Fifth Order Spirit Gathering Array

After the women had finished their squabbling, Lu Feng slowly explained, "I'm not buying furniture. I want to procure some materials for setting up arrays. Azure Dragon Town is not peaceful—we need to prepare for a rainy day."

"Then take it all. Buy more and make Water Bamboo Pavilion impregnable," Jiang Ruoyun said with a smile.

Under Jiang Ruoyun's repeated insistence, Lu Feng no longer declined. With these hundreds of thousands of Soul Coins, he could absolutely turn Water Bamboo Pavilion into the safest place in Azure Dragon Town.

"Once we finish eating, we'll go tidy it up. We can move in tonight," Jiang Ruoyun said.

Water Bamboo Pavilion was already a complete house. They merely needed to replace some old furniture before moving in.

Although Tang Yuan also wanted to see what Lu Feng's new residence looked like, he was more inclined to stay by Qiao Xue'er's side.

Thus, after the meal, the five split into two groups.

Lu Feng followed Jiang Ruoyun to Water Bamboo Pavilion and found that the residence was even larger than he had imagined.

The main gate was made of green bamboo wood, with fences on either side. It possessed an antique elegance, and the entire residence brimmed with the breath of nature, faintly carrying the air of a secluded retreat.

Pushing open the emerald bamboo gate, he found no obstructions as far as the eye could see. Inside the gate, on the left was a fan-shaped water pool planted with countless water bamboos. Bamboo leaves drifted across the surface, gliding with the current into the distance.

Perfectly symmetrical to it, there was an identical water pool on the right. Only the variety of water bamboo within differed: Secluded Water Bamboo grew on the left, while Azure Water Bamboo grew on the right.

Water Bamboo Pavilion had likely gotten its name from this.

Between the two fan-shaped pools was a large water basin, shaped like a folding fan.

The basin was filled with unbloomed Epiphyllum Lotuses. The walkway consisted of dozens of short stone pillars standing straight in the center of the pool, without obstructing the flow of water. Their position was precisely at the center of the "fan."

Following the round stepping-stone path forward led to a broad open space, used for drying clothes and practicing techniques. On both sides of the clearing stood two symmetrical large wells, each mouth wide enough for two people to wrap their arms around.

Beyond the clearing lay the final section of Water Bamboo Pavilion, the living and resting quarters. It was a pavilion smaller in area than the clearing, divided into three floors and capable of accommodating six or seven empty rooms.

Beside the pavilion stood a stone gazebo. Its roof was rather unusual, shaped like a round ladle. Rather than drooping down like ordinary gazebos, it curved slightly upward. Within stood a small stone stele inscribed with: "Water Bamboo Pavilion, Floating Pavilion, three waters reflecting the moon, the heart clear as empty skies..."

After touring the place inside and out, Lu Feng could not help praising its previous owner. They must have been a person of refined temperament to arrange the place with such exquisite care.

Jiang Ruoyun retained the pavilion's original layout, using the ground floor as a hall and the second floor for daily living.

As for the smaller third floor, it had originally served only as a storage room. After Jiang Ruoyun's renovations and cleaning, it had become a spacious Cultivation Room.

When Lu Feng learned that Jiang Ruoyun intended to cultivate quietly on the third floor in the future, he helped her arrange several auxiliary arrays.

"You've been skulking around on the third floor for half the day. What were you doing?" Jiang Ruoyun asked as she watched Lu Feng come down from the three-story pavilion.

Xiao Rou also glared at Lu Feng. He had left the two of them to laboriously clean the bedrooms and tidy up the second floor while he ran off to the third.

"You'll know when you go up and take a look." Lu Feng stretched lazily, sounding somewhat tired. Seeing some odds and ends before the two women, he walked over and began helping them sort through them.

Jiang Ruoyun and Xiao Rou exchanged a glance, then headed up to the third floor. Wooden ladders built against the walls connected each level, making the ascent effortless.

The moment Jiang Ruoyun poked her head up, she suddenly sensed a dense surge of spiritual energy coming from the third floor.

Leaning forward to look, she saw that in the otherwise empty third floor, a jade stone floated at each of the four corners—east, south, west, and north—each emitting multicolored flowing light.

Jiang Ruoyun ran excitedly to the center of the third floor. Seeing two exquisite prayer mats laid beneath her feet, she understood Lu Feng's intentions. Cultivating in an environment so rich in spiritual energy would surely yield twice the result with half the effort.

After the two women came down from the third floor, Jiang Ruoyun asked, "Is this a Spirit Gathering Array? I heard Grandfather mention it before. In all of Azure Dragon Town, only the Qu Estate has one."

Lu Feng smiled. "A Fifth Order Spirit Gathering Array."

"What? Fifth Order?" Jiang Ruoyun's eyes filled with astonishment. The Spirit Gathering Array at the Qu Estate was only Third Order!

She had never imagined that Lu Feng could set up a Fifth Order Spirit Gathering Array. That was an array from which even Spirit Gathering Realm experts could benefit.

Xiao Rou also said happily, "Is this the Spirit Gathering Array that can change a person's cultivation speed?"

Lu Feng corrected her, "A person's cultivation speed is tied to their ability to absorb spiritual energy and the degree their body can withstand. A Spirit Gathering Array cannot change someone's cultivation speed. It merely maximizes cultivation."

Seeing Xiao Rou's puzzled expression, Lu Feng continued, "For example, if your usual cultivation speed is one, then inside a Spirit Gathering Array, it becomes two. The array gathers dense spiritual energy. Aside from your own cultivation, the rich spiritual energy around you will also passively surge into your body."

Xiao Rou nodded as though she understood, though not entirely.

Jiang Ruoyun asked, "Aren't you in the Three Soul Realm? How can you set up an array beyond your level?"

Jiang Ruoyun was not familiar with arrays, but she knew that a Fifth Order array was enough to affect Spirit Gathering Realm experts. Sixth Order was a watershed; beyond it, arrays of Seventh Order and above could affect Chakra Realm cultivators.

Lu Feng replied, "Setting up an array involves several steps: inscription, Spirit Infusion, Vein Connection, and Array Chant. The key that determines an array's order lies in Spirit Infusion. But the core jade of this Spirit Gathering Array does not require Spirit Infusion. It already contained dense spiritual energy when I bought it. If my strength were not limited and I could connect more veins, I could even set up a higher-order Spirit Gathering Array."

Lu Feng chose the easiest way to explain it. In truth, setting up this Spirit Gathering Array had been far more difficult than that. Although the jade stones that came with spiritual energy served as a foundation, inscribing them required immense mental effort. Vein Connection was even more dangerous: he had to use weak spiritual energy to guide spiritual energy comparable to that of the Spirit Gathering Realm. If the guidance and Vein Connection failed, Lu Feng himself would suffer backlash.

"You two tidy up downstairs. I'm going to cultivate for a while." Jiang Ruoyun excitedly ran to the third floor, like a little girl who had received candy, her eager joy impossible to conceal.

Lu Feng and Xiao Rou smiled at each other and began clearing away all the excess furniture they did not need from the second floor, freeing up several clean and tidy bedrooms.

After Xiao Rou arranged Jiang Ruoyun's room, she returned to her own.

Lu Feng headed toward the third floor. Having finally succeeded in setting up the Spirit Gathering Array, he naturally wanted to experience it for himself.

As Lu Feng went upstairs, he heard Jiang Ruoyun let out a long breath. Looking over, he discovered that her aura had strengthened by several degrees. She had broken through to the Four Soul Realm.

"Congratulations," Lu Feng said.

Jiang Ruoyun smiled faintly. "It's all thanks to this Spirit Gathering Array. I originally thought it would take another half month to break through, but under the impact of this spiritual energy..."

After a pause, Jiang Ruoyun continued, "By the way, now that I've broken through to the Four Soul Realm, I'll have to trouble you again to help harmonize my spiritual energy and nourish my meridians."

Lu Feng smiled. Jiang Ruoyun's cultivation technique was truly peculiar. Though its power was terrifyingly formidable, before reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm, every breakthrough required harmonization. Otherwise, she would be unable to bear that violent power.

Lu Feng stepped forward and sat cross-legged on the other prayer mat. Looking at Jiang Ruoyun before him, he said, "Come." As he spoke, he extended both hands, holding them steadily in the air.

Jiang Ruoyun placed her hands in his. Their four palms met, and spiritual energy slowly began to circulate back and forth. Though this was their second Yin Yang Harmonization, both remained extremely cautious, without the slightest lapse in focus.

Last time, Lu Feng had concentrated so completely that he had overlooked the pathways of the spiritual energy's circulation. Now that he had calmed himself, he discovered that the spiritual energy flowing toward Jiang Ruoyun traveled through an exceedingly strange route. Rather than passing through the major meridians as it did in ordinary people, it carved another path, flowing into the body's tiny, faint meridians.

Though Lu Feng was surprised, it did not affect him in the slightest. Spiritual energy flowed out in an endless stream, expanding Jiang Ruoyun's meridians throughout her body and harmonizing the frail spiritual energy within her. After one full circulation, the spiritual energy returned to him. As before, Yin Yang Harmonization benefited not only Jiang Ruoyun; the spiritual energy returning to Lu Feng's body had also been purified considerably.

"The Qi Soul Array has actually loosened a little!" One delight followed another, and Lu Feng was overjoyed.

As he sensed once more the path of spiritual energy circulating within Jiang Ruoyun's body, it vaguely seemed to contain the principles of arrays. Why is that? Lu Feng had never heard of such a thing.

A faint blush appeared on Jiang Ruoyun's face. Allowing another person's spiritual energy to roam freely through her body was simply too intimate. In her heart, she silently reassured herself, Lu Feng has the Contract Array within him. It's fine, it's fine...

Because Jiang Ruoyun's realm had improved, this harmonization took much longer than the first. It was not until midnight that the two slowly descended the stairs, both somewhat exhausted.

Jiang Ruoyun's face shone with delight. The stabilization of her Four Soul Realm made her feel greatly fulfilled.

"Get some rest early. We still have to attend Yan He's funeral tomorrow morning," Lu Feng reminded her.

Jiang Ruoyun nodded and returned to her room. A bathing tub stood inside, already filled with water. Several vessels beside it held heated water. Looking at everything that had been prepared so carefully, Jiang Ruoyun felt somewhat guilty. Perhaps she truly had wronged Xiao Rou in the past.

While Jiang Ruoyun bathed, Lu Feng in the room opposite once again sat cross-legged and calmed his mind. Recalling the direction of the spiritual energy's circulation from earlier, he faintly gained a trace of insight.