Chapter 440: Thousand-Illusion Array of True Waters

A meteor streaked across the night sky, shooting toward the Chaotic Island Waters.

All those present were Foundation Building cultivators with keen eyesight, and they could clearly see that the meteor bore an uncanny resemblance to a flying sword.

Judging from its momentum, there was no doubt that its owner was a Core Formation Realm expert!

The only question was—was it one of their own seniors, or an enemy from the Tianxing Alliance?

A wave of unease rippled through the crowd as whispers spread.

With so many Golden Core experts converging in the Small Cold Domain, even the main and vice island masters of Stargazing Island had taken action. Logically, they shouldn't have been defeated so easily, unless the Tianxing Alliance had sent out a Spiritual Infant cultivator.

Before the person arrived, their voice rang out first.

"All Fake Core Realm disciples! Step forward!"

The voice, rolling like thunder, drowned out even the sound of the flying sword, resounding from afar.

Some people immediately showed expressions of relief, exclaiming with joy, "It's Senior Uncle Di! That's Senior Uncle Di's voice! It's not an enemy from the Tianxing Alliance!"

Following the sound, Qin Sang looked over and saw that the voice had come from where the Yuanshen Sect disciples were gathered.

The newcomer was a Golden Core cultivator from Yuanshen Sect.

However, the reason why this Golden Core cultivator surnamed Di had summoned the Fake Core Realm disciples remained unclear.

Could it be that the battle ahead was so intense that even Fake Core Realm disciples were needed as reinforcements?

Qin Sang felt a growing sense of unease. After the Fake Core Realm disciples, their turn as late-stage Foundation Building Realm cultivators would inevitably come. In a place like this, there was no opportunity to escape.

Teng Zhaogang’s brow was deeply furrowed. Defying orders was out of the question, and he could only let out an almost imperceptible sigh before turning to say, "Junior Brother Qin, Junior Brother Zhan, I’ll leave things here to you."

"Rest assured, Senior Brother Teng!"

Qin Sang and Zhan Yi cupped their fists in response, watching as Teng Zhaogang soared into the sky on his sword, joining the other Fake Core Realm cultivators as they flew up to meet Golden Core cultivator surnamed Di.

In the blink of an eye, Di, riding his flying sword, arrived above the Chaotic Island Waters.

The dazzling sword light abruptly vanished, and the flying sword disappeared as well, retracted into the hand of a middle-aged man.

Judging by his appearance alone, there were no obvious signs of exhaustion or injury from battle. His expression and gaze remained as calm as still water.

Clearly, he was someone who concealed his emotions well, a deeply calculating individual.

However, Qin Sang keenly noticed that the robe worn by Golden Core cultivator surnamed Di was torn at the hem!

Floating in mid-air, Di swept his gaze over the assembled Fake Core Realm disciples and gave a slight nod. Then, with a wave of his right hand, several disc-shaped objects flew out from his palm, landing before Teng Zhaogang and the others.

"This is one of Yuanshen Sect’s grand defensive arrays—the Thousand-Illusion Array of True Waters. Refine these forbidden artifacts immediately and assist me in setting up the array!"

He made no effort to conceal his voice, so everyone in the area heard him loud and clear.

Hearing the name "Thousand-Illusion Array of True Waters," Qin Sang couldn't help but look toward those discs.

The Yuanshen Sect was the foremost sect in the Small Cold Domain specializing in spiritual arrays, and he had heard of this particular array before. It was said to be ranked among the sect’s most formidable arrays.

Judging by the sheer complexity of these forbidden artifacts, the array's power was undoubtedly extraordinary.

The core of the array had to be controlled personally by Di, while the discs in Teng Zhaogang and the others’ hands served as auxiliary components.

Qin Sang himself had no talent in the art of arrays and had only encountered a handful of forbidden artifacts before. Among them, the most powerful was the Four-Clouded Divine Seal, which he had seen back in Yuanzhao Sect, wielded by Zhao Yan.

The Four-Clouded Divine Seal consisted only of four flags and a warm jade as the array core, whereas the Thousand-Illusion Array was far more intricate in comparison.

A bold voice called out, "Senior Di, why are we setting up an array in the Chaotic Island Waters? Are we preparing for a decisive battle with the Tianxing Alliance here?"

Di swept his gaze over the crowd, pondered briefly, and then said in a clear voice, "There is no harm in telling you. The island master has decided to relocate Stargazing Island here and use this location as a stronghold to confront the Tianxing Alliance. These forbidden artifacts are just the foundation. Later, the array's power will be further strengthened. This concerns your future safety..."

"Senior Di, how is the battle going up ahead? Has Senior Fang been rescued?"

"Are we going to be stationed here indefinitely?"

...

For a moment, the crowd erupted in a flurry of questions, their voices overlapping in chaotic clamor.

However, Di ignored them entirely. He sat cross-legged in mid-air, and four large discs, similar in shape to the previous ones but significantly larger, flew out and hovered before him.

A low hum emanated from the four massive discs, each etched with swirling patterns that now seemed to come alive, voraciously absorbing the water vapor from the surroundings.

Under Di’s command, Teng Zhaogang and the others each took the discs assigned to them and moved into position beneath the larger discs, following a specific, intricate sequence, before beginning the process of refining them.

The large discs were like bottomless pits, endlessly devouring the water vapor, yet never seeming to reach capacity.

This location, being deep within the Yuncang Marshlands, was already rich in water vapor.

Almost instantly, an endless stream of water vapor gathered around the large discs, condensing into visible form. Even the lake below began to react to the discs’ pull, transforming into towering water dragons that spiraled upward.

The massive discs resembled colossal fountains suspended over the Yuncang Marshlands, their physical forms obscured by dense mist-like water vapor.

Enveloped in the surging water vapor, Teng Zhaogang and the others were unsure of their exact situation.

Just then, Di completed the last of his incantation seals, pausing momentarily before brushing his palm across his Mustard Seed Pouch, retrieving an orb of spiritual liquid the size of a fist.

The spiritual liquid swirled in his palm like a clear pool of water—crystal-clear, colorless, and odorless.

Yet, when Qin Sang fixed his gaze upon it, he felt an inexplicable pull, as though the liquid carried an unfathomable attraction, drawing him in irresistibly.

His heart pounded with alarm, and he forcefully broke eye contact. Cold sweat trickled down his back. Only then did he realize that many of those around him had fallen into the same daze, staring at the spiritual liquid with mesmerized expressions.

With a surge of spiritual power, Di infused the liquid with his energy.

The spiritual liquid lifted itself from his palm and began to expand rapidly, growing larger and larger until it reached its limit, then suddenly burst apart into a cloud of mist.

A gust of spiritual wind swept through, scattering the mist in all directions.

In an instant, the starry sky overhead vanished, replaced by a dense canopy of ominous clouds.

Crash!

A violent storm erupted without warning!

Strangely, the raindrops passed through their bodies as though they weren’t real, yet when they hit the water’s surface, they splashed up in great torrents.

Meanwhile, the concentration of water vapor around them grew even denser.

What a powerful spiritual array!

Qin Sang marveled inwardly.

The torrential rain poured relentlessly, shrouding the world in even deeper gloom. Outside the spiritual array, only endless darkness loomed, cutting off all sight of the outside world. It was impossible to tell how far the Thousand-Illusion Array of True Waters extended.

Qin Sang suddenly heard Teng Zhaogang’s strained voice. "Junior Brother Qin, Junior Brother Zhan... hurry and assist me...!"

Qin Sang and Zhan Yi exchanged startled glances, shocked to their core. Teng Zhaogang, a Fake Core Realm cultivator, was struggling just to maintain a single auxiliary disc?

They dared not hesitate. Without a moment’s delay, they leaped into the air, soaring toward the sky along with several others who had made the same decision.