I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 270: Chapter 237: Hidden Misty Killing Array

”A man must strive for strength...”

”Looking into the mirror, applying yellow flowers!”

Kong Wenrang’s face was ashen. His attempt to bolster his spirit had failed, forcing him to dodge awkwardly while Jiang Yuebai pressed on with her blade.

”The winds whistle bitterly, the River Yi turns cold, the warrior...”

”The warrior hangs himself on a southeastern branch!”

The shadow of a soldier had just begun to take form, but was interrupted by Jiang Yuebai once again.

”I brandish my blade towards the heavens and laugh...”

”After laughing, I shall sleep!”

The blazing sword aura struck his chest, sending Kong Wenrang flying backward, spitting blood. His mind was in chaos; he lacked the composure to remain focused and was constantly interrupted by Jiang Yuebai.

Jiang Yuebai sheathed her sword. After several exchanges, she had figured out that this Confucian cultivator from the Kong Family relied on his eloquence and the sword aura in his mouth, which was indeed as powerful as that of a sword cultivator.

Above her head, the little Ganoderma slightly quivered. On the vine walls to both sides, vines shot out. Kong Wenrang struggled to stand, but was caught off guard and firmly bound as Jiang Yuebai relentlessly pursued him.

As he was about to speak, several vines rapidly flew across his face, tightly binding his mouth and preventing him from making a sound.

Jiang Yuebai summoned the Shadow Moon Mother and Child Blades, swift as the wind, crescent moons of varying sizes.

Kong Wenrang’s eyes widened in terror. Gathering all his energy, his Vast Righteous Qi burst through his fingertips and in the blink of an eye, he inscribed two golden characters next to him.

Carrying a library within, ”Autumn Wind”

All creation stirs in silence, whirlwinds rage,

Swords and halberds clamor in the sky, waves roll on flat ground.

Kong Wenrang groaned in pain, exhausting all his Vast Righteous Qi. Without needing to recite, merely writing a poem’s title unleashed a torrential force.

The winds howled violently, swords and halberds clashed, torrents surged turbulently in the passage.

Both Jiang Yuebai and the Faceless Puppet were pushed back by the waves. Kong Wenrang slashed the vines with his rapier-like tongue, riding the wind to quickly vanish at the end of the maze.

His ear itched slightly, but Kong Wenrang was too preoccupied to notice the silvery-white mycelium behind his ear gradually disappearing into his hair.

The waves receded, and Jiang Yuebai sheathed her sword. From this skirmish, she had understood the method of the Confucian cultivator. At first, she’d thought sealing his mouth would suffice, but now it seemed she had to also disable his hands.

She intentionally let Kong Wenrang escape, with the intention of letting him rendezvous with other disciples of the Kong Family, especially his older brothers Kong Wenliang and Kong Wengong.

”When the time comes, I’ll bury your entire family neatly!”

After briefly recuperating, Jiang Yuebai calculated the time. She had been in the maze for over a day. The maze would remain open for nine days in total.

On the sixth day, the inner hunt’s transmission array would open, and the outer maze would begin to close.

Those cultivators who did not enter the inner hunt would be crushed into pulp, just as she had initially witnessed in the Bronze Maze.

”I must find the inner layer’s transmission array as soon as possible.”

Continuing to cross walls in a straight line, Jiang Yuebai practiced Little Demon Techniques along the way.

Upon encountering treasure-bearing budding flowers, she would approach for a friendly exchange, graciously accepting their enthusiastic gifts.

When she saw others fighting over treasures, she intervened to mediate, taking the source of conflict and sending everyone off to cool down outside.

When she encountered non-sect disciples, she would take out the Condensing Light Mirror, showing them the ’Dragon Soaring in the Sky,’ demonstrating the sect’s hospitality.

Day after day, busy and bustling.

As time went on, more people were eliminated, most of whom were still loose cultivators.

As in previous sessions, the Independent Cultivator Alliance was difficult to manage despite its name as an alliance. Those who chose to remain as loose cultivators often did so for the freedom, aside from being unable to enter a sect due to lack of talent.

Thus, most loose cultivators participated in the Wind and Cloud Meeting to seek treasures and opportunities. The alliance leader never expected to win, and he himself rarely returned to the headquarters every few years.

In the maze, loose cultivators mostly operated solo or in pairs, and when they encountered large groups forming from the noble family disciples and sect disciples, they naturally got eliminated.

Besides, people noticed that in the past, noble family disciples stood united and powerful in parity with sect disciples.

This time, not even six days in and more noble family disciples have been eliminated than sect disciples.

Quite a few of them shared a common trait...

In the stone pillar center of the square, two more noble family disciples from the Pingjiang Domain were eliminated, in tattered clothes, covered in frost, and still wearing terrified expressions.

”It’s Jiang Yuebai from the Heavenly Interence Sect again!”

”Just like the previous twenty-something, blasted out with a single Talisman Treasure.”

”Such unethical things should be banned! How come a major disciple only has the Talisman Treasure and nothing else?”

”Look at the elite noble family disciples, which of them doesn’t have a Talisman Treasure? Yesterday, when those two from the Wang Family were eliminated, they were clutching half-activated Talisman Treasures in their hands.”

”Judging by the current numbers, it seems only the Kong Family, Fang Family, and Lu Family of the Noble Family Alliance haven’t had anyone eliminated. There’s not many others left.”

”The sect side is quite peculiar too. Over thirty of the major sect’s older disciples have been eliminated, while the younger generation has lasted till the fifth day, quite impressive.”

”It’s a pity we can’t see the happenings inside the maze, otherwise, it must be quite exciting.”

At this moment, a Mirage Illusion gradually appeared above the stone pillars, signaling the forthcoming opening of the inner hunt.

”This is... Xuanming Battlefield, Land of the Ice Demon Ancestor!”

＊

At that time, on the fifth day of the trial, in the maze’s central altar.

A massive bronze sword, a vine-entwined stone pillar, and a gargantuan ice sculpture with a human face and bird’s body stood among the ruins, facing the three major zones of the maze.

The ruins resembled the remains of a forlorn imperial city. Despite its dilapidate state, its grandiose scale echoed the site’s once-flourishing glory.

However, at this moment, a mist enveloped most of the eastern region of the ruins, obscuring the way to the hunting grounds’ transmission array.

Cold winds blew, the murderous atmosphere was spine-chilling.

Two noble family disciples emerged from behind the Demon God Ice Sculpture and grinned upon seeing the eastern mists of the ruins.

Swoosh, swoosh!

Two Sword Qi streaks shot from behind a collapsed massive stone pillar, startling the two noble family disciples into quickly dodging into the dense fog.

”Ha ha, you sect trash, have the guts to come in and kill us.”

Taunted the voice from within the array. Xie Jingshan leapt onto the stone pillar, slashing forward with his fiery sword aura in a fit of rage.

Boom, boom, boom!

No matter how fiercely he struck, the Sword Aura vanished without a trace into the mist, raising not even a ripple.

”Don’t bother. Those noble family folks clearly came prepared with that Hidden Misty Killing Array. Only their family members can pass safely. If we enter, we’re sure to run into trouble.”

Hee Wangchen slowly popped out half his head to speak to Xie Jingshan.

Xie Jingshan jumped back behind the stone pillar, ”Can’t you think of a way to break this array?”

Hee Wangchen scratched his head, ”I’m observing it. Don’t rush. Breaking the array requires calm and patience. The more anxious one is, the more likely they are to overlook the flaws right under their nose. As my master said...”

”Okay, okay, stop your rambling. Just hurry up and break the array. If you keep yammering, the golden flowers will wilt. More and more noble family disciples are getting in, while our sect disciples are bound to suffer.”

”Easy now, take it easy. No rush. I’m observing,” Hee Wangchen continued to slowly peer ahead.

Xie Jingshan sighed, ”If only Jiang Yuebai were here, she always has the wicked ideas. We’re lucky to have gotten this far in the Bronze Maze thanks to her part of the Maze Map.”

Roar!

A thunderous roar erupted from behind the bronze giant sword. Xie Jingshan and Hee Wangchen lay flat, peering gloomily ahead.

Thud, thud, thud!

The ground shook rhythmically, accompanied by the screeching of metal under stress. Five individuals, retreating while fighting, scrambled out from behind the bronze giant sword.

”Those five from the Guiyuan Sword Sect!”

The sun-blocking silhouette loomed above. Xie Jingshan and Hee Wangchen looked stiffly upwards.

A ten-zhang tall bronze figure, eight arms brandishing various weapons, as formidable as the Buddhist Angry-Eyed Vajra, made its presence felt.

Xie Jingshan cursed aloud, ”Those bastards! How did they lure the guardian giant puppet, the Eight-Armed Vajra, out of the Bronze Maze!”