That fluctuation was so faint, like a thread or strand, that if not for the barely perceptible opportunity here tugging at his spiritual sense, Donghua would almost have passed it by.
Looking out, he saw only calm seas. A hazy mist shrouded the glittering blue waves, and on the surface, there seemed to be nothing at all.
Even when he flew past high above and swept the area with his spiritual sense, he could not touch the slightest obstruction.
Donghua stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze as deep as the stars as he stared at this strange calm.
Having cultivated to his realm, his Dao Heart had long since reflected the void, clear and bright as a mirror.
The ripple that had arisen in his heart just now was certainly no baseless illusion. It had to be a manifestation of an opportunity.
There was only one possible explanation for the situation before him: an Innate Great Array had formed naturally, borrowing the power of Heaven and Earth to perfectly conceal and protect whatever lay within.
Donghua's gaze sharpened. Without the slightest hesitation, dazzling radiance suddenly appeared above his head, and his companion spiritual treasure, Jingyang Bell, hung majestically in the air.
He swept out his sleeve, and vast magical power surged like a river, rumbling into the bell.
Clang—!
Jingyang Bell shook violently and released an incomparably deep and powerful boom.
The bell's sound condensed without dispersing, transforming into countless clearly visible blades of mysterious sonic energy that swept in all directions!
In the next instant, a massive transparent ripple suddenly spread through the void, as if a mountain had been thrown into a calm sea.
Right afterward, layers upon layers of array restrictions were forced into view. Their radiance interwove and flashed, astonishingly enveloping an endless stretch of sea!
Above the array restrictions, tens of thousands of patterns flowed ceaselessly. Accompanied by gorgeous, faintly visible rays of light, they seemed ethereal and otherworldly, as if they had merged with the breathing of Heaven and Earth.
"What a marvelous Innate Great Array!" Divine light shone brilliantly in Donghua's eyes. Although he could not be considered proficient in arrays, after completely refining the protective array of his own Daoist Ground, Zifu Continent, his horizons had long since become extraordinary.
The array before him was in no way inferior to the array of Zifu Continent. The secrets of its operation were hidden deep within the flow of the wind and the movement of the water, repeating in an endless cycle.
If he had not sensed something earlier and locked his spiritual sense onto this place, he would never have detected the slightest trace even after passing by it hundreds or thousands of times.
The array's killing power did not seem particularly outstanding, but the marvel of its transformations and the subtlety of its concealment could be called endlessly profound, making it impossible to grasp.
He had roamed for tens of thousands of years, yet before this, he had encountered an opportunity only once, obtaining a High-grade Innate Spirit Treasure with thirty-six restrictions called the Azure Emperor Longevity Lamp.
The Innate Great Array before him was extraordinary. Judging by the Dao charm and power it contained, there had to be at least a High-grade Innate Spirit Treasure inside!
With an opportunity before him, he could not afford to lose it.
Donghua's spiritual sense spread outward like a tide, carefully sweeping across the surrounding ten thousand miles of sea. Aside from a few ignorant creatures wandering about, he detected no aura that could pose a threat.
Even so, Donghua did not lower his guard.
He lightly waved his sleeve, and strands of Mysterious Light flew out, laying down layers of concealment restrictions around him and hiding his aura, along with all the commotion he was about to cause.
Generally speaking, there were no more than two ways to break array restrictions.
The first was to use absolute divine power and act with overwhelming force, forcibly blasting them open.
The second was to calm one's mind and comprehend them, seeing through the mysteries of their operation and breaking the array through finesse.
Donghua reached a decision almost instantly.
He naturally chose the second method. Faced with such a naturally integrated array, he might not be able to break it open. Even if he tried to force his way through, he did not know how much time it would take. Moreover, the disturbance would be too great and might attract unnecessary trouble.
Besides, comprehending an Innate Great Array like this was itself a rare form of cultivation, beneficial to his Dao.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, ten thousand years had gone by.
The stars shifted and the tides rose and fell, while Donghua's mind remained completely immersed in deducing the principles of the array.
One day, as he observed the Innate Great Array transform and flow with the wind, a trace of comprehension suddenly flashed through his eyes.
He had not found a fixed "door." Rather, he had found the fleeting flaw that appeared when the array operated according to nature!
The opportunity would vanish in an instant! Donghua's figure transformed into a wisp of faint Dao charm. Following that marvelous gap, he silently slipped into the array.
Though this Innate Great Array possessed spirituality and endless profundity, it was ultimately a dead object that operated according to the instincts of Heaven and Earth, incapable of adapting to change.
As long as one remained patient and found its patterns, there would eventually come a moment when it could be seen through.
In the next instant, he felt his figure steady, and he had already set foot upon solid ground.
Looking around, he saw spiritual energy condense into mist in every direction. Immortal radiance coiled through the air, exotic flowers and rare herbs covered the mountains and wilderness, and ancient trees with sturdy trunks soared into the clouds.
The air was filled with the refreshing fragrance of grass and wood. With one breath, he felt clear-headed and invigorated.
"Penglai..."
The instant he entered this place, an ancient true name naturally surfaced in his Dao Heart, incomparably clear.
It was actually the legendary Penglai Immortal Island, one of the Three Immortal Islands Overseas!
Even Donghua, whose temperament was steady, could not help but feel his emotions stir at this moment.
This was the supreme Grotto-Heaven that countless great powers in the Primordial Wilderness had sought in vain. He had actually found it today—this was truly an astonishing opportunity!
Just as his emotions surged, a unique fragrance unlike the scent of grass and wood quietly entered his nostrils.
With merely a wisp of fragrance entering his body, the magical power throughout his body began circulating energetically on its own. His Dao Body seemed to have been cleansed by sweet spring water, leaving him comfortable from head to toe, and even his cultivation faintly advanced by a trace!
Donghua's spirits soared. Divine light burst from his eyes, and he immediately looked toward the source of that marvelous fragrance, his spiritual sense spreading over the area ahead like a net.
This item had such miraculous effects. It had to be an Innate Spirit Root without a doubt!
He had only just entered Penglai Immortal Island, yet this treasure had revealed its connection with him on its own. Its strange fragrance had led the way. This item was fated to be his and should belong to him.
Without hesitation, Donghua transformed into a streak of escaping light and tore through the mist-shrouded skies above Penglai Immortal Island. His figure swept across the void several times, leaving behind afterimages.
Before long, he had arrived at the place where the Spirit Root was located.
This place was completely different from the outside world. There was no magnificent scenery, nor any dense spiritual energy. Only desolation and deathly silence remained, and even the sound of the wind seemed to vanish here.
Just as Donghua was drawn toward the Spirit Root, the earth below suddenly turned pitch-black without warning. A ten-thousand-zhang dragon tail, like a mountain range of black jade stretching across the sky, crushed the space and descended silently upon him with the purest, most savage force.
"An insignificant ant like you dares lay hands on this lord's treasure?"
Before his voice had even faded, the earth suddenly shattered! A dragon shadow that blotted out the sky and sun burst from the ground, sending ten thousand zhang of dust surging into the air as its icy gaze locked onto Donghua.
"I shall use your flesh and blood to nourish my Spirit Root!"
As the dust dispersed, golden immortal light flowed around Donghua. He leisurely stepped out of the wreckage, his Pure Yang Daoist Robe completely spotless.
"I was wondering which fellow Daoist had made his home here. I did not expect it to be a skulking, cowardly reptile."
When the dragon shadow saw that Donghua was completely unharmed, it was startled at first. But in the next moment, greed overwhelmed its surprise. Its eyes fixed hungrily on the Pure Yang Daoist Robe Donghua wore, and a ferocious smile spread across its enormous dragon head:
"It is actually an Innate Spiritual Treasure? Hahaha, this opportunity is clearly meant for me, Ao Qiu! For the sake of this treasure, I shall not hold your earlier offense against you. Present it to me, and I will grant you an intact corpse!"
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