Chapter 68: Twelve Earthly Branches Five Elements Array
Lou Yunxiao was stunned.
For a moment, he didn’t even know how to answer this question.
He hoped Ming Xin was A-Ke.
But if the other party really was A-Ke, why didn’t he take the initiative to recognize him?
And A-Ke’s body was clearly in his own hands, so how did he come back to life?
Also, what about the hardships A-Ke experienced in the underground palace, and the eyes he dug out for him?
And how did he spend those three months after he disappeared?
Lou Yunxiao couldn’t figure it out.
But because he couldn’t figure it out, he felt fear in his heart.
Wu Gou lowered his eyes and turned back, saying, “Benefactor Lou, everything comes from within. It is much better for you to figure it out yourself than to ask others.”
After that, the two didn’t say another word until nightfall when everyone returned.
“A few days ago, when I went to the woods outside Beiyou City, I didn’t see any Youhun Grass growing. When I went again today, I found so many growing under the roots of the trees.” Zeng Xi showed the Youhun Grass in her basket to everyone.
“The senior brothers said that the blood of those living dead can also be used for alchemy, though I don’t know what the effect will be if it’s refined.” After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he picked up a stalk of Youhun Grass and frowned. “For so much Youhun Grass to grow in just a few days is truly a bit strange…”
Youhun Grass was one of the medicinal herbs used to refine Sanmo Dan.
Logically speaking, it should grow in the warm south.
But now, as the weather was getting colder, it appeared in the Northern Territory.
It was hard not to arouse suspicion.
“We found traces of a residual magic array in the residence that was attacked by demons.”
Ning Xiaoxiao took out a stone slab and presented it to everyone. “I’ve made a rubbing of the array. Take a look.”
“Also,” Zhuang Yusheng spoke up, “Xiaoxiao and I discovered that those residences are scattered across twelve locations in Beiyou City. When combined, they seem to surround the entire city.”
The female disciple from the Music Sect was named Liu Li. She also said at this time, “I think those twelve locations look like the Twelve Earthly Branches.”
Her words gave Ning Xiaoxiao a reminder.
Before everyone could continue the discussion, a soft sound came from inside the room.
Then, the fragrance of pills wafted out.
Clearly, Ning Ke’s Sanmo Dan had been successfully refined.
Zeng Xi’s eyes lit up, and she hurriedly pushed the door open and entered.
“Fellow Daoist Ming Xin, you actually refined the Sanmo Dan in a single batch!”
She came too quickly; the flames Ning Ke used for alchemy had not yet been extinguished.
Seeing this, he quickly put them out.
But the dissipated aura still caused Lou Yunxiao, who had followed her in, to shudder.
This was the latent resonance between the two parts of the source Fox Fire.
Lou Yunxiao subconsciously touched the fire mark on his heart and looked at Ning Ke, deep in thought.
“It’s probably because I had a better feel for it this time.” Ning Ke put away the alchemy furnace and handed the refined pills to Zeng Xi.
Zhang Chen, who was watching from the side, was even more excited than Ning Ke, the one who had refined the pills.
“Refining Sanmo Dan in one batch! If our Sect Master saw this, he would definitely rush to snatch you away from Abbot Wu Jue!”
“You flatter me.” As Ning Ke spoke, he looked up and met Lou Yunxiao’s deep eyes.
Guiltily, he glanced elsewhere and tried to join the topic.
“I vaguely heard you all saying just now that there were array remnants in those attacked residences?”
“Can you let me see?”
“Sure.” Because of yesterday’s events, Ning Xiaoxiao had a good impression of Ning Ke, so she handed him the stone slab.
When Ning Ke took the stone slab, his gaze paused slightly on the small snake bracelet on Ning Xiaoxiao’s wrist.
The bracelet immediately gave a start, its tiny eyes showing a fawning expression toward him.
Ning Ke gave the little snake a warning look and didn’t dare to acknowledge it.
Everyone quickly gathered around the table.
Ning Ke withdrew his gaze, looked at Zeng Xi, and said, “Beiyou City is under the jurisdiction of the Dan Sect. Do you have a map of the city?”
“It’s here.” Zeng Xi handed it over, and Ning Ke spread the map out on the table as well.
“Are the twelve residences you mentioned located here…” As Ning Ke spoke, he used his finger to trace on the map. After drawing twelve circles, he stopped.
Ning Xiaoxiao, Zhuang Yusheng, and Liu Li’s eyes widened at the same time.
“Fellow Daoist Ming Xin, you didn’t go with us to investigate the city. How could you know these locations?”
“I saw it from the small array on the stone slab.”
As he said this, a faint sense of unease grew in Ning Ke’s heart.
Because he found these twelve locations looked familiar to him.
A moment later, it suddenly occurred to him that in the underground palace of the secret realm, he had observed a large array with a stone tablet as the array eye and the underground palace as the foundation!
Wasn’t it just like this?!
And now, twelve residences had been attacked, and the small arrays contained within the large array had been damaged.
That meant…
“Quick!” He suddenly stood up.
He said, “Get all the citizens of Beiyou City to evacuate!”
He looked at Zeng Xi. “Notify the City Lord. Say it is an order from your Dan Sect. Execute it immediately!”
His reaction was so intense that Zeng Xi and Zhang Chen were both stunned.
Lou Yunxiao was the first to react, saying coldly, “Do as he says!”
Zeng Xi didn’t dare to delay any longer and rushed out the door.
Ning Ke then said to Zhang Chen, “Have the Dan Sect disciples outside the city and the army inside the city help evacuate the citizens. Say there are still demons in the city and tell them to leave immediately!”
Zhang Chen responded and ran outside.
Ning Ke looked at the map again and pointed out five locations.
“After the Twelve Earthly Branches come the Five Elements.”
“If the Five Elements sub-arrays of this grand array are broken again, the consequences will be unimaginable.”
“I have a Fire spiritual root, Wu Gou has a Wood spiritual root, Benefactor Ning has a Metal spiritual root, Fellow Daoist Liu Li has a Water spiritual root, and Fellow Daoist Zhuang has an Earth spiritual root.” Ning Ke said, “We will each spread out and guard one array. In addition, use communication spirit stones to send messages to your respective sects, asking the Sect Masters to send cultivators above the Soul Transformation stage for reinforcements.”
Everyone looked at each other and nodded.
They expressed their agreement with Ning Ke’s distribution.
Wu Gou’s clear eyes reflected Ning Ke’s shadow.
As a bystander who had guessed Ning Ke’s true identity, he naturally had total faith in Ning Ke’s arrangements.
He was just a bit curious.
Why would a Demon Venerable who was so intent on saving their human race do such a thing to the Liuyun Sect?
He thought that perhaps after spending more time with Ning Ke, these questions would slowly be revealed.
The people in the room dispersed. Ning Ke pointed in Liu Li’s direction and said, “Fellow Daoist Lou, you have an Ice spiritual root, which also belongs to the Water element. You should go with Fellow Daoist Liu Li to guard the Water array; you can look after each other.”
Liu Li was a female supporting character in the novel. In this arc of Beiyou City, she would fall in love with Lou Yunxiao.
Ning Ke’s distribution was actually intended to divert Lou Yunxiao’s attention away from him.
But to his surprise, Lou Yunxiao only stood by his side.
Wherever he went, the other party followed.
Ning Ke was at his wit’s end and emphasized again, “…Fellow Daoist Lou, you have an Ice spiritual root.”
But the next moment, he watched as Lou Yunxiao reached out his hand toward him.
Whoosh—
The fire he had given Lou Yunxiao in the Demon Abyss was being toyed with in the palm of his hand.
Like showing off a skill, it nimbly flipped between his ten fingers.
It took a long time to stop.
He said to him with a serious face.
“But you see, I can play with fire, too.”
Translator’s Note:
Twelve Earthly Branches (十二地支 – Shí’èr Dìzhī): A Chinese system used for keeping time, directions, and astrology (Rat, Ox, Tiger, etc.). In cultivation novels, they often correspond to spatial coordinates in complex arrays.
Five Elements (五行 – Wǔxíng): Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. These are the fundamental building blocks of many cultivation systems and array formations.
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