Chapter 167: Q&A

There was a geothermal vent on Zhidun Ridge. Around the geothermal vent, more than ten bamboo houses had been built, and only five were occupied, while the rest were empty. Liu Daoran didn't care at all, pointed to one at random, didn't even go inside, pulled Liu Xiaolou and wanted to ask about the spirit materials on the list: "Brother, please look, this..."

Liu Xiaolou said: "Don't worry, let's get to know the few who arrived first..."

Liu Daoran pulled him: "No, no, please Brother Liu, solve my doubts first, otherwise I won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight... How to deal with this gold leaf?"

This belongs to the problem of handling weapon-refining materials. The "Thousand Extreme Formulas" left by Star Dejun has classifications and disposal methods for various materials. Although there is no specific description of gold leaf, there are similar classifications.

Gold leaf is not common. Most people—including array masters—have never heard of it. Only specialized weapon refiners know the way. This is a material whose nature is easily confused. It looks like gold and stone, but its texture is the same as leaf veins. Whether it should be refined by the method of gold and stone or by the method of grass and wood, many people are not clear.

Once in Liu Xiaolou's hands, he knew all the ways. He immediately informed: "Refine it according to the nature of grass and wood."

In fact, there is a trick to judge in the "Thousand Extreme Formulas." When encountering such spirit materials with two natures in their names, refine them according to the latter nature. This is a very simple sentence, but many people don't understand it in their whole lives, and no one will teach them. Liu Xiaolou, of course, wouldn't teach Liu Daoran, but telling him to "treat it as grass and wood" was already very kind.

Refining array plates naturally requires array masters to be the main ones, but array masters are more proficient in etching array symbols on well-processed spirit materials. Their handling of the spirit materials themselves appears to be a bit weaker.

In fact, Tang Song also invited a friend, a specialized weapon refiner, who is said to be at the Golden Core early-stage cultivation, to come and sit in and guide the disposal of various spirit materials. But this weapon refiner surnamed Long hasn't arrived yet, so the array masters have to figure it out themselves first.

After settling Liu Daoran, Liu Xiaolou returned to the mid-mountain terrace, but saw someone sitting cross-legged in front of the bamboo house. The face was unfamiliar, so he thought it was another array master who had come to apply.

With Liu Daoran's precedent, this time he had experience. As usual, he first asked about his family background and origin, understood his cultivation level, and then set a question for this array master at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.

"Please try to state the order of the meaning of gold, fire, wood, water, and earth in the Western array."

This question also came from the "Five Symbols" and was no longer profound content from the back, belonging to the foundation in the front, but this array master was also dumbfounded and unable to answer.

So Liu Xiaolou asked again with the content of the "Golden Slip Array Essentials." The other party's answer was quite unexpected to him, seeming to be very different from what Qingzhu taught. He had a mind not to let him pass, but after thinking carefully, the other party's explanation could really justify itself, so he simply let him pass and settled him in Stone Valley.

Two consecutive successful tests greatly increased Liu Xiaolou's confidence. This time he finally understood that the "Five Symbols," this book of array paths, was really not something to be taken out to test people. It was more like making things difficult for people. No wonder he read it in a daze. It wasn't that he wasn't good enough; it was that the book was too profound.

Such a scripture had its status greatly elevated in his heart. Regardless of whether he could understand it or not, he would memorize it completely first.

He forgot to eat and sleep to memorize it for a whole night, and it wasn't until the dawn of the next day that he managed to memorize it without a single mistake, and even Tang Song's annotations were memorized backwards.

At this moment, his head was full of things like "walking the path of the five directions," "nourishing the Qi of the five directions," "five days and five luminaries," "five cities and twelve towers," and the whole person was dizzy, immersed in the scriptures.

Accompanied by the rising morning sun, someone else climbed the mountain. The steward led the visitor to the front of the house and then withdrew. Liu Xiaolou was in a daze and subconsciously set a question to test: "What is the essence of Xuan Water added to the array eye?"

The visitor stared at Liu Xiaolou, thought for a moment, and replied: "When the Heavenly Plate moon is correct, add half, enter the earth room and darken, when the moon is half, store the essence correctly, enter the surface of the central Wu-Ji, and condense forty-nine grains."

Liu Xiaolou was stunned and asked: "In the central Wu-Ji, how are the five elements distributed?"

The visitor said: "Earth is king, metal is phase, water is dead, wood is prisoner, fire is rest."

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"Prisoner is not a cage, how should it be explained?"

"Prisoner and death are substitutes!"

"Understood! Substitute for rebirth!" Liu Xiaolou's eyes suddenly brightened.

This answer explained a certain problem in the "Five Symbols" that Liu Xiaolou had always wanted to understand, and even related to the distribution of the array eyes of his Lin Yuan Xuanshi Array.

Liu Xiaolou gained a great deal of insight, and then suddenly woke up: "Who are you?"

The visitor smiled: "Did the test pass?"

Liu Xiaolou hurriedly said: "Passed! Passed! You are..."

The visitor said: "Diao Daoyi of Mount Siming."

"Ah! So it is Senior Diao. Junior has eyes but didn't recognize Mount Tai, please forgive me!" Liu Xiaolou hurriedly got up and bowed respectfully.

This Diao Daoyi was an inner disciple of Mount Siming with Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivation. Mount Siming was also a great array sect. Although they were not accepted by the Zhao family because their prices were too high, they did not oppose their disciples joining the refining of the Fanghe Peak mountain-protecting great array in their personal capacity. Diao Daoyi was the array master invited by Tang Song to preside over the geothermal vent of Zhidun Ridge.

Diao Daoyi laughed, not taking offense, and asked: "Are you studying the 'Array Secret Five Symbols Scripture'?"

Liu Xiaolou said terrified: "What I am studying is the 'Five Symbols'."

Diao Daoyi waved his hand: "The 'Five Symbols' is an old edition from three hundred years ago, later deleted and increased by the Pingdu Eight-Array Gate into the 'Array Secret Five Symbols Scripture.' In fact, they are roughly the same. Learning from the ancient edition has a better effect. Are you Tang Master's disciple?"

Liu Xiaolou said: "Junior is the Su family's son-in-law and is quite interested in arrays. I also came to apply for the refining of array plates. Just because my cultivation is low, I cannot refine array plates alone, so Tang Master let me follow by his side to deliver messages and do some miscellaneous tasks."

Diao Daoyi smiled: "No matter. Cultivation can increase day by day, but the path of arrays is not easy to understand. Following Tang Master to cultivate, what you see and think is more beneficial than refining an array plate."

Liu Xiaolou prostrated: "Many thanks for Senior's guidance. Tang Master went to the main peak of Jinting Mountain to see Elder Zhao for the matter of spirit materials and has been gone for a day and a night. He instructed Junior that after Senior Diao arrives, you can preside over the geothermal heat of Zhidun Ridge. Please follow Junior."

Diao Daoyi followed Liu Xiaolou to Zhidun Ridge and asked Liu Xiaolou several questions on the way. Liu Xiaolou answered those he knew, and for those he didn't, he tried his best to guess, first stating his own understanding, and then asking for advice on right and wrong.

When they were about to reach Zhidun Ridge, Diao Daoyi asked: "Do you know Qingzhu of the Yuezhou Ouyang family of Lianxi Hall? Ah, it must be. The Yuezhou Ouyang family and the Su family are in-laws, no wonder, no wonder."

Liu Xiaolou asked: "I heard Qingzhu reached Foundation Establishment?"

Diao Daoyi nodded: "Reached Foundation Establishment. My Mount Siming wanted to recruit her into the sect as an inner disciple, but she was unwilling. It's a pity."

Late at night, Tang Song returned, and the supply problem of Xuanbird Stone was also solved. When asked about the experience of this day, Liu Xiaolou said it simply and respectfully presented the "Five Symbols" back. Tang Song laughed and took it back, saying: "Diao Daoyi is very capable. When you have time, you can ask him for advice more often."

Please visit the latest address. ===== CHAPTER 168 =====