Chapter 516: 470 Carrying

On February 21st, after many days of research, Xue Xianyun finally produced results, separating a complex, composite summoning Array into more functional, practical, and singular Arrays.

That same day, the specific personnel Teleportation Array was successfully separated.

On February 22nd, the Communication Array was successfully separated.

On February 24th, the Marking Array and Source Tracing Array were successfully separated.

On February 25th, the Retrieval Array, Induction Array, and Belief Conversion Array were successfully separated...

In just a few short days, over a dozen Arrays were separated from that primitive Teleportation Array; all were high-level Arrays that neither Xue Xianyun nor the Zhuoyu Villa lineage had previously mastered. Now that they have become a new inheritance, regardless of anything else, Xue Xianyun's academic research this time can be called fruitful.

The good news: the knowledge reserve of Zhuoyu Villa has reached a new level!

The bad news: it is of no use whatsoever to the major event at hand!

Although these few Arrays have different uses, they all require anchoring to a specific person. When testing at Zhaoyang Base, not only could they anchor people from the surrounding Zhongtian Prefecture, but they could even anchor designated individuals on the border of Yunzhou and teleport there in an instant. Once certain conditions are met, this kind of anchoring does not even require the person's consent.

However, when they attempted to anchor the Jinwu Sword Spirit below, they could never succeed; they could not even retrieve the target using the Retrieval Array, let alone anchor the other party to use an Array.

Therefore, these Arrays can only end up as knowledge accumulation for Zhuoyu Villa and the Dudu Mansion, to be sent to the Qianxian to see if they can shine and serve as a strategic trump card in Qianjin City. If they can truly become the deciding factor in a battle and save countless people, this can only be called Yunzhou's misfortune, and the Human World's fortune...

My foot!

Tang Zhao only felt that everything everywhere was a misfortune!

Although the Human World is important, Yunzhou is even more important!

His home is here, his family and friends are all here; if Yunzhou is finished, he, this sun, will only sink along with it—how could he possibly care about the Human World?

After tossing and turning for nearly two months, exhausting countless manpower and material resources, in the end, only one Array could be of help to him. That is the Induction Array.

This Array allows people to ignore language barriers and directly connect their minds to understand the other party's meaning, allowing all sides to communicate directly while ignoring race, distance, and even physical condition. If it could be miniaturized and solidified into an item to be carried, it would be equivalent to a universal real-time translator.

It is most suitable for putting on the market to sell... no, it is suitable for Tang Zhao to take underwater.

After several failed anchoring attempts, Tang Zhao finally made a decision—the Zhaoyang Base will shift collectively and prepare with all its might for the underwater operation!

The Arrays were not sealed away; they were left for Yunzhou to use as research material, and the Disciples of Zhuoyu Villa will see if they can dig out any more value. All remaining personnel will provide logistics and support for Tang Zhao's journey to meet the Sword Spirit underwater.

In fact, this work has been ongoing, and the current shift is ready-made; the data research and material preparations for the Teleportation Array can also be used now, only needing some adjustments in the details.

For example, the gifts for the Sword Spirit.

Previously, Yunzhou had prepared many gifts, including large quantities of affordable goods and precious rarities, to satisfy the Sword Spirit's possible hobbies. They were originally packed in a Space Art Tool for ease of carrying. But Tang Zhao believed that they must now make two-handed preparations: on one hand, they could use the Art Tool to carry a portion, and on the other, they must take out a portion of small-volume treasures to carry on his person. What if the Art Tool space were affected and shattered directly, causing the gifts to be annihilated along with it?

Although Zheng Yun believed that the Jinwu Sword did not have the ability to affect space and that this move was unnecessary, Tang Zhao believed that one should prepare for the worst—I may not understand the Jinwu Sword better than you, but I certainly understand the sun better than you.

What could Zheng Yun say? He could only follow the arrangements of his Captain and teammate.

After all, he had completely defected to Yunzhou and become the only teammate Tang Zhao recognized.

Although he had also wanted to wait and see before committing, keeping his status in the middle ground, as he chatted with Zhang Rong, he unknowingly revealed the intelligence he knew bit by bit. At first, he was still cautious, remembering what could be said and what could not, but later it was like opening a floodgate; he blurted out everything, whether it could be said or not. By this time, he had already committed the act of betrayal.

Zhang Rong and Tang Zhao did not use this fact to threaten him, but Zheng Yun realized it himself—he was already on the boat—and subsequently made a choice: to let it all go.

It was already like this, so it would just be like this.

His fear of betraying Caiyun Gui was only about being held accountable, and he felt no moral pressure. After these few days of observation, Zhang Rong and Tang Zhao were much easier to get along with than the people from Caiyun Gui. No, even without comparing them to Caiyun Gui, they were the easiest kind of people to get along with; being with them naturally felt like a spring breeze.

Tang Zhao had a good personality and integrity, not to mention his appearance; unless there was a deep-seated hatred, it was hard for anyone to dislike him. As for Zhang Rong, his own level was high, and he could easily accommodate others.

Therefore, when he had emptied his inventory, Zheng Yun simply asked to join the group, wishing he could just take a position in Yunzhou and eat government grain. He specifically said to Tang Zhao: "This time meeting the Jinwu Sword, if there is a chance to become a Sword Guest, your rank is before mine. If you are willing to be the Jinwu Sword, I will assist you. If you are unwilling, I will try. If neither of us can, it would be good to take the Jinwu Sword out and give it to a good Sword Guest. As long as they are better than Caiyun Gui, I am willing to follow them."

To this, Tang Zhao only wanted to say: having confidence is good.

In fact, after he agreed to go underwater with Tang Zhao, Tang Zhao had gradually been honest with him, and Zheng Yun had also heard about the state of the Jinwu Sword now being a Sword Spirit. But Zheng Yun just had an inexplicable confidence: the Jinwu Sword would not always be a Sword Spirit; it would definitely return to the form of a sword, then choose a new Sword Guest to inherit the name of Dongjun and become the Pillar of the Sun Domain.

Just as it had been happening for thousands of years.

One wonders where his confidence came from; it couldn't possibly be from Caiyun Gui repeating their own mission over and over, could it?

But it cannot be denied that Tang Zhao was already very lucky to find a teammate like Zheng Yun; it would be impossible to find a second candidate so suitable. After this period of observation and research, Tang Zhao even felt that his survival rate might be higher than his own.

The more he researched, the more Tang Zhao discovered that the Sun-Holding Envoy was truly a useful tool tailored by the Jinwu Spirit for the Jinwu Sword Guest over so many years. And since it was a tool, it had to be ensured to be sturdy and durable, not easily broken. Therefore, Zheng Yun would definitely be able to reach the side of the Jinwu Sword Spirit, unless the Sword Spirit took the initiative to destroy him.

If the Sword Spirit had the consciousness to destroy him, he would have no ability to resist at all, even less than an ordinary person; this was also the characteristic of a tool: absolute obedience.

Then again, even if he didn't obey, if the Jinwu Sword wanted to act, could he resist? Tang Zhao couldn't either.

The power of a Sword Immortal level is something one simply does not need to resist.

But if one cannot resist, one must at least be able to run, right? Could one just stand there and wait for death?

Apart from gifts, the most important thing Tang Zhao should carry is something to save his life.

The so-called life-saving object is not a shield or a protective barrier; it can only be a teleportation object. If the Sword Spirit strikes, only by leaving a hundred miles away in an instant is there a glimmer of hope for survival.

To save their lives, both Tang Zhao and Zheng Yun carry more than one teleportation Dharma Artifact or Art Tool. They are all treasures that automatically activate once danger is encountered. Whichever one activates, so be it; as long as one activates, they can escape. If several activate, then they will just teleport wherever they end up.

Of course, as a true insider, Tang Zhao still had a little special treatment; he had one more layer of insurance than Zheng Yun, which was the final Life-Saving Talisman.

It was not that he was stingy and wouldn't give Zheng Yun a desperate Life-Saving Talisman, but that there was only one such treasure. It was specifically sent to him by Xing Ji the day before. Tang Zhao originally thought it was Xing Ji's private collection, but after seeing the actual object, he realized it was probably not Xing Ji's, but the Lord's.

Because this device looked like a round eyeball.

This thing did not look like teleportation, and Tang Zhao could not see what its function was.

When Xing Ji handed it to Tang Zhao, his expression was serious and somewhat heavy, saying: "This was bestowed by the Lord; wear it close to your body, place it in the innermost layer of all your Art Tools, you..."

He stopped mid-sentence, and finally only said: "This is the final barrier; it will definitely be able to save your life. Keep it well, and make sure you don't lose it."

Tang Zhao was a bit strange and asked: "Chief Xing, do you have something else to say? You're still hesitating. Is there anything we can't talk about?"

Xing Ji relaxed his expression slightly and said: "There is nothing. I actually wanted to tell you to definitely come back safely, but I felt it was too sentimental. Since you are going to be a great hero who turns the tide, there is no need to act like a young girl. What I can think of, how could you not think of it? The first time you faced a life-and-death crisis, it was brought by me; at that time, I still couldn't help you with anything, and now that you are facing such an existence alone, I can help you even less."

He paused for a long time, and finally said one sentence: "Definitely—come back safely."

After seeing Xing Ji off, Tang Zhao still had doubts: he always felt that Xing Ji's hesitation should not end there, and might not even just relate to himself.

For something to make even Xing Ji become hesitant, it should be related to the Lord, right?

Before he could think carefully, the image of the Lord's full head of white hair suddenly flashed through Tang Zhao's mind, and his heart sank slightly.

"Definitely able to save your life."

Was this sentence just said casually?

Although the Marquis is a powerful Sword Hero, how could she dare claim she can definitely save someone from the hands of a Sword Immortal-level sword deity?

Unless a tremendous price is paid.

Tang Zhao was silent; he guessed that Xing Ji had just wanted to remind him to use it cautiously, but considering that such a reminder would make Tang Zhao hesitate when using it and might cause him to lose a chance at survival, he did not speak. But Tang Zhao had figured it out himself.

Carefully and solemnly putting away the Marquis's gift, Tang Zhao did not dwell on it further, nor did he let this matter weigh on his mind and add to his hesitation; he had no desire to think about saving his life after failure right now, but only to focus wholeheartedly on doing the task at hand well.

When the time comes, all hesitation is useless; one must only cast life and death aside and forge ahead courageously!

March 1st, the Sunlight is just right, and the spring water is as blue as indigo.

Tang Zhao and Zheng Yun changed into specially tailored diving suits, and under the watchful eyes of everyone at Zhaoyang Base, they stepped onto his beloved Six Dragon Carriage and rode into the water without the slightest hesitation.

The target: beneath the Tongyang River, the Jinwu Sword deity!