Gou Zai Yao Wu Simulated Immortal

Li Qian stood in front of the door, his gaze lingering for a moment on the old ebony plaque.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that there seems to be an invisible force connecting the porch and courtyard walls into one whole.

The courtyard itself resembles a battle formation.

He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside the courtyard.

Just as he was about to knock again, a faint voice came from inside the door: "Since the door is half-open, please come in."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian pushed open the door and entered.

The courtyard was extremely quiet.

On the east side is a shallow well, its rim covered with moss, and a bamboo ladle lies askew beside it.

On the west side are three stone platforms, on which are placed a broken array plate, a tattered flag corner, and several gray-black divination stones.

In the center stands an old locust tree, beneath which lies an old mat.

A man sat at the table, dressed in a gray-blue long gown, with slightly graying temples and a gaunt face.

He was looking down and using a copper needle to carefully examine a plate of fine sand in front of him.

The sand table depicted mountains, rivers, and the directions of Kan and Li, resembling a miniature map of the earth's veins.

This person is most likely Lu Chenchuan.

The array masters all seem to be cut from the same mold, and their temperament is very similar to that of Master Xunyi.

Sure enough, the man didn't look up, but said calmly, "Let me guess, did that madman send you?"

Li Qian cupped his hands and said, "Indeed. Junior Li Qian greets Mr. Lu."

Lu Chenchuan pointed to another futon next to him, "Sit."

"Your stench is unbearable. Just say what you want to ask, and then leave."

Li Qian raised his arm and smelled it; there was indeed a musty, damp, and foul odor, probably from being in the river for too long.

Moreover, just now, they were also immersed in the stench of Wen Qianji's demonic corpse...

He immediately produced a cleansing talisman before sitting down on the prayer mat.

After signing the contract, he recounted everything he had seen at the bottom of the Duolong River.

It begins at the confluence of the Heishui and Liuyue rivers.

During that time, he recounted everything he had personally witnessed.

Lu Chenchuan listened quietly, occasionally flicking the copper needle in his hand on the sand tray, without offering any comment.

The wind rustles through the locust leaves.

After Li Qian finished recounting his experiences...

Lu Chenchuan let out a breath: "Wen Qianji only considers the value of demon flesh, which isn't entirely wrong."

"But if we only focus on that lump of flesh, we'll miss the point."

Li Qian's gaze sharpened: "What do you mean, sir?"

Lu Chenchuan did not answer immediately. He took out three black and white pebbles from his sleeve and gently dropped them onto the sand tray.

The first piece landed in a corner.

"Abandoned shrine".

The second piece landed slightly below the center.

"The Corpse Cave".

The third piece landed at the very bottom.

"Lock Dragon Eye".

After the three pieces were placed, Lu Chenchuan gently connected them with a copper needle.

"If you only look at the lower level, you'll think that lump of living flesh is the most important."

"If you only look at the middle management, you'll think Yuan Youdao is the key."

"But if we combine the three layers together..." He slightly raised his eyelids, "the one we should really guard against is not at the bottom, nor in the middle, but at the very top."

Li Qian frowned slightly.

"The half-soldier in the abandoned shrine at the top?"

"Not bad." Lu Chenchuan nodded.

Li Qian pondered for a moment and said, "But the lump of living flesh in the Dragon Lock's Eye is clearly what the entire Evil Formation is feeding. Although the Shattered Soldiers are ferocious, they are more like a medium."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chenchuan smiled faintly.

"This is the place where people who don't understand formations are most likely to make mistakes."

He pointed his finger at the top pebble.

"You said that the horde of corpses at the bottom of the river can break apart and reassemble, can move with the current, and can manipulate the undercurrents."

"Even that tall, thin drowned corpse that has developed some intelligence can use a black ball to manipulate the water and pull you into the ground."

"It is at the top, it consumes yin water, gathers remnant souls, and absorbs the aura of corpses; it is the core of the entire evil formation."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian suddenly recalled his earlier encounter with the group of drowned corpses underwater.

The moment his spiritual energy left his body, it was forcibly torn away by the broken sword deep within the desolate shrine.

Later, the tall, thin, drowned corpse caused the black ball to erupt, and it was the abandoned shrine that first responded...

He raised his eyes and said, "If that's the case, if I go back to the Dragon Eye Lock to get the meat, and loosen the defenses below, the desolate shrine above will immediately notice."

Lu Chenchuan nodded: "More than just noticed."

"It will most likely immediately gather the corpses, shift the Yin energy, and even cut off the support from the middle and lower levels."

"At that time, you might not even be able to find an exit, let alone obtain that lump of flesh, and you'll be trapped and die at the bottom."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian's gaze darkened slightly.

This is exactly the situation he least wanted to see.

Li Qian slowly said, "So, sir, you mean to start by renovating the abandoned shrine?"

Lu Chenchuan shook his head.

"Don't take the broken soldiers first."

"Instead, deceive it first."

A glint flashed in Li Qian's eyes: "A lie?"

"Exactly." Lu Chenchuan picked up the copper needle and drew an arc next to the top pebble. "Since you have already fought with that tall, thin drowned corpse and secretly left behind the aura of the bits of flesh on its body, this is the best catalyst."

"After returning, you must not enter the Dragon's Eye or touch the Corpse Cave."

"Set up a small, unsettling arrangement to attract evil spirits around the abandoned shrine."

"This will mislead those half-destroyed soldiers into thinking that you still intend to seize it from the bottom of the river from the front."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian immediately understood a few things.

Lu Chenchuan continued, "Since it is the core of the formation, its most important function is naturally its own stability."

"Once you adopt a posture of launching a strong attack on the Shattered Soldiers outside the desolate shrine, it will inevitably have to first gather the outer layer of corpses, drowned corpses, and water veins to protect its own focal point."

"In this way, the connection between the lower Corpse Cave and the Locked Dragon Eye will be shortened by a fraction."

"Then you should sneak back to the Dragon Eye, and while its attention is still on the abandoned shrine, quickly loosen the defenses and take the meat. Only then will you have a chance to succeed."

The more Li Qian listened, the brighter his eyes became.

This path is much safer than he had previously thought.

Feint to the east while attacking in the west.

Seeing his expression, Lu Chenchuan knew he understood and continued, "What you really need to do this time is to divert the attention of the upper and lower levels, so that they focus on the beginning but not the end."

"Once you have the live meat and the lower level is empty, the whole game will fall into chaos. At that time, when you go back to clean up the broken pieces or make other plans, it will be much easier than facing three enemy formations at once."

Li Qian remained silent for a moment, then slowly cupped his hands in greeting: "What you say, sir, is indeed much more reliable than what I had previously thought."

Lu Chenchuan pulled out a thin sheet of paper from beside the sand tray and began to draw.

While drawing, he said, "You need two sets of things."

"This set is for the abandoned shrine. It includes a talisman to attract evil spirits, a needle to gather yin energy, a bewitching flag, and the bits of flesh from the drowned corpses in your hands. It can create the illusion of 'luring corpses to seize weapons'."

"The other set is for Locking Dragon Eye. Tide-Severing Nail, Vein-Separating Sand, Aperture-Locking Talisman, plus an item of the same origin as that lump of living flesh to pull it away from the formation."

At this point, he paused slightly, glancing up at Li Qian.

"You should have that item of the same origin, shouldn't you?"

Li Qian's expression remained unchanged, and he simply said, "It's barely acceptable."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chenchuan did not delve into the matter further and simply continued writing.

A moment later, a piece of paper was filled with the required items and their order of arrangement.