Needle Box

"Ah, is there any difference? Aren't they all the same?"

Chen Mobai's knowledge of array formations was limited to what he had learned in class. As for the Azure Water Array, he had only felt that it was a little more profound than what was usually explained in lessons, without any fundamental difference.

How did this become two different systems? "On Earth Origin Star, all cultivation resources have already been nationalized, and all the spirit veins of the Thirty-Six Cave Heavens and Seventy-Two Blessed Lands have been condensed into one by the Spirit Transmutation Ancestors with supreme magic treasures."

"So now, on Earth Origin Star, basically no one studies array configurations that require driving formation flags into spirit veins to set them up. But this knowledge is still the foundation of array formations, so in high school classrooms, we array formation teachers all explain it."

"But in reality, array configurations above Grade 2 that require drawing on the power of spirit veins to be set up have already become dust in history. The direction of progress in array formations supported by the Immortal Sect and guided by the various Great Dao Academies and Academies is borrowing the power of natural celestial phenomena and the sun, moon, and stars."

Only after Chan Si finished speaking did Chen Mobai understand that an array like the Azure Water Array, which needed to take root upon a water vein, was extremely rare throughout the entire Immortal Sect.

It was not that the array formation was very difficult, but that it was very difficult to obtain permission from the Immortal Sect Department of Land and Natural Resources and get an approval slip allowing you to draw on the power of a spirit vein within the Immortal Sect's territory to lay down an array.

"Maybe the private tutor my mom hired was a cultivator who participated in opening up sea domains, so they're rather fixated on this kind of array formation that needs a water vein to arrange."

Chen Mobai forced out an explanation. Chan Si gave him a suspicious glance, but did not probe further.

"Give me your phone number."

"Ah?"

Chen Mobai had not expected Chan Si to suddenly ask him for his number, and for a moment he could not react.

"I only have a slight understanding of array formations as well. It's only because I've been teaching at your school these past few years that I made up my foundation in this aspect. This Azure Water Array is a little beyond the scope of my ability too, so I need to go back and consult someone. As it happens, a senior professor in array formations has come to Vermillion Cinnabar Academy for an exchange. I'll go back and ask. Give me your phone number, we'll add each other as friends, and once I have an answer, I'll forward it to you immediately."

Chen Mobai had not expected Chan Si to be so modest. She was clearly a teacher who taught array formations, yet she actually said she only had a slight understanding.

"Thank you for the trouble, Teacher Chan."

After saying that, Chen Mobai immediately took out his phone and added Chan Si as a friend.

Just as he was about to leave, he thought about it and felt a little embarrassed, so he scanned the photos of the thirty pages of Azure Water Array Detailed Explanation stored on his phone into a text document and sent it to Chan Si, saying that it was reference material the private tutor had sent him.

"Mm, with these, I should be able to give you an answer in the next two days. After all, the dao of array formations changes in ten thousand ways without departing from its ancestor."

When Chan Si saw the document Chen Mobai sent over, her eyes immediately lit up. She took out her own paper and pen and began calculating and simulating the operation of the Azure Water Array, seemingly intending to first see whether she could deduce all the profound mysteries of the array formation with her own ability.

Seeing her immersed in it, Chen Mobai did not dare disturb her. He withdrew and closed the door for her.

He had originally wanted to give the original copy of Azure Water Array Detailed Explanation to Chan Si for reference, but when he thought that this thing's origins might be outside the Immortal Sect's territory, and that it concerned evidence that he might be a murderer, he decided it was better to be cautious.

So after thinking it over again and again, he planned that after he returned, he would scan the contents of the entire book, character by character, into a document, eliminate every possible trace that might expose him, and then send it to Chan Si.

After leaving the office, Chen Mobai planned to go straight home.

Now that he had a treasure land with a Grade 2 Mid Rank spirit vein, he somewhat looked down on the school's cultivation room with grade 1 spirit qi.

But after thinking about it, he decided it was better not to be so eye-catching.

Immortal Sect Fifth High School was a national school. The families of the students who attended were basically ordinary and unremarkable. Even geniuses like Song Zheng and Yan Bingxuan, who had already reached Late Qi Cultivation, greatly cherished the two hours of free time every afternoon.

It was not that no one gave up their time in the school's cultivation room. There were three students who had already reached Qi Cultivation Level 8; the top grade 1 spirit qi was already somewhat insufficient for them, so their parents helped them rent Grade 2 Low Rank single-person cultivation rooms outside, and they left school directly after morning classes.

So if Chen Mobai did not go in to use the school's cultivation room, once others found out, it would definitely draw attention.

For Qi Cultivation Cultivators, daily cultivation time could not exceed eight hours, or else their meridians and dantian would be unable to bear it. Chen Mobai did not plan to waste it here.

So in the school's cultivation room, he took out the Flying Needle Sect Disciple Manual that had dropped from the brown-robed youth and flipped through it.

It was only a thin twelve pages.

A very long section inside introduced the origins of the Flying Needle Sect. Its founding ancestor had been a member of the Flying Sand Sect within Ten Directions Hall, and after successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, because Core Formation was hopeless, he left the mountain gate.

The next two or three pages were all flattering tales of how this Flying Needle Sect Founder came to the Eastern Wasteland and created a three-hundred-year foundation, shaking all directions with his might.

After that came rules and regulations common to all major sects, such as not deceiving one's teacher and destroying one's ancestors, not committing evil deeds, and so on.

None of these were of any use to Chen Mobai. Only the page on sect benefits let him roughly understand the origins of spirit stones.

Joining the Flying Needle Sect naturally came with the treatment of receiving spirit stones every year, besides the responsibilities to the sect.

Disciples at early Qi Cultivation could receive five spirit stones a year; disciples at mid Qi Cultivation had that raised to ten spirit stones; disciples at late Qi Cultivation had it raised again to twenty.

This brown-robed youth had been at Qi Cultivation Level 6, already at the peak of mid Qi Cultivation. How could ten spirit stones be enough for his cultivation? He had probably wanted to earn some extra income and conspired with the old man to open this Water Mansion, hoping to make a profit.

It was just that he had not expected that right after leaving the sect, before he had even had time to show his abilities, he would already be schemed against by the old man inside the Water Mansion and killed.

The last page was the brown-robed youth's signature, as well as the Flying Needle Sect's stamp.

This sect manual was issued and printed in Primordial Era 6478.

Primordial Era?

It should be the local calendar of the Eastern Wasteland!

At this moment, Chen Mobai already faintly had an answer in his heart regarding where the Water Mansion was located.

In this place called the Eastern Wasteland, there should be quite a few spirit stones.

If his cultivation succeeded in the future, he definitely had to leave the Water Mansion and go onto land to take a look.

After finishing the Flying Needle Sect Disciple Manual, Chen Mobai took out the Needle Box again and gently opened it, wanting to try refining it.

A total of twelve earthy-yellow flying needles were neatly arranged inside. He poured spiritual power into it, and the flying needles rose one by one. In the end, after using all his strength, a total of ten flying needles connected with his spiritual power and slowly rose into the air.

It seemed Qi Cultivation Level 6 could control all of the flying needles?

Chen Mobai thought this. He was at Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer and could control ten. If he refined it completely, it would be just right to use.

But after all, he had never controlled a magic artifact before. After only three minutes of sustaining it, he realized that more than half his spiritual power had been consumed, and all ten flying needles fell down out of control.

"No wonder when he used them, he fired them three at a time."

Chen Mobai recalled the scene of the brown-robed youth casting the spell and only then realized how absurdly wrong he had been. Even if Qi Cultivation Level 6 could raise twelve flying needles, to control them as if moving one's own arm and make their operation smooth as silk, one would probably need at least Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer or above.

After meditating to recover his spiritual power, he tried controlling three flying needles again. Although the time extended to a quarter of an hour, the earthy-yellow long needles that flew up were extremely stiff and did not obey him.

If only there were a matching refinement art?