Chapter 474 - 481: The Grand Array that Absorbs Fortune

Dawn broke on the horizon, and the strange human faces all retreated into the flowers.

It was as if nothing had happened. The area was silent, suffused with an eerie tranquility.

Song Wanning frowned. She now realized that aside from these strange flowers, there were only towering trees in the vicinity—not a single blade of grass.

It showed just how domineering these flowers were, having plundered every last bit of life from the area.

After a long while, once they confirmed there were no other anomalies, Song Wanning and Baili Shang leaped down from the tree. They returned to the side of the human-faced flower. After a full night, the face within the flower’s center seemed to have grown even more vivid.

They weren’t sure if it was just their imagination.

The expressions of the two grew increasingly grim.

"I’m afraid this is beyond our ability to handle. Let’s leave for now. We can come back and check on it later if we get the chance."

Song Wanning had a feeling that there was more to this than met the eye, and she was worried about provoking some powerful figure.

’I came here to cause trouble for Huo Jinchuan, not to find it for myself!’

Baili Shang agreed it was dangerous and nodded. They made a swift decision and left at once.

However, about an hour after their departure, a figure suddenly appeared.

The person exuded an extraordinary aura. Their face was obscured, impossible to see clearly.

He glanced down at the most well-developed of the human-faced flowers, and a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"It won’t be long now. My wish will soon be fulfilled."

"By then... Heh heh heh..."

The man let out a low laugh, his eyes glinting with boundless ambition.

’One day, I will reach a height no one else can possibly attain. When that day comes, everyone in my clan will regret this!’

...

Now far from the human-faced flowers, Song Wanning and Baili Shang resumed their search for the boundary. But breaking the barrier was something the people of the Four Domains had failed to do for hundreds of thousands of years; naturally, she couldn’t expect to succeed so easily.

But Song Wanning firmly believed that if the Heavenly Dao knew of her plan, it would surely be in favor.

Even if it couldn’t guide her directly, it would find roundabout ways to help her as much as it could.

Therefore, she was in no hurry.

By the time they had patrolled the entire boundary, more than a year had passed.

Song Wanning and Baili Shang hadn’t found a way to break the barrier, but they had come upon a strange place.

It was Beheading Cliff. Below it, black Demonic Qi churned like a sea of clouds, exuding an aura of mystery and danger.

Baili Shang took a moment to sense his surroundings. "The Demonic Qi here is incredibly dense."

Hearing this, Song Wanning took out her map. "Demon God Valley. Legend says this is where the Demon God cultivated in life..."

She frowned. This place gave her no sense of familiarity at all; instead, it reeked of malice.

’I fear that rumor is false, too.’

"You feel it too?"

Baili Shang asked, his brow furrowed and his expression growing even more grim.

Song Wanning nodded. It seemed Baili Shang had also detected the palpable malice.

"Why would Huo Jinchuan come here? Isn’t he a Spirit Cultivator?"

Confusion flickered in Song Wanning’s eyes. They would never have tracked him to this place if not for his location marker on the map.

She had originally planned to reap the benefits of the conflict between him and his family, but the Huo Family’s hunt for him seemed to have ended. Huo Jinchuan’s location marker hadn’t moved in a long time, and Song Wanning, unwilling to give him a chance to recover, had decided to cause him trouble once more.

But upon arriving, they realized something was wrong with the location. Why would a Spirit Cultivator like Huo Jinchuan be lingering here?

"Could Huo Jinchuan have fallen to demonhood?"

Baili Shang’s brows tightened. "Falling to demonhood is completely different from being a Demon Cultivator like us. Although both involve the word ’demon,’ once someone falls, they become a Demon."

"Over time, they slowly lose their minds, eventually becoming sustenance for a Heart Demon. Their Immortal Path is severed for good."

Song Wanning was all too familiar with falling to demonhood. Her expression flickered as certain memories from her past life surfaced.

It had been a long time since she’d thought of that unbearable past life; now, it felt strangely distant.

"If that’s true, then this place is likely Huo Jinchuan’s lair."

Song Wanning’s heart skipped a beat. "Perhaps... that great Array is here."

If so, that would explain why they both felt such an intense malice.

The Array was eyeing them covetously, waiting to absorb their very fortune.

The two exchanged a look and immediately began to retreat, not stopping until they were several hundred meters away.

"Let’s not get any closer for now. We need to come up with a plan first."

If Song Wanning wanted to cast Huo Jinchuan into eternal damnation, she would have to be meticulous.

She pulled Baili Shang aside to discuss their strategy.

Baili Shang could see her intentions. Though he didn’t know why, Song Wanning was clearly determined to fight Huo Jinchuan to the death, which meant they would have to venture to the bottom of the cliff.

"If an Array that absorbs fortune truly exists, it must require an immense amount of energy to sustain."

"We currently know nothing about the scale of this great Array. It would be best not to act rashly."

He advised her out of genuine concern, hoping she wouldn’t let her hatred lead her into danger.

Song Wanning understood his point, but this Array had to be destroyed.

’Huo Jinchuan can’t defeat us, but that doesn’t mean he can’t defeat others. If he really manages to enhance his fortune through these means, how will I ever be able to destroy him?’

’So, I have to nip this in the bud!’

"Baili Shang, if I gave you an inheritance of Array techniques, could you figure out a way to reverse the Array?"

"For instance, make it do the opposite and absorb the fortune of its creator instead?"

A terrifying thought flashed through Song Wanning’s mind. If she could reverse it, Huo Jinchuan would be finished.

It was also the most foolproof method.

And the perfect way to lead him into his own trap.

"Hm?"

Baili Shang was taken aback. He thought Song Wanning’s idea was pure fantasy.

’How could a great Array that absorbs fortune be so easily reversed?’

"I’m afraid the chances are slim. Unless... we had the Super-grade Nine-Turn Star Shift Array..."

"But that was lost to time long ago. Even I have only ever heard of it. Besides, even if I did learn the Super-grade Nine-Turn Star Shift Array, there’s no guarantee it could do what you’re asking."

His expression soured as he spoke. It wasn’t that he was incapable, but that Song Wanning’s request was simply too demanding.

Not even he could accomplish such a feat.

"We should think of another way."

He sighed. Just as he was about to say more, Song Wanning took out an ancient tome and placed it in his hands.

"It’s in here. The great Array you mentioned is in here, and there might be many other Arrays that could help you, too!"

Ignoring Baili Shang’s utter shock, Song Wanning knew that the Array inheritance from Senior Feng Jiuxiao was finally about to be put to good use.

Besides, Baili Shang’s talent with Arrays was exceptionally high, and he had no master. In the future, after he ascended, he could easily become Senior Feng Jiuxiao’s disciple.