Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

229: Chapter 229: The Secret of the Array Diagram and the Aoki AllianceThe Soul-Corroding Life-Devouring Formation collapsed, its main controller fled, and the remaining Black Fiend Forest Cultivators were quickly wiped out or captured under the angry counterattack of the Green Wood Clan warriors and the deterrence of Nangong Xuan’s group. The forest clearing was filled with a strange scent—a mixture of the burnt smell left by the dissipating Evil Qi and the fresh fragrance of vegetation—along with the chilling aura and exhaustion following a great battle.

Elder Qing Lin stepped forward supported by Teng Shan. This kind old man’s face was still somewhat pale, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He bowed solemnly to Nangong Xuan, Su Muxue, and Zi Linger.

”If not for the timely intervention of you three young friends today, I’m afraid this old man’s bones would have been laid to rest here, and the Green Wood Clan would have suffered heavy losses. This kindness shall never be forgotten by the Green Wood Clan!”

Nangong Xuan quickly stepped forward to support the old man: ”Grand Elder, you overstate it. You saved our lives first; we are merely contributing a little effort. Besides, the Black Fiend Forest has wild ambitions; their goal likely extends far beyond this.”

His gaze fell upon the eerie black array diagram remaining on the ground after the Formation’s destruction. Even though the Formation was broken, the unfinished pattern still emitted unsettling faint fluctuations, especially the trace of spatial power within it, which, though not strong, was exceptionally resilient and sinister.

Su Muxue’s cold gaze also fell upon the array diagram. She condensed a trace of Taiyin Star Power at her fingertip and cautiously tapped the edge of the pattern. A sizzling sound erupted as the Taiyin Power and the residual sinister energy annihilated each other.

”This array is definitely not a simple life-force devouring Formation,” Su Muxue said with certainty. ”Its Core structure is closer to a cross-realm summoning or spatial anchoring ritual. Devouring life-force is likely just to provide the massive energy needed to start the ritual and... to mask its true spatial fluctuations.”

Zi Linger also crouched down, her emerald fingertips lightly touching the ground. She closed her eyes to sense for a moment, her small face becoming grave: ”I feel... deep within this pattern, a very, very distant... cold and deathly call... it’s blurry, but it makes me very uncomfortable.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Qing Lin’s expression became extremely serious. He approached the residual array diagram, his ancient wooden staff emitting a soft green light. After investigating carefully for a long time, he finally let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with worry.

”What you young friends have seen is correct. This array... I once saw brief mentions of it in the clan’s oldest forbidden texts; its name should be the ’Void Demon Summoning Array’!” He said heavily, ”This array is not used to summon ordinary demonic creatures, but to attempt to open a passage to a specific terrifying existence deep within the endless Void Realm! Behind the Black Fiend Forest, there are indeed shadows of extraterrestrial demons! They want to usher the true ’power of the dark side’ into the Cangmu Realm!”

”Power of the dark side?!” Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue were both shocked! They were no strangers to this term! Whether in the North Nether Sea or at the Primordial Fire Eye, this terrifying force that sought to pollute and destroy everything followed them like a shadow! Could it be that the Black Fiend Forest, the Tiangong Sect, and even the various encounters they had before all pointed to the same terrifying source?

”It must be completely destroyed!” Teng Shan’s face turned ashen upon hearing this, and he raised his spear to smash the residual array diagram.

”Wait!” Nangong Xuan called out to stop him. ”Although this array diagram is unfinished, its structure is eerie. Forcing its destruction might cause unforeseen changes or even draw the gaze of the existence connected to the other side.”

He stepped forward. Inside his Dantian, the four keys cycle rotated slightly. Although the nirvana true seal fragment remained dormant, it emitted a trace of empty dao rhyme. He pointed his fingers like a sword, with the ultimate Nirvana Sword Intent swirling around his fingertips, and began to cautiously draw in the air.

One after another, greyish runes containing the meaning of ”annihilation” and ”ending” flowed from his fingertips, accurately falling into several key nodes of the black array diagram.

Sizzle, sizzle... There was no violent explosion. Under the effect of the runes transformed from the Nirvana Sword Intent, the resilient and sinister black array diagram began to silently disintegrate and dissipate from its most critical structures, like pencil marks being erased by an eraser. Eventually, it turned into a wisp of blue smoke and vanished completely. Even the unsettling spatial fluctuation was annihilated without a trace.

After finishing this, Nangong Xuan breathed a slight sigh of relief. Using the Nirvana Sword Intent to fundamentally ”negate” its existence was the safest way to handle it.

Elder Qing Lin took all this in, his gaze toward Nangong Xuan becoming increasingly amazed and profound. The level of power this young man wielded far exceeded his imagination.

”Young friend Nangong’s methods are heavenly; this old man is full of admiration,” Elder Qing Lin said sincerely, his expression turning grave again. ”The Black Fiend Forest will definitely not give up after this failure. Since they have started trying to set up the ’Void Demon Summoning Array’, it means their plans have reached a critical stage. I’m afraid it won’t be long before more violent attacks arrive.”

He looked at Nangong Xuan’s trio, his tone earnest and solemn: ”Young friends, I have an impudent request. The collusion between the Black Fiend Forest and extraterrestrial demons is not just a matter for my Green Wood Clan; it concerns the survival of the entire Cangmu Realm. You possess extraordinary strength and seem to have an understanding of that ’power of the dark side’. I wonder if you could stay for a while to help my Green Wood Clan weather this crisis? I am willing to swear by the ’tree of life’ that my clan has guarded for generations that the Green Wood Clan will do everything in its power to repay you. Whatever requests you have, as long as they do not violate the Righteous Path of heaven and earth, my clan will strive to fulfill them!”

The tree of life was clearly a supreme holy object even more important to the Green Wood Clan than the sacred spring. Swearing by it showed his sincerity and the severity of the situation.

Nangong Xuan exchanged glances with Su Muxue and Zi Linger.

Their original plan was to recover their strength as quickly as possible and find a way to return to the Xianxia world. But now, the connection between the Black Fiend Forest and ”the dark side” made it impossible for them to stay out of it. Moreover, the Green Wood Clan had saved their lives; if this realm were eroded by the dark side, it would be difficult for them to remain unaffected.

”Grand Elder, you overstate it,” Nangong Xuan said deeply. ”The power of the dark side poisons all realms, and we also have a deep-seated hatred for it. Even without your request, we would never stand idly by when encountering such evil. We are willing to stay and fight against the Black Fiend Forest with your clan to uncover their conspiracy!”

Su Muxue and Zi Linger also nodded firmly.

Hearing this, Elder Qing Lin finally showed a relieved and peaceful smile: ”Good! Good! Good! The Cangmu Realm is saved! On behalf of the entire clan, I thank you all for your righteousness!”

Immediately, everyone cleared the battlefield, treated the wounded, and returned to the Green Wood Clan village. The so-called village was actually a cluster of treehouses built upon countless giant ancient trees, perfectly integrated with the forest and filled with an aura of natural harmony.

That night, Elder Qing Lin hosted a lavish banquet in the ”Qing Lin Hall,” the largest treehouse in the center of the village, to entertain Nangong Xuan’s trio. The feast consisted of various spiritual fruits, fine wines, and meals containing pure Wood Spirit Qi, which were highly beneficial to Cultivators.

After the banquet, Elder Qing Lin dismissed the attendants, leaving only Nangong Xuan’s trio.

”Young friends, since we have made a covenant, there are some things I will no longer hide,” Elder Qing Lin said with a solemn expression. ”The tree of life that my Green Wood Clan has guarded for generations is, in its Origin, one of the spatial nodes that connected to the outside world during the ancient period, much like the heavenly rift scar. However, the world it connects to is not a demon realm filled with Evil Qi, but an ’Ancestral Wood Spirit Realm’ full of infinite vitality.”

”The tree of life can draw the most fundamental life energy from the Ancestral Wood Spirit Realm to nourish the entire Qinglin Forest, and it is also the source of the sacred spring’s power. The Black Fiend Forest’s goal, besides the sacred spring, is more importantly the Core of the tree of life—the ’heart of the ancestral wood’. They want to pollute or even seize the heart of the ancestral wood. On one hand, it’s to sever my clan’s Foundation; on the other hand, it’s very likely they want to use the massive life energy of the heart of the ancestral wood as a sacrifice to completely activate the ’Void Demon Summoning Array’ and usher in more powerful dark side demons!”

The truth finally surfaced; the Black Fiend Forest’s conspiracy was far grander and more malicious than imagined!

”We must stop them!” Zi Linger clenched her fists. As a Wood Spirit, she had an instinctive affinity for and a desire to protect the tree of life.

”Correct,” Nangong Xuan nodded. ”The top priorities now are, first, to strengthen defenses and stay alert for counterattacks from the Black Fiend Forest and the Earth Fire Fortress; second, to find a way to take the initiative, ideally destroying their existing arrangements or even finding their lair.”

”What you say is very true,” Elder Qing Lin agreed. ”I have already ordered increased patrols and begun mobilizing the clan’s forces. As for taking the initiative...” He pondered for a moment, ”Perhaps we can start with the Earth Fire Fortress.”

”Earth Fire Fortress?” Su Muxue raised an eyebrow.

”Although the Earth Fire Fortress colludes with the Black Fiend Forest, they are not a monolith. They act more out of interest and fear. The Fortress Lord of the Earth Fire Fortress, Yan Luo, is an extremely greedy and opinionated person. He has always coveted a ’Black Fiend Flame Seed’ held by the Black Fiend Forest, which can strengthen earth fire and Artifact Refining, but he also fears the strength of the Black Fiend Venerable Lord. If we can find a way to drive a wedge between them or make the Earth Fire Fortress realize the consequences of dealing with the devil, we might find a Breakthrough.”

A preliminary plan began to form in the minds of the three. An enemy’s enemy might become a temporary friend, or at least a pawn that could be utilized.

As the night deepened and the discussion concluded, Nangong Xuan’s trio was arranged to rest in a treehouse.

Standing on the high balcony of the treehouse, looking down at the quiet and mysterious Qinglin Forest and feeling the rich breath of life in the air, Nangong Xuan took a deep breath.

A new battlefield had opened up. The opponent was the familiar power of the dark side, but with a different face and conspiracy.

He looked inside his Dantian; the four keys were slowly rotating, the nirvana true seal fragment was bobbing, and the chaos star core on his shoulder transmitted a sense of peaceful sleep.

Lin Mo, wait a little longer; father will definitely find a way to wake you up completely.

And before that, he would first cut off the dark side’s reaching hand here in the Cangmu Realm!