Chapter 149

"Today, study the Array Scripture!"

A beam of clear sunlight filtered through the gaps in the dense branches of the towering tree above, falling to the ground in hazy, circular patches.

The old man lay on his reclining chair, eyes closed, speaking in a hoarse voice: "Cultivation can do without elixirs, but never without arrays!"

"Arrays are the most crucial!"

"Have you studied them?" The old man slowly opened his eyes, turning his head slightly to glance sideways at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng, standing respectfully beside him, shook his head. "Disciple has never touched arrays before!"

He Pingsheng's array knowledge was virtually zero.

He could manage a Level-One defensive array.

But that thing? Once you buy the materials for a Level-One defensive array, they give you a construction manual for free—just place the materials according to the directions on the manual, then activate the array core.

Then the Level-One array is ready.

No array knowledge needed—just copy it blindly.

"I ask you!" the elder continued. "What do cultivators fear most?"

"Fear most?" He Pingsheng had never considered this question. He thought for several breaths. "Disciple is dull—I truly don't know what's feared most. Is it enemies?"

"Hehehe…"

The old man chuckled. "What's there to fear about enemies?"

"Just hide!"

"The greatest fear in cultivation is human nature."

"Whether cultivating within the sect or traveling outside, the most basic rule is to never flaunt wealth—but the world is full of all kinds of scum. Even if you hide your wealth, others still obsess over you!"

"That's why arrays are utterly vital!"

"Defensive arrays protect your body!"

"Spirit-sealing arrays can block others' spiritual sense from probing!"

"Then there are illusion arrays, early-warning arrays, spirit-gathering arrays… the types are countless, endlessly varied!"

"Besides arrays, the talisman art—each talisman is painted with countless intricate runes, and these runes share the same principles as arrays!"

"Every master talisman-maker is also an array master!"

"Bring me a cup of spirit tea—I'm parched!"

Grandmaster Tai Xu sat up from his reclining chair, took the teacup He Pingsheng offered, and drained it in one gulp.

Then he continued: "Not just talismans—look at every magic treasure you hold, whether it's a magic artifact, spirit weapon, or divine treasure—each one has seals, doesn't it?"

"Where do you think these seals come from?"

"They're just another form of array!"

"This jade slip contains my years of insights into arrays!" Grandmaster Tai Xu pulled a jade slip from somewhere and tossed it to He Pingsheng. "All these years, I've cultivated while studying arrays—I've now reached Level-Four array mastery!"

"Take it and study it!"

"Hmm… seven days from now, I'll test you!"

"Go!"

He Pingsheng took the array jade slip and returned directly to his side hall.

Study arrays?

Fine.

It's a decent choice.

Because right now, he was under the Grandmaster's very eyes—no matter how much the old man raved about having no interest in treasures, He Pingsheng didn't believe it.

No matter what you say, I won't hand over my treasures.

So he wouldn't swallow the Supreme Qi-Gathering Elixir either.

Fine—I'll just stop cultivating and outlive this old man.

Once he's dead, I'll start cultivating again—no harm done.

Besides, I'm already in a bottleneck.

Studying arrays gives me something to do.

Let's go!

After three or four days of study, two streaks of light shot across the sky and landed at the entrance of He Pingsheng's main hall.

Yu Jiao rushed over, panicked: "Grandmaster, someone is here to visit!"

He Pingsheng asked: "Who is it?"

Yu Jiao replied: "The senior disciples from Xiuzhu Peak—one is Senior Zhao, the other is Senior Xu!"

He Pingsheng quickly stood up. "Alright, I'll go see them!"

He walked out of the main hall himself and opened the door to welcome Zhao Linger and Xu Kunlun.

"Damn it!" Xu Kunlun sat down with a dark face, grumbling: "Me and Senior Zhao went to the Black Frontier to search for that 【Red Essence Ginseng】 for you—we left when you were still my ninth junior, and now you've become my ancestral master…"

"Damn it!"

Zhao Linger also looked at He Pingsheng with a bitter expression.

He Pingsheng was genuinely surprised: "Huh?"

"You two went to the Black Frontier?"

Originally, the three of them had agreed to go together to the Black Frontier to find the 【Red Essence Ginseng】, but after He Pingsheng was taken to the Grandmaster's side, Zhao Linger and Xu Kunlun didn't wait—they went as a team.

They thought his cultivation base was too low; bringing him was worse than not bringing him.

"Yeah!" Xu Kunlun said. "Junior Nine… no no no… Master He, look what I brought you!"

Plop…

Xu Kunlun tossed a jade box onto the table.

He Pingsheng glanced at the jade box without opening it, then looked up at Xu Kunlun, his heart slightly moved: "Don't call me Master He—let's still be fellow disciples. You're my senior, she's my senior sister, and I'm still your Junior Nine!"

Xu Kunlun grinned widely. "Now that's more like it!"

He Pingsheng asked: "Did you really find the Red Essence Ginseng there? Was the guardian beast a giant python?"

"Yes!" Xu Kunlun frowned. "But not one—two!"

"I thought there was only one—I lured away the python while Senior Zhao went to harvest the Red Essence Ginseng!"

"But another one was hiding deep in the woods—it suddenly attacked, and Senior Zhao got hurt."

"Ah?" He Pingsheng looked up at Zhao Linger. "Senior Sister, how's your injury?"

Zhao Linger's face was pale, but she smiled and shook her head. "It's nothing serious!"

"The wound isn't the issue," Xu Kunlun took over. "Just a superficial cut—but the python's venom is toxic. Not strong, but Senior Zhao can't shake it off quickly."

"Wait a moment!"

He Pingsheng went into the back hall and returned with a single drop of 【Golden Bee Sacred Juice】, handing it to Zhao Linger. "Drink it now!"

Zhao Linger didn't ask what it was—she swallowed it immediately.

Instantly, she felt the poison inside her body vanish completely.

"This…" she exclaimed in shock. "Junior Nine, what did you give me?"

"This detoxification effect is incredible!"

"Shhh!" He Pingsheng raised a finger to his lips, whispering. "Don't tell anyone!"

"Do you two remember the 【Tiger-Striped Golden Bee】 nest we found in the secret realm before?"

"Yes yes yes!" Both nodded vigorously.

He Pingsheng whispered: "Later, I went inside and got a few drops of this Golden Bee Sacred Juice—but only a very small amount."

"I'll give each of you two drops later."

"But I have one condition—you absolutely cannot tell anyone. If this gets out, it could cost me my life!"

【Dear patrons, five daily updates can only last until the third day of the New Year—I've run out of stored drafts, and I'm back in my cold rural home in Henan. Friends, please wait until February for me to slowly build up more drafts—I'll resume five updates in March! February will be three updates per day.】