FRGNM -Chapter 144 It Failed

Just because she was his master’s daughter, he had no choice but to take good care of her. No matter how great the conflict between them was, it had to be eased!

“Really?” Ling Ruoxi’s eyes lit up as she looked at him, but then she smiled bitterly. “How is that possible? The array was set by someone beyond a Purple Sovereign. Even though you’re a Purple Sovereign yourself, you still can’t break it…”

“How will we know if we don’t try? Dongdu King, I’ll have to trouble you to guard me,” Luo Mingyu said in a low voice.

The man holding the wooden stick replied helplessly and tossed it aside, letting out a soft sigh. If it really were possible to break the Three Talents Array in her body that way, he would have done it already.

But alas…

The Dongdu King curled his lips slightly, slowly lifting his head to gaze at the vast blue sky, smiling faintly. If only it were really that simple.

On today’s continent, who was the woman considered to have surpassed all Dou Qi cultivators? And who else could possibly have cast the Three Talents Array on her? The answer was obvious—only these people hadn’t thought of it yet.

Slowly sealing her six senses, the woman sitting on the bed closed her eyes. Purple Dou Qi followed Luo Mingyu’s breath, flowing toward the formation in her dantian.

The endless stream of Dou Qi was cut off at the dantian, dispersing into her flesh and blood. The man standing before her extended a finger, guiding the energy along her meridians.

“Buzz—!”

A golden light suddenly burst forth, as if touching a forbidden zone. The blinding radiance seemed capable of swallowing heaven and earth.

It felt as though something had stabbed violently into his mind. Luo Mingyu nearly lost control and withdrew his hand. The Dou Qi stagnated—this aura was something his current strength simply couldn’t contend with.

Just how powerful was the person who had cast this array?!

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Luo Mingyu drew a sharp breath, forced himself to suppress the fear, and circulated all his Dou Qi again, continuing to pour it into her body.

“Oh?” The Dongdu King, seated on a chair, was slightly startled as he watched the gradually emerging traces of the formation. His eyes widened.

Complex runic symbols appeared—patterns so intricate they were almost impossible to comprehend. The connections within the formation were exquisitely constructed, inspiring awe. The more complex a formation, the greater the power required. Judging by this layout alone, even Fang Xu, the top formation master on the continent, would probably be unable to break it.

Within the golden formation, a strand of purple Dou Qi slowly entered, threading itself into the array and flowing forward, instinctively moving toward the core.

Sipping his tea, the Dongdu King smiled helplessly. It seemed this attempt had failed.

“Buzz—!”

In the next instant, an overwhelming pressure surged forth, like Mount Tai collapsing overhead. It felt as if they were facing a boundless sea, the terrifying aura churning violently, nearly trapping him within it.

The golden light flared violently. The man standing there abruptly withdrew his right hand and retreated several steps. The formation before Ling Ruoxi trembled, then suddenly swept inward, transforming into a streak of golden light that reentered her body.

“Ugh…”

Luo Mingyu staggered back three steps before barely steadying himself, clutching his chest with one hand. Staring at the retracted formation, he knew it was impossible—the gap between their strengths was far too great.

Such a powerful formation… and the caster’s strength was even more unfathomable! He had thought that, as a Purple Sovereign Dou Qi cultivator, he already stood at the pinnacle of this continent. He never imagined there existed someone so formidable, capable of creating such an array.

“Luo Mingyu, what’s wrong with you?” Sensing the backlash from the formation, Ling Ruoxi opened her eyes abruptly. The man before her was pale, clutching his chest. She knew the attempt had failed, but she hadn’t expected him to be injured as well.

Shaking his head, Luo Mingyu said coldly, “I’m fine. The formation is just too powerful—I couldn’t…”

“I’ll talk to Ruoxi alone. You should go out and rest. You’ve expended too much power,” the Dongdu King said, stopping Luo Mingyu with a hand on his arm.

Understanding his meaning, Luo Mingyu said nothing more. He glanced at Ling Ruoxi once, then quickly left the room. As soon as the door closed, blood nearly sprayed from his lips like a fountain. He clutched his chest tightly.

“So strong… They even layered a Killing Array onto the Three Talents Array. Once it senses Dou Qi intrusion, it launches an active attack. Why set such an array? What are they afraid of someone discovering within her body?”

Watching him leave, Ling Ruoxi’s emotions grew even more complicated. Was it really impossible for anyone else to help her unlock the Dou Qi within her? Was she destined to be a useless person for the rest of her life?

“Not necessarily. Who says that lacking Dou Qi means you’ll be useless for life?” The Dongdu King smiled faintly, placing a hand on her forehead. “On this continent, besides Dou Qi, there are other paths worth pursuing. Your mental power is dozens of times stronger than that of ordinary people. Why not consider another route? Becoming a medicine healer was a good choice—but you could also become a formation master. Or even… a beast tamer.”

“Formations require Dou Qi. Even beast taming requires capturing magical beasts first. I can’t do it,” Ling Ruoxi replied calmly with a faint smile. She had tried all these paths—every one of them required at least some Dou Qi.

The Dongdu King chuckled softly and shook his head. “Who told you that? There’s another thing on this continent that few people know about—and it’s extremely expensive. You should know what it is.”

“Extremely expensive? What?” Ling Ruoxi was momentarily stunned.

“Jade—specifically, a type called Hetian Jade,” the Dongdu King said with a smile.

“Hetian Jade!” Ling Ruoxi’s body trembled violently. She nearly jumped off the bed as she stared at him in shock. “Hetian Jade—the kind that absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, naturally condenses, and contains Dou Qi? The kind that can enhance a cultivator’s strength?”

“That’s right. It can be considered a container—a vessel for storing Dou Qi. With it, even if you don’t possess Dou Qi yourself, you can still use it,” the Dongdu King said lightly. “Coincidentally, there happens to be such Hetian Jade within my Dongdu Kingdom. But you’ll have to find it yourself. If you manage to bring it out, it’ll be yours.”

Ling Ruoxi’s eyes lit up. She knew the man before her was helping her. But Hetian Jade was extremely precious—if he truly gave it to her, she could never repay such a debt.

“Don’t think too much about it,” the Dongdu King said with a smile. “Hetian Jade grows in the desert region of Dongdu. If you can bring it back, it’s your fate. I’ve searched for decades without success—clearly, I wasn’t fated for it. If you find it, then you’re the one with destiny.”

Resting his cheek on one hand, the man smiled slyly. “Also, I’ve invited your two children and your senior brother to come as guests. Ruoxi, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Yizhui and the others are back?” Ling Ruoxi’s eyes brightened, but she soon frowned. “What is it?”

“Searching for Hetian Jade could take a very long time—ten years, perhaps even a hundred. You know the Evil King is here now. If you go looking for Hetian Jade, he’ll definitely go with you. So I hope you can find a reason to refuse him and let him leave. He’s already exposed his identity for you. If he stays here too long, Evil King Island will be in danger.”

This was the truth. Qiongyu Immortal Island had already set its sights on Evil King Island. If this continued, the island he had built with such effort could be destroyed in an instant.

Ling Ruoxi frowned, about to speak.

But the man had already raised his hand with a smile. “I almost forgot to mention—if you stay, I’ll help you as much as I can to unlock the Three Talents Array in your body. Besides that, I can also teach you an indirect way to wield Dou Qi. At most, three years. That includes the time you spend searching for Hetian Jade. After three years, you’ll be free. You don’t have to give me an answer now. Take your time.”

“I…” Ling Ruoxi clenched her fists, wanting to speak, but the man had already stood up and left, giving her no chance to reply.

Three years… Luo Mingyu…

Suppressing the surging heat in his body, Luo Mingyu pressed a hand to his chest. The violent fluctuation of the formation had nearly severed his meridians. He never imagined the array within her body would be so terrifying.

“Evil King, may I come in?”

The door opened, and a figure in fiery red stepped inside. He closed the door casually, sat down, and said calmly, “As expected—you were injured. The Three Talents Array combined with a Killing Array isn’t something either of us can withstand.”

“What are you trying to say?” Luo Mingyu didn’t want to waste words. The Dongdu King acted strangely, but he wasn’t without reason—if one paid attention, it was clear this man was sharper than anyone else.

The Dongdu King chuckled softly. “Nothing much. Just checking on you. And also, I wanted to inform you—something’s happened on Evil King Island.”

“What happened?!” Luo Mingyu jolted upright.

“I only found out after receiving Ruoxi’s message. She asked Fang Xu to retrieve Yizhui and Yimeng, but Fang Xu had something come up and passed the task to Tang Yinhai. He successfully brought them out. Don’t worry—it’s not that your island’s defenses are weak. Your 108 elite generals were busy dealing with others and didn’t have time to watch them.”

Taking a sip of tea, the Dongdu King smiled lightly. “You know this, right? You abducted the Saintess of Qiongyu Immortal Island. Of course they’d blow up your island.”

“Ling’er… didn’t she return?” Luo Mingyu’s expression darkened as he frowned. Thinking of that mischievous, willful girl, his heart sank. Could it be… she hadn’t gone back after all?