Array Traps the Enemy

This day.

At noon.

After lunch, Li Chang'an practiced his puppet-making craft as usual.

"The Puppets I use should, like Talismans, form a complete set."

He pondered in silence.

A single Puppet found it difficult to balance both offense and defense.

Perhaps higher-tier Puppets could manage it, but low-tier Puppets were best focused on one particular aspect.

For example, emphasizing the advantages of "attack and killing," "defense," or "speed."

"Low-tier Puppets can hardly possess all these advantages at once. Forcing them together will often only make the Puppet mediocre."

Li Chang'an contemplated.

He did not want mediocre Puppets. Such Puppets would be of little help to him.

A moment later.

He began working on a Puppet skilled in defense.

"Previously, I bought quite a few materials suitable for a First-tier Mid-grade Defense Puppet at the Black Market. Now that my skills have broken through, it is time to give it a try."

Very quickly, a simple idea took shape in Li Chang'an's mind.

Just then, outside the courtyard gate.

Xu Fugui's voice suddenly rang out.

"Big Brother Li, do you live here?"

Hearing this, Li Chang'an rose and walked out of the room.

He opened the courtyard gate.

Xu Fugui, standing outside, had a face full of nervousness.

Only upon seeing Li Chang'an did he let out a breath of relief.

"Big Brother Li, you really do live here!"

Looking at the spacious courtyard behind the gate, Xu Fugui was both shocked and envious.

A quarter of an hour earlier.

He had needed to find Li Chang'an and gone to where Li Chang'an had once lived, only to discover that there was no one there at all!

Filled with doubts, he had hurriedly run off to find Chu Daniu.

After asking around.

He had learned the truth.

At first, he had still been somewhat worried, afraid that he had found the wrong place and would offend the senior living within.

Now that he had seen Li Chang'an, he was finally at ease.

"Fugui, if you have something to say, come inside."

Li Chang'an smiled and beckoned to him.

Xu Fugui froze for a moment. After hesitating for a while, he cautiously entered the courtyard.

Perhaps because it was his first time visiting such a fine Residence.

He seemed somewhat restrained.

"Fugui, what did you need me for?"

With an easy expression, Li Chang'an asked with a smile.

Xu Fugui replied, "Big Brother Li, I found a strange stone in the Secret Realm before."

As he spoke, he took out an orange-yellow stone from his robes.

The stone was roughly the size of an egg.

From its surface alone, there was nothing particularly unusual to be seen.

"This stone should be a treasure, but neither I nor the other fellows could identify it. Big Brother, do you know what it is?"

Xu Fugui handed the stone to Li Chang'an.

Li Chang'an took a cursory look, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Of course he knew what it was.

It was a treasure known as Dog Treasure, a crystal formed when the demonic power of an Earth-element Canine Beast condensed after its death.

"The Dog Treasure Fugui found should be a demonic power crystal from a First-tier Late-stage Canine Beast. It will be greatly beneficial to Da Huang."

Li Chang'an thought to himself.

There truly were plenty of good things in the Secret Realm. With Xu Fugui's strength, he had actually managed to obtain a treasure of this grade.

Li Chang'an did not hide it from Xu Fugui and told him the truth.

"Fugui, you probably have no use for this Dog Treasure. How about selling it to me?"

"Big Brother, just take it."

Xu Fugui shook his head, unwilling to discuss a transaction.

"All these years, you have taken great care of me. I have never had anything with which to repay you."

"No. Even blood brothers must settle accounts clearly."

Li Chang'an insisted.

In the end.

He exchanged several sets of mid-grade Talismans for the Dog Treasure.

"Fugui, the Secret Realm is fraught with danger. These sets of Talismans are all mid-grade Talismans. Keep them well; one day, they will come in handy."

"These... Mid-grade Talismans?"

Xu Fugui's eyes went wide.

He had thought Li Chang'an was still a Low-grade Talisman Master. He had never imagined that he would receive mid-grade Talismans from him.

"Big Brother Li, you... have you already broken through?"

"Yes."

Li Chang'an nodded slightly, without denying it.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fugui was dumbfounded, as though he had turned to stone.

In the Cultivation World, strength was king.

If he and Li Chang'an had not been friends, then he would have had to address Li Chang'an as "Senior"!

Only after quite some time did he come back to his senses.

"Big Brother, don't worry. I won't mention this matter to anyone."

After Xu Fugui left.

Li Chang'an continued designing and making the Defensive Puppet.

Before long.

Da Huang returned from outside and brought Li Chang'an the latest news.

"Zheng Jinbao found another Rogue Cultivator? That Rogue Cultivator's aura was very powerful, and you did not dare approach to identify him because you feared he would notice you?"

Li Chang'an frowned slightly and pondered for a moment.

Da Huang's current strength was comparable to that of a human cultivator at the seventh layer of Qi Refining.

Anyone even he found powerful.

Should be a cultivator at the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining.

"A Rogue Cultivator this strong—could he be from Black Wind Mountain?"

In this region.

Apart from Black Wind Mountain, it seemed no other Rogue Cultivator force had experts in the late Qi Refining stage.

"Fortunately, I have the Array."

Li Chang'an was thankful. His earlier line of thought had been correct.

Even if he had not picked up a bargain through the Hexagram Image, he would still have bought an Array to protect his Residence.

No matter what.

When soldiers came, generals would block them; when water came, earth would dam it.

"If that Rogue Cultivator truly dares to come, I'll use him to test this Array's power."

With that said, Li Chang'an got to his feet.

He gathered all the necessary items, altered his own aura, and left with Da Huang.

He left behind only a Puppet Body, openly drawing the other party's attention.

That night.

Disguised as a cultivator with a Fire Spirit Root, he rented an ordinary Residence in the Marketplace.

"Da Huang, this Dog Treasure contains quite a bit of demonic power. Absorb it slowly."

Li Chang'an took out the Dog Treasure and lightly patted Da Huang's head.

"Woof!"

Da Huang's eyes brimmed with delight as he swallowed the Dog Treasure in one gulp.

The night gradually deepened, and the Marketplace slowly quieted down.

Just after the Midnight Hour.

A streak of Golden Light appeared before Li Chang'an.

[Divination Result Refreshed]

[Today's Divination Result: Auspicious]

[A late Qi Refining stage Rogue Cultivator has been hired and plans to secretly eliminate you, but he is trapped by the Array while infiltrating the courtyard. In the end, he is killed, and all the treasures on his body fall into your hands]

"An Auspicious Divination?"

Li Chang'an was somewhat surprised.

Previously.

Whenever Rogue Cultivators came to his door.

The Hexagram Image had shown an "Ominous" divination.

Now another Rogue Cultivator was coming, yet the Hexagram Image showed "Auspicious."

Could this change have been caused by the growth of his own strength?

"As long as it is an Auspicious Divination, it is fine. It seems this time there will not be much trouble!"

Li Chang'an relaxed slightly.

It had to be said.

Zheng Jinbao's repeated hiring of Rogue Cultivators.

Had not caused Li Chang'an much trouble. Instead, it had brought Li Chang'an many gains.

Whether it was the high-grade Talisman Inheritance or the precious Spirit Eye, those Rogue Cultivators had all delivered them to Li Chang'an.

"I wonder what treasure will be delivered to my door this time?"

Li Chang'an felt somewhat expectant.

That night.

At the Third Quarter of the Yin Hour.

A hunched black shadow moved soundlessly through the darkness, making not the slightest noise, as though it had already melded with the entire night.

This person was Wei Sen, the Black Wind Mountain Third Boss, famed for his Evasion Technique!

"This should be the place."

He silently arrived before Li Chang'an's Residence.

"This time, I must act swiftly. I cannot let that Foundation Establishment Ancestor notice."

Wei Sen slowly drew in a breath.

The next instant.

With a slight sway, the tall courtyard wall seemed not to exist at all, and his entire body appeared directly within the courtyard.

"Li Chang'an, may you be reborn into a good family in your next life!"

Wei Sen's eyes were gloomy as he silently walked toward the house.

But suddenly.

A trace of something strange welled up in his heart.

He was clearly walking toward that house, yet the distance between him and it was growing farther and farther, as though he were retreating. It was strange beyond measure.

"Not good, there's an Array!"