Chapter 691: Cultivation does not determine all outcomes

The Thousand Peaks Forest punitive expedition and the Wangchuan Prefecture Lord battle allowed Unlike Ning Zhuo to accumulate over three digits of Golden Cores successively,

most of which came from the Black Cloud battlefield.

Luo Si's counterattack determined the outcome of that battle. After the two Nascent Soul-level leaders fell, the many Golden Core-level forbidden army cultivators also suffered defeat one after another.

Therefore, most of the Golden Cores in Unlike Ning Zhuo's hands were still Golden Cores cultivated from Ghost Dao and Soul Dao cultivation methods.

Facing Shen Xi's doubts, Unlike Ning Zhuo smiled and responded: "Five Elements cultivation methods are the most popular. Therefore, there won't be a shortage of Five Elements-type Golden Cores, which is just right for my use."

He secretly planned: Ghost Dao and Soul Dao cultivation method Golden Cores are not very suitable for the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel. Perhaps he could exchange them for Five Elements-type Golden Cores through trading.

In this regard, the Wanxiang Sect's Commerce Hall should be able to satisfy Unlike Ning Zhuo's needs.

"Of course, I won't go to exchange them in the near future."

"Even if I exchange them in the future, I will try my best to impersonate and disguise, or let Sun Lao Da help me."

"I'm new here and can't show off at will."

Su Su Lingkou glanced at Unlike Ning Zhuo, feeling that his tone was a bit big, secretly thinking: "You are only at the Foundation Establishment cultivation, yet you don't take Golden Cores seriously. My cousin is still humble and down-to-earth—"

Unlike Ning Zhuo looked at Shen Xi and asked about his views on the Five Elements Golden Core Wheel.

"Interesting." Shen Xi was full of interest and gave his opinion.

Unlike Ning Zhuo considered carefully and asked about the difficulties and obstacles one after another.

Shen Xi answered them one by one.

The two talked more and more closely.

Shen Xi had a better understanding of Unlike Ning Zhuo: "Unlike Ning Zhuo's attainments in array Dao are indeed not deep, not as good as mine, but his array Dao foundation is extremely solid. That's right, big family children, their foundation in the four great arts of cultivation will never be bad."

This understanding did not lower Shen Xi's evaluation of Unlike Ning Zhuo at all.

"It seems that Unlike Ning Zhuo Daoist friend has invested decades of cultivation energy into the Five Elements aspect."

"As a result, he only has Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation now."

"It's very normal for him to be like this in array Dao."

If he had extraordinary attainments in array Dao as well, Shen Xi would have started to doubt whether Unlike Ning Zhuo was an old cultivator who had successfully maintained his youth.

Yu Heya found it strange.

During the exchange, Unlike Ning Zhuo kept his posture very low, without any arrogance, and was always humbly asking for advice.

This made Yu Heya discover another side of Unlike Ning Zhuo.

Su Su Lingkou felt that all this was a matter of course. In the time she spent with her cousin, she had seen many cultivators ask Shen Xi for advice,

and explore situations.

Shen Xi became more and more interested in talking.

He was no longer just answering, but began to expound his understanding of array Dao.

"Among the ten classic array formations, the one I am most proficient in is the Jiugong array formation."

"Personally, I think the Jiugong array formation is unique, and its difference from the other nine major array formations is quite huge!"

To roughly divide array methods, they are static arrays and dynamic arrays.

Among static arrays, there are ten major array formations, which are classics among classics, and their status cannot be shaken. Dynamic arrays have a wide variety, and their development history is far inferior to static arrays, and they are mostly seen in the form of battle arrays. For example, the Iron Barrel Array, Red Flower Array, and Sun Lingtong's small thief Light Wind Array all belong to this category.

The ten major static array formations are: Hunyuan Array, Yiqi Array, Liangyi Array, Sancai Array, Sixiang Array, Five Elements Array, Liuhe Array, Qixing Array, Bagua Array, and Jiugong Array.

Shen Xi knew that Unlike Ning Zhuo was proficient in Five Elements, so he didn't mention the Five Elements Array in the topic.

Unlike Ning Zhuo nodded: "Among the hundred arts of cultivation, array layout is one of the four great arts. Among the ten major static array formations, the Jiugong Array is indeed the one that can best amplify combat power."

Shen Xi took care of Unlike Ning Zhuo's face and didn't mention the Five Elements Array, but Unlike Ning Zhuo was naturally humble and studious, and had never taken this point to heart.

The solid array foundation made Unlike Ning Zhuo quite understand the advantages of the Jiugong Array,

and he continued to give examples: "Let's take the ten major static array prototypes as the most basic. The Five Elements prototype array's generation and amplification is only three to five times,

and the Bagua array's trigram amplification is about six to eight times. The Jiugong Array has an amplification of nine to twelve times."

"And this is just the most basic prototype array."

After a pause, Unlike Ning Zhuo continued: "I once did some calculations in class."

"If you use the Five Elements prototype array to support a light shield to resist a Nascent Soul cultivator's attack, it requires at least fifty thousand spirit stones."

"But if you use the Jiugong Array, you only need to shift the Nascent Soul cultivator to the Xun Fourth Palace, and then withstand the attack; the spirit stones required are only nine thousand-plus, saving a full 80% of the cost!"

"And using the Bagua array to trap three Golden Cores requires three thousand spirit stones. But to trap the enemy for the same amount of time, the Jiugong Array can save 75% of the spirit stones."

Su Su Lingkou slandered again: "Why does Unlike Ning Zhuo always use Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators as examples? Has he forgotten that he is only a Foundation Establishment?"

Why can't low-cultivation cultivators use high-cultivation ones as examples?

Unlike Ning Zhuo never had such a thought pattern.

As early as in the Fire Persimmon Xiancheng, his hypothetical enemies were the City Lord's Mansion, Nascent Soul-level cultivators like Meng, and his Golden Core-level subordinates.

He had been pondering since he was a child how to win against the strong with the weak. This spirit of research had already been deeply ingrained in his bones.

Unlike Ning Zhuo's examples made Shen Xi directly understand: Unlike Ning Zhuo was not flattering him, but truly had such a view.

Shen Xi clapped his hands and laughed: "Those who know me, Unlike Ning Zhuo Daoist friend."

He became more interested: "There are many who use the Jiugong Array to win against the strong with the weak. Let's take figures from my Flying Cloud Kingdom as examples."

"For example, fifteen years ago, the Qingyun Sect suffered an attack by demon cultivators."

"The Qingyun Sect was just a small sect, and the strongest was Chu Ping, a peak Golden Core, who was proficient in array layout."

"With only one Golden Core and twenty-seven Foundation Establishment disciples, they held their ground at the Qingyun Sect mountain gate."

"Their opponent was the notorious Nascent Soul demon cultivator Blood Corpse Old Demon, and three thousand blood-coagulated corpses."

"Chu Ping had the Foundation Establishment disciples guard the Jiugong, and Chu Ping himself entered the Middle Fifth Palace as bait, luring the Old Demon into the array to kill him."

"After the Blood Corpse Old Demon entered the array, Chu Ping immediately changed the palace grid, locking the main battlefield in the Li Ninth Palace and Kun Second Palace."

"The final flames unleashed, after the 81-fold amplification of the Li Ninth Palace, and then magnified four times by the Kun Second Palace, burned the Blood Corpse Old Demon's physical body in one fell swoop, letting the latter's Nascent Soul escape. The three thousand blood-coagulated corpses were also burned to ashes."

Shen Xi also said: "And seventy years ago, one of the four great loose cultivators of my Flying Cloud Kingdom, the Chess Addict, carried the dying entrustment of a friend,

designing an array test to hand over the friend's inheritance to the cultivator who passed the test."

"The Chess Addict laid out a Jiugong Array with nine strange stones in the valley, and the sword cultivator Ling Xiao charged the array."

"Although the Chess Addict and Ling Xiao were both Nascent Soul level, the latter was recognized as being only one step away from the Transformation God level, and could be considered a quasi-Transformation God."

"At first, Ling Xiao was like a hot knife through butter, breaking through four palaces in a row. But after the palace positions shifted, he was led by the Chess Addict to the Dui Seventh Palace."

"The Chess Addict arranged the General Qian Sixth Palace behind, forming a cycle of swamp Qi rising to the sky and heavenly thunder returning to the swamp."

"Ling Xiao fought with all his might, breaking this cycle, but it caused the Zhen Third Palace to lose balance, subsequently triggering the reflection of the General Qian Sixth Palace, making Ling Xiao's sword Qi grow thirty-six times and then backfire on the owner."

"In the end, Ling Xiao was defeated and vomited blood, retreating from the array."

Unlike Ning Zhuo listened carefully and opened his eyes.

He nodded in agreement and said: "As far as I know, the most famous example of winning against the strong with the weak using the Jiugong Array is 'The Boy Traps the Dragon'."

This is a story often told in array books.

The Foundation Establishment-stage fisherman boy Xiao Man was chased by a dragon and accidentally escaped to a strange place at the bottom of the river.

Here was a page of the Luo Shu, lost here, buried in the river silt.

Over time, the surrounding environment gradually changed according to the principles recorded in the Luo Shu page, forming a natural Jiugong Array constructed with water veins as array lines.

Xiao Man was chased here, obtained the Luo Shu page, used the nine water-avoiding copper coins he had, activated the Jiugong Array, and then risked luring the evil dragon into the array.

The evil dragon did not recognize the array, and although it severely injured Xiao Man, it was also trapped here. Every time it struggled, its Nascent Soul would be sealed to one-twentieth of what it was before. After struggling several times, the evil dragon was heavily sealed by the Jiugong Array, and in the end, it could only become the villainous supporting role in the legendary record of Foundation Establishment defeating Nascent Soul.

This was a very, very long time ago.

But because it spread so widely, this story was repeatedly recorded in classics.

"Luo Shu?" Yu Heya listened for half a day and finally found a place to interject. "I know this; it is the source of mathematical principles, and it has very high research value for arrays, divination, etc."

"The Luo Shu was scattered very early, and the Luo Shu page of the fisherman Xiao Man is also missing because he failed the tribulation."

Yu Heya's attainments in arrays were not as profound as Unlike Ning Zhuo's.

He came from an ordinary background, didn't lay a foundation when he was young, and he himself was not interested in this aspect.

Unlike Ning Zhuo and Shen Xi communicated enthusiastically, and he almost wanted to yawn, but finally managed to get a word in, which made him feel refreshed.

Taking the opportunity to speak, he introduced the delicacies on the table again, trying to turn the topic back.

Although he was a blank slate in spirit cooking, he was old and had eaten quite a few spirit stones, which was a field he was familiar with.

However, after eating and drinking for a few mouthfuls, Shen Xi pulled the topic back to the Jiugong Array again.

He had quite high attainments in arrays; on one hand, it was family cultivation since childhood, and on the other hand, it was his own hobby.

Interest is often the best teacher.

If there was no such interest, Shen Xi would not have such attainments in arrays. He invested a lot of time and energy in arrays. Therefore, he sacrificed many opportunities to cultivate cultivation methods.

Shen Xi said: "Speaking of the Jiugong Array, we are in a Jiugong Array right now."

Unlike Ning Zhuo was puzzled: "Shen Daoist friend means that the protective magic array of the Hanging Vine Cliff here is a Jiugong Array?"

Shen Xi nodded slightly: "Exactly."

"No, no." Yu Heya shook his head, "The protective array of the Hanging Vine Cliff is called the Thousand Vine Drinking Cloud Array; I can be sure."

Shen Xi nodded again: "That's right."

This made Unlike Ning Zhuo and Yu Heya even more puzzled. Shen Xi explained with a smile: "Don't you two feel that the mountain peaks around the Hanging Vine Cliff are a bit close?"

"This is actually a deliberate layout."

"The Hanging Vine Cliff, Profound Underworld Peak, Startling Thunder Islet, Cloud Mo Summit, Jade Marrow Hill, and other nine mountain peaks each have their own protective mountain arrays, but overall they have formed the pattern of a Jiugong Array."

Unlike Ning Zhuo couldn't help but move his heart.

His mother's cave dwelling before she died, the Jade Washing Studio, was on the Cloud Mo Summit.

Yu Heya raised his brow: "Is it actually like this?"

Shen Xi nodded: "This Jiugong Array was laid out by Ning Xie Tang, the Mechanism Lang of the Heavy Array Peak—"

After Shen Xi's introduction, Unlike Ning Zhuo and Yu Heya finally understood the origin.

Ning Xie Tang was a Nascent Soul-level cultivator who had served as an official in the Flying Cloud Kingdom, and his official position was very high, so his title was Mechanism Lang.

He was very proficient in array layout. After resigning from his official position, he returned to the sect and devoted himself to cultivation.

Once, during an exchange, he came to the Jiugong Xiancheng to give a lecture. In the lecture, the case he cited was this Jiugong Array.

Shen Xi recalled: "Ning Xie Tang senior's array attainments made me sigh in admiration at the time. This Jiugong Array is indeed his proudest work in his life; he even said in the lecture that he left behind an array Dao magic treasure that he couldn't use, hidden in this Jiugong Array, waiting for someone fated. This point also left a very deep impression on me."

A brilliance flashed in Unlike Ning Zhuo's eyes, making a look of being moved: "Oh? What kind of array Dao magic treasure is it?"

Shen Xi shook his head: "Ning Daoist friend, this magic treasure is hot, it cannot be taken at will."

Unlike Ning Zhuo pretended not to understand: "Why is that?"

Su Su Lingkou covered her mouth and smiled: "This is actually Ning Xie Tang senior's screening method, to select cultivators with a certain array Dao attainment, so that it is convenient for him to introduce them to the Heavy Array Peak."

"Many seniors in the Wanxiang Sect are like this, just like fishing with bait."

"Taking his array Dao magic treasure means having a fate with him, owing his debt, and also being marked by the Heavy Array Peak."

"Therefore, cultivators with other aspirations never take the initiative to pick up this array Dao magic treasure."

Unlike Ning Zhuo nodded: "Thank you for the explanation, it's about the same as I guessed."

He looked at Shen Xi and asked what he really wanted to ask: "Shen Daoist friend must have the ability to take this magic treasure, but you haven't done so." Shen Xi nodded: "Ning Xie Tang senior's layout is not difficult to break. But I am not a loose cultivator, but represent the family."

"Before I came, I had been warned by family seniors many times not to take sides at will in advance. I believe Ning Daoist friend has a deep understanding of this."

This point did not exist.

Unlike Ning Zhuo split the family, and he was the family head. The entire Ning family branch listened to him.

Not only that, his influence in the two kingdoms was also very large, at least the Three Generals Camp was very close to him. His "Shi Zhong Old Monster" identity also had quite a lot of prestige in the Thousand Peaks Forest.

He was also the Deputy City Lord of the White Paper Xiancheng.

Shen Xi said this and hesitated obviously, but finally said: "This Flying Cloud Assembly may be different from previous sessions. We plan to form a small mountain head first and observe the situation."

Unlike Ning Zhuo's heart moved, and he immediately understood that Shen Xi was hinting at the confrontation between the new and the old, the Purple Thunder Peak and the Flowing Cloud Peak.

Yu Heya widened his eyes, full of suspicion: "What is different?"

He was the oldest and had stayed in the Wanxiang Sect the longest, but he hadn't even noticed this point.

He was a loose cultivator after all, and didn't have this kind of consciousness. The cultivation method he practiced was still the "Reverse Five Elements Demon Art," which didn't have a Nascent Soul-level method. The highest achievement in his life was almost being recognized as a Golden Core true disciple.

You know, the number of Golden Core true disciples in the Wanxiang Sect is not small.

Yu Heya had never entered the power department, his experience was too single, and most of his energy and heart were focused on "avoiding Qi deviation."

A hundred arts of cultivation, a hundred states of life.

Cultivation level does not determine all outcomes.

There are plenty of means to win against the strong with the weak.

Array methods are one, and wisdom is the second.

No matter how high the cultivation is, if one doesn't know the situation, one will be calculated by others and become a thug or a pawn. ===== CHAPTER 692 =====

He had plenty of methods to overcome the strong with the weak.

Formation arrays were one, and strategic planning was another.

No matter how high one's cultivation base, if one fails to recognize the situation, one will be calculated against by others and reduced to a mere thug or pawn.