【Core Focus: Accepting the third disciple with a special background, the Sect's Small World begins to take shape, with internal trials consolidating the master-disciple bond. 】
With his Saint Venerable cultivation newly established, Chu Yang's aura grew increasingly profound, as if he had merged with the Great Dao of heaven and earth. He did not linger at the Sect for long; after instructing Leng Wei to stabilize the Sect and guide the four disciples in their cultivation, he took one step, following the fluctuation of the newly sensed "Hidden Dragon" destiny.
The target: three hundred li outside Qingyang City, in the Misty Valley.
With his current Saint Venerable cultivation, a distance of several hundred li was merely a short stride. His figure flickered a few times, and he was already above the valley.
This valley was shrouded in pale white mist year-round. Mortals, and even low-level cultivators who entered, would easily lose their way, and it was regarded as a Forbidden Land. However, under Chu Yang's Saint Venerable Divine Sense, the situation inside the valley was laid bare.
There were no ferocious Demonic Beasts in the valley; instead, it was filled with various naturally formed, crude yet ingenious illusion and enemy-trapping Formation Arrays. These arrays operated by utilizing the Earth Vein and the mist. Although their grades were not high, they were intricately linked and ceaseless, clearly not formed naturally but maintained by someone over a long period.
And in the deepest part of the valley, in an open space cleverly concealed by the arrays, a simple hut constructed of bamboo stood quietly. In front of the hut, a young girl dressed in a goose-yellow skirt was pouting, angrily kicking a pebble at her feet.
The girl appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen, styled with double buns, possessing skin as white as snow, and delicate features like a porcelain doll. Her large eyes were bright and cunning, but currently filled with annoyance and defiance. Her Spiritual Power fluctuation was not strong, roughly at the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, yet her entire body was faintly connected to the Qi Mechanism of the entire valley's array, making her quite peculiar.
【Ding! Target matching the "Hidden Dragon in the Abyss" destiny detected! 】
【Name: Su Xiaoman 】
【Physique: Array Spirit Body （Not fully awakened ） 】
【Status: Innately close to Formation Arrays, sharp Divine Soul, capable of setting up or breaking arrays by intuition, but cultivation is low, unable to support high-grade arrays, and due to the special physique, susceptible to Array Formation Backlash. 】
【Potential Assessment: S+ Grade （If the physique awakens and she studies the Array Dao systematically, her future is limitless ） 】
Array Spirit Body! A sharp glint flashed in Chu Yang's eyes. This was an even rarer Special Physique than a single-element Spirit Body, born for the Array Dao! No wonder such an exquisite chain array could be set up in this small valley.
Just then, the mist on the valley's periphery churned, and several rather battered figures burst in. They were wounded and carried fierce auras, clearly Mercenaries or Loose Cultivators accustomed to living on the edge. Leading them was a burly man with a scar on his face, possessing Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivation.
"Damn it! We finally broke in! That little brat must be hiding here!" the Scarred Man cursed, his gaze greedily sweeping over the valley. "I heard she has an ancient Formation Diagram worth a fortune! Capture her and force the location of the diagram out of her!"
"Boss, this valley is weird; there are too many arrays!" one subordinate said fearfully.
"What are you afraid of! A little girl at the Qi Refining Stage can't stir up any trouble! Search for me!" The Scarred Man sneered, leading his subordinates toward the bamboo hut.
Su Xiaoman, standing before the bamboo hut, clearly noticed the intruders. Far from being afraid, she stomped her foot angrily: "It's you annoying ghosts again! I told you that broken map isn't with me! And you dare disturb my sleep!"
She quickly formed hand seals and chanted words.
Instantly, the mist in the valley grew dense, runes on the ground lit up, and the earth beneath the Mercenaries' feet instantly turned muddy and swamp-like. Simultaneously, illusions sprang up all around, accompanied by sounds of ghostly wailing!
"Tricks!" The Scarred Man snorted coldly, unleashing his Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power, punching the ground in an attempt to break the formation with brute force.
However, his punch, condensed with Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power, sank into the swampy Illusion Array like a stone in the sea, only causing a ripple, which in turn strengthened the swamp's suction! The Qi Refining Stage subordinates he brought were even more miserable, deeply trapped in illusions and attacking each other.
"Huh?" The Scarred Man's expression shifted slightly; he hadn't expected this array to be so troublesome.
Seeing this, Su Xiaoman proudly lifted her chin and made a face: "Hmph! Now you know how capable I am! Get lost!"
But before her words finished, her face suddenly turned pale, her body swayed, looking somewhat drained. Clearly, maintaining multiple arrays simultaneously was a huge drain on her.
The Scarred Man keenly caught this, his eyes flashing with greater ferocity: "The little girl can't hold on! Brothers, put some effort in, break this damned array!"
He took out a talisman shimmering with lightning—a Second Grade "Thunderbolt Talisman to Break Evil," specifically designed to counter sinister illusion arrays. If activated, Su Xiaoman's crude array would likely be unable to resist.
A trace of panic finally flickered in Su Xiaoman's eyes.
At this critical juncture, a calm voice suddenly rang out in the valley:
"Ganging up on the few, disturbing the peace—that deserves punishment."
The voice was not loud but clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying an undeniable majesty.
The Scarred Man froze, turning around in horror. He saw a Man in Green Robe standing with his hands behind his back on a nearby Green Stone, looking at them calmly. He hadn't noticed when this person appeared at all!
"Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of our Black Wolf Mercenary Group?" the Scarred Man demanded sternly, though his heart was sounding alarm bells.
Chu Yang ignored him completely, his gaze falling upon Su Xiaoman, who was momentarily stunned by his appearance. A slight smile touched his lips: "Little girl, your 'Nine-Bend Soul-Bewitching Array' is well-set, but the Spirit Stone for the 'Kan' position lacks Spiritual Power, and the 'Li' position Array Eye is offset by three inches. Otherwise, trapping these Foundation Establishment trash would be more than enough."
Su Xiaoman's previously wary eyes instantly turned to shock! She had figured out this array by herself; it had no name, and the Spirit Stone in the Kan position was indeed nearly depleted. Moreover, the Li position Array Eye had been accidentally moved a few days ago while experimenting with a new idea... How did this person know so clearly?!
"You... Who are you? How do you know my array?" Su Xiaoman's eyes widened, forgetting her fear, replaced only by intense curiosity.
Chu Yang smiled slightly: "Who I am is not important. What is important is whether you want to learn the true Array Dao, and whether you want to stop being disturbed by these riff-raff."
He casually pointed a finger.
Those Mercenaries still struggling in the array, along with the talismans and weapons in their hands, were instantly wiped away as if by an invisible giant hand, turning into the finest dust and vanishing into the mist, without even a scream escaping.
It was as if they had never existed.
Su Xiaoman's mouth dropped open wide enough to fit an egg. She looked at the empty space before her, then back at Chu Yang, her little head struggling to process. What... what kind of technique was that? Was he an immortal?
The Scarred Man was terrified out of his wits. With a thud, he knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "P-Please spare me, Senior! Please spare me, Senior! I was blind and offended you, Senior! I beg you to spare this dog's life!"
Chu Yang didn't even look at him, only addressing Su Xiaoman: "What have you decided? Become my disciple, and I will pass on the supreme Array Dao to you, ensuring your Array Spirit Body no longer remains hidden."
Array Spirit Body! He had instantly exposed her biggest secret! Su Xiaoman had no more doubts; this person before her was definitely an unimaginably supreme expert!
She was naturally fearless, so why would she hesitate now that she had met a true deity? Moreover, the other party promised to teach her the array formation she was most interested in!
"I am willing! I am willing to become your disciple!" Su Xiaoman immediately cast aside her previous pride, running toward Chu Yang like a joyful fawn. She knelt and kowtowed in a proper manner, mimicking what she had seen in plays: "Disciple Su Xiaoman pays respects to Master! I beg Master to teach me powerful array formations!"
Her voice was crisp, filled with undisguised excitement and anticipation.
【Ding! Target matching the "Hidden Dragon in the Abyss" destiny, "Su Xiaoman," has voluntarily agreed to become a disciple! 】
【Recruiting the Fifth Disciple mission complete! 】
【Potential Assessment: S+ Grade! 】
【Rewards issued: Integral Points! Special Lottery Chance × 1! Great Emperor Realm Cultivation Exchange Card × 5! 】
【Sect Destiny +180! 】
【Host receives passive feedback: When disciple Su Xiaoman studies array formations, the Host will gain a one percent bonus to her Array Dao comprehension! 】
Chu Yang nodded in satisfaction, reaching out to help her up: "Rise. From today onward, you are the fifth direct disciple under me, Chu Yang."
"Yes! Master!" Su Xiaoman happily stood up, curiously observing Chu Yang, finding her Master more and more pleasing to the eye.
Chu Yang then turned his gaze to the still kowtowing Scarred Man, his expression indifferent: "Scram. If you dare step into this valley again, or reveal what happened today, you will be Body and Spirit Annihilated."
"Thank you for sparing my life, Senior! Thank you, Senior!" The Scarred Man acted as if granted amnesty, scrambling away from the valley, vowing never to approach this cursed place again in his life.
Chu Yang looked at his newly accepted little disciple and asked, "Do you have anything else to pack?"
Su Xiaoman shook her head and pointed at the bamboo hut: "Just some Array Discs and small trinkets I made myself; nothing valuable." She was quite fond of her "treasures."
Chu Yang swept his sleeve, and the bamboo hut, along with everything inside, was collected into the System Space. "Let's go, follow your Master back to the Sect."
He took Su Xiaoman, took one step, and vanished from the valley.
Not long after they left, the mist above the valley rippled slightly, and an extremely faint Divine Sense, tinged with suspicion, swept over the area.
"The aura of the Array Spirit Body is gone... taken away by someone? Who?"
"And that fleeting Saint Venerable Dao Rhyme just now..."
"When did such a figure appear in this remote Southern Domain? It seems the plan needs to be accelerated..."
The Divine Sense whispered a few words and quietly retreated, as if it had never been there.
And at this moment, within the Reincarnation Sect, they were about to welcome a mischievous and spirited junior sister who loved array formations.
Under Chu Yang's tutelage, another Hidden Dragon has been added!
（Chapter Twenty-Five End ）