Chapter 164 - 163: In the Forest

"Bang bang boom! Bang bang boom!"

The forest roared with thunderous noises, the sword light flickered.

Zai Shu Sou, wearing an ochre robe, sat by the side of the flying boat, looked towards the forest from the newly planted tree canopy, and smiled.

"How about it, look at that, this kid isn’t doing too bad. Breaking my array is one thing, but singing and keeping rhythm too. Crazy crazy..."

A man in a black robe, black clothes, and a mask, with black... pupils, wiped the blood off his soft sword and coldly glanced at the refining in the forest, frowning.

"From the Sword Sect?"

"What else could it be, look how the sword light flashes. Hmm... but last time I went to Cloud Platform Peak, I didn’t see anyone this skilled, could it be from the outer mountain..."

"No matter, they all must die."

The man in black flicked his wrist, and the deck was littered with dead bodies, each receiving a palm strike to the face, except for two in the Nascent Soul Realm. Their faces were smashed into their skulls, and all other heads exploded instantly, spilling brain matter, leaving no survivors.

Zai Shu Sou glanced at him,

"What’s up with you, did you take gunpowder?"

"Hmph, fellow Daoist, don’t be so nagging!

Whether he is from the Sword Sect or the Demon Sect, from Honzan or the outer mountain,

he does not concern our plan in the slightest, and is instead an unexpected variable.

It’s still best to act according to plan.

If you don’t wish to get entangled with the Sword Sect’s karma, then I’ll take action."

As he spoke, he skinned Xiao Bing and Immortal Guan barehanded, preparing the skins for the old man.

However, Zai Shu Sou looked at him doubtfully, pinching his fingers to calculate,

"That can’t be right, I think to cross this tribulation, that kid could actually be a support. Why don’t you calculate before you decide to kill? Do you have a grudge against him?"

The man in black snorted coldly,

"Hmph! We calculated everything beforehand, and we’ve done things to this extent. Who exactly is causing complications and changing halfway through? Tell me who’s the problem!"

Zai Shu Sou chuckled, casually tossing a seed into Xiao Bing’s skin sack.

"No, no. Calculations must be adaptable to circumstances, changing with time and people, for favorable outcomes to emerge.

As long as it increases my odds of achieving the Dao, nothing is out of bounds.

Moreover, having more friends means more paths. Why be stubborn with friends?"

The seed absorbed blood and flesh, sprouting instantly into a wooden figure, picked up the sliced blood and flesh like a piece of clothing, wrapped it around itself, and ’Xiao Bing’ with violet glowing eyes ’came to life,’ bowing to stand behind the old man.

"Hmph, I think you’re the stubborn one! For Divinity Transformation, you’re really obsessed!

Fine, the decision is yours, I won’t persuade you anymore, do as you wish! Don’t blame me if it goes wrong!"

The man in black grumbled, donned Immortal Guan’s skin, pinched a formula and chanted a spell. His eyes flickered, and the skin spread out, completing the transformation.

Zai Shu Sou’s eyes rolled, thinking it over, then smiled,

"Haha, friend, don’t be angry. I was just testing, thinking he was your planted person.

In that case, let’s proceed with the original plan.

We’ll leave the kid here. With my array, we can trap him for seven days. That’s enough time for us to accomplish our tasks."

’Immortal Guan’ did not say much, gesturing courteously.

Zai Shu Sou chuckled, turning and flashing behind ’Xiao Bing’ like a shadow sticking to his back. With one flick of the hand from both of them, they firmly controlled the flying boat, numerous vines extending from the deck to envelop and consume the blood and flesh, pulling the remains into the ship keel.

Then the flying boat, loaded with gold and silver, sailed into the forest. Trees on both sides retreated to create a path, swiftly reaching the core of the array before Tie Dan, advancing towards the thorn-wrapped flying boat of Xiao Baoqin.

’Xiao Bing’ cleared his throat and jumped down from the forest,

"Miss! This old servant is here to save you!"

"Uncle Bing!"

Xiao Baoqin immediately pushed open the cabin, came out seeing the two and exclaimed joyfully,

"You’ve come! Did Father send the army to rescue me? Great, we’re saved!"

Shi Gui asked anxiously,

"Why is it an old man? Where’s that Liu? Is he dead?"

’Xiao Bing’ released palm winds, breaking surrounding trees and thorns to create a path,

"Miss! Quickly! Young Master Liu can only hold off that Demon Head for a while! Come with me out of the array!"

"Okay, okay, let’s go quickly..."

"Hold on!"

Xing Yuanzhi suddenly flipped, leaping out from behind everyone, swiftly blocking the cabin door. She pulled Xiao Baoqin to her side with her left hand, pinching a small gold medal mudra, raising the candlestick for protection with firelight,

"This great array is not yet broken. How can my senior brother alone restrain that expert? How did you get into this array!"

’Xiao Bing’ glanced at her, not rushing to confront but instead turned, tear through the vines on the deck pretending to open the road, casually explaining,

"I do not know, only seeing Young Master Liu prepare twelve golden flags in advance with rune talismans, directing men to shake them in all directions, leading a charge from the southwest. Then the flags shone brightly with golden light, lighting up the forest, causing the trees to fall upon touching the light, cleaving a path.

Then we took advantage to rush in and rescue, while he advanced to the center of the array to duel with the Demon Head."

"Eh? Such an entry method... could it be Hutong Mountain’s Immortal Crane Flying Array..."

Xing Yuanzhi paused, her eyebrows furrowed slightly,

"But now you’ve entered the array. How did you break that crane..."

’Xiao Bing’ suddenly turned his head madly, glaring at her.

Xing Yuanzhi immediately realized, turning pale, but fortunately, being astute, she quickly acted, putting away the candlestick, blowing out the lamp fiercely, and propped up a forced smile, taking Xiao Baoqin’s hand, pulling her out,

"Oh, I see! Sister Baoqin! Our senior brother probably can’t hold much longer. We better not stay here and hinder. No time to delay! Let’s go quickly!"

"Okay, okay..."

Xiao Baoqin, waiting seven days, was panicked, eager to escape immediately.

Only Shi Gui was still making a fuss,

"Didn’t he tell us to wait for him to come back! Hey, are we really leaving Liu behind!"

But her shouting was to no avail, as she was propped by two maids. The group boarded the flying boat, broke the array, and left swiftly.

Meanwhile, Tie Dan was still confined within the array, under trial.

Though he understood the grind makes a sharp treasure sword, being trapped with Lord Xiao was unbearable.

To break the array and cross the tribulation, Tie Dan had to learn music theory, although Lord Xiao was strictly unforgiving. Since, after all, it was a flute, one wrong note or beat demanded a restart.

Even if Tie Dan wasn’t lacking in comprehension and talent, being multitasked with learning music theory and singing left him breathless, making several mistakes. He got chastised as an idiot, useless, and wooden-headed, enough to depress an average person.

Yet Tie Dan was stubborn by nature. The more others doubted him, the more he resolved to prove them wrong. Moreover, he was used to getting whipped for failures since childhood, so verbal reproach meant nothing. Realizing the depth of music theory’s wonders, he put aside his scorn and delved earnestly into understanding music, arrays, and swordsmanship.

Gradually, his grasp on music theory sharpened, syncing his singing with rhythms and even uncovering the Five Sounds and Twelve Tones, integrating it with the array’s sword practice, forming a ’Perfect Fifth Sword Technique’!

Previously, the array in the forest, which transformed naturally, drove Tie Dan in frenzy, but the Wooden Dragon Vine Python’s twig spears and leaf rain couldn’t hurt him!

Thus, as Tie Dan danced with his sword and employed the ’Perfect Fifth Sword Technique,’ he maneuvered freely in the thorny forest, not only deftly evading pine needle arrows’ assault but also finding nodes where the array’s True Qi gathered to strike, each ’third tone’ was pierced, breaking sound, breaking Qi, breaking magic! Neutralizing danger unseen!

Though he hadn’t broken the array, it could no longer confine him!

Lord Xiao nodded approvingly,

"Good, good! You’ve started to grasp the essence! Are you ready for the little test now?"

"...Is there still a little test?"

There is.

"Screech——!"

A crane’s cry echoed through the clouds!

Tie Dan looked up, witnessing the forest shift to reveal a terrain covered with reborn brambles and bushes. A giant wooden crane was perched, standing on one leg, sharpened within the array. The crane, seemingly newly carved, was inscribed with rune talismans across its body, with grey iron feathers, a red top, gleaming purple eyes, collecting True Breath throughout.

It seemed to be the spirit guarding the array eye, hard to tell what magic treasure it was... Probably just a decoration?

Alright! Break this crane! The array will be undone!

Tie Dan pressed on his treasure sword, preparing to execute a ’White Tiger Leaping Over the Stream’ to attack.

Then he heard Lord Xiao say,

"Alright, now use the skills I just taught you and find a way to survive."

Tie Dan, "?"

"Screech——!"

The wooden crane then let out a sharp cry! Suddenly, it took flight, flapping its wings to launch a barrage of dazzling light! The glinting cold light interwove into an array, raining down ferociously on Tie Dan!

Luckily, Tie Dan calculated the Lin Zhonglu within, preparing beforehand, and dodged at the onset! Avoiding that spectacle, he focused his gaze!

The array of dazzling lights flickered like wind, cutting down rows of brambles and giant trees, the bright light dimmed, revealing its original form, a series of flying swords forged into crane feathers!

Damn! This crane was actually a Sword Box!!

This was actually a sword array!