The breakthrough in cracking the ancient array of the inner sect’s Yuehua Tower had reached a significant milestone.
This time, Ling Xiao planned to enter through the wooden door and attempt to “steal” martial arts from behind the other two doors.
He never had enough of good martial arts.
Even if he didn’t study them now, he could use them later to enhance <Cloud Dragon Divine Movement> or <Nine Demons Divine Art>. They wouldn’t go to waste.
Through the Mountains and Rivers Martial Soul’s analysis, Ling Xiao found that while the Yuehua Tower’s array was complex and profound, the decline of the human race over a hundred thousand years had left the Yuehua Sect with fewer array experts.
They couldn’t even find someone to fully repair the Guanghan Palace’s array.
The Yuehua Tower’s array, far more intricate and advanced, was even less understood.
The more complex and sophisticated an array, the more prone it was to issues if not maintained.
Ling Xiao might not fully crack it yet, but understanding its principles and exploiting flaws to obtain desired martial arts was feasible.
Though Heavenly Human Realm experts guarded the tower, strength didn’t equate to array mastery, as with Guanghan Heavenly Venerable.
With caution, Ling Xiao had a good chance of succeeding.
If the Yuehua Sect’s Array Hall “experts” knew his plan, they’d be dumbfounded.
Despite inheriting generations of array knowledge, they were helpless against the Yuehua Tower’s grand array.
Even the Array Hall’s master, the sect’s top array expert, grasped only a fraction of it.
Their solution was to layer a simpler, lower-grade array over the ancient one, sufficient to deter most martial artists.
They were confident no one in the Yuehua Sect could crack their array.
Unbeknownst to them, their array was trivial to Ling Xiao.
His focus was solely on the ancient grand array, which he’d been studying intensely.
“Junior Brother Ling, we’re at the inner sect challenge platform,” Zhao Zhi’s voice snapped Ling Xiao from his thoughts.
Looking up, he was stunned—nearly a hundred people had gathered!
With the ten core disciples included, the inner sect had only about two hundred disciples.
For nearly half to show up, Jian Renwang must have spread the word.
Jian Renwang was chatting and laughing with other inner disciples, clearly in high spirits.
The inner sect’s challenge platform was sturdier than the outer sect’s.
Beyond better materials, it had a more advanced array, likely unyielding even to Heavenly Human Realm experts.
If damaged, it could self-repair—a vast improvement over the outer sect’s platform.
Inner disciples glanced at Ling Xiao, Xiao Yan, and Lin Feng with disdain or pity.
They’d seen many overconfident outer disciples broken here.
How would Ling Xiao beg for mercy today?
Jian Renwang spotted Ling Xiao, his face twisting into a cold smirk.
With so many inner disciples watching, he was poised to make a name for himself.
“Look! Core disciple number two, Lan Yu’er, is here!”
A shout drew every inner disciple’s gaze.
Lan Yu’er, in a pale blue gown, looked radiant, as if she’d stepped from a painting.
Her beauty and strength were rare, even on the Heavenly Dragon Continent.
She was the idol, goal, and revered figure for all female disciples.
For male disciples, she was the dream lover, a fairy, an untouchable goddess!
Jian Renwang’s heart raced, drool escaping his lips.
“Junior Brother Ling, you came to the inner sect without telling me? I would’ve thrown you a welcome party,” Lan Yu’er said, smiling as she approached Ling Xiao under everyone’s stares. Her smile was not only dazzling but carried a hint of joy.
Jealousy!
The air around the platform grew thick with envy.
Ling Xiao shook his head with a wry smile. *Senior Sister, you’re painting a target on my back!*
“Senior Sister, I’m just here for joint training, not joining the inner sect. No need for a welcome,” he said, stepping forward with a smile.
“Hee hee, true. Have you settled into a cave dwelling? Got your wooden token for the Yuehua Tower yet?”
Lan Yu’er didn’t know why she cared so much about Ling Xiao—she was just following her heart.
“Senior Sister Lan, we were shoved into a slave shack, no cave dwelling!” Xiao Yan interjected, indignant. “And the deacon who received us didn’t give us any tokens.”
“Hm?”
Lan Yu’er’s brows furrowed.
She usually ignored such matters and didn’t know the inner sect’s practices.
But a few days ago, learning from Yang Danlin that Ling Xiao was joining the training, she’d excitedly researched the joint training, uncovering these details.
She didn’t hide that she did it for Ling Xiao!
“Follow me!”
Lan Yu’er wasn’t one to meddle, but if she couldn’t sort this out for Ling Xiao, her rank as the second core disciple would mean little.
“Senior Sister Lan, I have a spar with Junior Brother Ling. Could we…” Jian Renwang started, approaching.
Halfway through, he felt as if mountains crushed him, the terror stealing his breath.
He realized she was a core disciple!
Core disciples had privileges in the Yuehua Sect. If she killed him on the spot, he’d have no recourse.
“Brother Cheap Man, no rush. We’ll spar after we get our tokens,” Ling Xiao said with a smile.
“Fine! No problem!”
Jian Renwang felt the pressure lift as Ling Xiao spoke. Core disciples were terrifying—if not for Ling Xiao, he might’ve gone mad from the strain.
“Deacon Wang!”
Lan Yu’er was direct, immediately confronting the deacon who’d received Ling Xiao.
