Chapter 148: Unity

A wisp of green dragon aura emerged from the Water Mist Labyrinth.

Shortly after, two figures stepped through the fog.

"Your Highness, this array has been cleared," Zhang Juzheng said.

The picturesque scenery of Mount Yunmeng reappeared, leaving the sea of fog behind them.

The first to successfully pass through were the Crown Prince of Wanli and Zhang Juzheng.

Upon seeing them, Master Yichuan thought to himself, "The Great Ming truly deserves its reputation as the world's premier power. Though they sent few men, they cleared the array first. If the opportunity arises, I should seek a future in the Great Ming."

"Hey! Quickly lead the way for His Imperial Highness to the next array," the Wanli Crown Prince shouted imperiously at Yichuan.

Master Yichuan felt quite depressed upon hearing this.

He was a renowned Confucian scholar in his own right, yet the Wanli Crown Prince treated him as a nobody?

"Are cultivators of the Harmony Realm as common as dirt in the Great Ming? Utterly worthless?"

The more Yichuan thought about it, the angrier he became, and his expression toward the Wanli Crown Prince soured.

"What's the rush?"

"The other group is about to come out. Just wait."

He possessed a talisman bestowed by Guiguzi, allowing him to sense whenever anyone was about to emerge from the array.

"Oh?" The Wanli Crown Prince narrowed his eyes slightly. "They cleared it too?"

As his voice trailed off, footsteps echoed from the fog.

Lü Fubao, Yan Yuan, Zhuge Liang, Guo Jia, Zhou Yu, and the Saintess of Jinde appeared from the mist one after another.

However, Fan Li was nowhere to be seen.

The Wanli Crown Prince noticed this as well.

He sneered inwardly, "Those who submit will prosper, those who resist will perish!"

"What? Has the Duke of Jin truly failed to emerge from the array?" Yan Yuan looked around, failing to spot Fan Li, and his expression darkened considerably.

Zhuge Liang and the others reacted similarly.

Should Fan Li meet with misfortune and cause turmoil in the State of Chu, it was certainly not something the states of Wei, Han, and Wu wished to see.

"Only one casualty?"

Some rejoiced, while others sorrowed.

Master Yichuan felt a sense of schadenfreude upon failing to see Fan Li.

"Everyone, please follow me to the second array."

He urged them forward, but only the Wanli Crown Prince, Zhang Juzheng, and the Saintess of Jinde moved.

The rest remained standing in place.

"Could we wait a moment longer?" Lü Fubao said. "Fan Li got separated from us; perhaps he will emerge shortly?"

"Wait for him? On what grounds?"

Someone scoffed.

It was neither Master Yichuan nor the Wanli Crown Prince—it was Jinde.

The Saintess of Jinde sneered, "Given his meager cultivation, he was nothing more than a dead weight to begin with. Being trapped in the array is all the better, lest he continues to drag us down in the subsequent trials."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those present varied.

Zhang Juzheng whispered to Wanli, "Your Highness, despite the grand momentum of the alliance between the four nations and the Pure Land, they are merely a tray of loose sand, harboring their own selfish motives. Sooner or later, they will be picked apart one by one by our Great Ming military."

The Wanli Crown Prince nodded, deeply agreeing.

He cast a playful glance at the Saintess of Jinde.

This woman truly lacked the bigger picture; clearly companions, yet she openly displayed such disunity.

Utterly foolish!

"My Imperial Father has been vexed by the alliance between the four nations and the Pure Land. Seen in this light, the Fanyin Pure Land is actually their weak spot?"

Thinking this, the Wanli Crown Prince could not help but chuckle softly.

"Please wait!"

Someone stepped forward to block Yichuan.

It was Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang smiled and said, "The Great Han advances and retreats together with the Duke of Jin of Great Chu. Even though the Duke is trapped within the array, I still wish to wait for him to come out. Might I ask for a little more time?"

"This..."

Yichuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

In truth, Guiguzi had long since instructed him not to slight those entering the mountain, and even to accommodate their requests as much as possible.

"Master's instructions are truly bizarre."

"Since he set up the array to test them, he nevertheless expects me to cooperate."

"What on earth is Master planning?"

While he was lost in wild thoughts, Zhou Yu also spoke up, "The Great Wu and Great Chu share a common bond. Since the Duke of Jin is trapped, I too am willing to wait a while longer. Would Junior Brother kindly grant the Duke more time to clear the array?"

Yichuan's jaw dropped in astonishment.

It was only then that he remembered, according to the rules of Guiguzi's lineage, Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia had all graduated long before him.

In terms of proficiency taking precedence, could they genuinely be considered his senior martial brothers?

Guo Jia also smiled, "Representing the Great Wei, I likewise ask Junior Brother for your indulgence. What harm is there in waiting a little longer?"

"What the...?"

None of the representatives from the three nations were willing to face the second array?

At this point, even without Guiguzi's prior instructions, Yichuan dared not urge them onward.

"Very well then, let us wait a moment longer..."

The expression of the Saintess of Jinde turned exceedingly ugly.

By this time, she had also realized something.

Her sarcasm toward Fan Li had made her appear narrow-minded and oblivious to the broader picture, drawing silent contempt from everyone present.

"It's all Fan Li's fault!"

"If he hadn't wandered off, how could I have fallen into such an embarrassing predicament?"

The Saintess of Jinde conveniently forgot that the paper butterfly ambush had not knocked Fan Li out of the group; it was her own sneak attack that had sent him flying.

After waiting for about the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, the Saintess of Jinde grew impatient once more.

"How much longer are we going to wait?"

"Have you all forgotten that Fan Li only possesses Foundation Establishment strength? How could he possibly break through Guiguzi's Water Mist Labyrinth?"

"Are we expected to wait for him an entire lifetime if he remains trapped by the array forever?"

Just as the Saintess of Jinde finished speaking, a lazy voice echoed from the mist.

"What virtue or ability does this Fan possess to make the Saintess wait an entire lifetime?"

Fan Li walked out of the fog, wearing a slightly punchable smile.

"You!?" The Saintess of Jinde was shocked. "With your abilities, how could you possibly see through the mist?"

"Simple, just type 'black sheep wall'," Fan Li casually spouted nonsense.

The Saintess of Jinde was utterly bewildered, understanding nothing of what he said.

Too lazy to bother with her, Fan Li walked straight over and took his stand beside Lü Fubao and Yan Yuan.

"Hey, how did you figure out the direction?" Lü Fubao asked in a hushed voice, consumed by curiosity.

Fan Li did not answer directly.

He suddenly grabbed Lü Fubao's right hand, startling her.

Just as Lü Fubao was debating whether to cry out about impropriety or slap Fan Li across the face, she felt a cool, slender little object being pushed into her palm.

She lowered her gaze and saw it was actually a piece of iron wire.

What was the meaning of this?

"Rub it against a silk cloth in one direction, and it generates electromagnetic force. The effect is identical to that of a south-pointing chariot."

Fan Li explained.

As for whether Lü Fubao could comprehend electromagnetic force, that was none of his concern.

"Ahem!"

"Since everyone is here... please follow me to the second array."

Master Yichuan cast a conflicted look toward Fan Li.

This fellow was simply abnormal!

Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could clear Guiguzi's array, wouldn't that make his master look like a fraud with an undeserved reputation?

Yet, recalling Fan Li's performance at Luming Academy, when had that guy ever been normal?

"This is the second array, the Golden Illusion Array."

A courtyard surprisingly stood nestled within Mount Yunmeng.

The courtyard blocked the mountain path, but as long as one passed through it, they could continue forward.

Judged solely by its exterior, the courtyard was resplendent and magnificent, entirely fitting the grand name of the array.

Yet, the group felt no threat from it whatsoever?

Could it be that the Golden Illusion Array was even weaker in power than the Water Mist Labyrinth?

"The Golden Illusion Array can see through the deepest desires in a person's heart."

"Once you enter the array, you will face layers of tests born from your desires."

"The moment you are seduced by those desires, you will be eternally trapped in the illusion, never to wake up again."

Knowing the terrifying nature of the Golden Illusion Array, Yichuan deliberately kept it to himself.

According to Guiguzi's original intent, he should have warned them beforehand.

Yichuan stole a glance at Fan Li.

"He wields monstrous power in the Great Chu; his personal desires must be extremely heavy. The Golden Illusion Array will surely be Fan Li's graveyard."

Grading exams is truly terrifying... If there is a next life, I'm staying DINK, never having children again...