Published at 5th of October 2023 5:30 am

Chapter 2357: The First Meeting

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Lu Yin was impressed. "As expected of an Array Grandmaster, he was able to find the problem with just a glance."

This was too cruel! Xia De glanced sideways at Lu Yin. This youth was as ruthless as ever. If Mu Shang had not noticed that the Coiling Knot had been modified, then trying to open it with the original method would have killed Qiao Er and not even left a corpse behind. It would have been equivalent to Mu Shang personally killing Qiao Er. Such methods were just too cruel.

Mu Shang arrived a few meters away from Qiao Er, but then the man frowned. He raised a hand and grabbed hold of a wisp of the sourceboxes’ danger zone. That simple action affected the entire sourcebox array, and the entire thing shifted.

Qiao Er grew even paler than before. She could not understand why her master had shifted the Coiling Knot, as he should be able to easily get her out of it.

It was impossible for Mu Shang to admit to Qiao Er that he was currently fighting against Lu Yin in order to unravel the sourcebox array. Lu Yin had altered the array, and Mu Shang wanted to undo all of the changes that had been made. As for Qiao Er, Mu Shang could take her away whenever he wanted.

Up on the first array base, humans fought against the Aeternals while the Semi-Progenitors stood at the edge of the array base and looked down. Even though they could not understand anything about the sourcebox array, it was readily apparent that Mu Shang was completely relaxed.

Bai Chi sneered. "I can’t imagine what would give a mere Realm Array Master the guts to challenge an Array Grandmaster."

Naturally, the Realm Array Master that was mentioned was Lu Yin.

In contrast, Xia De was truly amazed. "There has never before been a case where a Realm Array Master could modify a sourcebox array set up by an Array Grand master."

Bai Qi was similarly blown away, as what Lu Yin had accomplished indicated that he was very close to becoming an Array Grandmaster himself.

Lu Yin stared at Mu Shang. Every action that the Array Grandmaster took gave Lu Yin a different feeling. Mu Shang truly deserved the title of Array Grandmaster. The Coiling Knot that he had set up above New City was not a common sourcebox array, and it was too complicated for lesser Array Masters to attempt to set up, which even included Realm Array Masters. Despite the complicated arrangement, Mu Shang relied on his intuition to gain an understanding of the overall situation of the sourcebox array. This was a completely different style of working from Lu Yin, who relied exclusively on the vast lockbreaking experience that he had obtained.

Lu Yin’s lockbreaking experience was simply too vast, and it had only increased after his Possession of Grandmaster Qiu Ling. Additionally, Lu Yin had the experiences of multiple Array Masters, a Realm Array Master, and even the lockbreaking methods used during the Daosource Sect era. Finally, while creating the unique power that lay in his chest, Lu Yin had been enlightened on the concept that all power returns to the same origin. This even applied to his lockbreaking experiences. Lu Yin had obtained the experiences of many different Lockbreakers, but when it all came together, it once again confirmed for him that all solutions led to the same destination.

The changes that Lu Yin had made to the Coiling Knot were not very difficult for Mu Shang to find and correct. In the end, there was still a bit of a gap between Lu Yin’s lockbreaking capabilities and those of a true Array Grandmaster.

After just a short bit of?time, Mu Shang regained total control of the sourcebox array, and he moved over next to Qiao Er.

The woman’s eyes were bright red. "Master, Qiao Er thought that she would never see you again!"

Mu Shang frowned. "Why did you lose the key?"

Qiao Er instantly grew awkward.

Mu Shang merely asked the question, but he did not pursue the matter any further. As Qiao Er had said earlier, the lives and deaths of the people who had been banished to New City simply did not matter.

"Master, Lu Xiaoxuan is trying to kill me!" Qiao Er looked upwards and glared at Lu Yin with fury. Hatred filled the woman’s eyes. While she had only spent a short while in the sourcebox array, it had been an experience that she would never be able to forget. Lu Yin had actually traumatized the woman.

The moment that Qiao Er’s eyes looked upwards, she saw Lu Yin take out a sourcebox and slowly let it fall down.

Qiao Er's pupils instantly shrank to pinpricks. She screamed, "Master--!"

Mu Shang’s head snapped up, and he also saw the falling sourcebox. The sight startled him. "Lu Xiaoxuan, how dare you!"

The Array Grandmaster grabbed Qiao Er and moved to escape from the Coiling Knot.

Sourcebox arrays functioned because Array Masters could direct and coordinate the danger zones of one or more sourceboxes. It was something that only Array Masters could do, and this process could transform trash into something miraculous.

However, if another sourcebox was suddenly introduced into an existing sourcebox array, it would be as if a mountain had smashed into a calm lake. Not only would the lake be disrupted, but it would also be smashed and completely destroyed.

The moment the falling sourcebox entered the array, the ordered structure of the sourcebox array would instantly change. It was unavoidable and impossible to predict. There was no way for anyone to know exactly what would happen.

Even Mu Shang, an Array Grandmaster, would not dare to take such a risk.

There were many anecdotes of Array Grandmasters dying within a sourcebox array throughout history. It could even be said that Array Grandmasters were destined to eventually be killed by a sourcebox array.

As soon as Mu Shang saw the falling sourcebox, he grabbed Qiao Er and fled from the sourcebox array.

Bai Chi and Bai Qi both lashed out, trying to stop the sourcebox from falling. No one had anticipated such a vicious move from Lu Yin. If the sourcebox fell into the array, then not only Qiao Er, but even Mu Shang might be lost.

Unfortunately, all efforts were useless. Lu Yin used runes at the Progenitor level to force both Bai Qi and Bai Chi to the ground, and the sourcebox fell down uninhibited.

It dropped closer and closer to the Coiling Knot.

Mu Shang would clearly be able to get Qiao Er out of the sourcebox array before the sourcebox fell into it, but how could Lu Yin allow that to happen?

Another wave of runes fell, this time aimed at Mu Shang. As the runes fell, Bai Wangyuan’s power descended from the Dominion Realm. While the Progenitor did not care about whether Qiao Er lived or died, nothing could be allowed to happen to the Celestial Frost Sect’s Array Grandmaster.

The power of a Progenitor surrounded Mu Shang as the Progenitor-level runes fell upon him, but Lu Yin was not launching an attack. He had never intended to kill Mu Shang, just push him back down. Lu Yin was curious to see how the youngest Array Master in history would deal with a mutated sourcebox array.

The runes with the strength of a Progenitor smashed down on Mu Shang, but thanks to Bai Wangyuan’s protection, the man endured the attack. However, it was impossible for him to keep hold of Qiao Er, and she fell away from her master.

Qiao Er stared up at Mu Shang in shock for an instant. At her last moment, she caught sight of Lu Yin's cold eyes staring at her.

She regretted her actions. She should not have behaved as she had, and she absolutely should not have antagonized Lu Xiaoxuan. She should not have said the words that she had spoken, nor even returned to the rear battlefield. Why had this happened to her?

No one could answer Qiao Er's question, as her body had already disappeared into the sourcebox array. The falling sourcebox also entered the array, and the entire thing completely transformed. It became something monstrous as the various danger fields from the sourceboxes interacted and surged out in all directions. The void was torn apart by the chaotic powers. This could no longer be considered a sourcebox array, and it was instead nothing more than a mess of overlapping danger fields.

As for Qiao Er, she completely disappeared, never to be seen again.

Mu Shang looked down. He watched as Qiao Er disappeared, and his expression grew dark.

As soon as Mu Shang stepped foot back on the first array base, the power of a Progenitor that had been protecting him vanished.

Bai Wangyuan's voice entered Lu Yin's ears. "Lu Xiaoxuan, don't go too far."

Lu Yin just smiled. He released the runes that he had borrowed as he looked down and watched the danger fields warp and twist as they interacted with each other. At this moment, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to calm the chaotic power of the sourceboxes. This was the mystery of sourceboxes. Only Lockbreakers could hope to be able to understand and unravel a sourcebox.

They were the only ones who could discover the secrets that the universe had hidden away.

Mu Shang straightened up and turned to glare at Lu Yin with frigid eyes. "Her mistake did not warrant her death."

Lu Yin had his back to the Array Grandmaster. He was still staring down at the chaos that he had triggered. "Your words mean nothing."

"Lu Xiaoxuan, you have become too cruel!" Mu Shang spat out.

Bai Chi approached and quietly said something to Mu Shang.

Bai Qi stared at Lu Yin. The woman felt rather conflicted at this moment. Would anyone show mercy to their enemies?

Xia De just laughed. Who was Qiao Er? Lu Yin had dared to publicly execute Semi-Progenitor Wang Si! Not only had the woman been a ?Semi-Progenitor, but she had also been an incredibly important figure in the Perennial World. Killing her had accomplished nothing less than make him an eternal enemy of the entire Wang family, but had Lu Yin hesitated? He had not been at all concerned with the risks. After all, he and the four ruling powers had always been sworn enemies.

At this point in time, the only people who could make Lu Yin pay attention were Progenitors.

No one heard what Bai Chi said to Mu Shang, but the Array Grandmaster took a deep breath. Determination covered his face as he stared at Lu Yin's back. "Last time we spoke, I came to an agreement with ‘Yu Hao’ that the first time we saw each other would be when he challenged me. Were you that Yu Hao, or was that someone else?"

Lu Yin felt a bit lost. Had that happened? As he thought back, he remembered that while Virtue Archives’ students had been traveling to Shenwu's Sky, he had asked Liu Shaoge to act as Yu Hao for a bit. It seemed that Liu Shaoge had come up with an excuse to not be exposed.

"Now, you and I are finally meeting for the first time. What do you say? Do you dare to challenge me, Lu Xiaoxuan?" Mu Shang coldly demanded.

Lu Yin turned around to look at Mu Shang. Some time later, Lu Yin answered simply, "Fine."

Mu Shang appeared to be almost scarily calm. "You can choose the time and place."

"When’s your birthday?"

Mu Shang’s eyes narrowed. "That would be a good day. My birthday celebration will be held in forty eight days. There will be many veteran Lockbreakers present, so we will allow them to bear witness to whether or not you, Lu Xiaoxuan, can replace me as the youngest Array Grandmaster in history."

"I'm looking forward to it," Lu Yin answered casually.

Mu Shang took a deep breath before turning around and leaving. He was going to prepare himself. He had not been entirely certain on how Lu Yin would respond to the proposed challenge even if he had been able to modify Mu Shang’s Coiling Knot.

It defied all reason that such a young Array Master could have modified Mu Shang’s soucebox array. Even a veteran Realm Array Master such as Master Deng Guo might not be able to accomplish such a thing. The fact that Lu Yin had agreed to a competition with Mu Shang was clearly not due to something like ignorant self-confidence.

Lu Yin was an opponent whom even Mu Shang felt the need to take seriously.

After Mu Shang left, Lu Yin also left the first array base. Challenging Mu Shang had truly been nothing more than an accident, but Lu Yin intended to see it through. Even if Liu Shaoge had been the one to set up the challenge, it had been done under Lu Yin’s identity.

Lu Yin knew that his current lockbreaking abilities were absolutely no match for Mu Shang’s, but fortunately, Lu Yin still had more than forty days before the challenge took place.

Upon returning to the fourth array base, the first thing that Lu Yin did was reach out to Grandmaster Qiu Ling. The only way for Lu Yin to have the confidence to challenge Mu Shang was if he Possessed Grandmaster Qiu Ling once again and obtained all of the woman’s lockbreaking experience.

Mu Shang was indeed the youngest person to become an Array Grandmaster in history, and he was still very young. It was a very real possibility that the man was not yet Grandmaster Qiu Ling’s opponent. At the very least, Qiu Ling was at least as skilled an Array Grandmaster as Mu Shang.

It was not difficult for Lu Yin to obtain Grandmaster Qiu Ling’s contact information.

"Are you Lu Xiaoxuan?" Grandmaster Qiu Ling had not expected to receive a call from Lu Yin.

Other people saw Grandmaster Qiu Ling as an Array Grandmaster, as well as someone who favored Shenwu's Sky and had a good relationship with the sect. While Lu Yin's enmity with Shenwu's Sky should not have any connection to Qiu Ling, there was something else about the woman that only Lu Yin was aware of: Grandmaster Qiu Ling was a Redback.

"It’s been a long time, Grandmaster Qiu Ling. This junior has never had the opportunity to thank you for what happened last time," Lu Yin said with a smile.

Grandmaster Qiu Ling felt quite puzzled. "What happened? Are you referring to the game of Stable Zone that we played on Dragon Mountain? If it’s just that, then there’s no need to thank me. The White Dragon Clan paid me to ensure that Long Qi gave a good impression on everyone, and I merely agreed to help a junior. I never even considered that Long Qi would actually be you, Lu Xiaoxuan."

Lu Yin replied, "This junior is of course not referring to that matter. If not for Grandmaster Qiu Ling, how else could this junior have managed to escape from the Higher Realm? Grandmaster Qiu Ling could have easily captured this junior back then, and this junior will remember your kindness in allowing me to escape."

Grandmaster Qiu Ling grew incredibly solemn. "Lu Xiaoxuan, don't be ridiculous. I never once did anything to help you."

Lu Yin also grew more serious. "No matter what you may say, Grandmaster, this junior must repay the kindness that you have shown me."

Grandmaster Qiu Ling shook her head. "There’s no favor owed, and you should not even call me again. We’re done."

Even as she spoke, the woman was trying to end the call.

Lu Yin quickly spoke up. "Senior, I know that you are one of the surviving vassals of my Lu family!"

These words startled the woman, and left her dumbfounded. "What is this nonsense now? How could I have ever been a vassal of the Lu family?"

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