Chapter 280 - 278: The Bizarre Book
People like Elder Qi were the true pillars of any power.
He was a senior member, possessed a unique skill, and was fiercely loyal, even valuing the sect’s interests above his own life.
And what was the result?
A man like him was now thrown into a prison to fend for himself.
The current Alliance Leader of the Sun-piercing Alliance, Guan Tianming, must have gone completely mad, disregarding everything.
"Does your Ming Sect truly only intend to take the Sun-piercing Sword? After dealing with Guan Tianming, will you not touch anything else belonging to my Sun-piercing Alliance?"
𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Elder Qi was still apprehensive and not entirely at ease.
Chen Yuan scoffed. "Elder Qi, since you know some of the Jianghu’s secrets about my Ming Sect, you should also know of our former power and heritage."
"Besides the Sun-piercing Sword, do you think my Ming Sect would have any interest in your other scraps?"
Elder Qi gave a bitter smile. It was indeed true.
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if the Ming Sect had declined, they wouldn’t stoop to collecting just any garbage.
Chen Yuan asked, "The two Vice Alliance Leaders of the Sun-piercing Alliance—are they of one mind with Guan Tianming?"
Elder Qi thought for a moment before replying, "Of the two Vice Alliance Leaders, ’Mountain-Shaking Hand’ Pang Xing’an is the Alliance Leader’s absolute loyalist. He has a fierce and irritable personality, often punishing or killing disciples of the Alliance at the slightest provocation. Alliance Leader Feng had once punished him severely. Later, after Guan Tianming became the Alliance Leader, he gave Pang Xing’an many resources, which allowed him to step into the Divine Platform Realm. That’s why he is utterly loyal to Guan Tianming, an absolute diehard."
"The other Vice Alliance Leader, ’Cloud Sword’ Yuwen Shan, is an old-timer in the Sun-piercing Alliance, even more senior than the previous Alliance Leader, Feng Tianyang."
"He has always been neutral, but his relationship with Guan Tianming is not very good."
"This is for two reasons. First, Guan Tianming forcefully seized the inheritance Alliance Leader Feng left for his children. Second, they had a huge argument over Guan Tianming’s wanton arrests of people in You Province."
"But even so, if your Ming Sect tries to seize the Sun-piercing Sword, Vice Alliance Leader Yu will still intervene."
Chen Yuan shook his head gently. "The people of your Sun-piercing Alliance are very loyal. It’s just a pity you’re stuck with an overly selfish and reckless Alliance Leader like Guan Tianming."
"Guan Tianming wasn’t like this before."
A complicated look appeared in Elder Qi’s eyes. "Although he couldn’t compare to the previous Alliance Leader, Feng Tianyang, when he first took over the Sun-piercing Alliance, he also poured his heart and soul into governing it diligently. Otherwise, why would I have submitted to him?"
"While Guan Tianming lacks personal integrity and has certainly wronged Alliance Leader Feng, with his actions bordering on bullying the old, weak, women, and children, he was also doing it to gather resources forcefully so he could step into the Ninth Realm Celestial Profound as soon as possible. Otherwise, how could our Sun-piercing Alliance protect itself?"
"But ever since he obtained that bizarre, tattered book, his actions have become increasingly strange and arbitrary. No one knows what he’s thinking or what he plans to do."
"A book? What book?" Chen Yuan asked quickly.
There was no mention of any book in the intelligence he had received before.
Elder Qi smiled bitterly. "I don’t know what book it was. It’s just that half a year ago, Guan Tianming made a trip to Yong Province, and he began to enter seclusion right after he returned."
"Then, Guan Tianming summoned me and, holding a very strange ancient book, asked if I could recognize the script on it."
"But the script was obscure and difficult to understand, not any language I recognized. I reckon only Tiansuanzi, Liu Suifeng, the Military Advisor of the neighboring Ning Province Martial Hall, might be able to identify it."
"After that, Guan Tianming dismissed me. But since then, the Alliance Leader’s behavior has grown even more bizarre, and he carries that strange book with him at all times."
"Eventually, I couldn’t even see Guan Tianming anymore. I could only deliver the Cultivation Techniques collected for him each day and then leave."
"Until today, when I finally couldn’t hold back and began to admonish him, only to be thrown into this prison by an enraged Guan Tianming."
"If you couldn’t recognize the script, why did you say the book was bizarre?"
Elder Qi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Because I felt that the book was alive."
"Alive?"
After saying it, Elder Qi became more certain. "That’s right. My feeling was that it was alive. The book wasn’t made of paper, but of leather—a very fine, smooth, and incredibly strange type of leather."
"The script on it was blackish-red. Although I couldn’t understand it, the characters gave me the feeling that they were constantly writhing. But when I looked closely, they weren’t. In short, it was extremely bizarre."
Chen Yuan nodded slightly, committing this to memory.
Guan Tianming was a Ninth Realm Celestial Profound Level expert. Even if Mr. Bei said his Ninth Realm Celestial Profound status was a bit watered-down, he was still a Ninth Realm Celestial Profound. An existence who could advance to such a Realm couldn’t be bewitched by any ordinary object.
In other words, whatever had managed to bewitch him was certainly no ordinary item.
"Also, this underground prison was modified under Guan Tianming’s direct orders. There’s something wrong with the Array here."
"Oh? What’s wrong with it?"
Elder Qi said in a low voice, "This underground prison was previously used to store provisions and supplies. There were Arrays down here before, but they were all for preserving the food."
"Later, after Guan Tianming started arresting people, he personally modified the Arrays here."
"You should be able to feel it. After entering this place, you subconsciously feel a sense of irritable heat."
"This irritable heat goes straight to the depths of one’s mind, subtly eroding a Martial Artist’s mental state."
"The constant fighting among the Martial Artists in this underground prison, and the fact that each block has produced its own boss, is partly due to this Array. It amplifies the negative emotions in your heart, making you fierce and violent."
"Guan Tianming didn’t know anything about Arrays before, but now he can lay down a Grand Array that affects one’s mental state. Isn’t that strange?"
"Moreover, if this continues, the underground prison will sooner or later turn into a powder keg. Everyone’s mind will be filled with ferocious killing intent."
"At that point, a single trigger will ignite all these negative emotions, and the entire underground prison will erupt into a Chaotic Scene of mutual slaughter!"
"I don’t know what Guan Tianming is planning, but when I merely mentioned it to him today, he flew into a rage and threw me in here."
Chen Yuan frowned slightly. He had sensed something was wrong with the underground prison the moment he entered, but he hadn’t expected Guan Tianming to be playing such a high-stakes game.
’What exactly is Guan Tianming trying to do? Does he want to turn the entire Sun-piercing Alliance into a Chaotic Scene?’
’But none of that is really important right now. I’ve already obtained the Emperor’s Qi Observation Skill. The next step is to coordinate with Mr. Bei and the others from the inside to get the Sun-piercing Sword.’
"Guan Tianming won’t get the chance."
Chen Yuan said faintly, "I have an Array Plate on me. I can destroy the Sun-piercing Alliance’s Sect Protection Array directly from the inside."
"Elder Qi, do you know the location of the central hub for the Sun-piercing Alliance’s entire array system?"
In truth, not knowing the location of the central hub wasn’t a deal-breaker. The Cyan Dragon Shadow Killing Array that Mr. Bei had given Chen Yuan was immensely powerful. Once released, it would naturally unleash its Array Power to fight against the Sun-piercing Alliance’s Sect Protection Array.
However, if he could release it at the location of the central hub, he could conserve a great deal of the Array Power.
"It’s right above the Fourth and Fifth Prisons."
Then, Elder Qi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is it really impossible to just deal with Guan Tianming alone?"
Chen Yuan shook his head. "As the Alliance Leader, Guan Tianming certainly has many diehard loyalists within the Sun-piercing Alliance. These people will have to be dealt with sooner or later."
"Besides, you can’t build the new without destroying the old. You won’t be able to hold on to the Sun-piercing Alliance’s current foundation. The moment Guan Tianming dies, the Murong Family will definitely take advantage of the chaos."
"So, it would be better to abandon Sun-piercing Valley, take your remaining forces to the borders of You Province, and rebuild your power from there."
"Elder Qi, you know the Murong Family’s style better than I do."
Elder Qi sighed. Of course he knew the Murong Family’s style.
The two sides had been fighting in You Province for many years. If something were to happen to the Sun-piercing Alliance, the Murong Family would certainly swoop in to pick at the scraps.
So, even if Chen Yuan didn’t destroy the Sun-piercing Alliance’s Sect Protection Array, it would eventually fall into the hands of the Murong Family, only benefiting them.
"Alright, then! As soon as you break the array and get out, I will immediately go find Vice Alliance Leader Yuwen Shan and see if I can persuade him."
Chen Yuan nodded. After they had made their agreement, Chen Yuan called Du Yang over and told him to take good care of the little girl, Zuo Qianlan.
When Du Yang heard that Chen Yuan was going to break the array and shatter this underground prison, he was simultaneously horrified and overjoyed.
He was among the first batch of Martial Artists to be captured. He already knew in his heart that the Sun-piercing Alliance’s recent actions were strange, and that people like him were unlikely to meet a good end.
But now that Chen Yuan was saying he could shatter the array and lead them out, Du Yang was naturally ecstatic. He thumped his chest and guaranteed that he would protect the little girl even if it cost him his life.
The next day, when it was time for the meal to be distributed, Chen Yuan took Elder Qi and went directly to the area below the Fourth and Fifth Prisons.
Chen Yuan took out the Cyan Dragon Shadow Killing Array and poured a large amount of True Qi into it. In an instant, the array lit up with a sudden burst of light.
Although Elder Qi’s Martial Dao Talent was average, his knowledge was eclectic, and he had some familiarity with the Array Dao.
He could tell at a glance how powerful this Array Plate was. It was just as one would expect from the Great Brightness Sect; their heritage was truly profound.
The underground prison was incredibly dim. The moment the array’s light flared, it immediately attracted the attention of the prison guards.
The guard in charge of the underground prison was a Primordial Pill Realm Grandmaster. His expression changed drastically at the sight. Sword Qi erupted from the Long Sword in his hand, and he lunged toward Chen Yuan, his blade striking like a clap of thunder.
A Black Flame Sword likewise appeared in Chen Yuan’s hand. He fused his Celestial Fire Power with the Li Yan Blood Fiend, and a crimson Sword Qi howled out, tearing the incoming Sword Qi apart.
Then, Chen Yuan took out the Nether King Mask and put it on. This made Elder Qi, Du Yang, and the others instantly recognize Chen Yuan’s identity.
Chen Yuan, the successor of the Great Brightness Sect’s Celestial Fire Hall!
Elder Qi let out a sigh of relief. The man was indeed from the Ming Sect, and not just anyone—he was the only brilliant talent from the Ming Sect’s younger generation to make a name for himself on the Hidden Dragon Rankings.
If the Ming Sect had its eyes on the Sun-piercing Alliance, then they would likely be satisfied with just taking the rampaging Sun-piercing Sword.
But if any other power had targeted the Sun-piercing Alliance, the consequences would be too dreadful to imagine.
Meanwhile, Du Yang felt a faint thrill of excitement.
’This is a legendary figure, the successor of the Ming Sect!’
’Getting beaten up by him isn’t some dark past to be ashamed of. If I tell people in the Jianghu about this, it’ll be something I can brag about!’