Not Alone on the Unlucky Path

[It's once again time for the inevitable face-slap in front of Lin Xuan. This time, it's me, Cui Baiquan, and Shan Gui all together. It's truly unlucky company on the path to misfortune.]

[Lin Xuan can now easily take on three of the Seven Disciples. That's the speed of a protagonist's power boost—fast and efficient.]

[This entire incident revolves around the Grand Master of Arrays, Wan Xibo.]

[Wan Xibo is a figure of ambiguous morality, with no clear allegiance. Throughout his growth, he has repeatedly joined various sects to learn from them.]

[After becoming a Grand Master, he retreated into seclusion. His fame grew, and while it brought few troubles, those that did arise were life-threatening.]

[This time, while he was traveling, he crossed paths with the Earthly Fiend Sect. Since he didn't reveal his identity, they had no idea who he was and simply beat him up.]

[In retaliation, Wan Xibo destroyed half of the Earthly Fiend Sect's outpost arrays, rendering the remaining half useless.]

[This escalated the conflict, and the Earthly Fiend Sect issued a bounty for his head.]

[Even a Grand Master like Wan Xibo had to flee from the Earthly Fiend Sect's pursuit. He was alone and specialized in arrays, lacking combat prowess.]

[Of course, if he had enough time to prepare and set up numerous arrays, he wouldn't fear them. Unfortunately, he didn't have the time, and a direct confrontation would be disadvantageous.]

[It was then that Cui Baiquan received news of Wan Xibo's plight and decided to take a chance on saving the Grand Master of Arrays.]

[If successful, Wan Xibo could be used to break the arrays in some ancient ruins and obtain the inheritances within.]

[Of course, it was Lin Xuan who ensured things went smoothly.]

[At first, we indeed managed to save Wan Xibo. He thanked us on the surface but looked down on us youngsters in his heart.]

[Later, we encountered Lin Xuan and his group.]

[Wan Xibo wanted to showcase his skills, stunning us younger generations.]

[He did indeed display his mastery, but Lin Xuan easily dismantled it.]

[This made Wan Xibo's face turn red. After all, as a Grand Master, even his casual arrays weren't supposed to be casually dismantled.]

[Thus, an unexpected array battle unfolded, with Wan Xibo forbidding us from interfering.]

[As they continued, it somehow turned into a mutual admiration session, like old friends.]

[Wan Xibo grew more and more impressed with Lin Xuan, as he took arrays seriously.]

[Lin Xuan's array guidance came from Elder Yan. Currently, Lin Xuan's array skills are at most intermediate, but Elder Yan was doing the heavy lifting during the battle.]

[Elder Yan had some knowledge of arrays, but he wasn't a specialist. So, he might not easily outmatch Wan Xibo. However, he did learn a thing or two from Wan Xibo.]

[Elder Yan even remarked on how each field has its own expertise.]

[While Wan Xibo couldn't guarantee a win, he felt the same and also gained insights from Elder Yan. Elder Yan's array techniques were unique, with unconventional perspectives that greatly inspired Wan Xibo.]

[Indeed, it was a case of "no discord, no concord." Their entire encounter involved array duels and mutual exchange. We, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening.]

[When everything ended, Lin Xuan and Wan Xibo instantly collaborated, setting up a grand array to trap us and attempt to kill us.]

[We were caught off guard and naturally enraged, mounting a counterattack.]

[However, fighting within their array was incredibly frustrating. What made it worse was that Lin Xuan and Wan Xibo were still chatting and exchanging array ideas, using us as test subjects.]

[We were fortunate to escape with our lives.]

[If it were anyone else, we would have immediately sought revenge.]

[But Cui Baiquan is incredibly patient. Not only did he restrain himself, but he also convinced Shan Gui and me to play it cool. I have to give him credit—Cui Baiquan is a true strategist.]

[With Wan Xibo gone, Cui Baiquan had no choice but to take his own array masters to the ancient ruins.]

[Success would have been much more likely with Wan Xibo, but even without him, it wasn't a complete loss.]

[Upon reaching the ancient ruins, guess who we ran into? Yes, it was Lin Xuan and his crew again, for another unfortunate encounter.]

[The battle resumed.]

[Initially, it was light probing, testing the waters. But just as each side was preparing to unleash their trump cards, an unexpected twist occurred.]

[An ancient, mighty array was accidentally triggered, trapping everyone inside.]

[Moreover, a massive buildup of energy was forming above, ready to unleash a devastating attack that would reduce those trapped inside to ash.]

[The creator of this array had a cruel sense of humor, deliberately exposing the energy to create pressure and anxiety.]

[The array's defenses were top-notch. Unless it was deciphered, brute force would require immense power to break through. Even with everyone pooling their strength, it was impossible to force a breach.]

[Occasionally, minor attacks were launched as distractions, neither too weak nor too strong, with irregular frequencies.]

[Under such pressure, cracking the array was immensely challenging.]

[But success would be rewarded. This was the designer's way of offering a prize—one that could only be obtained at the cost of one's life.]

[Upon activating the array, Elder Yan and Wan Xibo sensed the danger immediately. They demanded everyone stop fighting, as this was no time for conflict.]

[Even Cui Baiquan, who didn't understand arrays much, could see the sheer destructive power building above. He led the call to cease hostilities.]

[Under the threat of death, both sides halted.]

[Initially, both groups studied the array independently, avoiding each other.]

[However, the array proved too complex. Gradually, the groups began to exchange ideas, knowing that more minds meant more approaches. Arrays could be straightforward or deeply complex.]

[Perhaps a random thought could inspire a breakthrough.]

[The atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious, with everyone engrossed in solving the array.]

[Even those who didn't fully grasp it shared their ideas, encouraging brainstorming.]

[On the surface, it seemed peaceful and cooperative. But everyone knew that as soon as the array was broken, the true fight would resume.]

[After seven grueling days of struggle, the array was finally broken.]

[Just as the Seven Stars Sword Sect was about to celebrate, we launched a surprise attack, as if the past few days of harmony had been nothing but a facade.]

[Of course, it was indeed fake. The Seven Stars Sword Sect realized this but were too slow to react.]

[Despite gaining the upper hand, we still weren't their match. Cui Baiquan, Shan Gui, and I used all our trump cards, only to be utterly defeated and forced to retreat in humiliation.]

[Before fleeing, we still couldn't bear to see the array's reward fall into Lin Xuan's hands.]

[In the end, we gained nothing, suffering huge losses instead.]

[We couldn't help but grow even more hateful toward Lin Xuan, vowing to tear him apart in revenge.]

Su Luo closed her diary, marking the end of this part of the story.