Purple Bamboo Forest Spirit Gathering Array

Zhou Ran flicked his finger.

The pill instantly transformed into a streak of emerald light, flying precisely into Xiao Zhenguo's mouth.

This elixir may have limited effects on cultivators, but for mortal martial artists, it is nothing short of a heaven-defying opportunity.

The pill dissipated upon touching the throat, transforming into a stream of scalding magma that instantly washed over Xiao Zhenguo's already withered limbs and bones!

"Hmm!"

Xiao Zhenguo, who had been as still as a wooden statue, trembled violently.

The lingering deathly aura on his face seemed to vanish instantly, and a healthy rosy glow quickly appeared beneath his withered skin.

Even more surprisingly, his gray hair began to turn black from the roots at an incredible speed.

The cardiac monitor by the bed was blaring a piercing alarm like crazy!

That nearly flat, dying straight line is now rising wildly upwards, like a spring shoots up from the ground!

"Heart rate 120! He's recovered!"

"Blood pressure is rising!"

My God, all vital signs have returned to normal!

"Holy crap, this is a medical miracle!"

The experts outside the door went completely insane.

One by one, old faces were pressed against the glass, eyes bulging, expressions fanatical.

His lifelong medical beliefs collapsed at this moment.

boom!

A powerful and profound energy suddenly erupted from Xiao Zhenguo's body!

He suddenly sat up, his eyes snapped open, and a glint of light flashed in them. There was no trace of his terminal illness left!

"I...I'm..."

Xiao Zhenguo looked down at his hands, which had regained their power, and his internal energy surged like a river within him. His face was filled with indescribable shock.

Not only did he recover from his illness, but he also turned misfortune into a blessing!

The pill's unparalleled medicinal power not only repaired his broken meridians, but also shattered the barrier to his cultivation that had stagnated for many years!

Late stage of Grandmaster of Internal Energy!

The power of his peak has returned!

Only one step remains to reach the legendary Grandmaster realm!

"grandfather!"

Xiao Hongli could no longer hold back her tears, and she burst into Xiao Zhenguo's arms, crying like a child who had suffered a great injustice.

The entire Xiao family was jubilant.

The gazes directed at Zhou Ran no longer held any trace of contempt or doubt, but were filled with the purest reverence.

It's even a form of pilgrimage.

After a brief moment of excitement, Xiao Zhenguo's expression turned serious, and he acted swiftly and decisively.

"Hongli, have everyone leave. I have something extremely important to discuss with Mr. Zhou alone."

Soon, only Zhou Ran, Xiao Hongli, Chen Ya, and Lin Qingxue, who was standing in the corner and trying desperately to curl up into a ball, remained in the large ward.

Xiao Zhenguo took out a dusty, ancient parchment scroll from a hidden compartment by his bedside.

"Mr. Zhou, I am deeply grateful and cannot express my thanks."

"I previously promised that if you could save me, the greatest secret of the Xiao family, passed down for centuries, would belong to you."

He slowly unrolled the ancient scroll on the table; it was an ancient map depicting an ancient port and a deep sea.

"The Azure Key in your hand does not unlock worldly treasures, but rather an ancient dojo submerged beneath the harbor's silt—the Soul-Suppressing Temple!"

Zhenhun Temple!

Zhou Ran's mind stirred slightly.

Within his mind, Ye Futian's voice rang out with a hint of solemnity.

"Kid, you've struck gold."

The Zhenhun Temple was built by an ancient Buddhist master to suppress countless evil spirits and demons. It must contain rare and precious materials and secret artifacts for refining corpses.

Countless cultivators tried to break in, but all turned to dust, which only made the resentment there even more intense.

If you can obtain even one or two of these, it will be an immense blessing.

As Zhou Ran was pondering, Xiao Zhenguo spoke again, his voice extremely low:

"Deepest within that temple lies a... 'Drought Demon'!"

Drought!

Even Zhou Ran's eyes sharpened upon hearing those two words.

That is a legendary, extremely ominous object that can turn the world upside down and change the celestial phenomena with its own power!

Once it is born, it will be a catastrophe for the entire Jiangcheng, no, for the entire China.

"The Song family, and the Wuji Sect behind them, harbor treacherous ambitions!"

"Their real purpose is to release this drought demon, refine it into a guardian beast, and thereby dominate the entire Chinese martial arts world!"

Xiao Zhenguo's words were like a thunderclap, solving all the mysteries.

Just then, Zhou Ran took out the bronze key.

The moment the key appeared, it resonated with the ancient parchment scroll with an incredibly strong power!

hum-

A blinding beam of light shot out from the key and shone directly onto the ancient scroll.

The originally flat map suddenly transformed into a three-dimensional image, floating in mid-air.

The layered structure of Zhenhun Temple, as well as the core danger zones marked by scarlet dots, were clearly presented to everyone.

"An extremely yin object..."

Zhou Ran's gaze was fixed on the deepest part of the image, on the most dazzling red dot representing the drought demon.

Instead of fear, a burning desire rose in his eyes.

To others, the drought demon represents the end of the world and a catastrophe.

But for him, the successor of the Demon Emperor, this was nothing short of a feast!

Once you swallow it, you'll definitely break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck in one fell swoop!

"I have my own plans for this matter."

Zhou Ran waved his hand to dispel the image and spoke calmly to the tense crowd.

"However, some preparations need to be made before entering the ruins."

He turned to look at Xiao Zhenguo and asked.

"Where in the Xiao Family Manor is the best feng shui location?"

Although Xiao Zhenguo did not understand his meaning, he immediately replied.

"It's the bamboo grove on the back hill. Back then, I asked the top feng shui master in Hong Kong to point out the 'living eye' spot. All the vitality of the entire manor gathers here."

"very good."

Zhou Ran nodded, a thought flashing through his mind.

From the storage ring on Ghost Shadow's finger, he took out the dozens of Yin Sha Stones that he had looted from the factory in the west of the city.

As soon as these jet-black stones appeared, the temperature in the entire room dropped several degrees, and a bone-chilling cold permeated the air.

"This is... a Yin Sha Stone?"

Xiao Zhenguo, being well-informed and knowledgeable, recognized it at a glance and was greatly shocked.

"This object is an ominous sign, often found in ancient tombs. What use does Mr. Zhou have for it?"

"Set up the formation."

Zhou Ran's words were concise and to the point.

He offered no further explanation and led everyone to the bamboo forest behind the mountain.

This place is serene and elegant, with lush purple bamboo. A gentle breeze rustles the bamboo leaves, and the air is filled with a refreshing fragrance.

Zhou Ran looked around, and a profound array diagram had already been formed in his mind.

What he was going to set up was a basic formation recorded in the Yin-Yang Manual—the Minor Spirit Gathering Formation.

This formation can forcibly gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of ten miles, which is only a beginner-level skill in the cultivation world.

But on Earth, where spiritual energy is depleted, its effect is no less than creating a new paradise!

These Yin Sha stones serve as the foundation of the formation, drawing upon the Yin energy of the earth's veins to create a cycle with the Yang energy of heaven and earth, achieving a balance of Yin and Yang and a continuous cycle of life.

"You all step back."

Zhou Ran gave an order, then took a deep breath and unleashed his full power, utilizing his cultivation at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Condensation.

With a single grab of his hand, a Yin Sha Stone the size of a human head floated into the air.

Zhou Ran pointed his fingers like a sword, a wisp of condensed, almost tangible, pale purple demonic energy swirling around his fingertips, and began to rapidly carve on the stone.

His movements were so fast that they were just afterimages. Under the erosion of demonic energy, profound and complex runes were deeply imprinted on the hard stone surface.

Chen Ya, Xiao Hongli, and Lin Qingxue stood at a distance, their hearts swaying and their breaths catching in their throats.

This ability to manipulate objects out of thin air and inscribe symbols in mid-air has completely shattered their worldview.

Especially Lin Qingxue, who could be clearly seen in her grayish-white pupils.