The moment that thought crossed Li Yan's mind, he made his decision. With a stir of his will, two figures, one black and one white, flashed into being beside him.
"Greetings, Master!"
"Master!"
Qianji and Zi Kun looked around curiously, then realized in astonishment that the Shadow Matriarch was gone. To avoid disturbing Li Yan while he spent time with her, the two demons had been cultivating inside Tuban lately.
"We're beneath the swamp. Outside are some things resembling ghosts, and a few have even reached the Nascent Soul Realm.
"I'll set up an array shortly. Guard the area and keep watch. If anything happens, alert me at once. Otherwise, I'll focus on probing these caves."
As Li Yan briefly explained the situation, he began setting up the array.
Pale blue light flickered, and an array took shape around the three of them: the Primordial Qi Supreme Clarity Array.
The eight passages branched into still more forks. To examine them carefully, Li Yan would have to send ever more strands of Divine Sense deeper inside. Smaller branches split off from those forks, twisting away to unknown distances.
That would leave him no attention to spare for his surroundings. Though he had some guesses about this place, he still feared the two crimson-robed men outside the cave might suddenly charge in.
Li Yan therefore had to prepare his defenses first. The Primordial Qi Supreme Clarity Array, capable of withstanding at least one strike from a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, was the obvious choice.
Bringing out Qianji and Zi Kun to help keep watch was another precaution.
Earlier, Li Yan had somehow backed into a cloud of dense black qi. Who knew what might quietly change inside these caves? Better to take every possible care.
After Li Yan gave his instructions, Qianji