Exquisite Valley

"Ding~" An incomparably glaring, eye-catching character appeared on the crystal stone.

"Nine?" Lu Feng's face was filled with disbelief. The crystal stone had displayed only nine Stones of Strength.

Lu Feng shook the crystal stone in his hand, wanting to verify whether it had malfunctioned. Someone at the One Soul Realm possessing less than ten Stones of Strength—no one would believe it if he said so. Even an ordinary person who had never cultivated might possess nine Stones of Strength if they were brawny enough.

If he had been in an ordinary secular family, Lu Feng's performance would definitely have drawn countless jeers and scorn, reducing him to a laughingstock.

"No need to shake it. The crystal stone won't be wrong," the old man said with an unsurprised expression. Seeing the panic in Lu Feng's eyes, he smiled and explained, "Your seven souls were shattered. You only managed to reforge and stabilize them through arrays. Having nine Stones of Strength is already quite good."

Lu Feng smiled bitterly. If he continued cultivating like this, the strength he possessed would not even be half that of an ordinary person, perhaps not even a third of those geniuses'. Even if he cultivated to the highest realm, he feared he would still be unable to defeat anyone.

Could it be that he was destined to become a vase with a realm but no combat power?

While countless thoughts raced through Lu Feng's mind, the old man extended two fingers and pressed them to Lu Feng's forehead. A gentle force slowly flowed toward the location of his Strength Soul.

The next moment, Lu Feng's entire body jolted. The crystal stone in his hand trembled, and the characters displayed upon it began to leap at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Nine Stones of Strength!

Thirteen Stones of Strength!

Twenty Stones of Strength!

At last, it stopped at fifty Stones of Strength!

"This..." Lu Feng's expression became extremely strange.

The old man was similarly shocked. Though he had long expected Lu Feng's strength to change, he had never imagined the change would be so enormous. After his shock passed, he explained with a trace of emotion, "This is the power of those Seven Spirit Soul Arrays, the display of the arrays being completely unsealed."

Lu Feng felt the surging strength within his body. It was indeed the One Soul Realm, yet he possessed strength comparable to the Five-Souls Realm.

Before Lu Feng could adapt to this power, the old man's outstretched fingers slowly left his forehead. Then Lu Feng felt his Strength Soul shake, followed by a burst of piercing pain. The power within him rapidly dispersed, and before long, it returned to its original nine Stones of Strength.

The old man's gentle voice sounded. "Although you have comprehended the first array, your seven Spirit Souls are fragmented and cannot exist without the arrays' support. Therefore, you cannot use the tremendous power brought by unsealing the arrays. If you forcefully employ it, your seven souls will inevitably be unable to remain stabilized and shatter once more."

Lu Feng understood the old man's words and grasped the situation. His fragmented Spirit Souls needed the Seven Arrays to stabilize and reforge them. Once any one array was unsealed, he could gain immense power, but at the same time, he would risk his seven souls shattering again.

Fearing that his explanation had not been clear enough, the old man solemnly reminded him again, "With my current strength, I can only temporarily unseal your Spirit Soul Arrays for a brief moment, allowing you to experience this power. But I cannot let you use it further. Only after you have comprehended the Seven Souls Array in its entirety will you be able to obtain a short period of unsealing through a secret art."

"And if you wish to completely master them, you must find that legendary spiritual treasure—Dragon Saliva Water."

With a point of the old man's fingertip, an abstruse incantation appeared in Lu Feng's mind. It contained a basic introduction to the Seven Souls Array and the secret art for unsealing it, but it did not record the specific methods for using and mastering the Seven Souls Array.

As Lu Feng contemplated the incantation, he did not pay much attention to the latter half of the old man's words. He was only at the One Soul Realm now. He simply could not foresee what would happen after he had comprehended the Seven Souls Array completely. Worrying about Dragon Saliva Water at this point was far too early.

"The other six arrays... is there a method to comprehend them?" Lu Feng asked expectantly.

"These seven arrays are each profoundly mysterious. First, properly stabilize yourself and familiarize yourself with this array. When the time is ripe, you will naturally learn of the other arrays. Do not be impatient or greedy. As for the method of breaking the arrays... the wonder of these arrays lies precisely in how they are broken. They can only be understood in the heart. Forcibly referring to another's method of breaking an array will instead have the opposite effect, causing you to lose the array's mysteries. Everything depends on you." After saying this, the old man turned and walked out through the bamboo door.

Lu Feng looked at the empty Bamboo House and even thought everything that had just happened had been a dream, an aftereffect brought on by the darkness.

After several months, Lu Feng had completely adapted to life in the valley and gained a certain understanding of the place.

The place he was in was called Exquisite Valley, but its precise location within the Profound Heaven Continent was unknown. Lu Feng had once asked the white-robed old man, but the man had merely smiled cryptically without explaining.

Including Lu Feng, Exquisite Valley now had only three people. One was the white-robed old man Lu Feng had met before, called Old Bai. The other was Old Hei.

According to Old Bai, Exquisite Valley could be considered an "illusory" sect, one that specialized in the Array Deployment Dao. The reason it was called "illusory" was not merely because of the mystery surrounding its location, but also because Exquisite Valley's true core currently consisted of only the two of them.

Exquisite Valley had once been a great sect countless years ago, with innumerable disciples and influence spread across the entire continent. But with the passage of time and all the changes of the world, it had declined to its present state.

Lu Feng had originally wanted to ask about the true reason for its decline, but after seeing the two old "children" in the valley quarrel without end every day, he gave up on the idea. He seemed to have understood the reason for its decline.

After several months together, Lu Feng learned that the two elders were the sole inheritors of this hidden sect. Old Bai specialized in the Array Deployment Dao, while Old Hei specialized in the Dao of Breaking Arrays. One deployed arrays while the other broke them; they stood on opposing sides. No wonder they quarreled all day long.

Yet if one knew that these two had lived together for nearly a hundred years, one would realize that their usual bickering and bantering could also be called a delight of life. Having someone to talk to in old age was perhaps the greatest happiness.

Perhaps because they were always competing with each other, the two elders' habits and every gesture were completely opposite. If one deployed arrays, the other broke arrays; if one wore white, the other wore black; if one ate meat, the other ate vegetables; if one soared to the heavens, the other burrowed into the earth.

It was as though whatever one of them did, the other had to do the opposite.

The only thing the two old men shared was their shoulder-length white hair and chest-length white beards.

"You old turtle, after all these years, you're still only capable of this much..." After a commonplace contest, Old Hei stood atop a slope to one side and shouted at Old Bai.

Old Hei wore a black array robe that fluttered gently in the wind atop the slope. The dark green patterns on his robes shimmered with flowing light. His withered, deadwood-like body exuded a vigorous air, and though his face bore a faintly teasing smile, it also gave off a gentle, kindly warmth.

Unlike Old Bai, Old Hei had a round, bulging belly and a somewhat plump body. Under the sunlight, his greasy skin made him resemble a smiling Buddha. He laughed and joked all day like an old mischievous child.

"You stubborn old donkey, take a look at what you've become. The older you get, the more stubborn you become, and you still refuse to admit defeat!" The speaker was Old Bai. He wore a dark white array robe, its cloud patterns likewise shimmering with flowing light. Old Hei's words had made his face puff up with anger, and he stroked the snowy-white beard beneath his chin as if he wanted to yank it off.

"Admit... admit what defeat? With those little tricks of yours, you should give it a rest. In a few more years, forget me—even my disciple will be able to defeat you," Old Hei continued.

"All you know is how to boast. You can't even break my array yourself, yet you're counting on that boy Liu Su?" Old Bai paused, seemingly thinking of something. He then spoke with displeasure, "You stubborn old donkey, so this was your scheme when you took that boy Liu Su as your disciple. Once he grows accomplished, you'll have him challenge me. If I win, you'll say I'm bullying the young. If I lose, you'll be able to lead me around by the nose and glare at me for the rest of your life."

"Hahaha!" Old Hei threw back his head and laughed. His face wore an expression that said, You only just figured that out? Then he stroked his snowy-white beard and laughed heartily. "That boy Liu Su's talent is rare in this world, even surpassing yours and mine. It is only a matter of time before he defeats you."

Seeing Old Hei's triumphant look, Old Bai grew even angrier. He stomped on the spot and turned in a circle, speaking as though addressing Old Hei and muttering to himself at the same time, "No, no, this won't do. I must take a disciple too. Only then will it be fair."

"Forget one—even if you take ten, they still won't be Liu Su's match," Old Hei continued with a laugh, mercilessly provoking him. His expression seemed to say, Go ahead. I won't stop you.

Old Bai calmed down for a moment, and the image of Liu Su studying in the valley surfaced in his mind. It was indeed as Old Hei had said: Liu Su was a rare prodigy in the world. Then, seeing Old Hei's relaxed expression, Old Bai became even more anxious within. Where in this world could there be another Liu Su? Old Bai felt deeply troubled.

With a creak, the bamboo door opened, and Lu Feng slowly stepped out. What greeted him was Old Bai's gaze, delighted yet somewhat uneasy and hesitant.

Lu Feng was rather bewildered. Seeing Old Bai stare directly at him and examine him, he was briefly at a loss, secretly wondering whether he had done something wrong.

With a sidestep, Old Bai arrived before Lu Feng. He examined him once more, then abruptly said, "Boy, are you willing to take me as your master?"

"Take a master?" What was this about? Lu Feng was startled and uncertain.

Old Hei was equally shocked.

With a sidestep, Old Hei had already arrived beside them. He said anxiously, "Old turtle, don't act rashly. At worst, I won't let Liu Su challenge you anymore. If that still isn't enough, I'll have him call you Master too."

There was actually a trace of concern in Old Hei's words, completely different from his earlier teasing mockery.

The people who understood you best in this world were often either enemies who opposed you at every turn or kindred spirits.

Old Hei and Old Bai had known each other for many years. He knew Old Bai's sentimental nature well, and he also knew that the changes to Lu Feng's seven souls had left him with only seven years to live. Old Hei did not reject Lu Feng; he merely cared more about Old Bai. He absolutely did not want Old Bai to become too emotionally invested, to give too much of himself, for he feared that after seven years, grief would wound him beyond measure.

Old Bai, who had still been somewhat hesitant, could not help becoming even more determined upon hearing the name "Liu Su." Looking at Lu Feng, he asked again, "Are you willing?"