Chapter 65: The Might of the Grand Array

At that very moment, Xue Tianren seized his chance and broke into the gates of Shengjing Sect.

Seeing this, a cold smile flashed once again across Li Jian-san’s face. “Old fool, I’ve finally lured you in.”

“Hmph! Boy, your grand formation has been broken. Don’t try to scare me.” Xue Tianren roared.

Li Jian-san replied with a faint smile, “I, Li Jian-san, have always acted aboveboard and never lied.”

“If I say you’ve fallen into my trap, then you have!” A strange curve appeared at the corner of Li Jian-san’s mouth.

Everything he had done before was meant to provoke this old man into making his full move. If Li Jian-san wished, he could restore the grand formation at any time, rendering it unbreakable. But what fun would that be? If he activated the impregnable formation too soon, how could these fools possibly break through?

So, he deliberately laid a trap earlier for the old man to discover, so that he would let down his guard and begin the assault. Then, as they attacked, Li Jian-san made the formation appear on the brink of collapse, all to give Xue Tianren the courage to charge in.

Ever since Li Jian-san had attained the abilities of a third-rank Spirit Array Master, accomplishing such feats was no challenge at all.

Previously, Li Jian-san had specifically improved the sect-protecting formation. Though the original formation was only of the first rank, after his enhancements, it had reached the second rank.

A second-rank formation is unshakable even for a cultivator at the Golden Core stage.

Since the Azure Dragon Stronghold wished to swallow Shengjing Sect whole, they would have to pay the price—at the very least, to bleed for it.

As he spoke, dazzling talismanic seals bloomed in Li Jian-san’s hands, as radiant as the stars of the ninth heaven, and they multiplied at an astonishing rate.

In a blink, the number of talismanic seals reached several hundred.

At this moment, Li Jian-san stood amidst a swirling rain of runes, dazzling and resplendent.

Heaven and earth fell silent.

Tens of millions of people watched, struck dumb all at once.

All stared in mute terror, trembling uncontrollably.

With the flip of his hand, seals formed in an instant.

This… this was a technique unique to Spirit Array Masters!

How could this boy possibly accomplish such a feat?!

And forming seals with a mere gesture—this was a method possessed only by third-rank Spirit Array Masters!

Could it be… Li Jian-san was already a third-rank Spirit Array Master?

How could that be?

Xue Tianren drew a sharp breath, unable to accept what he was witnessing.

It wasn’t just Xue Tianren; no one present could believe that a youth barely in his teens was a third-rank Spirit Array Master!

Yet the sight of Li Jian-san forming seals with a single hand left no room for doubt.

Even Li Qingming’s eyes narrowed suddenly. “The boy hid himself well indeed.”

Earlier, when Li Jian-san volunteered to handle the matter, Li Qingming had been skeptical and taken some precautions of his own. Never had he imagined his son had already become so formidable.

The anxiety he had carried finally eased.

Spirit Array Masters held a status above all in the Kingdom of Jiang. A third-rank Spirit Array Master could be granted the rank of third-grade official, honored as an imperial confidant.

With Shengjing Sect rising so swiftly in Li Jian-san’s hands, Li Qingming saw its ascension as inevitable!

“How… how is this possible?” Xue Tianren stood dumbfounded, lips trembling uncontrollably. “You really are a third-rank Spirit Array Master!”

Shock etched itself across Xue Tianren’s face as he stared at Li Jian-san in horror. He could never have imagined that a mere teenager was already a master of such heights!

A frigid chill emanated from Li Jian-san, cutting Xue Tianren to the bone.

Hundreds of spiritual seals in Li Jian-san’s hand shot swiftly toward Xue Tianren.

“Old fool, go to hell!”

Xue Tianren shouted back, launching his mightiest attack to meet the assault.

“Demon Wheel Seal!”

With a palm strike, a chilling demonic wind erupted, and a torrent of demonic energy gathered, shrouding the sky and plunging the world into darkness.

Seeing such power, all faces changed dramatically.

“The Demon Wheel Seal is the Azure Dragon Stronghold’s secret martial art. Its power is truly boundless.”

Boom!

From a fissure deep in the earth, a vast, shadowy maw roared forth.

Suddenly, the surging demon energy converged into a pillar that soared into the sky.

An overwhelming aura of demonic might swept out, engulfing the heavens and earth as if an apocalyptic demon god had descended!

Boom!

With a downward motion of Li Jian-san’s palm, hundreds of runes crashed instantly to the ground and merged into the earth.

Everyone could feel the land beneath their feet changing dramatically.

Countless terrifying forces gathered beneath the ground, surging like a tidal wave.

Boom!

As the runes disappeared into the earth, dazzling divine light burst forth, piercing the clouds in a blaze of glory.

Within the spirit array, nine mountain peaks of golden light rose abruptly, like ancient sacred mountains, exuding an infinite pressure that hung between heaven and earth.

At this moment, Xue Tianren’s face turned ashen.

Rumble!

Nine towering ancient mountains radiated blinding golden light, standing between heaven and earth as if the gods themselves had descended, releasing an oppressive might from the highest heavens.

Li Jian-san looked coldly at Xue Tianren.

He did not waste words. Raising his hand, he struck.

The nine golden mountains, steady as pine, suddenly quaked, unleashing waves of terrifying energy.

Buzz!

Suddenly, one of the nine ancient mountains crashed down.

With overwhelming power, it descended upon Xue Tianren.

Boom!

As the golden mountain fell, the very air exploded, and even the surrounding space seemed to twist.

Under such a terrifying assault, even a Golden Core cultivator dared not be careless.

Xue Tianren, trembling in terror, could only grit his teeth and throw a punch in response.

Crack!

The wild golden mountain struck down, hurling Xue Tianren backward. One of his arms was instantly shattered by the terrible force.

Cold sweat poured from Xue Tianren’s brow as he stared at the blood gushing from his severed arm, his pupils contracting sharply.

A single blow had destroyed his arm and left him grievously wounded.

Li Jian-san’s strike with the formation was truly fearsome.

With a shift of his hand, three golden mountains howled down with even greater might.

Xue Tianren’s eyes widened in shock, for this time, as the three peaks descended, dragon shadows appeared, their power unparalleled.

Boom! Boom!

Xue Tianren was thrown back again, a blue light flickering over his chest.

Then, the three mountains crashed down, striking Xue Tianren squarely.

Crack!

For a moment, the heavens themselves seemed to tremble.

The blue light on Xue Tianren’s chest vanished, and a crack spread across his chest.

In an instant, the fissure on his chest spread like a spider’s web.

Bang!

Fragments of armor fell from Xue Tianren’s body.

“What is that?” the spectators cried out in alarm, their pupils contracting.

“It’s a defensive artifact!”

“Li Jian-san shattered my protective armor with a single blow!”

Xue Tianren was aghast. The armor he wore was supremely resilient, enough to withstand the attacks of a Golden Core cultivator.

Yet now, Li Jian-san had broken it to pieces.

“What—another nine mountains have formed!” Xue Tianren looked up, utterly stunned.

After a few were destroyed, nine more had gathered in the sky, shining even brighter than before!

“Run!”

Once his battle armor was shattered by Ye Beixuan, Xue Tianren’s only thought was to escape.

And he did not hesitate to flee.

“Now you think of running? It’s too late!”

But the formation was faster than he!

Li Jian-san clasped his hands together, and the nine golden mountains began to tremble violently.

A sea of golden light swept across the world as the mountains hummed and shook. In that instant, a devastating dragon’s might erupted from the nine peaks.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

All nine terrifying mountains exploded with power, filling the sky and earth with a radiant sea of gold.

The mountains carried a force sufficient to destroy the world, crashing down mercilessly upon Xue Tianren.

The golden torrent tore apart the heavens and earth, making the very sky tremble under its might.

“Aaaah—”

The nine mountains collided with Xue Tianren. In an instant, the golden storm swallowed him whole…