Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array

The giant python opened its maw wide and lunged at Zhou Yi with astonishing speed. Zhou Yi was startled—could it be that the python had forgotten the two times he had saved its life, and would turn on him after just a few words?

While he pondered this, the python’s head was already before him, its nostrils as thick as a bowl trembling as it sniffed at Zhou Yi. After a moment, the python let out a mournful wail and slithered into one of the caverns.

Seeing the python retreat, Zhou Yi patted his chest and breathed a silent sigh of relief. In truth, what worried him was that the python might become enraged upon seeing Zuo Zhi again—those bullets Zuo Zhi had fired had made the creature suffer greatly.

“Brother Yi, why was that giant python sniffing you?” Mu Chen asked. Having spent so much time together, Mu Chen, like Baozi, now called him Brother Yi.

“I saved its life before. The stone egg is just ahead,” Zhou Yi replied, clearing Mu Chen’s doubts.

“Oh! Is this the stone egg?” Mu Chen exclaimed, and upon seeing it, began to examine it up and down.

Since their last visit, many more cracks had appeared on the stone egg. Zhou Yi could sense a new life taking shape within. It had been a month since their last visit; at this rate, the stone egg would hatch within the year.

“What now?” Baozi asked, eyes wide, looking to Zhou Yi. He had no idea how to hasten the birth of a new dragon vein from a mere stone egg.

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment before opening his eyes. “Go tell Kang Youwei to take some soldiers and return to Beijing first. Leave Zhang Zuozheng and Zuo Zhi here to guard.”

He wanted Kang Youwei to leave because he had made up his mind: he would use this opportunity to keep both Zuo Zhi and Zhang Zuozheng in the mountains. Unwilling to take innocent lives, he intended for all the soldiers to leave with Kang Youwei.

He spoke to Mu Chen, knowing she would not arouse suspicion from Zuo Zhi and Zhang Zuozheng. Mu Chen nodded and left the cavern. Her first words were:

“Kang Youwei, Brother Yi wants you to take the soldiers back to the capital first. Once our work here is done, we’ll come find you and fulfill our promise.”

As soon as she finished, Zuo Zhi and Zhang Zuozheng frowned. On the surface, the words seemed innocent, but her change in address revealed that Mu Chen had already joined Zhou Yi’s side—a worrying sign for the two men.

Furthermore, sending Kang Youwei away was a clear attempt to separate him from them. Zhou Yi had openly ordered Kang Youwei to leave with the soldiers, which would leave Zuo Zhi and Zhang Zuozheng isolated and without support.

This brief exchange made Zhou Yi’s intentions clear to them, though all remained unspoken.

Inside the mountain, Zhou Yi had no idea how Mu Chen would phrase things. Had he anticipated it, he would certainly have handled it himself.

“I have a Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Array that can rapidly draw in the mountain’s elemental energy, though I don’t know if it will benefit the stone egg. I’ll set up the array; you guard the entrance,” Zhou Yi said, having planned everything out on the journey.

As Baozi went to the entrance, Zhou Yi took three items from his backpack. The first was a Fire-and-Water Dagger, representing the fire element, placed to the west.

Next was a sturdy root from an ancient locust tree cut at Zhuolu, symbolizing wood, placed to the southwest.

With the Heavenly Pond to the east, water was naturally present, requiring no further effort.

Lacking a better symbol for metal, Zhou Yi borrowed Mu Chen’s copper coin sword and placed it to the northeast.

The earth element, serving as the array’s core, was the hardest to settle—earth is everywhere, but for the array, the northern earth was crucial.

After much thought, Zhou Yi suddenly slapped his forehead. The mountain python itself belonged to earth element—why search elsewhere? With this in mind, he quickly followed the python’s path into the cavern.

He found the giant python not far away, lying in a cavern with eyes closed, mourning. Zhou Yi’s earlier words had upset it deeply—animals feel emotions even more honestly than humans.

Seeing Zhou Yi approach, the python only half-opened its eyes, listless. “There were villains behind me when I entered earlier,” Zhou Yi explained, bowing. “I feared they might harm you. Please forgive my offense.”

Understanding the circumstances, the python let go of any resentment over Zhou Yi’s harsh words.

After Zhou Yi explained his intent, the python readily agreed and led him to a northern cavern.

Once the python reached the array’s core, the Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Array was complete. Elemental energies from Changbai Mountain swiftly concentrated in the small array. The stone egg, already nurtured by the mountain’s aura, absorbed the influx of energy with vigor.

“Is that all?” Baozi asked, staring at Zhou Yi in disbelief.

“Yes, it’s done. The five elements’ energy is greatly beneficial to our cultivation of Xuanming Qi. Sit and cultivate; I’ll be back soon,” Zhou Yi replied, turning to leave the mountain chamber.

He was uneasy about having sent Mu Chen to instruct Kang Youwei and decided to check for himself.

Outside, he found that Kang Youwei had not yet left. Mu Chen was blocking the passage, preventing Zhang Zuozheng and Zuo Zhi from entering, while Kang Youwei tried to mediate.

“What’s going on here?” Zhou Yi asked.

When Zhang Zuozheng saw Zhou Yi, he immediately redirected his anger. “Why won’t you let us enter the mountain chamber?”

“I haven’t stopped you,” Zhou Yi replied. “I just worry you might ruin something important, something neither of us could afford. If you insist on going in, be my guest.” With that, he pulled Mu Chen aside and cleared the entrance.

This move, yielding instead of opposing, left Zhang Zuozheng perplexed and he hesitated, ultimately not entering.

A faint smile played on Zhou Yi’s lips. “Since you choose not to enter, I won’t be blamed.”

He then went to Kang Youwei and whispered a few words. Kang Youwei nodded as he listened, his face gradually lighting up with delight.

“Is it true?” Kang Youwei asked, unable to suppress his excitement after reflecting on Zhou Yi’s words.

“I wouldn’t dare deceive you. Take the soldiers and report back. In a month, once things are done, I’ll come to the capital,” Zhou Yi nodded.

By Zhou Yi’s calculations, the Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Array would continuously draw in the mountain’s spiritual energy, allowing the stone egg to hatch in about a month—ten months earlier than if left to nature. Though this was pushing the process, if handled well, restoration was within reach.

With everything clear, Kang Youwei took the soldiers and departed Changbai Mountain, heading for the capital with good news.

“What were you two whispering about?” Zhang Zuozheng asked, frowning.

“Nothing much. Just keep watch at the entrance and don’t let anyone unauthorized enter. If anything goes wrong, you’ll be held responsible,” Zhou Yi threatened, knowing that after these days together, Zhang Zuozheng feared Zhang Xun. So he invoked Zhang Xun’s name to pressure him.

Zhang Zuozheng’s lips twitched—he wanted to protest but found nothing to say, swallowing his irritation.

Seeing things had reached this point, Zuo Zhi’s eyes darted about and, seizing the moment, he quietly slipped away...