Jiang Tang was once celebrated as a genius, but his remarkable abilities eventually turned him into a resource that powerful organizations wanted to control. After escaping that role, he enters a world filled with cultivators, factions, and larger-than-life figures who all seem determined to define him before he can define himself. Some see a future ruler, others a dangerous rival, and still others simply a useful worker. Jiang, however, insists that he wants an ordinary life. The problem is that every new encounter makes that ordinary future harder to reach—and reveals more about why his abilities matter.
Chapter 12: The Seven-Person Illusion Array
Jiang Tang was astonished by how quickly Dongfang absorbed knowledge. In this world, thanks to the existence of “yuanqi,” the physical fitness of ordinary people far exceeds that of people on Earth, and their memories are also very strong. As for intelligence, Jiang Tang felt it was about the same as on Earth; this likely has to do with their upbringing and state of mind. But Dongfang was different. He never viewed anything from a single perspective; if not for his lack of understanding of this world, he would likely have viewed things from every angle. What Jiang Tang considered trash was, in Dongfang’s eyes, a priceless treasure. It wasn’t that Jiang Tang was being overly ambitious; rather, it was uncertain whether he could obtain the Netherfire and return alive. Everything he acquired today might very well end up benefiting someone else tomorrow! Moreover, the weapons of the five cultivators were no match for the Earth Dragon Curved Blade, and as for their cultivation techniques, Jiang Tang truly held them in utter contempt. As for the ores, medicinal herbs, and talismans—they were all first-tier. Even the three second-tier Xiao Feng Wolf demon cores, in Jiang Tang’s view, were merely future crystal stones that offered no immediate benefit. This is because cultivators cannot directly absorb demon energy; otherwise, the two forces would clash within their bodies, inevitably leading to an explosive death! But Dongfang was different! “Spell formulas are the pathways through which a cultivator’s energy flows—I can mimic that. We have two second-tier Bone Spider demon cores and eight first-tier ones. Combined with these beast demon cores, that should be enough to create five array nodes. Add your wolf golem, and we can set up the Seven-Star Illusion Array.” “Create?” Upon hearing this, Jiang Tang was at a loss for words, explaining, “Even if you could perform the incantation for the Seven-Star Illusion Array, you still couldn’t create it—because this isn’t the Seven-Star Illusion Array at all. It’s just…” He then entered the wolf-type golem’s belly. Jiang Tang had already prepared the array nodes the day before. Using five second-tier demon cores and ten first-tier demon cores as the main materials, he had crafted five crude puppets smaller than Dongfang’s. Together with his own wolf puppet and Dongfang’s, that made exactly seven. Dongfang floated in front of the wolf golem, and several strands of spider silk suddenly shot out from his back, linking each golem together. At the same time, Jiang Tang used his divine sense to control the movements of the six golems, attempting to form various formations. As Dongfang manipulated his demon energy to mimic a cultivator’s hand seals, both Jiang Tang and Dongfang immediately sensed an invisible barrier radiating outward from Dongfang, enveloping them within. From the outside, it appeared to be a massive boulder. “So it’s Yuan Energy materialized like Gang Qi. The difference between this and Gang Qi lies in its ability to freely change shape and its inability to be defended against,” Dongfang said. Keeping one hand in the same hand seal, he raised the other, staring at several rows of parameters on a crystal screen on his wrist, which fluctuated as his Demon Yuan Energy shifted. “The minimum total Yuan Power output per minute is 708 to 802—that’s terrifying. After more than seven hours, I’ll have no combat capability left. I’ll leave the twelve crystals we seized for you to consume the Netherfire; each exploration session must not exceed three hours.” “That’s enough,” Jiang Tang replied, then began using his divine sense to control the six puppets as they advanced deeper into the vein alongside Dongfang. When they emerged from the vein, a vast ant chamber lay before them. Dozens of bluish-black worker ants, each as thick as an arm, were bustling about—some moving the dismembered corpses of demon beasts, while one was even dragging a human corpse deeper into the chamber. Meanwhile, soldier ants—three times the size of the workers and clad in dark red exoskeletons—were crawling outward. Despite the sheer number of ants, not a single one detected them. Even when some soldier and worker ants came close, they would pause briefly before immediately circling around them. After Dongfang used the spider silk to send a signal to Jiang Tang, he immediately took control of the puppet, guiding it along the wall to the entrance of an ant hole. This caused the ants rushing toward them to pause in surprise for a moment before quickly retreating. “It really works!” After sensing with his spiritual perception that there was no danger, Jiang Tang felt genuinely excited. Dongfang dared not make a sound; he simply tugged on the spider silk to signal Jiang Tang to enter the ant hole. The wolf puppets were massive, but perhaps because the ants frequently caught Howling Wind Wolves, the ant hole was just slightly larger than the puppets. As they explored slowly, they encountered many dead ends, but their efforts were not in vain. In an ant chamber at the end of one dead-end passage, a large number of cultivators’ remains were piled up; some of the corpses even still had storage pouches hanging from them. “These cultivators must have died not long ago. Could there have been a major battle above?” Jiang Tang poked his head out to look at the corpses of the cultivators. “That’s for the best—if it draws the troops away, we’ll be safer.” As Dongfang spoke, he had already scavenged all the storage pouches. Just as they were about to leave the ant chamber, Jiang Tang shuddered and quickly maneuvered the golem toward a corner. Although Dongfang hadn’t sensed anything, Jiang Tang’s action was a signal to him: danger was approaching! Without a moment’s hesitation, Dongfang darted to the corner of the room, channeling his spell even faster, causing his Yuan Energy consumption to surge past 3,000 per minute. The more Yuan Energy used in a Seven-Person Illusion Array, the more lifelike the illusions became. Typically, even the lowest setting of 780 was already indistinguishable to the naked eye; now, at 3,000, anyone below the Spirit-Martial Realm would be unable to tell this wasn’t a rock unless they walked right up and kicked it. “Damn it, it’s been two days, and the cultivators outside have been attacking nonstop, yet the soldier ants in this ant nest still haven’t come out in full force.” The sudden voice was very pleasant to the ear—clearly that of a woman. “Don’t worry. Now that the news is out, the cultivators outside won’t stop attacking. Wait another day, and the Ant King might even come out himself.” The speaker was likely a man, though his voice was rich and magnetic, possessing a hypnotic quality that made one want to fall asleep. “But the cultivators have suffered massive casualties as well. If they retreat, we’ll have come all this way for nothing.” The woman sounded very dissatisfied. The man immediately reassured her, “Didn’t we just obtain three drops of Netherfire Essence? How can you say it was a wasted trip? Think about it—didn’t the Shenwu Emperor himself rise to power through this very substance?” “My dear, many have obtained the Essence of the Netherfire, but how many have actually become the Shenwu Emperor? It’s just that his fame has echoed across The Continent for ten thousand years, so everyone uses this as an example, as if obtaining the Essence of the Netherfire were enough to become the Shenwu Emperor. How foolish.” “But regardless, this is still a treasure. Once refined, it has miraculous effects that can help us break through to the next level. You refine one drop first; I’ll stand guard for you.” No sooner had the man finished speaking than the woman immediately shook her head. “No. We’ve always cultivated as one; practicing separately slows our progress. Since this fire has such marvelous effects, why don’t we consume it together and cultivate in unison? Who knows—perhaps both of us might even break through directly to the mid-stage. With our late-stage cultivation levels, the Ant Queen will surely perish if we join forces.” “Well… all right. But first, I’ll set up a barrier at the cave entrance.” After saying this, the man busied himself for the duration of an incense stick before returning to the woman’s side. After the two sat down facing each other in the lotus position, the woman took out a glass vial that appeared to be crafted from ice crystals. Vaguely visible inside were three black water droplets burning with black flames, colliding wildly against one another; yet no matter how much they struggled, they could not break free. “As fluid as water, as fierce as fire—even in such a confined space, they still maintain their separation, neither merging nor devouring one another, each possessing its own spirit. Truly wondrous.” As soon as the man finished speaking, the woman opened the bottle’s mouth. Instantly, the temperature inside the ant chamber rose. At that very moment, the expressions on the man’s and woman’s faces changed drastically, and almost simultaneously, they each struck out with a palm toward a corner of the ant chamber!
