Chapter 40: The Upgraded Lair is Bursting with a Sense of Security

It must be said that comprehending the second volume of the Nine Volumes of Array Dao was indeed more time-consuming than the first. It took him a full ten days to complete a single cycle of comprehension.

Turning back, he borrowed the second volume of the Jiuli True Method from Jiuli'er to continue his studies.

Ten days later.

He finished comprehending the second volume of the Jiuli True Method.

With that done, Zheng拓 did not leave the Library. Instead, he spent another month thoroughly stabilizing both methods of Array Dao before departing.

Rather than returning directly to Falling Immortal Mountain, he went to the marketplace to find Senior Sister Xiao Lou.

"Junior Brother Zheng拓, long time no see."

After more than a year, Senior Sister Xiao Lou looked spirited and high-spirited.

A simple work uniform, efficient short hair, clear eyes, and a clean, tidy appearance—she looked like a capable woman at first glance.

"Long time no see, Senior Sister Xiao Lou," Zheng拓 replied with a smile.

At the same time, his sharp eyes noticed that the insignia on her uniform had changed.

"Congratulations on your promotion to Team Leader, Senior Sister. Congratulations, congratulations."

"Hehe... not at all, I owe everything to you, Junior Brother," Lin Xiaolou said softly. "What you said and did that day opened my eyes, which is how I achieved what I have today. Unfortunately, I didn't know where you lived and haven't been able to thank you in person. Meeting you today, I want to thank you for your words back then."

After hearing Zheng拓's words that day, Lin Xiaolou had gone back and reflected seriously all night.

The next day, she worked with the same single-minded devotion as Zheng拓, and to her surprise, the results were exceptionally good.

After observing her for half a year, Old Man Tie promoted her to Team Leader.

Now, she not only earned more spirit stones and knew more people, but she was also full of hope for the future.

She understood that not everyone could become an immortal.

Therefore, the most important thing was to find one's own path.

She was lucky to have met Zheng拓 and found her path.

The rest was simply to walk it with unwavering determination.

Zheng拓 hadn't expected that his high-sounding, pretentious words from that day would change Senior Sister Xiao Lou's life.

Fortunately, it was for the better.

If it had been for the worse, it would have been a disaster.

It seemed he would have to be more cautious next time; one should avoid brewing "chicken soup for the soul" if possible, as drinking too much of it can easily have a counterproductive effect.

After a few moments of pleasantries, Zheng拓 stated his purpose.

His goal was clear: to purchase the materials required for second-tier arrays so he could return home and upgrade the Immortal Trapping Array to a second-tier array.

Just like last time, his requirements for array materials were extremely stringent.

However, this time was much faster than the last, thanks to Senior Sister Xiao Lou's assistance.

"Junior Brother, if you need any materials in the future, just ask me. Even if it's the stars in the sky, I can get them for you."

Lin Xiaolou was full of confidence, expressing her gratitude to Zheng拓 in this manner.

"Then I shall thank Senior Sister in advance."

After a few more casual words, Zheng拓 departed.

Returning to Falling Immortal Mountain, he began upgrading the Immortal Trapping Array.

Three months later.

The upgrade was complete.

The process had been very smooth, without any accidents, successfully promoting the Immortal Trapping Array to a second-tier array.

To a cultivator, three months was merely the time it took to use the restroom, but some minor events had occurred during that time.

Because Shen Xian'er's strength had risen to the seventh stage of the Qi Refining stage, she was permitted by her master, Wu Dao, to enter and exit the Falling Immortal Sect freely.

Of course, this was on the condition that Zheng拓, with the bribe of a small barbecue, made Shen Xian'er swear an oath that she would never reveal any information regarding him or Falling Immortal Mountain. Xiao Bai had also sworn the oath alongside her.

Speaking of Xiao Bai, his strength had progressed rapidly from the third stage to the fifth stage of Qi Refining.

As for Chi Xiao, who had been bombarding the defensive arrays at the foot of Falling Immortal Mountain for over half a year, his strength had miraculously risen to the seventh stage of Qi Refining, leaping past Li Jun to become the number one person of the younger generation in the Falling Immortal Sect.

Because his strength had reached the seventh stage, Martial Uncle Hong Niang personally came to take Chi Xiao away, intending to keep him by his side for guidance.

After all, the upcoming Spirit Tempering and Foundation Establishment stages concerned a cultivator's future; Martial Uncle Hong Niang would not allow Chi Xiao to continue acting willfully.

With Shen Xian'er, Xiao Bai, and Chi Xiao all gone, Zheng拓 felt no loneliness; instead, his life became even more fulfilling.

In the days that followed, he placed the entire focus of his life on the Dao of Arrays.

With his talent, combined with his exchanges with Jiuli'er, he thoroughly mastered the third volume of the Nine Volumes of Array Dao and the third volume of the Jiuli True Method.

His array skills progressed by leaps and bounds, and he spent several months upgrading the Immortal Trapping Array to the strength of a third-tier array.

A third-tier array corresponds to the Qi Sea stage in cultivation levels.

With the third-tier Immortal Trapping Array fully activated, he was confident he could trap any cultivator below the Golden Core stage.

Even if a Golden Core cultivator entered the array, unless they broke it with absolute overwhelming strength, he was confident he could make them lose themselves within it.

Of course, the reason the Immortal Trapping Array possessed such power was due to the terrain of Falling Immortal Mountain.

If it were placed elsewhere, it would be difficult for him, with his current strength, to deploy such a powerful third-tier array.

In truth, his rapid progress was also due to several substantial "field exercises."

These "field exercises" actually involved collaborating with Jiuli'er to find the weaknesses in the mountain-protecting arrays of the Immortal Cauldron Peak and Falling Immortal Peak, two of the five peaks of the Falling Immortal Sect.

This happened after he and Jiuli'er broke the fourth array in the Library, only to find that the arrays within were completely incomprehensible to them, like celestial scriptures.

Therefore, at his suggestion, the two of them turned their attention to studying the mountain-protecting arrays of the five peaks.

The mountain-protecting arrays of the five peaks were fourth-tier, but because they had not been maintained for many years, they contained many loopholes.

Through their tireless efforts, they pointed out the flaws one by one. Furthermore, because they were fourth-tier arrays, their experience points surged.

"Hahaha... Senior Brother, I heard that your mountain-protecting array was broken by that kid Zheng拓, hahaha..."

Yun Qianli was in a very good mood.

An array set up by a dignified Golden Core cultivator had actually been found to have flaws by a little fellow in the Qi Refining stage—especially since the opponent was his arch-rival. It couldn't get any better than this.

Yun Ding's expression was not very good.

In his heart, he cursed Zheng拓, that little brat. Weren't the millions of books in the Library enough for him to study? Why did he have to target the mountain-protecting array of my Immortal Cauldron Peak, forcing me to rearrange it and waste so many good materials?

But he had to admit, Zheng拓's talent was beyond his imagination.

"Junior Brother, don't laugh too happily. I heard that this morning, that kid Zheng拓 headed toward your Thousand Blade Peak with his little girlfriend. If you ask me, when you go back, I'm afraid your mountain-protecting array will also be broken by that kid."

Yun Ding, unwilling to yield, immediately retorted.

"Senior Brother, you don't need to worry about that. I am well-prepared. For that kid to break my mountain-protecting array, he'll likely have to wait a few more years."

Yun Qianli was full of confidence.

"Ahem..."

Lei Xing coughed twice and looked at Yun Qianli.

"Junior Brother, I just received news that the mountain-protecting array of Thousand Blade Peak is experiencing violent fluctuations. I suspect it has been broken."

"What!"

Yun Qianli jumped up immediately.

"I specifically checked it before I left; there wasn't a single flaw. How could it be breached so easily?"

Yun Qianli looked incredulous.

None of them were actually skilled in the Dao of Arrays.

The only one skilled in it was their Eldest Senior Brother, Yun Wanli.

Unfortunately, the Eldest Senior Brother was not present.

Thus, although their strength was great and the level of the arrays they deployed was high, they were actually "strong on the outside but hollow on the inside." Combined with the age of the arrays, it was only logical that they were broken by Zheng拓.

"Hahaha..." Yun Ding laughed loudly, his gloom vanishing.

"It seems I should also go back and check on my mountain-protecting array," Hong Niang said calmly.

"I didn't expect that Zheng拓's talent for cultivation is unique, and his talent for the Dao of Arrays is equally terrifying. This person must be kept in our Falling Immortal Sect. If we truly cannot keep him..."

A trace of helplessness flashed in Lei Xing's eyes.

As the head of the Intelligence Department, he possessed more information on Zheng拓 than anyone else.

The feeling Zheng拓 gave him was not just intelligence, but caution—extreme, extreme caution.

The Falling Immortal Mountain where he resided not only possessed the third-tier Immortal Trapping Array.

The periphery was also deployed with at least 90 maze arrays for trapping people, 70 killing arrays, 55 alarm arrays... and so on.

If you thought that was all, you were mistaken.

According to incomplete statistics.

The interior of Falling Immortal Mountain contained at least 100,000 long-range explosive spirit talismans, 100,000 alarm spirit talismans, 50,000 swamp spirit talismans... and so on.

The above were merely conservative estimates; the actual situation was definitely far more extreme.

There were likely other things buried in some corner that they didn't even know about.

The entire Falling Immortal Mountain gave him the feeling of a small "forbidden zone."

Every step was a pit, every half-step a blade; one slight lapse in attention would lead to a trap.

And those traps would come at you in succession, link by link, making them impossible to defend against.

His spies simply could not get in.

Several spies had been trapped to death as soon as they approached the perimeter of Falling Immortal Mountain, forcing him to thick-skinedly go and redeem them.

Fortunately, Nephew Zheng拓 was relatively easy to talk to.

Otherwise, he would have lost all his dignity.

While they were chatting, Yun Yangzi flew in from outside the hall.

Seeing Yun Yangzi's serious expression, the group immediately stopped their joking.

For Yun Yangzi to have such an expression, something major must have happened.