Mountainous terrain.
The mountain range wound on and on.
Between the lofty peaks and steep ridges, the terrain was precipitous and rugged.
Layer upon layer of peaks stretched into the distance, a magnificent sight.
Rumble!
The wooden wheels of the cart transporting the coffin.
Kept making noise along the rugged road.
The group was making its way through the forest.
"Uncle-Master, I've heard my master mention you before. Your array techniques are extremely powerful. You're considered an array master too, aren't you?"
Lin Fan spoke with great interest.
"What, my little junior nephew is actually interested in arrays too?"
Daoist Priest Qian He teased.
Lin Fan's interest was piqued, and he said, "Of course I'm interested, Uncle-Master. When facing an enemy, arrays can turn one plus one into three. It's rare to get an opportunity like this, so I should learn more from you, shouldn't I?"
Daoist Priest Qian He smiled at that. "The path of arrays is incredibly profound. I wouldn't call myself a master—I merely have some experience. Arrays fall under the category of Qi Men Dun Jia, but the Maoshan lineage has never specialized in this path. It's like the body-tempering techniques of your Uncle-Master Four Eyes. What ordinary people see in this area is much like feng shui techniques, which are mostly used to survey auspicious locations, but they barely touch the true path of arrays. After all, arrays are difficult to learn and depend heavily on talent. Of the four disciples under me, only A Dong understands a little of the basics."
"Senior Disciple Brother, I did learn the simplest one from Master. Anything deeper than that is beyond my comprehension."
A Dong stepped forward and continued, "The most basic one is the Nether Sleep Array."
"The Nether Sleep Array? What does it do, Junior Brother?"
Lin Fan asked in confusion.
"It releases the corpse qi within a zombie and suppresses the zombie, rendering it unable to move. Of course, that only works when the difference in cultivation realms isn't too great."
A Dong explained.
A disdainful thought arose in Lin Fan's mind.
Suppress it? Is that all it can do?
It's not even as useful as the basics of the Heaven-Piercing Eyes.
"Senior Brother, you call that simple?"
"Exactly, exactly."
"After studying under Master for so many years, only Senior Brother has decent innate insight. The three of us can't even be considered to have properly entered the sect."
A Nan, A Xi, and A Bei complained one after another.
Lin Fan looked at the three dejected men.
Indeed, aside from A Dong,
the aptitude of the other three couldn't be called particularly outstanding.
But it wasn't bad either.
They had been following Uncle-Master Qian He for so many years.
Yet apart from A Dong, who was relatively gifted and had learned a few introductory arrays,
the other three still only had a vague understanding of them.
A Dong looked at Lin Fan, who had fallen silent.
He comforted him, "Senior Disciple Brother, it's fine. Give it a try and learn it. With your extraordinary talent, Senior Brother, you might be able to grasp the basics in three to five years."
Although Lin Fan could be called an unparalleled genius,
it would not be excessive to describe him as a monstrous talent.
However!
Even the most exceptionally gifted person had something they couldn't master, no matter how unparalleled their talent was throughout history.
Lin Fan was no exception—there were still things that could stump him.
No one could be perfect in every way.
At least in this one aspect, he was still better than Senior Disciple Brother Lin Fan.
Thinking of this, A Dong couldn't help feeling pleased with himself.
At least in this area, he had managed to win back some face for Master.
After all, he had cultivated the Nether Sleep Array to the Major Accomplishment realm.
"Mm, there's no harm in trying."
Lin Fan nodded calmly.
Seeing the several people chatting so cheerfully, Daoist Priest Qian He couldn't bear to keep his skills hidden.
He said, "Little junior nephew, watch closely. I'll demonstrate it once for you. Once we're done traveling, you can ask me about anything you don't understand."
As soon as he finished speaking,
Daoist Priest Qian He raised several talismans.
He raised two fingers, chanting incantations without pause.
Golden light flared.
The talismans flew into the air at his command.
They scattered and fell, forming a circular bagua disk.
An invisible barrier slowly appeared to the side,
separating the group from the outside.
"Little junior nephew, discuss anything you don't understand in detail with A Dong."
After saying this, Daoist Priest Qian He lowered his fingers and continued leading the way.
Lin Fan nodded in understanding.
But his mouth did not stop moving.
He seemed to be silently reciting some formula,
pondering it with considerable insight.
[Congratulations, Host. You have learned the Nether Sleep Array.]
The system's voice rang out in his mind.
Suddenly, a peal of thunder sounded.
Thunder rumbled, and lightning tore across the sky.
The torrential rain came crashing down, while the fierce wind whipped the curtain of rain.
The entire forest became blurred and indistinct.
"Hey, hurry and put up the tents! The rain's here!"
Attendant Wu's shrill voice rang throughout the rain forest.
At that, the numerous attendants
put down the people in the sedan and the coffin,
then hurriedly picked up their tools and headed toward an open space in the woods.
"Daoist Priest, come help! What are you doing?"
Attendant Wu shouted anxiously.
"A Bei, keep an eye on the coffin cart. The rest of you, follow me."
Daoist Priest Qian He gave the order and led everyone toward the campsite.
Bang, bang, bang!
Everyone worked together, hammering in the wooden stakes securing the tents.
Daoist Priest Qian He directed them with practiced ease.
"What are you doing? You can't take down the canopy!"
A shout suddenly rang out.
A Bei was frantically trying to stop several soldiers.
The rather burly soldier swept out one hand,
shoving A Dong several meters away.
He continued dismantling the canopy with the others.
After hearing the commotion, Daoist Priest Qian He hurried back with everyone.
Lin Fan was the first to reach the coffin.
He helped A Dong up and looked over.
The soldiers had already dismantled the canopy.
They stood there dazed,
watching as rain poured over the coffin.
Their eyes were filled with bewilderment.
Suddenly, Lin Fan's eyes widened in surprise.
It had appeared again?
The Prosperity Flower!
Before he could think further, Lin Fan circulated his aura.
"Heaven-Piercing Eyes, dispel evil and shatter obstacles!"
He shouted fiercely.
Golden light shot out.
It blasted toward the several soldiers standing motionless in place.
"Huh? Why am I here?"
"You... What happened?"
"What was wrong with me just now? I felt so groggy."
Several puzzled voices rang out among the soldiers.
"Quickly put the canopy back up. We can't delay. Hurry!"
Daoist Priest Qian He did not stop walking as he hurriedly urged the soldiers beside the coffin.
Before anyone could react,
a bolt of lightning
struck straight down at the golden coffin.
Daoist Priest Qian He, who was moving forward,
and everyone nearby were all blasted backward.
The several soldiers beside the coffin
turned into charred corpses in an instant.
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