Chapter 170 The array uses the primordial soul of a Mahayana cultivator as its core.
Electric pythons danced wildly, and the wind howled furiously. The world seemed to be submerged in a blinding white light and violent thunder, and even the mountains trembled.
Thunderstorms tore through the clouds, and bolts of lightning, like giant silver claws, roared and howled as they viciously clawed at the golden light barrier enveloped by talismans.
Jiang Xiaoyi glanced at the sky, then formed a hand seal. A complex array with intricate patterns spread out in the air, and scorching light emanated from the array, striking the lightning strike.
A look of realization flashed in her eyes as she said, "You got into this state because of this?" She scoffed, "Are you crazy?"
Above the heavens, seemingly enraged by Jiang Xiaoyi's counterattack, the heavenly thunder became even more violent, its deafening roar threatening to shatter the entire sky. Lightning and thunder clashed, creating a deafening roar. Jiang Xiaoyi uttered a single word, and a thunderbolt crashed down with immense force. Had it not been for the Vajra Formation he had cast, the heavenly thunder would have struck long ago.
The allied cultivators stared at her intently.
Although speaking against one's conscience won't bring divine retribution, the flashes of incandescent lightning reflected off Jiang Xiaoyi's face, making the allied cultivators increasingly suspicious.
She was completely unconcerned about the power of heavenly lightning, and had even lost patience, so she deliberately provoked the heavenly lightning to unleash its full power.
Shen Ting glanced at Zhu Shengli and He Xiu, who remained silent.
This tactic, once employed, deterred even those with doubts from questioning it.
Shen Ting snorted coldly, "Two cowards!"
She leaned on her cane and said, “Venerable Jiang, there are many conflicting accounts of what happened back then. You said you did not kill Yao Jingyao, that is, Jingyao Yao of your Dingsheng Sect, but your actions were recorded by the projection stone. This is clearly a different matter from what you said.”
Jiang Xiaoyi looked over, slightly surprised: "Jingyao? Huh? You guys knew about it?"
Then, as if realizing something, she turned her gaze to Ziyan: "So that's how the Hehuan Sect is."
Zi Yan's eyes narrowed. She knew that Jiang Xiaoyi knew Jing Yao's true identity!
“You know, you know her identity,” Liu Zhiqing murmured. “That’s right, she trusts you so much, if she had a secret, how could you not know?”
He shook his head slightly, his cloudy eyes, numbed by years of alcohol, fixed on Jiang Xiaoyi, his low, hoarse voice revealing a hint of pleading, "Xiaoyi, tell me, you didn't kill Yaoyao."
"Junior brother!" Qi Qingling stepped forward to support him, "How many times have I told you! Why do you still doubt Xiao Yi!"
"I can't help but doubt, how could I not doubt, if it really is you..." Liu Zhiqing shook his head in a daze, looking at Jiang Xiaoyi and said in a hoarse voice, "Yaoyao has never been the same to me. You know that, don't you? You are my most trusted friend!"
Xiao Yi was his best friend, and Yao Yao was his beloved. Nanmen Hong had said that Yao Yao died because of Xiao Yi, and that his beloved was killed by his best friend, so he should hate him. But the one who did it was Xiao Yi. If it were anyone else, he would have avenged Yao Yao long ago, but how could he believe it if it was Xiao Yi? He couldn't believe it.
Just because Xiao Yi is his best friend, can he turn a blind eye to what she has done? His hesitation and his uncertainty are all betrayals of Yao Yao.
Choosing to believe one's best friend means betraying Yao Yao; choosing to avenge Yao Yao means hurting one's best friend.
He couldn't make a decision.
For three hundred years, the scene of Xiao Yi pushing Yao Yao away has been constantly on his mind, day and night, and he has been tormented by it every moment.
He couldn't bring himself to hate Xiao Yi for Yao Yao's sake, and he couldn't bring himself to ignore Yao Yao's death for Xiao Yi's sake either!
Liu Zhiqing realized all too well that he was nothing but a coward. He was incapable of making a choice.
If he hadn't relied on alcohol to suppress and numb his consciousness so he could catch his breath, he would have long since gone mad.
Liu Zhiqing grabbed his head, slowly squatted down, and said painfully, "Xiao Yi, three hundred years have passed. The more I want to get the answer, the more afraid I am of getting the answer. Do you understand how I feel?"
"You, this..." Jiang Xiaoyi hesitated, about to speak.
Boom! The earth shook and the thunder was deafening. The lightning that was about to fall in turn was concentrated into one strike, and the thunderstorm with a diameter of more than five miles crashed down and slammed into the golden wall.
The talisman instantly turned into dust, which fell to the ground. The golden walls shimmered continuously, and then with a crackling sound, the Vajra Formation cast by Jiang Xiaoyi shattered and dissipated.
The weakened and greatly altered lightning bolt, eager to seize the opportunity, aimed to strike the person directly within.
However, the lightning had only penetrated half a foot when it was blocked by a Vajra Formation.
With a crackling sound, the formation shattered, but the lightning was immediately blocked by the Vajra Formation layered below.
The sound of the formation shattering kept coming, seemingly without end.
Ji Mingran tossed the last pill into his mouth, choked, and felt the spiritual sense that instantly covered a hundred miles, as well as the boundless sea of consciousness.
If she can use the power of the transformation array for her own benefit, why can't she use the power of the inheritance for her own benefit?
The power that constantly threatens her inheritance is immense, enough to open a gap in the Transcendent Array, just like what Boss Jiang did in the treasure cave back then.
Next, since we can borrow it, why not try to transform it into a part of the spiritual power in our sea of consciousness?
As soon as Ji Mingran had this idea, he was about to take action.
She successfully initiated the campaign and successfully transformed it.
The inherited power contained in her sea of consciousness completely merged with the spiritual power of her sea of consciousness, becoming one with her. She could freely transform it into her own power and was no longer bound by any constraints.
The boundless sea of consciousness was filled in an instant, and the tribulation lightning also arrived.
Ji Mingran landed happily and said to Jiang Xiaoyi, "Boss Jiang, I have successfully advanced! Just as you said, since coming to the spiritual cultivation world, my cultivation has indeed improved, and I am now at the Nascent Soul stage."
Her disciple had already reached the Nascent Soul stage at such a young age. Jiang Xiaoyi, whose cultivation records had been broken time and time again by her disciple, forced an awkward smile: "I told you so, didn't I? I'm still the most powerful."
Ji Mingran excitedly opened the empty bag and gestured, "Boss, that's all!"
Jiang Xiaoyi's eyes darted around, and she muttered, "If it's gone, it's gone."
"After your formation shattered, you didn't repair it for me. I had to stack so many formations to avoid being struck by heavenly lightning." Ji Mingran demanded matter-of-factly, "I need to replenish my lost spiritual energy. Do you still have any pills?"
The first thick Vajra Formation broken by the heavenly lightning was set up by Jiang Xiaoyi, and the subsequent numerous brittle Vajra Formations were set up by Ji Mingran. Due to the limitations of her cultivation, the solidity of her Vajra Formation was not as good as Jiang Xiaoyi's. Since it was not durable enough, she made up for it with quantity, which naturally resulted in a huge consumption of spiritual energy.
However, even after absorbing all the inherited power, the spiritual energy within her sea of consciousness was still abundant; she wasn't truly lacking in spiritual energy. It was just that the pills Boss Jiang had given her were clearly treasures, and she wanted to take as many as possible, even just a little bit.
"He should at least try to withstand the heavenly lightning himself, otherwise how can he possibly overcome the tribulation?" Jiang Xiaoyi had every reason to abandon the Vajra Formation after it was damaged.
She had long sensed the multi-layered array used by Ji Mingran. In fact, it could be said that Ji Mingran had calculated precisely how many layers of arrays were needed to perfectly counteract the final heavenly lightning. One less layer wouldn't be enough, one more would be more than enough. Ji Mingran's perception of the power of the heavenly lightning and the corresponding calculation of the required spiritual energy were perfectly controlled, without wasting a single drop.
Her apprentice, Ji Mingran, could easily handle the remaining heavenly lightning.
Jiang Xiaoyi's lips curved into a smile, but remembering what Ji Mingran had asked her for, her smile quickly vanished, and she spread her hands: "No! No! Not a single one! Jing Yao isn't here now, and only she can refine such pills."
"However, if Nanmen Hong were more capable, perhaps he could also refine it?" As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoyi looked around as if searching for someone. "Where is Nanmen Hong?"
His gaze fell on a clump of trees not far away. "Hey, what's wrong with you?"
The wind formed by the spiritual energy flow swept through the green leaves, shifting the tree trunk and branches that were binding Nanmen Hong. The array beneath Nanmen Hong appeared, and he and the tree were teleported to Jiang Xiaoyi's side.
At the same time, Jiang Xiaoyi spun around and flew up to the top of the upright coffin. With a light touch of her toes, the coffin tilted slightly. Jiang Xiaoyi looked down at Nanmen Hong and asked, "Why aren't you wearing the standard robes of the Dingsheng Sect?"
She looked Nanmen Hong up and down, then gave him a cryptic smile: "Hey, you've been expelled from the sect."
Nanmen Hong's face turned bright red: "I didn't!"
Zhu Shengli, Hexiu, and Chen Ting couldn't help but look at Nanmen Hong one after another.
Why does the usually composed Nanmen Hong act like a naive young man when he meets Jiang Xiaoyi, looking completely helpless and scratching his head?
Ji Mingran glanced at Liu Zhiqing, who was secretly heartbroken, and then at Nanmen Hong, whose expression was strange, and said, "Boss, I also overheard what they were saying, and I'm curious. Tell me about it."
As if tired of standing, Jiang Xiaoyi raised her foot from the edge of the coffin and then lowered it again. She sat on the edge of the crooked coffin, her crossed feet slowly lifting up, causing the coffin to sway dangerously.
Jiang Xiaoyi said, "Don't pretend in front of me. You're not interested in these things." She knew her little apprentice's personality all day long; he only knew how to study and practice, so how could he be interested in these things?
Ji Mingran said seriously, "Boss, things are different now. I'm learning to be curious about what other people are doing."
"Alright. This is a long story, but if you want to hear it, I'm willing to tell you." As she spoke, Jiang Xiaoyi lazily spread out her left palm.
The cultivators were puzzled, but then they saw Li Xiaosen conjure a teacup from nowhere. Judging from the steam rising from the teacup, it looked like it had been freshly brewed.
Li Xiaosen handed the teacup upwards, and it flew steadily toward Jiang Xiaoyi, landing in her palm.
Jiang Xiaoyi took a sip of her drink, glanced at Ziyan, and said slowly, "Yaoyao, I know she comes from Hehuan, her surname is Yao, and her given name is Jingyao. Many years ago, spiritual cultivators encountered a great calamity. Our sect's seventy-two Mahayana cultivators united to resist and changed the fate of spiritual cultivators' destruction."
He Xiu and the others hurried forward, eager to hear more.
But Jiang Xiaoyi stopped talking as soon as she started.
"Oh dear, how can I, a person, speak of something so worthy of praise?" Jiang Xiaoyi braced herself with one hand behind her back, causing her and the coffin to fall dangerously backward. However, even though the upright coffin tilted back significantly, it remained poised to fall but did not.
The cultivators watched her sway back and forth, their hearts filled with anxiety, like ants on a hot pan.
"Let me explain to you all." Li Xiaosen smiled and met Jiang Xiaoyi's gaze as she looked up. He said, "Junior Sister Jingyao developed a brand-new Breakthrough Pill back then. Taking it could not only break through the current realm, but also allow one to ascend directly. In the time of crisis, even if we had gathered all seventy-two Mahayana cultivators, we might not have been able to ensure that the rift in the heavens could be closed."
"To ensure everything goes perfectly, my master Jiang Xiaoyi decided to risk using a teleportation array that spans across worlds to repair the rift in the sky while simultaneously sending it away."
"However, to use this array to teleport through the Heavenly Rift, the primordial soul of a Mahayana cultivator is required as the array's core."
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