56 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

### Chapter 56 Bai Fan stretched her limbs, then walked around to take a look at her surroundings. She remembered that there should be a Panlong (coiled dragon) residence behind her, so she reached out to touch it. Unexpectedly, she grasped at air. The Panlong residence seemed to be missing. Bai Fan found this magical array rather strange; how could the arrangement of the formation drastically alter the spatial layout? Bai Fan paced back and forth within the illusionary array, occasionally glancing at trees or touching flowers. There was even a small stream; when her hand touched the water, it felt refreshingly cool. “This place is so incredibly realistic. But how am I supposed to leave? If I can’t break this array by nightfall, am I really going to become the guardian beast of Qingxu Sect for the rest of my life?” Bai Fan felt indignant. As she wandered through the illusion, just when she thought there was no end to it, she found herself back in a familiar place. Following the recognizable surroundings, Bai Fan retraced her steps, only to find herself back at the starting point again. It became apparent that the illusion wasn’t endless. Each time she returned to the original spot, she felt a faint wave of spiritual energy. However, the wave was very minute and difficult to grasp. Determined to leave this place, Bai Fan repeatedly walked the same path. Each time she returned to the starting point, she held her breath, trying to detect the faint wave. Bai Fan had a good memory, and she had memorized the formation when the old sect master set it up. This bit of sneaky learning gave her a sense of achievement. Despite walking the route dozens of times, Bai Fan finally stopped. Continuing on any more wouldn’t help her capture the faint wave. Since she had seen the array being set up, she should be able to break it. The formation was interconnected; dismantling one point would naturally break the entire array. Having walked the path several times, Bai Fan estimated the distances roughly. Returning to her original spot, she realized this was actually the location of the secret scroll hall’s grand hall. She then pondered where the old sect master might have placed the array's core and began pacing to measure the distances. According to her estimates, she sought out the array's core. Bai Fan measured her steps until she found a pile of straw. If this strawstack was the core of the array, who knew how long it would take to search through them one by one? Looking at the numerous strawstacks made her scalp tingle, but standing idly was pointless. Bai Fan began searching through them one by one. Opening each strawstack led to frequent disappointment. Eventually, she mechanically tossed them aside, moving on to the next. The illusionary array had a day-and-night cycle for realism. Bai Fan felt like she had been inside for several days, but in reality, only half an incense stick of time had passed outside the array. After opening all the strawstacks and finding nothing, Bai Fan felt utterly dejected. She wondered if she lacked sufficient observation skills or intelligence. Frustrated, Bai Fan plopped down near some earth mounds, resting her chin on her hands as she watched the setting sun. The toppled strawstacks looked messy, but in the sunlight, their shadows stretched long. From a distance, the shadows seemed to form a marker. Bai Fan stared, slightly stunned. Looking towards the furthest strawstack, the shadow pointed directly to a specific spot. Half-doubting, she walked over. Following the shadow, she stood at the indicated spot and brushed aside the grass. There, she found a porcelain bowl covering the ground, inside which lay a red ball. Bai Fan picked up the red ball, and before she could inspect her surroundings, everything began to change. She felt a sudden spinning sensation, and everything vanished silently. The idyllic scenery reverted to darkness. Using her nocturnal vision, Bai Fan examined the grand hall and, after touching the coiled dragon pillar, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had escaped the array. Looking at the broken formation on the ground, Bai Fan initially wanted to kick it aside but then reconsidered. Since it had caused her so much trouble, she decided to take it with her, thinking it might prove useful in the future. With that in mind, Bai Fan quickly took out her storage bag and gathered everything, not even sparing a single stone. Bai Fan harbored extreme animosity towards the old sect master of Qingxu Sect. She hadn't wanted to come here originally, but since he had brought her, she had no intention of being polite. Since he had acted unjustly, he couldn't blame her for her retaliation. She would take all these ancient items as retribution. First, Bai Fan took the golden silk ball she had long coveted. Then, she gathered the rare treasures on the shelves, sparing none. She didn’t care about the consequences of Qingxu Sect losing these items. “After all, these are useless things. I might as well take them to exchange for spirit stones in the future.” As she swept everything into her storage bag, even opening the secret compartment where the old sect master stored jade slips, Bai Fan marveled at the information she found. The slips detailed Qingxu Sect’s relocation plans and even mentioned borrowing an ancient teleportation array to East Continent. To send people across continents, especially using an ancient teleportation array, must be incredibly costly. Maintaining such an array was no small feat. If Qingxu Sect used it, they would likely be bankrupt. Memorizing the described location, Bai Fan put the jade slips back. Though she detested the old sect master, she didn't loathe Qingxu Sect. Relocating seemed the best option. After thoroughly searching the secret scroll hall, Bai Fan scurried out swiftly, turned into a giant python, and leaped into the gorge's river. Surfacing with her massive snake head, she gazed in the direction of Lian Sheng’s residence. It seemed her relationship with Qingxu Sect was truly severed now. Having taken so many items, she originally intended to bid Lian Sheng farewell but reconsidered, fearing she might be captured if she went. Unlike her previous departure, Qingxu Sect might not endure this time. She could only hope to see him again in East Continent. Bai Fan dove into the water and swam downstream. Meanwhile, Lian Sheng remained kneeling in the same spot as earlier, pleading with the old sect master to release Bai Fan. Just when Bai Fan turned back to look, Lian Sheng sensed something leaving and glanced up, dazed. Seeing nothing, he resumed kneeling. At dawn the next day, the old sect master stormed into the grand hall furiously. “That wretched beast, it escaped! It’s even emptied out the secret scroll hall. We must find it; those are Qingxu Sect’s foundation!” “Grandfather.” **End of Chapter 56**