Chapter 39 (Part 3)

“Master Xu, how is it?” Xu Tianwang had placed great hopes on his own family’s array master.

However, once the other party finished regulating his breathing, he directly shook his head and sighed. “I am untalented. I cannot find the root of the cracks within the array. This Heavenly Chasm protective array, even if it is only in half-open mode, is at least a fifth-level array. I am merely a third-level array master. I truly have no ability to deal with it.”

“What about the Song family’s person? Since it is a fifth-level array, there is no need to solve it. We can only force our way through the Life Gate,” said the head of a minor clan attached to the Xu family.

But Song Dongyou’s gaze was distant as she looked at the figure gradually vanishing into the array and revealed a smile. “The Xu family being unable to do it does not mean my Song family is unable as well.”

“What does Family Head Song mean by that?”

“My Song family boy has gone in, hasn’t he?”

Everyone looked toward the protective array. Song Yuanruo, who had originally still been walking outside, had now disappeared into the array. Aside from occasionally appearing in flashes because of his shifting position, one could almost say his entire person had entered the array.

The Xu family’s array master had already explained earlier that the Heavenly Chasm protective array’s lowest level was fifth-level. That boy from the Song family had actually ignored the suppression of level and walked in so easily?

Or had the Song family been hiding their strength, and he was not a fourth-level array master at all, but a fifth-level one?

For a time, the expressions of the various family heads were obscure, each of them harboring their own thoughts.

Song Dongyou only smiled without speaking and did not want to explain at all.

Song Yuanruo knew nothing about those matters outside. Following the array experience he had accumulated over the years, and combining it with the elite-style education given by his master, Lord Baiyan, he very quickly explored and formed his own set of learning principles.

He possessed an extremely high degree of talent. His ability to learn and comprehend was beyond ordinary people. After understanding the formation mechanism of high-level arrays, he began massive calculations in his mind.

If one truly had to describe it concretely, the volume of calculations in Song Yuanruo’s mind at this moment was like four computers working at the same time, while his left and right brains wrote different codes, distinguishing and optimizing them.

This was an immense test of array fundamentals. Fortunately, Song Yuanruo had never become arrogant and complacent because of his high talent. His foundation had been laid more solidly than anyone’s.

There were many young geniuses in the Canglan Realm, but differences still existed between geniuses. Song Yuanruo was the kind of person who was clearly already very outstanding, yet still worked desperately hard.

And talent plus diligence was not as simple as one plus one being greater than two. The effect could often reach several times, even tenfold!

Everyone kept watch outside the Heavenly Chasm. At noon on the tenth day, they suddenly saw a flash of golden light from the protective array. After that, the Life Gate opened, and the root of the cracks that had originally been concealed was directly exposed before everyone’s eyes.

“I can only hold this for the time of one incense stick. Think of a way to enter as quickly as possible and drag out the demon.” Song Yuanruo’s voice came from within the array, slightly weak.

Song Dongyou and Xu Tianwang glanced at each other. At this moment, the two had great tacit understanding. Together, they stepped forward and entered the Life Gate.

As the family heads of Jin City’s two great clans, they were duty-bound to take on this heavy responsibility!

Very soon, a streak of black demonic qi fled out from the crack in the Life Gate, landed on the ground, transformed into the appearance of a human cultivator, and hid itself away.

Song Dongyou directly drew her blade and cleaved forward. “Demon, where do you think you’re running! Beneath this old lady’s demon-slaying blade, show yourself at once!”

Before everyone could react, that demon once again turned into a mass of demonic qi and fled toward the outside of the Heavenly Chasm.

Song Dongyou directly raised her blade and chased after it. As she chased, she shouted, “Everyone, keep up quickly! We’ll force the demon outside Jin City, then wipe it out in one strike!”

“Good! Follow Family Head Song.”

“Fight the demon to the death!”

The others responded one after another and followed Song Dongyou’s footsteps. For a time, there was actually a sense that the Song family was taking the lead.

Xu Tianwang gritted his teeth angrily. “That woman Song Dongyou. I was clearly the one who found that demon first, yet she’s stealing my Xu family’s spotlight.” He immediately chased closely after as well.

After Song Yuanruo completed his task, he withdrew from the Heavenly Chasm protective array and followed a Song family elder back so that he could regulate his breathing and recover. Song Yuanxi protected his younger brother, standing guard outside the small courtyard himself and allowing no one to disturb him.

However, things went against his wishes. By the morning of the second day, Song Miao hurried over and informed Song Yuanxi that the family’s protective array had been activated.

Families with a decent foundation generally had protective arrays set up, repaired every year, and supplied with sufficient spirit stones so they could protect the family at critical moments, prevent disastrous losses among the young juniors of the clan, and at the same time protect the place where the family’s foundation lay.

The moment Song Yuanxi heard that the protective array had been activated, his expression immediately grew tense. “What’s going on? Why was the protective array suddenly activated?”

“News came from the Xu family that cracks appeared in the Heavenly Chasm’s protective array again. A demon escaped and is now wreaking havoc inside Jin City, heading toward the area where the Xu and Song families are located.”

Song Miao’s expression was ugly, but he had no choice but to state the truth. “The family head led the various elders out of the city to meet the demon in battle. That demon is said to have a late Golden Core cultivation, so I imagine they cannot pull away to provide support. Just in case, the remaining elders in the clan have already discussed and decided to activate the protective array immediately. I came specifically to inform you that after the grand array is activated, you absolutely must not take even half a step out of the family.”

Song Miao still had to notify other places. Once he finished speaking, he turned and left.

Although Song Yuanxi was flustered, he still had confidence in the Song family’s protective array. The strongest demon had already been forced outside the city by the various family heads. As for the one left over, it probably was nothing to fear?

But imagination was beautiful, and reality was cruel.

The Song family’s protective array only lasted half a day before the light covering it became dim. This was a natural warning, indicating that the array’s defensive strength was insufficient and that there might be a risk of the array being broken.

The Song family elder immediately had people increase the amount of spirit stones being added and personally went to the small courtyard to find Song Yuanruo.

The Song family array masters’ attainments were not enough. Now, every one of them could at most barely maintain the protective array. But without someone proficient in arrays to reinforce it, the array being broken was only a matter of time. At this moment, only Song Yuanruo’s action would work!

“Yuanruo is still regulating his breathing. Elder, could you wait a little longer?” Song Yuanxi knew the situation was urgent, but rashly interrupting his younger brother’s cultivation was also a dangerous move.

However, the Song family elder was so anxious he could hardly bear it. “I fear there isn’t enough time.”

“Elder, I have finished regulating my breathing. I will go with you now to inspect the protective array.” The door opened, and Song Yuanruo walked out with a calm expression.

Song Yuanxi hurried forward, tugged at the other party’s sleeve, and asked quietly, “Younger Brother, are you really fine? Don’t force yourself. Otherwise, if you suffer internal injuries, it will damage your foundation.”

Warmth filled Song Yuanruo’s heart. He nodded and said, “I am fine. When I investigated the Heavenly Chasm earlier, I was only temporarily unwell and was not injured. After regulating my breathing for a day and a night, I am already much better.”

Only then did Song Yuanxi relax and let go, then followed the two of them there.

The central hub of the Song family’s protective array was set in the family head’s main courtyard. With an elder leading them, the Song Yuanxi brothers encountered no obstruction. Once the elder brought them there, he quietly stepped aside and handed the main stage to this young but highly accomplished array master before him.

After inspecting it, Song Yuanruo promptly repaired the damaged areas of the array and continuously reinforced it in order to bring the array’s defensive ability to its maximum.

“It should be able to hold for now.”

Song Yuanruo had only just finished speaking when the entire array suddenly trembled. The defensive barrier rippled outward like water patterns, and the array that had originally been repaired once again showed cracks.

This scene made the Song family elder’s heart jump in fright. “What is going on?”

Song Yuanruo did not understand either. “That makes no sense. The defensive mechanism I reinforced is enough to withstand a full-power attack from a cultivator below Golden Core. It should be impossible…”

“That demon is at Golden Core cultivation!” Song Yuanxi could not help crying out in shock. “Wasn’t there only one demon with late Golden Core cultivation? Why is there another Golden Core demon? Most of Jin City’s Golden Core cultivators have all gone out of the city to fight!”

Jin City was merely a remote little city. Mid Golden Core cultivation was already the strongest level there, and both Song Dongyou and Xu Tianwang were at that level. As for the other family heads, some were early Golden Core, while some were in an even worse state, merely at the realm of complete Foundation Establishment.

Even so, most of the high-cultivation cultivators had moved out to surround and kill the late Golden Core demon together. Only ten or twenty percent of Jin City’s strength remained inside the city.

“Song Yuanruo, if you reinforce and repair the array, how long can you ensure the protective array holds?” the Song family elder suddenly asked.

Song Yuanruo gave an approximate value. “Half a day at most. I am only at Foundation Establishment cultivation and cannot bring out the array’s maximum defensive power.”

Sometimes, in the face of absolute strength, talent and ability left one feeling this powerless!

“Half a day is fine too. It’s enough time for the juniors to escape. I’ll go out and lure that demon away now. Song Yuanruo, immediately join with Song Miao and the others, take the younger generation of the Song family, and flee quickly through the secret passage.” The Song family elder looked ready to rush out.

Song Yuanruo, however, grabbed him. “Elder, I will go lure away that demon. You go quickly to the Xu family and send a message. Once I lure the demon out of Jin City, immediately activate the city-protecting grand array.”

“No, you…”

“I have a Ten-Thousand-Li Teleportation Talisman. My life is in no danger.” Song Yuanruo revealed his trump card.

The Song family elder hesitated. He knew this was the optimal choice. If the demon remained in the city, it would only cause greater disaster. By having Song Yuanruo lure the demon away and then activating the city-protecting grand array, they could preserve the safety of the entire city.

After all, there were still many ordinary common people in the city who had not had time to evacuate.

After the two discussed it, Song Yuanruo reinforced the array once more. Then they waited for the right opportunity to leave the array and lure the demon away.

Song Yuanxi looked at the sky above the Song family. That demon covered the sun like dark clouds, constantly eroding and damaging the Defensive Array. With each collision, the Defensive Array’s light flickered bright and dim. Just watching it made one’s heart clench.

Even an outsider to arrays like him understood that the family’s protective array would not hold for long. Luring away the demon was the best plan.

But why did that person have to be Song Yuanruo?

Was it because Song Yuanruo was the male lead that he naturally had to shoulder such great responsibility and bear so many dangers?

“But he’s also my younger brother…”

Song Yuanxi had ten thousand fears in his heart. He feared Song Yuanruo would suffer serious injuries, and even more feared that if Song Yuanruo was careless, he would be done for.

“Yuanruo, do you really have to go?” Song Yuanxi wanted to say that it was not as though the Song family had no one with a higher cultivation than his. No matter how they took turns, it should not be his turn.

But Song Yuanruo shook his head. “Their cultivation may indeed be higher than mine, but they may not necessarily be able to preserve their lives. I have the Ten-Thousand-Li Teleportation Talisman Mother gave me, and the thought incantation Master left inside my body. In short, I will not die.”

Knowing that Song Yuanruo had protection given by Lord Baiyan, Song Yuanxi finally felt much more at ease. After all, he was a mighty Soul Transformation cultivator. How could a mere Golden Core demon dare act arrogant before that!

“Then you still have to take care of yourself. Be careful, then be even more careful. You must pay attention to your safety.” Song Yuanxi still could not stop worrying.

Song Yuanruo, however, reminded him in return, “I added another reinforcement to this protective array. Using my blood as the guide, I set up a Heart-Linking Array. As long as I do not die, the array will not break. Elder Brother, promise me you will stay inside and absolutely not walk out.”

The prerequisite for him leaving calmly was that his elder brother’s life would be safe.

Song Yuanxi was moved beyond words in an instant. What kind of heavenly good younger brother was this? Even at a time like this, he was still thinking of him this way!

“Yuanruo, I will definitely protect myself. Don’t worry about me. Your elder brother may not be good at fighting, but I’m first-rate at preserving my life. When it comes to cherishing my life, no one can compare to me.”

Only then did Song Yuanruo feel reassured. Half an hour later, while the array’s defenses were shifting, he left together with the Song family elder. One headed east and the other west, flying in two different directions.

Song Yuanruo’s primary task was to lure the demon away, while the Song family elder took the opportunity to hurry to the Xu family.

All the Song family children remained inside the family grounds, yet they constantly paid attention to the sky above their heads. Only when they watched the dark clouds gradually disperse and saw the clear blue sky once more did the unease and fear pressing on their hearts gradually fade away.

“The Heavenly Chasm cracks have all been repaired. Jin City’s city-protecting grand array has been activated. The city is safe, and the Song family is temporarily free from danger.” The Song family elder returned, bringing back exciting good news.

“Wonderful! We’re all safe!”

“Great! The Song family has been preserved.”

“Jin City’s city-protecting grand array has been activated, and the city is safe. None of us need to be afraid anymore.”

“Now we only need to wait for the family head to return in great victory!”

“Return in great victory! Return in great victory!”

After experiencing a day and a night of this, the Song family children saw the elder return again, and all of them wept with joy. Although they had never directly faced the demons, that terrifying and oppressive aura still allowed them to sense a little of it and understand just how frightening creatures like demons were.

Everyone was celebrating. Everyone was imagining the future, only waiting for the family heads of the various major clans outside the city to return so all of Jin City could celebrate grandly.

No one knew that at this moment, an even more powerful demon had crawled out from a crack in the Heavenly Chasm and was slowly making its way into Jin City.

And the direction it was heading was, shockingly, the Song family of Jin City…

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