Yang Hong's idea was good, but truly popularizing the Spirit Plant Teleportation Array was far more difficult than he imagined.
The first problem to solve was Wood Escape.
The Azure Sky Willow was a tree. As long as the divine sense could locate it, even cultivators at the Qi Refining realm could use Wood Escape to enter, leaving it with almost no defensive capabilities.
However, if the divine sense was blocked, the teleportation array's entry and exit capabilities would also be cut off.
Therefore, if an enemy wanted to destroy the Spirit Plant Teleportation Array, all they needed was to learn Wood Escape, and they could destroy it in the shortest possible time. Yang Hong had tried many methods but couldn't devise a defense.
"It seems popularization is impossible. We can only use it within the sect."
Seeing another Qi Refining realm disciple emerge via Wood Escape, Yang Hong felt helpless.
His thinking had been too idealistic.
"Sect Master, the Spirit Plant Teleportation Array is already incredibly heaven-defying. A single array can transmit over a hundred million li. Within twenty-four hours, it can fully recover its spiritual energy and spatial power, requiring no extra spirit stones.
This alone is something no other teleportation array outside can achieve. If we were to operate it, wouldn't we make a fortune!"
Seeing Yang Hong's displeasure, Ye Yudong exclaimed in amazement, and Ran Boren, standing beside him, nodded his head like a pecking chick.
The two of them were the heads of the War God Hall and often traveled, frequently using teleportation arrays.
Using a teleportation array typically cost at least 10 mid-grade spirit stones. If paid with low-grade spirit stones, the price doubled to 20,000 spirit stones, with no room for negotiation!
If the Spirit Plant Teleportation Array of Clear Wind Villa could be operated commercially, it would truly be a money-printing machine with no capital investment.
Thus, Yang Hong glared at the two of them and said,
"Do you think I don't know the Spirit Plant Teleportation Array is profitable? But if it can't block Wood Escape, no one would dare to use even the best Spirit Plant Teleportation Array."
"Now, tell me, why are the two leaders of the War God Hall here to see me?"
In a bad mood, Yang Hong didn't want to bicker with them.
Ye Yudong quickly bowed and replied,
"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm deep within the Fiery Desert is about to open. We plan to send disciples in for training and are here to request your permission."
"Oh? The Twilight Cicada Secret Realm. It's not very interesting. Only cultivators below the Golden Core realm of the fourth tier can enter, and there aren't many significant treasures. Going there is just a waste of time."
Upon hearing about the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm, Yang Hong pouted dismissively, showing no interest.
"Sect Master, although there aren't many treasures in the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm, there are always many cultivators entering, especially rogue cultivators. It can help temper the disciples' combat awareness."
"Fine, you arrange it as you see fit."
Hearing Ye Yudong's words, Yang Hong nodded and agreed. Even if a few disciples died, gaining some combat experience wouldn't be bad.
"Yes, this disciple will go and make arrangements."
Yang Hong waved them away and continued to research the Spirit Plant Teleportation Array, while also planting and activating more Seven-Star Spirit Gathering Arrays, building more colorful plains, and occasionally snatching mortals from the Gentle Rain Plain.
...
Lu Yan was currently excited. It had been 37 years since he defected to Clear Wind Villa, and he finally had another opportunity to take charge.
He hadn't expected that after the last battle with the Buddhist sect, due to his psychological trauma, he hadn't broken through to the Golden Core realm. He wasn't punished by his senior brother Ye Yudong, the head of the War God Hall, and was even given the position of captain to explore the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm.
This time, he would lead 35 fellow disciples at the Fusion realm to explore the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm.
It was called exploration, but there was little to explore. The Twilight Cicada Secret Realm opened once every hundred years and had been opened hundreds of times, thoroughly explored already.
The Twilight Cicada Secret Realm was now essentially a training ground for various sects and factions, and a place for rogue cultivators to strike it rich overnight.
It was unclear when or who proposed it, but upon entering the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm, all cultivators were allowed to kill each other freely. Even if disciples from friendly sects killed each other, they could not seek revenge after leaving the realm.
Sect disciples, even those from immortal sects, if killed by rogue cultivators, could not retaliate against the rogue cultivators and could only blame their own lack of skill!
Simply put, it was a free-for-all battle arena.
A training ground!
"Lu Yan, once you enter, do not scatter under any circumstances. Don't bother looking for cultivation resources. Your only mission is to come out alive."
"Yes!"
Hearing Ye Yudong's instructions, Lu Yan responded earnestly. Ye Yudong had repeated this sentence no less than ten times.
"Remember, in the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm, you have no allies. Everyone is your enemy. Trust no one!"
"Yes!"
"The realm lasts for one month. After one month, no matter where you are, spatial forces will expel you from the realm. Once you feel the spatial compression, do not resist, or you will be trapped within the realm.
And for over ten thousand years, no cultivator trapped in the realm has ever survived."
"Yes!"
After these solemn reiterations, Ye Yudong said no more. A nine-zhang wide black teleportation vortex had appeared in the midst of the sandy desert.
"Charge! Hurry! Let's go together! Team up, team up!"
As soon as the teleportation vortex stabilized, the rogue cultivators rushed in one after another.
The spirit plants in the Twilight Cicada Secret Realm, which were looked down upon by sect cultivators, were still worth a considerable amount of spirit stones to rogue cultivators, enough to exchange for several years of cultivation resources.
The sect cultivators, with great tacit understanding, did not rush in first. They waited until all over a hundred thousand rogue cultivators had entered, and then the less than ten thousand cultivators from over a hundred sects queued up in an orderly fashion to enter.
Furthermore, all sects had a tacit understanding to enter at intervals of fifteen minutes.
Clear Wind Villa, as a first-grade sect, was ranked among the first group of sect cultivators to enter.
Lu Yan led his junior brothers and sisters, who were generally at the seventh or eighth level of the Fusion realm, through the teleportation vortex.
After a dizzying sensation a hundred times more intense than the sect's Spirit Plant Teleportation Array, their group of thirty-six people appeared on a small hill covered with shrubs.
*Gag* *gag* *gag*
Lu Yan had exited the sect and used regular teleportation arrays before, so he was relatively fine. The other thirty-five disciples, however, almost uniformly clutched their stomachs and began to vomit.
Lu Yan smirked, about to tease his junior disciples, when his expression suddenly changed drastically!
"Be careful! Enemy attack!"
As he spoke, Lu Yan continuously clapped his hands, throwing out formation flags.
However, his movements were a step too slow.
*Boom!* *Boom!*
*Crackle!* *Crackle!*
Hundreds of talismans were hurled from all directions. Some talismans even detonated upon collision due to their sheer density.
Before Lu Yan's defensive formation could activate, the spells contained within the talismans directly engulfed the thirty-six Clear Wind Villa disciples.
"Damn it! Who the hell dares to ambush your grandpa!"
"Bastards! I'll kill you!"
"Ugh! Iron Armor Technique!"
"Ugh! Vajra Talisman!"
Only when the light of the spells from the talismans erupted did these Clear Wind Villa disciples, cursing, begin to activate their respective defensive measures.
Seeing his junior disciples still capable of talking back and casting spells, Lu Yan was both angry and fearful. He roared,
"Magical artifacts! Block them with magical artifacts first!"
At this moment, a deep male voice echoed from the hillside.
"Hahaha! Brothers, put in more effort! This group are all rookies, flowers grown in a greenhouse.
These sect disciples are the easiest to kill and have the most spirit stones."
"Don't worry, Boss Wang! We'll give it our all!"
Ah—
As the ambushing rogue cultivators intensified their assault, one Clear Wind Villa disciple's Iron Armor Technique defense was breached. In an instant, he was blasted into a pulp, scattering into pieces!