Chapter 5: Myriad Cloud Array
A couple of hours earlier
Back when Luo Zeng was killed, a gust of cold breeze blew across the forest to a mildly crowded restaurant, adorned with beautiful lights and flowers. Countless conversations and laughter filled the air as people waited their turn to get in.
A young woman with jade skin, pale green eyes, and long hair tied neatly stood at the back, taking a moment to breathe.
"This is why I don't like noisy places," she thought to herself, looking at the moon.
"Ning'er, hurry and come, a customer just arrived," a man said in a deep voice, calling her attention from inside the restaurant.
"Coming!" she shouted, breathing out a short and soft sigh as she turned around.
As she got to the door, a cold breeze blew past her, and a jade pendant dropped on her head before falling to the floor.
"Ouch!" she exclaimed, closing her eyes and rubbing her head while squinting in pain. "What was that?" she asked.
Then, she saw the jade pendant. Her eyes dilated and went wide.
"This... this belongs to Zengge," she said, looking around and wondering how it got there.
But there was no one around, just the forest and the chirping of birds. Luo Ning looked back at the pendant and noticed her hand was slippery and somewhat wet. Curious, she turned the pendant over to check her palm.
"Blood?" she thought.
After a moment, her eyes widened, and tears gathered before falling. That was when she realized what had happened.
"Zeng...ge. No, nothing must happen to you," she said in a low but shaky tone, afraid that something had happened to her brother, Luo Zeng.
Luo Ning was about to run to look for her brother when she heard someone calling her.
"Ning'er, Ning'er! Where are you?"
She stopped herself. She had completely forgotten about work. Turning around to leave, she muttered something to the wind while holding the pendant close to her chest.
"Zengge, please be safe."
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Back to the cave
"Did you see the necklace? And where was it kept?" Tang Feng asked, facing Lin Zhang, who shook his head sideways.
"But I know someone who does," Lin Zhang pointed out.
Tang Feng raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Quickly tell me—who knows where the necklace might be?"
"Zi... Zi Long, the young master's aide. He has never left the young master's side since he was born," Lin Zhang said, nodding while his body shook violently.
Tang Feng was satisfied. He had acquired a lot of information on his very first night.
"Get some rest. You're going to take me to your young master soon," he said, looking at Lin Zhang.
Lin Zhang hit his head on the floor, showing gratitude to Tang Feng for sparing his life. Tang Feng paid him no mind and went deeper into the cave.
He had thought of running when he had the chance but gave up on it when he saw the consequences of resisting.
Once he had gone far enough from Lin Zhang, Tang Feng sat cross-legged. He was still unfamiliar with the system and his new abilities, so he decided to familiarize himself with his new techniques before proceeding.
Su Yan's voice echoed in his mind, and a status panel popped up, displaying all the abilities and techniques he had.
Tang Feng saw that some techniques and skills were locked, including the Chi Beam and Silent Step that Su Yan had used before. Taking this opportunity, he asked Su Yan about the function of each skill and how to use them in battle.
"Then what about Chaos Devour?" Tang Feng asked. Su Yan had mentioned it earlier, but he didn't see it on the list of techniques and skills.
Tang Feng was surprised.
"Where are the techniques stored?" he asked, excited about this new knowledge.
Tang Feng stared into space, his mouth agape as he processed the information.
"What happens to the strength and level of the cultivator?" he asked, wondering if he could use them too.
"Can I use them to increase my own cultivation?" he asked with anticipation.
Tang Feng was curious about what would happen if the cultivation was stored for more than three days.
"What happens after three days?" he asked.
Tang Feng sighed and stood up, ready to begin. Then he remembered one more thing.
"Su Yan, don't take over my mind unless I tell you to."
Tang Feng enveloped his entire body with Chi. Since his Chi was no longer being drained, he recovered quickly.
"Let's go," he ordered, offering just a side glance at Lin Zhang.
"Yes!" Lin Zhang, who was also recovering from his injuries, quickly replied.
Tang Feng began leaping, with Lin Zhang closely following behind. He stopped at a place he presumed to be the formation and could see the gate.
"Stay here," he said simply and began flying through the formation.
Immediately, he crossed a restriction that led to the formation, activating it. Countless swords formed from the formation symbols and fired at him.
"1000 Swords Formation? You want to stop me with just this? Don't you have something more challenging?" he scoffed.
The swords' speed increased, coming from all directions.
"Hidden Sight," Tang Feng said.
Su Yan's voice rang out, allowing Tang Feng to see that the gate before him was an illusion. Dodging the swords, he searched for the real entrance to the treasury.
He moved at an incredible speed, evading each sword as it came from all directions.
Su Yan's warning came just as Tang Feng dodged another attack.
"Senior, watch out!" Lin Zhang, watching from the sidelines, called out.
But Tang Feng remained calm. He knew Su Yan had activated a barrier.
Even though Tang Feng couldn't see it, he wanted to understand its abilities. Trusting Su Yan, he stood still.
The moment the sword struck him, he felt a tingling sensation. A cyber shield appeared at that point, and Tang Feng immediately phased to the side.
Before he could process what had happened, another sword came flying at him.
Lin Zhang watched in disbelief.
"Just what kind of monster have I tangled myself with?" he thought.
Tang Feng wanted to control the barrier. Closing his eyes, he focused, waiting for the next attack.
The moment the barrier activated again, he took a step forward and phased. When he reappeared, he had moved several steps forward.
Tang Feng grinned, pleased with his new skill and how well he could control it.
"That's why they say the best way to make a breakthrough is to experience life and death on the battlefield," he mused.
He felt his body had grown stronger since earlier.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhang, still watching, couldn't fathom how Tang Feng was moving so fast.
"Impossible. Simply impossible."
At the end of the 1000 Swords Formation, an illusion array activated, showing a massive wave rushing toward Tang Feng.
"I see. The Rainbow Peacock Array really lives up to its reputation, but it's still not enough to stop me," he said.
Flying through it, he stopped mid-air, scanning for the real entrance to the treasury. But he couldn't find it anywhere.
With his back turned to the formations, Su Yan suddenly informed him:
Tang Feng asked Su Yan to analyze the illusion array used to hide the entrance while he sat down, closing his eyes and strategizing.
When Su Yan finished analyzing, Tang Feng's eyes widened.
"My... Myriad Cloud Array! It really is the Myriad Cloud Array!" he burst into laughter.
Lin Zhang, on the other hand, had no idea why Tang Feng was laughing and simply sat down cross-legged, practicing after making some gains from watching Tang Feng's movements.
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