Chapter 262: Ghost Market Trading, Xu Mingxian's Dao!

"May I ask the fairy's illustrious name?" Yan Han asked.

Xu Deyue did not speak. Ye Fan smiled and said, "Brother Yan, why do you inquire about my Dao companion's name?"

"She is your Dao companion?!"

Yan Han was instantly astonished upon hearing this.

The surrounding crowd broke into widespread discussion. Such a breathtakingly stunning fairy had actually become Dao companions with a young Sixth-Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator.

What kind of divine match was this?!

It was far too enviable!

Yan Han was slightly taken aback. He cupped his fists and said, "I simply wish to know by whose hands my brother and I suffered defeat."

"My surname is Ye, and my Dao companion's surname is Xu. We hail from the Cloudstream Xu Family."

"Cloudstream? Is that the Cloudstream Town I know of?"

"It seems the current Cloudstream is occupied by a Foundation Establishment clan surnamed Xu!"

"I recall this Xu Family has only been developing for a little over a decade. To think they possess the foundation to nurture such a prodigy!"

"I have been to Cloudstream. They have a Cultivation Tower there; as long as you pay spirit stones, you can enter to cultivate. There is also the Immortal-Ascension Pavilion, which has pills, artifacts, formations, talismans, and all kinds of cultivation resources, including quite a few rare items.

Master Ling's exquisite grade works are essentially only sold in the Immortal-Ascension Pavilion."

"Master Ling?"

"I heard she is also a member of the Xu Family. In her early years, she took Perfected Person Fire Cloud of Fire Cloud Valley as her honored master. Her attainments in artificing are unmatched among the younger generation in our Heavenly Azure Prefecture.

Who knows how many people desire to obtain one of her dharma tools but cannot."

Yan Han watched the receding figures of the two, his pupils shrinking slightly as he murmured, "To think it's the Cloudstream Xu Family!"

The Yan Family elder was also surprised. "I didn't expect the Xu Family to actually have two such outstanding juniors!"

"They waited until the eve of the Prodigy Grand Assembly to let them walk the outside world!"

"Yan Han, how do you feel this woman compares to your Brother Kuangtu?"

Yan Han pondered for a moment before replying, "Fairy Xu did not use her full strength. Since she is a clanswoman of Master Ling, she certainly doesn't lack Two-Pattern Magic Tools, perhaps possessing even more than one.

She is currently only at the mid-stage of the Ninth-Level Foundation Establishment, yet her vigorous mana is in no way inferior to mine.

Right now, she might not be a match for Big Brother Kuangtu. But if she reaches Foundation Establishment Perfection in a year's time, her mana and divine sense will both be at their peak, leaving her with no shortcomings.

At that time, it would be truly hard to say who would win and who would lose."

The Yan Family elder sighed softly. "During every Prodigy Grand Assembly, unknown geniuses suddenly rise to prominence, fighting their way into the official selection slots, or even onto the Prodigy Roll.

You must all remember not to be arrogant and look down on others!"

"Yan Qing, you spoke insolently and acted rashly. Go to the Discipline Hall yourself to receive twenty lashes, and then reflect on your mistakes while facing the wall for a month."

Yan Qing was about to say something, but upon seeing his older brother's icy gaze, he immediately lowered his head, cupped his fists, and said, "Disciple Yan Qing respectfully obeys the elder's command."

"Yan Han, with your strength, there is a glimmer of hope for you to clear the arena battles. Our Yan Family will find a suitable Two-Pattern Magic Tool for you to lend you a helping hand.

When the time comes, you will be better equipped to assist Kuangtu."

"Thank you, Elder. Yan Qing will certainly go all out."

The Prodigy Grand Assembly had an age limit for participants; only those under the 120-year age limit were allowed to join.

Anyone within this age bracket was considered part of the younger generation.

Those beyond 120 years of age belonged to the older generation.

The reason Ye Fan and Xu Deyue were traveling the outside world and challenging families with profound foundations or Golden Core aristocratic families was not to make a name for themselves.

It was for the sake of their descendant.

Indeed, over two years ago, the couple gave birth to a son named Xu Chongfei.

He possessed a top-tier Earth Spirit Root constitution with seventy percent spirit root purity; he was only a hair's breadth away from having Heavenly Spirit Root aptitude.

He was born with a Flame-Cold Spirit Body.

Because of his special constitution, if he wanted to embark on the path of cultivation, he had to practice a rare cultivation method that allowed for dual water and fire cultivation.

Otherwise, forcibly cultivating could lead to a conflict between water and fire spirit power, completely shattering his meridians.

The Xu Family's efforts to collect such a method proved fruitless, which was why the two began challenging various families. Under the guise of these challenges, they were inquiring about this type of cultivation method.

Since it coincided with the Prodigy Grand Assembly, even if they went to block people's doors to challenge them, no one would specifically target them for it.

Over the past month, the two had challenged numerous families and Golden Core aristocratic families, but unfortunately, there had been no news.

If there truly was no other way, they could only participate in the Prodigy Grand Assembly and fight their way onto the Prodigy Roll, where they might be able to make such a request.

Those who made it onto the Prodigy Roll could forgo the standard rewards and request what they desired instead. As long as it was reasonable, the five top-tier factions would fulfill it.

By now, the Xu Clan Trading Company had already been renamed the Immortal-Ascension Pavilion.

Its location had also been moved.

However, the underground ghost market had been retained.

It opened once every three months, and all participants would wear the ghost market masks prepared by the Xu Family, which were designed to isolate spiritual sense probing.

The Xu Family hosted the event and collected transaction fees, occasionally stepping in to trade for items they needed themselves.

There were four passages leading into the ghost market, all located outside Cloudstream Town.

Moreover, all of them were equipped with third-rank concealing grand arrays and defensive grand arrays.

Without activating the grand arrays, even Golden Core stage cultivators would find it very difficult to discover the entrances.

The profits the ghost market brought to the Xu Family were not much less than those of the Immortal-Ascension Pavilion. In fact, some rare spirit medicines, materials, and pill recipes were obtained from the ghost market.

Underground, somewhere in Cloudstream Town.

The location of the ghost market.

Tonight was once again the tri-monthly ghost market trading.

From having only a handful of attendees at the very beginning, it had now gained quite a bit of fame.

Some people from the Seven Heavenly Azure Cities, and even disciples from the three great sects, would come to take a look.

"For this ghost market trading, according to the old rules, my master will cast a brick to attract a jade. Following that, if any Daoist friends have items they wish to trade, you may come up to the stage to introduce them and state what you want in exchange.

Remember, in ghost market trading, we do not ask about the origins or background of the items.

I also ask that the newly arrived Daoist friends watch their words and actions. Do not speak recklessly."

Following that.

The masked, black-robed cultivator patted his storage pouch. A dharma tool flew out; it was sharp at the top and square at the bottom, about the size of a palm, entirely dark brown, and hovered in mid-air.

"This is a one-pattern offensive-defensive magic artifact named the Heavenly Mountain Seal."

"This seal is refined from mystic crystal mountain rock and is incomparably hard. It is engraved with the 'Mountain' character pattern. When activated, it crashes down like a small mountain, using its immense momentum to crush opponents with astonishing power.

It can also form a defensive light screen. Even if the defensive light screen is broken, the seal itself can act as a defensive dharma tool. Attacks from top-grade magical artifacts would find it almost impossible to damage it.

It can withstand a frenzied barrage from a set of top-grade magical artifacts or a Two-Pattern Magic Tool for a period of time."

"A good dharma tool!"

Many people's eyes lit up, feeling that this seal was no inferior to an ordinary offensive Two-Pattern Magic Tool.

Moreover, the Prodigy Grand Assembly was imminent.

Who knew how many Foundation Establishment cultivators desired a powerful and handy dharma tool to help them stand out from the crowd and make a name for themselves at the Prodigy Grand Assembly.

There were over twenty or thirty people seated, each wearing various styles of masks on their faces.

Although their expressions couldn't be seen clearly, the greed revealed in their eyes was difficult to conceal.

As for the black-robed cultivator hosting the event, he was Wu Zhusan, the person with the highest cultivation in the Wu Clan currently, at the late Eighth-Level Qi Condensation stage.

Most of the Wu Clan lineage possessed True Spiritual Roots and had good aptitude.

In order to allow them to take on some of the Xu Family's affairs as early as possible, Xu Chuan also spared no effort in nurturing them.

Now, the men and women of the Wu Clan lineage were almost all at late-stage Qi Condensation or above.

Their older descendants had already begun cultivating, possessing the strength of the second and third layers of Qi Condensation.

"The Heavenly Mountain Seal trades for three thousand six hundred spirit stones. Dharma tools, spirit medicines, cultivation methods, and various other cultivation resources can be used to offset the price. Alternatively, a specific piece of news can be used to offset one thousand eight hundred spirit stones."

"May I ask the Ghost Envoy, what kind of news is actually worth one thousand eight hundred spirit stones?" someone spoke up to ask.

"News of a dual water and fire cultivation method that must be able to reach the Golden Core stage. If you have this cultivation method in hand, you may directly take this dharma tool away, and additionally receive another one thousand spirit stones."

"Hiss!"

The crowd gasped collectively.

Unless it was a cultivation method inherited by a certain family, even a Golden Core cultivation method would only be worth one or two thousand spirit stones.

Especially for some rogue cultivators, cultivation methods were even less valuable.

As long as they weren't leaking the cultivation method they practiced themselves, there would be no problem.

After a short while, still no one provided this piece of news.

This Heavenly Mountain Seal was ultimately traded away by a person wearing a monkey-faced mask.

After that, it was time for the people present to trade.

There were quite a few precious items traded among them, but most were seeking powerful treasures for protection or slaughter. Presumably, they either had clansmen participating in the Prodigy Grand Assembly or were participating themselves, and wanted to add more trump cards to their arsenal.

The Prodigy Grand Assembly.

It wasn't merely as simple as magical duels in an arena battle.

There was also the mystic realm contest.

The mystic realm contest was where the most deaths and injuries occurred. In order to obtain the final prodigy slots, everyone would reveal all their trump cards, form alliances, and plot against one another.

Those who could stand out from the crowd possessed at least two of the following: luck, strength, methods, or strategy.

Two hours later.

"This ghost market trading concludes here. We welcome all Daoist friends to come again next time!"

The crowd rose one after another and walked out of the trading hall.

There were a total of four passages leading to this hall.

Before leaving, everyone had to return their ghost market masks and then choose a passage to exit. Only one person could enter a passage every sixty breaths of time.

This provided the maximum guarantee that people wouldn't clash within the ghost market.

As for whether they would hunt each other down once outside, that was no longer any business of the ghost market.

Once the last person had left, the several entrances to the ghost market were thoroughly concealed and vanished.

At this point, even if a Golden Core cultivator arrived, they wouldn't be able to discover it under the sweep of their spiritual sense probing.

And if those who exited wanted to enter again, they would be blocked by the defensive grand array unless someone from the ghost market guided their way.

"This Cloudstream Ghost Market has quite some foundation. The energy of the people behind it is not shallow!"

One person muttered to themselves upon experiencing this, and then rapidly flew toward the Heavenly Azure Mountain Range.

Wu Zhusan, meanwhile, followed a hidden secret passage to the surface.

The surface originally housed the Xu Clan Trading Company, but now it was an immortal cultivation restaurant managed by the Wu Clan. Wu Zhusan was the shopkeeper of the restaurant and concurrently oversaw the ghost market trading for the Xu Family.

He left the restaurant and headed toward the Xu Family clan grounds.

He needed to report the results of this ghost market session and hand over the harvest.

Wu Zhusan arrived before Xu Chuan's cultivation quiet room, cupped his hands, and said, "Family Head, this session of ghost market trading has concluded. There was no news of a dual water and fire cultivation method. These are the proceeds from this time."

The large doors opened, and the storage pouch in Wu Zhusan's hand was instantly sucked inside.

"You've worked hard. Go back and rest."

"Yes, Family Head."

When Wu Zhusan returned home, his wife and children were all resting. He didn't disturb them, silently cultivating on his own until dawn.

The next day, after eating breakfast with his family, he finally returned to the restaurant to open for business.

They had all once been slaves. Their current happy lives were hard-won, so they cherished them doubly, all dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to improving their cultivation and working for the Xu Family.

Between the Wu Clan and the Yan Clan lineages, the one with the most offspring already had five children.

Even the one with the fewest had three.

Therefore, adding the two lineages together, their descendants already exceeded a hundred people.

If they wanted immortal seedlings to be born as quickly as possible, the fastest method was naturally to marry more and have more children.

However, they were all conflicted about their identities as slaves, deeply afraid of being discovered by outsiders. Hence, for now, coupling up amongst themselves was the most suitable arrangement.

Moreover, even if their next generation couldn't produce five immortal seedlings, it was highly likely that the generation after that would.

Even if the generation after that failed, by the Third Generation, they would still be able to receive the promise Xu Chuan made to lift the Azure Flower Seal on their bodies.

The following day.

Xu Chuan was tending to his medicine garden.

He saw Moyue, about a meter in size, flying over with a three-year-old child dangling from his claws.

"Old Ancestor, Old Ancestor."

Upon seeing Xu Chuan, the three-year-old child immediately waved his chubby, lotus-root-like hands and began shouting.

This person was none other than Xu Deyue and Ye Fan's son, Xu Chongfei.

The Xu Family's first descendant with an Earth Spiritual Root, and a top-tier Earth Spiritual Root genius possessing a rare spirit body at that.

For the sake of his cultivation method, Xu Deyue and Ye Fan spent most of their time traveling the outside world.

Xu Chuan also needed to cultivate and comprehend divine abilities.

Moyue's strength had completely recovered. Furthermore, after swallowing the Dragon Cloud Pill, his flood dragon bloodline had become even purer, and he had gained a trace more of the true dragon bloodline, advancing his combat power even further.

With nothing else to do, he had no choice but to help look after the child.

"Xu Chuan, this brat Xu Chongfei actually dared to pee on me! I can't take care of him anymore, do it yourself!" After putting Xu Chongfei down, Moyue bared his teeth at him.

"Otherwise, sooner or later, I won't be able to hold back and will swallow him whole."

Xu Chuan smiled faintly. "Who was it that originally said looking after a child would be as easy as catching something in one's hand?"

"How could the young dragons of my flood dragon race be this troublesome? Not long after birth, they can already hunt for prey on their own!"

"Since you have nothing to do anyway, you might as well. Look after him for a few more years; it will be fine once he grows up."

"A few more years? It's only been half a month, and I already feel like I've lost several years of my lifespan!"

"It's all an illusion!"

Xu Chuan picked up Xu Chongfei, who had toddled over, rubbed his head, and said, "Look at how small Little Fei is, what could he possibly know? Give it another two years, and he won't wet the bed anymore."

A pair of dragon pupils and a pair of pitch-black eyes stared at each other.

The next moment, Xu Chongfei reached out his hand and said, "Dragon, fly-fly."

Moyue rolled his eyes speechlessly.

Xu Chuan looked at him with a chuckle. Left with no choice, Moyue used his divine sense to manipulate the boy and place him onto his back.

"I must have suffered eight lifetimes of bloody bad luck to be bound to your Xu Family! I am a dignified third-tier peak great demon, an existence capable of dominating a region, yet I have to babysit for your Xu Family!"

Moyue grumbled incessantly, but he continued to slither around the area, causing Xu Chongfei to clap his hands repeatedly and giggle non-stop.

"By the way, isn't that Prodigy Grand Assembly about to begin?"

"This is a grand event for the Foundation Establishment stage. I imagine that over at Dongxi, there are a few people who have stepped into Foundation Establishment Perfection by now.

Like Ren Xiaoyao and Xu Mingwei, both of them excel at combat.

How about I make a trip back and bring them over?"

"Are you certain such an action wouldn't provoke the Ancient Locust Tree King to stop you? Furthermore, the closer we get to the Blood Food Feast, the more importance the Hundred Thousand Mountains demon race will likely attach to it.

If you run into them and cause information to leak, it will bring only harm and no benefit to my Xu Family."

Moyue fell silent upon hearing this.

He had to admit that Xu Chuan's line of thought was not wrong.

"As long as we survive this great tribulation, the aftermath will be easy. And once I assist the Tree King's descendant in gaining sentience and becoming a demon, I imagine he'll be even more willing to turn a blind eye to my Xu Family.

As for what kind of role that Tree King is actually playing, I still cannot see through it to this day.

He has survived from ancient times until now; is he truly only at the Late-Stage Golden Core?"

Xu Chuan looked at Moyue with a grave expression. "If he is a Fourth-Tier Great Demon who has concealed his own realm, do you think you would be able to see through it?"

Moyue pondered for a moment before replying, "He is a tree demon. His ability to control his aura is extremely strong, and he excels at concealment. If he were fourth-tier, as long as he didn't make a move, even if I recovered to my prime, I wouldn't necessarily be able to see through him.

Among the many races of demonic beasts, some possess powerful innate talents. When deployed, they are no weaker than the divine abilities you immortal cultivators comprehend; they might even be more profoundly mysterious."

"So there is no need to rush. Keeping things as they are right now is best for them. For the disciples of my Xu Family, foundation establishment is not difficult, and each of them has a lifespan limit of at least two hundred and forty years.

Even I have not yet reached one hundred and twenty years of age, so it's naturally still very early for them."

"Speaking of which, your progress is indeed extraordinary. You appear to have mediocre aptitude, yet you have been continuously improving.

Even when it comes to divine ability methods, the comprehension of which is as difficult as ascending to heaven for ninety-nine percent of Foundation Establishment cultivators, you are able to constantly comprehend and make progress.

There is a problem. There is a huge problem with this!"

At this moment, Xu Chongfei also blindly chimed in, shouting, "Problem, problem!"

"What problem is there?"

A voice suddenly rang out, and then a refined and handsome young man dressed in a moon-white robe could be seen walking over, bathed in the morning light.

"Grandpa, Grandpa."

Seeing Xu Mingxian, Xu Chongfei happily waved his hands again.

Xu Mingxian smiled faintly, walked up to Xu Chuan, and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Father, Uncle Moyue."

"What are you two talking about that has you so animated?"

"I feel there is a huge problem with your father. He might possess an unimaginable talent; after all, even the comprehension of divine abilities cannot stump him."

Hearing this, the corners of Xu Mingxian's lips turned up slightly.

He and his brothers had long since noticed this point.

Even the direct children of a Divine Transformation cultivator couldn't possibly all be so outstanding, possessing extraordinary innate talents, with each having their own areas of expertise.

It was as if they had been deliberately bestowed with some kind of talent in order to assist in the family's development.

This was the greatest secret of the Xu Family. Even if Xu Mingxian and the others had guessed a fraction of it, they buried it deep in their hearts and never asked about it.

They simply needed to trust their own father.

"Regarding divine abilities, I have actually comprehended divine ability power to perfection and realized true intent."

"Father, you have achieved the entry-level of a divine ability? Doesn't that mean you can immediately undergo divine ability core formation?!" Xu Mingxian suddenly exclaimed in shock.

Moyue's eyes also widened. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"But my situation is somewhat different." Xu Chuan sighed softly. "For others, if they were like me, having comprehended the true intent of a divine ability and achieved entry-level mastery, they would be able to condense a divine ability seed and use it to form a core.

Because they are all comprehending existing divine abilities.

First, they understand the method, and then they comprehend the true intent.

Understanding a portion of the true intent is considered entry-level mastery of the divine ability.

But as for me..."

Xu Chuan paused for a moment before continuing, "I directly comprehended the true intent of the divine ability without having acquired its method."

"What do you mean?" Moyue felt himself growing more and more confused the more he listened.

"It means that Father unintentionally stepped onto the path of comprehending divine abilities on his own. He is not learning the divine abilities of predecessors; instead, he takes heaven, earth, and nature as his teachers to self-comprehend and self-create a divine ability!"

"Motherfucker, self-creating a divine ability? Just what cultivation realm are you at?!"

Moyue's dragon pupils widened so much they seemed about to pop out of their sockets. "Even among Golden Cores, only an extremely select few geniuses can self-create divine abilities.

And most of those instances were during eras when divine abilities were scarce.

Nowadays, there are quite a few Golden Core inheritances that contain divine ability methods. Basically, no one chooses to self-create; they all pick up what others have left behind.

Only when they reach a certain realm, and their accumulation and comprehension are profound enough, will they self-create a divine ability most suitable for themselves.

You would be considered a monstrous anomaly even in ancient times, wouldn't you?"

"It was just an accidental comprehension, merely a coincidence." Xu Chuan waved his hand with a smile. "No need to make a fuss."

The [Wither and Flourish, Life and Death] divine ability fate talent, coupled with being an alchemist who frequently interacted with plants and spirit medicines, majoring in a wood-element cultivation method, and supplemented by the [Heaven Rewards Diligence] fate talent.

It was due to all this that Xu Chuan had stepped onto the path of comprehending and self-creating a divine ability during the Foundation Establishment stage.

Perhaps some Golden Core cultivation methods recorded divine ability arts relating to wither and flourish.

But Xu Chuan's comprehension suited himself perfectly. Once he created this divine ability, it would undoubtedly be a powerful divine ability that was entirely tailored to him.

"So, you are currently stuck at the step of creating the method?" Moyue asked.

Xu Chuan nodded. "Senior Sister Murong Yun also didn't anticipate my situation. However, she has experience in self-creating divine abilities and has already given me guidance, so I'm not completely clueless.

But to truly create it, I'm afraid I will need to comprehend the true intent of the divine ability to the minor accomplishment stage. Only then will success come naturally when the water arrives and a channel is formed."

"Xu Chuan, I really don't know what to say to you anymore. Minor accomplishment in a divine ability? That Xu Deling's honored master, Perfected Person Fire Cloud, has cultivated for decades and still hasn't comprehended a single divine ability to the minor accomplishment stage."

Moyue flicked his dragon tail.

Xu Chuan smiled and said, "Didn't you say I've always been improving? Don't worry, I believe this step won't take much longer."

"Suit yourself. I couldn't care less whether you form a core or not." Moyue lifted his dragon head. "Even if you undergo divine ability core formation, I can still suppress you with a single claw!"

For a third-tier peak flood dragon, even a Golden Core True Lord would need to be at the Late-Stage Golden Core realm to truly contend against it.

'This haughty old dragon!'

Xu Chuan shook his head and laughed. He looked at Xu Mingxian, who had long since recovered from his shock, and asked, "Is there something you need?"

"Indeed, there is." Xu Mingxian said, "I wish to participate in the Prodigy Grand Assembly."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan's pupils shrank slightly.

Even Moyue was incredibly surprised. "Although you've reached the Foundation Establishment Perfection realm, you are an array master. You want to compete with a group of immortal cultivators who are accustomed to life-and-death combat?

In the arena battles, there won't be any time for you to set up formations.

No matter how fast your movements are, the opponent will have enough time to kill you ten times over."

"You have walked out your own Path of Battle Formations?" Xu Chuan speculated.

"Father understands me." Xu Mingxian's lips held a faint smile as he continued, "When I was young, I envied Eldest Brother's ability to self-create archery techniques and sweep across the battlefield. His bearing made my heart yearn for it.

Father ordered me to study formations, and I did not dare disobey, yet my desire for combat was never extinguished.

In the past, I declared that one day I would forge my own Path of Battle Formations.

Two years ago, I attained Foundation Establishment Perfection, and my divine sense crossed into the Golden Core stage.

Since then, I have pondered the array scriptures gifted by my honored master day and night, while also observing the trends of the world's mountains and rivers.

Suddenly, one day, numerous thoughts surged into my mind.

Between heaven and earth, the drifting clouds are array patterns, the mountains and rivers are array foundations, and the wind and rain are the array's momentum.

It turns out...

Heaven and earth itself is a grand array!"

Xu Chuan was moved internally.

'Why do I feel like I am the most mediocre one in the Xu Family?' Moyue cried out in his heart.

"Using the body as the array eye, gathering momentum from heaven and earth, inscribing array patterns with mana... with a single thought, an array is formed!"

As the last few words fell, the aura surrounding Xu Mingxian abruptly transformed.

He tapped his feet lightly and formed profoundly mysterious hand seals with both hands. The mana within his dantian surged out like a tidal wave. Surprisingly, it did not diffuse outward; instead, it flowed along his fingertips, turning into specks of spiritual light that merged into the surrounding space.

The grass and trees in the courtyard swayed, and the flowing clouds in the sky drifted.

Xu Mingxian's hair shifted slightly, and pale azure array patterns faintly appeared between his eyebrows. That was the sign of him using his divine sense as a guide to transform himself into the array eye.

He gently closed his eyes and chanted in a low voice, "One thought, array formation!"

As his voice faded, a sudden mutation occurred!

A faint azure light rippled in the surroundings. Countless dense array patterns surfaced from the void, instantly interweaving to form a formation roughly three meters square.

Spiritual qi surged between the array patterns, unexpectedly drawing in wind-element spiritual qi from heaven and earth, which transformed into wisps of azure light that merged into the array.

"I didn't expect you to actually reach this step. This formation is comparable to a second-rank low-grade array formation, right?"

Xu Mingxian slowly opened his eyes and guided with his raised hand. Wind blades within the array abruptly condensed, turning into an azure longsword that hovered in the core of the array.

"You could say that. At present, I can barely manage to achieve this step; after all, it is still far from perfect."

"Some powerful Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators, relying on their cultivation methods, techniques, and mighty dharma tools, can shatter a second-rank low-grade array formation," Xu Chuan reminded.

"Father is right. But if it breaks, I just condense it again. It simply expends a bit of mana."

Xu Mingxian smiled faintly. "If they truly want to break the array, they must either possess power great enough to affect space, exhaust my mana, or deplete my divine sense.

Of course, if I die, the array eye breaks, and the formation will naturally dissipate."

"The power of a single array is indeed insufficient, but if I set up a few more... once the array is formed, what it borrows is the power of heaven and earth, endlessly flowing.

The deeper my comprehension of formations, and the deeper my comprehension of heaven and earth, the stronger the power the array will unleash. It can have boundless and endless variations.

Defend, attack, trap, illusion, seal... its variations occur in a mere thought."

"Monster!" Moyue stared at Xu Mingxian for a moment, then turned to look at Xu Chuan. "Why does your Xu Family keep producing monsters?!"

"Since you appreciate it so much, Moyue, why don't you test out Mingxian's methods."

Saying that, Xu Chuan hooked his finger, and Xu Chongfei flew into his arms.

"Test it, then! Even if I seal my own strength, I refuse to believe a mere second-rank array formation can harm my third-tier peak dragon body."

"Go to the martial arena. Don't ruin the spirit medicines I've painstakingly cultivated here," Xu Chuan said.

The Xu Family martial arena.

It covered an area of several acres. The ground was paved with profound black, hard ink-jade rock, and eight azure stone pillars stood erected around the perimeter.

At this moment, pale golden halos lit up around the martial arena, enveloping the entire space within.

This was a second-rank peak grand array, sufficient for a dozen Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators to exchange blows with full force without allowing the shockwaves of their battle to leak out.

In the center of the arena.

Moyue transformed into a ten-meter-long flood dragon, hovering in mid-air. His azure-black scales gleamed with a cold light as his dragon pupils swept over Xu Mingxian.

Xu Mingxian, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with his sleeves fluttering gently in the breeze, stood opposite Moyue.

His facial features were handsome, revealing a measure of composed steadfastness between his brows, with mana faintly circulating around his body.

Moyue lightly swept his dragon tail, kicking up a howling gale as he took the initiative to attack Xu Mingxian.

Xu Mingxian's expression was unhurried. His feet executed the Flowing Cloud Steps as he rapidly dodged. While evading, both of his hands formed seals, and the mana within his body surged.

First, a Wood Battle Array condensed. Countless vines drilled out of the ground, twining layer upon layer as they attempted to bind Moyue's dragon tail.

However, even if Moyue had sealed his cultivation, he was currently in the posture of a Tier 2 Peak flood dragon.

How could the strength of his dragon tail be locked down by ordinary vines?

In almost an instant, all the vines snapped at their roots.

But just as Xu Mingxian had said: if the array did not break, the attacks would not cease.

The vines were practically endless. Moyue's pursuit of Xu Mingxian was immediately halted. Opening his maw, he condensed countless ice cones in the air, shooting them like a torrential rainstorm to instantly pierce through all the vines.

But several breaths of time had already passed during this exchange.

Yet another new battle array had condensed: the Earth Battle Array.

Countless rock chains flew out, locking onto Moyue's four dragon claws as well as his dragon head.

Moyue aggressively swiped his dragon claws, snapping the four chains and shattering the chain around his head as well.

However, countless vines advanced wave upon wave once more, striving to entangle his dragon tail.

Rock chains were also rapidly forming.

Moyue finally felt the troublesome nature of this. He opened his mouth and spewed out streaks of freezing dragon breath.

At this time, the Fire Battle Array was also successfully formed by Xu Mingxian.

Crimson brilliance flickered, and countless fierce flames soared upwards. From within the flames, a Wind of Li Fire measuring several meters in size flew out, shooting toward Moyue.

Though it was something Moyue could disperse with a single swipe of his claw.

But the wood-element entanglement and rock-body locking cooperated flawlessly, constantly denying him the time to deal with Xu Mingxian himself.

Xu Mingxian's mastery of the "Nine Flames Art" was also at great accomplishment.

He could split out nine streams of divine sense, achieving the unity of nine thoughts as one.

Immediately following that.

The next battle array, the Metal Battle Array, was condensed.

Metal-elemental spiritual qi between heaven and earth condensed, transforming into countless sharp metal blades that collided with the dragon's body.

"Clang! Clang!" The ringing sound of clashing metal echoed endlessly in their ears.

Although the metal blades were unable to break his defenses, the continuous barrage further bogged down Moyue's offensive.

Finally, it was the Water Battle Array.

Gathering water to form ice, Moyue also got a taste of what it was like to be attacked by countless ice cones.

"Illusory Array, form!"

Silently and without a trace, Xu Mingxian added a sixth battle array, blanketing the entire martial arena.

An invisible undulation continuously eroded Moyue's senses.

He possessed third-tier divine sense, and this had not been sealed. He clearly detected the attack on his soul.

Knowing that this wouldn't affect him, Xu Mingxian shifted tactics and merged the illusions into his attacks, combining the illusory and the real. To an outsider, his offensive suddenly seemed several times more ferocious.

At this point, Moyue had already sunken into the endless attacks and restraints of the battle arrays, entirely unable to free himself.

Seeing this, Xu Mingxian altered the hand seals of his two hands, and the array patterns of the Five Elements Battle Arrays all lit up simultaneously.

"Five Elements Mutual Generation, seal!"

As his voice faded, the power of the Five Elements condensed into nine chains in mid-air, locking onto the dragon's tail, his four claws, his dragon head, and his dragon body.

Moyue struggled madly, yet for a moment, he was actually unable to shatter them!

"Uncle Moyue, I have deduced the third-rank mid-grade array formation, the Five Elements Heavenly Dipper Array, and my comprehension of the Dao of the Five Elements is quite profound. I am adept at array variations by heart.

Achieving a brief fusion of the Five Elements to make their power skyrocket to second-rank high-grade is not a big problem.

Although this method of the Five Elements' variation is crude, a Tier 2 Peak Demonic Beast absolutely cannot break free from it easily."

"Hmph, it's just wasting a bit more time, that's all!" Moyue replied stubbornly.

Xu Mingxian smiled faintly, and the seals in his hands changed once more.

"Five Elements Mutual Generation, kill!"

The power of the Five Elements condensed again, coalescing into a thirty-meter-long Five-Color Great Sword that fell from the sky, thrusting toward Moyue's dragon body.

A killing array was the most perilous.

With the power of a second-rank high-grade killing array, given enough time, it would be enough to obliterate a Tier 2 Peak Demonic Beast.

Moyue seemed to sense a tiny thread of danger. He suddenly threw his head back and roared at the heavens, his body instantly swelling to over a hundred meters in length.

With a light shake.

The five-color chains snapped one by one.

A sweep of his dragon tail caused the Five-Color Great Sword to shatter instantly, turning into countless specks of light.

The sound of his dragon roar directly reduced all six major battle arrays to nothingness.

Roar!

That felt much better!

"Moyue, you reverted to your true form, so you've lost."

"I am not skilled in sealing arts. I got a little too excited, and it undid itself. You can't blame me."

"Are you sure it wasn't because you sensed a trace of danger and actively undid it?"

"Xu Chuan, do not slander me! Why would I unleash my full strength just to deal with a puny Foundation Establishment cultivator? Of course it was a coincidence," Moyue said agitatedly.

"Dragon, shame-shame!" Xu Chongfei said.

"Little brat, if you spout nonsense again, don't even think about me carrying you on a flight ever again!"

Xu Chongfei's eyes darted around, and he fell silent.