C90 Array Origin Bead(1)

The person chasing him was pushing so hard with his legs that it actually gave him a bit of a speed boost. It was almost laughable, but Gongyang Qiusheng wasn't laughing. It meant that Woo Zhengyang's last move was incredibly dangerous, more than Gongyang Qiusheng had imagined.

"Ah..." Gongyang Qiusheng growled, feeling like he was being driven mad by Woo Zhengyang. In a moment of desperation, a plan suddenly formed in his mind. With a quick motion, Gongyang Qiusheng drew another long sword and turned to strike at Woo Zhengyang.

For most, this attack might have posed a problem, but Woo Zhengyang wasn't afraid. Even without his Profound Heavy Gathering Silk Gloves, Woo Zhengyang's reckless nature meant he might choose to take the hit just to bring Gongyang Qiusheng down. He'd done it before, but this time, there was no need for such self-destructive tactics.

Woo Zhengyang reached out and caught Gongyang Qiusheng's sword in his hand. Having learned from past encounters, Gongyang Qiusheng didn't dare hold onto the sword any longer, knowing it would only bring him closer to Woo Zhengyang. Instead, he struck the hilt with his palm, using the force to propel himself forward, while Woo Zhengyang was momentarily slowed down.

This was the sudden idea that flashed in Gongyang Qiusheng's mind: to use Woo Zhengyang's strength to propel himself forward while simultaneously hindering him. This inspiration came from the domineering step Woo Zhengyang had just executed.

As a result, the distance between Woo Zhengyang and Gongyang Qiusheng widened a bit more. Normally, Woo Zhengyang wouldn't have cared about this distance, but now he was on the final step of the "Dragon Countering Nine Steps." After being momentarily blocked, the power he had been building up was at risk of being wasted.

However, with no other choice, Woo Zhengyang committed fully to taking that last step. As he did, a thrill ran through him. In this critical moment, his "Dragon Countering Nine Steps" reached a new level of mastery.

With immense force propelling him, Woo Zhengyang took a step that felt like soaring through the air. His speed increased, and his power exceeded his current limits, reaching an estimated 4,400 pounds.

"Ah..." Gongyang Qiusheng heard the rush of air behind him, a sense of inexplicable fear rising within him, yet he couldn't evade it. The force of over 4,400 pounds concentrated on a single foot struck Gongyang Qiusheng's waist with brutal impact.

There was no suspense; Gongyang Qiusheng's body arched backward, flying through the air like a shrimp.

“Bang...”

Gongyang Qiusheng was already coughing up blood in mid-air before crashing into the wall. The force was so strong that he stuck to the wall for a moment before collapsing, unconscious.

Woo Zhengyang held the long sword that Qiusheng had just thrust, ending his life, and then began to gather his spoils. As the second-ranked outer disciple of the Wind Howl Sect, owning a Hidden Heaven Bag wasn't unusual. From the start, Qiusheng hadn't hidden the fact that he possessed one, so it didn't take Zhengyang much effort to find it.

The Hidden Heaven Bag contained a wealth of items, including a rare herb needed to craft a Dragon Saliva Pill. However, the most valuable find was undoubtedly the Array Origin Bead that Qiusheng had mentioned.

This bead was as black as ink, warm to the touch, almost like a living thing. When Zhengyang infused it with his energy, he felt his consciousness being drawn into the bead.

Even with his eyes closed, Zhengyang saw a new world, one filled with the ebb and flow of Heaven and Earth Vital Energy. The forces of nature were profound and mysterious, from the vastness of mountains and rivers to the smallest grains of sand and pebbles, all containing the essence of these forces.

While Zhengyang hadn't yet fully grasped the grand forces, he had begun to understand the smaller ones, particularly the simplest form—the fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Vital Energy.

The art of formations is about harnessing the forces of nature. The Array Origin Bead allows Woo Zhengyang to clearly sense the fluctuations of vital energy, essentially enabling him to grasp the essence of these forces. As Gongyang Qiusheng mentioned, it reveals the true nature of formations.

"This Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace must be some kind of illusion array. Gongyang Qiusheng would be thrilled, likely wanting to use the Array Origin Bead to explore it. I wonder if I can do the same!"

With this thought, Woo Zhengyang extended his consciousness outward through the Array Origin Bead, mapping out the paths of the corridors in his mind.

However, this exploration isn't limitless. Woo Zhengyang's mind could only cover a distance of about 220 feet. Within this range, he could clearly see the layout of the corridors, but the exit remained elusive.

Even so, Woo Zhengyang was delighted, for he had found a direction. He put away the Array Origin Bead and, relying on memory, moved to the upper left corner that his mind had just explored, continuing his investigation, then proceeded to the next upper left corner.

The Hundred Twist Thousand Return Palace isn't infinite. Woo Zhengyang was determined that with this methodical approach, he'd eventually reach the palace's edge. Once he found the edge, the exit wouldn't be far off.