Chapter 4 - Chapter 4 The Mysterious Realm's Enchanted Array

Half a year after Jack started practicing the art of sword control accompanied by the spiritual monkey, rumbling sounds suddenly emanated from the depths of the fairy mountain. Clouds and mists churned violently like boiling water. Frowning at the strange phenomenon, the master summoned Jack and said, "The seal of the Tianxuan Mysterious Realm deep within the mountain has loosened. It's a trial ground left by ancient immortal cultivators. Perhaps it's an opportunity for you to break through now."​As Jack stepped into the entrance of the mysterious realm, a biting chill mixed with an ancient atmosphere hit him. He gripped his bronze sword tightly. The spiritual monkey, perched on his shoulder, bristled with fur, warily eyeing the surroundings. The night pearls embedded on both sides of the corridor glowed with an eerie blue light, illuminating the mottled runes on the stone walls. With each step he took, the runes lit up slightly, as if recording the visitor's tracks.​When he reached an open space, nine stone pillars surrounded him in a formation. Above them, suspended crimson crystals emitted a searing heat, creating a strange balance with the surrounding cold. Just as Jack was about to approach for a closer look, blood - colored patterns suddenly emerged on the ground, transforming into a huge spider web that trapped him. The spiritual monkey scratched its ears anxiously but was sent flying back with a pained cry when it touched the web.​"This is the Nine - Revolving Immortal - Binding Array. You need to break its core with your sword intent," the master's voice came from afar, but his figure was nowhere to be seen. "However, each time you break a layer, the power of the array will multiply." Jack took a deep breath, recalling his cultivation over the past half - year. He sank his mind into the bronze sword. The sword glowed brightly, and he unleashed a sharp sword 罡. But it only shattered the surface of the spider web and instead triggered a resonance in the crimson crystals within the array. Countless fiery blades materialized out of thin air and shot towards him.​In the nick of time, Jack used the "Wandering Dragon Step" he had just learned, deftly dodging among the fiery blades. As sweat soaked his clothes, he suddenly remembered the way the spiritual monkey had taught him to observe nature—the flow of the wind, the change of the clouds. When another wave of fiery blades came, instead of blindly evading, he observed the gaps between their trajectories. The bronze sword stabbed out like a snake, precisely targeting the array's weak point. The crimson crystal exploded with a bang, and the first layer of the array was broken. But more runes lit up, and the entire space began to distort and transform.​As Jack broke through the layers of the array one by one, his physical strength and spiritual energy were constantly depleted. When facing the seventh layer, illusions assailed him. He saw his parents standing before him, reaching out and calling his name. In that moment when his eyes filled with tears, he almost lost his grip on the bronze sword. The spiritual monkey, seeing this, suddenly bit down on the hem of his clothes. The sharp pain jolted him back to reality. "These are illusions!" Jack roared. He poured all his spiritual energy into the sword and used the "Sky - Piercing Sword Technique" to break through the false images.​When all the layers of the array were finally broken, a loud humming sound came from the depths of the mysterious realm. An ancient jade slip hovered in the air. Just as Jack was about to touch the jade slip, countless destructive sword qi suddenly burst forth. Summoning all his strength, he achieved a perfect connection with the bronze sword and executed the "Return of Ten Thousand Swords." Countless sword qi converged from all directions, clashing violently with the sword qi of the mysterious realm. The deafening roar filled the entire mysterious realm. Jack felt excruciating pain in all his meridians, and blood kept gushing out of his mouth, but he still held the sword tightly, gritting his teeth and persevering.​When everything finally subsided, the jade slip slowly flew into Jack's sea of consciousness. Inside it was recorded the long - lost "Heavenly Gang Sword Technique." When Jack walked out of the mysterious realm, his face was pale but his gaze was firm. His realm in the art of sword control had been greatly enhanced. The spiritual monkey, hugging a pile of spiritual fruits found in the mysterious realm, skipped along happily beside him. After this arduous battle, Jack understood that the path of cultivating immortality was full of thorns, but he was now ready to face more challenges in the future and continue to strive for a higher realm of cultivation.