Chapter 139: The Array Formation Trial

Lin Zhan listened to Xiao Hei’s words and headed east. Here, directions were hard to discern, but Lin Zhan sensed Xiao Hei’s intent through his spiritual awareness and thus knew which way was east.

“That’s right, that’s the origin of the formation arrays of the Youjue Divine Palace. The best treasures of the palace are naturally kept there. Perhaps you might even have the chance to learn the mysteries of the formations,” Xiao Hei teased.

Although Xiao Hei existed within the Nine-Star Space, his spiritual perception covered a range as broad, even broader and deeper than Lin Zhan’s—a distinct advantage of a sword spirit.

The formation origin was shrouded in dense fog on the surface, but when Lin Zhan stepped into the mist, visibility wasn’t too poor—he could clearly discern the surroundings for dozens of yards.

“Don’t underestimate the formations of the Youjue Divine Palace. If it weren’t for a stroke of fate, we wouldn’t have seen the city walls or that great tree; we simply couldn’t have entered here,” Xiao Hei paused, then added, “From the outside, the entire Youjue Divine Palace looks barely bigger than a speck of dust—that’s the subtlety of the formations.”

Though Xiao Hei spoke casually, Lin Zhan’s heart jolted heavily.

The Youjue Divine Palace is hardly larger than a speck of dust!

Wasn’t that akin to how he had entered the Blue Ice World and seen the miniature Snow City under a high-powered magnifying glass?

Neither seals nor prohibitive barriers could achieve such an effect; it was the formation array that played the decisive role!

“If the formations of the Youjue Divine Palace are truly that marvelous, then I must master them.”

Xiao Hei snorted in disdain. It’s not so easy; even burning incense for several lifetimes wouldn’t bring such luck.

“This is the place, but with your current strength, your chances are slim,” Xiao Hei said.

Lin Zhan stopped before a stone bridge. The other side was completely enveloped in thick fog, making it impossible to see what lay beyond.

“This trial ground has three levels. Only by passing all can one have a chance to gain the inheritance. Throughout history, even among the Youjue Divine Palace’s own, only a handful have ever obtained such a legacy,” Xiao Hei said with some emotion.

“So this trial ground originally wasn’t owned by the Youjue Divine Palace, and Xiao Hei, why does it feel as though you’ve lived here long-term?” Lin Zhan scratched his head, suspicious.

“I have a photographic memory and am as sharp as ice,” Xiao Hei boasted.

Lin Zhan ignored the self-praise and stepped onto the stone bridge.

The moment his foot touched the bridge surface, the scenery around him exploded in a flash of fire and meteor-like streaks, electric light racing past, as if entering a temporal tunnel—somewhat like when he first crossed into the Blue Ice World.

Lin Zhan instinctively clutched his robe tighter, wary of losing it again as before.

The next moment, the dizzying sensation vanished, and the surroundings froze.

Beneath his feet was no longer the stone bridge, but an unfamiliar environment.

“Xiao Hei? Xiao Hei?”

No response.

Lin Zhan considered that perhaps this trial could only be passed through his own strength, without support from a soul entity like the sword spirit, and their connection was temporarily severed.

Very well. He calmed himself and surveyed the surroundings.

There was essentially no scenery—just an empty open space. The only presence was a crooked, ancient tree with sparse leaves, cracked and withered branches. Beside it stood a well. Lin Zhan approached and found the well was full of water.

The abundant water suggested this place was not lacking moisture. So why did the crooked tree seem so parched?

A strong urge to solve this conundrum welled within Lin Zhan.

Should he dig beneath the tree’s roots?

Or create an opening in the well?

Or—

Lin Zhan busied himself between the well and the tree, sweating profusely.

Surely, if the tree’s water absorption problem was solved, he would pass the trial. It must be so!

Yet the well’s structure and the firmness of the surrounding soil dashed his hopes. His repeated attempts ended in futility.

Half an hour passed, and Lin Zhan sat on the well’s edge, frustrated.

His mind still raced, pondering how to break the formation and how to reverse the tree’s near-death state.

One hand propping his chin, the other clutching the Insight Stone at his chest.

Having never before experienced breaking a formation trial, anxiety crept in. But under the calming influence of the Insight Stone, a slight tranquility began to settle.

Suddenly, he recalled what Xiao Hei had said—that the entire Youjue Underground Palace relied on formations to render such a vast architectural complex invisible to the outside world, and that the city walls and the great tree were merely illusions.

Could it be that the well and the withered tree here were also illusions? Perhaps the key to breaking the formation wasn’t here at all?

He had approached the problem with conventional thinking: the tree was withered, and with water so close, the solution must be to enable the tree to absorb it. But maybe this was the intended state.

“Don’t think of changing something right away!”

“Sometimes, what seems discordant has its own reason for being so.”

Lin Zhan suddenly awoke to this truth. He turned and leaned over the well’s edge, scooping up a handful of water, murmuring to himself, “Maybe this water isn’t really water. I’ll try drinking some.”

The water was crisp and sweet, its taste comparable to the Sacred Spirit Spring.

As he swallowed, the surroundings burst into a flash of electric light once more. The tree was uprooted, and the well’s platform rose with it.

Lin Zhan realized then that the so-called well platform was actually formed from the tree’s roots!

So how could the tree truly be dead? The well water was clearly the tree’s own distilled moisture, and here he had been struggling to help it. He felt deeply embarrassed.

Indeed, if this was the first trial, it must test one’s observational acuity. Without sharp perception, one could never grasp the subtlety and essence of the formation.

In this empty space, only the well and the tree existed, naturally drawing attention to the tree’s withered state. The nearby well, so close yet seemingly unable to aid, led him down a false path of thought and useless exertion.

Though the formation was invisible, it conveyed a subtle lesson.

The world is full of scenes; perhaps simply drinking a sweet sip from the well and allowing oneself a moment of relaxation was the true key to breaking the formation.

Though Lin Zhan had no clear understanding yet, something like a tiny flame flickered within his consciousness.

Whoosh!

Lin Zhan was transported to a new scene.

Before him stood two rows of warriors clad in icy armor, each holding a shield in one hand and a long spear in the other. Their ranks were orderly, their demeanor vigorous, their eyes blazing with fierce martial intent—locked onto him!