Chapter 676: The Hundred Array Tower Broke Down

The measures taken by the Tianyan Sect were undoubtedly for Lu Ye’s protection. After all, Lu Ye had previously given some Washing Soul Water to Bai Qian. For cultivators like Bai Qian and Yu Xiao, who were stuck at the ninth level of the True Lake Realm, Washing Soul Water was the most coveted treasure. With its help, they hoped to break through their limitations and advance to the Divine Sea Realm.

However, subsequent events showed that Lu Ye continuously stirred up trouble in the Spirit Stream Battlefield, eventually drawing the attention of the Myriad Demon Ridge. Even now, the cultivators from Myriad Demon Ridge still harbored the intention to kill him.

Many array masters at the Hundred Arrays Pagoda had been there for a long time, becoming quite familiar with each other through discussions and sparring. The previously mentioned cultivator surnamed Luo was one of the most outstanding among them.

His achievement of passing the fiftieth floor of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was exceptionally impressive across the entire Cloud River Battlefield.

Surrounded by other array masters, the cultivator surnamed Luo gave a wry smile and shook his head. “My master once told me that my aptitude is neither good nor bad. In this life, in the path of arrays, achieving mastery is no problem, but grand mastery is beyond reach.”

“Mastery is attainable, grand mastery is out of reach”—this was his master’s assessment. Simply put, he would have no trouble becoming an Array Master, but becoming an Array Grandmaster was practically impossible.

Initially, the cultivator surnamed Luo was not entirely convinced by this assessment. However, as he spent more time at the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, he was forced to accept the reality.

Since clearing the fiftieth floor of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, he had attempted the fifty-first floor three times, failing on each occasion. Perhaps with more arduous cultivation, he might eventually pass the fifty-first floor, but what then? The Hundred Arrays Pagoda had sixty-six floors, and the further one progressed, the more difficult the challenges became.

Even if he dedicated his entire life to it, he might not be able to clear all sixty-six floors of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda.

But even as an array master, how could he be content with his cultivation remaining stagnant in the Cloud River Realm? He was already at the ninth level of the Cloud River Realm and long qualified to advance to the True Lake Realm. His reluctance to do so was simply due to an obsession, a desire to make further progress within the Hundred Arrays Pagoda.

Yet, what he saw and heard today served as a jarring wake-up call, shaking him awake.

In this world, people’s aptitudes simply varied. Others could easily cause the Hundred Arrays Pagoda to resonate upon entering, but he had never possessed such a capability.

Ultimately, as a cultivator, one’s cultivation level should be paramount.

He secretly decided to attempt it one last time. This time, whether he succeeded or failed, he would choose to advance to the True Lake Realm and leave the Cloud River Battlefield.

“Friend Luo, why disparage yourself? You…” The array master who had spoken earlier suddenly paused, his words unfinished.

At the same time, the surrounding chatter ceased completely, and all the array masters looked toward the Hundred Arrays Pagoda in astonishment.

That peculiar resonance… it had appeared again!

The Hundred Arrays Pagoda, a third resonance!

“What’s happening?” One array master even wondered if he was dreaming. A resonance that usually occurred only once every three to five months had already happened twice today, which was shocking enough. Now there was a third?

Which powerful individual had caused this resonance?

Were there so many talented array masters challenging the Hundred Arrays Pagoda today?

Various emotions surged, but they did not prevent the array masters from responding appropriately. The Hundred Arrays Pagoda’s resonance was rare, and its unique rhythm was greatly beneficial for array masters’ enlightenment. So, one by one, they quickly sat down, focusing their minds and silently perceiving the phenomenon.

On the thirty-fifth floor of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, Lu Ye once again used the Washing Soul Water to calm the impact and pain on his soul. He then began constructing a small spirit-gathering funnel, simultaneously cultivating and comprehending the insights he had gained to prepare for the next floor’s challenge.

Time flew by, and after another nearly three hours, the challenge on the thirty-sixth floor began.

The array masters outside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda gradually grew frantic.

Over the past two days, some events had occurred that they simply could not comprehend.

After the first resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, the second resonance followed an incense stick later. Three hours after that, the third resonance. Another three hours, the fourth. And then, after another three hours, the fifth…

Subsequently, the Hundred Arrays Pagoda resonated almost every three hours.

Is the Hundred Arrays Pagoda broken?

Almost all array masters couldn’t help but entertain this thought. Otherwise, how could so many resonances occur consecutively?

However, after one array master bravely entered the Hundred Arrays Pagoda to test it out, they confirmed that there was nothing abnormal inside.

In other words, the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was not broken.

These repeated resonances were truly being caused by an array master challenging the Pagoda from within.

Initially, the array masters thought that each resonance was triggered by a different array master. But as time passed and the number of resonances increased, everyone realized that this was likely not the case.

This was because the interval between almost every resonance was precisely three hours.

This time interval was nearly identical to the time limit for each floor’s challenge in the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, which was intriguing.

The array masters involuntarily considered an unbelievable possibility: an incredibly talented array master was challenging the Pagoda from within, achieving excellent results on every floor, and thus triggering the Hundred Arrays Pagoda’s resonance every time.

But… was such a thing truly possible?

It was simply beyond imagination.

Yet, apart from this explanation, there seemed to be no better alternative.

What could be confirmed now was that the array master who triggered the first resonance and the one who triggered the second were not the same person, as the time interval was too short.

What the array masters couldn’t figure out was whether the subsequent resonances were caused by the first person or the second…

News continued to spread, and thirty miles away, Hundred Arrays City also became a hive of activity, with large numbers of array masters rushing towards the Pagoda.

Normally, many array masters resided in Hundred Arrays City, and only a small fraction lingered outside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda. But as the news spread, in less than half a day, the number of array masters gathered outside the Pagoda exceeded a thousand, with even more still on their way.

No one wanted to miss such a grand event, nor such an opportunity.

Although they were not the ones challenging the Pagoda or causing the resonances, they could still gain significant benefits from the repeated enlightenments.

For a time, the area outside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was practically overflowing. As far as the eye could see, there was a dense crowd of people, each finding a spot and sitting cross-legged.

“Friend Luo, this must be the tenth time, right?” A familiar cultivator asked from where the array master Luo was situated.

The array master Luo nodded. “Yes, it’s the tenth time.”

With resonances occurring every three hours on average, nearly thirty hours had passed, and the previous resonance had indeed been the tenth.

From initial confusion to shock, and now to numbness, this was a true reflection of his inner state, and also of all the array masters gathered there.

When events that were rare in everyday life began to occur frequently, even with a discernible pattern, even these accomplished cultivators in the Cloud River Realm were left stunned and emotionally numb.

“I always feel that this isn’t man-made; it seems more like a reaction of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda itself,” another person suggested.

Even though it had been confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, many still believed that these resonances were not triggered by human means. Perhaps the Hundred Arrays Pagoda had undergone some unknown change.

Of course, this change was welcomed by the array masters. If the Hundred Arrays Pagoda could continue to maintain such resonances from now on, then, among other things, the entire array path of the Nine Provinces would undoubtedly rise by a notch.

With repeated enlightenments, even the dullest array master should gain significant insights.

Looking in the direction of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, the cultivator surnamed Luo remained silent.

No one could say for certain whether these resonances were man-made or a reaction of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda itself. If it was the latter, then so be it. But if it was the former… then the person challenging the Pagoda must be an unprecedented genius, one whose achievements in the array path would surely be unattainable by any other array master in the entire Nine Provinces.

This made him recall something.

The last time he returned to his sect, his master had told him that someone had once cleared thirty-three floors in their sect’s Hundred Arrays Pagoda in one go, triggering thirty-three resonances…

That person was Lu Yiye of the Scarlet Blood Sect, who later became widely renowned.

Honestly, had his master not told him these things, he would never have believed them.

Clearing thirty-three floors and triggering thirty-three resonances in one go—was that something a human could accomplish?

His master had told him this not to discourage him, but to caution him that in the array path, there were always those stronger and more capable, and that he should not be overly fixated.

He hadn't thought much about it before, but recalling it now, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Could the one challenging the Pagoda right now be that Lu Yiye? Since he could continuously trigger thirty-three resonances in his sect’s Hundred Arrays Pagoda, his performance in the Hundred Arrays Pagoda here in the Cloud River Battlefield certainly wouldn't be poor.

Array masters entered and exited the Hundred Arrays Pagoda frequently, so he hadn’t noticed if Lu Yiye had gone in earlier.

But even if it truly was him, this performance seemed a bit too exaggerated.

The difficulty of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda here in the Cloud River Battlefield was incomparable to the one in his sect.

Just as his thoughts swirled, the peculiar resonance surged forth once more.

A gasp went through the crowd: “It’s the eleventh time!”

This count excluded the first resonance and started from the second, because the array masters now confirmed that the one who triggered the first resonance and the one who triggered the second were not the same person. However, the subsequent resonances must have been caused by one of those two.

Eleven consecutive resonances—what a terrifying achievement! Throughout history, no array master had ever accomplished this. In the past, even if someone could trigger continuous resonances, it would typically be only two or three times at most.

Eleven resonances could be said to have not only shattered previous records but also established a height that no future array master could possibly aspire to.

While Lu Ye’s aptitude in the array path was good, it was far from the level of the unprecedented genius the cultivator Luo had imagined.

His invincibility within the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was simply due to the Washing Soul Water.

This soul-nourishing treasure, coveted even by Divine Sea Realm grand cultivators, was now being used by him to calm the impact on his own soul, alleviating pain and pressure.