This top-grade array is called the Mountain Connecting Array, much stronger than the Shield Earth Array, at least ten times more powerful. It can integrate with the entire mountain, making any attack on the array akin to attacking a small mountain. Its defensive power will become terrifying.
However, each Golden Core Cultivator possesses the ability to open mountains and split earth, while a Nascent Soul Cultivator can move mountains and fill seas. Shen Wang isn’t absolutely confident in handling the Yun Family’s retaliation.
Especially since he isn’t certain about the degree of retaliation the Yun Family will take for Yun Conghui and Ge Changzhuang.
Contemplating, Shen Wang took out the Array Flags and placed them in specific locations according to the surrounding environment and array conditions.
This array’s flags number nine in total, deliberately positioned at the eight directions and the center. Upon activation with a hand seal, the entire mountain range slightly quaked.
The array emitted an earthy yellow power, resembling nine pythons injected underground. It merged with the mountain’s earth energy, then reemerged, turning black-yellow in color, and growing larger in size, circulating within the array.
Thus, the array and the mountain merged into a whole, enhancing its defensive capabilities to ward off external attacks. The defense strengthened significantly.
Shen Wang continued to adjust the arrays, combining the Mountain Connecting Array with the Shield Mountain Array, Weak Water Array, and Vajra Array, its power directly surpassing ordinary top-grade arrays.
Not to mention a single Golden Core Zhenren; even if eight came, it would be challenging to forcefully break through with violent methods.
Upon completion, Shen Wang felt somewhat reassured. He ascended to the top of the ancestral hall to overlook the entire ancestral estate and the adjacent mountains.
"The array defense is strong enough, but still somewhat one-dimensional. It’s best to have another escape route so we’re not wholly trapped."
Shen Wang pondered, stroking his chin, "Cunning rabbits have three burrows. The Mountain Connecting Array’s power already envelops this small mountain. I’ll dig three tunnels; in an emergency, they should be useful."
He proceeded into the ancestral hall, lifted the floor from the corner beside the spiritual tablets, took out a puppet, and began tunneling.
As the puppet moved, he spread his spiritual sense, sensing the underground conditions. Based on the nearby terrain, he rapidly planned the tunnel’s routes, avoiding water veins but ensuring adequate concealment.
He intended to establish three paths first, hoping to escape through these tunnels if possible. If not, he considered it mere exploration.
Once the ground was excavated, Shen Wang maintained a portion of his focus on overseeing the puppet’s movements, adjusting its tunneling direction as needed, and went to the kitchen to fetch the purchased Spirit Rice, preparing to cook.
Fresh meat was sliced skillfully by Shen Wang, who prepared the meal expertly. However, shortly thereafter, an anomaly appeared in the passageway near the ancestral hall.
Shen Wang sensed something amiss and rushed over immediately. In the several feet of excavated passage, a bone reminiscent of a pillar came into view.
This bone was exceptionally hard, preventing the puppet from cutting through and halting further progress.
He descended into the passageway, arriving at the bone, which was at least half a zhang long and as thick as his thigh.
Shen Wang frowned, "This is definitely not a human bone, could it be a beast’s bone?"
He knocked on it with his hand, emitting clangs as if striking metal, prompting Shen Wang to take out his newly acquired Flying Sword in surprise.
Snow white and half a chi long, the sword bore winged patterns on its blade with lightness inscribed in its magic patterns. Though modest in size, it was engraved with the characters ’White Crane.’
Known as the White Crane Sword, it possessed wind and fire attributes, very lightweight, capable of swift and unexpected attacks.
Shen Wang swung the sword at the bone, leaving merely a trace, demonstrating its sturdiness.
Activating the sword’s power, Shen Wang exerted force to make a decisive slash, finally cracking it with a crisp sound.
He swung again beside it, severing a length of the bone, which was already decayed, somewhat blackened.
This startled Shen Wang; he closely inspected the bone, observing faint patterns on its grey-white surface. Eyes widened, he thought, "Decayed yet still so solid — how strong were these power-enhanced bones when this creature was alive?"
His expression shifted, urgently investigating, but finding no danger. He merely controlled the puppet to keep digging and returned to cooking.
During this, he recalled the faint patterns on the bone, feeling they resembled those on magical artifacts. Uncertain if innate or postnatal imprints.
If postnatally inscribed, wouldn’t it imply the bone’s owner treated their body like a magical artifact in cultivation, certainly an advanced Body Refining Cultivator?
How did such a being become buried beneath the ancestral hall? Was it recorded in the clan’s ancient texts?
Shen Wang remained vigilant, directing the puppet to continue excavating while he resumed cooking.
Liu Shan and Hongping entered to help with the fire and washing vegetables. Liu Shan hesitated for a while, then couldn’t resist his curiosity, "Sir, now that you’ve killed those folks, are we free?"
Having not ventured out for over a year, truthfully, he was feeling stifled.
"The threat from the Black Water Stronghold is gone; it’s left to see what follows."
Shen Wang replied calmly, "Although the Yun Family may not take action against you, it’s up to you whether you dare to go out."
Liu Shan gave an awkward smile, "Perhaps we’ll continue cultivating here. Maybe shutting ourselves in for three years will let us soar to great heights."
"Why rush? Our child is with us, his parents have siblings to care for him. What’s a few years of not returning home?"
Hongping cast an admonishing glance at her husband.
"Just stay here calmly; we won’t be hiding forever."
Shen Wang assured them, once he reached the Golden Core level, he could address the Yun Family threat outside, not hiding away here.
And that day isn’t far off, because Paper Kite is about to give birth, which should elevate his realm by one more tier.
Calmly dining with family, afterward he returned once again to the ancestral hall.
The hole here had grown sizeable, with more bones appearing in various spots. Shen Wang extracted and placed them on the ground for examination.
The bone he cut appeared to be a leg bone, with Shen Wang sequentially finding several other bones, yet the skull remained absent.
He simply assembled the bones, astounded to discover the original entity stood nearly two zhang tall, far exceeding human stature.
Shen Wang was stupefied, having never heard of a Giant Race within the Sun and Moon Dynasty. Perhaps it resulted from cultivating certain Body Refining Techniques?
The question was why giant remains were here; were they connected to the Shen Family ancestors? How else would they be interred beneath an ancestral hall?
Though he didn’t know how long these bones had been decaying, given their remaining hardness, the owner must have been at least Golden Core level in life.
He carefully sensed the bones, finding no malevolent aura, indicating they’re not demon fiends or the like.
Unfortunately, lacking any documentation for investigation, he could only helplessly look on.
He tossed the bones aside, directing the puppet to keep digging downward.
Now, curiosity piqued him; whether more similar remains lie beneath, rendering this truly intriguing.
Considering, the mountain where the ancestral estate stood was merely a small one; maybe it was previously a special site? To inter such beings here.