Li Xue opened her eyes to a vast expanse of white. She immediately sensed something was wrong and swept her divine sense across her surroundings; it was endless. This was trouble—she was certainly trapped in an array.
Her surroundings were a blur, save for the Bai family jade pendant Ji Rufeng had given her, which emitted a faint, shimmering light against her chest. Li Xue raised her right hand, channeling spiritual energy into her Divine Ring and tapping several points in the air, but to no avail. It seemed she truly was trapped, and this was no ordinary formation. If she couldn't even open the Dream Realm, could this be an Immortal Array?
Cold sweat broke out across Li Xue’s brow. This place was too dangerous; she needed to get back to the Dream Realm first. Wasting no time, she performed a series of hand seals, enveloping herself in a restrictive barrier. With a sudden shimmer of her body, she vanished back into the Dream Realm.
This technique was called the Spirit-Breaking Incantation, used to forcibly enter a realm. Ordinary spatial techniques were useless within the confines of an Immortal Array.
By the lakeside, two men sat at a small stone table, clearly mid-match in a game of Go. Upon closer inspection, one was Li Lin, while the other—a cool, handsome man—could only be Hei Yan. Li Xue’s eyes sparkled as she walked over. Taking a better look, she saw a black cloak and flowing long hair. *Wow, he really is handsome.*
Seeing the stars in his mother’s eyes, Li Lin rolled his eyes helplessly. Hei Yan, however, greeted her with a smile. "Mistress has fled back as well?"
"Ugh, yes. Don't even get me started. That unscrupulous fellow—I curse his entire family! Anyway, where were you two teleported to?" Li Xue asked.
"Into the path of four Level Five spirit beasts," Li Lin replied.
"Ah, you were that unlucky!" Li Xue felt a sudden sense of balance in her heart. She added, "Where I was, it’s definitely an Immortal Array!"
"An Immortal Array?" Hei Yan looked up, his interest piqued.
"Yes. What should we do? We can't just wait for Xiao Ming to finish her secluded cultivation and return to the Yunjin Sect," Li Xue said, throwing up her hands.
"We break through it," Li Lin said, placing his final stone.
Hei Yan looked at him in shock. "That is an Immortal Array. We are only in the early stage of Core Formation!"
Li Lin glanced up at Hei Yan. "Don't we have you?"
Hei Yan immediately jumped up, shouting, "Me? I just transformed! I'm also only at the early stage of Core Formation!"
"A Prophet should have no trouble dealing with a measly Immortal Array," Li Lin said nonchalantly.
"You!" Hei Yan’s face turned red with frustration. He yelled, "Who said a Prophet has to know everything? We of the Black Wolf Clan are not specialized in breaking arrays!"
"Sigh. Watch your image. My mother likes handsome men," Li Lin remarked, glancing at the exasperated Hei Yan.
Hearing this, Hei Yan became even more embarrassed. He was constantly provoked by Li Lin until his composed image crumbled; it was truly undignified.
Li Xue’s heart twitched. Li Lin was like a spark to Hei Yan’s powder keg—one touch and he’d explode. Seeing the handsome man so flustered, she shook her head and diverted the topic. "I discovered that the Bai family jade pendant glows while inside the array."
"Oh?" This caught both Hei Yan and Li Lin’s attention. Hei Yan’s eyes flashed as he looked at Li Xue. "Mistress, if that is the case, it is worth a try."
Li Xue nodded. One couldn't always run away when facing danger; the purpose of cultivation was to overcome difficulties. However, preparations were still necessary. She took out all her array-breaking treasures to have them ready.
Li Xue, Li Lin, and Hei Yan appeared in the array simultaneously. It was still a world of white. The three of them used array-breaking compasses and other tools to carefully test the area, eventually choosing a direction to advance. They moved cautiously into the depths of the white mist. It was so thick they couldn't see their own hands, and even with their early Core Formation cultivation, they couldn't peer through it. They used spiritual threads to tether themselves together, fearing the array might teleport them to different locations if they separated.
The further they went, the greater the surrounding pressure became. Li Xue could imagine how high the density of this space was. The three of them circulated their full spiritual power to resist, eventually forced to use defensive treasures to bolster their protection. Attacking was the most dangerous thing one could do inside an array—especially a Phantasm-Killing Array, where the stronger the attack, the more powerful the rebound. Thus, they could only focus entirely on defense.
Fortunately, the array did not seem intent on killing them. Whenever they were on the verge of collapse, the jade pendant on Li Xue’s chest would brighten, easing the pressure slightly. They moved forward inch by inch, their spiritual energy depleting rapidly, relying entirely on Spirit-Restoring Pills to replenish themselves.
After what felt like centuries, they finally sensed the white mist thinning. Over the final stretch of the path, the mist vanished completely. By now, the three were exhausted; this was more draining than an actual battle. It truly lived up to the name of an Immortal Array, even one without offensive capabilities. Feeling a lingering sense of dread, they hurried to meditate and regulate their breathing, unsure of what they would encounter next.
Following the guidance of the jade pendant, they continued forward. Before them lay a dense forest of towering trees and tangled vines so thick there was no path to speak of. The sky was impassable—they had no idea what restrictions might be in place—so they had to clear a path through the undergrowth.
"Watch out!" Li Lin sent a divine sense transmission. A vine was lashing out toward Li Xue.
Li Xue had sensed it already. Her divine sense was powerful; the moment there was a disturbance, she sacrificed her Flying Shuttle to resist with all her might. The vine sprouted countless branches like tentacles, surrounding both Li Xue and the shuttle. Li Xue surged her spiritual energy, causing the Five Elements Flying Shuttle to erupt in brilliant five-colored light, momentarily stalling the vine's encirclement.
Li Lin and Hei Yan swiftly attacked the vine, but it was as hard as meteoric iron. Even with the power of two early Core Formation cultivators—capable of shattering ten-thousand-foot mountains—they couldn't break it. Li Lin’s expression darkened. His hands blurred as he formed several hand seals, preparing to use his Natal Heart Fire to burn the terrifying vines. Suddenly, as the vines came into contact with the light from the jade pendant, they automatically recoiled and retreated.
"Mother, are you alright?" Li Lin rushed forward to check on her.
"I'm fine." Li Xue recalled the Five Elements Flying Shuttle. Her face was pale, and her arms and legs were bloodied from the vine's grip. Most of her spiritual energy was spent. She immediately swallowed a Spirit-Restoring Pill and a healing pill to begin her recovery while Li Lin and Hei Yan stood guard.
Half an hour later, having recovered some energy, she stood up. Li Xue didn't dare meditate for too long. With lingering fear, she said, "Fortunately, the vines retreat when they encounter the light from the jade pendant. The master of this place must have a deep connection with the Bai family."
Sure enough, as Li Xue held the jade pendant out in front, the surrounding trees and vines only writhed restlessly at the periphery like countless tentacles. The sight was hair-raising.
The three of them emerged from the dense forest as if treading on thin ice, looking quite disheveled. They had expected the next area to be a desert or a volcano. To their excitement, however, a valley appeared. It contained a deep pond, and dense spiritual energy swirled throughout the valley—clearly, a Spirit-Gathering Array was hidden within the Immortal Array.
Li Xue and the others widened their eyes. On the bank of the pond, a small stalk of grass was twisting and swaying incessantly. There was no wind at the moment, so why was the grass moving? Indeed, this little plant was swaying non-stop. Furthermore, it was a Yin Spirit Grass, a relatively common plant in the cultivation world. Looking at it, it seemed to be about five hundred years old. What was going on?
Could it be a Yin Spirit Grass that had gained sentience? It was only five hundred years old! There were spirit grasses tens of thousands of years old in the Dream Realm that showed no signs of sentience. This was miraculous! Li Xue swept her divine sense over the area and felt no danger. She prepared to communicate with the newly sentient Yin Spirit Grass.
"Mother, be careful!" Li Lin suddenly cried out in alarm.
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 破灵诀 | Spirit-Breaking Incantation | A special technique used to forcibly enter or exit realms/spaces. |
| 黑狼族 | Black Wolf Clan | The clan Hei Yan belongs to. |
| 五行飞梭 | Five Elements Flying Shuttle | Li Xue's magical treasure/artifact. |
| 聚灵阵 | Spirit-Gathering Array | A formation that collects and concentrates spiritual energy. |
| 阴灵草 | Yin Spirit Grass | A type of spiritual plant, usually associated with Yin energy. |
| 本命心火 | Natal Heart Fire | A cultivator's core, innate flame used for refining or powerful attacks. |
| 灵牵 | Spiritual Thread | A cord made of spiritual energy used to keep people connected. |
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 97 | The Immortal Array | Novela.app | Novela.app
