Breaking the Array

Chapter 45 - Breaking the Formation

The pilgrims and cosplay performers standing under the eaves of the side rooms and at the entrance of the Three Pure Ones Main Hall let out a collective gasp.

Who would have thought that the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Limitless Demon Subduing Array set up by Qingliang Temple wouldn't just be a few people walking around, but would actually have such a terrifying presence.

"Daoist Master Jin Dan's magic is truly profound, to be able to summon divine lightning. Amazing, amazing. If it were thirty years earlier, I would definitely have asked the three Daoist Masters to take me as a disciple."

A man in his fifties, dressed in a suit and with slicked-back hair, looked on in amazement.

Ni Jun, the chairman of Xidu Department Store, was a regular patron of Qingliang Temple. When renovating the store, adding counters, or introducing brands, he would consult the Daoist Masters of Qingliang Temple for advice, ensuring the feng shui of the entire department store wouldn't affect business.

In recent years, with the rise of e-commerce, many customers had been drawn away from Xidu Department Store. Now, the business could only be maintained by relying on tourists from other places, leaving the chairman deeply worried.

Today, he had come to Qingliang Temple wanting to book a ritual to change his luck, and to ask the Daoist Masters for advice on which businesses could bring in big money.

"Dad, is this fake? I saw speakers, didn't I?"

A young man beside Chairman Ni stared under the eaves. He had clearly heard the thunder just now. Looking closely, he could vaguely make out the traces of dust covers characteristic of speakers.

"Nonsense! Be careful of speaking ill and inviting disaster!"

Chairman Ni raised his hand as if to threaten him. He had absolute faith in the Daoist Masters' magic at Qingliang Temple and could not tolerate any doubt, not even from his own son.

Seeing his father about to hit him, the young man said sulkily, "Hmph, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't!"

The pilgrims standing with the chairman of Xidu Department Store exclaimed one after another, as if magical arts truly existed in the world, and they were eyewitnesses to it all.

A fat man with a potbelly and a receding hairline, with a young woman who could have been his daughter clinging to him, swayed his head and said, "See? You've broadened your horizons, haven't you? The Daoist Masters of Qingliang Temple aren't like those charlatans who cheat people; they have real skills."

The beautiful streamer Dong Keyan had fallen silent, staring at the strange phenomenon in the plaza with wide eyes. She was certain that what she was seeing was not movie special effects. The second Daoist Master of Qingliang Temple, Li Jin Dan, had truly made talismans spontaneously combust and summoned a Tai Chi symbol in mid-air.

Great Daoist Master Zhao Wendao, who had come over earlier to steal the spotlight, was no longer speaking. Instead, he sat calmly, watching the show.

In his opinion, once Li Jin Dan unleashed the "magic" meticulously designed by Qingliang Temple, this magical duel would be over without any suspense. That audacious psychiatrist was merely a clown, and his self-humiliating actions would only bring fame to Qingliang Temple.

Wisps of white mist rose from between the cracks in the floor tiles, slowly rotating with the steps of the eighteen Daoist priests, like the convergence of spiritual energy between heaven and earth, faintly forming an array to subdue demons and eliminate devils.

Several bolts of lightning struck the incense burner in front of the Three Pure Ones Main Hall, startling the audience inside to retreat en masse.

The cameraman's assistant's lens also focused on the plaza, and the footage captured caused exclamations to erupt one after another on the live streaming platform.

"Belikov: Real, it's really magic! So amazing!"

"Shiling Apostle: Shouldn't this be fake? How can it be real?"

"shiromoku: Tell me, this is special effects! This is special effects!"

"-A Lonely Dog: I really want to be there!"

"tan180°: I've arrived at the scene, it's super exciting!"

Dong Keyan couldn't help but start to worry. She herself was somewhat unsettled. Could it be that the three Daoist Masters of Qingliang Temple were truly extraordinary individuals? Wouldn't that mean Li Bai was in danger?

A hint of worry appeared in the depths of Goddess Yan's eyes.

The eighteen Qingliang Temple Daoist priests forming the array, led by the second Daoist Master Li Jin Dan, advanced and retreated, circled and walked rapidly, constantly crossing paths, like weaving through flowers and around trees. The formation was quite aesthetically pleasing. Suddenly, they shouted in unison, throwing their talismans, which instantly burned into balls of green smoke. They chanted incantations, their voices echoing in the plaza, exceptionally loud, and the momentum inexplicably became more and more terrifying.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, as if the Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Limitless Demon Subduing Array could unleash its power at any moment and blast the young man in ancient costume in the center into ashes.

Great Daoist Master Zhao Wendao and Third Daoist Master He Xunxian's expressions were no longer relaxed, but had become solemn.

Under normal circumstances, anyone would have collapsed and surrendered under the immense pressure of the formation, but the other party remained calm and composed.

The two became increasingly bewildered and worried that this young man had seen through their trick.

Li Bai, who was surrounded in the center, still looked composed and did not move an inch. He suddenly drew his Three-foot Green Edge Sword, slashed it around himself, and casually sheathed it. The dragon's roar of the sword breaking through the air lingered endlessly.

The Little Lin Temple from another world once organized a group to chant scriptures, hoping to convert Great Demon Li to Buddhism, but they were ultimately infuriated and wiped out. These pretentious Daoist priests were simply wishful thinking.

The Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Limitless Demon Subduing Array instantly stopped. The eighteen cultivators who had mastered the Daoist techniques stared dumbfoundedly at the hundred-year-old peach wood swords in their hands, of which only the hilts remained.

Li Jin Dan froze as if under a paralysis spell, maintaining his casting posture, his lips trembling as he stammered, "My, my peach wood swords!"

Damn it! Those were genuine hundred-year-old peach wood swords!

Handmade by old craftsmen, meticulously refined according to ancient secret methods, the cost of each sword was over ten thousand RMB. In an instant, 180,000 RMB vanished into thin air.

Everyone outside the formation collectively dropped their jaws.

Where was the promised Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Limitless Demon Subduing Array? Where was the powerful magic!

It was a complete reversal, like a hen turning into a duck. How did the eighteen Daoist priests suddenly turn into Jedi Knights? Anyone who didn't know would think their sword hilts would emit lasers the next second.

Third Daoist Master He Xunxian's eyeballs almost popped out. These were sports equipment without sharpened edges, how could they be so sharp? To cut through eighteen swords, even if they were made of wood, it shouldn't have been as effortless as slicing grass stalks.

In Dong Keyan's eyes, drawing the sword, swinging it, and sheathing it were all done in one smooth motion, incredibly cool. Her gaze was hazy, and her heart pounded like a startled deer.

Li Bai was just a psychiatrist, but he didn't expect his swordsmanship to be so formidable.

The live stream instantly erupted.

"Selling a pair of young ladies: What just happened? Such a fast sword!"

"Meow Hero: A sword hero, a real sword hero, finally seeing one alive!"

"My maiden heart: I want to be your disciple! I offer my knees!"

"Li Bai's Demoness: My Young Master is so kissable!"

Qingyao, the Demoness who had infiltrated the livestream, joined in the chaotic cheering.

Li Bai looked at Li Jin Dan, who seemed a bit crestfallen, and the eighteen bewildered Daoists. He shrugged and said, "Continue!"

He had originally thought that Qingliang Temple, which attracted so many wealthy and influential people, would surely have some decent spells. He never expected them to be playing with either magic tricks or high technology.

Aside from the special tools for storing talismans and the unique methods for deploying them, which could make a talisman spontaneously combust, even a junior high school chemistry teacher could pull it off with ease.

If one looked closely at the sky above the plaza, they could vaguely see transparent threads crisscrossing. As for the faintly visible Tai Chi yin-yang patterns, they were likely some kind of conductive luminous material, and it wouldn't be difficult for them to generate high-voltage arcs between each other.

As for the incense burner struck by the electric light, it was simply placed there waiting to be struck.

Even without computer-generated special effects, modern technology was sufficient to create effects comparable to immortal magic. It was clear that Qingliang Temple had invested heavily and spared no expense in this regard.

Although the "Daoist magic" of Qingliang Temple appeared miraculous, when it was all said and done, it was merely a combination of magic tricks and technological props, involving some minor physics and chemistry tricks. It was mostly for show and possessed no killing power whatsoever.

Whether it could truly vanquish demons and subdue monsters was simply wishful thinking.

As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your child. It was no wonder that the wealthy and influential people were fooled by the tricks meticulously devised by Qingliang Temple's three Daoist Masters. Compared to charlatans who only knew how to deceive with their words, Qingliang Temple's Daoists were practically doctoral students.

Yet, no one had expected that a paper tiger would remain just that. With a swing of Great Demon Li's sword, everything was revealed for what it was.

"Jin Dan, step down!"

Zhao Wendao, the Great Daoist Master and the head of Qingliang Temple, one of the three Daoist Masters, could no longer remain on the sidelines. He cleared his throat and walked into the arena, his robes fluttering.