Chapter 90 Bone-Corroding Array

Chapter 90 Bone-Corroding Array

Hai hour (9-11 PM), Wanfu Inn.

The mealtime had passed, and only a few tables in the main hall were still occupied by diners.

The accountant was calculating the accounts in the ledger, thinking that it was almost time to go home, when suddenly a hand rushed in front of him and knocked on the counter, making a thumping sound.

He looked up at the person who had come in. The owner of the hand was a female cultivator. His good memory immediately reminded him that she had booked a room at noon that day.

"Good day, guest. Your room is room number fifteen upstairs." The accountant greeted him with a warm smile. "Your two companions have also recently returned to the inn."

Lou Yuqing nodded casually, but a barely perceptible look of excitement appeared in her eyes. She had won one of the three final items in the auction: the Heavenly Heart Pill.

The value of this elixir is self-evident.

As soon as she left the auction house, she discovered that someone was chasing her, attempting to kill her and steal her treasure. However, she used her lightning escape technique to shake off those with ill intentions and successfully made her way to Wanfu Inn.

All she needs to do next is take the pill, and her cultivation will be able to advance to the next realm without any obstacles.

As for whether she could take this cultivation level out of the small world, she had considered it. There was a high probability that she would revert to her original form once she went out, but at least in the small world, she could experience a more powerful strength.

She will have more confidence when harvesting snow lotus.

Just as Lou Yuqing was lost in her fantasies, the accountant, seeing that she hadn't moved, beckoned to the waiter: "Take the guest upstairs!"

The waiter immediately trotted over, bowing and scraping, and said, "Please follow me, sir!"

Lou Yuqing regained consciousness, cleared her throat, and said, "Okay."

Upon arriving at the room, she opened the gossip panel and saw that during the time Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng appeared at the auction house, her gossip value had skyrocketed by 10,000.

Unfortunately, they angered the auction house owner and were kicked out; otherwise, the gossip value would have increased even more.

To gain more "gossip points," there are two options: contact the Hu family or contact the Baiyan Sect. Lou Yuqing stroked her chin. The Hu family is in the city, which is closer, while the Baiyan Sect is outside the city, which is farther away.

They decided on the Hu family.

Moreover, the Hu family has acquaintances, and Ling Yunxiao should have a lot of information. Tomorrow, she and the other party will exchange information and then put it together. The whereabouts of the snow lotus will soon be revealed.

Oh, and there's also Chu Qingyang's side quest involving investigating the hunter; that can yield quite a few clues.

"Clues?" After letting her into the room, Chu Qingyang heard her question and smiled helplessly. "I can say I've come up empty-handed."

Lou Yuqing asked in surprise, "Where is Luo Buqi?"

Chu Qingyang was silent for a moment, then said, "We were both tracking the same person, a hunter named Lao Xue. After selling the snow rabbit at the slaughterhouse, he returned to the village outside the city to visit his friend who had been seriously injured by Baiyan Sect. Then he returned home dejectedly and there was no further news from him."

Lou Yuqing couldn't help but ask, "Didn't the other hunters investigate?"

“No, apart from that old Xue, there are no clues about the others. Why waste time on them?” Luo Buqi pushed open the door and said dejectedly, “I’m sure old Xue knows where Xue Lian is, but even after I used the Illusionary Eye, I still didn’t get the answer.”

Although the primary function of the Illusionary Eye is to trap and kill enemies, it can also be used to confuse minds and extract information, especially for mortals.

Lou Yuqing glanced at them and asked, "You guys have at least some patience when you're staking out someone. What if Old Xue makes a move after you leave?"

Luo Buqi waved his sleeve, completely unafraid: "I left a backup plan at his house. As long as he makes any unusual moves, I will receive the news."

"What will you do after that? Do you want to come with me to the Hu family?" Lou Yuqing shared what she knew. "The head of the Hu family has clues about the Snow Lotus. Perhaps if we capture the demon, we can pry it out of him."

Luo Buqi's eyes darted around: "What's the cultivation level of that Hu family patriarch?"

"Late stage of Foundation Building".

Upon hearing this, Luo Buqi said with some regret, "His cultivation level is higher than mine, so my pupil technique isn't very effective against him. By the way, what happened to Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng afterward?"

His eyes gleamed with curiosity and longing for a sex scandal.

Lou Yuqing raised her chin: "If you want to know, you can go out and ask around. It's already spread all over the place, their news is everywhere."

Just as Lou Yuqing had said, the scandalous affair between the two lovers at the auction house spread throughout the city at an extremely rapid pace; within two hours, almost everyone on the street knew about it.

Besides people's natural pursuit of gossip, the auction house's behind-the-scenes manipulation is also a factor. Moreover, Xie Wenheng used to rely on the Baiyan Sect to act arrogantly, and now that such a scandal has been exposed, everyone is happy to see him make a fool of himself. After all, the law does not punish the masses, and no matter how strong the Baiyan Sect is, it cannot deal with the people of the entire city.

A mansion somewhere in the city.

Xie Wenheng paced around the courtyard with a grim expression.

Since being kicked out of the auction house, he had been in a terrible mood. He never imagined that one day he would be expelled in such a disgraceful manner. It was an absolute disgrace!

"Young...Young Sect Master?" The subordinate rushed over to report the matter, and upon seeing his sinister expression, he panicked. If he told the Young Sect Master about this, he feared his life would be in danger.

"Get in here!" Xie Wenheng roared at his men. "What is it?!"

"Reporting to the young sect master, it's being said outside, it's being said..." The subordinate looked mournful and dared not utter another word.

Xie Wenheng's face suddenly turned cold: "You can't even speak properly, do you want to lose your tongue? Or do you want me to personally send you on your way?"

His hands and feet went cold, but he steeled himself and said, "On my way back from the Hu family, I heard them say that the young sect leader was having an affair with Miss Hu the Second and that he was openly doing something shameless at the auction house!"

Xie Wenheng was struck dumb, and shouted angrily, "What did you say!"

His men lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to utter a word.

Xie Wenheng didn't want to hear his answer either. Veins bulged on his forehead, twisting like small snakes, and his face was even blacker than ink. He was clearly furious: "Whoever dares to gossip about me, I will make sure they die a horrible death!"

His subordinate was on the verge of tears: "They're all saying..."

"Damn it!"

Xie Wenheng's spiritual energy surged forth, unleashing a powerful impact that knocked his subordinate to the ground. Enraged, his eyes bloodshot, he stared intently in the direction of the auction house: "It must have been him! This young master will not let him get away with this!"

Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. No matter how high the auction house owner's cultivation level is, he can't withstand the retaliation from the Baiyan Sect. Xie Wenheng wants to show them who he can't afford to offend!

"Young Sect Master!" another subordinate rushed over, and upon seeing Xie Wenheng's demonic appearance, he froze for a moment, his legs going weak.

Xie Wenheng looked at him coldly: "What, you've also come to tell this young master bad news!" This matter is extremely humiliating. Once is enough, but if it happens again, he will definitely kill the other party to vent his anger!

His subordinates panicked: "Young Master, you already know?"

A ferocious look appeared on Xie Wenheng's face. He clenched his right fist, and a dense killing intent filled the surroundings: "Yes, this young master knows. You can die now!"

"Young Sect Master, please have mercy!" The subordinate retreated rapidly, shouting, "I am here on the orders of the Sect Master to bring you back to the sect! A mine slave killed the foreman, broke out of the mine, and impersonated a disciple of our sect to sneak into the Sect Master's herb garden. He discovered this and ordered me to bring you back to discuss this matter!"

Xie Wenheng paused, his expression slightly improving, but not much better. He scolded, "What kind of rubbish are these mine slaves? How can they escape from the mine? Are all those overseers and managers just useless trash?!"

The subordinate boldly said, "Although the mine slaves are lowly, they are quite cunning. They managed to escape from the sect leader's hands and their whereabouts are unknown. This matter is of great importance. Please, young sect leader, return to the sect with me as soon as possible!"

Xie Wenheng looked surprised, then took a deep breath: "Let's go!" He thought the miner had already been dismembered, but he didn't expect his father to have made a mistake.

While Baiyan Sect was in chaos because of the mining slave issue, Lou Yuqing and the other two decided to go to the Hu family to find out what was going on the next day, and then went back to their rooms to rest for the night and recharge their energy.

Just then, the waiter knocked on the door, and a fawning voice came through: "Guests, would you like to have a meal since you've returned to the inn so late at night? Our shop has just received a batch of snow rabbits. After being cooked by our chef, they retain 80-90% of their spiritual energy, and eating them will be very beneficial to your health."

Lou Yuqing and the other two exchanged glances, clearly intrigued by the waiter's words. Finally, she made the final decision: "Give us three, barbecue, braised, and spicy!"

"Okay!"

As the waiter's footsteps faded into the distance, Lou Yuqing looked at the two of them and said, "Isn't it a coincidence that this inn has business dealings with a slaughterhouse?"

Luo Buqi leaned back in his chair and asked lazily, "You suspect there's something wrong with the inn?"

Lou Yuqing shrugged: "Whether there are dates or not, let's just try our luck."

"You're overthinking it," Luo Buqi said, rejecting her suggestion.

Lou Yuqing smiled noncommittally. She just thought it was a bit of a coincidence, but it wasn't worth turning the inn upside down. After all, it was perfectly normal for an inn to buy meat from a slaughterhouse.

Chu Qingyang pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Those hunters are, after all, mortals. They didn't take any measures to preserve the snow rabbits after hunting them. After so long, won't the monster meat have spoiled?"

Lou Yuqing: "...Your words are spoiling the mood."

Chu Qingyang said apologetically, "Junior sister, please don't mind. I was just joking. When the snow rabbit was sent to the slaughterhouse, it didn't smell bad at all. I can assure you of that."

Lou Yuqing composed herself.

"It seems that Lao Xue and the others sprinkled some kind of powder to keep the snow rabbit in its final state before it died." Luo Buqi squinted as he sensed the images transmitted from Lao Xue and said, "Although it won't last long, it could last ten days to half a month."

At the hunters' pace, it would take about this long to get from the snow-capped mountains to White Rock City, because there are flocks of strange birds on the straight road, and they would have to take a safer detour.

Suddenly, a delicious aroma wafted in from outside the door.

The waiter greeted them warmly, "Guests, the snow rabbit has arrived."

Lou Yuqing thought to herself that it was quite fast, and got up to open the door, her anticipation for the dish growing even stronger.

Luo Buqi sniffed the fragrance hard, sensing a familiar scent. Chu Qingyang silently asked him, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "I feel like I've smelled this somewhere before... Oh no, be careful!"

Just then, Lou Yuqing opened the door, and what came into view was not a waiter carrying rabbit meat, but a masked assassin in black who, with a flick of his hand, sprinkled countless white powders on her.

"Crackling and popping!"

As the Ten Thousand Thunder Body Technique was activated, electric arcs continuously moved across the surface of the body. The white powder lingered a few inches away from Lou Yuqing and was directly electrocuted into nothingness by the lightning.

When Luo Buqi issued the warning, she reacted instinctively, which thwarted the black-clad assassin's ambush.

Seeing this, the black-clad assassin was clearly stunned for a moment, then took out a formation plate, quickly changed his incantation, and instantly, a formation enveloped the entire room.

At that moment, Luo Buqi's golden sword flag and Chu Qingyang's wind blade technique roared in and collided with the light shield formed by the magic array.

A bizarre scene unfolded: the light shield rippled, as if opening a giant mouth to swallow their attack whole, without making a sound.

Lou Yuqing's subsequent lightning strike met the same fate. She stubbornly cast several large-scale spells, but they all vanished without a trace.

Moreover, she discovered that the magic array also concealed their existence; neither their bodies nor their voices could be seen or heard by outsiders.

"I sensed this fragrance at Old Xue's house before. It's similar to a sleeping potion, capable of making one's muscles and bones weak." This is why Luo Buqi suddenly spoke up to warn them. At this moment, he sat cross-legged, using his spiritual power to force back the strange fragrance. "I left a backup plan there, but the connection was lost just now. Old Xue is definitely suspicious!"

Chu Qingyang closed his eyes and circulated his magic power, saying, "This person can break your spells. If I'm not mistaken, he is a cultivator disguised as a mortal. Now that we have attracted his attention, he has sent someone to silence us."

Luo Buqi's breathing was unsteady: "Don't let me find out that this inn is in cahoots with him, otherwise, once I've recovered, I will make sure this place is reduced to ashes!"

Chu Qingyang scoffed.

Lou Yuqing turned to look at the two of them. She had a protective magic treasure on her body, so the sleeping incense had no effect on her. She pondered and said, "I thought it was the cultivators from the auction house who had found this place."

Chu Qingyang asked, puzzled, "An auction house?"

"I forgot to tell you, I managed to snag a Heavenly Heart Pill." Lou Yuqing said casually, but it caused Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang to open their eyes and stare intently at the pill in her hand.

She put away the pills: "I think the pills aren't the point. We should think about how to break the formation. This formation is constantly shrinking. Once it comes into contact with our physical bodies, we'll probably be dissolved into nothingness."

Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang's hearts skipped a beat.

A moment later, the two fully recovered, and their strength returned. Lou Yuqing held an array plate in her hand and set up an array within the array, using the power of the array to resist the enemy's array.

However, the situation was not optimistic. The inner array was gradually being penetrated by the outer array, and a hissing sound of corrosion could be heard continuously. The light shield fluctuated violently, and the white light contracted and shrunk, as if it was about to collapse at any moment.

"Do you even know how to break an array?" Lou Yuqing only had a superficial understanding of array formations. Remembering that her master had mentioned using arrays to break arrays, she decided to try it as a last resort. It did have some effect, slowing down the speed at which the outer array was shrinking, but it was about to fail.

Luo Buqi remained silent. He was good at fighting and killing, but he knew nothing about the six arts of immortal cultivation: alchemy, weapon crafting, array formation, talisman drawing, beast taming, and planting.

Chu Qingyang remained silent for a long time before saying, "Every magic array has its core. If you can find the core and destroy it, the problem will be solved. If you can't find the core..."

Facing two pairs of expectant eyes, he slowly uttered a sentence: "The only way to break the formation is by force, whether it's magic or magical artifacts, we must slowly wear down the formation."

"..."

Lou Yuqing pointed at the approaching outer formation: "You want us to outlive it?"

Believe it or not, they won't last long before the magic array annihilates them.

Outside the small world.

Everyone was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Although most of them did not understand formations, they could roughly see how troublesome this formation was.

The array masters from various sects around Master Lingzhu were knowledgeable and immediately recognized the array set up by the black-clad assassin as the Bone-Eroding Array, which had the ability to corrode the physical body and soul.

"The key to breaking the formation lies in the 120 nodes within it. As long as all the nodes are destroyed, they can escape from the formation."

Master Lingzhu glanced at the array master who had spoken: "Do they look like they know anything about nodes? These three juniors don't even understand what an array is."

The formation master paused, stroking his long beard, looking embarrassed.

Gu Bugai thought to himself: My little apprentice is in trouble this time.

In fact, the theory of breaking through with force is applicable to any magic array. As long as enough time is given, the magic array will eventually lose its spiritual power support and will naturally break down on its own.

However, the young apprentice lacked only time. This method is not suitable for breaking through an internal formation; it is usually used for attacking an external formation, so that there is enough time to wear it down.

Just then, Lou Yuqing slowly spoke up: "Do you think that if a magical artifact is damaged inside a small world, will it be restored to its original state when it goes outside, or will it remain in a damaged state?"

Gu Bugai's eyes brightened slightly; his little apprentice was thinking...

“The small world is an illusion, so the Heavenly Heart Pill is fake,” Chu Qingyang said calmly. “Our magical artifacts are real, so damage to them was inevitable.”

Lou Yuqing's heart skipped a beat when she heard the first half of the sentence, and then it skipped another beat when she heard the second half. It turned out that all the bad things were going to happen to them.

"The combined strength of the three of us can't shake this formation." Her face was resolute. "But if we add the power of the self-destruction of the magical artifacts, can this formation still hold?"

Gu Bugai smiled, "Just as I thought."

So be it if the magical artifact exploded; he simply bought a new batch and gave it to his young apprentice to play with.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

Putting aside how dangerous self-destructing magical artifacts are, and how one could be affected by them if not careful, just the thought of painstakingly buying such an artifact only to have to use it as a one-time use item is enough to break one's heart.

This senior/junior sister's idea is so brave and so willing to give up!

Luo Buqi and Chu Qingyang's expressions changed. The former gave Lou Yuqing a deep look: "Of course you can do that." As he spoke, he took out three magical artifacts: an inkstone, a lamp burner, and a stone tablet, clearly prepared to go all in.

Chu Qingyang was not as wealthy as him, but after thinking for a moment, he took out two magic artifacts shaped like hammers and mirrors, his face full of a desperate look.

Lou Yuqing wiped her storage ring, a flash of white light appeared, and a series of clattering sounds rang out. The magical artifacts on the ground were piled up like a small hill, with red umbrellas, handkerchiefs, longswords, steel rings... a dazzling array.

Luo Buqi: "..."

Chu Qingyang: "..."

The two stared blankly at the girl, who looked completely relaxed, as if she had taken out a radish instead of a magical artifact. Compared to their pain, it was on a completely different level.

"How do you have so many magical artifacts?" Luo Buqi's proud heart was severely shaken. These magical artifacts were all of high quality and were clearly not just there to make up the numbers.

Lou Yuqing replied matter-of-factly, "My master gave it to me."

Gu Bugai nodded: That's right, it's me.

The disciples' eyes gradually reddened; they wanted a master like that too!

Luo Buqi glanced at her, then at the magical artifacts on the ground, and forced a smile, saying, "Your master is quite wealthy."

He used to be the one being told those words, but now it's his turn to say them to others. How the tables have turned!

"Thank you." Lou Yuqing accepted the praise on behalf of her master. "I don't usually use these magical artifacts, so I'll take advantage of them. You can all share them, and we'll blow them up together later."

Luo Buqi's lips curled up, and he could no longer smile.

His master was a Nascent Soul cultivator, and he would occasionally give him high-level magic artifacts, but there was no way he could have so many. After all, he already had enough magic artifacts, and he couldn't command more than that.

Who was her master, that he was so wealthy and powerful? Suddenly, a rebellious thought popped into his head: what if he had a different master...?

No, no, no!

Luo Buqi shook his head. How could he have fallen so low!

Chu Qingyang did not participate in their conversation, but he became visibly more silent. Compared to the two of them, he was a penniless man. Being able to produce two magic artifacts of decent quality was already his limit.

Moments later, the inner formation was completely dissolved.

Without hesitation, the three activated the power of their magical artifacts, threw them onto the light shield, and then retreated into the defensive array they had just set up.

A blinding light suddenly shone, followed by a deafening roar, as if a nuclear bomb had been dropped on the ground, creating an epic explosion.

As the three magical artifacts self-destructed, the rock-solid light shield rippled, slowly absorbing the attack. Before it could regain its calm, three more magical artifacts were thrown out and struck the light shield, causing another violent explosion.

Lou Yuqing sealed her hearing with her spiritual power, which allowed her to withstand the deafening roar. Her magical weapon was ready to be unleashed, and she and the other two attacked simultaneously, causing powerful damage and interrupting the trend of the light barrier covering the ground.

If the Bone-Eating Array had a spirit, it would be unable to breathe right now, as if it were in the ocean, being battered by wave after wave of tides until it died and its soul dissipated, only then would the torment stop.

The back hall of the inn.

The innkeeper slammed his hand on the table, and two wine gourds appeared instantly. He handed one of the gourds to the black-clad assassin opposite him: "Drink up, those three won't live past tonight."

The assassin in black pushed aside the wine gourd and said in a hoarse voice, "The young master ordered the execution of these three. I cannot relax my vigilance for even a moment until I see the result."

As he spoke, he took off his cloak, revealing a familiar face. He was none other than the owner of the slaughterhouse. After receiving the young master's reply that afternoon, he had quietly come to Wanfu Inn and set up array flags in Lou Yuqing's and the others' rooms.

The shopkeeper shook his head: "Boring, I'll drink it myself." He picked up the gourd and downed it in one gulp, savoring the sensation of the wine flowing down his throat, and exclaimed with delight, "Awesome!"

The slaughterhouse owner glanced at him but said nothing.

The innkeeper muttered to himself, "They were just unlucky to have found their way into our stronghold. Otherwise, killing them would have been quite a task. What did Old Xue say? That he didn't interrogate them?"

The slaughterhouse owner said, "He said these three people are looking for snow lotus. It's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. After this is over, you should erase all traces of them to prevent the person who might be behind them from coming after you."

The shopkeeper finished the wine in another gourd: "Alright!" This wine had a strong aftereffect, and now his face was slightly flushed with drunkenness, but his eyes remained clear.

"boom!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted in the inn, and the scorching heat immediately spread to every corner, causing everything in its path to melt.

The slaughterhouse owner's eyes flashed with anger: "Damn it, they've broken through the formation!" He vanished in a flash.

The shopkeeper, now fully sober, hurriedly followed. He wasn't so panicked; the Bone-Corroding Formation wasn't easy to break, and the opponent must have paid a heavy price. As long as he and his companions delivered a few more blows, they could complete the task assigned by their young master.

This naive idea persisted until he saw Lou Yuqing and the others appear before him unharmed. His pupils widened in shock; apart from their clothes being a little disheveled, they had not a single injury on their bodies!

The shopkeeper turned to flee, but a flash of green light appeared, and a figure blocked his way. Chu Qingyang's face hardened: "Why are you running? Stay here!"

With a loud bang, the two immediately engaged in combat.

On the other side, Lou Yuqing and Luo Buqi intercepted the slaughterhouse owner, with purple lightning and a golden sword forming an encirclement, blocking the opponent's retreat!

The slaughterhouse owner was sent flying backward, crashing heavily against the wall. He spat out a mouthful of blood. He knew that these two were exceptionally strong and that he couldn't defeat them.

Therefore, the only option is to use the teleportation jade talisman to leave!

He took out the jade talisman and squeezed it hard. Just as he was about to activate the teleportation, everything went black before his eyes. When he looked around again, he found himself in a deep abyss, leaving him stunned on the spot.

"I was prepared for this move. You think you can escape? No way." Luo Buqi used his Illusionary Eye, snorted coldly, and with a flash of golden light, he appeared in front of him, snatched his teleportation jade talisman, and then woke him up with a punch.

The slaughterhouse owner coughed up blood, his face deathly pale. The next moment, his spiritual power was sealed by Luo Buqi.

At the same time, Chu Qingyang captured the shopkeeper.

Lou Yuqing stared at the two men and said coldly, "Begin the interrogation!"

The fight in the inn went unnoticed by the others, as they had all been drugged by the innkeeper's sleeping potion and were fast asleep.