The very next moment, Lin Changâsheng dove headfirst into the fiery lava.
But instead of being scorched by waves of heat, he was met by a surprising coolness.
When Lin Changâsheng appeared again, he had already left the grand array and found himself in a foggy forest wreathed in smoke.
...
At that same time, inside a rock cave beside the Spiritual Spring Sacred Land, two elders were playing a game of chess.
One wore a crimson robe, his whole body radiating a blazing aura so intense that the air itself seemed to ripple and distort.
The other, tall and imposing despite his age, was clad in a Qilin Armor battle suit that made him look nothing short of formidable.
These two were the previous Demon Emperors, now retired and secluded in the tranquility of the Spiritual Spring.
Both hoping that, one day, they could break through to an even higher realm.
If they failed, this was the place they would lay their bones to rest.
"Hm? That human kid actually broke through the array?"
The crimson-robed elderâs face showed genuine surprise.
Heâd thought for sure Lin Changâsheng would die trapped in the first grand arrayâwho couldâve guessed heâd make it out alive?
"Looks like the kidâs got real talent! But just because he cleared the first grand array, doesnât mean heâll get through the second!"
The burly elder in Qilin Armor remained unfazed, speaking calmly as he made his move on the board.
After all, very few had ever passed the second grand array.
"Iâm not so sure. This kid might not be so simple!"
The crimson-robed elder sounded confident, as if he was starting to see Lin Changâsheng in a new light.
After all, Lin Changâsheng looked quite young, yet had already broken through to the Divinity Transformation Realmâa mark of extraordinary talent.
Maybe heâd even surpass those Human Race prodigies of oldâLing Wuji and Jiang Yukun.
Those two also once came here to obtain the Spiritual Spring Holy Water, but neither passed the final trial; fate wasnât on their side.
Now they wondered if this kid could bring them some surprises.
"Is that so? You old fox, you seem pretty confident in this boy. How about making a wager?"
The Black-armored Elder spoke slowly, as calm and composed as ever.
"What do you want to bet?"
The crimson-robed elder asked.
"If he makes it through the second grand array, how about giving me a jug of that good wine youâve hoarded for years?"
The Black-armored man grinned as he suggested it.
They werenât likely to ever step foot on Human Race territory again, so every jug of wine meant one less for them to enjoy.
And heâd been eyeing that fine wine of the crimson-robed elder for ages now.
"And if he actually cracks the second array?"
The crimson-robed elder shot back.
"If he does, whatever you sayâI wonât argue!"
The Black-armored elder sounded dead certain Lin Changâsheng had no shot at clearing the second grand array.
"Then if he gets through, handing me that black scale armor of yours isnât too much, right?"
The crimson-robed elder eyed the Black-armored elderâs battle suit and smirked.
That armor was a real treasure, with defensive power off the charts.
"Deal! Better start getting your good wine ready!"
The Black-armored elder hesitated only a moment before agreeing with a hearty laugh.
They were both nearing the end of their daysâthese treasures barely mattered to them anymore.
....
Inside the second grand array, Lin Changâsheng had no idea that his every move was being watched by those two elders.
Just as he arrived in the Mist Forest, he hurried toward the lake ahead.
But no matter how fast Lin Changâsheng ran, he found himself mysteriously back where he started, over and over again.
"Is this... another grand array?"
Lin Changâsheng muttered, curiosity piqued, and promptly unleashed his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings.
Yet where normally he could probe for thousands of miles, his Divine Sense now only stretched around two li before being blocked, unable to go farther.
So it seemed Lin Changâshengâs guess was rightâthis place was another array.
"An array within an array? Remarkable! Whoever set this up is a master!"
Lin Changâsheng couldnât help but marvelâheâd thought heâd found the Life Sect, but instead had stumbled into yet another grand array.
[Detected Four Symbols Gods Array. Spend 8,000 Spirit Stones to simplify it?]
Lin Changâsheng brought up his system panel, and a prompt instantly popped up.
"Simplify!"
Lin Changâsheng chose to simplify without hesitation.
[Great Dao is Simple: Simplifying Four Symbols Gods Array... Simplifying... Simplification complete. Four Symbols Gods Array == Trample the Four Symbols!]
"Trample the Four Symbols?"
The Four Symbols represent the Cyan Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger.
"So if I carve the Four Symbols on the ground and just keep stomping on them, that should do it, right?"
Lin Changâsheng muttered to himself, then immediately started carving images of the Four Symbols Divine Beasts into the earth.
Once the carvings were done, he began stomping on them repeatedly.
Four Symbols Gods Array Experience Points +1!
Four Symbols Gods Array Experience Points +1!
...
As Lin Changâsheng kept stomping, his Four Symbols Gods Array experience points kept climbing higher and higher.
Devouring God Celestial Demon Skill Experience Points +1!
Devouring God Celestial Demon Skill Experience Points +1!
....
At the same time, his Devouring God Celestial Demon Skill experience points skyrocketed as well.
Because as long as Lin Changâsheng exerted force, this techniqueâs experience just kept rising.
While his body repeated the Immortal Technique, his Divine Sense was sweeping the grand array for clues.
If they thought this array could trap him, they couldnât be more wrong.
After an hour, Lin Changâsheng was still grinding skill proficiency through his repeated stomping.
But the two elders outside the array were utterly baffledâwhat in the world was Lin Changâsheng doing?
Was this kid losing his mind? Heâd been stomping in place for over an hour!
"You old fox, you lose! Looks to me like this kidâs already gone mad from the grand array. Break the array? Heâs dreaming! I wonât be holding back on your wine!"
The Black-armored elder, seeing Lin Changâshengâs bizarre antics, figured the kid had been driven mad by the array. Thatâs the only explanation for his actions.