Chapter 229: Breaking the Ban

The glowing streams of information Qin Sang and the others had previously obtained contained not only the operational methods for the Nine Luminaries Star River Array but also instructions for a reverse operation array, a technique to make the Star River flow backward.

At that moment, one end of the Star River had entered the black hole. The leading few had already stepped one foot in, and they were about to fully enter and touch the stone tablet, but for some unknown reason, Che Yutao ordered them to retreat. However, no one dared to disobey. Upon hearing the command, they reversed the array without hesitation.

Within that Star River, countless stars had been moving according to a specific pattern. In that instant, the Star River suddenly halted, and then all the stars abruptly began to move in reverse. Across the starry sky, streaks of meteors glided, flowing backward along their previous paths, as if time itself were rewinding.

A hum resonated. With the Star River reversing, it didn't attack the black hole but was forcibly "extracted" from it. Waves of unstable fluctuations emanated from within the black hole. Fortunately, no dark light shot out, and it gradually returned to calm after the Star River fully detached.

Everyone sighed in relief, continuing to maintain the Star River while awaiting further orders. However, Che Yutao and the others paid them no mind; instead, they all looked at Sīkōng Mùyuè with a hint of anticipation.

Sīkōng Mùyuè floated in mid-air, an ethereal figure with a cool and aloof demeanor. From the moment the Star River touched the black hole, she had kept her eyes tightly closed, her divine sense enveloping the black hole to probe every minute change within it.

The Star River retreated, and the black hole gradually vanished, but Sīkōng Mùyuè still hadn't stirred. She remained intently focused on analyzing the black hole's restrictions.

After a considerable amount of time, Sīkōng Mùyuè suddenly opened her eyes. Stars flickered within them, and her delicate brows were slightly furrowed. She gazed pensively at the black hole, then softly said, "Enter again."

Qin Sang and the others immediately complied. After the previous attempt, they were more familiar with the process and well-prepared. Shortly after entering, they indeed heard the command to reverse the array and promptly obeyed. This cycle of entering and exiting was repeated three times.

Sīkōng Mùyuè's brow finally relaxed. After a moment of thought, streaks of light shot from her fingertips, flying towards the group. Qin Sang clearly saw the content within the glowing streams. It was still the Nine Luminaries Star River Array, but with subtle differences from before, evidently modified by Sīkōng Mùyuè based on the changes in the restrictions.

Qin Sang marvelled at Sīkōng Mùyuè's formidable ability and focused intently on comprehending the changes. With their prior foundation, comprehension was much easier this time. In less than fifteen minutes, everyone had fully grasped the array and proceeded to set up the Star River Array according to the new instructions.

The outward appearance of the radiant Star River seemed unchanged, but only those within the array could sense the subtle differences: some positions had stronger defenses, while others were weakened.

Just as they were about to combine the three Star River formations, Sīkōng Mùyuè suddenly said, "This time, there's no need to stack the arrays. Only nine people need to enter..." As she spoke, Sīkōng Mùyuè's gaze swept over the group, and she pointed seemingly at random. "You can go first."

She pointed towards Yun Youzi's team, which included Yun Youzi himself and three disciples from the Taiyi Pill Sect. Seeing Sīkōng Mùyuè send her own disciples to scout ahead, the others naturally had no objections. Yun Youzi and his group slowly moved forward, approaching the black hole.

Qin Sang noticed that as they neared the black hole, Sīkōng Mùyuè, Di Que, and Daoist Master Xuanyu's lips subtly moved, seemingly communicating via sound transmission. It seemed these Core Formation cultivators indeed had some understanding of the ancient ruins, so they wouldn't be completely in the dark upon entering. Qin Sang felt slightly relieved, knowing that when it was his turn to enter, Che Yutao would surely provide instructions and wouldn't let his disciples die needlessly.

In the blink of an eye, Yun Youzi and his group reached the black hole. The moment the Star River entered, Sīkōng Mùyuè once again ordered them to reverse the array. Unexpectedly, the reversed Star River failed to break free from the black hole's grasp and was instantly sucked inside.

The black hole, like a vast dark maw, swallowed them whole. Yun Youzi and the others were hit by an inexplicably powerful suction force, and the moment they were drawn in, they couldn't even maintain their array formation. The Star River dissipated with a roar, and the nine individuals became like lonely boats in a raging storm, swept away by a hurricane, utterly powerless to resist. Amidst the chaos, they crashed one after another into the stone tablet.

However, the moment they touched the stone tablet, the expected collision didn't happen. Instead, a black vortex suddenly appeared on the mottled tablet, directly sucking them inside. In an instant, all nine individuals vanished without a trace. Only the stone tablet remained standing in the black hole, before it too gradually disappeared.

Witnessing this eerie scene, the faces of the others outside turned pale. No one knew what exactly was inside the stone tablet or what dangers awaited those who entered. Unknown dangers were the most terrifying.

Unexpectedly, Che Yutao and the others wore expressions of delight. They cupped their hands in salute to Sīkōng Mùyuè, admiringly stating, "Daoist Friend Sīkōng's mastery of restrictions is truly extraordinary. Such a slight modification to the array yielded this remarkable effect."

Sīkōng Mùyuè showed no trace of complacency. She sighed, "It is precisely because of my limited ability... if it were a Daoist Friend from the Primordial Mirage Sect, it wouldn't have taken this long at all, and with nine people forming the array, they would surely have broken free."

Che Yutao smiled upon hearing this. "The Primordial Mirage Sect's lineage is renowned for its array formations, naturally possessing unique advantages. Daoist Friend Sīkōng, there's no need to be modest; comprehending the changes in the restrictions in such a short time is truly rare. So, shall we have three people try next?"

"Hold on!" Sīkōng Mùyuè shook her head slightly. "Let another nine people try. I've gained some insight and need to verify it."

Che Yutao nodded, then turned to face the group. Seeing their shifty eyes and uneasy expressions, he chided them with a laugh, "That stone tablet is precisely the entrance to the ancient ruins! Others wish to enter but cannot; what are you afraid of?"

Only then did everyone feel at ease. Another nine people then entered the black hole, and just like before, they couldn't break free from the restraint and were sucked into the stone tablet. This left only Qin Sang and eight others. Sīkōng Mùyuè then released another streak of light, further improving the array.

Finally, Qin Sang and his group formed the Star River to approach the black hole. When they reversed the array, though it almost caused the formation to dissipate, they managed to barely break free from the black hole's suction.

"Excellent!" Sīkōng Mùyuè's eyes lit up. "Now, let three people try."

At this point, a completely new array appeared in Qin Sang and the others' minds. It was also an improvement on the Nine Luminaries Star River Array, but surprisingly, it only required three people, each occupying one of the array's three positions, to form it. However, the new array's power was significantly weaker. The first group of three had barely touched the black hole when their array immediately dispersed, almost crushing them into a pulp by the formidable force of the restrictions. Fortunately, several Core Formation cultivators joined forces to rescue them.

Qin Sang also experienced the power of the restrictions firsthand for the first time. He was inwardly appalled, thinking, 'No wonder these Core Formation cultivators are so cautious.'

After several unsuccessful attempts, Sīkōng Mùyuè's expression remained unchanged. She said in a deep voice, "If I had more time, I could make further improvements, and three people would be able to break through the restrictions. But there's no time now, and what we have is already sufficient for us. Let these juniors enter."