Meanwhile, Lu Changsheng had returned to the Cottage.
All the materials for the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Grand Array had been gathered.
Now that the array's foundation had been laid, all that remained was to pour the Yellow Springs River water into it to serve as its spirit.
A killing array from High Antiquity would reappear in the world!
Lu Changsheng turned his hand over, raising the pearl of Yellow Springs River water in his palm.
The pearl transformed into a streak of rosy light and flew into the center of the grand array!
The instant it entered the array!
The pearl turned into Yellow Springs River water and spread out, circling the array before transforming into an enormous dragon, yellow from head to tail!
This yellow dragon formed from Yellow Springs River water was the grand array's spirit.
An immensely powerful surge of killing Qi rose alongside an intent of annihilation, drifting ceaselessly above the Cottage!
Even birds and beasts passing nearby turned back in terror.
There was no need to worry about anyone else discovering the unusual happenings at the Cottage, though.
On the cliff.
The Willow Tree waved a willow branch, completely sealing off the Cottage's commotion and presence.
No one could probe within!
Just then.
A startled voice rang out beside Lu Changsheng.
"What grand array is this? It is even far stronger than the nation-protecting grand array I used as empress?"
It was a young woman's voice.
Lu Changsheng turned to look at the woman, showing no surprise.
After all, this woman had fled the Nine Nether Underworld alongside him earlier.
"Isn't that obvious?"
How could a grand array acknowledged by the Willow Tree be ordinary?
The woman wore red-and-white battle robes, her long, fiery-red hair tied back, giving her a gallant air!
She had willow-leaf brows, red lips, and a delicate, finely shaped nose.
Her face was as fair as jade, seemingly untouched by powder or rouge, yet radiant as dawn clouds reflected on snow.
Her eyes glittered like a sky full of stars, impossible to forget after a single glance.
Yet an intangible Imperial Qi surrounded her, as though it could make entire armies submit!
"But you were only a spirit when you followed me out just now. How do you have a physical body now?"
The woman shook her head. "I cannot tell you."
Hearing this, Lu Changsheng shrugged and asked no more.
After all, he was not particularly eager to know.
But just then.
A piece of information entered his mind.
[Hong Ying, cultivated method: Nine Revolutions of Reincarnation. Undergoes nine reincarnations, relinquishing the cultivation of the previous life with each rebirth. Her talent will grow greater with each successive life. Only those with a special physique can cultivate it.]
There's even a cultivation method like that?
Immediately afterward, a mission was issued for the first time in ages.
[Host, please take Hong Ying as your disciple. Due to the higher difficulty, the rewards will be more generous.] [Name: Hong Ying] [Talent: SSS rank] [Aptitude: Reincarnation Saint Physique, Imperial Qi, potential to become an emperor]
Higher difficulty?
Lu Changsheng looked at Hong Ying, who was examining the array beside him, and could not help nodding.
With her temperament, it would indeed be rather difficult.
This woman possessed an air of arrogance.
It differed from Ye Qiubai's unbending pride, the indomitability of a Sword Practitioner.
Hong Ying's arrogance looked down on everyone, as though every person stood a rank beneath him!
This arrogance came from her Imperial Qi.
It made others involuntarily feel the urge to submit.
At the same time, Hong Ying had the qualifications to back it up.
But this Imperial Qi... could Hong Ying have been an empress in her previous life?
[Correct. Hong Ying was the founding empress of the Cloud Phoenix Empire.]
Only after receiving confirmation did Lu Changsheng understand.
Only that could have nurtured such Imperial Qi.
Yet this Imperial Qi had little effect on Lu Changsheng.
This greatly surprised Hong Ying as well.
An ordinary person sensing her Imperial Qi would probably have been shaken to the core long ago!
How could they remain as calm as Lu Changsheng was now?
But Lu Changsheng's next words left Hong Ying astonished.
"Well? Want to take me as your master?"
"What?" Hong Ying's eyes widened as she asked in astonishment, "You want me to take you as my master?"
"What, you're unwilling?"
Hong Ying smiled. "Perhaps you aren't qualified yet."
Lu Changsheng shrugged. He had never expected a single sentence to make this former empress take him as her master.
"However, I'll need to stay here for a while to recover my strength."
Without waiting for Lu Changsheng to nod, she casually chose a wooden cabin and walked inside.
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng said nothing further. After all, there were plenty of days ahead.
"I wonder how that brat Qiubai is doing..."
Lu Changsheng had intended to head down the mountain to help Ye Qiubai, but after some thought, he shook his head and dismissed the idea.
After all, this was Ye Qiubai's own affair.
It was his own inner demon, and he had to resolve it himself.
Only then could Ye Qiubai advance fearlessly along the Sword Dao.
At this moment.
Heavenly Origin City.
Walking down the street, Ye Qiubai could not help feeling a little wistful.
Not long ago, he had been forced to flee this very place.
Back then, however, he had lost all his talent, and his cultivation had been utterly destroyed.
Now that he had returned, his talent was back at its peak, and his cultivation surpassed what it had once been.
People along the way had already recognized Ye Qiubai.
"Look, isn't that Ye Qiubai, the Ye Lineage's former genius?"
"Huh? Why has he returned to Heavenly Origin City? Didn't he leave to escape with his life?"
"And he's heading toward the Ye Lineage. Could he be planning to return to his lineage?"
"His cultivation was lost long ago, and his talent is no different from an ordinary person's. How could the Ye Lineage possibly take him back?"
"Come on, let's go take a look and find out!"
At once, many people on the street put aside what they were doing and followed Ye Qiubai.
They, too, wanted to see exactly why Ye Qiubai had returned this time!
After all, countless enemies now wanted Ye Qiubai dead!
Ye Qiubai noticed but paid them no mind, letting them follow.
The news spread like a plague, swiftly sweeping through all of Heavenly Origin City!
The Jiang Lineage.
When its patriarch, Jiang Tianhan, learned the news, he could not help sighing.
"After all, Chan'er wronged him... Pass down my orders. Come with me to the Ye Lineage."
Jiang Tianhan thought that if anyone tried to kill Ye Qiubai, he would step in to protect him.
After all, the Jiang Lineage owed Ye Qiubai this.
At the Qiu Lineage, another of the four great lineages.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
A servant hurriedly burst into the pavilion.
Looking at the man surrounded by beauties, with a woman in each arm, he panted, "S-something terrible has happened!"
Qiu Siwu's face darkened as he barked in a low voice, "If this isn't important, I'll throw you into Ten Thousand Snakes Valley to feed the snakes!"
The servant's heart trembled at those words, but he suppressed his shaking and said, "Ye... Ye Qiubai has returned!"
"Hmm?"
Qiu Siwu's pupils contracted, and he instinctively covered his chest.
There was a sword scar there.
Ye Qiubai had inflicted it.
Countless pills could have removed the scar, but Qiu Siwu had refused them all.
That was because Qiu Siwu wanted to use it to spur himself onward.
Until he personally took Ye Qiubai's head from his shoulders!
"What has he returned to Heavenly Origin City for?"
The servant replied, "I... I don't know. All I know is that he's heading toward the Ye Lineage."
A savage grin spread across Qiu Siwu's face. He shoved aside the woman beside him with one hand and draped a brocade robe over his shoulders.
"Let's go! Call the deathsworn and come with me to the Ye Lineage!"