Longevity by Grinding Skills

Xu Yunfan cut the chatter. Seeing the others begin their preparations, he glanced over at the unconscious Ye Xuan.

His expression turned solemn as he performed the Ta Gang Step. The spell signs he formed with his hands changed so rapidly they left behind a trail of afterimages.

Within his Dantian, vast Divine Sky Magical Power surged forth, stirring the violent Gang Wind in the surroundings.

With a shake of his sleeve, one hundred and eight Array Formation Banners transformed into streaks of light, vanishing into the void in an instant and pinning themselves into the surrounding Earth Qi nodes.

Across the ground and through the void, countless Array Patterns—invisible to the naked eye but tangibly real—spread out frantically from him as the center. They rapidly linked the Earth Vein Evil Qi with the Nine Heavens Profound Wind.

Zhang Qiaoluo watched calmly, but an imperceptible flash of surprise still flickered in her eyes.

Xu Yunfan’s speed in setting up the array far surpassed that of an ordinary Array Cultivator. It was as if the Array Patterns formed themselves at the speed of his thoughts. Clearly, his understanding of the Heaven and Earth Qi Mechanism and the Array Dao Laws was approaching the level of a Grandmaster.

’No wonder the True Monarch values him so highly.’

Sun Yue twisted his neck with interest, the bones cracking like popping beans, as if he were warming up for the impending battle.

Like the most patient of hunters, Mo Qisha’s figure quietly faded, melting into the deepest shadows of the canyon.

Lu Chuan, meanwhile, stood with his hands behind his back at the Array Core. His aura was coiled and ready to strike, his gaze sharp as lightning. It pierced through the layers of Gang Wind, locking onto a chilling Sword Intent in the distant sky—an intent that grew ever closer, carrying with it the power to shatter all evil.

The world instantly grew more oppressive, leaving only the shriek of the Gang Wind and the low hum of the Array being guided by Xu Yunfan’s fingertips.

When Xu Yunfan imprinted the final, complex Rune into the void, the entire Nine Heavens Five Thunders Yin Yang Chaotic God Covering Evil Formation abruptly contracted. The majestic fluctuations of the Array receded like a tide into the surrounding mountains, forests, and rock walls, falling completely silent.

An indescribable pulsation of cause and effect then permeated the area, as if this entire region had been temporarily peeled away from the world, veiled by a hazy, thin gauze.

This was a Cause and Effect Secret Technique meticulously set up by Xu Yunfan. Unless one was an expert in this Dao or possessed a crushingly superior Cultivation Realm, it would be extremely difficult to see through the mysteries within.

Lu Chuan stood nearby, sensing the residual Array Power that had vanished in an instant yet remained omnipresent. A subtle flicker of shock passed through the depths of his pupils.

He could feel the vast Earth Vein Evil Qi channeled by the Array Base being efficiently guided and restrained. It merged with the mighty, latent Thunder Power in the sky and a peculiar energy that constantly flowed and separated Yin and Yang, forming a precise and deadly structure.

He couldn’t help but ask, "This array... is actually capable of this?"

Xu Yunfan’s Magical Power stirred within him, and his face turned slightly pale for a moment, giving the impression of extreme exertion.

Seeing this, the others subconsciously assumed that setting up such a Grand Array had obviously taken a significant toll.

Xu Yunfan’s tone remained calm and steady. "This is the Nine Heavens Five Thunders Yin Yang Chaotic God Covering Evil Formation. Arrays are divided into nine grades; this one can be considered Sixth Grade, which is top-tier within the Foundation Establishment Realm.

This array consumed thirty percent of my heart’s Essence Blood, supplemented with seventeen specific Spiritual Materials, just barely crossing the threshold into the Sixth Grade.

Its core lies in drawing upon the might of the Divine Sky Thunderbolt and commanding the power of Yin and Yang’s rotation. Its greatest function, with a little guidance from me, is to use the dense Earth Vein Evil Qi here to completely conceal all internal Qi mechanisms and causal entanglements, forming its own small fog of causality."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "The array is divided into three main realms. The Divine Sky Realm summons the Nine Heavens True Thunder to break evil and nullify techniques.

The Yin Yang Realm regulates the Five Elements of Birth and Destruction to disrupt the Spiritual Mechanism. The Chaotic Divine Realm uses Evil Qi to nurture the Deceiving God Heart Thunder, which specializes in attacking the Divine Soul.

The three realms overlap and are interlinked. Within the Foundation Establishment Realm, this is a peak offensive array. Even a Cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection who stumbles in will, without a special Protective Treasure or a heaven-defying array-breaking Divine Technique, only be ground down by endless waves of Thunder Fire, Evil Qi, and the Power of Chaos God. In the end, they will face complete annihilation, with not even a remnant of their soul able to escape the thunder’s judgment."

Zhang Qiaoluo, Sun Yue, and Mo Qisha, who had been listening quietly, all felt their Heart and Spirit tremble upon hearing this.

They were naturally aware of the reputation of a Sixth-grade Grand Array. Ordinary factions lacked the power to deploy one at all. Even for a Great Daoist Master at Foundation Establishment Perfection, setting one up would be anything but easy unless they specialized in the Array Dao or possessed profound resources.

Not only had Xu Yunfan successfully deployed it, but he had also precisely channeled the Earth Vein Evil Qi and used a Cause and Effect Secret Technique to conceal it. Such Array Dao Mastery was truly astonishing.

As Zhang Qiaoluo looked at Xu Yunfan, the scrutinizing look in her eyes quietly faded, replaced by a deeper sense of approval and an imperceptible trace of wariness and a desire to curry favor.

’It’s absolutely necessary to be on good terms with an Array Dao Grandmaster like him.’

For a moment, the way she looked at Xu Yunfan changed, her eyes becoming somewhat watery and alluring.

Xu Yunfan: "..."

Sun Yue’s expression grew solemn, while Mo Qisha’s aura became even more subdued, like a Stubborn Stone blending into its surroundings.

Seeing Xu Yunfan adopt a meditative, unresponsive posture, Zhang Qiaoluo withdrew her gaze and looked down at the unconscious Ye Xuan on the ground.

Without the slightest hesitation, she flicked a speck of dark light from her fingertip, which accurately sank into the space between Ye Xuan’s eyebrows.

Ye Xuan’s body shuddered violently, and she woke up with a soft moan.

The confusion in her eyes lasted only for an instant before she recognized the bewitching face with a cold smile before her.

"Zhang Qiaoluo, you poisonous bitch! You’re despicable and shameless! The Wansheng Sword Sect will never let you get away with this!"

Ye Xuan’s eyes were bloodshot. She cursed loudly, struggling to get up, but the restrictions in her body were still active, her Magical Power stagnant. She could only writhe helplessly.

Zhang Qiaoluo looked down at her condescendingly. "Save your strength. In a little while, you won’t even have the energy to curse."

A short while later, Lu Chuan suddenly spoke.

"He’s here."

Sun Yue was surprised. "So soon!?"

His gaze turned toward the entrance of the valley, where some kind of heart-pounding sharpness seemed to be gathering, growing clearer and clearer.

Before the words had even faded, a terrifying Sword Intent—unrivaled in its sharpness, as if it could slice through the void itself—suddenly descended.

It wasn’t an Escape Light; it was more like it had "slashed" its way over from an extremely distant place, crossing space to lock onto the core of the valley.

The Sword Intent was so overwhelming it was like a blazing sun rising into the sky. In an instant, it bleached all the grass and trees of their natural color, leaving only a cold, sharp radiance.

The air whimpered as if being torn apart. Invisible Sword Qi, preceding any physical form, plowed across the ground, carving deep furrows straight toward Zhang Qiaoluo and Lu Chuan.

The real battle erupted the very moment the Sword Intent arrived.

"Act now!"

Lu Chuan let out a low shout, a sharp light exploding in his eyes.

He knew how terrifying Ye Yuan was. As the leader of the Ye Family, his Sword Dao Cultivation was extraordinary. Lu Chuan didn’t dare hold anything back, pushing the Xuanqing Decree True Method within him to its absolute limit.

He brought two fingers together like a brush and drew in the empty air. An ancient, vigorous character for "Decree," filled with the Dao Rhyme of the Celestial Dao, instantly manifested.

This decree was no mere Talisman; it was a True Words Decree that condensed his Daoist Cultivation and communicated with the authority of heaven and earth.

"By decree, separate the clear from the turbid! Let the Spiritual Qi return to its source!"

Lu Chuan spoke the words, his voice carrying an indescribable authority.

BOOM!

Within a radius of several hundred yards, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi instantly erupted into chaos.

The particles of Spiritual Qi, which had been flowing peacefully and filling the void, suddenly found their one true master in the command of the True Words Decree.