Lan An's expression twitched as the number of guards in the White Sand Palace surged.
As expected of a Ninth-Grade Power, their vigilance was extraordinary. A mere suspicion from the Second Elder, without any evidence, had triggered a full-scale increase in security, as if an enemy assault was imminent.
"I need to be more cautious," Lan An muttered, his heart steadying.
Silently, he glided through the palace, a shadow among shadows. His White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye activated, its Piercing Vision and Weakness Detection scanning for clues to the Scenic Land. Though unfamiliar with the palace's layout, he had a guide: the Spirit Earth Cauldron.
The cauldron trembled with increasing intensity as he moved deeper into the palace, drawn to something powerful. What else could it be but the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth?
Yet, the closer he got to the palace's core, the denser the guards became. Powerful divine senses swept back and forth, relentless. Lan An was certain that a single slip in his Breath Concealment Robe or Shadow Flight Cloak would bring at least ten Refining Void experts crashing down on him.
"Not good!" His brows furrowed.
A shimmering array of runes blocked his path, etched across a grand gate leading to the palace's core. To reach the Scenic Land, he had to pass through it.
"Spirit Sensing Array—Low-Grade Heaven Array," Jin Ni's voice chimed in his mind. "Its creator can detect anyone with spiritual energy passing through, even with your Breath Concealment Robe."
"Troublesome," Lan An nodded. The palace's core was indeed a fortress, layered with arrays despite its heavy guard.
"The Spirit Sensing Array is linked to its Array Master," Jin Ni added with a sly smile.
Lan An's eyes lit up. If he could neutralize the Array Master quickly, bypassing the array would be child's play. A Low-Grade Heaven Array required at least a Sixth-Grade Array Master, equivalent to a Refining Void cultivator. For a dynasty like White Sand to rely on such an array showed the rarity of high-level Array Masters.
Array Masters were prized across Viet Dragon Star, treated as honored guests by any power. Strong arrays were the backbone of any sect or dynasty's defense.
"Find the Array Master first," Lan An decided, shifting his focus. Controlling the Array Master would open his path.
"The Array Master can't stray far from their array or they'll lose its connection," Jin Ni said, her lips curling playfully. "Search within a hundred miles."
Lan An grinned. The little spirit was unusually helpful today, clearly as eager as he was to secure the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth. Narrowing his Piercing Vision and Weakness Detection, he scoured the surrounding hundred miles.
A faint smile curved his lips. His eyes flashed, and his figure vanished like a wraith.
In a lavish palace chamber, an elderly man with sparse white hair and a frail frame panted heavily. Between his legs, a young, alluring maid knelt, her red lips working fervently on his engorged member, her coy moans sending shivers through the air.
The old man, Chen Kun, stroked her head, savoring her tongue's ministrations.
"Lord Chen Kun, is it pleasurable?" the maid purred, her voice dripping with seduction.
"You're doing well," Chen Kun said, smirking. "I'll commend you to the Head Eunuch. Next year, your stipend doubles."
The maid beamed, redoubling her efforts.
Chen Kun, once a poor rogue cultivator from Yellow Sand Continent, had stumbled upon a hidden cave in his youth, inheriting the legacy of a deceased Array Master. Abandoning pure cultivation, he dove into array studies. His perseverance paid off. As a Sixth-Grade Array Master, he was courted by countless powers, his former peers suddenly eager to befriend him.
His life transformed overnight. While still honing his array skills, he indulged in wealth and women, slowing his progress. At over five thousand years old, he'd only reached Early Sixth-Grade Array Master, equivalent to Early Refining Void.
Knowing his limits, Chen Kun abandoned the wandering life and sought a stable position. He first approached the Dan Clan, the continent's overlord, but they scorned a mere Early Sixth-Grade Array Master, offering meager terms. Disheartened, he turned to the White Sand Dynasty.
The White Sand Emperor valued Array Masters, granting Chen Kun the title of Court Enforcer with generous benefits. His task was simple: maintain an array to block unauthorized entry to the palace's core. It was easy work for high rewards, and Chen Kun accepted gleefully.
For decades, he'd lived in luxury, untouched by trouble. No fool dared infiltrate the palace's core, not with its legions of guards. Chen Kun believed his choice was divinely wise, reveling in beautiful maids and yearly stipends, his combat instincts dulled by time.
But the cultivation world spared no one absolute safety.
"Soul Blast Technique!"
A low, resonant voice shattered the chamber's secrecy.
BOOM!
Chen Kun's mind reeled as a massive wave of soul force slammed into him, like a hammer striking his spirit. The pain was excruciating, yet he couldn't even scream. The maid had already fainted, her eyes rolled back.
Chen Kun was little better, clutching his head, writhing on the floor.
To avoid alerting the palace, Lan An didn't give him a chance to recover. His eyes glinted as he whispered, "Soul Shackle."
A ghostly chain of soul force shot from his brow, piercing Chen Kun's body.
"Urgh!"
Chen Kun's body spasmed, voiceless. His soul was bound, helpless as a fish on a chopping block.
In his daze, a voice commanded, "Surrender your Origin Soul, and I'll spare you."
Desperate for survival, Chen Kun mustered his remaining strength, releasing his Origin Soul.
Lan An seized it without hesitation, releasing the Soul Shackle. To onlookers, the scene would be horrifying—a Sixth-Grade Array Master, akin to a Refining Void cultivator, subdued in mere moments.
Soul cultivators were terrifying, especially those with powerful soul techniques. Unfortunately for Chen Kun, Lan An was among them.
Sitting calmly, Lan An waited for Chen Kun to regain clarity. As a Court Enforcer, Chen Kun's private chamber lacked guards, a convenience for Lan An's plans. He'd been precise, subduing without killing, though soul damage was inevitable.
Half an hour later, color returned to Chen Kun's face. He looked at his captor, but Lan An's black-clad form and Faceless Mask revealed nothing.
"This subordinate greets Master," Chen Kun knelt, his voice resigned.
As a millennia-old veteran, he knew resistance was futile. His life was in Lan An's hands, and the soul agony he'd endured was not something he'd risk again.
"No need for formalities," Lan An said curtly. "My target is the Scenic Land. Share any useful information."
Chen Kun's expression shifted but he complied. "The Scenic Land is the dynasty's most vital area, rich with earth spiritual energy far surpassing the outside. Only royalty and those with significant contributions can cultivate there. It's at the palace's core, guarded by Third Elder and Fourth Elder—both Early Body Unity—along with the White Dog Legion, a hundred Fusion Realm cultivators led by General Bai Quan, a Mid Refining Void expert."
Lan An frowned. Two Early Body Unity elders and a legion were formidable. The White Dog Legion was a concern.
"What about the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth?" he pressed.
"I'm not privy to its exact location," Chen Kun replied respectfully. "I only know the dynasty uses a powerful array to suppress it, siphoning its energy to sustain the Scenic Land."
Lan An's eyes gleamed with understanding. The dynasty couldn't subdue the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth, so they harnessed its power to create the Scenic Land—a brilliant move. No wonder the royal family boasted such strength.
"Who created the sealing array?" Lan An asked, suspecting it was at least a Mid-Grade Spirit Array, if not higher.
"It's said the dynasty's founder laid it when the Ancient Ferocious Prison Earth was weaker," Chen Kun said. "It's been upgraded countless times, now a High-Grade Spirit Array. Once, the White Sand Emperor sought Hundred Spirit Academy's Dean, Bach Vo Sinh, to enhance it, but he refused."
Lan An nodded. Bach Vo Sinh, a Tribulation Realm Eighth-Grade Array Master, was beyond the dynasty's reach.
"Anything else?" Lan An's voice was low.
"Nothing more," Chen Kun shook his head. To him, the Scenic Land's defenses—two Body Unity elders, a Refining Void general, and a hundred Fusion Realm soldiers—were already overwhelming, capable of crushing any Eighth-Grade Power.
Lan An fell into thought.
"Master, don't take the risk!" Chen Kun urged. "You can enter the Scenic Land through the Earth Battle Grand Assembly."
But before he finished, Lan An vanished, clearly intent on infiltrating. Chen Kun's face crumpled, tears welling. His life was tied to Lan An's. If Lan An fell, so would he.
Poor old man, he lamented silently, praying for Lan An's safety.