Chapter 521 The Yin-Devouring and Yang-Corrupting Grand Array, a Wise Man Never Does Foolish Things

A pang of sorrow for their own kind struck Jin Yang, Yuan Kong, and the others. Then, they all withdrew.

They didn’t ask Jiang Lan what he was thinking. Knowing him, they thought it was unlikely he would risk his own life for two followers.

But they weren’t like that. They couldn’t just stand by and let their comrades die.

Although they weren’t especially close, they had all become followers of Jiang Lan under similar circumstances.

What happened to Ao Yin and Kong Xuan today could happen to them tomorrow.

Jiang Lan read their thoughts as if they were an open book. ‘Of course I’ll save them,’ he thought, ‘but I can’t seem too eager or rushed.’

‘People don’t cherish things that come too easily. The same principle applies to being saved.’

‘It was better to let them stew in anxiety for a while. Best to let them see a glimmer of hope only when they were on the brink of despair. Only then would they be truly grateful.’

‘And after this ordeal, Ao Yin and Kong Xuan will be a bit more obedient.’

Since the Barbarian Race had forbidden him from bringing anyone and had even set the meeting for three days from now, they must be planning to use the battle between Helian Wen and Tantai Qing as a diversion. This would draw everyone’s attention and keep the Tantai Family too preoccupied to interfere.

Of course, Jiang Lan had already considered everything the Barbarian Race had planned.

If he wasn’t mistaken, Huangfu Hao was already collaborating with the Barbarian Race. It was even possible Huangfu Hao was the one orchestrating this overt scheme against him from behind the scenes.

Every sign pointed to him being a vicious viper, hiding in the shadows with its fangs retracted.

Of course, it was also possible that Huangfu Hao wanted to use the Barbarian Race to eliminate a few of his trump cards. He was a very cautious enemy; his true body was hidden somewhere unknown, and he only ever appeared as a clone.

‘The reason he’s wary of me now is because of my trump cards, and the fear that Jiang Lintian might have left some contingency in place.’

「On that day」 Jin Ming and the others went to Jiyun Ridge to scout the area.

However, before they could even get close, they encountered powerful enemies. Many tyrannical auras lay hidden within the surrounding, towering mountains.

A tall member of the Barbarian Race appeared, a white Bone Ring piercing his ear. He wielded a warhammer forged from the bones of some unknown Fierce Beast and, wrapped in a large black cloak, blocked their path.

“It’s not the appointed day yet, is it? Where’s your master?”

The powerful barbarian sneered. He spoke the language of the Human Race fluently, his muscles were knotted, and his body radiated a dense Evil Qi.

Behind him, numerous other barbarians appeared, some holding stone axes, others with cleavers at their waists. They all stared at Jin Ming and his group with open hostility.

With grim expressions, Jin Ming and the others said nothing, unhesitatingly transforming into streaks of light to retreat.

The powerful barbarian stood his ground like a small mountain, making no move to pursue them. Instead, he laughed loudly and mockingly.

“It seems the master you serve doesn’t give a damn whether you live or die!”

“Heh, instead of throwing your lives away for the Prime Minister’s Mansion, why not work with us?”

Having failed their scouting mission, Jin Ming and the others now understood the Barbarians’ intent. With members of the Barbarian Race guarding Jiyun Ridge from every direction, it was now impossible for them to scout the area in advance.

This was an overt scheme aimed squarely at Jiang Lan.

The Barbarian Race would only grant him passage to perform the rescue if he came alone. Anyone else would be turned away.

“How utterly shameless…”

“And here I thought the Barbarian Race was just a bunch of muscle-bound, uncultured savages.”

The group retreated, dejected. Their fervent desire to rescue Kong Xuan and Ao Yin had been doused with cold water, chilling most of their enthusiasm.

Unless they could kill all the barbarians instantly, the moment a powerful expert appeared, the barbarians inside Jiyun Ridge would be alerted. They would then contract the Grand Array and refine Ao Yin and Kong Xuan to death.

Or perhaps they could sneak in without a sound?

But the Barbarians were far too confident; they must have already put measures in place to make all attempts at stealth completely useless.

Jiyun Ridge was a notoriously treacherous area on Immortal Ascension Island, getting its name from the clouds and mist that shrouded it year-round.

Even its sheer cliffs vanished into the clouds. The terrain was unique in that the mist could obscure a cultivator’s Divine Sense. Anyone unfamiliar with the area would easily get lost the moment they stepped inside.

“This is an array a Sacrificial Priest of the Barbarian Race received from the Barbarian God’s blessing ages ago. It’s called the Devouring Yin and Purifying Yang Divine Refining Array. It’s said that at its full power, the Grand Array can even refine a god to death…”

“With our current strength, it would be nearly impossible to escape, even if we gave it our all.”

“And that’s not even mentioning the horde of barbarians outside, watching us like tigers.”

A gray-black whirlwind, like a sheet of sand blotting out the sky, swept through the primeval mountain range.

Ao Yin and Kong Xuan, their faces pale, sat cross-legged back-to-back amidst the mountains.

A barrier manifested before them, resisting the terrifying pressure that surged in from all sides. But the barrier was already showing signs of fracture, with cracks spreading across it like a spiderweb, threatening to shatter at any moment.

The gray sand seemed to carry a countless, bone-chilling killing aura and Evil Qi. It was insidious, seeping in from everywhere, yet also seemed to merge into the Void.

With every passing moment, the pressure grew heavier. The two felt as if they had sunk to the bottom of the sea, surrounded by an overwhelming force that was making it almost impossible to breathe.

What’s more, the bone-chilling Evil Qi would alternate between being ice-cold and scorching hot. If they weren’t far stronger than other cultivators of the same realm and in possession of numerous treasures, they wouldn’t have been able to last this long.

An ordinary Sixth Realm cultivator would likely be reduced to a pile of gray sand by the Refinement process in less than an hour.