Chapter 2456: Chapter 2456: An Array Pattern

"Junior Brother Wushuang, your injury... what on earth is going on?"

Qingyan Immortal King looked up at Fang Bai, who was sitting on the back of the Single-Horned Dragon Horse, feeling a bit bewildered for a moment.

He couldn’t understand how Junior Brother Wushuang, who was clearly spitting blood from Deviation, with such a wounded appearance that couldn’t be faked, now seemed completely fine.

Moreover, the Single-Horned Dragon Horse beneath Junior Brother Wushuang, whose cultivation level rivaled a Fifth-Rank Immortal King Realm, appeared incredibly docile, seemingly already tamed by Junior Brother Wushuang, which Qingyan Immortal King found unbelievable.

It’s important to know that among Immortal Beasts in the Immortal Realm, the Single-Horned Dragon Horse has the noblest bloodline, is incredibly irritable and proud, and would never easily submit to any Immortal. Taming a Single-Horned Dragon Horse is not something that can be achieved merely by mastering the Beast Taming Art.

How did my Junior Brother Wushuang manage to do it?

"My injury? Look at me; do I look injured?"

Fang Bai said with a smile.

"You... could it be that you were really pretending?"

Qingyan Immortal King exclaimed.

Fang Bai nodded, "Yes! I was indeed pretending!"

Qingyan Immortal King asked sharply, "Why?"

Fang Bai held out two fingers, "Firstly, I wanted to see which of you and Chiyang Immortal King wanted to kill me more! Secondly, I hoped to get to Evil Fire Valley in advance and let the disciples of Emperor’s Palace there avoid being hunted by your Golden Crow Palace, so I had to find a way to separate from you all! It seems I acted quite convincingly, successfully deceiving you!"

Qingyan Immortal King was a shrewd Immortal; he discerned something amiss from Fang Bai’s words, his face turned pale, and he said grimly, "Junior Brother Wushuang, I never thought you would be involved with Emperor’s Palace... If the Palace Master finds out, no number of lives would be enough for you..."

Fang Bai sneered coldly, "Whether I die or not is another matter; but you, your life won’t be spared!"

Qingyan Immortal King unsheathed the Green Nether Sword, not angry but laughing, "You? You can’t kill me!"

Fang Bai said, "If I attack alone, killing you might take some time. However... what if I add these Immortal Birds and Beasts?"

Eager to head to Evil Fire Valley, he didn’t want to waste words with Qingyan Immortal King any longer. With a long roar, hundreds of Immortal Birds and Beasts, appearing frenzied, viciously charged at Qingyan Immortal King from all directions.

Hundreds of Immortal Birds and Beasts, all with cultivation levels not lower than a Fifth-Rank Immortal King Realm, combined their attack—such tremendous power, even just Qingyan Immortal King, only an Immortal Emperor Realm Expert, would have no choice but to run away.

The valley was instantly filled with chaotic Immortal Qi and fierce killing intent, and almost in no time, Qingyan Immortal King was drowned in the frenzied assault of Immortal Birds and Beasts.

"Let me send you off!"

Even after slaying some attacking beasts, Qingyan Immortal King began to accumulate injuries, and Fang Bai felt it was too slow this way, so he raised the Houyi Bow and fired arrows.

Arrows formed from the Fire Immortal Qi and vital blood within him left the bowstring, swift like meteors, soared away with a whistle, tearing through the void, easily piercing Qingyan Immortal King’s chest.

"Boom!"

With a blast, Qingyan Immortal King’s body exploded under that arrow, disintegrating into a mist of blood, vanishing into smoke.

"Dragon Horse, oh Dragon Horse, whether we can reach Evil Fire Valley ahead of the Golden Crow Palace Immortals depends on you! If you make a contribution this time, I will teach you a set of Emperor Rank Immortal Technique Secrets!"

After shooting Qingyan Immortal King, Fang Bai did not linger at all, nor did he bother with the Immortal Birds and Beasts, urging the Single-Horned Dragon Horse to soar into the void.

"You are the War Emperor, keep your promises! Hold tight!"

The Single-Horned Dragon Horse perked up upon hearing Fang Bai’s words, lifted its hooves, and transformed into a streak of white light, rushing toward Evil Fire Valley.

The Immortals from Golden Crow Palace, including Feng Nie Fairy, were riding flying birds and Single-Horned Dragon Horses of equal cultivation, but their speed was far less than that of the Single-Horned Dragon Horse. Furthermore, Fang Bai knew the Immortal Realm extremely well, taking shortcuts, thus he arrived ahead of several disciples from Golden Crow Palace near Evil Fire Valley.

Evil Fire Valley was named for a cluster of flames within the valley, both Immortal and demonic.

It is said that the flames, arriving from beyond the domain millions of years ago, emit both cold and hot flames unpredictably, so peculiar that even the Immortal Emperor couldn’t subjugate them.

In his past life, Fang Bai also descended at Evil Fire Valley, attempting to subjugate that flame known by the Immortals as "Yin Yang Immortal Fire," but failed, feeling regretful.

Evil Fire Valley, due to the presence of Yin Yang Immortal Fire, has an ever-changing climate of extreme cold and heat, an unpredictably changing environment, where Immortals below the Immortal Emperor Realm are either frozen into snowmen or melted into ashes.

Thus, even though Fang Bai’s physique was tougher than in his previous life, able to withstand extreme cold and heat and other extreme natural phenomena, he dared not rashly venture into Evil Fire Valley with his current relatively weak cultivation to avoid being harmed.

He let the Single-Horned Dragon Horse re-enter the Five Elements Space Ring, choosing to land on a mountaintop far from Evil Fire Valley.

Immediately, he unleashed his Divine Sense, focusing on Evil Fire Valley, beginning to search for traces of Emperor’s Palace disciples.

Fang Bai knew Golden Crow Palace had widespread informants; since they received information about Emperor’s Palace disciples near Evil Fire Valley, it was highly likely to be true.

After searching for a bit, worrying whether Feng Nie Fairy and other Golden Crow Palace disciples would arrive, Fang Bai finally discovered an array pattern within a primeval forest a thousand miles away from Evil Fire Valley.

The array pattern was extremely hidden; without being an Array Master or observing closely, it was truly difficult to find.

That array pattern was extremely familiar to Fang Bai, it was precisely the pattern used in a Concealment Formation set up by him years ago.

Overjoyed, Fang Bai flew to the array pattern and upon closer inspection, discovered more and more array patterns.

These array patterns collectively formed a large Concealment Formation; although not a small Barrier, it worked much like a small Barrier.

Upon seeing the formation, Fang Bai guessed roughly which surviving Emperor’s Palace disciple had set it up.

"Among my former one hundred and eight major and minor generals, though Zixu Immortal Emperor’s power wasn’t the highest, his understanding of formations was second to none. If he escaped the catastrophe of Emperor’s Palace’s downfall, surely it was due to the formations."

Fang Bai thought to himself.

Zixu Immortal Emperor was a disciple from Fang Bai’s past life, talented and well-qualified, especially the array arts, which deeply integrated Fang Bai’s true teachings, far surpassing other disciples.

Zixu Immortal Emperor’s cultivation in past was initially in the Immortal Emperor Realm, one of seventy-two minor generals.

Before coming to Evil Fire Valley, Fang Bai heard from Yanshi Immortal Emperor that among the few discovered Emperor’s Palace disciples, one had a mid-stage Immortal Emperor Realm cultivation, suggesting that during the millennium since Emperor’s Palace’s downfall, Zixu Immortal Emperor’s cultivation had advanced by one realm.

For an Immortal, achieving a higher realm after reaching the Immortal Emperor Realm is incredibly difficult; often a mere small realm can consume a millennium.

Throughout a thousand years, for Zixu Immortal Emperor to advance a small realm amidst intense pursuit by the eight top Immortal Emperor forces is truly remarkable.