Chapter 351: Are You Looking for Me?
After leaving Villa No. 8, Cheng Yuan exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhu Yonghong and Zhang Guoqiang before returning to Villa No. 1.
Cheng Yuan walked over to the shade of Xiaozao’s tree and sat down cross-legged.
Sensing Cheng Yuan’s presence, Cheng the Second scurried over eagerly, a fawning look on his face. "Master, you’re back?"
Cheng Yuan nodded slightly and asked coolly, "Cheng the Second, has everything been peaceful at home lately?"
Cheng the Second said hesitantly, "Master, I was just about to report to you! For the past two days, I’ve had a really bad feeling, like I’m being watched. I asked Xiaozao to help investigate, but it couldn’t find anything."
Being watched?
Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow.
Cheng Yuan activated his Double Pupil and gazed at the dense forests surrounding Little Dragon Mountain.
After a moment, Cheng Yuan felt a bit dizzy—a sign of excessive Spiritual Power consumption.
Cheng Yuan deactivated his Double Pupil and sighed softly. ’My Spiritual Power isn’t strong enough. The Double Pupil can’t see very far. Otherwise, a single glance would have been enough to see if anyone was watching.’
"Master, you didn’t find anything either? Could it have been my imagination?"
"We’ll soon find out if it’s your imagination! I just need to set up an Array! The entirety of Little Dragon Mountain will be under my control!"
An Array?
Cheng the Second looked at Cheng Yuan with admiration. "I never thought that not only are you skilled in Alchemy, Master, but you’re also an expert in the way of Arrays! Are you planning to set up an Array specifically for warning signals?"
Cheng Yuan shook his head gently. "No. What I’m going to set up is a large, comprehensive Array! It consists of four parts. First, a Spirit Gathering Array to gather all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from Long Lake! Second, a Vessel-Attracting Array to gather all the Power of the Earth Veins from Little Dragon Mountain! Third, an Enchanting Array that uses Spirit Fog and the lay of the Earth Veins to make intruders lose their way! Fourth, if the enemy successfully passes through the Fog Array, they will trigger the final Annihilation Array! As for the warning signal you mentioned, that’s just one of its minor functions."
Cheng the Second was stunned by Cheng Yuan’s description!
’Isn’t this the kind of Mountain Protection Array that only Immortals from ancient myths and legends could create?’
’Besides, according to some ancient texts, this type of Mountain Protection Array requires an Array Spirit!’
Cheng the Second gave a well-intentioned reminder, "Master, setting up an Array consumes a vast amount of resources. More importantly, you’re planning a Mountain Protection Array, which requires an Array Spirit. It’s best not to start building it rashly before you have one."
Cheng Yuan said coolly, "Cheng the Second, how do you know I don’t have an Array Spirit?"
Cheng the Second froze. Realization dawned on him, and he subconsciously turned to look at Xiaozao. "Master, are you going to make Xiaozao the Array Spirit?"
Cheng Yuan rolled his eyes, speechless. "Cheng the Second, what are you thinking? Have you ever seen an Array Spirit with a physical body? To make Xiaozao the Array Spirit, I’d have to destroy its body first."
Xiaozao panicked. Its branches began to shake nonstop as a child-like voice echoed in Cheng Yuan’s mind.
"Master, please don’t destroy Xiaozao’s body! Xiaozao isn’t even an adult yet..."
Cheng Yuan chuckled. "Don’t panic, Xiaozao. My Array Spirit is right here."
As he spoke, Cheng Yuan took out the Jade Bottle.
POP! Cheng Yuan opened the stopper and said gently, "Little Python, come on out."
"ROAR!~"
Little Python had been cooped up in the small Jade Bottle for far too long. It shot out, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, and roared at the sky!
Little Python’s body was so enormous that Cheng the Second subconsciously took several steps back.
Xiaozao, however, wasn’t fazed in the slightest. It possessed a vast root system underground, with a total volume tens, or even hundreds, of times larger than Little Python’s!
Xiaozao swayed its branches slightly, releasing a tiny wisp of its aura.
Little Python was instantly intimidated, staring at Xiaozao in utter shock!
’The Master is just too incredible, isn’t he?’
’Even a jujube tree in his yard possesses such immense energy?’
Cheng Yuan said gently, "Little Python, I’ll give you one last chance to back out. If you’re willing to serve as the Array Spirit for the Mountain Protection Array, I will summon the Divine Thunder to refine you right now!"
"Master, Little Python is ready."
Cheng Yuan nodded, raised his hands to form a seal, and began to chant: "Witch Ancestor above, grant me your heavenly might, bring down the Divine Thunder—Celestial Witch Thunder-Invoking Spell!"
CRACK!
A tremendous boom suddenly erupted from the clear sky!
Incredibly dense dark clouds suddenly gathered above Villa No. 1!
A bolt of lightning, no thicker than a chopstick, burst from the dark clouds. It instantly pierced through a thousand meters of air and struck the giant python!
Though it was just a thin bolt of lightning, it nearly caused the giant python to disintegrate!
Unable to withstand the lightning’s power, the giant python collapsed to the ground, letting out a horrific, piercing shriek!
Arcs of electricity flashed across the giant python’s body, refining the resentful energy within it into pure Spiritual Qi!
The giant python’s color gradually lightened, changing from deep black to a pale gray, tinged with a creamy white.
A full ten-plus minutes passed before the lightning’s power finally dissipated.
At this moment, Little Python had completed its great transformation!
Little Python was no longer a Resentful Spirit, but had become a pure Spirit Body capable of using the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi for Cultivation!
Like a desert traveler who had been thirsty for a month, Little Python began to frantically absorb the energy from the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi!
In a single instant, all the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around Villa No. 1 was completely devoured by Little Python!
Little Python’s power soared, reaching the level of a Demon King!
Cheng Yuan was very pleased with Little Python’s transformation. With an Array Spirit at the level of a Demon King, the Mountain Protection Array could easily annihilate Martial King experts! It could even hold off an ordinary Martial Emperor!
Cheng Yuan took out a large handful of Jade Fragments and began to set up the Array.
Soon, the Spirit Gathering Array was complete.
The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi permeating the air above Long Lake gradually began to gather.
An hour later, the Spirit Attraction Array was complete.
The Power of the Earth Veins of Little Dragon Mountain gradually began to gather!
Next up was the Illusion Array.
Just as he finished setting up the Illusion Array, Cheng Yuan suddenly whipped his head around to look at the dense woods directly across from Villa No. 1!
While channeling the Power of the Earth Veins, Cheng Yuan had noticed something was amiss!
From within the dense woods, a faint, barely perceptible glint of light had flashed!
An ordinary person would have certainly ignored this glint, assuming it was just sunlight reflecting off a leaf—a natural phenomenon.
But Cheng Yuan wouldn’t ignore it. ’That was the reflection from a mirrored surface, not natural light!’
This meant that someone was in the dense woods, watching him through a pair of binoculars!
Cheng Yuan activated the second form of his Double Pupil and looked toward the source of the light. His vision instantly broke through the one-kilometer limit!
Cheng Yuan saw that at a distance of about 1,200 meters, there was a clump of bushes, and hidden within them was a young man.
The young man was holding a pair of binoculars, watching Cheng Yuan from afar!
The young man took out his phone and made a call.
"Hall Master, the target has returned to Villa No. 1. He’s doing something strange, looks like he’s burying some stones in the yard. The firing conditions are excellent right now. Should I proceed with a long-range sniper kill on the target?"
"How confident are you?"
"Eighty percent."
"Then that’s a hundred percent. Take the shot! I’ll give you a double bonus when you get back!"
"Thank you, Hall Master!"
The young man hung up the phone, excitedly assembled his sniper rifle, and raised it, trying to find Cheng Yuan’s figure in the scope.
But to the young man’s frustration, Cheng Yuan had suddenly vanished from his sight!
’Where did the target go?’
Just as the young man’s mind was reeling with confusion, a lazy voice came from behind him.
"Are you looking for me?"