NOVEL NEXT Chapter 453: Isn't that a bit discourteous?
Moon True Master was a Deity Transformation cultivator with no small prowess in physical cultivation, likely a descendant of an Eight Extremes Palace disciple. It was rumored he possessed an orthodox physical cultivation technique from the Palace.
The potential treasures within his universe bag made him a target for all. Under normal circumstances, White Bone True Master's intervention would deter others from acting recklessly, given his status. But in the confines of the Eight Extremes Palace, the power disparity between Deity Transformation and Nascent Soul cultivators was minimal.
Thus, White Bone True Master, Zhong Tianshuo, Tie Jun, and Shang Xingchen all sprang into action, each vying for Moon True Master's universe bag. And if they could procure his physical body as well, all the better. The body of a cultivator, especially one versed in physical arts, was a treasure trove in itself. His bones, flesh, and even skin could be transformed into magical artifacts.
...
Chu Xuan, detecting the distant clamor of battle, chuckled lightly. He had anticipated such a conflict might occur but did not expect it to be delayed until now. The Sea Boiling Pill was a double-edged sword—it could harm others as much as it harmed oneself. Should one be unable to withstand the repercussions, death might follow.
"It should be just ahead," Chu Xuan murmured as he continued forward. Soon, he discovered the sanctuary's highest teleportation array, its surroundings marked by dried blood that still bore a faint stench despite the years—a testament to the unique nature of the corpse demons.
Observing the array, Chu Xuan noted its size was significantly reduced, almost tenfold smaller than typical arrays, likely permitting only one person to pass at a time. After a thorough inspection, he sighed in relief. "Fortunately, only a corner is damaged. Repairing it shouldn't be too challenging. Had it been more extensively damaged, even I would be at a loss."
Chu Xuan shook his head, his gaze lost in contemplation. The art of array formation was as vast as the ocean, and while he had a basic grasp of alchemy and talisman crafting, his skills in the art of tool crafting and the notoriously complex array crafting were merely rudimentary.
Nevertheless, even his modest expertise was sufficient to set up and mend a Nascent Soul-level array. Though the arrays of the Deity Transformation stage were intricate, they were essentially combinations of multiple Nascent Soul-level arrays. With enough time, the principles of the teleportation array could be thoroughly understood.
Taking out a blank spiritual sense jade slip, Chu Xuan quickly recorded the array's configuration. He then retreated to a nearby dwelling, where he set up numerous defensive arrays from his universe bag, unconcerned about their potential loss. With his preparations complete, he stationed Hu and Long to guard the site, then returned to his haven in the Water Curtain Cave on Blue Star to delve deep into his studies.
Time flowed differently here; ten days in the Water Curtain Cave amounted to barely a day in the Eight Extremes Palace. Chu Xuan was determined to use this to his advantage, slowing the progression of the corpse demons as much as possible.
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Water Curtain Cave.
Day by day, from ten to thirty, Chu Xuan stared intently at the complicated array before him, his eyes bloodshot and veined. The more he immersed himself in understanding the array, the more he recognized its profound and archaic intricacies. Each line seemed to resonate with the fundamental truths of the universe, immutable and unyielding.
Teleportation arrays were among the most challenging to master. Even those array masters who dabbled in Deity Transformation-level arrays started with the simplest ones, not the dauntingly complex teleportation arrays.
Thankfully, Chu Xuan needed only to focus on the damaged segment. Otherwise, even five or ten more years might not suffice for him to fully master it.
Taking a deep breath, Chu Xuan stamped his foot as four layers of merit wheels appeared behind his head. "I refuse to believe my talent for arrays is insufficient!" he roared, his voice echoing in the hollow cavern. He resumed his study with renewed fervor, and it seemed as if some cosmic force began to unravel the convoluted pathways of the array.
Suddenly, the intricate and interwoven lines, which had been layered and piled upon each other for days, became as clear as troops aligning at the command of their general. What had been a muddled mess was now unraveling before his eyes.
"Excellent!" Chu Xuan exclaimed, his spirit lifted by the revelation. "I knew my talent for arrays was extraordinary. I may not be a top-tier genius, but mending a broken corner of a teleportation array is well within my abilities."
Chu Xuan nodded in satisfaction. With a single step, he returned to the Eight Extremes Palace. As soon as he arrived, he heard Hu growling aggressively as he and Long obliterated a massive corpse demon.
Chu Xuan frowned and scanned his surroundings, only to discover more of these formidable corpse demons converging on their location. Almost no regular corpse demons were in sight, and numerous cultivators were rapidly approaching the higher reaches of the Eight Extremes Palace, where the fewest corpse demons lingered.
Unbeknownst to them, the scarcity of corpse demons in this area was due to Chu Xuan's previous visit and the thorough cleansing he had administered. Scanning the crowd, he recognized several familiar faces.
White Bone True Master, Shang Xingchen, and Zhao Kongming had all survived the ordeal, though from White Bone True Master's grim appearance, it seemed he hadn't managed to seize Moon True Master's universe bag.
Without wasting any time, Chu Xuan approached the teleportation array and began repairing it with various materials he had brought along. His sudden appearance surprised Shang Xingchen and others. "He was here all along..." Shang Xingchen thought, astonished.
White Bone True Master pointed at the teleportation array exclaiming, "A teleportation array! There's a way out!"
Zhao Kongming added excitedly, "Fellow Daoist Liu, you know how to repair arrays?!"
As Chu Xuan worked, an even larger swarm of corpse demons, led by the most formidable among them, converged from all directions. Each was as powerful as a cultivator of the 40th level of physical refinement. While Chu Xuan could easily dispatch them one-on-one, their overwhelming numbers were not something even he wanted to engage with directly.
As he completed the last pattern of the array, a strange teleportation glow emerged, casting a bright blue light. Zhong Tiankuo exclaimed with emotion, "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Liu! I will never forget this kindness for as long as I live!" He made to dash towards the array, but Chu Xuan merely smiled and gestured. Hu and Long, like two towering iron sentinels, immediately blocked access to the array.
This unexpected move stunned everyone present. Only Shang Xingchen gave a wry smile, understanding Chu Xuan's intent. Chu Xuan offered a mild smile, "I have single-handedly repaired this teleportation array, yet you all wish to pass through it without so much as a word; isn't that a bit discourteous?"
With that, all the cultivators understood his implication. Indeed, he was asking for a toll.