Could He Be the True Array Genius?

High above in the sky. A gentle breeze swept by, carrying a thick stench of blood. With an easy flick of his sleeve, Luo Chen brushed away the filth, a smile gracing his face as he looked at the three cultivators. "Fellow Daoists, what exquisite methods you displayed!" Diwu Qi shook his head. "Your methods are the ones truly beyond comprehension." Yu Jiaolong wore an expression of lingering disbelief. In the end, she asked hesitatingly, "Daoist Luo, could that move you just performed have been the Tier 3 water-attribute illusion art, Mirror Flower, Water Moon?" Her Dream Spring Cave excelled above all in the water method! As one of the pinnacle techniques among Tier 3 water-attribute arts, Mirror Flower, Water Moon was naturally something she had looked into. After recalling and analyzing the scene, she was seventy to eighty percent certain that what Luo Chen had cast so calmly amidst the crisis had indeed been Mirror Flower, Water Moon. Sure enough! Luo Chen gave a slight nod, laying her doubts to rest. Hearing this, Jiang Yu was equally thunderstruck. His primary cultivation method was also water-attributed. He had long known of the illustrious reputation of Mirror Flower, Water Moon. The technique was not particularly hard to acquire; many Golden Core cultivators possessed copies in their collections. After all, rare illusion arts that touched upon the divine soul were always sought after. Yet cultivating it was notoriously arduous. First was the exceedingly high threshold! One had to possess a powerful foundation in the divine soul. Second, one required profound attainments in the Tier 2 water-attribute art, Water Mirror Art, as well as the Tier 2 wood-attribute art, Flower Fairy. Finally, even after fusing the three elements, practicing it remained excruciatingly difficult, and its casting speed was terribly sluggish. More often than not, sect elders would painstakingly set it up after extensive preparation purely to temper the Dao hearts of low-ranking disciples. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect Luo Chen to have mastered it—let alone wield it in live combat. The sheer depth of his attainments was staggering to ponder! While they were still reeling from shock, Luo Chen tactfully changed the subject. "Where did you come from, Fellow Daoist Yu? And this Tier 3 mid-stage demon wolf king..." As he spoke, Luo Chen smoothly put away the Tier 3 wolf king's monster core. The three main combatants raised no objection. A noble alchemist had stepped in and delivered the decisive blow that clinched the battle; granting him some recompense was only natural. Indeed, the cultivation world was just that accommodating toward alchemists! Yu Jiaolong glanced at the wolf king core before speaking. "I came from Seven Kings Mountain. It is a Tier 3 spiritual vein my Dream Spring Cave has been focusing on conquering. Seven Tier 3 demon kings have long occupied that mountain, and during this great war, their numbers surged to nine! This Tier 3 mid-stage demon wolf king fled from there." Seven Kings Mountain? On the troop deployment maps from earlier, that territory boasted a large Tier 3 spiritual vein. Luo Chen pursed his lips. "Did you capture it?" Yu Jiaolong hesitated for a moment before answering, "You could say we did!" Either you captured it or you didn't. What did "you could say we did" mean? Luo Chen showed a look of doubt. Stepping closer, Diwu Qi sent a quiet voice transmission: "Dream Spring Cave isn't the only sect with eyes on that territory. After more than half a year of bitter fighting, even if they took it down, there will still be endless wrangling over who claims it." Hearing this, Luo Chen understood. The territory was taken, but it did not yet belong to Dream Spring Cave. Thus, she could only claim they "more or less" captured it. Luo Chen smiled faintly and refrained from prying further. "Since Fellow Daoist Yu has traveled from afar, why not come visit our sect?" Yu Jiaolong lifted her gaze past the three men, looking toward the sect blessed land that was already taking rudimentary shape. A strange glint flickered in her eyes. Yet after a brief pause, she shook her head. "Dream Spring Cave suffered heavy casualties for this battle, and the sect still needs my strength. For now, I must decline your kind offer, Fellow Daoist." Without waiting for Luo Chen or the others to persuade her, she called upon the Dream Spring Cave cultivators who had pursued the beast alongside her and flew back in the direction they had come. Watching their retreating figures, Diwu Qi sighed. "When even a Golden Core grand sect with foundations as deep as Dream Spring Cave admits to grievous losses, one can only imagine how brutal the frontline fighting must be." Jiang Yu chimed in, "Indeed. Thank goodness we listened to Danchenzi's mountain-moving plan. Otherwise, with our meager strength, we wouldn't have made so much as a ripple on the front lines." A trace of schadenfreude colored his tone. Luo Chen said nothing. However, the smile on his face quietly faded. Fierce battles on the front lines, heavy losses among the Golden Core grand sects—this was hardly good news! When the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer. He could not afford to sit back and gloat. If matters continued to unfold like this, the parting words Fairy Jueqing had left behind would very likely come to pass. Those grand sects that had bled dearly would hardly sit by and watch the Luotian Alliance reap unearned gains from the comfort of the rear. As these thoughts drifted through his mind, Luo Chen cast his gaze downward. Soaked in the blood and flesh of the demon wolf king, the ground reeked of rot, demonic qi billowing skyward. If cultivated properly, terrain like this would be remarkably well-suited for growing certain spiritual herbs down the line. A thought struck him, and he suddenly spoke: "Our three factions have quite a few idle disciples. Why not dispatch them to erect defensive fortifications a thousand li beyond our blessed land?" Jiang Yu froze. "Is that necessary? Even if we build fortifications, there is no need to stretch the battle line so far out!" Diwu Qi had also intended to object, but seeing the resolute expression on Luo Chen's face, he swallowed his words. After pondering carefully, realization dawned on him. "Danchenzi, are you trying to stake out our perimeter? Once the Howling Moon Mountain Range settles, we can use these fortifications as boundary markers to formally demarcate our alliance's territory!" Luo Chen nodded. "Precisely!" "A radius of a thousand li might pale before the five-thousand-li domain of Azure Pill Valley in the Jade Cauldron Domain, but for our three factions, it is by no means small." It was indeed far from small! Within this expanse, by relocating smaller spiritual veins and carving out channels to direct the spiritual flow, they could ensure that though the sparrow was small, it possessed all five internal organs. Luo Chen's vision was both meticulous and far-reaching. This time, neither Diwu Qi nor Jiang Yu voiced any dissent, readily agreeing to the proposal. *** Upon returning to Snow Wolf Flat, Luo Chen's daily life seemed largely unchanged. Incidents involving beast incursions like this were already routine to the alliance cultivators. Over the past six months, stray beasts breaking away from the front lines frequently wandered into this region. Those of lower cultivation could be handled by patrolling disciples. The stronger ones were suppressed by Diwu Qi in person. It was only because a Tier 3 mid-stage beast had arrived this time that Luo Chen had needed to step in personally to prevent it from barging into the alliance's blessed land and wreaking havoc. Shortly after his return, a stream of good tidings arrived. First, Zeng Yilong returned from Broken Moon Immortal City, bearing expressions of interest from Song Mi and Chen Xiuli. Both eagerly agreed to enter the pill business with Luo Chen. Each was willing to spend sixty thousand spirit stones annually to purchase twelve bottles of low-grade Starry Sky Pills from him. They had even volunteered to settle a portion of the payment in mid-grade spirit stones. Evidently, they knew the Luotian Alliance required a large supply of mid-grade spirit stones to lay down the Trapped Dragon Array, and were catering to his needs. Next came Min Longyu. "This array is named the Hidden Action Array. It is barely entry-level Tier 3, hardly a top-tier grand formation." "However, eighty percent of the Hidden Action Array is composed of Obscure Restrictions, which can drastically mask fluctuations of spiritual energy." "When you cast spells, it will provide an excellent concealing effect." Inside the cave dwelling, Min Longyu held a completed miniature array model while giving Luo Chen a thorough introduction. Luo Chen listened intently, raising questions as they came to him. "This array can mask spiritual energy fluctuations, but magic power exists at a far higher tier than raw spiritual energy. Will its concealing effect be sufficient?" "Is this array difficult to learn? Is it easy to deploy?" "If I want to cast a spell, must I set up the formation in advance? Or do I carry an array compass and activate that first? If so, wouldn't that hinder my casting speed?" Anticipating these concerns, Min Longyu addressed each one in turn. By the end, excitement gleamed in his eyes. "Actually, it doesn't need to be so troublesome. Do you still remember how Hall Master Wang once utilized the Blood Fiend Spirit Seizing Formation?" Wang Yuan? The Blood Fiend Spirit Seizing Formation? Suddenly, Luo Chen recalled the crimson array glyphs etched across Wang Yuan's back. Tentatively, he asked, "Engrave this array onto my own body?" *Clap!* Min Longyu clapped his hands in delight. "Precisely!" "The Hidden Action Array is made of numerous Obscure Restrictions, making it inherently imperceptible. If laid directly onto a cultivator's physical body, cloaked on the outside by ordinary magic power fluctuations, it will be nearly impossible to detect whether the array is active or not." "Furthermore, with this array present, a Golden Core cultivator need only allocate a sliver of internal magic power to keep it permanently semi-active. In passing, it can even conceal a Golden Core cultivator's true strength!" Hearing this, Luo Chen's interest was thoroughly piqued. The Breath Concealment Spiritual Art and Turtle Spirit Armor he had learned in the past both possessed the effect of concealing one's cultivation realm. Back then, he had even managed to fool Xiao Sanren, whose perceptive abilities were exceptional. Yet that only held true before the Golden Core realm! After achieving Golden Core, even though Luo Chen had cultivated both arts to the Great Perfection tier, they could only deceive ordinary Golden Core cultivators. If someone of truly formidable cultivation actively probed him with divine sense, they could still see through his depth. This was not due to any shortcoming on Luo Chen's part, but the inherent limitation of those spells' low grade. If the Hidden Action Array possessed such an effect, then even if it failed to mask spellcasting fluctuations, that alone would make it well worth engraving. Action was better than contemplation! "In that case, help me engrave this array!" Luo Chen was already prepared to strip off his robes. However, Min Longyu wore an awkward expression. "Is there another problem?" Luo Chen asked. Min Longyu said helplessly, "I certainly know how to set up the array, but if I engrave it using my spiritual power, I fear less than ten percent of its effectiveness will remain." The exact same array wielded by different people yielded entirely different power. Luo Chen understood instantly. "Then what if we have Fu Jiusheng preside over the engraving?" Min Longyu shook his head. "Since this array is meant to assist you in casting spells and cloaking your magic power fluctuations, it naturally must be engraved by your own hand. That way, the magic power shares the exact same source, ensuring no outsider can detect a flaw." That made complete sense. "So you mean I must learn this Tier 3 array myself, and then perform the operation on my own body?" "Precisely!" Min Longyu nodded and continued, "Moreover, the more proficient your mastery over this array, the better its effect when activated. If that concept seems hard to grasp, you can refer to Hall Master Wang's attempt with the Blood Fiend Spirit Seizing Formation back then. It was precisely because his mastery was clumsy that his first attempt to seize a Foundation Establishment foundation ended in failure." Luo Chen raised a brow. His thoughts drifted back to the underground chambers beneath Mount Xiaohuan. When Wang Yuan had tried to seize the aged Duan Qiankun, he had indeed failed regrettably. Yet later, when seizing Huo Hu in the prime of his life, he succeeded in a single stroke. The difference lay in the fact that, with the help of Min Longyu and Duan Feng, he had developed a far deeper understanding and mastery of the Blood Fiend Spirit Seizing Formation. Through this example, Luo Chen fully bought into Min Longyu's reasoning. Yet another question surfaced. "Right now, I can only lay down some simple Tier 1 arrays. Isn't jumping straight to a Tier 3 array far too massive a leap?" To this, Min Longyu waved his hand with supreme confidence. "Do not make arrays out to be so impossibly difficult." Luo Chen rolled his eyes. "For a genius, of course it's not difficult." "Fair enough!" Min Longyu scratched his head, but continued to state his perspective. "This array is merely a miniature Tier 3 formation, and a relatively simple concealment array at that. On top of that, you are already well-versed in concealment spells and possess a foundation in Obscure Restrictions. I believe mastering this array shouldn't be overly arduous for you." "Furthermore, while the materials required to set up this array are precious, they are actually quite easy to collect." "One could say that when it comes to learning the Hidden Action Array, you face no insurmountable barriers." This explanation swept away the last of Luo Chen's reservations. He nodded. "If that's the case, I might as well give it a try! Who knows, perhaps I possess an outstanding talent for the dao of arrays myself." At that, Min Longyu nearly choked back a burst of laughter. If he truly had talent, he would have displayed it long ago when learning the basics! *Forget it, he is the Supreme Elder. I must maintain proper respect.* Though he told himself this, he couldn't completely suppress the slight upward curl of his lips. Luo Chen paid it no mind. At this moment, rank was set aside; the other man was acting as his array teacher, so what harm was there in a little amusement? Luo Chen had always respected teachers and honored the dao! *** Far beyond Min Longyu's expectations, Luo Chen's progress in learning the Hidden Action Array advanced by leaps and bounds! Three months later. Staring at the magic power array patterns Luo Chen had laid out on the ground, Min Longyu's eyes were filled with sheer disbelief. "How is this possible?!" "Three months—he learned an entire Tier 3 array in just three months!" "Could he be the real genius, and I'm just a fraud of an array prodigy?" Facing Min Longyu's shock, Luo Chen offered little explanation. In truth, he really had no extraordinary talent for arrays. From his day-to-day study, he was well aware of his own limits. The reason he could master this technique within three months was largely what Min Longyu had pointed out earlier: he possessed the necessary foundation. Yet the greatest credit for his success belonged to the system! Inside the cave dwelling, Luo Chen reflected. *It seems arrays are actually more suited to my learning style than alchemy, provided I have guidance from a truly formidable array master.* *Unlike alchemy, arrays are black and white—either you know them or you don't.* *All I need to do is master the basic restrictions, then copy the completed array left by an array master over and over. As long as I copy it successfully once, the system recognizes it as having entered the threshold.* *Once that happens, I can fall back on my old routine of grinding proficiency, driving it up frantically until it's done.* The corners of Luo Chen's mouth lifted, a wave of profound contentment washing over him. It might sound complicated, but in truth, arrays were much like calligraphy. Those without talent could never become calligraphy masters. Yet an ordinary person could still produce characters that appeared identical to the original by meticulously tracing the brushstrokes of a master. Arrays worked on the exact same principle! In fact, with the aid of the proficiency system, Luo Chen could achieve a level indistinguishable from the real thing, or even surpass the calligraphy master themselves. The Great Perfection tier was transcendence itself! Luo Chen had achieved entry within three months purely by copying the physical array Min Longyu had constructed. The real genius wasn't him; it was still Min Longyu! Naturally, this approach had its shortcomings. Constrained by his inherent talent, even if he could lay down the same array far more swiftly, he could never emulate a gifted, formidable array master in adapting formations to the terrain, adjusting them to the hour, or altering them to counter specific foes. *Still, this is more than enough to meet my needs.* *Next, all I have to do is grind up the proficiency of the Hidden Action Array and engrave it onto my body.* *Along the way, I also need to raise my proficiency in Mirror Flower, Water Moon. Its current Perfect tier is still somewhat lacking in live combat.* In a short span of time, Luo Chen mapped out his upcoming daily routine. Cultivation, alchemy, studying arrays, and practicing spells! *Oh, I almost forgot. I need to take the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel and the Profound Fire Sword to Broken Moon Immortal City and pay Master Huyan Zhuo to repair them.* After years of use, the Profound Fire Sword was thoroughly battered. Especially after his Core Formation, his magic power had become so overpowering that whenever he channeled the treasure, it felt as though it could barely bear the load. It was, after all, merely an ordinary low-grade flying sword treasure. Luo Chen was terrified that it might suddenly shatter the next time he unleashed it. The Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel was similarly strained. Though formidable in power, its auxiliary components were too easily damaged. It had sustained cracks back when he slew that Tier 3 mid-stage snow wolf king. Worse still, after being tainted by the corrosive raindrops Jiang Yu had summoned, it had failed to fully restore itself even after the antidote was applied. These treasures formed crucial links in Luo Chen's combat prowess. He could afford no mishaps! Having sorted out these matters, Luo Chen turned his attention to the subdued Tier 2 demon wolf lying within the cave dwelling. "Mirror Flower, Water Moon, open!" In a rare moment of theatrical indulgence, Luo Chen spent a good while performing intricate hand seals before snapping his eyes open with absolute solemnity. Before him, the Tier 2 demon wolf—already possessing a glimmer of spiritual intelligence—instantly plunged into layers of illusions. In a daze, it returned to the days of running across the hills under the setting sun—the lost days of its youth!