Activating the Magic Array

Liu Chengfeng nodded. "What Sun Ning said is not wrong."

"However, there is something else I need to tell you. Within the Secret Realm, aside from gathering spiritual herbs, there is also a chance you may encounter covert fights to the death."

"Among Biyou Palace's disciples, there is a black-faced disciple named Li Xuan—the fifth one in the third row over there. Yes, the one with the very dark face. Easy to recognize, right?"

"This boy is already participating in the Blood River Secret Realm for the third time. He is ruthless and merciless, and quite a few Jade Mist Sect disciples have died by his hand. It is only because I lack direct evidence that I have not acted. If I had direct evidence, I would have personally slain that scoundrel long ago."

"If you can get rid of him in the Secret Realm, I will make the decision to have the Outer Court reward you with a Top-grade Magic Artifact Long Sword!"

After saying that, Liu Chengfeng felt it was inappropriate. "Forget it, forget it. This boy's true strength far exceeds others of the same rank. You are likely no match for him either."

"After entering the Secret Realm, focus primarily on gathering spiritual herbs. Avoid contact with him as much as possible, and stay on your guard."

"When the rules of this Secret Realm were established back then, to prevent the Three Sects' disciples from slaughtering one another too severely, it was stipulated that if one side's casualties exceeded twenty percent, that side would be forcibly ranked first."

"So that brat would not dare kill too many people, lest he make a clever move only to spoil the outcome."

"I have two spell talismans here. Take them for protection, and be sure to watch out for that boy."

Liu Chengfeng felt that letting a disciple like Su Bai take the risk of seeking out Li Xuan over his momentary indignation was somewhat inappropriate, so he ultimately changed his wording.

Su Bai could not say much and accepted the two spell talismans.

They were two Tier 2 Spell Fire Dragon Technique talismans. Though such talismans were immensely powerful, the Spiritual Power required for a Mid Qi Refining Stage Cultivator to use one even once was far too great.

With all the Spiritual Power within his body at its peak, Su Bai estimated that he could activate at most two in one go.

Thus, having more would be useless. Two were enough to save his life at a critical moment.

Su Bai thanked Liu Chengfeng, accepted the spell talismans, and put them into his Storage Bag.

Although Liu Chengfeng had changed his mind afterward, Su Bai had taken the words to heart. He had already remembered the phrase "Top-grade Magic Artifact Long Sword."

A Top-grade Magic Artifact Long Sword was extraordinarily valuable. Even some Foundation Establishment Cultivators used them.

If he could obtain one, the power of Su Bai's Sword Qi would increase considerably.

Su Bai memorized Li Xuan's face and thought that if an opportunity arose, he would give it a try and kill this guy.

A Top-grade Magic Artifact was profit not to be passed up!

Liu Chengfeng then summoned several other disciples he thought highly of, repeatedly emphasizing the matter of Li Xuan to each of them.

This time, they absolutely had to guard against that black-faced brat with watertight vigilance.

On the other side, Zhang Tan was also watching Liu Chengfeng's movements. After seeing Liu Chengfeng summon those disciples,

he quietly sent a Telepathic Message directly to Li Xuan. "Remember the few disciples summoned by the Jade Mist Sect elder. Since they were summoned, they should be among the strongest in combat power."

"Pay special attention to them. Kill as many as you can. Give it your all this time. Next time, you will not need to suppress your rank to participate in the Blood River Secret Realm. I will prepare a Foundation Establishment Pill for you."

Within the Biyou Palace disciples' ranks, Li Xuan raised his black face and firmly branded Su Bai and the others' appearances into his mind.

An hour passed quickly.

True Man Jiyin spoke after timing it. "Elder Liu, Venerable Zhang, the time has come. Let us activate the Magic Array."

Liu Chengfeng gave a slight nod. "Then let us activate the Magic Array."

The Three Great Sects' disciples had long since formed three lines before the Magic Array.

The number of disciples from each sect differed only by single digits, making their numbers nearly equal.

Liu Chengfeng floated above the Magic Array and spoke. "The Blood River Secret Realm is now officially open."

"After entering the Secret Realm, the disciples of our Three Sects are to make gathering spiritual herbs their main priority. Mutual slaughter within the Secret Realm is forbidden."

"Anyone discovered killing others and stealing their treasures within the Secret Realm will be punished with utmost severity!!"

Once he finished speaking, Liu Chengfeng, True Man Jiyin, and Zhang Tan flashed down onto the Array Base formed from massive jade slabs.

They placed Mid-grade Spirit Stones in every corner of the Array Base.

Then Liu Chengfeng and the other two each took out their corresponding magic artifacts.

The sealing Magic Array at the entrance to the Blood River Secret Realm had been jointly established by the Three Great Sects.

To activate the Magic Array opening the entrance, the magic artifacts of all three sects had to be present at the same time.

As the three magic artifacts were placed into the Magic Array Gaps, a hum rang out, and a blood-red teleportation glow large enough to accommodate several people at once appeared above the Magic Array.

"Get in quickly!" Liu Chengfeng waved his hand, and the disciples at the front of the Three Great Sects' lines simultaneously flashed into the Teleportation Array.

The moment they stood within the teleportation glow, a Teleportation Mark was automatically imprinted onto the backs of their hands. With a hum, the three of them were teleported into the Blood River Secret Realm.

With this Teleportation Mark, at five in the evening three days later, once the time arrived, they would automatically be teleported out of the Blood River Secret Realm.

Groups of three entered the Blood River Secret Realm one after another, with one group teleporting every three or four breaths.

Very soon, it was Su Bai's group's turn.

Su Bai gave Wang Jue and the others behind him a slight nod, then stepped into the red glow.

The next moment, a pulling force enveloped him. After roughly three or four moments, the pulling force around him vanished.

The red glow faded, and Su Bai discovered that he was already standing in a vast plain.

He raised his hand and looked at its back. Sure enough, there was now a mark in the shape of a red river.

With this mark, once the time came three days later, Su Bai would automatically return outside the Secret Realm.

He could also activate it in advance at a necessary moment and leave the Secret Realm.

The view across this plain was not open, because every part of it was covered in all kinds of wildly growing red plants.

Layer upon layer, stretching so far down that there was no bottom in sight.

Even the sky was blood-red, filled with a suffocating sense of oppression.

Not far around him, there were also a Biyou Palace Disciple and a Profound Yin Sect Disciple who had been teleported over with him.

In the first moment, those two cautiously flashed away, rapidly widening the distance between themselves.

Clearly, they did not trust the disciples of the other two sects and feared being ambushed and killed.

Although Su Bai did not mind killing others and seizing their treasures, everyone had only just entered the Blood River Secret Realm and had no spiritual herbs on them. Even if he killed them, there would be no treasure to seize.

Thus, he allowed the two to leave and disappear from his sight.

"First, I'll follow Senior Brother Wang Jue's instructions and see whether I can gather with the others."

Su Bai found what looked like the tallest tree nearby and used the Feather Fall Technique to climb easily to its crown.

Looking around, Su Bai vaguely saw the glittering waves of the Blood River on the horizon.

Su Bai fixed on the direction and flashed toward the Blood River.

Wang Jue's method of gathering was to head toward the lowest downstream section of the Blood River in the first moment after entering the Blood River Secret Realm.

Once everyone had gathered, they would then proceed upstream.

Their initial teleportation locations were all in the downstream region of the Blood River Secret Realm, not too far from the lowest downstream section.

As Su Bai flashed forward, he encountered quite a few other disciples along the way, all hurrying upstream.

The farther upstream one went in the Blood River Secret Realm, the more abundant the Spiritual Energy and the more spiritual herbs naturally grew there. Naturally, they were all heading upstream.

Su Bai was in no hurry to search for herbs. After roughly A Cup of Tea's Time, he arrived near the Blood River's bank.

The closer he came to the bank, the more luxuriant the vegetation became. With decent luck, Su Bai even found a Rotten Blood Vine.

A Rotten Blood Vine was a first-rank spiritual herb worth roughly ten Spirit Stones.

Su Bai picked it and placed it in his Storage Bag, then continued toward the riverbank.

Ten-odd meters from the Blood River's bank, the vegetation began to vanish, leaving the ground bare.

The entire Blood River appeared before Su Bai's eyes.

The river water flowed onward slowly yet steadily.

The Blood River's surface was broad, more than a hundred meters wide. It was said to be a strange river flowing from one otherworld to another.