C224 Shadowflame Blight Array!

"Whoosh!"

Within the bright yellow light barrier, colorful ribbons of flame sprang to life.

At first glance, the barrier seemed to be ablaze, hissing as it produced even more smoke.

An unknown cultivator from the Subtlety Realm suddenly materialized within the bright yellow light barrier. His face contorted with terror, he dashed towards the valley's edge, heedless of the danger.

"Swoosh!"

Flames burst forth from the bright yellow light barrier, striking him in the chest.

His clothes caught fire instantly.

From behind the barrier, Chen Qingyan and Yu Yuan watched as he was reduced to a puddle of blood in mere moments under the assault of a flame no larger than a hand.

Even his bones and organs were consumed by the fire.

Chen Qingyan's eyelids flickered as she called out in a low voice, "Yu Yuan, don't be reckless!"

The Serpent's Coils enshrouding Gloomhollow were terrifying. With Yu Yuan's mere Soul Awakening Realm abilities, venturing deeper into Gloomhollow seemed like a death wish.

"It's alright," Yu Yuan managed to say, turning back to give her a reassuring smile.

His smile exuded an inexplicable serenity, leaving Chen Qingyan somewhat bewildered.

It was as if Yu Yuan wasn't marching into Gloomhollow to meet his end, but rather as if he were visiting a friend's home.

"The rune circle guarding Gloomhollow is at least fourth level. You don't know how to break it; going there is tantamount to suicide!" Chen Qingyan exclaimed.

Across the vast Everlands and its three continents, there were innumerable rune circles.

From the Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, and Sword Sect, to the families of Aetherius, as well as Shadow's Keep, Devil Palace, Ruby Hand, and the heretical Colddeath, all delved deeply into the art of rune circles and put their knowledge into practice.

Rune circles could shelter a sect, guard sacred sites, and repel formidable foes.

With a wide array of rune circles, some were designed for defense, others for offense, and still others balanced both aspects.

Rune circles were categorized into seven distinct levels.

The great arrays crafted by the likes of Ebon Star, Sunlit Order, and Sword Sect, which have been safeguarding their sects for tens of thousands of years, are typically the most formidable, ranking at the seventh level.

These rune circles often require a boundless supply of soulstones to sustain them and must be maintained periodically. They possess power that is nearly impossible to predict.

It is rumored that even the mighty Solar Spirits and those in the Unbound realm struggle to breach the seventh-level arrays swiftly, as these can block the penetration of remnant souls and spiritual senses.

Such formidable arrays are exceedingly rare across the vast Everlands.

Next are the sixth-level arrays. The seven great lower sects of the Euwrea Continent, for instance, have painstakingly constructed sixth-level formations.

For cultivators in the Spirit Walk and Solar Spirit realms, a sixth-level formation poses a significant challenge to overcome.

Only those at the Unbound level might find a chance and a weakness to stealthily enter after comprehending the cosmic order.

Below that lies the fifth-level array, which Solar Spirit Realm cultivators have a substantial chance of breaking through with force. However, it remains a formidable challenge for those in the Lunar Spirit and Spirit Walk realms.

Fourth-level formations typically constrain those in the Subtlety and Lunar Spirit stages. For Spirit Walk realm cultivators, slipping inside is not particularly difficult.

Chen Qingyan, as a disciple trained at the Sword Sect of Euwrea, possesses a profound insight into the levels of rune circles.

Upon witnessing the demise of a Subtlety, she quickly surmised that the grand array shrouding Gloomhollow was of the fourth level.

Within a fourth-level formation, those at the Subtlety and Lunar Spirit stages face grave dangers, with a high likelihood of perishing.

Only those who have attained the Spirit Walk Realm might navigate the array with caution.

"Fourth level?"

Standing before Gloomhollow, Yu Yuan scoffed, "Aren't you underestimating this Shadowflame Blight Array a bit too much?"

"Shadowflame Blight Array?" Chen Qingyan's expression revealed a momentary bewilderment before she had an epiphany, "How do you know the name of this array? Underestimate it? What level does this array actually belong to?"

"It must be a fifth level," Yu Yuan murmured.

Chen Qingyan's form shook. "In all of Aetherius, fifth level rune circles are exceedingly rare! Within the Songbird Empire, only the Chen family possesses such a powerful protective formation!"

The Chen family was the imperial family of the Songbird Empire.

The Empress of the Songbird Empire was the most powerful individual in all of Aetherius!

And the Chen family was considered the mightiest family on the continent!

Only a family like the Chen's could be sheltered by a fifth level rune circle!

Though the Sacred Hands Sect held a special status and was highly respected across Aetherius, in Chen Qingyan's eyes, and indeed in the eyes of the world, they could not compare to the Chen family.

Could it be that Gloomhollow, a place deemed forbidden by the Sacred Hands Sect, actually concealed a fifth level formation?

She found it difficult to fathom!

Only those who had attained the Solar Spirit level could possibly break through a fifth level formation and move freely within it.

Constructing such a formation would require an immense quantity of magic items. How many soulstones would be needed to sustain it? And what about the sheer amount of energy required?

How could the Sacred Hands Sect match the deep resources of the Songbird Empire's Chen family? How could they possibly maintain it?

"The Shadowflame Blight Array, coupled with the Nightstorm, could turn this Gloomhollow into a graveyard for the mighty," Yu Yuan sighed softly, then boldly strode deeper into the valley.

The bright yellow shield, adorned with colorful, intricate patterns and untouched by the flames, posed no threat to him.

In Chen Qingyan's astonished gaze, Yu Yuan took just one step and vanished into the valley, leaving no trace behind.

"Fifth level... Only a Solar Spirit level expert could ensure their safety in there," she whispered to herself, gazing down at the Snakeskin Scabbard in her hands. After a long hesitation, she couldn't muster the courage to venture into the valley as Yu Yuan had done so fearlessly.

She chose to wait outside instead.

"Huh!"

As she waited, she glanced back in the direction from which they had come.

"What a pity..."

Of those who had fled from Gloomhollow, only Liu Zaihe survived; the other four were dead.

All the members of the Hu family and their counselor were likely all dead.

Hu Hang and the three others had clearly left Gloomhollow and had not ventured deep. Despite their prompt retreat, they still perished after some time.

— They succumbed slowly after the poison infiltrated and spread through their bodies.

Only Liu Zaihe remained. Perhaps his survival was due to his skills as a herbalist, or maybe it was the antidote pill bestowed by the King of Wraiths to protect his progeny. Despite his bluish lips, he struggled but managed to stay alive.

Chen Qingyan observed from a distance and saw Liu Zaihe. She disregarded the corpses of Hu Hang and the others, setting her sights on the Sacred Hands.

"Shadowflame Blight Array, fifth level, Shadowflame Blight, Nightstorm..."

Chen Qingyan furrowed her brow, her gaze reflecting her puzzlement, "I recall Master speaking about the Nightstorm in vague terms, without going into detail. He only mentioned that I shouldn't encounter the Nightstorm for now, and that it wouldn't appear on the Aetherius Continent. The Shadowflame Blight, it seems, was mentioned in passing by Master during a conversation with someone. Regrettably, I was too young at the time and focused on my meditation, so I didn't pay close attention."

She inwardly chided herself for not having the ability to multitask and for not fully grasping the severity of the Shadowflame Blight.

"Why does he know everything?"

...

Inside Gloomhollow.

Yu Yuan, having crossed the Shadowflame Blight Array, seemed to have entered a different world, vastly distinct from the valley's exterior.

Not every part of the valley was engulfed in the colorful miasma.

Only the valley's sky was layered thickly with miasma and vibrant smog, like a dome or clouds.

The valley's landscape was surprisingly clear, with corpses strewn across the ground.

There were also cultivators from various empires and sects, dressed in unique and strange attire.

Among them were visitors from both the Land of Quiescence and the Land of Source!

"Yu Yuan!"

Loong Tianxiao, with his human head and dragon body, was also within the valley. Upon Yu Yuan's arrival, he let out a sudden roar.

Instantly, all the surviving individuals in the valley turned their attention to him.

"It's you!"

Zanas from the Binders of Shadows was also present, cowering in a corner. He pointed at Yu Yuan with a venomous look, "This is the kid who thwarted the plans of our Binders of Shadows!"

...