Chapter 758: Xun Er

Xun Er smiled beautifully, her grace otherworldly, and nodded gently. "I saw Brother Xiao Yan was interested in Spirit Arrays, so I've read some books about Spirit Array Masters lately and learned a bit."

Compared to the Dou Qi Continent, the Great Thousand World offers far more career options. The Dao leads to the same end—many paths lead to Rome—and Cultivation certainly isn't confined to just one way.

In the Great Thousand World, there are several professions comparable to Alchemists, and Spirit Array Master is one of them.

Overall, Spirit Array Master is a highly esteemed profession, for many Factions require their aid—whether to construct defensive Sealing Arrays, offensive Arrays, or Arrays beneficial to Cultivation—all of which demand a Spirit Array Master. Thus, in the Great Thousand World, a high-level Spirit Array Master is an extremely sought-after treasure.

Some Spirit Array Masters whose mastery of Arrays reaches a certain level can construct Arrays with nothing more than a gesture or movement, wielding the power of Arrays to shake Heaven and Earth.

Spirit Array Masters are divided into nine ranks: First-Rank corresponds to the Spirit Wheel Realm, Second-Rank to the Soul Spirit Realm, Third-Rank to the Fusion Heaven Realm, Fourth-Rank to the Transformation Heaven Realm, Fifth-Rank to the Penetration Heaven Realm, and so on—then Body Trial, Spirit Power Trial, Soul Spirit Trial, and Pseudo-Supreme Realm.

Beyond Spirit Array Master come Spirit Array Grandmaster, Spirit Array Patriarch, and Grandmaster Alchemist.

The greatest difference from Alchemists is that anyone can become a Spirit Array Master, for Spirit Array Masters use Spirit Power to form Spiritual Seals, then use those Seals to commune with Heaven and Earth Power, infusing the mysteries of Arrays to unleash immense strength—Spiritual Seals are a special form of Spirit Power.

Unlike Alchemists, who require rigid conditions—namely, possessing both Fire and Wood elemental Qi (Spirit Qi), with Fire dominant and Wood weak—Spirit Array Masters have no such hard requirements; as long as one can control Spirit Power, one can set up a Spirit Array.

In other words, a Spirit Array is like a person: Cultivators cast Spirit Formulas and Divine Techniques using their own Spirit Power and body as the foundation, but a Spirit Array Master uses Heaven and Earth as their body—Spirit Arrays are like the Meridians of a human, channeling power to unleash strength.

Setting up a Spirit Array demands absolute control over Spiritual Seals; any slightest fluctuation or anomalous resonance will cause the Array to fail. Sometimes, when an Array fails, the user suffers backlash from Spirit Power—severely, their life may be lost, for such failure is like the Spirit Array you set up losing control and raging against you instead.

A Fifth-Rank Spirit Array Grandmaster can manipulate hundreds or even thousands of Spiritual Seals with a mere gesture.

After Xiao Yan clashed with Zhu Ye, the Eighth-Grade Spirit Array Grandmaster, though he claimed aloud that Spirit Arrays weren't a big deal, his body was honest—he secretly tried setting up a Spirit Array.

The result? Though Xiao Yan, thanks to his powerful Cultivation Realm, easily controlled Heavenly Earth Spirit Qi and condensed Spiritual Seals to form a Fifth-Rank Array, he could never enter the Heart Array State—the tranquil, meditative state where one merges with the Array as if becoming the Array itself. He soon abandoned the path of Spirit Array Master.

Xiao Yixian, Cai Lin, and Gu Yuan all tried setting up Spirit Arrays, but their results were much like Xiao Yan's. Compared to their Cultivation talent, their Spirit Array talent was utterly inadequate, so they also gave up wasting further effort.

Effort without talent is indeed futile.

Xun Er smiled softly, and under Xiao Yan's gaze, she slowly extended her hand. Her fingers were long and slender, gently curling as if playing a piano.

Her nails were neatly trimmed; in the sunlight, her ten fingers danced, emitting a faint fragrance. On the back of her hand, the elegant curve sank gracefully, perfectly blending the nimbleness of her fingertips with the steadiness of her palm.

As if treating Heaven and Earth as sheet music, Xun Er was the conductor guiding Heavenly Earth Spirit Qi to play a symphony—whether forming Spiritual Seals or manipulating Spirit Qi, she appeared resolute yet gentle. Her hands were so beautiful, like a work of art, making one unable to look away.

Soon, Spirit Power rapidly condensed at her fingertips, transforming into countless delicate, intricate Spiritual Seals—each exquisitely complex, yet radiating a unique resonance. As her jade fingers danced, countless Spiritual Seals flew into Wan Zhu Lin.

Some merged into the bamboo stalks, some sank into the soil, and others dissolved into space. In an instant, tens of thousands of Spiritual Seals shot forth.

"Is this the Heart Array State?" Xiao Yixian gasped. Though Xun Er's movements while setting up the Array were as elegant and refined as ever, there was something subtly different.

Cai Lin shook her head gently. "This isn't ordinary Heart Array State. Ordinary Heart Array State is merely a condition of a Spirit Array Master—but Xun Er's own Cultivation Realm has reached Seven-Star Sovereign. Her Spirit Array talent is extraordinarily high; Qidian couldn't possibly be limited to mere Spirit Array Master."

She glanced at Xiao Yan, thinking: the women around my husband are truly all extraordinary—I must push harder, or I'll be left behind.

As Cai Lin suspected, ordinary Heart Array State can be acquired through postnatal Cultivation—in short, diligence can achieve it. But for true geniuses, ordinary Heart Array State is child's play.

Spirit Array Masters with innate talent master a higher state called Heart Eye State—a relatively advanced state in Spirit Array Cultivation, divided into Virtual Heart Eye and Actual Heart Eye.

Virtual Heart Eye is an illusory insight: for the same Array, a Spirit Array Master who has mastered Virtual Heart Eye consumes less Spirit Power, achieves greater power, and drastically reduces failure rate. Many outstanding Spirit Array Masters can cross-rank Arrays largely because they've mastered this state.

As for Actual Heart Eye, Spirit Array Masters who attain this level perceive countless Arrays as vastly simplified—they see through all complexity to directly perceive the Array Core. If you fight such an opponent, they can instantly spot the weakest point of your Array and shatter it effortlessly.

But what Xun Er possesses is not ordinary Heart Array or Heart Eye—she possesses the far superior Wisdom Eye Array Heart.

In Xun Er's eyes, every hidden Array within Wan Zhu Lin was laid bare by her Wisdom Eye. Her elegant, noble aura was as fresh and refined as an orchid. Her gaze radiated wisdom and sharpness, as piercing as an eagle's.

While setting up the Array, she observed all around with solemn precision, like a peerless Patriarch. Her manipulation of Spirit Qi was gentle and proper, the Spirit Power flowing like a spring breeze—comforting, delightful.

(End of Chapter)