Chapter 641: Grass Sea Gathering

## Chapter 636: The Grand Grass Sea Festival

“The first time the Heavenly Net Star flashed, the array eye appeared, glowing brightly. My clone saw that it was completely spotless, exceptionally clean.”

The array eye must be quite large, able to accommodate even Zhu Erniang’s largest remains. “That doesn’t mean much,” the monster said. “It had just emerged from the void then; perhaps the void itself is dust-free.”

“I had my clone explode in mid-air. Large stones were repelled, but rock fragments and black ash fell into the array eye and were not repelled. It took about another quarter of an hour for them to be automatically cleared away.”

“Impressive.” Though this monster had a rock head, it was smarter than most and could adapt. “So, fine grains of sand were left behind?”

“Yes.”

He Lingchuan immediately said, “It seems the defensive array won’t block extremely small objects.”

How much force, how big a throw, would be considered an attack? For the array, this is a judgment problem. Zu Ju throwing lava bursts at it would certainly be an attack.

But what if a leaf floated down, or raindrops fell on the array eye? Would that count as an attack? If so, how many times would the defensive spell need to activate during autumn and winter?

Any array’s design must balance cost and power. Even a wealthy organization like the Heavenly Palace wouldn’t want to repeatedly pay for the array eye’s over-sensitivity during every rain or snow event. Therefore, extremely small objects entering should not trigger its defensive function.

Dust, rain, and snow might be handled by a separate cleaning array, but there would be a time lag.

“This is great news; we might be able to leverage it. Plus, I heard the array eye itself is an ancient artifact made of glazed gold, merely transformed by the gods into such a sturdy fortress.”

“Glazed gold?” Zu Ju thought carefully. “I’ve even eaten it! The Ke family offered it twice, but it was only a tiny piece, no bigger than a booger!”

He Lingchuan’s spirits immediately lifted. “Can you still get some? Try ordering it from the Ke family again. We need glazed gold for our experiments.”

A piece of rare metal the size of a booger to this giant monster would be a substantial chunk in front of He Lingchuan... Ugh, why was he thinking about that?

“The more thorough the preparation, the higher the success rate.”

Zu Ju was full of longing for success, so he said, “I’ll figure something out.”

He Lingchuan returned to his most pressing question: “If we can destroy the array eye, can you smash the Star-Picking Tower after you’re freed? I heard there are also very strong fortifications there.” He added, “But no matter the array, there should be a tolerance limit. How many lava bombs can you launch?”

Zu Ju burst into laughter. “As long as I’m in Mount Xu, I can launch as many as I want.” Its power source was the endless true fire of the earth’s veins!

After such a long discussion, Zu Ju finally felt that the idea of breaking the Spirit Gathering Array was no longer a pipe dream, but had a slight chance of success. He wondered if this kid would truly be reliable in the end, or if it was just another trick that would cost him his life on Mount Xu.

“No hurry; we’ll solve the problems one by one,” He Lingchuan’s eyes glinted. If the array eye could be broken, Zu Ju could divert most of the Heavenly Palace’s attention for him. Would he then have a chance to get his hands on the divine artifacts in the Star-Picking Tower?

“But we need more preparation.” He alone couldn’t handle unexpected incidents. Having completed so many missions, He Lingchuan knew well that accidents were always unavoidable.

He smiled. “By the way, more than ten years ago, you woke up before the array eye was fully installed. That wasn’t because the Ke family made a mistake, was it?”

How could the Ke family, entrusted with such an important task, miscalculate the offerings or feed it inferior ore? After collecting clues for the past few days, He Lingchuan felt it was no accident.

Zu Ju chuckled twice, noncommittally. This was an implicit admission.

***

The Grass Sea, located in the northern suburbs of Lingxu City, was not a grassland, but a vast marshland. The water was no deeper than knee-high, and hundreds of acres of aquatic plants like reeds, cattails, and bulrushes grew taller than a person.

It was September, the season of autumn frost. At this time of year, yellow leaves covered the ground, and vegetation withered. Yet, the sunlight insisted on coating the gradually decaying Grass Sea with a luxurious, brilliant shimmer.

Even Fu Shanyue sighed, “It would be great if the Grass Sea event started a month earlier.”

Enjoying the Grass Sea in autumn had always been an important leisure activity for the people of Lingxu City. Especially during the biennial Grass Sea Festival, the marsh banks were packed with people. Everyday life was too dull; from royalty down to commoners, no one wanted to miss such a grand event.

Seven miles of the shoreline were fine white sand. This sand was specially transported from elsewhere and spread out, feeling soft and yielding under bare feet. Naturally, the best spots at the front of the waterfront were reserved for various nobles. Fortunately, small hills connected to the beach, so commoners could stand in rows on the hillside without their view being obstructed.

He Lingchuan followed Fu Shanyue to the sandbar and turned to look back. Wow, the hills and valleys were absolutely teeming with people! He even felt a bit dazed, reminded of packed stadiums during major events, where the stands were full and the roar of the crowd was like a raging tide. Or perhaps a train station before a holiday.

However, many Merman guards were maintaining order on site; their blue skin and scales were quite conspicuous in the sunlight. He Lingchuan remembered that this year’s Grass Sea Festival was hosted by the Zhongsun family. When he and Fu Shanyue crossed the border in the past, Zhongsun Mou had been difficult, and Fu Shanyue had threatened to disrupt the Zhongsun family’s Grass Sea event, which was why Zhongsun Mou had let them pass.

Just seeing the grandeur of today’s scene, one could tell that the Grass Sea Festival held a significant place in the hearts of Lingxu’s people.

Even before the event officially began, people streamed onto the sandbar, with various dignitaries arriving one after another. They didn’t just spread a cloth and sit on the ground like commoners; instead, they drove directly in. The Grass Sea Festival was a long-standing tradition in Lingxu City, and the wealthy had long devised excellent ways to view the Grass Sea, continuously improving them over hundreds of years.

These were special carriages. Once a carriage stopped and was oriented, the side facing the Grass Sea could open completely and extend outwards; some even had hidden compartments on both sides that could be pulled out at this time. This transformed the carriage into a mobile wooden cabin, tripling its original volume. It had a canopy for sun and rain protection, and the interior was equipped with soft couches, a wine table, a charcoal stove, a water cabinet, and even a toilet behind a screen. One could say everything needed for an outing or camping was contained within. Some wealthy individuals even brought their chefs to grill and cook on-site, enjoying themselves immensely.

He Lingchuan also heard that these carriages had become tools for the wealthy to flaunt their status. Besides requiring exquisite materials and ingenious features, families liked to build these special carriages larger and larger. The Ke family’s carriage was ten zhang long, assembled from three sections on the ground, capable of accommodating twenty to thirty family members for recreation, while also providing space for over two hundred servants.

However, the Grass Sea sandbar had limited space. If they continued to compete in such lavish displays, others would have no place to stand, which would be a bad impression. Thus, Lingxu City had to issue special orders to strictly limit the length, width, and height of these custom carriages.

As the Crown Prince of the Vassal Demon Nation, Fu Shanyue didn’t often participate in such events, but the Ke family’s housewarming gift happened to be a viewing carriage. It wasn’t overly large, but its exterior was luxurious, its interior exquisite, and its functions complete. While complaining that the Ke family’s gifts were always flashy but impractical, Fu Shanyue had his coachman drive it to the water’s edge to secure a good viewing spot.

The event hadn’t officially begun, but He Lingchuan noticed activity in the marsh. Tiny water droplets constantly detached from the surface and ascended into the air. Though slow, their numbers were infinite. One after another, in strings, in rows. The entire marsh presented this spectacle. It was as if the area had become an underwater scene with bubbles rising from below.

“It’s starting, it’s starting!” The people of Lingxu City had waited two years just for this sight.

He Lingchuan usually only saw water droplets fall in strings; he had never seen them rise like this. He extended a finger to block them, but the droplets merely slid off his fingertip and continued their ascent. An anti-gravity effect? As a cultivator, his senses were keen, and he could indeed feel his body subtly lightening.

Tens of breaths later, the water droplets stopped rising, then fell from the sky. They fell in fine, scattered droplets, drifting with the wind like light rain. The uplifting force had vanished.

Fu Shanyue wiped water droplets from his face. “The precursor has arrived. The main event usually begins half an hour later.”

It was free time. He Lingchuan had just gone to the water’s edge to wash his hands when Shan Qixiang appeared from nowhere, standing behind him and saying, “Lord and Ritual Master Nian have gone to invite Grand Master Frostleaf to bear witness.”

He Lingchuan tensed, knowing this was Li Qingge’s way of informing him. “Let’s go take a look.”

Along the way, He Lingchuan saw many familiar faces, and quite a few dignitaries nodded and smiled at him. The name “He Xiao” had recently become very well-known in Lingxu City. If he hadn’t seemed to be in a hurry, people would probably have approached him to chat. The biennial Grand Grass Sea Festival was also an excellent opportunity for upper and middle-class individuals to socialize and strengthen their relationships.

On the way, they passed the Songyang Manor’s camp. A quick glance showed at least thirty or forty people, with a continuous stream of customers outside the tents.

He Lingchuan asked, surprised, “Did Lord bring many people this time?”

“Grass Sea hunting is dangerous, and there’s a huge demand for magical artifacts, talismans, and various specialized items,” Old Shan said with a smile. “Our Songyang Manor has set up an outpost here, so hunters can come and resupply whatever they need. It’s a convenience, really.”

Li Qingge had a matter of life and death to attend to, but never forgot his own business. He Lingchuan sighed, “If your Lord doesn’t succeed, who will?” Business opportunities were everywhere, also indicating fierce competition in Lingxu City.

He followed Old Shan, quickly walking into a patch of woods. This patch of woods was right in the middle of the best scenic spot, shaped like the numeral “3”, less than five zhang from the water. Several round, light red tents were pitched in the woods, each uniformly bearing a large frost-leaf emblem. It seemed Grand Master Frostleaf didn’t follow the trend of camping carriages, opting instead for old-fashioned tents.