Breaking the Formation

The refraction of light in a phantom array is a very complex matter.

For example, the core of the Zixiao Palace Grand Array is a precious pearl that emits purple light, but through the array's projection and amplification of power, it forms a large-scale illusion array covering an extremely wide area.

If you are in the illusion array, you will feel as if you have stepped into an endless Heaven and Earth, and you will never reach the end no matter how you walk.

But as long as you have the token, it's only a few miles around.

This secret place is obviously much smaller than Zixiao Palace and Mechanical City, so the core of the formation hidden there is not too complicated.

After thinking about Da Yi, who was skilled in archery, Zhang Xuezhou didn't think Da Yi's formation skills were particularly outstanding.

If the builders are a rather haphazard team, the core members are probably not even as well-hidden as the Zixiao Palace.

"I seem to be going to Zixiao Palace. What am I going to do at Zixiao Palace?"

Gazing at the fiery sunset, even with the talisman on his head, Zhang Xuezhou felt a little disoriented. The scene seemed familiar, yet he also felt as if he had forgotten something.

But he quickly shifted his focus from fruitless pondering back to the present moment.

The fiery clouds surging within the secret realm were indeed formed by the condensed power of the formation, which also enveloped every part of the secret realm.

When Zhang Xuezhou was searching and felt he was struggling to trace the source and find the core, he suddenly remembered that Xu Lu had quickly determined the distortion of the Sinkhole No. 2 after reviewing the data from North Rehe.

A simple contrast of light and shadow allowed the Void Furnace to directly uncover the answer that the major Lineage of the Scarlet Alliance State had been searching for in their research institutes for over a decade without success, thus finding the true Sinkhole No. 2.

The fiery clouds above the secret realm remained the same, but everything inside the secret realm was different.

The mountains have transformed into a vast ocean; everything beneath the formation has changed.

The power of the illusion array differs depending on whether it penetrates air or water. The new emperor and others can even dive underwater to reduce the erosion of the array's power.

"By calculating the refraction deviations caused by the fiery clouds, just like in the 'illusory furnace,' I can find the intersection points and then locate the core of the secret formation!"

While the fiery clouds on the water's surface didn't reveal any shift in position, Zhang Xuezhou felt there must be a difference if he dived down to find the palace as a reference point.

"I didn't understand!"

After Zhang Xuezhou explained the basic principles, Wei Qing stared wide-eyed, indicating that he couldn't figure out what offset, displacement, and core were.

"It's this illusion array. You know the view at the top of the illusion array, right? It means that as long as you know..."

The new emperor understood Zhang Xuezhou's meaning, but after several attempts to explain it, he ultimately gave up trying to convey it.

Ordinary array masters couldn't do what Zhang Xuezhou did, and the new emperor was facing a body of water. He had no reference points to compare against and couldn't find a suitable location to anchor.

"Anyway, there's a 50% chance that Dongfang Shuo can resolve the current troubles," the new emperor concluded.

"Don't overestimate me," Zhang Xuezhou complained. "The water here is too deep, making diving quite difficult, and the deeper you go, the darker it gets, making it hard to see clearly below!"

"Golden Toad, it's your turn to help! Quickly lead the Dongfang Master underwater!"

Huo Qubing, who was lying down, patted Jin Wanliang's thigh. Jin Wanliang had no choice but to move to a different position and then rolled into the water with a reluctant expression.

It's clear that Jin Wanliang and Huo Qubing have been getting along quite well these days, though it's hard to say whether this harmony is peaceful or not.

"Godfather, I'm good at diving!" Jin Wanliang said dejectedly, rubbing his belly. "Especially now that I'm much heavier, diving should be a breeze!"

"I know you're very useful!"

Zhang Xuezhou replied, and the new emperor took out a luminous pearl from the side and gave it to Zhang Xuezhou to light his way.

"I don't think I can be of any help?"

Wei Qing was taken aback.

He stayed by Zhang Xuezhou's side, watching Zhang Xuezhou call out to Jin Wanliang and then dive directly underwater, following him as he descended a short distance.

When it became too difficult for his body to continue diving, Wei Qing quickly surfaced.

"Leave professional matters to professionals. You're not suited for array formations," the new emperor said. "The court employs over a dozen array masters, but they can barely ride a horse; they're truly of no help whatsoever!"

"It's no wonder they're in this situation. Traveling through these deep mountains and forests is incredibly difficult. Even if they run as fast as they can, they won't be able to catch up with the moment the secret formation shows a flaw," Wei Qing said, shaking his head.

"They're not good at riding, they can't fly, and they can't run—they're all just city guards!"

The new emperor uttered a rebuke.

Before experiencing the flight of the Sky Shuttle, the new emperor had a high opinion of the strength of many people in the court, believing them to be normal cultivators.

But after truly experiencing high-speed flight, he did become dissatisfied with the cultivators of the Great Han Dynasty.

Many officials were highly skilled and possessed unique Technique Method, but they were too slow. By the time they drove their carriages to the scene of the accident, the bodies lying on the ground were already cold.

Lacking sufficient speed, the new emperor felt that his many capable ministers and generals were nothing special.

Cheng Bushi and Li Guang, who were skilled in raiding operations, were inexplicably much more pleasing to the new emperor.

Ultimately, it is only the generals who actually fight on the battlefield who know what is important.

A hammer that can wield a thousand pounds in place is useless if it can't hit anyone. While many high-ranking cultivators of the imperial court perform with unpredictable Technique Method, it falls short when they actually engage in combat.

This is also why the new emperor mentioned the talent for defending the city.

"Such improvements cannot be achieved overnight; they can only be made gradually," Wei Qing advised.

"Life doesn't offer so many opportunities to take things slowly," the new emperor retorted, dissatisfied.

Although the new emperor was impatient, he was also well aware that what Wei Qing said was true.

Wei Qing lived in Chang'an City for many years, accompanied the troops on two expeditions, and inspected places such as Yanmen Pass. He had a standard for understanding everything.

If Wei Qing had said that things could only be done slowly, the new emperor could already imagine the situation Wei Qing had witnessed.

"One who listens to only one side will be misled. In the future, we'll need Dongfang Shuo to take us around and see the real situation. But for now, we need to get out of here first. I wonder what Dongfang Shuo will do..."

The new emperor's mind was racing with thoughts, but in the end, he lowered his head and looked at the water to check on Zhang Xuezhou and Jin Wanliang.

He stared wide-eyed at the blue water beneath, where the clear blue had turned into layers of darkness.

In the darkness, the fiery sunset began to be reflected on the water's surface, and familiar faces began to emerge.

King of Liang, Emperor Jing, Empress Dowager, Zhao Wan, Wang Zang...

The faces of all those familiar to the new emperor, yet already dead, kept appearing, each one a face filled with resentment, even Emperor Jing himself.

None of these people were heinous criminals, nor were any of them at fault, but each of them left behind the regret of things not being accomplished.

The new emperor looked at the crowd and watched them draw ever closer to him.

Many hands reached out, as if trying to drag him down into this abyss of resentment.

"Snort!"

Amidst the muffled shouts of resistance, the new emperor, clearly being pulled into a hallucination, struggled incessantly.

But he couldn't move his body or speak. The power of his Qi and Blood used in his shout seemed to only cause a brief struggle. He could only watch as pale hands kept pulling at his body.

The suffocating feeling of drowning filled the air, and the new emperor felt his struggles growing increasingly powerless.

His body continued to fall towards the abyss, and the people pulling at him were replaced by darkness. It wasn't until a stinging pain came through his body that the new emperor suddenly opened his eyes.

What came into view was a scene of ruins, no longer the bottomless water that had been before.

As if the floodwaters had receded, only traces of mud and water remained on the ground.

When the new emperor looked up, he saw only towering mountains in the distance, and many ancient, muddy trees standing dejectedly all around him.

Time had passed, but the traces of water were very clear, suggesting that the formation in this secret place had undergone a complete transformation.