Chapter Fifty-Five: The Twin Array

Like everyone else, Su Li’s eyes were filled with astonishment.
How could a human possibly turn into a demonic beast?
Jiang Tong, his face drawn with anxiety, said, “This is absolutely true. If you come with me, you’ll see for yourselves.”
In fact, the dungeon was concealed beneath the mountain.
Jiang Tong stopped beneath a spruce tree and formed a spell with one hand. Suddenly, an arched barrier appeared before them. Behind it was a gate of iron bars plastered with yellow talismans of every kind—exorcism talismans, defensive talismans, concealment talismans—everything imaginable.
Shen Luo, somewhat surprised, sighed, “I didn’t expect anyone in Sufeng Town would know the sixth-rank Concealment Defense Array.”
Ever since he’d obtained the book from the Tiger Soul, he’d devoted his spare moments to studying it, committing most of the spiritual arrays to memory. What shocked him wasn’t just that this humble town had exhibited fifth and sixth-rank formations, but also a profound curiosity about the one who had set them.
Evidently not expecting the array to be recognized so quickly, Jiang Tong’s expression changed, and a hint of respect crept into his gaze as he regarded the youth. With an awkward smile, he confessed, “To be honest, this was left by a predecessor.” He was unwilling to say more.
Puzzled, Su Li asked Lan Yu Jiao, “Is the sixth-rank Concealment Defense Array truly so formidable?”
Lan Yu Jiao gave a soft “yes,” and began to explain in the language of beasts.
Spiritual arrays are vast and profound, adhering to the principles of the five elements and the eight trigrams, and are divided into metal, wood, water, fire, and earth attributes. Fire aligns with offensive arrays, earth with defense, wood with cultivation, water with concealment. The highest grade is the metal attribute array, which can wield skills of multiple attributes simultaneously, and is therefore the most difficult to master.
The barrier before them was a metal array blending earth and water attributes. Earth overcomes water, metal drains earth; this means the creator must simultaneously control the formation of three different array patterns. Each array, after all, contains unique spells and patterns, each running on independent tracks.
Thus, the spiritual and mental demands are far beyond the reach of ordinary practitioners—even someone of Jiang Tong’s Golden Core cultivation could hardly achieve this.
When she finished, Su Li’s cat-like pupils narrowed slightly. She said to Lan Yu Jiao, “This person is highly suspicious. Keep a close eye on him.”
Lan Yu Jiao replied with a crisp, “Understood.”
The sixth-rank Concealment Defense Array was indeed extraordinary; a phoenix-beak blade was thrust into its central node.
As Jiang Tong pulled the heavy blade free, an icy, sinister aura instantly surged out from within the barrier—a chill that unsettled both humans and beasts, one Su Li had only sensed before in the underground lairs of demonic cultivators.
Shivering from the cold, she pressed closer into Shen Luo’s embrace. At that moment, a gentle warmth suddenly flowed from his palm, wrapping her in comforting heat from head to toe.
A smile shone in Su Li’s eyes, her tail-tip curling in contentment, her demeanor utterly at ease.

Watching this, Feng Xi felt a pang of jealousy.
Having just provoked the leader and not daring to approach, it could only alight pitifully on Lan Yu Jiao’s shoulder, whining, “Brother Yu Jiao, I’m cold too. Hold me, won’t you?”
Lan Yu Jiao’s shoulder sank under its weight, his face as cold as ice.
The foolish bird shuddered, its plump body inching closer, little claws restlessly shifting about, making his shoulder twitch with every hop.
Lan Yu Jiao’s lips twitched.
In an instant, his profound energy crystallized into a square of ice, trapping the troublesome bird within. Then, without changing expression, he tossed the bundle neatly into the spirit beast pouch at Shen Luo’s waist.
Su Li thought Third Brother could be quite ruthless sometimes. But she liked it!
“Well done,” she praised.
Lan Yu Jiao pressed his lips together, his demeanor calm, yet a closer look revealed a glimmer of pleasure at being understood. He turned to Jiang Tong, who was watching him closely, and raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you going in?”
The oppressive force of a Beast Emperor’s presence was as crushing as a mountain.
A trickle of blood ran from the corner of Jiang Tong’s mouth as he stammered, “Let’s go, let’s go.” Step by trembling step, he led the way into the secret passage.
The passage sloped downward, seemingly endless, a faint breeze stirring the flames of the ever-burning lamps along either side.
To their surprise, runes and Sanskrit characters were densely carved along both walls. One passage in particular—“Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha”—stood out to Su Li, for the Tiger Soul had pointed it out to her before, and she remembered it vividly.
For a moment, Su Li felt as if she’d returned to the secret realm. The sense of incongruity made her even more vigilant.
The air grew colder and more foreboding as they descended.
After about the time it takes for half a stick of incense to burn, they finally reached the end.
The space that greeted them was spacious, a double-armed corridor at its center, flanked by large, empty iron cells numbering more than a dozen. Near the tunnel’s exit stood another defensive barrier.
Jiang Tong inserted the phoenix-beak blade into the array’s core. With a booming sound, the clatter of chains followed.
Su Li’s white cat ears flicked atop her head, her dark red slit pupils fixed on the empty cells. In the center of each cell hung a massive iron chain, as thick as a leg, slowly rising.
At the same time, an even colder, more vicious aura filled the entire space, as if it sought to drain every trace of spiritual energy from the dungeon.

Shen Luo exclaimed in shock, “It’s a Twin Array!”
Within the art of spiritual arrays, there exists a special formation known as the Twin Array—just as its name implies, two independent arrays, like twins in the womb, connected by a single umbilical cord that allows them to share energy and sustenance. The phoenix-beak blade was the “umbilical cord,” linking the two arrays so they complemented and reinforced one another.
“You saw through it again?” Jiang Tong’s eyes widened in disbelief; the youth’s insight far surpassed his expectations. Inwardly, he was deeply shaken—just what was the boy’s background? Could he be from some hidden, illustrious family?
Shen Luo nodded. “The Twin Array is an ancient formation, long lost from the cultivation world. I wonder which master created it?” His lips formed a faint smile, but his eyes were as deep and unfathomable as a mountain pool, making others uneasy.
His words were thick with probing intent.
Jiang Tong replied uneasily, “It was all left by those who came before. I truly don’t know.”
“Is that so?” Shen Luo’s smile deepened, his voice mild yet edged with mockery. “But just now, you claimed you built the Offshore Residence with your own hands. Quite the coincidence, that you just happened to discover both the Twin Array and this dungeon, isn’t it?”
Cold sweat trickled down Jiang Tong’s forehead as he forced a stiff smile. “That’s how it was.”
“Heh.” Shen Luo’s lips curled into a cold sneer, sending chills down Jiang Tong’s spine.
Fortunately, he did not press further. Jiang Tong breathed a sigh of relief, mopped the sweat from his brow, and caught, out of the corner of his eye, the white demonic beast staring at him with eerily glowing red cat eyes. Startled, he shoved the phoenix-beak blade deeper into the core.
Clang. Clang.
The iron chains rose ever faster.
A heavy silence fell over the air; for a moment, only the clatter of chains echoed through the space.
“Boss.”
The Tiger Soul within the Divine Tiger Talisman called out.
“What is it?” Su Li lazily perched her little paws on the youth’s arm.
The Tiger Soul spoke gravely, “I sense an ominous aura. Something truly terrifying is rising from below. Compared to demonic cultivators, this is closer to a real... demon!”