Soul Land 5: The Rebirth of Tang San

Chapter 273: The Sky Swallowing Illusory Chain Array

But this sensation lasted only for a moment. The Golden Tree suddenly burst forth with a flash of incredible brilliance in the next instant, drawing a massive amount of spiritual energy toward the array that spanned thirty meters in diameter around it.

In that instant, the dense fog in the sky seemed to be shaken. It parted slightly, and above the entire valley, directly above the Golden Tree, a hole about a hundred meters in diameter appeared, allowing sunlight to pour down directly onto the Golden Tree.

The soft golden light was now mixed with iridescent hues, and everything around it seemed to be imbued with magic.

At this moment, what was once merely a green valley seemed to have transformed into a magical world. Within the valley, the vibrant vegetation dripped with even more vitality, and at its very heart, the Golden Tree stood proudly by the lakeside. A column of golden light shone down upon it as if the sun itself was intent on flooding it with light, illuminating the area within thirty meters of the golden tree. This column of light connected heaven and earth, as if it was the pillar supporting the sky.

Then, the dense golden light spread out, turning into a faint golden glow that covered the entire valley. Conversely, the vast amount of spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the valley surged into the array, and the incredibly dense spiritual energy that the Crimson Fox girls found unbearable became much thinner. Yet, the light of the Golden Tree became even brighter, and it burst forth with an incredibly rich aura of life.

The eighteen Spirit Summoning Arrays that initially looked like fountains of white light now turned into a pale gold. They no longer seemed to be drawing in any energy. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear they had merged into one, fueling the golden array patterns beneath the Golden Tree.

Tang San closed his eyes, silently sensing the state of the Golden Tree.

The golden pillar of light visible within the valley was completely invisible from the outside. All that could be seen was the mountain range shrouded in clouds and dense fog, with the mist continually spreading outward, covering an even wider area.

The illusory array concealed the valley and the state of the world's spiritual energy being absorbed. This was crucial to prevent the valley from attracting the attention of powerful beings.

The spiritual energy of heaven and earth would silently disappear upon contact with the dense fog. The area covered by the fog was absorbing the energy, channeling it into the Sky Swallowing Illusionary Chain Array and then into the Golden Tree, nourishing it.

The longer the thirty-six illusionary arrays operated, the larger the area enveloped by the fog would become. The mist on the outskirts wouldn't be as dense, but the effect of absorbing the world's energy wouldn't diminish. Tang San couldn't yet draw the spiritual energy from the entire Kali Mountain Range. Still, as the array gradually expanded, it would eventually cover at least a hundred miles. With such rich spiritual energy, especially considering the already dense spiritual energy on Falan, nourishing the Golden Tree and pushing it to evolve posed no problem.

Witnessing the golden pillar of light in the sky and the surrounding fog tinted a pale gold. Zhang Haoxuan was filled with awe at this moment.

He knew that even god-level powerhouses couldn't achieve one percent of what Tang San had just done!

The spiritual energy within the entire valley was no longer as dense as when the array was first activated. However, the valley's overall vitality was rising continuously. The Golden Tree absorbed a vast amount of energy to accelerate its growth and naturally radiated dense, splendid life essence. And as it grew, this life energy would only become even more intense.

Bathed in this life essence, he felt comfort throughout his body.

Gazing at Tang San's silhouette, Zhang Haoxuan unwittingly felt a sense of reverence. From recognizing what the Golden Wood was in that auction, all the way to creating such a space... Could a child accomplish such wonders?

Zhang Haoxuan was somewhat afraid to think further, and at the same time, he didn't want to. As long as he could be sure that everything Tang San did was for humanity, he would fully support his "pupil." Compared to the demons and nymphs, humans were far too weak. He didn't want his doubts to shatter this hope.

Tang San's unreserved display of his capabilities naturally showed that he trusted his so-called master just as much as Zhang Haoxuan trusted him. Perhaps this was the savior bestowed upon humanity by the heavens!

At this moment, Tang San's status in his heart had risen as high as anything could be.

After carefully sensing and inspecting the array, Tang San took a deep breath, then turned to Zhang Haoxuan, nodding. "It's ready. Now, anyone entering the illusionary array will be guided around the boundary and out another way, and they’ll never pass through our valley. I didn't set up a killing array within it, as that would bring unnecessary trouble. Also, you can only see the entire fog from here; from the outside, it’s a lot less. It’s pretty normal to see fog in the mountains, so this should be fine. As long as no powerful beings specifically scrutinize it or launch a large-scale attack on the area of our array, it won't be discovered."

Zhang Haoxuan let out a deep breath in turn. "Astonishing, truly astonishing! It was only when you linked the arrays that I could truly appreciate the intricacies of this chain array. Each part interlocks and complements the others. It's amazing. Such an array can only be described as a miracle."

Tang San smiled slightly. "I am still weak right now. If I was powerful enough, I could even draw in the spiritual energy from the entire mountain range. Well, let's take it slowly, I guess."

Then, he turned to the Crimson Fox girls, who by now had woken up from their stupor. "You all must dedicate at least two hours each day to studying the array. Next time I come, there will be a test. Within a month, you must at least master the basic Spirit Summoning Array. It is the foundation of all arrays because it can gather the energy other arrays need. Mastering arrays will allow you to defend yourselves better, and even attack in kind if need be. If we combine that with your abilities, you have a good direction to work toward."

The Crimson Fox girls all bowed to Tang San in gratitude. "Yes, Master. Thank you, Master."

If initially they recognized him as their master simply because he had purchased them, now, after half a month of being together, they truly admired him wholeheartedly. Tang San not only guided their cultivation but also planned their future direction and showed them the wonders of arrays, which seemed like the profound mysteries of the universe. Being with him felt like opening the door to another world, and most importantly, they saw the light of hope.

Tang San didn't teach them how to leave, deciding it was best for them to stay put for now, as they could not protect themselves. He crafted two array discs that allowed the user to easily navigate through the illusionary array, one for himself and one for Zhang Haoxuan, before they returned to Academy Town.

In the following period, he began working with Zhang Haoxuan on crafting Spirit Summoning Array discs. Initially, Zhang Haoxuan could only assist him, but after a month, Zhang Haoxuan was able to start making them on his own.

Tang San's life also became more regular. He no longer went to the Kali Academy shop for cultivation, but to his Golden Valley. The growth rate of the Golden Tree accelerated noticeably, and every time he went there, he found the place more and more rich in life energy.

At the same time, Tang San had Zhang Haoxuan gather as many exotic flower and herb seeds as possible and plant them in the valley. With the rich life essence emitted by the Golden Tree, any vegetation here would grow at an accelerated rate.

The Crimson Fox girls were only too eager to learn about arrays, and Tang San guided them once he was done with his own cultivation.

He and Zhang Haoxuan had discussed whether or not to inform others in the academy about Golden Valley, but Zhang Haoxuan immediately vetoed the idea.

The chain array here was simply too marvelous; it was best to keep it a secret as much as possible. And two people could only keep a secret if one was dead.

The most crucial secret was not the Golden Valley itself, but Tang San's capabilities. Tang San was the real hope for redemption, potentially the true savior of humanity in the future. Nothing was more important than his safety.

Naturally, Tang San understood his well-meaning intentions and readily agreed.