Refining the Array Disc

Holding the jade disc Wei Hongqing had given him, Liu Xiaolou followed the incantations in the array manual and used true essence to etch array sigils.

He carved a deep groove on the left, a shallow groove on the right, then a faint, almost imperceptible thread of a mark above. From there, he drew a vertical line downward, looped it around the back of the jade disc, and returned to the upper sigil. Then it split left and right: the left circle became the sun, the half-circle became the moon, and they connected below with rippling lines...

According to the array manual, the one on the left was Heaven, yang, and the sun; it could serve as the master, or as the soul. The one on the right was Earth, yin, and the attendant; it could serve as the corporeal soul. Where left and right met above, there lay good and evil, righteousness and wickedness, the arbiter of fate...

The purpose of the carving was to construct a world upon the jade disc. That world was the array sigil.

The array sigil was complicated, comprising several dozen strokes. When carving it with true essence, he could not stop midway. This did not mean the lines themselves could not break, but that the flow of true essence could not be interrupted. The process consumed an enormous amount of concentration.

Carving the array sigil took only one night, yet Liu Xiaolou seemed to have suffered a serious illness. His true essence was utterly depleted, his face pale and his eyes dull. He collapsed and slept for three days and three nights before recovering somewhat.

But Lord Xingde would not allow him to rest any longer. Refining an array disc required completing everything in one go, while the world within the array sigil had yet to "grow old." Otherwise, it would become nothing more than a dead object.

Left with no choice, Liu Xiaolou gripped Spirit Stones to replenish his true essence and continued fighting through the night by lamplight.

Next, he had to fuse the various materials into the jade disc. The channels for fusion were the lines of the array sigils. Though called channels, they were in truth also the places where the materials dwelled and were stored, like the pools within the acupoints of a body.

This was another delicate task. He had to follow the methods specified in the array manual, ensuring that none of the materials touched one another. Each had to travel its own path and enter through its own gate. Some carved channels had to accommodate five or six materials, even seven or eight. So many materials had to pass side by side through such narrow passages, yet none could affect the others when the array disc was activated in the future. The difficulty of this could well be imagined.

And once he made a mistake, he had to use true essence to clear the channels again and fuse in fresh materials anew.

Liu Xiaolou spent more than half a month on this stage. After overturning everything and starting over seven times, he finally succeeded.

The third step required the stabilization of earthfire and the nourishment of spiritual power—the so-called fusion of water and fire.

Xingde Temple had ready-made earthfire in its artifact-refining chamber. As for spiritual power, it could only be supplied by Spirit Stones. Lord Xingde had no Spirit Stones, so Liu Xiaolou naturally had to provide them.

The jade disc floated in the air above the mouth of the earthfire, with a Spirit Stone suspended above it.

White Flame scorched the jade disc from below, while the Spirit Stone gave off green smoke from above. Where White Flame and green smoke met, a rainbow materialized. The jade disc slowly turned within that rainbow, mysterious beyond words.

Liu Xiaolou sat cross-legged at the mouth of the earthfire to refine the artifact. On the fifth day, a faint sound of tremendous shaking came from the mountains, distracting him slightly.

Lord Xingde, across from him, made a gesture for him to focus, then left the artifact-refining chamber and gazed down the mountain.

A divine figure more than a zhang tall stood in the mountains, capturing several fleeing Rogue Cultivators. Before long, it seized them all in its palm and strode away.

A shout came from below the mountain: "Do not be alarmed, mountains! Qingyu Sect is apprehending fugitives. This has nothing to do with you!"

Lord Xingde leaped to a high spot for a closer look. It was Steward Hou of Qingyu Sect, shouting his notification at the mountain pass. As the towering divine figure departed, Steward Hou's voice gradually faded into the distance as well.

So this was Qingyu Sect's Divine Strike Technique. He did not know which inner disciple of the sect had acted, but the display was astonishing.

A Renowned Great Sect was truly formidable! Lord Xingde sighed in admiration, though his heart also grew somewhat heavy. Returning to the artifact-refining chamber, he gestured for Liu Xiaolou not to lose focus.

On the seventh day of refining, Liu Xiaolou followed the array manual's instructions, bit through the tip of his tongue, and shot out a stream of blood onto the array disc.

This was the final procedure in refining the array disc: establishing a connection of mind and spirit. Once this step was completed, the array disc could be activated at will, and only its owner would be able to control it.

Liu Xiaolou stroked the array disc shimmering with spiritual light, his heart overflowing with joy. Then boundless drowsiness engulfed him, and he collapsed into sleep once more.

From gathering the materials to preparing them, carving the array sigils, fusing the materials, and finally nurturing it, the entire process had taken three months—an entire winter. It had truly not been easy.

Nurturing the array disc had also consumed five spirit stones, making Liu Xiaolou's heart ache.

He had never anticipated this when the idea first arose. Fortunately, the task was complete. Besides Bewitching Incense and the Three Xuan Sword, he now possessed a Lin Yuan Xuan Shi Formation, giving him another means of preserving his life.

After awakening, Liu Xiaolou activated the array disc. A small courtyard immediately materialized in the little courtyard of Xingde Temple, identical to the one where Ninth Mistress lived in Zhou Manor: white walls surrounded luxuriant green bamboo, a pond gleamed emerald, pavilions stood exquisitely fashioned, and candlelight flickered in the side room by the wall, suffusing the place with an air of wealth and luxury.

Yet this little courtyard was a cage. Once inside, it was difficult to get out. And one absolutely must not enter that side room, or one would no longer be master of oneself. This was no joke.

Lord Xingde entered the illusion array to test it. He broke free red-faced and hot-eared, then said with exasperation, "Can't you be a little more proper? I thought you'd incorporated some kind of fragrant sinews, but who would have thought it was... Don't ever say again that I taught you this refining method!"

Liu Xiaolou did not mind. "Senior, I already told you, there is no high or low in methods..."

Lord Xingde waved a hand. "Enough, enough. Do not go on with that again."

Liu Xiaolou eagerly awaited Lord Xingde's appraisal. "How is the array formation this junior refined?"

Lord Xingde replied fairly, "You cannot be called gifted, but neither are you bad. To refine an array disc like this on your first attempt is quite rare."

Liu Xiaolou beamed. "So that means it worked?"

Lord Xingde nodded. "It worked."

Liu Xiaolou sighed with feeling. "It truly was not easy! This array disc will not be sold for fewer than twenty Spirit Stones! Tonight, we'll have a good feast and drink until we drop!"

The Taoyuan Mountain Range was rich in produce. Wild boars, mountain deer, hares, and pheasants were everywhere. Liu Xiaolou prepared a great tableful of dishes, brought out Lord Xingde's hidden wine, and drank to his heart's content.

As they ate and drank, they spoke of the future. Lord Xingde asked Liu Xiaolou about his plans, and Liu Xiaolou said, "As a cultivator, cultivation naturally remains the priority. This junior has presided over the sect for more than a year, yet I am still only at the Qi Refining third layer. That does not match the status of a Sect Leader. This junior plans to enter seclusion for a time and strive to break through to the Qi Refining fourth layer as soon as possible."

Lord Xingde said approvingly, "Cultivation comes first. That is the proper path. Now that the array disc is complete, descend the mountain tomorrow morning."

Liu Xiaolou said, "This junior and Senior are exceedingly compatible. I would like to enter seclusion at Xingde Temple, so that I may seek your guidance whenever difficulties arise. Would that be possible?"

Lord Xingde shook his head. "I have matters of my own as well and will not be on the mountain. You should return. If fate permits, come again in the future."

Since the host did not agree, Liu Xiaolou had no choice. He could only do his utmost to finish that jar of Spirit Wine, lest he leave behind any regrets.

The next day, Liu Xiaolou took his leave. Lord Xingde brought out a wooden box. "Xiaolou, you and I may be called friends despite our difference in age. At parting, I give you this item. But do not open it now. Wait until you return to your mountain before looking at it, all right?"

Liu Xiaolou accepted the gift and said shamefully, "Yet I have nothing good to give Senior in return. How about I leave you two Spirit Stones?"

No matter how Liu Xiaolou urged him, Lord Xingde would not accept his Spirit Stones. After the two parted, Liu Xiaolou hummed a mountain tune as he descended the mountain and returned to western Hunan.