Chapter 129 (1/2)
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Chapter 129
Servant Saves The Master
Arrays are one of the killer methods that the Hidden Sword Court has relied upon and mastered to survive. The once weak Hidden Sword Court had always utilised arrays to win against strong opponents. By relying on arrays, the Hidden Sword Court could even allow many of its disciples who had yet mastered the foundation of cultivation to momentarily use their magical powers. This would allow them to utilise and amplify their strength tenfold, using their strength in numbers and discipline, even the most low ranking cultivator could defeat a strong opponent.
Furthermore, there are countless arrays that exist. Each array has its own use and characteristics. Hidden Sword Court has a total of ninety-nine thousand eight hundred and eleven arrays, but many of these are interchangeable. Not to mention, the ingenuity in applying these tactics depends on hard thinking, such as the Warfare Array that makes something real look like an illusion and vice versa.
But among arrays, there will always be a weakness, and this weakness is the centre of the array. Hence usually, those who are the strongest would protect the array's centre. This was why the first thing that Su You did was try to target the centre of the array first. If they were to conquer the centre of the array, the rest of the arrays would not be able to function. These mechanised stone statues may be strong, but if the team worked together and managed to focus their attack on the centre, the array formation could be stopped.
However, what Su You would never expect was that he put too much trust in his Grand Senior Brother's words. He a.s.sumed that this would be the Chaotic Sword Array from the get-go, never in his dreams would expect that this was a combination of intricate and interlinked arrays.
Four hundred years ago, the universally recognised Array Master An Conghai described the mechanism of the arrays in his book, A Lecture About Arrays, which went like this, “Those that control the centre of the array, controls all arrays in the world. The beholder of the centres understands the key to the array, its method of fighting must be hefty and strong. Those who are foolish would leave the strong soldiers to protect the centre; Those who are cunning would hide the centre from plain sight. The cunning would devise a decoy, resulting in a genius two in one solution.”
As for the centre of the array's flaw and weak spot, those who are foolish would position their most important and powerful member near the centre. This is obviously telling their opponent, “This is the centre, please come and attack it”. Whereas a smart person would leave the centre of the array in a random spot, a place where it would leave no suspicion.
For a person with wisdom, they would use a higher-skilled method, by creating an illusion, a fake centre would be placed. Tricking the opponent to use all their strength to destroy the fake centre, and designing it so that when the fake centre has been activated by touch, the true centre would unleash its full power. Using the fake centre to drain the opponents' strength, then unleas.h.i.+ng the real centre of arrays' true power. Killing two birds with one stone.
But there was a method that was far more genius than the rest. Because the fake centre also contains a weak point to be destroyed. That would drain its opponents' strength and resources, only then the true centre would be activated, showing its true form. This was a cla.s.sic example of the art of war. The true genius level of this was the deception, to intentionally let the opponent believe that the fake centre is the real array, and while the opponents believe they had successfully conquered the centre and lured into the middle, the true array would successfully be activated, unleas.h.i.+ng a continuous and interchangeable array to defeat the opponent.
Therefore, by using these methods it is proven that although the arrays may just be a tool, a person's mind is flexible. When parts of the array are embedded to the floor, they are not able to move anymore, hence this was the most important factor in how to layout an array. One must lure their opponents to the centre, then unleash the mechanisms of the array when the opponents are cornered, rendering them unable to escape.
But the enemies are not stupid, they wouldn't idly wait at the most crucial area of the array's layout. They would usually try to s.n.a.t.c.h and prevent the castor from finis.h.i.+ng their array, trying to defeat or conquer the centre.
Henceforth, only array masters from the genius level would design a 'continuous array' layout such as this! This array in Yanjian Hall was one of the genius array methods — The Five-Partied-Demon-Sword Array!
This array in itself does not contain immense magical power, but it could combine and evolve into seven different arrays. At the same time, it also possessed the power to interchange between six other types of arrays. However, the scariest part was that when this array is activated, it would amplify the physical strength of its members by tenfold! It can singlehandedly amplify a cultivator's skills from the first heavenly level to the fourth heavenly level, levelling them up to three levels. A cultivator with the skills with the third heavenly level could be amplified to the fifth heavenly level. Whereas, one that possessed the skill of the fifth heavenly level could be upgraded to the sixth! Their powers would be amplified tenfold as well!
The stone statues before them had a sudden boost in ability. Their physical strength, physical defence and magical defence had all been amplified by threefold. If one were to combine them all, their fighting abilities had been amplified to more than tenfold.
Su You and the rest of the team understood how terrifyingly strong these stone statues had become. Their eyes were clouded with despair. The confidence in them to clear this level had lost.
These stone statues suddenly charged towards them like lighting. Instantly they broke down and started to run away!
As they reached the gate, they realised that it had been shut tight by a large and heavy bolder. No matter how hard they rammed it or how hard they tried to split it in half with their swords, it would not even budge!
“Grand Brother Senior! Please! Open the gates!” screamed Su You. His expression was filled with fear, not realising that a stone statue had already appeared behind him, ready to slice his head open.
Blockhead immediately pulled Su You away. If not for his keen senses, Su You's head would have already been sliced in half.
Hearing the loud crash, they realised that one of the stone statue's swords had sliced into the stone boulder. However, it was stuck so tight that it could not pull it out.