baiyuyi 36: Breaking the Array

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Chapter 36: Breaking the Array

“Cain! Caaaaain-!”

Expert Ghost Scholar almost thought he was hallucinating as Sisi’s voice, half-crying, sounded in his head.

Sisi and he were contracted together, so they were able to speak into each other’s minds at close distances.

If he could hear her now…

Sisi? She was here?

Then, the Ghost Pot-! No, it didn’t feel like she was in any danger…

“Sisi? You’re alright?”

“Un! Sisi, possessing Scaredy-cat right now!”

Scaredy-cat?

It took Expert Ghost Scholar a moment before he realized who she was talking about.

That little cultivator friend? He’s alright?

… I mean, he’s not scared silly by the ghosts?

It was somewhat of a surprise to Expert Ghost Scholar.

Sisi mistook Expert Ghost Scholar’s concern to be his surprise that Yuan Chenglei wasn’t being affected by the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array.

“Un, Scaredy-cat isn’t being affected by array at all! Mostly! Cain… what should we do-?”

“In this situation, we need the Array disabled. If we could just get rid of the Ghost Pot, then the Array would be done for.”

There was a moment of silence, where Sisi was probably explaining things to the little cultivator.

“…Cain. Scaredy-cat doesn’t know what a Ghost Pot is.”

“…”

Ghost Pot – it was a semi-sentient magic tool that trapped ghosts within it, then sucked the lifeforces of the living to feed the ghosts and keep them within.

It was used by malicious ghost cultivators for cultivating the ‘gu’.

Trapping many venomous beings in a pot, then letting them devour one another until only one remains; it’s a black magic technique to develop an insidious creature called the gu, a tool used to curse and destroy.

Ghosts aren’t venomous beings? Of course they are; malicious ghosts emit a miasma that can both strengthen the negative energies as well as corrupt sanity – the last ghost that survives will be a being that has absorbed all the miasma and power from the other ghosts.

By using the Ghost Pot as the crux of the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array, the Ghost Pot’s lifeforce sucking ability was increased greatly, thereby increasing the potency of the miasma within and allowing the Phantom Raisers to develop a gu that was much more powerful than the sum of the ghosts that went into it.

It also made the Ghost Pot capable of sucking in ghosts that were normally beyond its capabilities, like the Ghost Hunters’ cultivating ghost companions.

In short, the Phantom Raisers’ painstakingly crafted Flesh and Blood Devouring Array, consisting of many precious artifacts and requiring at least one cultivator’s heartblood, had played the Ghost Hunters perfectly.

The more strong ghosts the Ghost Pot contained, the stronger the miasma, the stronger the array, which further increased the strength of the miasma… it wasn’t exactly a perpetual motion machine, but once it was set up, the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array and the Ghost Pot’s resonance would be hard to break without separating the two.

“Thankfully, the Ghost Pot itself is rather fragile, so a well-placed rock should do the job. However, Sisi, if you get any closer to the Ghost Pot…”

Although she seemed to be alright while possessing the little cultivator, Expert Ghost Scholar was unsure whether that would still be the case once the two approached the Ghost Pot.

With how strong the array was right now, it was likely that the Ghost Pot would suck Sisi right out of her possession.

After another short moment, Expert Ghost Scholar felt the familiar sensation of a familiar ghost creeping back into her haunt, the jade pendant around his neck.

In that split second he thought he felt another’s presence next to him, but it was gone as soon as he felt it.

… The little cultivator had a very impressive stealth technique.

As he felt Sisi take up her usual spot, Expert Ghost Scholar sighed a deep breath of relief.

Just a few moments ago he had thought he was going to lose everything, but now he had an ally who could break the stalemate, and Sisi was safe.

As he prepared himself to move the moment the array was disrupted, Expert Ghost Scholar heard Sisi’s voice once again.

“Sisi didn’t know the Ghost Pot was so weak a rock could defeat it.”

“Hm? Well, of course you need to use qi, but since he was able to get all the way here without the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array affecting him, it should be fine, right?”

Sisi felt her ghost-blood go cold.

“… Cain… Scaredy-cat doesn’t have any acupoints open.”

“WHAT!?”

Expert Ghost Scholar’s loud exclamation startled everyone nearby, but no one dwelt on it for too long.

Because right before their eyes, a young man appeared out of thin air right in the dead center of the array.

Thonk.

Yuan Chenglei stared at the completely undisturbed Ghost Pot, then down at the rock he just threw at it.

Argh, Expert Ghost Scholar, you liar!

Yuan Chenglei felt like crying a little, but when he saw Expert Ghost Scholar’s dumbfounded look he knew that it wasn’t like Expert Ghost Scholar was trying to set him up.

“ “ “ “ “Who are you!?” “ “ “ “ “

Five angry voices thundered at Yuan Chenglei as the dark-robed people regained their senses and the ones that were the closest turned to rush towards him.

When had this person gotten close?! They were lucky he wasn’t able to do anything just yet, but this person could destroy their entire plan!

Eliminate!

Seeing the sharp blades being unsheathed, Yuan Chenglei’s blood ran cold.

Only one thought ran through his head.

If I’m going to die anyway-!

There’s a saying that even a rabbit will bit when cornered, but in Yuan Chenglei’s case it’s because he’s a rabbit that he was able to ‘bite’ without hesitation.

A rabbit that has no armor, or claws, or poison, or abilities of any kind doesn’t need to think; either run or bite! If you can’t run, then bite!

In that same way, Yuan Chenglei didn’t have to think about what he could do because he couldn’t do anything now that he had been exposed.

Because of that, Yuan Chenglei picked the option that no cultivator would have chosen in their right minds, and he did it without a single shred of hesitation.

If he was going to die anyway, then this would be the best option!

In the few seconds before the Phantom Raisers reached him with their blades, Yuan Chenglei seized the Ghost Pot with his bare hands and heaved.

For a split second the Ghost Pot didn’t budge and Yuan Chenglei’s heart shook, but within that split second a huge change occurred.

The feeling that had been assaulting him, like a vacuum attempting to suck through a film, suddenly reversed into a forceful pressure seeking to crush him through a flimsy barrier.

And then, at the end of that split second, the flimsy barrier was torn through and a cold, painful feeling, like cold fire, seeped in through his hands, feeling like it was assaulting Yuan Chenglei’s very soul.

That very same moment the Ghost Pot stopped sucking lifeforce from the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array, directing its attention on the fat duck that had grabbed it, and it popped free from the Array.

“ “NOOO!!” “

The two Phantom Raisers who were set to attack Yuan Chenglei screamed with resentment.

Even though their blades were just about to reach him, the overwhelming force of the Ghost Pot devouring its prey caused them to stop.

It didn’t differentiate between living beings, after all, and they were likely to be caught up in Yuan Chenglei’s plight if they got too close.

Still, those Phantom Raisers weren’t just going to let him die ‘peacefully’ like this!

This fool – even though their plans were all ruined now, they had to kill this pest no matter what!

But their moment of hesitation as they tried to decide how to kill Yuan Chenglei was a mistake; although they were weakened by the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array, the Ghost Hunters were finally free – and they had two Fourth Stage Experts.

The only reason one Third Stage and four Second Stage Phantom Raisers could best them was due to the Phantom Raisers’ meticulous planning, and even then the Phantom Raisers were still wary of defeat.

Now that the young man had disabled the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array, there was no way the Ghost Hunters were just going to stand there and let the Phantom Raisers do as they wish.

Crack! Whack!

The carving blades of the Phantom Raisers were easily shattered or sent flying, and the Phantom Raisers glared resentfully as they picked themselves up from the concrete.

Expert Ghost Scholar stood in front of Yuan Chenglei, his muscles bulging and his chest heaving from the exertion.

Even before the Array had been disabled, he had used all his might to force his body to move to protect the little cultivator friend, and now that it was gone, his irritation from falling into the trap, his worry for Sisi’s well-being, and his fear that even their last hope was lost had transformed into sheer rage.

Rage that was unleashed on the two Phantom Raisers that couldn’t do anything more than try to desperately defend themselves.

Mo Furen, the other Fourth Stage Expert among the Ghost Hunters, also leapt forward like a ravenous wolf to vent his anger on the Third Stage Phantom Raiser, thoroughly thrashing him to a pulp before cutting down his life in a matter of seconds.

Taking a deep breath, Mo Furen left the other two Phantom Raisers to his subordinates before turning to their little savior who was now in a bit of a nasty predicament.

“… Shatter-!”

Clonk!

Mo Furen’s eyes widened as his sword, covered in ghost-banishing qi, bounced off the Ghost Pot.

How could that be?

No matter how strong of a magic tool the Ghost Pot was, he should have been able to easily shatter it with ghost-banishing qi.

Observing the situation carefully, Mo Furen soon understood that the barrier surrounding the Ghost Pot didn’t originate from the Ghost Pot.

Then, it was the little cultivator?

As a Fourth Stage Expert that had already bloomed his Heart Lotus, Mo Furen instinctively felt that whatever was going on was for the good of this little cultivator.

? ? Hm?

Being devoured by the Ghost Pot was for this young man’s good?

Had his brain gone dumb from resisting the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array for so long?

Mo Furen furrowed his brows, uneasily gripping his sword as he tried to decide what to do.

As for Yuan Chenglei, the pain creepy up his arms was excruciating, second only to the pressure in his lower abdomen.

..Wait, what?

An almost intolerable pressure was coming from his abdomen – no, his dantian?

Eh?

Once he focused on the golden orb in his dantian, it surged forward with a roar like a beast, coursing through his body and blasting through his meridians with sheer force.

IT HUUUUUURTSSSSS!!!!

It was impossible for Yuan Chenglei to know, but the force of the stored qi in the golden orb exploding forth wasn’t unlike a normal cultivator’s qi going berserk and rampaging in their body in the phenomenon known as qi deviation.

And qi deviation is a phenomenon that can cripple a cultivator – both mind and meridians.

One can only imagine the feelings of Yuan Chenglei as he felt like a wheat thresher was coursing through his veins.

However, unsympathetic to Yuan Chenglei’s agony, the golden orb’s force didn’t stop and tore through his meridians.

Actually, it wasn’t simply qi that had been contained in the golden orb but True Qi, something only a Second Stage cultivator should be able to refine.

Not only did the True Qi tear open Yuan Chenglei’s meridians, it also surged through and purified them, cleansing his body of the murky qi he had – although he didn’t have much of it to begin with.

Many of Yuan Chenglei’s virgin meridians never had dirty qi in them were now filled with True Qi as soon as they were opened.

And then, the surge of True Qi met with the invading cold fire that was swarming within Yuan Chenglei’s body.

The True Qi would lose it’s force and suffer from the Ghost Pot’s devouring power now that it had invaded Yuan Chenglei’s body– this fact would normally be true if the golden orb had contained normal True Qi.

Pft. As if the True Qi contained in the golden orb was simply normal True Qi.

Instead, this strange True Qi overtook the cold fire, minimizing the damage done to Yuan Chenglei’s body and meridians, and … drove it out?

No, instead, the Ghost Pot with its barely sentient sentience discovered a horrifying fact.

This strange True Qi, despite not being manipulated by any spells or force of will, wasn’t going to let itself be devoured and sucked dry.

In fact, this strange True Qi was doing the devouring!

Now it was the Ghost Pot that wanted to separate from Yuan Chenglei’s hands, but would it be allowed to?

KRAAAACK!

Just when Mo Furen had made up his mind to try to shatter the Ghost Pot anyway, the Ghost Pot burst open with a shriek and a shatter, expelling its contents and hurling ghosts all over the place.

“What on … … -!”

Mo Furen’s confusion was stopped short as an ominous presence emerged from the remains of the Ghost Pot.

A powerful hungry ghost unfurled itself from the constraints of the Ghost Pot, glaring maliciously at its surroundings.

The remaining Phantom Raisers laughed bitterly.

“So what if you’ve disabled the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array? Even if the gu isn’t complete, won’t it be enough to kill you?”

One of the Phantom Raisers taunted the Ghost Hunters, but everyone there, except the unconscious Yuan Chenglei, understood that it was an empty taunt.

The gu, this hungry ghost, wasn’t complete; as proof, ghosts that had escaped being eaten by it were fleeing the scene – even a few of the Ghost Hunters’ own ghosts had been spared, though badly injured and some tainted with signs of corruption, but as long as they hadn’t been eaten, they could be purified and regain their strength.

Since the gu wasn’t complete, the black magic to turn it into one of the Phantom Raisers’ most dangerous tools had also failed; it wouldn’t listen to them at all.

Besides, although it was a strong ghost comparable to a Fifth Stage cultivator, now that the Array was gone and the Phantom Raisers here were beaten up badly, the Ghost Hunters could now call for help.

The Phantom Raisers could only bitterly hope that their incomplete gu would off a couple of the Ghost Hunters before it was destroyed or sealed.

Yes, the Phantom Raisers’ defeat was set in stone…

But that didn’t mean the Ghost Hunters could relax; they needed to be able to hold on until help came!

Mo Furen clenched his teeth.

“… Minmin, at my signal, grab that man and run away as fast as you can.”

“…! Understood, Captain Mo!”

The only other Ghost Hunter that had been able to stand while under the effects of the Flesh and Blood Devouring Array, a woman with a cute face, prepared herself to snatch away Yuan Chenglei.

Seriously, this guy has such bad luck… to get caught in the array, then attacked by the Ghost Pot (although it was self-imposed), and now … he was directly under that malicious ghost’s nose!

Roooooar!

“Don’t you dare-! Minmin!”

“Yes-!”

RRRRRUMBLE!

The malicious ghost struck towards Yuan Chenglei, Mo Furen charged in to intercept it, and Minmin swept in to grab Yuan Chenglei, but all motion stopped at an ominous rumble of thunder.

Eh?

Mo Furen and Minmin reflexively leapt back, looking upwards.

Even the ghost, despite its loss of sanity, felt a sense of dread and looked about uneasily.

“Tribulation clouds? A malicious ghost that only grows on ‘feeding’ can trigger a Tribulation?” Minmin asked, her eyes wide.

No, of course not; malicious ghosts have fallen off the Way, and are thus rejected by the Heavens. There is no such thing as a Heavenly Tribulation for malicious ghosts who don’t cultivate.

But then… eh? Huh?

The Tribulation is for this unconscious little cultivator?

REALLY?!

Did this guy just trigger a Heavenly Tribulation by picking up a Ghost Pot, becoming tormented by the cold fire, and then falling unconscious?

Just where in all of that is there something that could have triggered a Heavenly Tribulation!?

WTF.

Many mudhorses ran through the minds of everyone present.

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<a/n: Feels SO GOOD to finally get to this point. *cries*

I mean, I feel like everyone knew that Chenglei’s unique constitution was going to be plot-armor-y, but I hope I have successfully added enough chaos into it that it feels a little more like Yuan Chenglei’s own particular brand of wtf.
Although I feel like I have to apologize to the poor ghost hunters who are experiencing this clusterfuck of confusion right now.>