Chapter 856
The Third Killing Array Enters My Body
"This is... the Daoist essence of array formations."
Song Changsheng couldn't help but reach out his hand, as if to catch something in the empty space in front of him. His fingers swept across the air, but finally landed on the surface of the stone tablet, which was weathered by wind and sand, dilapidated and pitted.
The expected resonance did not occur. Only then did he realize that what he had captured was not the Daoist rhythm of the [Third Killing Array], but the Daoist rhythm of the other arrays in the Myriad Array Stele Forest. Under the impact of the killing intent, he had lost some basic judgment and became confused.
He was not discouraged by this result. For him, being able to successfully eliminate the influence of killing intent and other material Dao rhythms to capture the Dao rhythm of a certain formation was already a great improvement. He had only been in the Myriad Formation Stele Forest for a dozen hours and had already walked a path that most people in the world could not finish in a lifetime.
This represents an excellent start; perhaps with just a little more effort, we can achieve our goals...
"He went astray."
Above the Forest of Ten Thousand Array Steles, the middle-aged cultivator spoke calmly, as if he had already foreseen Song Changsheng's fate.
"It's just the beginning. You were the same way back then. He hadn't grasped the key yet. Once he realized it, it would be within his grasp."
"You really think highly of him, just because he got the so-called top score in the five academies?"
"So what if you're the best in the Five Academies? Haven't we seen enough geniuses? The path to immortality is full of geniuses."
"Then why did you..."
"Do you know who he went to see before I saw him?"
Before the other party could make a guess, True Monarch Yingyue directly announced the answer: "He first went to see the Grand Preceptor of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty and Lingji of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion."
Upon hearing these two names, the middle-aged cultivator, who had been somewhat absent-minded, immediately perked up his ears and frowned slightly, asking, "How did they end up together, and why are they meeting him?"
When two divination masters get together, his intuition tells him that it's never a good thing. They often do things that seem inexplicable to outsiders, but most of the time, time proves their initial correctness. It might be a few years, or a few hundred years, or even some plans can last for thousands or tens of thousands of years.
All living beings are like pieces on an invisible chessboard in front of them, and you often find yourself caught in their trap without even realizing it.
Once you enter the game, what awaits you may be an opportunity to survive to the end on the chessboard.
But more likely, he died under mysterious circumstances.
Therefore, most people try to minimize contact with the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion or even the Heavenly Secrets Master, for fear of falling into his trap.
The Lingji Zhenjun mentioned by Yingyue Zhenjun is the most frequently seen Tianji Master of Tianji Pavilion in recent years, and can be called the Tianji Pavilion's walking agent.
Fifteen hundred years ago, he was already active in the public eye with the cultivation of a True Monarch. Now, fifteen hundred years later, he is still active, and his actions are becoming more and more frequent. The more frequently he acts, the more nervous and even fearful people become.
Since they specifically requested to see Song Changsheng, it means they wanted to bring him into their scheme. And now that Song Changsheng is involved with them, doesn't that mean...?
Understanding his concerns, True Monarch Yingyue shook her head slightly and said, "If these people really want to drag us into their scheme, no matter how we try to guard against them, it will be in vain. If it's a blessing in disguise, we can't escape it."
Moreover, our Array Dao Academy has always maintained neutrality, taking it upon ourselves to pass on the torch of array Dao to the human race. No matter how ruthless the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion may be, it would not dare to plot against us easily.
The key point of this matter is why he suddenly met with the Grand Preceptor of the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, why he wanted to see him, and what role he plays in the game.
Whether his role will actually have a positive impact on the academy remains to be seen.
We all know in our hearts that turmoil that will sweep the world will inevitably occur one day; it's just a matter of time.
Both we and Tianji Pavilion are looking for a way to break the deadlock and survive.
After great chaos comes a golden age. The established order will be broken, and whoever can seize the initiative will be the first to break the deadlock.
Everyone is vying for this opportunity, or more accurately, for the Tianji Pavilion.
However, the information we have is not equal, and Tianji Pavilion is unwilling to share it.
Under such circumstances, anyone the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion contacts could be chosen by the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion to break the deadlock. What do you think, Senior Brother?
"So you chose him? How do you know this wasn't Lingji deliberately putting on a show for us?"
"What is true may be false, and what is false may be true; what is false may be true may be false. Whether he is real or not is not important; what matters is whether he is real or not when you really need him."
Even if it's fake or completely useless, we won't lose anything. We can consider it an investment. His talent in array formation is quite good. If he doesn't die halfway through, he might become a giant in array formation in the future, which would be a good thing for us.
Every bit of support given to him before he grows up will eventually be rewarded. "The Moon Reflection True Lord said calmly.
The middle-aged cultivator nodded slightly upon hearing this and said, "Anyway, the Palace Master has entrusted this matter to you, so I won't worry about it. I recently took on a new task, which is a bit troublesome."
Have all the candidates been selected?
"It's all settled. There have been many outstanding disciples in the palace over the years. A group was selected based on the principle of voluntariness, and together with the palace's instructors and stewards, the final number is three hundred. Once the supplies are ready, they will be sent up."
"Three hundred people?" True Monarch Yingyue frowned slightly and said, "It used to be two hundred people."
"The pressure is too great. If we don't send more people, it will really collapse. We don't have enough energy and time to rebuild."
"You stay here and keep an eye on things. Let me know when the results are out."
As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man's figure vanished from the clouds.
Completely immersed in the "ocean" of Daoist rhymes, Song Changsheng was completely unaware that his every move was being watched by True Monarch Yingyue. He was constantly trying to discern and capture the Daoist rhymes of the array around him.
As his perception of Daoist rhymes became clearer, he could accurately identify which array Dao stone tablet these rhymes came from without experimentation, increasing his efficiency exponentially. However, he still hadn't found what he was looking for.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, he had been at the Forest of Ten Thousand Array Steles for ten days. Doubts and frustrations began to arise in his heart. He had clearly distinguished the various Daoist rhymes with great care, but why couldn't he capture the Daoist rhyme of the stele in front of him?
"Most of the stone tablets on the outer perimeter are inscribed with third-level formations, so the Daoist aura is very weak, but there is no killing intent involved, so they are easier to detect."
Most of the formations in the inner circle are fourth-tier formations. Even with the influence of killing intent, their Daoist charm is far stronger than that of the outer formation stone tablets, and this is especially true as you go further in.
This also aligns with the theory that the stronger an individual's Daoist aura, the stronger their Daoist charm must be.
The Third Killing Array in the World is one of the strongest killing arrays in the world. Even if it is just a fragment, its Daoist charm should be the strongest among all the array Dao stone tablets in the Myriad Array Stele Forest. Why can't I sense it at all?
"Is it because the passage of time has caused the Daoist aura of the [Third Killing Formation] to dissipate, or have I simply missed the mark?"
Song Changsheng's mind raced, and suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, as if he had grasped something.
Yes, he was on the wrong track from the very beginning. The Daoist essence does not dissipate with the passage of time; this is almost an axiom in the cultivation world, as can be seen from the overwhelming killing intent emanating from the stone tablet recording the [Third Killing Array].
By this logic, the Daoist essence of the Third Killing Formation is the strongest among all the Myriad Formation Steles, without exception!
And what is the strongest and clearest among the myriad array stele forest?
"Killing intent!"
Yes, it is killing intent. The killing intent that permeates the Forest of Ten Thousand Array Steles is the Daoist rhyme of the [Third Killing Array], or rather, its Daoist rhyme is mixed in with it.
In order to avoid being affected by the killing intent and to calmly sense the Daoist principles of the formation, I tried my best to block out these killing intents.
This was a very bold idea; no one had taught him it, and it wasn't recorded in ancient books, but he just felt it was right.
If my guess is correct, then everything can be explained! A glint of light flashed in Song Changsheng's eyes, and his previously dejected heart instantly became full of fighting spirit again.
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, he directly changed his strategy, no longer deliberately shielding himself from the killing intent that was attacking him, but instead opened his heart to it and isolated the rest of the array's Daoist energy.
In an instant, endless killing intent surged like a raging sea, constantly impacting his body and consciousness.
Even with Song Changsheng's current cultivation level, he still felt somewhat overwhelmed.
With a muffled groan, blood involuntarily seeped from the corner of his mouth, staining his blue robe with spots of crimson.
He closed his eyes and concentrated, stubbornly holding on. Finally, amidst the surging killing intent, he sensed a familiar feeling...
"Got you!" Song Changsheng suddenly opened his eyes, stretched out his hand and grasped an invisible aura tightly.
The Daoist aura of the Third Killing Formation in the World was indeed as he had imagined, hidden within the killing intent. This Daoist aura, imbued with killing intent, was a concept he had never encountered before.
In his previous understanding, Daoist essence was an intangible and formless existence, and no matter how strong it was, it was the same; only laws possessed clear power elements.
The idea that the Daoist aura contained murderous intent is utter nonsense.
But now, a vivid example is right in front of him: the Daoist essence of the Third Killing Formation in the World, though formless, is tangible and extremely clear.
He tentatively slapped the wisp of Daoist energy he had captured onto the stone tablet in front of him. In an instant, a brilliant light flashed and disappeared, and a wisp of Song Changsheng's consciousness was absorbed into the stone tablet.
In the pitch-black void, a bright glimmer of light bloomed before his eyes.
This tiny glimmer of light is like a paintbrush, held by an invisible hand, freely writing symbols on this pitch-black canvas.
Song Changsheng recognized at a glance that these were array patterns of a formation.
After all the array patterns were drawn, hundreds of array flags suddenly appeared in the air, arranged in a mysterious pattern and perfectly integrated into the array patterns.
This is a diagram of an array. A large section is clearly missing in the upper left corner, and another section is missing in the lower right corner. The rest of the diagram also looks somewhat dilapidated.
In a daze, he saw a faint shadow of the [Impermanent Killing Array] within it.
If it were a regular array diagram, it would be discarded in this state unless it was fully repaired.
However, this array still possessed terrifying killing power. After all the array flags were integrated into it, the killing intent that erupted at that moment almost tore his wisp of consciousness apart.
It should be noted that what he is facing now is not a real grand formation, but merely a man-made, incomplete formation diagram.
The array diagram looks very simple; even the complete version might not be as complex as a typical fourth-order array diagram.
But when he tried to memorize it, he found that no matter what he did, he could not leave a trace in his mind.
He understood that this was because the formation was too powerful. After all, it was the strongest killing formation generated under the rules of the Heavenly Dao, and it could not be contained by ordinary carriers, not even memories.
He can only master it after he fully comprehends it.
If even memories cannot be stored within him, how could he possibly imprint them into his body?
Song Changsheng suddenly realized that he had been too naive at first; this matter was far more difficult than he had imagined.
Are you just going to give up like this?
At this moment, he suddenly remembered a foolish thing he had done before. When Song Xianming broke through to the Purple Mansion realm, he used the [Eye of Illusion] to spy on the Heavenly Dao and almost lost his life.
He was a bit foolish, but he successfully captured a "Tao" character. He often contemplated and comprehended it, which greatly helped him. It was his first time directly contacting the origin of the Tao.
From that moment on, he knew that the [Eye of Illusion] was definitely not an ordinary pupil technique; it truly possessed the ability to "trace back to the source and dispel confusion."
If that's the case, could he use this to see through the essence of the killing formation, understand its underlying logic, and then complete it with his own understanding?
Facing a dilapidated formation, this is definitely the fastest way to comprehend it!
"【Eye of Illusion】, activate!"
Song Changsheng took action without hesitation.
The surrounding scenery changed dramatically in an instant; he had seen through the essence of this formation…
Above the Forest of Ten Thousand Array Steles, True Monarch E Yingyue, high in the clouds, quietly watched everything that was happening below.
She knew that Song Changsheng had successfully captured the Daoist essence of the [Third Killing Formation] and glimpsed the true form of this legendary killing formation.
Therefore, she was eager to know what choice Song Changsheng would ultimately make in the face of this legendary killing formation—would he retreat in the face of difficulty, or would he, like most people, settle for second best?
One day, three days, one month...
Song Changsheng maintained the same posture for a whole month.
Suddenly, within the Forest of Ten Thousand Array Steles, the killing intent emanating from the [Third Killing Array] began to rapidly reverse, surging into Song Changsheng's body at top speed.
"what--"
A long, painful howl echoed throughout the entire Myriad Array Cave Heaven.
Song Changsheng looked pained, his body trembling uncontrollably under the impact of the killing intent, yet he still frantically absorbed the killing intent in the stele forest as if seeking death.
At the same time, the [Impermanent Killing Array] originally engraved in his body quietly dissipated, and a terrifying power slowly revived within him.
A hint of surprise flashed in Yingyue Zhenjun's eyes. He had actually chosen the most difficult path, and it seemed that he was going to help him succeed.
...(End of chapter)