Shen Xiuhan walked for about half an hour, and the surrounding clamor gradually faded away.
The blue-tiled courtyards thinned out from dense to sparse.
Replacing them were increasingly massive ancient trees and a thickening spiritual mist.
After passing through another stretch of towering ancient forest, his vision suddenly opened up.
A mountain peak that rose from the ground to lean against the sky loomed before him!
Divine General Peak!
The mountain was completely deep azure, its cliffs rising thousands of feet like a heavenly sword thrust upside down into the earth, piercing straight into the clouds.
Upon the mountainside, one could vaguely make out winding ancient paths and ruined pavilions, all shrouded beneath a vast, boundless flow of light.
“A mountain-protecting grand array!”
Shen Xiuhan's eyes flickered, and he continued walking forward.
The grand array resembled a giant, inverted glazed bowl, its entire surface swirling with seven-colored light.
Red like fire, green like clear water, gold like the sun, purple like sunset clouds...
Amidst the interwoven flows of light, countless profound runes could be seen drifting and moving, tightly sealing the entirety of Divine General Peak from its base to its summit.
Shen Xiuhan narrowed his eyes and looked closely, but amidst this brilliant display, he discerned a subtle clue.
“The light of the array... is far too thin!”
Indeed!
Though the grand array appeared magnificent, the swirling light grew bright and dim in many places, occasionally flickering with a slight tremor.
It was like a candle flickering in the wind; though some flame remained, it could no longer hide the emptiness of its impending exhaustion.
From certain angles, one could even catch glimpses of the scene inside the peak!
Towering ancient trees rose high, spiritual springs bubbled gently, an ancient greenstone path wound upward, and palaces and pavilions were scattered throughout.
That makes sense...
Shen Xiuhan did not stop walking as he pondered, This Blessed Land has been passed down to this day, and its array has been running on its own for who knows how many centuries. No matter how much spiritual energy it had, it must have been depleted long ago.
If I am not mistaken, if Diaohai Blessed Land had opened just a few years later, this mountain-protecting grand array of Divine General Peak would have decayed completely and collapsed on its own.
Thinking of this, a sharp light flickered in his eyes.
However, this timing is actually perfect!
If the array had truly lost its efficacy, the treasures inside would have been looted by the crowds. How would I have the chance to enjoy them all to myself?
While lost in thought, Shen Xiuhan had already reached the foot of the mountain.
The brilliant, glowing barrier of the array was close at hand, within arm's reach.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Xiuhan opened his hand, revealing the jade plaque engraved with the 『Divine General Muxu Upper Radiance Scripture』.
In the next breath!
The spiritual light of the jade plaque flared brilliantly!
A trace of emerald light rose from the jade plaque, like a drop of green dew falling onto a lake, gently striking the seven-colored barrier.
Swoosh!
The entire mountain-protecting grand array trembled. Ripples spread outward from the point of impact, layer upon layer, diffusing in all directions.
Soon after...
Buzz!
The glazed barrier before Shen Xiuhan silently tore open, revealing a portal just wide enough for one person to pass through.
It worked!
Shen Xiuhan's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he slipped through the opening and stepped into the array.
The moment he entered, a wave of spiritual energy so dense it was almost tangible washed over him, pouring into the thirty-six thousand pores of his body and making his entire skeletal frame feel light.
“Whew...”
“Such dense spiritual energy! The density of spiritual energy inside this inner array is not the least bit inferior to using a ten-year-grade 『Star-Moon Marrow-Washing Spring』 in 『Tingwu Pavilion』.”
Amidst his shock, in the next moment, he suddenly realized something was wrong!
That dense spiritual energy was rushing outward.
Shen Xiuhan whirled around, his pupils shrinking rapidly.
He saw that the portal he had torn open with the jade plaque—which originally only allowed one person to pass—was now expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Three zhang!
Four zhang!
Five zhang!!
The brilliant, glowing barrier was like thin paper meeting fire; its edges constantly melted and collapsed, the tear ripping wider and wider.
The dense spiritual energy accumulated within the array for countless years poured out like a burst dam, generating a howling gale.
“Not good!”
Shen Xiuhan's face changed dramatically. Thoughts flashed through his mind, and he instantly realized the reason:
This array was already on the verge of collapse. Once a hole was torn in it by the jade plaque, the final, fragile balance it had maintained was completely shattered.
The array is going to fail!!
His lips twitched. He no longer had the leisurely mood from moments ago to climb the mountain slowly and search for treasures at his own pace.
Shen Xiuhan's figure suddenly blurred. Like a swift swan skimming close to the ground, he shot toward the mountain path above.
As he ran, the muscles, features, and stature of his face began to wriggle and transform in a bizarre manner!
The 『Turtle-Breathing Face-Altering Formula』!
Within moments, he had transformed into a completely different face.
Steady eyes, slightly dark skin...
It was impressively the older of the two Han family members who had retreated before the battle with Zhao Zhiqian and the Nether Yellow Springs Four Demons!
Han Wu!
Shen Xiuhan quickly changed into a set of gray robes. Without pausing, he wound his way up along the curving greenstone path.
On both sides of the mountain path, ancient trees towered into the sky, their gnarled branches intertwined.
Several simple and ancient palaces and pavilions were scattered about.
Their upturned eaves peeked out from the forest. Although the painted beams and carved pillars had lost their color, one could still perceive the grandeur of a major martial arts sect of the past.
Had it been anyone else, their eyes would have long turned red with greed, and they would have plunged into these cave dwellings to loot them wildly.
Shen Xiuhan ignored them completely.
In his eyes, there were only the three glowing dots marked by his intelligence system.
...
Outside, at the foot of the mountain.
Wang Xuanliang had just stepped out of a cave dwelling.
He was weighing a jade slip in his hand, but his face carried a look of slight dissatisfaction as he casually stuffed it into his storage bag.
“We've mostly cleaned out the treasures here. No matter how much more we search, we won't find anything of real value.”
“Second Brother, take a few men to the east and deal with those two from the Han family. Rob them of everything they have.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
Wang Xuanmin nodded.
Just as he was about to call over the surrounding Longxiang Army soldiers to move out, he suddenly froze on the spot in the next instant, as if choked by an invisible hand. His lips parted slightly, but he could not utter a single word.
“Second Brother?”
Wang Xuanliang's brow furrowed, and he subconsciously followed his brother's gaze.
Immediately after, he also shook violently. His pupils dilated rapidly, and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets!
“What?!”
“The grand array has opened?!”
On the eastern side of the island.
Han Wu was walking out of a small blue-brick courtyard with his cousin, Han Qing, their faces still carrying the joy of their harvest.
Suddenly, Han Qing stopped in his tracks and yanked his cousin's sleeve, his voice trembling, “Brother... look!”
Han Wu turned his head in astonishment.
He saw that Divine General Peak, which had always been shrouded in seven-colored flowing light, now had a gap torn open. The light of the barrier was collapsing at a speed visible to the naked eye!
“This is... the grand array opening! A heaven-sent opportunity... this is a heaven-sent opportunity!”
Han Qing was so excited his voice cracked as he shrieked, “Brother! Brother! We must not miss this!”
“Cut the nonsense!”
Sharp light burst from Han Wu's eyes as he shouted, “Let's go!”
The two unleashed their inner force through their feet simultaneously, their figures shooting toward the mountain like arrows released from a bowstring.
On the northern side of the island.
The people of the Raging Sea Sect had completely seized control of this area.
Pei Heng had just collected a spiritual embryo from a cave dwelling. Filled with complacency, he was planning where to plunder next.
Suddenly, he heard someone behind him screaming in terror, “Senior Brother Pei, look! What is that?!”
Pei Heng casually turned his gaze.
In the next instant, his entire body froze!
However, his reaction was extremely swift. Just a breath later, a light of ecstatic joy surged in his eyes!
“The grand array of Divine General Peak... has opened!”
He whirled around, his voice filled with intense excitement, “Junior brothers and sisters, follow me into the array to investigate! The treasures within this array should all belong to our Raging Sea Sect!”
“Yes!”
The disciples behind him shouted in unison, their voices like thunder.
On the southern side of the island.
A Star-Plucking Sect disciple cried out in shock, “Senior Brother Cui, look at that mountain!”
Cui Xiangyang, a core disciple of Tingquan Academy, turned his head to look.
The moment his gaze landed on the crumbling grand array, his pupils contracted violently.
Although the Four Sects of Nanxiang had quite a few people, most of those teleported near Divine General Island were Anjin Rank disciples, without any Huajin Rank experts leading them.
Left with no other choice, he, as a core disciple of Tingquan Academy, had to temporarily assume the role of leader.
Cui Xiangyang took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and said in a low voice, “For some unknown reason, this grand array has suddenly opened. Junior brothers and sisters, do you dare enter with me to investigate?”
“Why wouldn't we dare? Entering this Blessed Land is for the sake of seeking a sliver of opportunity. Now that the opportunity is right before us, I, Feng Wuding, am willing to take this journey with Brother Cui!”
“I, Duan Zhen of the Zhenhai Marquis Mansion, am also willing to go!”
“Dai Mingyue of the Qingyuan Sword Pavilion, let's go together!”
“Our Star-Plucking Sect...”
“Good!”
Cui Xiangyang's eyes flashed with sharp light, and he waved his hand, “Let's go!”
The instant his words fell, dozens of figures behind him leaped out in unison, pressing toward the collapsing grand array like a dark cloud swept by a swift wind.
If one were to look down from the clouds, this scene would be even more breathtaking.
On Divine General Island, countless figures were like ants returning to their nest, surging toward the mountain from all directions.
The crowd was dense, swarming over in a massive tide.
And at this very moment, Shen Xiuhan had already reached the mountainside!
Swoosh!
With a light tap of his toes on a tiled eave, he stepped onto a ruined stone platform suspended over the cliff face.
One of the three pale gold glowing dots in his vision finally entered his line of sight!
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