CHAPTER 124: CHAPTER 123: TIANYI TOURNAMENT (PART 15)

Chu Yunyi spoke again to stop Jiang Yuesheng and An Qing: "Don’t get entangled with them, let’s go."

But having been insulted face to face by Cui Tianxiao, Jiang Yuesheng was full of anger with nowhere to vent and did not listen.

Even if he truly intended to use Chu Yunyi, being exposed by Cui Tianxiao in front of everyone hurt his ego and pride. He had to redeem himself.

"Yun Yi, even if you use your captain status to order me today, I will absolutely not give up this Competition Token!"

Jiang Yuesheng pointed his spear at Cui Tianxiao and said: "Cui Tianxiao, if your skills were half as good as your mouth, you wouldn’t lose to me every time. You don’t need to sow discord within our team. If you’re a man, fight me fair and square. Whoever wins gets the token. Do you dare?"

"Whoever doesn’t dare is a coward!"

Cui Tianxiao suddenly took out the Thunderbolt Bow and walked forward several steps, and at that moment, a sudden change occurred.

"Buzz—" With Team Tianyi as the center, a range of five hundred meters was enveloped in a talisman array, leaving Jiang Yuesheng and An Qing no time to react and instantly trapped within the array.

Their reactions were identical; the buzzing from the sudden change in air pressure caused unbearable eardrum pain, making them instinctively close their eyes.

When they opened their eyes again, Team Unyielding had vanished without a trace, and their teammates who were just beside them were also gone. Alone, they stood in place, surrounded by a vast green forest.

Jiang Yuesheng thought to himself that this was bad; he’d fallen into a trap. He immediately turned around and ran back, shouting his teammates’ names as he ran.

Spectator Square.

"What a surprise! Two martial masters from Team Tianyi fell simultaneously into the talisman array set by Team Unyielding. Jiang Yuesheng and An Qing clearly have lost their sense of direction, and trying to break free from the talisman’s confines on their own seems very difficult."

The sudden reversal pushed the announcer’s voice to a sharp pitch. He looked at the screen displaying the Great Array and consulted Lin Zhian once more.

"Mr. Lin, what kind of talisman array is Team Unyielding using? How is it so concealed that not even Chu Yunyi with his high spiritual power could anticipate it?"

Lin Zhian adjusted his glasses, carefully reviewing the replay footage from before Team Tianyi arrived, and finally understood what happened.

"This is an array from the Immortal Separation period!"

The announcer was shocked: "What! How could Team Unyielding be using an array from the Immortal Separation period?"

As a talisman master, Lin Zhian could see the Great Array documented in ancient books and couldn’t hide his excitement:

"To my knowledge, Qi Lang spent his whole life researching arrays from the Immortal Separation period, but he disappeared for no reason, leaving no one aware of the extent of his research. Qi Ming is Qi Lang’s direct great-grandson, and given Qi Ming’s age and experience, he couldn’t possibly create a talisman array to rival the ancients. This array must be closely related to Qi Lang, perhaps one of his research outcomes finally unveiled today!"

Announcer: "Mr. Lin, what is exceptional about arrays from the Immortal Separation period?"

Lin Zhian explained: "Arrays from the Immortal Separation period use Array Flags or Array Tokens as primers. Only by inserting Array Flags at the vital center can the Great Array be initiated. Setting up the array is cumbersome and time-consuming, usually needing prior preparation to lure enemies into it, unlike spiritual power arrays which can be set at will. However, since the critical parts of an array are the Array Flags and Array Tokens, there’s almost no spiritual power fluctuation, making it extremely concealed. If used properly, opponents find themselves entrapped when discovered, unable to escape even with wings."

Announcer: "I see. No wonder Team Tianyi stood on the Great Array without noticing its activation, even someone as powerful in spiritual matters as Chu Yunyi couldn’t detect it."

Qi Ming occupied the key position, controlling the mirages within the array with the Main Array Flag, guiding Jiang Yuesheng and An Qing step by step to the predetermined locations.

According to Qi Lang’s notes, this Great Array was called the Enchanted Maze, established according to the principles of the Eight Trigrams and the cyclical nature of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements. Those unfamiliar with arrays entering it see only illusions; the paths, every blade of grass, and tree are controlled by the one setting the array, manipulated at will.

Cui Tianxiao watched Jiang Yuesheng running blindly further away and felt great satisfaction: "Ye Qingting, I’ll deal with Jiang Yuesheng. I have the guaranteed hit pills from Ah Xing. I won’t lose to him this time!"

Ye Qingting drew the Ice Sword and shook his head, his intention to refuse unmistakable:

"Jiang Yuesheng is too familiar with your combat moves. Even if you can win, it will be a protracted battle consuming much effort and time. We don’t have such luxuries to waste. We know nothing about Ah Xing’s situation, so we need to act quickly and assist soon."

Though the Enchanted Maze was concealed, Chu Yunyi remained vigilant and sensed the anomaly the moment the Great Array activated, taking Lin Caier and fleeing.

Li Xing closely chased behind; dealing with Chu Yunyi alone was already difficult, and with Lin Caier added, it was indeed worrying. As Ye Qingting mentioned, the immediate priority is resolving Jiang Yuesheng and An Qing promptly to provide assistance.

Though reluctant, Cui Tianxiao still prioritized the bigger picture and nodded in agreement.

Qi Ming positioned ample Energy Stones at each Array Flag and asked Ye Qingting and Cui Tianxiao: "Are you ready?"

"Ready."

Qi Ming gently waved the Main Array Flag, and the scenery before the two instantly transformed, surrounded by lush greenery. Under Qi Ming’s control, the plants before Ye Qingting and Cui Tianxiao seemed to grow legs, clearing the way ahead. The pair followed the path forward, soon discovering their opponents.

——————

Though formidable, every talisman array has its coverage limit. An Qing closed his eyes and relied on spiritual sensing to move straight in one direction. He felt he must have run at least two kilometers, yet upon opening his eyes again, he found himself merely ten meters away from where he initially marked.

An Qing was both furious and resentful, angry for not heeding Chu Yunyi’s advice to leave earlier and resentful towards Team Unyielding for trapping them using deceit. Unfortunately, there’s no medicine for regret, so An Qing could only vent by madly hacking at trees and plants.

As he swung his greatsword at an oil palm, the towering tree suddenly vanished, revealing a small path ahead. At the end of the path stood Cui Tianxiao, with a mocking smile on his face, looking at him.

An Qing’s eyes turned red with anger, bellowing: "Cui, what trick did you use to trap me?"

This wasn’t a regular Trapping Array, and An Qing couldn’t fathom what talisman array could cause someone to lose direction like being trapped in a maze.

Cui Tianxiao snorted: "No harm in telling you, right now you’re in Qi Ming’s Enchanted Maze. The Array Flags are antiques from the Immortal Separation period, vastly more powerful than replicas sold on the market today. Unless you understand the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, don’t harbor futile thoughts of stumbling your way out."

"Since our first meeting, you aristocratic types have probably looked down on Qi Ming. Humph, as a descendant of Qi Lang, he’s no ordinary talent. Even Chu God shows respect to Xiao Ming. Underestimating him is digging your own grave; isn’t this proof enough?"

"Oh, let me tell you some good news: not all of Team Tianyi was routed; Chu God fled with the ugly one when the Great Array activated."

Seeing An Qing’s eyes light up, Cui Tianxiao raised his brows and extinguished the flames of hope:

"Tut, don’t expect Chu God to rescue you, alright? You’re being naïve. Rescuing someone first requires subduing the array maker, and Xiao Ming is within the array. Once in, even someone as strong as Chu God, is under Xiao Ming’s control, not in a much better predicament than yours. Chu God is clever; he knows the importance between aiding you and the competition."