Chapter 149: Array Enhancement and Talismans

Passing through the long corridor, the group emerged beneath a vast expanse of starry skies. Looking up, the brilliant cosmos hung so close overhead that it felt as though one could simply reach out and pluck the stars. The ground beneath their feet remained the same, but the heavens had transformed entirely.

Beneath the dazzling starlight stood eight people, each with different expressions. The faint, twinkling starlight illuminated their faces clearly, and as Song Nianqiang gazed at the starry canopy above, a wave of profound melancholy washed over him.

To be honest, he had no idea how he had even arrived in this place. As they were walking, total darkness had suddenly fallen before his eyes, and the next moment, he had materialized right here. This tomb was shrouded in mystery, and the surprises it held had perhaps only just begun.

"Qiangzi, this place is truly amazing! Scenes like this only ever happen in my dreams," the big fatty said, hopping up and down as if trying to pluck a star from the sky. However, Song Nianqiang was in no mood to appreciate this wondrous sight. His mood was much like Zhu Tianyi's—heavy with deep anxiety.

This sea of stars was boundless, stretching endlessly beyond the reach of human sight. Moreover, it possessed a peculiar characteristic: flashlights were completely useless here. Although the flashlights emitted a beam, the light could not project outward, which severely increased the difficulty of their journey. Even with the stars shining overhead, they could barely see a few feet ahead.

One hour later.

"I can't walk another step, I'm dead tired!! When on earth is this going to end?!" The big fatty dragged his feet with a supreme effort. Having marched continuously for a full hour, not only was the big fatty exhausted beyond measure, but the others were completely worn out as well. Although they had eaten a little earlier, those snacks could hardly compare to proper meals, and hunger soon set in again.

Calculating the time, the group had been inside this tomb for seven or eight hours now. It was already the second day, and dawn should be breaking soon. It would be a lie to say their stomachs weren't rumbling after a night of hard labor. They walked and stopped beneath the stars, repeating the cycle over and over. After another hour, the big fatty finally reached his limit and could no longer move.

"Let's take a break. If we keep going like this, we'll all die here." Song Nianqiang's voice was hoarse. The sensation of thirst was agonizing; his mouth was entirely devoid of saliva, and his lips were dry and cracked. Yet, the water everyone carried was running dangerously low, and since no one knew how much farther they had to go, they rationed it strictly, drinking only when absolutely necessary.

"Sigh~~~" "Sigh~~~" "Sigh~~~"......

The collective sighs echoed endlessly. At this moment, the big fatty was no longer holding back; he took out his provisions and distributed them among the companions. Yet, knowing these were their life-saving rations, no one ate much, tucking the food back into their backpacks instead. Since no one knew how long the road ahead might be, it was wise to make preparations early.

"Qiangzi, what should we do now? Returning the way we came is impossible, but if we keep going, I'm afraid..." Zhu Tianyi left his sentence unfinished, but Song Nianqiang understood him with absolute clarity. Continuing forward would only pile more psychological pressure onto everyone's nerves. Sooner or later, someone would reach their breaking point and fall behind, and falling behind here meant only one inevitable fate.

"We've tried every possible method, and I honestly don't know what to do." Offering a bitter smile, Song Nianqiang felt a profound sense of helplessness. He sat down and gazed up at the brilliant starscape. Earlier, consumed by anxiety about how to escape, he hadn't noticed, but this starry sky was truly breathtakingly beautiful—so magnificent that it took one's breath away.

Lying on the ground, Song Nianqiang kept his eyes fixed on the starry expanse above. Gradually, however, he noticed a fascinating pattern. When he connected several of the exceptionally bright stars overhead, they formed a complete Bagua diagram. Others might not understand the intricacies of the Eight Trigrams and Nine Palaces, but Song Nianqiang did. One of the chapters in his copy of the Maoshan Daoist Arts was dedicated entirely to the explanation of the Bagua, a subject he had studied in meticulous detail during idle times.

The Li Trigram corresponded to the direct south. At this moment, Song Nianqiang felt that the Li Trigram, which represented fire, was acting abnormally. The Li diagram is empty in the middle, while the Kan diagram is full; normally, the position of the Li Trigram should not be the brightest spot, yet right now, it was usurping the master's role, emitting a radiance brighter than all the other stars combined.

"Hey! Look at the sky. The Li Trigram, which represents fire, is acting strangely." Song Nianqiang said with a frown, turning to Zhu Tianyi. But after staring upward for a long while without making head or tail of it, Zhu Tianyi asked, "Which one is the Li Trigram?!"

Giving Zhu Tianyi a look of utter contempt, Song Nianqiang couldn't be bothered to answer such a foolish question. Instead, he pulled out several blank talisman papers—the kind the big fatty used for drawing charms—and began sketching on them.

The more he drew, the deeper Song Nianqiang's brow furrowed. Eventually, even Song Nianqiang himself had no idea what he was doing. The complex and intricate Bagua lines made his drawings increasingly chaotic and convoluted, until finally, the entire sheet of paper was completely covered in overlapping red lines.

"Fatty, come over here!"

Hunched over, Song Nianqiang suddenly barked out an order, startling the big fatty, who had been sprawled on the ground like a dead pig, gasping for breath. "What is it? You won't even let me rest for a minute?" Although the big fatty's tone was full of grievance, he still dragged himself over. "What's up?!" he asked upon reaching Song Nianqiang's side.

"The Li Trigram in the sky is abnormal. Now, you are going to take the place of the Li Trigram. Remember, no matter what happens next, do not move under any circumstances!" Song Nianqiang spoke with severe gravity. Realizing the matter was no trivial affair, the big fatty nodded in agreement. Subsequently, Song Nianqiang drew a Bagua diagram on the ground, and the big fatty naturally stepped into the position corresponding to the Li Trigram.

"Fatty, Array-Enhancing Talismans!"

An Array-Enhancing Talisman was a remarkably special type of talisman paper. Its function was unique and lived up to its name: it was specifically designed to magnify the power of formations. The big fatty had brought quite a few of them this time because he was growing increasingly lazy—whenever a formation could be used, he would never make a move himself. Back when they had dealt with the female teacher possessed by an evil spirit, he had also relied on the effect of an Array-Enhancing Talisman; otherwise, given the big fatty's meager experience, the power of the formation he drew would never have been enough to harm a reincarnated soul.

Reaching into his pocket, the big fatty pulled out all his Array-Enhancing Talismans and handed them over to Song Nianqiang. "Pay attention!" Song Nianqiang warned him. Hearing the reminder, the big fatty nodded to signal that he was ready, and only then did Song Nianqiang toss an Array-Enhancing Talisman into the center of the Bagua diagram.

The Bagua diagram drawn by Song Nianqiang had undergone a special treatment designed specifically to amplify the power of the Li Trigram. Placing the big fatty in the Li position was meant to control and channel the energy. Song Nianqiang's sketching skills were limited and could not achieve absolute isolation, meaning the other trigrams in the Bagua would inevitably absorb a portion of the energy alongside Li. However, having the big fatty stand right there changed everything.

With the big fatty acting as a conductor, all the energy would surge toward the Li Trigram. Furthermore, Song Nianqiang and the big fatty had grown up together since childhood; to put it bluntly, Song Nianqiang knew what the big fatty was going to say the moment he hitched his trousers. That was why he chose the big fatty to be this conductor—once the pressure mounted later on, whoever stood on the Li Trigram would be utterly unable to speak and would have to rely solely on facial expressions to convey information.

"Pay attention!" With that, Song Nianqiang tossed another Array-Enhancing Talisman into the mix. The big fatty had handed over a dozen or so talismans, which was more than enough for Song Nianqiang to squander.

"Pay attention!" "Pay attention!" "Pay attention"......

After eight consecutive Array-Enhancing Talismans were thrown in, the Bagua array began to emit a glowing, luminous radiance that echoed the stars in the night sky. Meanwhile, the big fatty was enduring immense pressure. Eight talismans had boosted the formation's power to a terrifying degree, and with all that energy funneling straight down to the Li Trigram beneath the big fatty's feet, the burden he bore was extraordinary.

"Watch out!" Song Nianqiang looked at the big fatty. Meeting his companion's resolute gaze, Song Nianqiang gritted his teeth and tossed yet another Array-Enhancing Talisman into the formation. Instantly, a torrential wave of pressure swept across the big fatty's entire body. He nearly failed to hold his ground, almost being blown away by the force. His face turned beet red, looking as though blood might drip from it at any second.

Seeing the big fatty's expression, Song Nianqiang knew the Bagua array was on the verge of reaching its absolute limit. If he threw one more talisman in and things went according to his calculations, they would be able to escape. If the outcome turned out differently than he hoped, they would truly be trapped here forever, perishing in the dark.

His eyes locked firmly onto the big fatty, and the big fatty's bloodshot eyes locked just as firmly onto him. Simultaneously, a thought echoed in both their minds: "Watch out!" And with that, Song Nianqiang hurled the tenth Array-Enhancing Talisman into the heart of the Bagua array.