Repair the Plank Road in the Open, Sneak Across to Chencang in Secret

Chusheng Market lay within the sphere of influence of the Jade Void Sword Sect, and the Sword Sect was on the Hidden Dragon Continent.

The continent was vast and boundless, with countless powers standing across it. There were both orthodox sects and demonic cultivators.

More than a year ago, demonic cultivators had appeared in Chusheng Market, and Shen Yue had even run into them.

The little girl yawned. "The Sword Sect is hunting down the Nether Sect, a demonic sect. Master went to set up an array."

The Nether Sect was a behemoth on the same scale as the Jade Void Sword Sect.

Fortunately, it was the Sword Sect hunting down the demonic sect, not the demonic sect invading the Sword Sect.

"Why are you telling an outsider all that?"

A young man walked in through the door.

He was tall and slender, with a stern face.

The little girl jolted awake from her drowsiness and hurriedly said, "Senior Brother, he was recommended by Senior Zhou to come learn arrays."

The young man paused, then said flatly, "Since he's here to learn arrays, then just teach him arrays properly. Don't talk about useless things."

The little girl murmured, "Oh," and didn't dare argue.

The young man turned to Shen Yue again, his tone even. "The Mystic Array Pavilion's rules: you have three months. If you can't get started, then please leave."

He wasn't targeting Shen Yue. Over the years, plenty of people had come to the Mystic Array Pavilion to learn arrays, but those who had truly made it through the door could be counted on one hand.

After all, Rogue Cultivators were often impatient.

One wanted to learn this, another wanted to learn that, and in the end, they couldn't learn anything at all.

He was different. He had talent, and could learn whatever he wanted.

"Teach him." The young man left after tossing out that one sentence.

Xia Qingqing stuck out her tongue, then lifted the door curtain. "Come with me."

Shen Yue followed her through the front hall and into the inner courtyard.

Blue bricks paved the courtyard. Stone tables and stools stood beneath the trees' shade, and jade counters and a half-unrolled array diagram lay scattered across the table.

Xia Qingqing sat beside the stone table, patted the stool opposite her, and gestured for Shen Yue to sit.

She was so small that her feet dangled above the ground when she sat on the stone stool, yet she put on a stern little face and tried to look serious.

"The first and most important thing in the art of arrays is mastering the fundamentals."

Xia Qingqing picked up a jade counter and drew a circle on the stone table, then added a few crooked lines inside it.

"This is the most basic Spirit-Gathering Pattern. The foundation of arrays is the flow of spiritual energy. It's just like water: you have to know where the ground is high and where it's low, where water can pool and where it can drain away..."

She drew as she explained, her voice as clear as an oriole's.

Shen Yue listened attentively.

An incense stick later, Xia Qingqing finished drawing and asked, "Do you understand?"

Shen Yue was silent for a moment. "More or less... I think?"

Xia Qingqing tilted her head. "You don't understand."

Shen Yue: "..."

Those Spirit-Gathering Patterns, spiritual-energy channels, array foundations, and array cores did indeed sound like a fog to him.

Xia Qingqing explained the same material again, this time more slowly and with analogies.

She said spiritual energy was like ants moving house, and array patterns were the paths the ants took. You couldn't let the ants run into each other, or let them double back...

Shen Yue seemed to understand a little, and yet somehow felt even more confused.

He could only activate his astonishing wisdom.

[Nine Heavens Profound Mirror] flashed with golden light.

[Array Dao (Basic): 11/100]

Zhou Feng stood beneath the covered walkway, a cold smile on his lips.

"Why did Father send someone this dumb here? Does he really think everyone's as clever as me?"

Xia Qingqing, however, was patient. She picked up the jade counter again. "This time, follow along and draw with me..."

Two hours later, the sun had begun to dip in the west.

Shen Yue set down the jade counter and cupped his hands. "Thank you for today, Miss Xia. I'll take my leave and come again tomorrow."

He had a lot of other things to do and couldn't spend too much time on arrays.

Xia Qingqing froze for a moment, her little face serious. "Don't be late tomorrow."

Zhou Feng sat beneath the covered walkway, flipping through an array diagram as he scoffed inwardly.

This was what Rogue Cultivators were like: no talent, no patience.

They'd barely started, and he was already restless. Just like all the others who'd come before, he probably wouldn't show up tomorrow.

Unlike him, who could sit there all day.

At the lakeside courtyard, twilight dimmed the sky.

Shen Yue sat on the stone steps, going over array patterns in his mind.

"Array patterns... inscription patterns..."

"Gathering... channeling... transformation..."

Although he had only just begun learning the art of arrays, he had a vague sense that the inscription-based artifact-refining method recorded in the [Heavenly Cauldron True Fire Hundred Refinement Scripture] was indeed more ingenious than ordinary artifact-refining techniques.

As he gazed at the lake beneath the night sky, anticipation rose in Shen Yue's heart.

In the days that followed, aside from cultivation and salvaging scraps, Shen Yue went to the Mystic Array Pavilion to study arrays for two hours.

The sun and moon revolved, and more than half a month passed in a flash.

During that time, news that the Sword Sect was hunting down the Nether Sect spread through the market, and the outside world was abuzz with discussion.

Some said the Sword Sect was determined to uproot the Nether Sect this time, while others said the Nether Sect's methods were sinister and the Sword Sect might not come out on top.

A group of bold cultivators even heard there were battle merits to claim and spirit stones to earn at the front lines, so they set off for the battlefield together.

One day.

"How are General Shen's array studies going?" Zhou Chongwen asked.

"Not bad."

"Not bad?" Zhou Chongwen stroked his beard and smiled faintly.

He knew very well how Shen Yue was doing at the Mystic Array Pavilion.

Just two hours a day. What the hell could he learn about arrays?

Unlike his son, who had both talent and patience.

But Zhou Chongwen didn't call him out.

Young people cared about saving face.

"Why not practice mortal martial arts instead?" Changqin Wuming was getting a little anxious.

In his view, Shen Yue had gone from learning artifact refinement to learning arrays, wasting both time and spirit stones.

Mortal martial arts weren't much use either, but at least they could improve one's strength a little, and didn't consume as many spirit stones.

"I am practicing," Shen Yue replied with a smile.

Changqin Wuming and Zhou Chongwen exchanged a glance, then decided not to say anything more.

They changed the subject and began discussing the Sword Sect's campaign against the demonic sect.

"In my view, the Sword Sect is fighting this battle like a fool. If I were in command, I'd repair the plank road in the open, sneak across to Chencang in secret, and attack from behind. I'd catch the Nether Sect completely off guard."

"Emperor Ming has hit the nail on the head." Zhou Chongwen used his teacup to arrange his forces. "The demonic sect doesn't know how to fight either. Look at their last defense—they were clearly too hasty."

"If I were in command, I'd first secure the weak points at Nether Water and the Underworld Path, then split my forces to circle around and encircle the enemy. Wouldn't that let us counterattack the Sword Sect?"

Changqin Wuming's eyes lit up. "Exactly! Emperor Wen truly understands the art of war..."

The two of them chimed in back and forth, growing more excited by the minute. They went from the Sword Sect's errors in command to the demonic sect's tactical weaknesses, from troop deployments to making use of the terrain.

At the most heated points, Changqin Wuming even stood up and acted out a couple of maneuvers.

Shen Yue listened quietly, occasionally chiming in.

"That's why I say this was the demonic sect's biggest mistake." Zhou Chongwen pointed to the map he'd drawn with tea on the table. "They shouldn't have placed the entire Mystic Yin Gate alone on the western front. That was just handing it over for free.

"Once the Mystic Yin Gate fell, the entire western front collapsed."

"A bunch of demonic cultivators deserve to die," Changqin Wuming said disdainfully.

"It's a pity about the three thousand female cultivators of the Mystic Yin Gate. They all died tragically."

"The Nether Sect is utterly inhumane!" Shen Yue and Changqin Wuming said in unison.

The little courtyard fell silent for a moment, and the three shared a knowing smile.

"I should stop talking and head back to make talismans." Zhou Chongwen summoned a green gourd.

"I need to go back and collect waste qi, too." Changqin Wuming hopped onto the gourd. "Give me a lift."

Because of the war between the Sword Sect and the Nether Sect, the Chen Clan's artifact-refining work had surged, and the two of them had been rather busy lately.

"By the way," Changqin Wuming suddenly turned to Shen Yue. "Emperor Wen said you bought Spirit Gathering Pills and planned to break through to the fifth layer of Qi Refining?"

"Mm." Shen Yue nodded.

"General Shen," Changqin Wuming said meaningfully, "cultivation is like a slow-flowing stream. You only broke through to the middle stage not long ago. There's no need to rush into the fifth layer. Listen to me and consolidate your foundation a little longer."

After seeing Zhou Chongwen and Changqin Wuming off, Shen Yue returned to his room and focused inward.

Deep within his soul, the [Nine Heavens Profound Mirror] floated.

The third golden page flickered, its light appearing and disappearing, like a candle flame in the wind or the faint glow on the horizon just before dawn.

"I'm just a little short of unlocking it."

Shen Yue raised his right hand, and magical power surged forth.

Three golden hands grabbed the scraps, then vanished in an instant.

He planned to have the [Nine Heavens Profound Mirror] devour enough scrap material, then unlock the third golden page in one fell swoop.

Light rapidly spread across the golden page.

Three days later, at dawn.

The [Nine Heavens Profound Mirror] burst with golden light, the third golden page shining like the blazing sun.

The magical powers of Qi Refining and Qi Absorption erupted at the same time.

"This is...!"