Chapter 57
Chapter 57: Attacking the Water Ghosts
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Three months later, the four Foundation Building cultivators of the Lu Clan brought along 30 or so Qi Refining cultivators and left Yuyan Mountain. They headed toward the Water Ghost Lake.
Even though it was not far away, they did not travel quickly. They only reached the area three days later.
It was evening when they arrived. Attacking undead-type monsters like the horde of Water Ghosts at this time was an unwise plan.
They rested for a night. They only headed to the perimeter of the lake at daybreak of the second day. They chose an empty plot of land and began their preparations.
The scenery looked good from the side of the lake. It was a sunny day with the beautiful mountains in the background, and the water looked peaceful. However, they noticed something strange about their surroundings when they stayed there for some time longer.
The unnamed lake was dead silent. They could not even hear the cries of birds or insects, though it was a sunny day. However, the area still felt like a dead piece of land even though the sun was shining down. The place was devoid of life.
“The Water Ghosts must have noticed us,” Lu Chaoxi said what he thought.
“But we have this many cultivators on our side. They would not dare to make the first move,” Lu Chaohe reasoned.
“Hmph, they are but a few undead whose spiritual senses have not developed,” Lu Mingchao chimed with a cold expression.
“Hmm…” As the latest addition to the four Foundation Building cultivators of the clan, Lu Xueting had not gotten used to the changes to her body. She did not dare to speak.
Lu Chaoxi deliberated for a moment and then said, “We have to find a way to force them out. It would be too difficult for us to fight the Water Ghosts underwater.”
“Yes.” Lu Chaohe nodded. He then walked forward. He led a dozen Qi Refining cultivators and set up an array by the side of the lake.
It was the Red Sun Array. It was a Level Two mid-grade array that required the Array Mage to set up personally. They had to set it up according to the Array Base.
After it was set up, the Red Sun Array would absorb the yang-element energy from the surroundings and convert it into a raging flame.
Of course, they were not going to burn the lake dry. That was unrealistic.
However, they could alter the surroundings of the lake if they gathered yang-element energy through the Red Sun Array and injected it into the lake.
Water Ghosts favored the yin element over the yang element. They might have been cautious about attacking the human cultivators who had gathered here before. However, they could not tolerate the situation now that these human cultivators had caused trouble and made their resting spot uncomfortable.
No matter what, the Water Ghosts were creatures whose spiritual senses had not developed. They could not analyze and find out that this was a scheme of the human cultivators. Also, they did not know that human cultivators could not spend too much time here. These ghosts were already at their limits of maintaining caution and holding back their instincts to consume humans. The humans could not ask for too much.
Once the Water Ghosts were forced out of the water and onto the shore, it would be too easy for the cultivators to deal with them.
Finally, the Red Sun Array was completed.
None of the Water Ghosts appeared during the process. They did not know what the effects of the human’s array outside the lake were and thus did not launch a surprise attack before that.
Thus, Lu Chaohe sat within the array and led the dozen Qi Refining cultivators of the clan in placing down the Spirit Stones they prepared. He then activated the array.
Spiritual energy circulated around them as yang-element energy blossomed.
The array achieved its desired effect a mere moment after it was activated. In an instant, all of the cultivators felt the atmosphere around the lake change. The once deathly feeling that plagued the area disappeared. The cloudy fog that pressed on the hearts of every cultivator had vanished.
Everyone knew that the extreme yang-element energy gathered by the array had scattered the yin element that plagued the area.
After all, this place was not a treasured land for yin-element spiritual energy. It was just deathly and ominous due to the Water Ghosts being here. The Red Sun Array was built and, at that moment, was being maintained by a Foundation Building cultivator and a dozen Qi Refining cultivators. It was easy for them to scatter the yin-element energy during the time the array was maintained.
Not only that, after Lu Chaohe maintained the array for some time and gathered a great amount of yang-element energy, he let out a soft grunt and made the gesture for the word “Xin” with one hand. He then pushed his hand forward. In that instant, the yang-element energy gathered within the array slowly got pushed into the lake under his control.
The once ice-cold sensation that the cultivators felt when they stood around the lake was scattered in an instant, replaced by a feeling of warmth.
At the start, the warmth had been gentle. However, an hour later, the warmth was replaced by a scorching heat.
The array was not the only thing that accomplished such an effect. A Foundation Building cultivator and a dozen other Qi Refining cultivators would not be able to change weather phenomena even if they exhausted all of their spiritual strength. The Red Sun Array would not have been able to achieve this even if it converted 50 Spirit Stones into energy.
However, arrays were methods that tapped into the power of the surroundings.
An array took in the spiritual strength of the cultivators and Spirit Stones as a catalyst to incite changes in the spiritual energy in the surroundings. That formed the so-called “momentum.” Momentum might not be evident in arrays that were not completed. However, once an array was completed, the momentum it produced was not something humans could defend against.
Of course, the great momentum was limited to the attributes of the surroundings. These arrays might not be worth mentioning in front of powerful cultivators. Even an Initial Enlightenment cultivator could deal with arrays if they spent a little effort.
However, in the lake, the most powerful Water Ghost that the Lu Clan had to deal with was only Level Two high-grade. There was no way that they could dispel the momentum created by the Red Sun Array.
Since they could not deal with the array, they could only watch helplessly as the entire lake turned from yin to yang and become unsuitable for them to stay in.
All it took was three days for the element of the lake to change completely. The situation would not be reversed unless the Red Sun Array was dispelled. In another three days, the ordinary Level One Water Ghosts would die as they could not receive yin-element energy as nourishment. In half a month, the Level Two Water Ghosts would also not be able to survive.
It would be good news if the Water Ghosts did not retaliate. That way, the cultivators would not have to risk their lives. They could annihilate the Water Ghosts if they sustained the Red Sun Array here for half a month.
Of course, that was impossible.
The Water Ghosts also had a desire to live. They did not attack just now out of caution. However, the human cultivators had gone too far. How could they tolerate this?
When the Red Sun Array was being set up, Lu Chaoxi and the two other Foundation Building cultivators, as well as the other Qi Refining cultivators by their side, had become more cautious. At any time, the Water Ghosts might not be able to tolerate the infiltration of yang-element energy any longer and rise to attack them.
Indeed, the Water Ghosts could no longer bear with the situation when the scorching sensation first appeared.
Lu Mingchao was the most sensitive to water-element spiritual energy out of everyone present. She sensed the rapidly changing spiritual strength under the water and shouted, “Concentrate! The Water Ghosts are coming!”
She immediately summoned her magic equipment after she said that. Chaoxi and Xueting followed up quickly, while the reactions of the Qi Refining cultivators were a little slower.
At the same time, there was a commotion on the surface of the water. Ferocious, bloated, pale-skinned figures, with several rotten body parts, leaped out of the water, piercing howls accompanying their sudden appearance. Huge waves rose up, pouncing fiercely toward the cultivators, who were at the side of the lake and had created a formation from up the air.
The Qi Refining cultivators could not react, but the three Foundation Building cultivators were prepared.
All of them unleashed their magic equipment. Lu Chaoxi’s “Blazing Sun Soul-Scorching Sword” was the most terrifying of them all. With a strike, the flaming sword sent a Level Two Water Ghost that was charging toward them flying back into the water.
Lu Mingchao’s “Jade Wind Clarity Sword” was also decent. She aimed the ordinary Level One Water Ghosts, and the immensely fast green magic sword instantly cleaved off three of the Water Ghosts’ heads.
Lu Xueting’s performance was much inferior. She had only recently reached the Foundation Building Stage and had a Level Two low-grade magic equipment. And since she had just refined the equipment, she was not too adept at wielding it yet. She only managed to kill one Water Ghost.
However, just how many Water Ghosts were charging toward them?
The Water Ghosts let out an endless stream of piercing howls. There were more than ten Water Ghosts who had charged out of the water and were still alive. More and more Water Ghosts were leaping out of the water. They opened their bloody mouths wide and pounced toward the cultivators at the side of the lake!
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