Mending Array Goes Awry

Lu Feng secretly observed everyone in the stone chamber. Because of Sun Liuliu, most people did not dare look directly at the characters, wary of the danger they posed. Yet a small number still boldly tried to memorize and comprehend them in secret.

Han Fengao and his group were among them. Though they had suffered for it before, as they saw more and more characters appear, they could not help growing curious. In particular, seeing that some characters could vaguely form coherent sentences when combined, they realized that Sun Liuliu's words had contained falsehoods.

However, having missed the initial chance to memorize them character by character, trying to pick them out and remember them now from the jumbled, drifting mass of characters was vastly more difficult.

As Han Fengao secretly instructed his Fellow Disciples to memorize as many of the characters appearing overhead as possible, Nie Wushuang of the Frostlight Sword Sect was also seeking his elder brother Nie Yuanbai's opinion. Like Han Fengao, he too had sensed that the characters above concealed some other mystery.

Yet Nie Yuanbai merely calmed his mind and answered with two words: "No need."

Nie Wushuang was somewhat surprised by this response. But seeing Nie Yuanbai's solemn, serious expression as he continued comprehending the sword intent contained within the characters, he did not dare disturb him further. He had tried to comprehend that sword intent himself, but after maintaining it for only a moment, he had felt an unbearable oppression in his chest. He simply could not grasp its true meaning.

Seeing Nie Wushuang's frustration, Nie Lingshan leaned close to his ear with a charming laugh and said smugly, "Don't worry, Second Brother. Your little sister has memorized every single one of these characters."

Surprise flashed through Nie Wushuang's eyes again. There were already two or three hundred characters overhead, tangled and intermingled in utter disorder. Ordinary people would likely be unable to see them clearly even if they looked, yet his little sister had secretly memorized them all?

"I'm not competing with you anymore," Liu Chu's slightly dispirited voice rang out.

Only then did Nie Wushuang understand. The two had been secretly competing from the very beginning, using the characters to test their memory. By a fortunate coincidence, that was why Nie Lingshan had memorized them.

"Call me Good Older Sister, now~" Nie Lingshan proudly lifted her delicate little nose.

Liu Chu's face reddened, and he felt unwilling to accept it. In terms of memory alone, he believed he would never lose to Nie Lingshan. But when he had accepted this contest, he had overlooked the terrifying sword intent condensed within those characters overhead. He had avoided sensing it as much as possible, yet while memorizing them, he had inevitably been disturbed by some of that sword intent. Because his attainments in the Sword Dao surpassed Nie Lingshan's, the interference he suffered was far more severe than hers. That was why he had lost.

While the two bickered, Lu Feng silently pulled Chu Youwei toward the southeast corner.

From the moment he sensed the formation in the stone chamber turning increasingly perilous, Lu Feng had devoted himself fully to finding a way out. Fortunately, as the formation was mended, flaws that had previously been impossible to perceive emerged one after another.

There was no path of escape, but he vaguely sensed a route leading to the upper level. It lay at the southeast corner, at the Kan Li Position where the formation was at its most "substantial."

Normally, if one wished to break a formation, its weakest point would be the best place to look. But that was based on the formation operating correctly.

Their current situation was the exact opposite.

Lu Feng intended to exploit Ji Lanxin's erroneous direction in mending the formation and break free at the instant the formation descended into complete chaos.

Chu Youwei did not know Lu Feng's intentions, but seeing his grave expression and subtle signal for her to follow, she instinctively chose to trust him, recalling what had happened when they jumped into the pool in the Ren Chamber.

As the two moved, Xue Zier hesitated for an instant before following them as well.

She had experienced that same precedent too—and far more deeply!

At that moment, the way she looked at Lu Feng could not have been more resentful. Though she had no idea why he was suddenly changing locations, she felt that he was up to no good. He surely had some scheme in mind again, perhaps intending to abandon her once more.

Uneasy, she chose to stay by his side.

Lu Feng could not help feeling speechless. Judging from the formation he had sensed, if he wanted to exploit the instant Ji Lanxin's mending array went awry to break free, his current strength would only be enough to open half a gap. At most, he could barely bring Chu Youwei out alone.

For that reason, he had not even brought Liu Chu along, leaving him in the care of the Frostlight Sword Sect. He had not expected Xue Zier to become such an obstacle.

If Xue Zier grabbed at him and caused trouble at that critical moment, she could very well disrupt his plan. Then all three of them would likely be forced back down to the ground by the reassembled formation.

After weighing it over, Lu Feng frowned and sent Xue Zier a strand of Soul Consciousness.

Xue Zier listened to Lu Feng's instructions in astonishment. She had never expected that he was truly making Calculations to escape.

But where was the danger in their current situation?

Just as Xue Zier hesitated, she suddenly heard a young man beside Sun Liuliu shout, "Careful!"

Immediately afterward, a blue light shot into the characters overhead. A character shaped like "middle" turned into a Sword Light in an instant and plunged downward, with Ji Lanxin, who was mending the formation, bearing the brunt of it.

Ji Lanxin's eyes widened as she watched the character, now a blade-like Sword Light carrying terrifying sharpness and might, stab toward her. Her entire body froze. At that moment, all her spiritual energy was restrained by the force of the mending array, leaving her utterly unable to free her hands. Even if she could, she would never be able to withstand such an attack.

Wei Yuan was in much the same situation. Ordered to assist Ji Lanxin, he was restrained by the damaged formation even more severely than she was. With his strength, he could forcibly withdraw his power, but even if he blocked this sudden attack, he would certainly be injured by the formation spiraling out of control.

He might be all right, but Ji Lanxin would surely die.

Faced with such a Dead End, even Wei Yuan felt his heart tremble with fear and utter despair.

In the blink of an eye, that character Sword Light had already reached Ji Lanxin's face.

Wei Yuan's gaze hardened as he prepared to gamble everything. Then he suddenly saw Miao Ying, who had been lying prone on the ground to one side, leap forward. Forcibly circulating the chaotic spiritual energy throughout her body, she shielded Ji Lanxin with her own body and took the fatal blow for her.

Had Miao Ying been at full strength, she might barely have been able to withstand such an attack. But now, her Damaged Sword Heart had left the spiritual energy within her body as chaotic as a pot brought to a boil. She had no way to resist it.

The character Sword Light pierced through her body in an instant. Just as it was about to pass through completely, Miao Ying burned the essence blood and spiritual energy throughout her body, desperately pinning it within herself so its remaining force would not pierce through and injure Ji Lanxin behind her.

Fresh blood splattered everywhere, and a bloody mist filled the air.

Ji Lanxin only felt a red blur fill her vision, as though a basin of scorching hot water had been poured over her face.

Only when she came to her senses did she realize that it was Miao Ying's blood!

Thrown back by Miao Ying's body as it was blasted away, Ji Lanxin was sent flying as well, interrupting the formation she had been setting.

Watching from ahead, Wei Yuan was filled with worry, but faced with the countless Sword Lights condensed from characters pressing down like an overwhelming flood, he could not break away. Borrowing the power of the Gathering Source Array, he drew upon the strength of the Sun Family guards and raised a barrier against the terrifying character Sword Lights, dense as a rain of arrows.

"Aunt Miao~" Ji Lanxin stared blankly at Miao Ying, who had fallen into her arms. At first, she had been somewhat disgusted by the blood splashed all over her face, but seeing Miao Ying's breath weaken and her life force fade, that disgust turned into helpless panic.

"Young Miss~" Miao Ying forced herself to hold on to her final breath, looking at Ji Lanxin with bitter tears in her eyes.

"Mother Miao is old now. From now on... I, I won't be able to protect you anymore."