Chapter 1760: The Ancient Array Appears

Another sixty or seventy seconds passed. Yan Qingchen’s lips parted, and a sharp cry erupted from his throat.

“Lü!”

As he shouted, the ordinary little tree on the cliff vanished. In its place appeared a small patch of gray light, about four feet across and diamond-shaped. It looked as if a corresponding exit had appeared on the other side of the cliff, and the diamond of gray light was the glow from the other side shining through.

“This… this is a Hidden Reef Array!”

A voice filled with shock rang out from behind. The moment the diamond appeared, Yan Qingchen withdrew his hands and stopped his spell. He didn’t step forward immediately. The four behind him could already sense ripples of spiritual energy radiating from the gray shape.

The long-bearded cultivator spoke in a low but astonished tone. The “Hidden Reef Array” was an ancient formation that was nearly extinct. Very few modern cultivators knew how to set one up in its entirety.

Normally, any functioning formation—even an illusion array that looked perfectly real—would emit distinct ripples. A cultivator might not be able to break it, but they would know a formation was there. It was like the misty array Li Yan’s group had been trapped in; everyone knew they were in an array because of the repeating scenery.

But a Hidden Reef Array used no spirit stones. It drew its energy from the natural spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Because its ripples were perfectly synchronized with the natural laws of the area, it was nearly impossible to detect.

Another hallmark of this formation was its dual restriction. The outer layer was purely for concealment; even if you attacked it, the restriction wouldn’t fight back. It would use the natural laws to absorb the strike, making it feel like you were hitting a normal object. Only once the outer layer was broken would the true formation reveal itself. It was named after a reef hidden beneath the waves—unseen until it was struck.

Even if a master knew how to refine and set one up, it was incredibly difficult to do. It required a specific environment that was very hard to find. The formation had to gather energy while simultaneously diffusing it back into the environment to avoid detection. Creating a gathering array that didn’t alert anyone was nearly impossible; it required perfect alignment with the local natural laws.

Furthermore, a Hidden Reef Array required materials imbued with spatial laws. Just gathering the materials could take an entire lifetime for a formation master. Because of these difficulties, the art of creating them had slowly died out. In the modern world, they might only be found in the core areas of top-tier sects, protecting their most vital secrets. But that was just speculation; no one ever saw them anymore.

As a top-tier sect, Huangqi Valley’s alchemy and forging were closely tied to talismans and formations. Thus, true disciples had to be proficient in the Dao of Formations. Although no one tried to set up Hidden Reef Arrays anymore, descriptions of them still existed in ancient records.

The bearded man recognized the signs from his studies. He couldn’t set one up, but the characteristics were unmistakable. Relying on his memory, he immediately understood what he was seeing and cried out in surprise. The others glanced at him and then turned their Divine Senses to the diamond on the cliff.

“Brother Zheng is indeed well-read. I admire your knowledge. My Master discovered this place but couldn’t break it. He spent a long time researching it before identifying the formation. Now that the entrance is revealed, the next step is breaking it. You are all experts; feel free to try your hand.”

“If anyone has a better way to break it, we won’t need to combine our strength. My Master’s method might not even work. From what I know, it won’t be easy, and our time is limited. We can’t afford to waste it!”

Yan Qingchen withdrew his hand and scanned the area with his Divine Sense, wary of any other cultivators. Though this place was hidden, someone else might have stumbled upon it. If that happened, he would have to silence them. But the area remained as silent as before.

Yan Qingchen looked first at the bearded man, Brother Zheng. His intention was to lead the effort himself and have the others assist him. But these people were skeptical and cautious. Only by letting them fail first would they truly cooperate. Once they failed, they would be much more dedicated to his plan. And now that they had seen a Hidden Reef Array, no one would leave even if he tried to drive them away.

The presence of such an array meant there was a massive treasure inside. No one would use such a formation to protect something trivial.

Sure enough, when Yan Qingchen’s gaze fell on Brother Zheng, the man nodded without hesitation.

“Very well, I shall give it a try. But let’s be clear on the terms. If I manage to break it, can we adjust the conditions slightly? Besides exchanging items for treasure, could I have the right to choose one item first?”

He looked at the others. The three remained silent. Yan Qingchen thought for a moment before speaking.

“I have no objection. Since I have my Master’s notes, I won’t participate in the individual attempts. Whoever breaks it can have that condition. But I said we can’t take too long. Let’s set a limit of two hours per person. If no one succeeds, we will use my Master’s method and combine our strength. But in that case, I must be the one to choose an item first!”

Yan Qingchen remained gentle and warm, shifting the pressure to the others. Now, everyone would want a turn.

Silence fell for a few seconds before someone broke it.

“Junior Brother Yan is right. Two hours each. We don’t know what’s behind this array, and our time in the hall is short. If we cause too much of a stir and attract others, we’ll be in trouble. Yan has been honest with us; he brought us here and has confidence in his method. We’ll let him choose first if we have to use his way. As for the order of our individual attempts, I suggest we decide by drawing straws—that way, everyone is satisfied.”

A middle-aged man named Qian spoke up while looking at Yan Qingchen and Zheng. He appeared polite, but he was actually taking control. He and Zheng were veteran elites of similar standing, and he believed his formation skills were just as good. Now that the Hidden Reef Array was exposed, he was confident he could break the inner layers.

He suggested a simple way to decide the order. Brother Zheng looked displeased, as he wanted to go first, but Brother Qian was his equal and didn’t fear him. He could only nod and smile in agreement.

“I can go last. You brothers should go first,” Liu Siyu whispered. She didn’t care about the order; she just wanted to help Yan Qingchen. But she knew that saying so would reflect poorly on him, so she offered to go last. The final cultivator also agreed to the plan.