MTLNOVEL Chapter 348: Tainted Spiritual Qi (2)
"Senior Feng, lives are lost here every single day. If we had your arrays protecting our fighters, fewer lives would be wasted in vain. That's why… we need your help as soon as possible!" Xue Feng said, convincing himself that it was the truth.
Feng Fan frowned, not because of the words, but because he sensed that Xue Feng truly believed what he was saying. The man's thoughts were being influenced by the dark spiritual qi, and he didn't even realize it.
Things would have been simpler if Xue Feng were a traitor. But that wasn't the case.
Feng Fan's expression relaxed. "Xue Feng, I understand your concern. Let's move to the array core. I'll begin right away."
Xue Feng nodded eagerly. "Good, good! Follow me, Senior Feng."
The two of them flew back to the chamber where the fortress's array core was located. Inside, Xue Feng turned to address the two Array Masters who were stationed there.
"You two, this is Senior Feng, the tier 9 Array Master who will be helping us strengthen our defenses."
The men's eyebrows shot up in surprise. They had heard rumors of Feng Fan, but hadn't expected the legendary Array Master to appear so suddenly before them. They cupped their hands respectfully.
Xue Feng waved his hand in the air. "You two may leave. Let Senior Feng work in peace on the arrays."
Without hesitation, the Array Masters followed Xue Feng's command and exited the chamber. They didn't question his authority. Once the door closed behind them, Xue Feng turned back and smiled at Feng Fan. "Senior Feng, you may begin!"
Feng Fan said calmly. "Xue Feng, I'll need you to leave the room. Since Green is the epicenter of the battle against the cultists, I must fully concentrate to craft the most effective array possible. Your presence would only serve as a distraction."
Xue Feng's brow furrowed. For some reason, an unease stirred within him; he didn't want to leave. But Feng Fan's request was perfectly reasonable. As an Array Master himself, he understood the need for silence and focus during such delicate work.
After a brief pause, he gave a reluctant nod. "Alright, Senior Feng. I'll leave you alone. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."
He turned around and walked toward the exit. He cast one last glance over his shoulder, his eyes betraying a flicker of uncertainty, before stepping out and gently closing the door behind him.
The chamber fell into silence for a brief moment, then Feng Fan's expression darkened.
'Hmph. You think I'll dance in the palm of your hand?'
Spiritual qi surged around his fingers as he raised both hands, but instead of enhancing the fortress's defensive formation as requested, he began weaving a completely different construct. A soft glow filled the room as he etched runes into the air.
Rather than upgrading the existing array to a tier 9 defensive barrier, Feng Fan crafted a tier 8 illusion array. It was convincing enough to fool even a skilled observer. Should anyone enter the chamber, they would see the illusory image of him hard at work, deeply immersed in shaping a powerful array. From the outside, it would seem like nothing was amiss.
He could have created a tier 9 trapping array, locking everyone in and turning the fortress into a cage, but that would only raise alarms, exposing his hand too early. For now, subtlety was his greatest weapon.
With the illusion in place, Feng Fan made a few gentle adjustments to the existing fortress array. Just enough to mask any disturbances and prevent the sentries from detecting his movements. Each change was deliberately restrained, like shifting pebbles without waking a sleeping beast.
Then, with a quiet breath, he turned to the opposite wall from the chamber's entrance.
A series of soft symbols pulsed once before dissolving, creating a temporary breach just large enough for one person. A draft of cold wind entered as the stone surface silently parted. Feng Fan slipped through the opening, the wall sealing itself behind him moments later, leaving the illusion intact and undisturbed.
Wrapped in a layer of concealment, he moved swiftly and unseen through the inner fortress, unafraid that anyone could see through his illusions. Only a tier 9 Array Master might have had a chance to detect it before he escaped, but aside from himself, there were no others at that level in the Mortal Realm.
After leaving the fortress, Feng Fan made his way to Red. Though his cultivation level allowed him to travel through outer space, his speed was far from sufficient to reach Red Pole on his own. Even if he knew the coordinates, the journey would take him ages.
Only when he broke through to the Return To Void realm could he break the void and travel throughout the universe.
Before leaving the Seven Planets region, Feng Fan went to locate Huang Xue, Xue Qiang, and Su Xiaoli. He didn't want to leave his wives here, afraid they would be put in danger again. Now, not only were the cultists a risk, but even people from the Intergalactic Council might be a source of danger.
Locating them was easy; entering the place where they were without anyone noticing was even easier. Any array was nothing but a joke for Feng Fan to play with.
Inside their room, the girls were cultivating in silence, not knowing Feng Fan had come inside. Before speaking with them, he created a small soundproof array in the room. Nothing fancy, only a tier 6 array that he could quickly cast.
"Su Xiaoli, Xue Qiang, Huang Xue," Feng Fan said, his voice loud enough to pull them out of their cultivation.
"Feng Fan? You're back already?" Su Xiaoli was the first to respond, her expression filled with confusion. It was strange for him to return so soon. Xue Qiang and Huang Xue showed similar reactions.
"I don't have time to explain, let's go. I'll tell you everything on the way," Feng Fan urged, motioning for them to get ready quickly.