zuò wán zhè yī qiè hòu ， lǐ fán miàn sè cāng bái ， qì chuǎn xū xū 。
做完这一切后，李凡面色苍白，气喘吁吁。
After completing all this, Li Fan's face was pale and he panted heavily.
“ hái qǐng zhū wèi dào yǒu jiāng zhè xiē chù sheng yǐn dào wǒ bù zhì de zhèn fǎ fù jìn 。”
“还请诸位道友将这些畜生引到我布置的阵法附近。”
"Please lead these beasts to the perimeter of my array," Li Fan said in a voice transmission.
lǐ fán chuán yīn dào 。
李凡传音道。
Huan Su, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, nodded. "Friend, you have done well. The rest is up to us."
yī wèi jiào zuò huán suī de zhù jī xiū shì diǎn diǎn tóu ：“ dào yǒu xīn kǔ le 。 jiē xià lái jiù jiāo gěi wǒ men ba 。”
一位叫做桓睢的筑基修士点点头：“道友辛苦了。接下来就交给我们吧。”
It was common knowledge that arrays were complex and difficult to master; studying them required a lot of time. A high level in array techniques often meant weaker practical combat skills, which was perfectly reasonable.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， zhèn fǎ yī dào ， jiān xīn huì sè 。
众所周知，阵法一道，艰辛晦涩。
Moreover, they had no expectations for this external aid to accomplish much. Being able to set up so many effective arrays at once was already an unexpected bonus.
yán xí xū yào hào fèi dà liàng de shí jiān 。
研习需要耗费大量的时间。
Huan Su took out a small drum and struck it hard. The roar of ancient beasts instantly emerged from the drum, spreading in all directions.
zhèn fǎ shuǐ píng gāo le ， shí zhàn ruò yì diǎn ， shì hěn hé lǐ de yī jiàn shì 。
阵法水平高了，实战弱一点，是很合理的一件事。
On Wansheliu Island, the headless monsters lying on the ground suddenly stood up, turning their attention to Li Fan and his companions.
kuàng qiě běn jiù méi yǒu zhǐ wàng zhè wèi wài yuán néng gàn duō shǎo shì qíng ， néng yī xià zi bù zhì rú cǐ duō xiào guǒ bù fán de fǎ zhèn ， yǐ jīng shì yì wài zhī xǐ le 。
况且本就没有指望这位外援能干多少事情，能一下子布置如此多效果不凡的法阵，已经是意外之喜了。
Then, they began slapping their chests as if excitedly rushing forward.
huán suī tāo chū yí gè xiǎo gǔ ， měng dì pāi le xià 。
桓睢掏出一个小鼓，猛地拍了下。
The headless monsters surged like a tide, vying for position. Huan Su and his four companions stood in formation without flinching. Five swords of various shapes appeared, forming a sword array. Any monster that entered was instantly eliminated by the sword light, reduced to ashes under the scorching flames of the Heavenly Spirit Fire Dragon Array.
rú tóng yuǎn gǔ xiōng shòu de nù hǒu shēng dùn shí zì gǔ zhōng chuán chū ， cháo zhe sì miàn bā fāng kuò sàn 。
如同远古凶兽的怒吼声顿时自鼓中传出，朝着四面八方扩散。
The drumming continued like a death knell, drawing more and more monsters forward.
wàn lài dǎo shàng ， tǎng zài dì shàng lǎn yáng yáng de wú tóu yì shòu men ， quán dōu huò rán qǐ shēn ， kàn xiàng lǐ fán jǐ rén suǒ zài de fāng xiàng 。
万籁岛上，躺在地上懒洋洋的无头异兽们，全都霍然起身，看向李凡几人所在的方向。
The Tian Bian team acted like a meat grinder, ruthlessly harvesting their lives.
suí hòu ， tā men pāi dǎ zhe xiōng pú ， shì shì shí fēn xīng fèn 。
随后，它们拍打着胸脯，似是十分兴奋。
Slowly, the deaths of many headless monsters began to unsettle the group. They started retaliating.
rú tóng xiōng yǒng de cháo shuǐ bān ， zhēng xiān kǒng hòu de yǒng lái 。
如同汹涌的潮水般，争先恐后的涌来。
"Roar!"
huán suī wǔ rén yī zhèn ér lì ， miàn duì rú cháo yǒng zhì yì shòu qún men ， miàn bù gǎi sè 。
桓睢五人依阵而立，面对如潮涌至异兽群们，面不改色。
The headless monsters slapped their chests loudly, opening their bloody mouths in unison, emitting deafening roars.
wǔ rén de zhù jī qí wù tóng shí fú xiàn ， hè rán shì wǔ bǐng xíng zhuàng gè yì de jiàn 。
五人的筑基奇物同时浮现，赫然是五柄形状各异的剑。
A series of invisible sound waves converged into a solid fist shadow above Wansheliu Island.
jiàn guāng jiāo cuò ， fǎng fú jié chéng mǒu zhǒng jiàn zhèn 。
剑光交错，仿佛结成某种剑阵。
This red-fist shadow instantly struck the sword array.
yī jìn rù qí zhōng de yì shòu ， jiù bèi jiàn guāng jiǎo miè 。
一进入其中的异兽，就被剑光剿灭。
"Bang!"
zài 【 tiān líng huǒ lóng zhèn 】 jī fā xíng chéng de huǒ lóng zhì kǎo xià ， huà zuò huī jìn 。
在【天灵火龙阵】激发形成的火龙炙烤下，化作灰烬。
Huan Su and his companions spat out blood, looking shocked. The five swords trembled slightly as the array became disordered. Several red-haired monsters took advantage of this chaos to break through the blockade and rush towards them. Although they were easily killed, Huan Su's group looked less relaxed now.
gǔ shēng bù tíng ， rú tóng cuī mìng fú bān ， xī yǐn zhe yì shòu men qián fù hòu jì de guò lái sòng sǐ 。
鼓声不停，如同催命符般，吸引着异兽们前赴后继的过来送死。
Seeing this, Li Fan knew he couldn't afford to slack off either. He took out some animal bones from his storage ring and set up a new array.
tiān biàn wǔ rén xiǎo duì ， zé rú jiǎo ròu jī yī yàng ， wú qíng ér gāo xiào de shōu gē zhe tā men de shēng mìng 。
天变五人小队，则如绞肉机一样，无情而高效的收割着它们的生命。
Just as the fist shadow formed by the howls of red-haired monsters was about to take shape, many unpleasant sounds of metal rubbing against each other suddenly mixed in. The pure water became murky with this addition.
màn màn de ， zhòng duō yì shòu de sǐ wáng yǐn qǐ le qún tǐ de bù ān 。
慢慢的，众多异兽的死亡引起了群体的不安。
The red-fist shadow, now marred by these strange noises, weakened significantly and was easily deflected by the sword array.
tā men kāi shǐ fā dòng le fǎn jī 。
它们开始发动了反击。
Huan Su's group looked pleased: "Friend, excellent work!"
“ hǒu ！”
“吼！”
But Li Fan waved his hand, looking pale as if he couldn't continue. The balance of victory tilted towards Tian Bian once again.
wú tóu yì shòu men fēn fēn pāi dǎ zhe xiōng pú ， xuè pén jù kǒu zhāng kāi ， qí qí fā chū zhèn tiān nù hǒu 。
无头异兽们纷纷拍打着胸脯，血盆巨口张开，齐齐发出震天怒吼。
Hundreds of headless monsters were slaughtered in succession, but their numbers were too great. The number killed by the Tian Bian team was insignificant compared to all the red-haired monsters on the island.
yī dào dào wú xíng de shēng bō huì jù ， zài wàn lài dǎo shàng fāng ， xíng chéng le wǎn ruò shí zhì dì yí gè quán yǐng 。
一道道无形的声波汇聚，在万籁岛上方，形成了宛若实质的一个拳影。
Perhaps they could complete their mission with the [Gathering Spirit] array replenishing their energy over time, as long as they had enough time.
hóng sè quán yǐng shà shí jiān cháo zhe wǔ rén jiàn zhèn hōng jī ér qù 。
红色拳影霎时间朝着五人剑阵轰击而去。
However, after a few hours, when the number of fallen comrades reached a certain level, the red-haired monsters found that their howling fist no longer worked. They stopped roaring and even ceased their fearless charges.
“ pēng ！”
“砰！”
Huan Su was puzzled and struck the small drum again to regain the monsters' attention. But the previously alluring drumming had lost its effect now.
huán suī wǔ rén tóng shí tū chū yī kǒu xiān xuè ， miàn lù hài rán zhī sè 。
桓睢五人同时突出一口鲜血，面露骇然之色。
"Bang!"
wǔ bǐng jiàn wēi wēi zhèn chàn ， jiàn zhèn wèi zhī yī luàn 。
五柄剑微微震颤，剑阵为之一乱。
"Bang!"
lì mǎ yǒu bù shǎo hóng máo yì shòu chèn zhe zhè ge jī huì ， chōng pò fēng suǒ ， shā dào wǔ rén miàn qián 。
立马有不少红毛异兽趁着这个机会，冲破封锁，杀到五人面前。
"Bang!"
suī rán mǎ shàng bèi qīng yì jiǎo shā ， dàn wǔ rén de miàn sè yǐ jīng bù rú zhī qián nà bān qīng sōng le 。
虽然马上被轻易绞杀，但五人的面色已经不如之前那般轻松了。
The monsters stopped attacking, instead rhythmically slapping their chests. The sound grew louder as it resonated through the air.
lǐ fán jiàn zhuàng ， xīn zhī yě bù néng huà shuǐ de tài guò fèn 。
李凡见状，心知也不能划水的太过分。
Li Fan sensed something was wrong. Although he activated the [Tangled Waters] array in time, the noise didn't significantly affect the grand symphony.
yě shì miàn lù níng zhòng zhī sè ， cóng chǔ wù jiè zhōng qǔ chū jǐ méi shòu gǔ ， yòu bù xià le xīn de yí gè fǎ zhèn 。
也是面露凝重之色，从储物戒中取出几枚兽骨，又布下了新的一个法阵。
Fortunately, Jiang Zhengji and Du Xingprosper, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally stepped in.
zhè cì ， zhòng duō hóng máo yì shòu hū háo zhī shēng zǔ chéng de quán yǐng jí jiāng chéng xíng zhī shí ， hū de chuán lái le xǔ duō jí bù xié tiáo de cì ěr jīn shǔ mó cā shēng ， hùn zá qí zhōng 。
这次，众多红毛异兽呼嚎之声组成的拳影即将成型之时，忽的传来了许多极不协调的刺耳金属摩擦声，混杂其中。
Snowflakes began to fall heavily between them, absorbing the intensity of the combined sounds. A strong wind blew over, scattering snowflakes while also blowing off petals from red plum blossoms, which danced like deadly blades. Each petal carried away a life as it passed by an enemy.
rú tóng chún jìng shuǐ hùn rù le ní jiāng ， biàn dé hún zhuó bù qīng 。
如同纯净水混入了泥浆，变得浑浊不清。
It was clear that these mid-Advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators, acting on instinct, had little resistance against the two Golden Core cultivators.
zhè yóu hóng máo yì shòu nù hǒu gòu chéng de quán yǐng ， zài càn zá le yì xiǎng zhī hòu ， yě biàn dé mó hú le yī xiē ， wēi lì dà jiǎn 。
这由红毛异兽怒吼构成的拳影，在掺杂了异响之后，也变得模糊了一些，威力大减。
However, Jiang Zhengji and Du Xingprosper seemed to have no intention of going all out. They merely reduced the power of the combined howls without completely stopping them.
bèi wǔ rén jiàn zhèn qīng sōng dǎng xià 。
被五人剑阵轻松挡下。
Thus, in the increasingly urgent and loud slapping sounds, a large red-haired monster's shadow slowly materialized. Its presence was only slightly weaker than that of Jiang Zhengji.
huán suī děng rén miàn lù xǐ sè ：“ dào yǒu hǎo shǒu duàn ！”
桓睢等人面露喜色：“道友好手段！”
"Golden Core Realm!"
ér lǐ fán zé shì bǎi bǎi shǒu ， miàn sè cāng bái ， yī fù wú yǐ wéi jì de yàng zi 。
而李凡则是摆摆手，面色苍白，一副无以为继的样子。
Li Fan and the Tian Bian team's faces turned serious. Although this Golden Core beast seemed somewhat weaker compared to true Golden Core cultivators, it was still far beyond Foundation Establishment capabilities.
shèng lì de tiān píng chóng xīn cháo zhe tiān biàn xiǎo duì zhè biān qīng xié 。
胜利的天平重新朝着天变小队这边倾斜。
However, after taking shape, the Golden Core monster didn't immediately attack Li Fan and his companions but instead picked up its own kind from the ground, devouring them with great enthusiasm.
chéng bǎi shàng qiān de wú tóu yì shòu bèi jiē lián tú lù 。
成百上千的无头异兽被接连屠戮。
The red-haired monsters on Wansheliu Island were not afraid of their kin being eaten; they even emitted strange sounds in excitement. The Golden Core beast greedily consumed its weak kin until its shadow gradually became more solid. It seemed that as it ate more, it could complete the transformation from virtual to real!
dàn shì tā men de shù liàng shí zài tài duō le 。
但是它们的数量实在太多了。
Jiang Zhengji and Du Xingprosper crossed their arms, watching calmly.
tiān biàn xiǎo duì tú shā de zhè xiē shù liàng ， gēn dǎo shàng quán bù de hóng máo yì shòu xiāng bǐ ， gēn běn jiù shì jiǔ niú yì máo 。
天变小队屠杀的这些数量，跟岛上全部的红毛异兽相比，根本就是九牛一毛。
Huan Su was anxious: "If we wait for this monster to fully materialize, with strength comparable to a true Golden Core cultivator, even if we fight together, we might not have a chance!"
huò xǔ zhǐ yào zhè me yì zhí chí xù xià qù ， yǒu zhe 【 jù líng 】 zhèn bǔ chōng líng qì ， zhǐ yào shí jiān zú gòu ， tā men yě néng màn màn wán chéng rèn wù 。
或许只要这么一直持续下去，有着【聚灵】阵补充灵气，只要时间足够，他们也能慢慢完成任务。
Another person agreed. "We can't wait any longer!"
rán ér ， guò le xiǎo bàn tiān ， dāng sǐ qù tóng bàn dá dào yí gè shù liàng jí zhī hòu ， hóng máo yì shòu men yòu fā xiàn nù hǒu quán yǐng bù qǐ zuò yòng 。
然而，过了小半天，当死去同伴达到一个数量级之后，红毛异兽们又发现怒吼拳影不起作用。
Li Fan nodded. "I will set up the [Backwater] array one last time to aid you all."
tā men biàn tíng zhǐ le sī hǒu 。
它们便停止了嘶吼。
He took out the materials from his storage ring and quickly completed the setup.
lián hàn bù wèi sǐ de chōng fēng yě tíng le xià lái 。
连悍不畏死的冲锋也停了下来。
The Tian Bian team's morale surged as the array took effect.
huán suī jiàn zhuàng ， bù míng suǒ yǐ 。
桓睢见状，不明所以。
"This array can only last about a cup of tea's worth of cultivation," Li Fan said, pale and weak. It seemed he had suffered significant mental strain.
lián pāi nà méi xiǎo gǔ ， shì tú chóng xīn xī yǐn hóng máo yì shòu men de zhù yì lì 。
连拍那枚小鼓，试图重新吸引红毛异兽们的注意力。
Huan Su and his companions nodded in agreement.
dàn zhī qián nà yǒu zhe wú bǐ yòu huò zhī lì de gǔ shēng ， cǐ kè què shī qù le xiào guǒ 。
但之前那有着无比诱惑之力的鼓声，此刻却失去了效果。
"If we fail to defeat this monster, even if we survive, we will lose our chance for promotion."
“ pēng ！”
“砰！”
"Backed into a corner, we must fight!"
“ pēng ！”
“砰！”
The five men's faces were resolute as they charged at the Golden Core beast.
After completing all this, Li Fan's face was pale and he panted heavily.
"Please lead these beasts to the perimeter of my array," Li Fan said in a voice transmission.
Huan Su, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, nodded. "Friend, you have done well. The rest is up to us."
It was common knowledge that arrays were complex and difficult to master; studying them required a lot of time. A high level in array techniques often meant weaker practical combat skills, which was perfectly reasonable.
Moreover, they had no expectations for this external aid to accomplish much. Being able to set up so many effective arrays at once was already an unexpected bonus.
Huan Su took out a small drum and struck it hard. The roar of ancient beasts instantly emerged from the drum, spreading in all directions.
On Wansheliu Island, the headless monsters lying on the ground suddenly stood up, turning their attention to Li Fan and his companions.
Then, they began slapping their chests as if excitedly rushing forward.
The headless monsters surged like a tide, vying for position. Huan Su and his four companions stood in formation without flinching. Five swords of various shapes appeared, forming a sword array. Any monster that entered was instantly eliminated by the sword light, reduced to ashes under the scorching flames of the Heavenly Spirit Fire Dragon Array.
The drumming continued like a death knell, drawing more and more monsters forward.
The Tian Bian team acted like a meat grinder, ruthlessly harvesting their lives.
Slowly, the deaths of many headless monsters began to unsettle the group. They started retaliating.
"Roar!"
The headless monsters slapped their chests loudly, opening their bloody mouths in unison, emitting deafening roars.
A series of invisible sound waves converged into a solid fist shadow above Wansheliu Island.
This red-fist shadow instantly struck the sword array.
"Bang!"
Huan Su and his companions spat out blood, looking shocked. The five swords trembled slightly as the array became disordered. Several red-haired monsters took advantage of this chaos to break through the blockade and rush towards them. Although they were easily killed, Huan Su's group looked less relaxed now.
Seeing this, Li Fan knew he couldn't afford to slack off either. He took out some animal bones from his storage ring and set up a new array.
Just as the fist shadow formed by the howls of red-haired monsters was about to take shape, many unpleasant sounds of metal rubbing against each other suddenly mixed in. The pure water became murky with this addition.
The red-fist shadow, now marred by these strange noises, weakened significantly and was easily deflected by the sword array.
Huan Su's group looked pleased: "Friend, excellent work!"
But Li Fan waved his hand, looking pale as if he couldn't continue. The balance of victory tilted towards Tian Bian once again.
Hundreds of headless monsters were slaughtered in succession, but their numbers were too great. The number killed by the Tian Bian team was insignificant compared to all the red-haired monsters on the island.
Perhaps they could complete their mission with the [Gathering Spirit] array replenishing their energy over time, as long as they had enough time.
However, after a few hours, when the number of fallen comrades reached a certain level, the red-haired monsters found that their howling fist no longer worked. They stopped roaring and even ceased their fearless charges.
Huan Su was puzzled and struck the small drum again to regain the monsters' attention. But the previously alluring drumming had lost its effect now.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The monsters stopped attacking, instead rhythmically slapping their chests. The sound grew louder as it resonated through the air.
Li Fan sensed something was wrong. Although he activated the [Tangled Waters] array in time, the noise didn't significantly affect the grand symphony.
Fortunately, Jiang Zhengji and Du Xingprosper, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally stepped in.
Snowflakes began to fall heavily between them, absorbing the intensity of the combined sounds. A strong wind blew over, scattering snowflakes while also blowing off petals from red plum blossoms, which danced like deadly blades. Each petal carried away a life as it passed by an enemy.
It was clear that these mid-Advanced Foundation Establishment cultivators, acting on instinct, had little resistance against the two Golden Core cultivators.
However, Jiang Zhengji and Du Xingprosper seemed to have no intention of going all out. They merely reduced the power of the combined howls without completely stopping them.
Thus, in the increasingly urgent and loud slapping sounds, a large red-haired monster's shadow slowly materialized. Its presence was only slightly weaker than that of Jiang Zhengji.
"Golden Core Realm!"
Li Fan and the Tian Bian team's faces turned serious. Although this Golden Core beast seemed somewhat weaker compared to true Golden Core cultivators, it was still far beyond Foundation Establishment capabilities.
However, after taking shape, the Golden Core monster didn't immediately attack Li Fan and his companions but instead picked up its own kind from the ground, devouring them with great enthusiasm.
The red-haired monsters on Wansheliu Island were not afraid of their kin being eaten; they even emitted strange sounds in excitement. The Golden Core beast greedily consumed its weak kin until its shadow gradually became more solid. It seemed that as it ate more, it could complete the transformation from virtual to real!
Jiang Zhengji and Du Xingprosper crossed their arms, watching calmly.
Huan Su was anxious: "If we wait for this monster to fully materialize, with strength comparable to a true Golden Core cultivator, even if we fight together, we might not have a chance!"
Another person agreed. "We can't wait any longer!"
Li Fan nodded. "I will set up the [Backwater] array one last time to aid you all."
He took out the materials from his storage ring and quickly completed the setup.
The Tian Bian team's morale surged as the array took effect.
"This array can only last about a cup of tea's worth of cultivation," Li Fan said, pale and weak. It seemed he had suffered significant mental strain.
Huan Su and his companions nodded in agreement.
"If we fail to defeat this monster, even if we survive, we will lose our chance for promotion."
"Backed into a corner, we must fight!"
"Kill!"
The five men's faces were resolute as they charged at the Golden Core beast.