Chapter 344 - 343: Heaven-Trapping Array
First!
A Sky-Controlling Martial Artist, competing against numerous Celestial Humans, had actually pulled ahead to take first place with his speed! The result left everyone utterly astonished.
All the Celestial Humans, after their initial admiration and shock, were filled with a defiant refusal to lose. One by one, they unleashed their True Essence with all their might and shot toward the mountain range!
"Hmph, being the fastest doesn’t mean a thing. Seizing the Cyan Cloud Order is the main objective. For a mere Sky-Controlling Martial Artist to think he can hold onto the Cyan Cloud Order in front of so many Celestial Humans is simply impossible."
"That’s right. If he can’t hold onto the Cyan Cloud Order, being fast is useless."
"Quick, we have to surround him! Don’t let him escape."
The Celestial Humans reached a tacit understanding. Their figures scattered, forming an encirclement that gradually closed in on Qin Ya. At that moment, having already reached the mountain peak, Qin Ya abruptly spotted a pale cyan token at a nexus point on the summit.
With a SWOOSH, his figure flashed forward. In an instant, he had snatched the Cyan Cloud Order and stored it in his Storage Ring. Just then, a storm of Sword Qi, Palm Qi, Blade Qi, and more rushed toward him!
Qin Ya had anticipated this. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly as his figure moved like a phantom, weaving through the tempest-like onslaught. The attacks sent sand and stones flying, cracking the very ground. When the dust settled, Qin Ya was completely unscathed.
Seeing this, everyone’s pupils contracted!
"Qin Ya, hand over the Cyan Cloud Order now!"
"Hand over the Cyan Cloud Order and we’ll spare your life!"
Qin Ya’s expression was composed. He looked at the numerous Celestial Human Martial Artists who had surrounded him, then raised his gaze to the sky above. His tone was indifferent as he said, "Is this the ’grace’ of Yun Province’s major powers? Going back on your word... truly despicable."
As his words fell, several figures descended.
It was Ao Zhanyun, He Ziqing, and the other Lords of Influence.
"I never would have expected Young Friend Qin to be the one to obtain the Cyan Cloud Order in the end."
He Ziqing sighed and remarked with emotion, "Our major powers have already made a pact. Since this is the outcome, the Cyan Cloud Order belongs to Young Friend Qin."
The others’ faces were grim, but they didn’t say much.
But a glint flashed in their eyes as they stared at Qin Ya, their minds clearly scheming.
"That would be for the best!"
Qin Ya said indifferently. Just as he was about to leave, the body of the Ting Xiao Sword began to vibrate violently, and Ting Xiao’s voice transmitted to him, "Kid, something’s strange here!"
"What’s strange?" Qin Ya asked.
"I felt something was off the moment we entered the mountain range. There are traces of an Array being set up around here... This is bad! Kid, run!" Ting Xiao suddenly shouted.
Hearing this, Qin Ya didn’t dare to delay and shot into the distance.
"Today, no one is leaving."
The Ao Family’s patriarch, Ao Zhanyun, shot into the sky. Forming a Spell with his hands, he took out a massive Array Disc. Endless Primordial Qi gathered, and in an instant, a huge curtain of light descended from the heavens, completely enveloping the mountain range for a hundred miles in every direction!
In an instant, an immense pressure enveloped everyone. Qin Ya, who was fleeing at high speed, suddenly felt his True Essence become shackled, its circulation slowing by an unknown number of times. Instantly, his speed faltered, and he slowly descended from the sky.
The members of the other powers also landed on the ground. Some of the less fortunate with weaker Cultivation had their True Essence halt completely, causing them to plummet from hundreds of feet in the air. They slammed into the ground, their bones shattered and bodies mangled into a bloody pulp.
"This is... an Array!!"
He Ziqing’s eyes were filled with gloom. He stared at the smiling Ao Zhanyun outside the Array’s light curtain and said in a heavy voice, "Ao Zhanyun, what are you planning?!"
"Ao Zhanyun, deactivate the Array at once!"
"Most of Yun Province’s first-rate powers are here! Do you intend to make an enemy of the entire province? With the Ao Family’s strength alone, there’s no way you’d survive."
"Hmph, you treacherous villain."
The Martial Artists from the various powers began to curse him.
But Qin Ya did not join in the cursing. He glanced at Ao Zhanyun, then calmly asked Ting Xiao, "What’s the name of this Array? Is there a way to break it?"
"The Heaven-Trapping Array!"
"Even a Celestial Human Martial Artist who enters this Array will have their True Essence terrifyingly suppressed. The lower the Cultivation, the greater the suppression. An ordinary Celestial Human would be no different from a common person in here. Even a Half-Step King would lose at least ninety percent of their combat power."
"Is there a way to break it?" Qin Ya asked.
"Yes. Just give me some time."
"Be quick about it."
Facing everyone’s accusations, Ao Zhanyun’s expression was unconcerned, showing not a hint of shame. He said coolly, "Go on, curse all you want. It’s not like you have much time left anyway. If you wanted to snatch my Cyan Cloud Order, you should have been prepared to die."
"I knew an old fox like you wouldn’t hand over the Cyan Cloud Order so easily, but I never thought you’d be so depraved as to try and slaughter us all here."
He Ziqing said coldly, inwardly fuming. ’If I had known this old bastard would set up such an Array, I would have brought the Sect’s treasured Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, the Array-Breaking Bell. How could I have ended up in this helpless situation?’
"Depraved?"
"No, no, this isn’t depraved at all!"
A trace of smugness flashed in Ao Zhanyun’s eyes. With the air of a victor, he said, "The moment I got the Cyan Cloud Order, I knew I couldn’t hide it from you. So, I spent more than half of my family’s resources to hire a Ninth-Grade Array Master to lay this Grand Array and make you walk right into my trap!"
"Using the Cyan Cloud Order as bait to slaughter us all here... Then the Ao Family can become the sole power in Yun Province, freely swallowing up the other families. Not only would you recover all your previous losses, but you could even elevate your family’s influence to a new level. Am I wrong, Ao Zhanyun?" He Ziqing said coolly.
"Haha, yes, that’s right!"
Ao Zhanyun laughed heartily.
"What a venomous scheme, trying to wipe out most of Yun Province’s first-rate powers in one fell swoop. After all these years, Ao Zhanyun’s ambition hasn’t changed one bit."
"Hmph, does he really think he can succeed?"
"Ao Zhanyun... so vicious."
He Ziqing said in a cold voice, "You’d best release us right now. Many people know we came to the Ao Family. If something happens to us, the Ao Family will be the first suspect. When the Supreme Elder of my Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain comes looking for me, do you think you’ll get away unscathed? Can the Ao Family withstand the wrath of a King? Do you really believe your plan is flawless? Ridiculous!"
With every sentence He Ziqing spoke, Ao Zhanyun’s face grew a shade darker.
But having planned all this, how could he not have considered the final retaliation from the other powers? His grim expression gradually relaxed. "True, the revenge of a King is indeed terrifying. But do you really think I would be so reckless?"
"A month ago, I already had my family’s disciples disperse across the Southern Domain. Once I have the Cyan Cloud Order, pass the trial, become an Elder of Kunyun Palace, and make my family a vassal of the palace... what can a King do to me then?!"
"Furthermore, with the resources of Kunyun Palace, I might even break through my Cultivation bottleneck and become a King myself! When that time comes, the disciples of my Ao Family will reunite, and we will swallow all of your great powers. The entirety of Yun Province will revere me! Haha."
The faces of the crowd changed slightly, all of them shocked by Ao Zhanyun’s ambition.
At this, Ao Zhanyun turned his gaze to Qin Ya and said with a chilling tone, "You are a peerless prodigy. You should understand what it means to be a wise man who yields to the circumstances."
"Hand over the Cyan Cloud Order. No... give it back to me."