Jian had already walked to the "Frost Descent" position of the array.

The ground was covered in silver frost, and cold Qi rose from the earth. The earth's yin Qi started from the soles of his feet and penetrated straight to the bone marrow, making one feel cold from the feet to the heart. Ears and fingers were all itching, and there was a faint feeling of "chilblains."

Being so cold that one shrinks makes movement difficult; firing bows and arrows randomly would basically turn one into a hedgehog.

Xu Jian thought to himself: "This array is somewhat dangerous. It abolishes the firearms we excel at, interferes with the Qi refining of Qi Refiners, disrupts the heavenly Qi, goes against the Dao of the four seasons, and is filled with murderous intent everywhere. If we were to attack by force, using the great city of Jiangzhou as a base, I fear it would require ten times the casualties to pile up. With those five Earth Immortals inside, I fear it would take fifty Earth Immortals to trade for them. Even for the God Immortal Realm, aside from Brother, I don't know if Miaoxiang Gong and Miaoxiang Matriarch could break it."

As the random arrows flew over, he had an "Avoidance of Blades and Soldiers Talisman." This talisman was a true talisman for practicing the "Blade Mountain Method"—that is, the Lushan Five Prisons Great Method—for climbing the blade mountain. Now it burned on its own, and the random arrows could not touch him; those that came close were blown away by Xun Taizi.

Xu Jian walked to the left for a while and arrived at "Small Snow."

The sky was fluttering with snow, looking like willow catkins. Cold intent was generated, and a thin layer of cotton-like snow covered the ground. The cold Qi was hidden within the snow, and there was actually less cold intent on his body. However, these snowflakes were like Life-Death Talismans; as they landed on the body, they melted and disappeared, immediately followed by silent yin thunder causing damage. Cold stagnated within, bones ached, just like a flare-up of "old cold legs," making one unable to live and unable to die.

For those who cultivate the Dao, they dare not touch this snow even more. The snow hides the Gui Water Yin Thunder, which ruins a person's yang Qi and damages their Daoist Practice. A moment of carelessness would lead to deviation and madness.

If troops entered the array holding weapons, the weapons themselves would freeze people. The frostbite is like a burn, causing people to die along with the melting ice and snow. Where the snow falls, festering is bound to occur, and it repeats year after year; it is extremely sinister.

Xu Jian's umbrella could no longer cover him because the chaotic snow was lifted by the wind, and even Xun Taizi was shivering a little.

Fortunately, the Patchwork Robe produced countless blessings and wishes, possessing the most sincere warmth of a mother. The warm light melted the Small Snow.

"This change can be broken with cold-weather clothing. It is emotion that produces warmth, so the heart will not be cold. One should sing to stimulate yang energy, and then one can be fearless of the physical torture of ice and snow."

He continued to walk, and this time he finally reached Start of Winter. Start of Winter is the sign that winter has arrived. The winter order begins, and all things are stored away; the water recedes and the stones are revealed. Xu Jian observed the array; indeed, although it was somewhat desolate, there were no further changes. There were only those cold blades and soldiers. Besides the three thousand six hundred water soldiers, there were also land troops, accompanied by a thousand cavalry, waiting here.

The leader of the thousand cavalry was the son of the Jiangzhou General. He also looked like a youth, yet he was strong and powerful—a young prodigy. Seeing Xu Jian, he said: "Have you observed clearly?"

Xu Jian said: "A mere small array, what is there to fear?"

"Boastful!"

Then came the sound of a whistle: "Go!"

From the vault of the sky, an iron-backed eagle swooped down, pouncing toward Xun Taizi.

That eagle was also a strange species, a descendant of the Great Peng, a seed of the Garuda, good at manipulating wind and fond of eating poisonous snakes and insects.

Xun Taizi was also a strange species; how could he submit to it? Immediately, he also pounced and bit. For a time, feathers flew and scales were scattered as they fought in the air.

The young general was also eager to try: "You and I shall have a fight."

"No fight, no fight. I am just observing the array. What, you won't let me out?"

"Coward!"

Just as the young general finished speaking, he heard the eagle shriek. It was Xun Taizi who had channeled evil wind, turning into a wind ghost. The wind ghost is a heavenly ghost, a natural ghost, which had advanced into a wind god. Xun Taizi had been with Xu Jia for a long time, using the method of refining ghosts to refine wind, condensing the spirit of wind to make ghost ghosts, and condensing the evil of the draft to make a physical manifestation. Thus, he had refined a wind ghost. In fact, there weren't many; just this one, as he couldn't control more.

But even if it was just one, it had all kinds of wonderful uses. At this moment, coordinating in battle, it tore off the eagle's wings. The next moment, Xun Taizi pecked at its forehead and took out a grain of Wind Saliva. The wind-manipulating ability of this strange iron-backed eagle was thus abolished.

Xun Taizi swallowed the Wind Saliva, and the Lingbao Register Method in his body became more perfect. The pair of wings on his back grew a bit larger, looking somewhat like an eagle, and he was so happy that he spun around in the air.

Xu Jian smiled: "Sorry about that."

It was not easy for the young general to cultivate a strange eagle, so he was somewhat ashamed and angry, cursing: "Useless thing!"

Xu Jian walked out of the array and returned to the camp. Everyone gathered around and asked: "How is it? What changes are in that array?"

"It is an Azure Dragon Array, carrying out the changes of the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. The Jiujiang are the source of the array, but not the change of the array. The nine dragons there also follow the Heavenly Stem Way. It is an array of the cold and warmth of the universe, which requires careful treatment. If one wants to break the array, it is very difficult. If you enter a cold array, you need to wear cotton clothes; if this array suddenly changes into a heat array, you must take off your clothes, otherwise you will die of damp heat. This array integrates the Daoist array and the military array; it is a Daoist Soldier Array. To break it, we need to cut off the supply of Water Qi from the Jiujiang, but this requires dividing the troops into nine routes, which is not realistic. Another way is to subdue it with force and collapse the foundation of this array. I have observed that although the cannons and firearms are suppressed inside, it is impossible to suppress them completely."

"If we could have twenty-four cannons to set up a Twenty-Four Thunder Gates array and bombard the twenty-four directions simultaneously, this array would be broken in an instant."

"We only brought eight cannons on this trip, and besides, moving the cannons is not easy, so I fear it won't work."

"Explosives will also work. Just enter the array and bury the explosives, blow up the chains, and capsize the boats. If you set off thunder in the water, it is impossible for there to be no ripples at all."

Xu Jian said: "Jiang Qi, Shen Bao, you each lead a battalion of Daoist soldiers, bring all the firearms, and wear your equipment well. Do not be careless. There are many changes in the array, so you cannot fail to be prepared."

The two accepted the order. Xu Jian gave the Jiujiang Shuidi Edict to Jiang Qi and the Raw Rice Bowl to Shen Bao. They drilled for another day, rehearsed the strategy for breaking the array, had a good meal, prepared medicine for colds and heat-stroke in advance, and then led the troops into the array.

Seeing Xu Jian and the others leading only a thousand troops to break the array, the Lushan Five Immortals sneered: "When he was observing the array, we didn't use our real strength, lest he die and say we tricked people into coming in to kill them. Yet he thinks my Jiujiang Array only has these few changes; it is simply ridiculous to the extreme! Since they are seeking death, don't blame us for being ruthless."

This Jiujiang Array was originally a dead array, a killing array. It surrounds and kills, like a dustpan or a funnel, killing people like sweeping dust. Three thousand six hundred people can trap and kill ten times their number; without forty thousand troops, it is impossible to break it by force.

Even with forty thousand troops, there would inevitably be heavy casualties. Moreover, Jiangzhou City is surrounded by water on three sides and can only be attacked from one. Even with forty thousand troops, they could only go up in parts.

Furthermore, the Xu family's rebel army does not even have forty thousand troops. Their current total recruitment is at most no more than thirty thousand. Their strongest point is actually their advanced firearms. Since the firearms are abolished in this array, they naturally cannot jump around anymore.

Xu Jian followed the two, Jiang Qi and Shen Bao, into the array, holding the Edict and the Raw Rice Bowl.

Each had three hundred Daoist soldiers. Some were former Daoist children, and some were newly recruited, but they had all been taught the Lingbao Daoist Soldier Register Method. Training yields experience, and war also yields experience. When the experience is sufficient, they will level up, and at this time, their aura naturally harmonizes with it.

For a time, their momentum was also connected. Moreover, their weapons were not knives, spears, swords, or halberds, but firearms. Besides flintlocks, there were also Jade Porcelain Divine Thunders and Five Thunders Heavenly Net Cannons.

At this moment, upon entering the array, a thick fog suddenly appeared, and one could not see one's own fingers.

The iron chains rubbed against each other, emitting the sound of thunder and lightning, and the boats moved as if they were giant beasts of the river.

Yet there were many more changes than when observing the array before.

However, Xu Jian had long been prepared. The two sides of the troops formed a Two Forms Array, with the cannon ports aimed at the yin and yang sides. If they bombarded the Awakening of Insects, they would simultaneously bombard the Start of Winter, without any delay.

"Grain Rain!"

The great array operated, and it actually turned to the early summer solar term in the first instance.

The troops suddenly felt it was difficult to walk. It turned out they had fallen into the dam of the river, the water was rushing, and rain was falling from the sky, drop by drop, the size of soybeans, thousands of strikes, like pellets falling on their bodies, leaving them bruised and purple.

It was to use the water power of the Jiujiang to disperse the Daoist soldiers; even if they didn't drown, they would lose the power to resist and be left to be slaughtered.

"Raise the Talisman Edict."

Jiang Qi immediately raised the Jiujiang Shuidi Edict.

On the other side, on Sanqing Mountain, Xu Jia faced the direction of Jiangzhou, sensing the power of the Talisman Edict, and mobilized the Body Gods within his body; they were all spring water orifices, with meridians connected, forming great rivers and waterways, the lands they governed being nothing more than the kidneys, the belt meridian...

For a moment, the spirit of the Jiujiang Shuidi temporarily acted on behalf of the mandate of Heaven and Earth, executing the laws of solar terms and governing the emergence of the Water Origin.

Just then, within the formation, a dragon-headed emperor holding a hu tablet suddenly appeared, his gaze cold as he stared at the transformations of the nine Qi dragons.

Seeing this, the Lushan Five Immortals immediately cried out in alarm: "It is the incarnation of a God Immortal, the Law of Heaven and Earth!"

(End of this chapter)