Chapter 695: Life-or-Death Leap

“Repeatedly?” He Lingchuan was wary of that word.“It didn’t attract the attention of the Heavenly Palace, did it?”

“They don’t have that kind of time!” Zu Ju laughed.“The two important criminals from the Elixir of Immortality case are both on Tianshu Peak.” He Lingchuan gave a slight sneer, “Grand Master Qingyang and Nian Zanli?”

“Exactly,” Zu Ju replied. “Since their escort here, Grand Master Qingyang hasn’t uttered a sound, but that fellow named Nian has been screaming himself hoarse.” He Lingchuan asked, surprised, “Didn’t you say the interrogation process couldn’t be heard?”

“That was inside Yang Palace and Star-Gazing Tower. Each time he was escorted out, he’d yell about being wronged and framed. One time, even tourists outside the Star-Gazing Tower heard him. After that, whenever he was brought out, his mouth was gagged.” He Lingchuan chuckled, “Framed? The Heavenly Palace doesn’t like hearing that.” Nian Zanli was still energetic and dreaming of his name being cleared because he didn't truly understand who had framed him. In contrast, Grand Master Qingyang, who clearly understood the full implications, didn't bother with futile protests.

Soon, they reached their destination. This wild peak was about a hundred *zhang* from Kaiyang Peak, and the trees on its summit were denser than Dong Rui's hair. Tonight, the moonless sky and strong winds meant that as long as Zu Ju didn't light a fire, the human scouts on Kaiyang Peak wouldn't be able to detect their movements.

“A nest of bat demons flew past half an hour ago. You’d better finish your task before they return,” Zu Ju said, handing him two stone eggs. “These are the fire seeds you wanted.” They were two dark, solid rocks, as round and large as chicken eggs, but their surfaces were cracked like tree bark, with red light flowing through the fissures. Since Zu Ju couldn't accompany him into the sky, it gave him a pair of trump cards, claiming they could save his life if used in an emergency.

The mountain forest was exceptionally fresh after the rain. He Lingchuan took a deep breath, clearing his mind, before placing the bat puppet on the ground and quietly commanding, “Grow!” The demon bat puppet was obedient, transforming into a massive creature. He Lingchuan didn't dare waste time. He leaped onto the puppet's back, lightly tapping its ribs with his toes, and the giant bat spread its wings, leaping from the peak to glide and take flight.

For the past few days, he had been taking Dong Rui to the outskirts, repeatedly practicing flying, riding, and jumping skills. While not yet perfect, the demon puppet could at least understand his commands and perform the required actions promptly. Of course, before acting, he had carefully calculated that the core of the Spirit Gathering Array should be directly above Zu Ju's head in the night sky, with an error margin of no more than three *zhang*.

He Lingchuan first flew the demon puppet in a circle to verify the true location of the array's core using the turbulent air currents. After being buffeted twice, he was mostly certain that his estimate was correct. As for why Zu Ju hadn't discovered such a large array core floating above Mount Xu every autumn and winter: firstly, it was enveloped in turbulence, and the airspace above Mount Xu naturally had many turbulent currents; secondly, its position constantly shifted, being above Kaiyang Peak today and perhaps Tianshu Peak tomorrow. Without knowing its operational patterns, its exact location couldn't be pinpointed. At this moment, Zu Ju's avatar, perched on his shoulder, reminded him, “If you keep aimlessly flying around, you’ll attract attention.” Dong Rui’s demon puppet, capable of carrying a person, was quite large, and furthermore, the sky above Mount Xu wasn't as empty as it seemed, with bird demons frequently passing by.

“Understood.” He Lingchuan signaled the demon puppet to ascend, flying to five *zhang* directly above the array's core. Two *zhang* below that was the turbulence array. He took an object from his storage ring, applied force with his wrist, and threw it directly downwards. The instant the object appeared, the demon puppet's body suddenly sank, falling uncontrollably. Fortunately, the object descended quickly, and the next second the demon puppet moved out of its range of influence and flapped its wings to fly again. Of course, this sequence of actions had been practiced many times beforehand, so it could handle it calmly without panicking. What He Lingchuan threw down was a Ghost Shadow Cicada Exuvia. To be precise, it was a Ghost Shadow Cicada Exuvia wrapped in Wind-Stabilizing Bead powder, with two volcanic rock grains stuffed inside—he had prepared this entire setup long before setting out. A Ghost Shadow Cicada Exuvia was practically weightless and would simply blow away in the wind. But wrapped in Wind-Stabilizing Bead powder, it wouldn't be affected by wind for at least an hour, so its descent would be perfectly straight. Even the chaotic currents surrounding the array's core couldn't affect it. After throwing it, He Lingchuan pulled the demon puppet higher, flying upwards, and asked Zu Ju, “Well, did it go in?”

“Wait, wait. Your thing is too light, it’s still floating…” Zu Ju sounded tense. “Good, it’s landed!” Its slightly excited voice reached He Lingchuan through its avatar: “It’s stopped in mid-air, unmoving! I think it must have fallen into the array’s core!” Zu Ju could sense the state of the volcanic rock grains; their immobility in mid-air clearly indicated they had successfully passed through the defensive array and entered the core. The defensive array indeed didn’t block such tiny, lightweight objects. Of course, cicada exuviae and other floating objects would usually be blown away by turbulence, making it difficult to enter the array's core. Phase one of the infiltration plan: success.

“Hurry up,” Shanze urged impatiently. “I think I see a fierce bird flying in from the southeast.” It was a giant owl, not as large as the demon puppet, but with a wingspan of two *zhang*. Clearly, it had sensed something unusual and was coming to investigate.

“Zu Ju, illuminate the air currents!” He Lingchuan took a deep breath, shaking the silver bracelet on his wrist. “My life depends on you!” The Mount Xu plan officially began at this moment; he had no turning back.

“Here I come!” The rock-fire monster vanished from the mountaintop in one stride, reappearing on a small hill fifteen *zhang* away. At this point, it should have been positioned just below and to the side of the array's core. Immediately, Zu Ju conjured ball after ball of fire, throwing them consecutively towards the core! It was still suppressed by the Spirit Gathering Array and couldn't attack the buildings, arrays, or defenders on the mountain. However, Zu Ju's action wasn't an attack, because as the fireballs approached the core, they suddenly exploded into countless sparks! Simply put, these were innumerable fiery debris, not even enough to burn a person, let alone possess any offensive power against the array. At most, they would eventually turn into tiny black specks. But they drifted with the strong winds, even growing redder and brighter with the wind's aid, like a large fireworks display exploding in mid-air. It wasn’t launching firebombs, but rather celebratory fireworks! Such brightness certainly wouldn’t escape the mountain guards’ notice, nor even the distant Star-Gazing Tower's sentinels!

The long preparations over the past few days, and the stealthy nighttime journey, were all for this single, decisive strike. Even Dong Rui, at the periphery of Mount Xu, couldn’t help but hold his breath as he gazed up at the night sky. The surroundings were brightly lit; no one could be fooled now. At this point, He Lingchuan had no retreat. He piloted the demon puppet into a nosedive, flying vertically towards the array's core!

Although the turbulence was usually invisible, its width and shape were now clearly marked by Zu Ju's exploding sparks. By observing the dance of the fiery debris, He Lingchuan could discern the outline and thickness of the turbulent currents. Such a spectacular sight hadn't appeared in the night sky above Mount Xu for a very long time, essentially declaring to the Heavenly Palace: there's an anomaly here!

He Lingchuan took a deep breath, and only when the sparks were so close they seemed about to scorch his eyeballs did he take a half-step jump from the flying mount and leap! Beneath him was a brilliant, almost blinding expanse of light. His leap formed a perfect arc, as if he were plunging into an ocean of red starlight—wild and dangerous. But the reality was far less romantic. The distance and speed of his leap had been meticulously calculated and rehearsed countless times. The demon puppet turned and flew away. The next second, He Lingchuan took out the Wind-Stabilizing Bead. With this bead, the turbulent wind array could no longer affect him.

He Lingchuan plummeted towards the array's core like a cannonball. The exploding fire illuminated the night sky, also revealing his eyes beneath the mask, steady as a rock. At this moment, he returned to a state of calm, devoid of sorrow or joy, with a clear mind. All worries and hesitations were stumbling blocks; what he needed was atomic clock-like precision. Such an action, of course, couldn't escape the notice of observers. Zu Ju hadn't been this tense in years; the light emanating from its joints turned blazing white. Dong Rui, watching from a distance, stared wide-eyed, barely daring to breathe. Beneath the turbulence array was a defensive formation, which, according to Zu Ju's prior assessment, was incredibly powerful. If a living person like He Lingchuan were to crash into it head-on, he would likely be instantly incinerated into a charred mess! A formation personally laid by a celestial deity possessed unquestionable power. He Lingchuan, using the Wind-Stabilizing Bead to descend, had to precisely calculate his speed. One second too late, and he would be annihilated by the array; one second too early, and he wouldn't enter the effective range for his transformation, meaning he wouldn't be able to switch and would similarly be blasted into a scorched blob by the array! Both too fast and too slow meant death; he had to be absolutely precise. He Lingchuan had practiced this jump dozens of times. But Dong Rui, asking himself, knew that if he were tasked with this job at this very moment, he would probably be so terrified his limbs would turn to jelly, drenched in cold sweat. A hair's breadth separated life from death. Under everyone's watchful eyes, He Lingchuan's figure suddenly vanished.

A living person, gone. Dong Rui didn't even blink, fearing he would explode into a bloody mist. Yet, with red sparks streaking across the sky, no one could truly tell if such a tragic scene had occurred. He Lingchuan had simply vanished, and Zu Ju extinguished its fireworks, restoring tranquility to the night sky. Of course, all witnesses knew this calmness was merely superficial.

Immediately afterwards, an urgent bell toll echoed from afar—*dang-dang-dang-dang*—resonating throughout Mount Xu. It was the Star-Gazing Tower striking its great bell, partly to warn all guards to repel invaders, and partly to suppress Zu Ju and summon it for interrogation. After all, those continuous dozen or so large fireballs were too conspicuous, and Zu Ju's actions clearly indicated that it had completely seen through the location of the Spirit Gathering Array's core! This was what truly worried the Heavenly Palace. Upon hearing the bell, Zu Ju clutched its neck, howling in pain, as rock fragments crumbled from its body, igniting all the surrounding vegetation. At this moment, it couldn't care about forest preservation. The Spirit Gathering Array was still active, and with the bell's toll, the collar around Zu Ju's neck exerted immense suppressive force. Moreover, it had no choice but to answer the Heavenly Palace's summons. Shanze burrowed into the ground, traversing a long distance, and instantly reappeared before the Star-Gazing Tower!