Lin Xuan glanced at the Spirit Gathering Array at his leisure.
"What you said earlier—that building an array is like building a house—does make some sense."
"But arrays are flexible and ever-changing, which makes them very different from houses."
As soon as Lin Xuan said those two things, Rong Hui's expression changed.
This was the most earth-shattering statement he had ever heard!
He had thought that every array had a fixed structure and purpose.
But on closer thought, Lin Xuan's words did make a lot of sense.
"Emperor Consort, please go on." Rong Hui looked eager to learn.
Lin Xuan pointed at the Spirit Gathering Array. "The most fundamental purpose of this array is to gather the boundless spiritual energy of heaven and earth."
"But if you force all the spiritual energy to gather inside it, the day will come when it exceeds the array's capacity."
"As the saying goes, it is better to channel than to block. If you want the array to function well for a long time, you must make sure it stays balanced."
Rong Hui nodded repeatedly. "That's exactly right! Hearing you speak is worth ten years of study!"
The reverence on Feng Jinfan's face deepened.
Even a grandmaster of artifact arrays was so deferential to the Emperor Consort. It seemed he was even more formidable than Feng Jinfan had imagined.
"Then, in your opinion, what should we do to perfect this Spirit Gathering Array?" Rong Hui continued to ask.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly. "If the number of the Five Elements and Seven Stars isn't enough, then use the number of the Eight Wildernesses and Six Directions."
"What?" Rong Hui was startled.
The number of the Eight Wildernesses and Six Directions could give rise to eight billion, one hundred million variations.
If Rong Hui were to complete such a vast undertaking, it would take him at least half a year!
Before Rong Hui could recover, Lin Xuan had already stepped into the Spirit Gathering Array.
He raised a finger and tapped several different points in the array.
One after another, mysterious golden rings soon appeared within it.
The rings were arranged in an unusual pattern, carrying an air of harmony with the ways of heaven and earth.
After studying their positions, Rong Hui couldn't help but look shaken. "These are the Eight Wildernesses and Six Directions positions! The Emperor Consort really is astonishingly fast!"
Whoosh~
Golden light burst forth.
The golden rings at every position connected, forming a graceful curve.
At that moment, the spiritual energy that had been spraying in all directions began flowing back into the Spirit Gathering Array of its own accord.
Not only that, but once the spiritual energy reached a certain density,
the energy within the array flowed out along countless predetermined paths.
It cycled endlessly, flowing smoothly and gently in perfect harmony.
Rong Hui clapped his hands and sighed in admiration. "The Emperor Consort truly is a divine being!"
Only now did he understand why Lin Xuan had become the Empress's man.
With this mastery of the Eight Wildernesses and Six Directions alone, Lin Xuan was more than qualified to look down on all the heroes of Northern Profound Heaven.
And that was without even mentioning his profound skills.
Lin Xuan was also exceptionally handsome.
With all these qualities combined, even the Empress of the Ages couldn't resist his charm.
Feng Jinfan secretly marveled as well. "Her Majesty truly has a discerning eye. The Emperor Consort is one in ten thousand!"
"All right, let's go in."
With the matter settled, Lin Xuan led his four daughters toward the Spirit Gathering Array.
Rong Hui and Feng Jinfan immediately stepped aside.
According to the rules set by the Empress, the guards had to leave whenever the princesses practiced their swordsmanship.
That was mainly because the sword techniques Donghuang Ziyou taught the children were incredibly powerful.
"Daddy, I'll show you the sword technique Mother taught me!"
Xuanzhu's dark eyes swiveled as she became the first to grab Lin Xuan's hand and speak.
"I want to show Daddy, too!"
The other three girls caught on and hurried over to compete for his attention.
Lin Xuan affectionately ruffled their little heads. "My darlings, what's the sword technique your mother taught you called?"
"It's called the 'Heavenly Brilliance Sword Technique'!" Xuanxi quickly raised her hand to answer.
Xuanzhu added, "Mother said it's a mid-grade Saint-rank sword art."
Lin Xuan nodded silently.
No wonder Donghuang Ziyou didn't let anyone watch.
The Heavenly Brilliance Sword Technique was mid-grade Saint-rank. It was an exceptionally precious sword art.
"Good. Then show Daddy all together," Lin Xuan said with a smile.
The four little girls nodded in unison, then retreated several steps. They steadied their minds, drew in a breath, and circulated their true essence.
Using the endless spiritual energy in the Spirit Gathering Array as a guide, they drew the long swords from the rack into their hands from a distance.
"Daddy, we're starting!"
With their daddy watching, the four little girls were full of fighting spirit.
From their very first move, they had the bearing of peerless experts.
Lin Xuan couldn't help but sigh at the sight.
Like father, like son; like mother, like daughter.
Donghuang Ziyou's monstrous talent had been passed down perfectly to these four children.
With the help of the mid-grade Saint-rank Heavenly Brilliance Sword Technique, the little girls' sword moves were sharp and extraordinary.
Before long, the four children had finished practicing.
They ran straight over to Lin Xuan and asked eagerly, "Daddy, did we do well?"
"Very, very well!" Lin Xuan felt four soft little bodies rubbing against his legs with all their might. The sensation made his fatherly love swell.
As Xuanyou hugged Lin Xuan's leg and tried to climb up, she said, "Daddy, you're so amazing. Will you teach us some sword moves, too?"
When Xuanzhu and the others heard this, they immediately grew excited and surrounded Lin Xuan, begging him to teach them new moves.
Lin Xuan had no choice but to nod. "All right, Daddy will teach you a new sword technique."
"Yay!"
The four little girls immediately spread out, all of them staring wide-eyed at Lin Xuan.
Lin Xuan picked up a long sword and held it in his hand, then swept his gaze over his four daughters. "Watch closely."
What he used was the Wuji Sword Technique, which the system had rewarded him with.
Wuji meant boundless, endless, infinite, without end, and without form!
This was a sword technique that emphasized meaning over form. It flowed from the heart, with no set framework and no constraints.
Since Lin Xuan had no cultivation and had never practiced swordsmanship before,
his movements looked not only slow, but also rather weak.
But Xuanzhu and the others felt otherwise.
"Daddy's movements are so slow, but he feels really powerful!"
"That's right! Daddy's sword moves are completely different from Mother's!"
"I really want to learn!"
"Me too!"
The four little girls' eyes shone brightly.
Lin Xuan lowered the sword and turned to face his daughters. "Did you all figure out anything?"
"Mm-hmm!"
The four little girls nodded together.
Their talent was already monstrous. Though Lin Xuan's movements were clumsy, the sword intent behind them was extraordinary.
Xuanzhu and the others had forgotten the movements themselves, but the sword intent he had revealed was firmly etched in their minds.
"Then give it a try." Lin Xuan wanted to see how far his daughters could comprehend the Wuji Sword Technique.
"Daddy, let me go first!"
The eldest, Xuanzhu, stepped forward without hesitation.
She took a deep breath and circulated her true essence.
Closing her eyes to sense the sword intent in her heart, she swung a sword through the air.
Whoosh!
A streak of sword light cut across the sky, stretching a hundred yards in the blink of an eye.
The golden sword light pierced through the Spirit Gathering Array and struck a boulder in the distance.
Rumble! The boulder exploded on impact, blasting countless fragments into the air.
"Wow!"
"Ah!"
"Whoa!"
"Oh!"
The four little girls all covered their mouths and cried out in astonishment.
The guards in the distance, including Feng Jinfan, heard the commotion and turned around in shock.
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