Chapter 406: Chapter 209: Chen Long and Chou Ox, Each Harboring Ghost Embryos (2)

It didn’t take long for Zheng Yi to sort through the key points and start researching according to his own needs.

Whenever he had a question, Zheng Yi would directly seek out Wei Xu for advice.

Although Wei Xu was overwhelmed these days due to his granddaughter Wei Shuke’s health, he was still more than capable of guiding this newly minted Array Master.

With his abilities, he offered insightful and constructive suggestions, easily resolving many of the issues Zheng Yi faced.

Wei Xu also recognized Zheng Yi’s performance with surprise, discovering that although Zheng Yi was new to this path, his understanding of basic array knowledge was profound, his learning ability quick, even able to infer beyond the basic teachings.

If not for his granddaughter’s situation, Master Wei Xu would have been very willing to engage in discussions about the array system with Zheng Yi.

However, Wei Xu had requests for Zheng Yi.

For his inquiries, Wei Xu was open and sincere in his exchanges.

Zheng Yi originally relied on the uniqueness of the Incense Fire Dharma Realm, coupled with deductions by the Super Brain Main God, to have his own understanding of the way of arrays. Now, after settling and learning, he began to establish and transform an entire system.

He temporarily set aside cultivation, immersing himself in the ocean of arrays, quickly absorbing various kinds of knowledge.

This rapidly improved his own array skills.

Time passed quickly, and at Wei Xu’s reminder, it was time for the team to gather.

...

On this day, Wei Xu brought Zheng Yi directly out of Blood Mist Abyss City, heading towards Evil Prison.

After spending several days, they finally arrived at the area known as the forbidden Earth Desolate Mountain Range.

From above, Evil Prison Canyon presents a clear view of this long, narrow valley bottom, shrouded in heavy thick fog, immense and scarred like an ugly scar on the vast earth.

From the sky, the scenery below is completely obscured.

Even the Divine Soul Power of Purple Mansion Cultivators, once within that miasma, quickly diminishes, compressed into utter insignificance.

Only the occasional seepage of some Evil Qi gives a clear indication of the terrifying nature of this forbidden area.

Upon their arrival at the canyon, four Purple Mansion Cultivators were already gathered there.

"Finally, they’re here!"

"Is this the new recruit?"

Among them, a burly figure wearing a large minotaur mask turned around.

His body was shrouded in thick black mist, making his appearance impossible to discern. He glanced at Wei Xu before fixing his gaze on Zheng Yi, directly speaking.

At this time, Zheng Yi’s face was also hidden behind a mask, a golden dragon one.

Zi Rat, Chou Ox, Yin Tiger, Mao Rabbit, Chen Long, Si Snake — those are their current code names.

Wei Xu had prepared six masks.

Crafted with the level of an Array Master, these masks completely concealed any aura, making it nearly impossible even for a Core Formation Stage Zhenren to discern true identities without careful scrutiny.

These six masks had their own hierarchy.

Master Wei Xu gave the Chen Long mask to Zheng Yi, while he wore the Si Snake mask.

They referred to each other by the names of the masks.

"Chou Ox, this is an old friend of mine, who came immediately to help upon hearing about my granddaughter’s situation."

According to the agreement reached earlier with Zheng Yi, Wei Xu introduced him unhurriedly.

Boom!

Suddenly, an invisible aura surged forth, as the muscular figure in the bull mask unleashed a burst of black fog Evil Qi, transforming into a ferocious black tiger, roaring and ferociously pouncing towards Zheng Yi.

"Since you’re a new companion, to ensure everyone’s safety, we still need to test your skills..."

"Chen Long, hope you don’t mind?"

Wei Xu, perhaps caught off guard by this scene, wanted to intervene, but it was too late.

However, he also wanted to see Zheng Yi’s abilities, assured that this small test wouldn’t pose much of a problem for him, so he didn’t intervene further but chose to observe from the sidelines.

The ferocious black tiger had already appeared before Zheng Yi, biting down fiercely.

Whoosh!

Facing the black tiger filled with terrifying Evil Qi, neither Zi Rat, Yin Tiger, Mao Rabbit, nor Wei Xu dressed as Si Snake showed any response. They were clearly evaluating Zheng Yi’s skills.

Behind the golden dragon mask, Zheng Yi coldly chuckled, knowing he needed to pass this ordeal, effectively handing in his pledge of loyalty. After all, Purple Mansion Cultivators with lofty eyes participating in such dangerous missions couldn’t be assured without certain skills.

Zheng Yi gripped into the void with his right hand, summoning a long sword made of Spiritual Power. With a twist of his wrist, Sword Qi surged, transforming into a long rainbow that flew towards the tiger’s snarling maw.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the world quaked.

The Sword Qi directly shattered the ferocious black tiger, the explosive shockwave spreading outwards, turning the sky into a turbulent sea of surging waves.

Zheng Yi subtly retreated a step, his eyes peering from behind the golden Chen Long mask at the massive figure, gripping the long sword tightly, coldly staring at the burly man.

"Not bad, Chen Long, you have my approval."

"You are qualified to join the team!"

The burly man in the bull mask showed no concern for Zheng Yi’s gaze, sensing Zheng Yi’s calm evasion of his move, a gleam shot from his eyes with a trace of battle intent rising within him.

But clearly, this wasn’t the time for sparring, so he ceased after a single probe, nodding slightly.

"Zi Rat, Yin Tiger, Mao Rabbit, what do you think?"

We Xu, acting as Si Snake, spoke.

"Good skills, acceptable!"

"Agreed!"

"Accepted!"

The other three mysterious figures, Zi Rat, Yin Tiger, and Mao Rabbit exchanged looks, recognizing Zheng Yi’s strength.

"Chen Long, don’t take it to heart. I am only responsible for the team; if we let just anyone join and it endangers the team causing discord, it would be troublesome."

Chou Ox said pointedly to Zheng Yi.

"Wasting our efforts is one thing, but if the Twelve-winged Celestial Fire Dragon Centipede escapes with a wary mind, failing Master Wei Xu’s mission, it would be a grave misstep."

Zheng Yi, behind the golden dragon mask, subtly nodded, indicating his understanding.

With a team hastily assembled by Master Wei Xu, all Purple Mansion Stage masters, none were simple.

...

Having exchanged blows with Chou Ox, Zheng Yi could discern this person’s deeply profound realm, and during the clash, although his aura seemed upright and bright, he was indeed reserving strength.

The real prowess would be even stronger.

As for the remaining Purple Mansion Cultivators, not to mention Wei Xu as Si Snake, Zi Rat, Yin Tiger, and Mao Rabbit were all individuals of great capability.

Only now did he truly grasp the power of an Array Master.

No wonder among the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, especially the top crafts such as Alchemy, Arrays, and Talisman Master possess such a noble and prosperous status; they indeed have unique attributes.

With merely six gathered, they already represented a considerable force in any region.

Regrettably, everyone harbored their own hidden motives, unwilling to reveal their identities, bound purely by the benefits promised by Master Wei Xu.

If true danger emerged, it would depend on individual capabilities.

Surely Zheng Yi was also holding back, as exposing oneself too early in such a group isn’t ideal — he understood the concept of lying low to avoid drawing attention.

Roaming in perilous realms requires consistent discretion and vigilance.

Besides Wei Xu’s clear objective, the other strangers likely harbored various motives, thus utmost caution was paramount for safety.

...