After Changing to the Ruthless Way, the Brothers Cried and Begged for Forgiveness-Chapter 431: The Twelve Pillar Array

Yu Zhao knew it would not end easily. Enshrouded in darkness, she remained on high alert.
Sure enough, moments later, three pillars lit up once more.
This time, however, their positions had shifted noticeably, transforming the formation from a trapping array to an illusionary one.
Following the same method, Yu Zhao used a halo to break the illusion array again.
After a brief darkness, the space was adorned with an additional pillar. Now four pillars formed a killing array.
This time, Yu Zhao expended a little more spiritual energy.
…
Meditation Room
Three days and nights had passed, yet Yu Zhao showed no sign of awakening.
Huo Shao Yan grew restless.
“Tu Xiao, what on earth are you doing? Are you trying to trap Liu Yun in your Dao intent?”
Tu Xiao sneered. “I warned her earlier, but she chose not to listen.”
“Enough is enough. If she dies, what happens to our wager?”
As if certain Yu Zhao could not hear, Huo Shao Yan began speaking without restraint.
“She’s nothing more than a furnace. Do you truly see her as some rare treasure?”
“Tu Xiao, are you really that naive? Only the purest spiritual bodies can wear the Jade Ruyi of the Auspicious Palace. Liu Yun is leagues above those ordinary furnaces.”
Not all furnaces were created equal.
The highest grade was a pure spiritual body imbued with water-elemental roots.
Dual cultivation with such a body not only granted an energy boost but also made their blood an exceptional elixir.
The tales of Liu Yun—an ethereal beauty carrying the Jade Ruyi—depicted her as one of these rare beings, appearing only once every few centuries.
The Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind families had almost gone to war over her ownership. Eventually, younger members negotiated privately, agreeing to bring her into their fold first before competing fairly.
The dual cultivation ceremony had merely been a facade for their purchase of a furnace from the Auspicious Palace.
No one who knew the truth cared otherwise.
Tu Xiao, being in the know, understood this well.
He had once vied for the pure spiritual body himself, treating Yu Zhao with great courtesy.
But for reasons unknown, after a severe injury, he suddenly lost all interest in women. Their presence irritated him, while his attention shifted toward men…
Tu Xiao’s eyes darkened. After a pause, he coldly remarked, “I won’t let her die.”
At most, she’d endure some suffering.
She wouldn’t live long anyway.
Hearing Tu Xiao’s assurance, Huo Shao Yan no longer pressed him. The group resumed their quiet vigil.
This waiting stretched on for another ten days.
Even Feng Jiu Si, known for his serene demeanor, began showing signs of impatience.
Had Yu Zhao’s peaceful countenance not reassured them, they might have suspected foul play from Tu Xiao’s Dao intent.
“Don’t fret. She’s about to reach her limit,” Tu Xiao said flatly.
As if on cue, a slight frown appeared between Yu Zhao’s brows, her face reflecting a hint of struggle.
Everyone’s attention shifted to her.
Yet before long, her tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her expression returned to calm.
Tu Xiao was stunned. “How is this possible?”
Huo Shao Yan quickly asked, “What happened? What’s going on?”
“She…” Tu Xiao hesitated, his tone betraying disbelief. “She actually broke through the Twelve Pillar Array.”
“The Twelve Pillar Array? What’s that?”
“The Pillar Array is an exclusive formation of the Earth family, using heavenly pillars as core points. Each additional pillar generates numerous arrays, making them progressively harder to crack.”
“Later, our ancestors replaced the conspicuous pillars with rock pearls for portability.”
At this, the others understood.
The Twelve Pillar Array was also known as the Twelve Rock Pearl Array.
“I thought you could use fourteen pearls now. What’s so shocking about Liu Yun breaking a twelve-pearl array?” Huo Shao Yan dismissed the revelation.
But Feng Jiu Si, having witnessed Tu Xiao’s teachings, immediately grasped the root of Tu Xiao’s astonishment.
When Tu Xiao first began instructing Yu Zhao, he used rock pearls for practice. Back then, she could barely break a seven-pearl array.
In just over a year, she had already cracked a twelve-pearl array!
Her comprehension was terrifying!
Tu Xiao’s expression turned grim. The disdain in his gaze toward Yu Zhao transformed into faint wariness mixed with murderous intent.
He could not allow her to progress further.
With a thought, Tu Xiao forcibly expelled Yu Zhao from his Dao intent.
Her body swayed briefly before her eyes snapped open.
In that instant, a golden light flashed within her gaze—brief but dazzling.
The group turned their attention to Tu Xiao.
It was the Eye of Breaking Formations, an ability granted only to those deeply attuned to formations.
Tu Xiao’s killing intent deepened as he forced a smile. “Liu Yun, how was your enlightenment?”
“Quite rewarding, and I must thank Young Master Tu for your generous help,” Yu Zhao replied with a faint smile.
This had indeed been a windfall for her.
Tu Xiao, likely due to their past enmity, had sought to torment her by trapping her in a perpetually evolving Heavenly Pillar Formation, aiming to exhaust her with the endless stream of arrays.
What he hadn’t expected was that the formation would serve as an excellent learning ground, allowing her to master and refine her previously scattered knowledge. Her understanding of formations had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Yu Zhao privately estimated that her current skills were nearly on par with Sword Sovereign Jiu Hua of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
Tu Xiao’s attempt to humiliate her had inadvertently handed her a great advantage. The frustration left him fuming.
The others now regarded Yu Zhao differently.
They had no sympathy for the weak.
But they respected the strong.
Tu Xiao seethed, wanting to speak further, but Shui Qiu Bai cut him off.
“Liu Yun, would you like to explore my Dao intent now, or would you prefer to rest?”
“I wish to continue.”
Yu Zhao found herself in a contradictory state. The constant breaking of arrays had drained her spirit, yet the exhilaration of solving them left her energized and restless.
This tension compelled her to channel her excess energy.
Shui Qiu Bai nodded appreciatively. “Very well.”
A soothing mist enveloped Yu Zhao, drawing her consciousness into it.
She felt as though she had returned to the womb, submerged in warm water. Her body and mind relaxed profoundly, and she soon drifted into a deep sleep.
She had no idea how much time had passed when she woke, only to discover she had become a droplet of water.
In an endless underground stream, surrounded by rocks and soil, she could not control her form. Carried by the current, she merged with other droplets, flowing toward an unknown destination.
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