Reborn Medicine King

"Are those demonic beasts?" Jiang Fann glanced over and nodded. Both creatures were branches of demonic beasts, but in this environment, they hardly advanced in power. They seemed more like wild animals than demonic beasts.    

The beasts didn't notice Jiang Fann and his companions, and they didn't disturb them either. They continued on their way, conserving their energy. They had to move slowly, unable to use their spiritual strength to travel quickly as they had before, which significantly reduced their speed.    

Late at night, Jiang Fann and his two companions rested in place. However, Jiang Fann didn't waste time. While Wan Chengfeng and the other rested with their eyes closed, he studied the stars above, imprinting the formation into his mind bit by bit. This only drained some mental energy, with little impact on his spiritual strength.    

The vast expanse of stars posed a considerable challenge for Jiang Fann, but he was no longer a novice in formations. He could now discern the complex patterns one by one.    

Lin Zhan and Xiao Ai sensed the formation taking shape in his mind, correcting him immediately to prevent any missteps. Since they couldn't freely use their spiritual strength, Lin Zhan and Xiao Ai couldn't assist Jiang Fann much. They could only guide him through their spiritual sense, but that was enough. It was just a reversal of their usual roles.    

As dawn broke and the stars faded into the daylight, Jiang Fann had to pause his work, planning to resume his study of the grand formation once night fell again. He was preparing in advance with a clear goal: to decipher the formation before taking flight. At the very least, he needed to ensure he could safely guide two people through it. This wasn't a place for reckless risks; if his Spiritual Strength were to completely vanish, it would be a real problem, and recovering it could take an unknown amount of time.    

Wan Chengfeng and his companion weren't particularly worried; the current environment didn't pose any immediate threats to their safety. The night passed without incident. A few wild animals spotted their campfire from a distance and turned away, showing no interest in approaching.    

During the day, Jiang Fann didn't remain idle. He infused a faint thread of Spiritual Strength into the ground, as they had traveled far from their entry point. He wanted to see if he could access the dark space below from here. Finding the barrier meant they could retreat at any time. After careful sensing, he detected the barrier's presence about thirty feet underground, which reassured him greatly.    

By midday, the three of them reached the edge of a dense forest, where they found a stone house. Though it appeared unremarkable, it was undoubtedly crafted by a Human Cultivator.    

"Could there still be people living here?"    

With curiosity, the three of them approached the house. Unfortunately, the yard was overgrown with weeds, clearly abandoned for a long time. Wan Chengfeng and his companion walked straight into the house, while Jiang Fann circled around it. Eventually, he spotted a mound of earth not far behind the house. Judging by its size, Jiang Fann immediately knew what it was.    

Just then, Wan Chengfeng came from behind. Jiang Fann turned to see him holding a token, a slight frown on his face. He handed the token to Jiang Fann, who recognized it at a glance. It was from the Valley of Immortals, indicating that the house's owner hailed from there. This person must have been a master from long ago, reaching this place was a remarkable feat. Jiang Fann knew well how strong the black barrier was; without his own ability to break through arrays, it would have been nearly impossible to enter relying on strength alone.    

"I never imagined one of our ancestors actually made it here."    

Jiang Fann looked at the mound on the ground and said calmly, "That must be the ancestor. To spend their final days here alone and bury themselves... how lonely."    

Wan Chengfeng said, "You should rest inside for a bit. I'll take care of things here. I want to bring our ancestor back."    

Jiang Fann understood his intention and didn't say more. He headed toward the door just as Wan Xin came out, looking rather upset. She clearly already knew what had happened here; the token was undeniable proof.    

"He's in the back."    

Wan Xin nodded and then walked toward the rear of the house. Jiang Fann entered the building, noting its simple furnishings. On a stone-formed table, he noticed intricate carvings of array patterns. Unfortunately, without the necessary energy stones to sustain it, the array's effects couldn't be observed.    

Lin Zhan's voice echoed, "This person's talent in crafting arrays is exceptional. The array is meticulously detailed, combining some uncommon patterns. If this were outside, mastering these patterns would be enough to make him an expert in the field. It's a pity his life ended here."    

Driven by curiosity, Jiang Fann channeled a thread of his spiritual strength into the array, intending to activate it. He hoped for some unexpected insights. The array's quality was high, requiring significant energy to operate fully. Thankfully, Jiang Fann wasn't too concerned about his energy reserves, as he had some pills to replenish his strength, enough to sustain him for a while.    

The array emitted beams of light, converging above the table. A moment later, a holographic image appeared, showing a middle-aged man with a cheerful smile, though his appearance was somewhat unkempt, suggesting he hadn't cared for his looks in quite some time.    

"Though I don't know who you are, anyone who reaches this place is likely connected to my kin. I'm Wan Tianlei, a cultivator from the Valley of Immortals, trapped in this strange world for five hundred years. My energy reserves are nearly depleted, and I fear I won't last much longer. I wonder if anyone will remember me in the future."    

"If any of your clan members could take my token back to the valley and give it to my family, I'd appreciate it. Tell them about this strange space. I've explored every corner here and only found a single coffin. Unfortunately, by the time I discovered it, my spiritual strength was depleted, and I couldn't open it using just physical strength."    

"The coffin is located 960 steps southwest of this house. If you still have any spiritual strength left, you might want to try your luck. There could be a chance to leave."    

"I hope to return home, but it seems unlikely..."    

The array is still functioning, but the scene has started over, clearly indicating these are the last words of someone named Wan Tianlei. The array on the table continues to operate, but Jiang Fann knows that the image is just a byproduct of the array's power, which is much more potent than it appears.    

Wan Chengfeng and Wan Xin obviously heard the voice from the house and quickly returned. Upon seeing the image, they were visibly excited. However, when they realized it was just an image and not a remnant of their predecessor, they couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.    

After they finished watching, Jiang Fann asked directly, "Do you know this Wan Tianlei?"    

Wan Chengfeng replied, "We never met him. He disappeared long before I was born, but he was very famous in our clan. He was the most talented in the art of arrays that our clan has ever seen. This array must be his work. I never expected that he had perished here."    

Jiang Fann said, "If it weren't for his strong skills in formations, he wouldn't have made it this far. He's clearly smart; finding this place wasn't easy. Plus, there's another piece of news—he's been here for years and made some unique discoveries. I'm particularly interested in that coffin. Are you planning to come with me, or would you rather stay here and help the elders organize things?"    

Wan Chengfeng replied, "Brother Jiang, since we've seen this senior, we should probably stay here for now. With your combat skills, we wouldn't be much help if we went along. If you need our assistance, just let us know. It's only nine hundred steps away; we can get there quickly. Take care of yourself."    

"Don't worry, I've got it under control."    

With that, Jiang Fann stopped bothering the two of them, retracted his spiritual strength, and left the room. As he departed, the image on the stone table vanished, and the formation ceased its operation. Wan Chengfeng and the others didn't say much more; they simply packed the stone table into their Hundred Treasures Bag, leaving it for the clan to handle.    

Following Wan Tianlei's guidance, Jiang Fann headed straight to the location of the coffin. Nine hundred steps were nothing to him. Once nearby, he took a pill to recover some of his earlier energy expenditure. Who knows what he might encounter next, so it's best to be prepared.    

Sure enough, he arrived at a clearing surrounded by trees. In the center, a coffin lay quietly, covered with intricate patterns. Even in this environment, the patterns were still functioning, which was quite remarkable.    

Jiang Fann wasted no time and went straight to the coffin. He then directed his spiritual sense towards it, trying to perceive what was inside. However, as soon as his spiritual sense touched the coffin, it began to dissipate at an astonishing speed.    

This sensation wasn't new to Jiang Fann. He had felt it before when he encountered a coffin left by a significant figure in the Valley of Three Lives. Yet, the aura this coffin emitted was entirely different.    

The array on top was extremely intricate. Jiang Fann observed it carefully, hoping to find a way to break it. Unfortunately, even after an hour of concentrated study, he was still clueless. It was far more complex than the starry sky array he had encountered at night.    

Lin Zhan shared the same opinion, which posed a problem for Jiang Fann. He couldn't directly use his spiritual strength to break the array, and the environment didn't allow for it either. Breaking the array would likely require extensive research.    

By evening, Wan Chengfeng and his companion arrived. They were equally astonished when they saw the coffin, surprised that Jiang Fann had spent so much time without success.    

Wan Chengfeng remarked, "The array on top is still functioning. The spiritual strength it absorbs probably doesn't even match what it consumes, right?"