CHAPTER 688: CHAPTER 85: SEVEN STARS GREAT SHIFTING MYSTERIOUS CORE ARRAY_2

If it succeeds, taking them by surprise may allow escape from this dire fate.

The old Daoist rose with his sword in hand, focused his gaze on the heavy stone gate before him.

This prohibition had been refined by the combined efforts of five people for over twenty years. Originally, with a few more years of arduous work, they could have succeeded.

Even dragging it out for an extra day or two, breaking a critical prohibition meant one fewer of them would need to be sacrificed alive to the sword.

But unexpectedly, before even a single day passed, the array outside had been broken. Forced into a corner, they had to sacrifice four Nascent Soul True Masters to feed the Slaughter Sword, paying an immeasurably heavy price.

At this moment, dwelling further on the matter was futile. He chanted a few incantations under his breath, bit through the tip of his tongue, and sprayed Essence Blood onto the tip of the sword before him. Then, he raised the Dharma Sword skyward and cast it into the air. It transformed into a beam of purified white light and fiercely struck down on the prohibition!

A thunderous explosion rang out, like the crack of a lightning bolt, its rumbling shockwaves echoing far and wide, audible even within the Mingcang Sect’s mountain gate.

The old Daoist swung his sleeve, dispersing the smoke and dust. When he looked again, the prohibition was gone, and the mansion gates had opened. Joy surged in his heart as he collected the Qinyang Big Drum into his sleeve and hurriedly flew inside without hesitation.

Su YiAng, witnessing the True Dragon Mansion’s gates being shattered open, was utterly shocked.

He considered following inside to investigate but feared being discovered by the other party. After much contemplation, he finally made up his mind. Just as he was about to stir up distracting thoughts in the child’s heart and tempt him into the mansion, a voice from within called out, "Su Yihua, step inside."

The child felt a surge of inexplicable fear upon hearing the ancestor call his name. Yet knowing the other could easily kill him with a mere gesture, he was powerless to resist.

Nervously stepping inside, he looked around and found the space to be empty, devoid of beams or pillars. Only a solitary stele stood forlornly in the center of the grand hall, with thick chains hanging down from above, extending outward in all directions.

Upon closer inspection, he realized that he was standing on a copper plate suspended in mid-air, its underside pitch black, obscuring any view of what lay beneath.

At this moment, the old Daoist’s expression fluctuated unpredictably as he stared transfixed at the stele.

He had entered this place fully embracing the mindset of burning bridges and fighting to the death. Yet upon laying eyes on this object, his fervent resolve retreated like an ebbing tide.

The Mysterious Stele was the pivotal mechanism of the True Dragon Mansion, bearing a great array named the "Seven Stars Great Shifting Mysterious Core Array." If activated, the array could transport the entire Cave Mansion to another location.

Faced with this, the old Daoist hesitated.

He had broken open this gate in sheer desperation, intending to stake it all in pursuit of the Cave Heaven True Master’s realm.

However, not only did such success hinge on a slim chance, if he truly entered the Phenomenon Realm, Mingcang Sect’s Cave Heaven True Masters would jointly come to kill him. Escaping would be nearly impossible.

Originally, he had no choice and had to act with unwavering determination, but after entering the mansion, this Mysterious Stele presented him with another option, making him indecisive.

At this point, his hesitation stemmed from the realization that moving such a vast True Dragon Mansion would consume an immense amount of mana. He lacked absolute confidence and feared he might exhaust himself completely without succeeding.

After deliberating back and forth several times, he ultimately decided that relocating the mansion offered the greater chance of success.

Having committed to this course, he abandoned his earlier thoughts, placed his hand on the Mysterious Stele, channeled Spiritual Energy into it, and began operating the array.

But as soon as he initiated the moving array, he felt his mana pouring out uncontrollably, like a breached dam. Frowning slightly, he suddenly shouted, "Fellow disciples, quickly come out and lend your elder brother a hand!"

As the words echoed, the four Nascent Souls leapt out in unison and simultaneously exerted their strength. The Mysterious Stele instantly radiated brilliance.

However, without physical bodies, their mana diminished incrementally with every expenditure. Within moments, the once radiant golden glow of the four Nascent Souls dimmed, leaving them unable to hold on for much longer.

After a few more breaths, the four Nascent Souls were entirely depleted, scattering into specks of light. Their Primordial Spirits, left unprotected, were withdrawn into his sleeve.

Yet despite this, the Mysterious Stele was still lacking by a margin. The old Daoist instantly knew unless he was willing to disperse his own Nascent Soul entirely and pour its entirety into the array, there was absolutely no chance of activating it further. Doing so, however, would mean losing his cultivation completely.

Having lived over nine hundred years, the possibility of rebuilding his cultivation was utterly impossible. With a sigh, he muttered, "So be it!"

Turning to the child, he ordered sternly, "Su Yihua, remember this. Once we are gone, be sure to guard this mansion well and patiently await our re-incarnation. When the Su Family rises again, you shall be credited as the foremost contributor!"

The child, bewildered by his words, replied in confusion.

The old Daoist had no time to elaborate further and shouted, "Master Qin Yang! Please take care of this bloodline for our family!"

A flash of light appeared, and a yellow-clad youth stepped forth, sneering, "Su Family descendants, incompetent as always, and now you expect me, an old man, to watch over a disciple who’s yet to open his meridians? If word got out, I wouldn’t be able to face my old friends."

The old Daoist replied, "The Su Family is on the brink of ruin. If our bloodline isn’t sacrificed as a refinement, True Master, you may never achieve Dao."

The youth cast him a sideways glance and retorted, "Don’t try to use that to threaten me! Do you think I don’t grasp the severity? If Su Mo hadn’t ignored my advice, overreached himself, and fought that vicious foe, losing even his Primordial Spirit, your Su Family wouldn’t be in such dire straits today."

The old Daoist remained silent.

The youth, irritated by his demeanor, said impatiently, "Enough! I don’t feel like lecturing your juniors today."

He turned to face the child and, with a mocking smile, said, "Boy, you’ve lucked out. Let’s see what fate has in store for you."

Raising his hand, he lightly slapped the child’s crown, absorbing the child into himself entirely. He then transformed into light and vanished.

Having arranged everything, the old Daoist hesitated no longer. With a loud shout, his Nascent Soul emerged from his crown and fully powered the array.

In an instant, it was as though the heavens collapsed and the earth crumbled, mountains toppled, and an earth-shaking roar erupted. Surging Wave Lake rose violently, and the True Dragon Mansion, once buried dozens of miles deep underground, shifted through the void, disappearing to an unknown location.

Zhang Yan, standing atop the flag platform, did not delve into the mansion. However, sensing the immense commotion below, he inhaled deeply and asked, "Su Daoist, what transpired below? Do you know?"

Su YiAng, dejected, replied, "Reporting to the elder, just now that Su Family ancestor broke into the True Dragon Mansion, activated the moving array, and relocated the entire mansion elsewhere."

Zhang Yan, somewhat surprised, pressed further, "Do you know where they went?"

Su YiAng thought for a moment and hesitantly replied, "My Soul Splitting can sense even distances of ten thousand miles, yet I feel nothing now. It’s likely... it’s likely they are no longer on East Splendor Continent."

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)