Chapter 28: The Core of the Sealing Formation

As Fang Zhiyi’s voice trailed off, Zhang Fang clapped a hand over her mouth, stifling a scream that had been on the verge of escaping.

Wang Lin frowned; he had never encountered anyone quite so clamorous.

"Keep your sister in check. This is no place for her to indulge in such petty tantrums," Wang Lin said, his tone icy.

Zhang Hu did not rise to defend Wang Lin this time. He was a man who understood the gravity of the situation. They were within a forbidden array where even Nascent Soul stage experts had perished; their blood would serve as nothing more than nourishment for this trap.

Seeing that her brother would not back her, Zhang Fang stamped her foot and pouted, though she dared not act rashly.

Fang Zhiyi’s divine sense swept through every corner. The array was indeed ingenious, riddled with countless traps; it was no wonder so many had died here. Yet, she discerned the eye of the array at a glance. Once that was located, breaking the restriction was merely a matter of time.

"Did you see clearly how it is to be undone?" Fang Zhiyi asked Wang Lin. The latter cast a solemn glance at the spot. "Perhaps I can try."

Zhang Fang spoke up, displeased. "What do you mean, 'try'? You were so certain before, yet now that we have followed you inside, you say you can only 'try'? Do you hold the lives of my brother and me in such low regard?"

Fang Zhiyi, her face hidden beneath a bamboo hat, remained unreadable, but her voice was chillingly cold. "We never requested that you follow us here. You know perfectly well why you came."

Her words left Zhang Fang speechless. They both knew exactly why: the primary purpose of their arrival at this Void Island was to become disciples of Elder Li. They had followed only because Fang Zhiyi’s demeanor had been so resolute—as if she were certain of breaking the array—and they had seen it as an opportunity to make an impression before the Elder. They had not expected the array to be this perilous.

Zhang Hu reached out to restrain his sister and looked at Fang Zhiyi with feigned sincerity. "Junior Sister, we are indeed not skilled in the art of arrays. However, we are at the Golden Core stage. If you encounter any danger on this Void Island, we are willing to risk our lives to save you."

Zhang Hu’s words sounded noble, but they were merely a means to escape the array. Among cultivators, there were no permanent alliances, only transient interests.

Fang Zhiyi looked at him coldly, noting that Zhang Fang was still glaring at her with dissatisfaction.

"Then I trust you will keep your word, Senior Brother."

"That goes without saying."

Wang Lin shifted his gaze and stepped toward the array eye with extreme caution; this was the key to unlocking the restriction.

As he entered that small pocket of space, his figure vanished from Fang Zhiyi’s sight. Simultaneously, in Wang Lin’s eyes, Fang Zhiyi had also disappeared. They had been isolated by the array.

Seeing this, Zhang Fang frowned and turned to her brother. "Brother, where did he go?"

Before Zhang Hu could answer, Fang Zhiyi’s expression turned grim. This array was wrong; it was far more complex than she had imagined. Without hesitation, she hurried toward the spot where Wang Lin had vanished. Before Zhang Hu and his sister could react, Fang Zhiyi’s figure also disappeared.

A chill ran through the siblings, but neither chose to follow. The reason was simple: if Nascent Soul cultivators had perished here, this array was clearly not something meant to be easily unraveled.

Meanwhile, after entering the array, Wang Lin found the face of Teng Huayuan appearing before him. He had been transported back to the night his family was slaughtered. Seeing his father about to fall at Teng Huayuan’s hands, Wang Lin charged forward in a fury.

"Teng Huayuan!"

The shout successfully drew Teng Huayuan’s attention. His gaze fell upon Wang Lin. "So, you finally appear. You were quite brave when you killed my great-grandson; why have you become such a cowering rat now?"

Wang Lin stared at him, his eyes filled with monstrous hatred. "Have you never heard that retribution should not be visited upon one's family? Why did you kill my parents?"

Teng Huayuan sneered. "Wang Lin, my great-grandson is dead. Since that is the case, I shall make you feel the agony of watching your family perish."

Wang Lin drew his long sword, pointing it straight at his enemy. "If that is so, then today, one of us must die!"

"Good! A mere Foundation Establishment brat, daring to speak of 'dying together.' I shall see how you intend to fulfill that promise." Teng Huayuan threw his head back in laughter, disregarding Wang Lin’s words entirely.

Wang Lin signaled to his parents, and the rest of the Wang family retreated under the eaves. In the air above, Wang Lin brandished his sword. The blade-light shone like stars, the energy fierce and sharp, his eyes flashing with a savage light.

Soon, Wang Lin realized that Teng Huayuan was not fighting him in earnest; he was treating him like a toddler, holding back in every strike. Realizing this, Wang Lin swung his blade with even greater intensity, and the surrounding magical energy began to distort.

***

Elsewhere, a young girl wearing a small jacket, as fresh as peach blossoms in spring, walked with a rosy-cheeked face, her every expression full of life. She walked through the woods with small steps, as if searching for something.

Fang Zhiyi, appearing as a phantom, floated in mid-air. Her pupils contracted in terror as she screamed, "Hurry—hurry!"

But the younger version of herself could not hear her. The girl walked with a light gait, her lips curled into a joyful smile. She did not know what she was about to witness.

The adult Fang Zhiyi, her bamboo hat long gone, felt her autumn-water eyes ripple with emotion. Tears welled up, threatening to spill over at any moment.

The young Fang Zhiyi stopped and started, a storage bag hanging at her waist, occasionally picking wild fruits she found along the way. The adult Fang Zhiyi knew exactly what would happen next, for she had lived through it all. She wanted to change it; she flew toward that place—the memory she cherished, yet dreaded to recall.

To her surprise, she could only fly half a zhang before she was stopped. She thought calmly and soon realized the problem: she could not stray more than half a zhang from her younger self. Beyond that distance, an invisible force would drag her back.

As time slipped away, Fang Zhiyi grew more desperate. Her heart pounded relentlessly; the mere thought of what was to come made her chest ache as if it were being torn apart.

Closer. Closer still.

Just around this bend, it would happen.

The distance was already less than half a zhang; she could have reached the spot earlier, but now that she was truly there, she lost the courage to advance.

"Ah—"

The scream of the young Fang Zhiyi rang out.