Immortal Creation.

Chapter 694: Traveling through gaps in the array

The meal was enjoyed by both the host and guests.

Ning Zhuo established a better relationship with Yu Heye and Shen Su.

Ning Zhuo greatly agreed with Shen Xi's shrewd and timely choice.

Ning Zhuo took the opportunity to ask Shen Xi about the Nine Palaces Formation here, which to some extent showed his interest in the array magic treasures left behind by Xie Tang.

According to Ning Zhuo, "I have always been quite interested in the Dao of Formation, and I believe that after exchanging ideas with Fellow Daoist Shen, I will make some small progress."

"Perhaps, the array formation artifacts left behind by Senior Xie Tang will be a test of what I have learned."

"Of course, even if my mastery of array formations allows me to acquire this magic weapon, I will still carefully consider the pros and cons of joining the Heavy Array Peak."

"In any case, if there is a way out, it would be good."

Xie Tang set up a magic array here, left behind magic treasures related to array formations, and widely publicized it—he certainly didn't just reveal this secret in the lecture hall of the Nine Palaces Immortal City.

The reason for its widespread dissemination is clear to anyone with discerning eyes: it's about using this channel to attract talent from outside the company to join Chongzhenfeng.

The array-based magical artifacts here serve as a test, helping Xie Tang to quickly and easily select cultivators with array-based skills who are interested in joining the Heavy Array Peak.

Such an arrangement is actually quite common in the cultivation world.

Magical treasures made of array formations are not so easy to obtain. On the surface, they are given to those with affinity, but in reality, they all conceal a desire for personal gain.

Why would someone offer a magical artifact as a game reward for no other reason?
Free things are often the most expensive!
The same applies when a chess fanatic seeks a suitable successor to pass on his skills to a friend. Ling Xiao, a sword cultivator nearing the Divine Transformation stage, was not a qualified successor (his form was already set), and thus, he retreated severely injured.

Many cultivators, even after death, leave behind additional tasks in their legacy. These tasks might include continuing the lineage, promoting a particular sect, identifying enemies, and seeking revenge.

In short, cause and effect are indispensable here.

In reality, the number of things that are truly given away for free is extremely small.

Take Xie Tang's array magic treasure as an example. If a young cultivator who is short-sighted or inexperienced in the ways of the world were to pass the test and take it, he would surely be recruited and join the Heavy Array Peak.

Don't think this is a good thing.

Ning Zhuo had already foreseen the future: this year's Flying Cloud Tournament of the Myriad Manifestations Sect was different from previous ones, as it was at a crucial stage of transition between the old and the new, and would involve brutal competition. Under such circumstances, the newly joined cultivators would undoubtedly become pawns crossing the river in this fierce game, and those with weaker strength would basically be cannon fodder filling the front lines.

Someone asked, "If you take the array-based magic treasure, why not just not join the Heavy Array Peak? Xie Tang didn't explicitly state his purpose to everyone. Why not just pretend you don't understand?"

The person who said that is quite naive.

If we were to actually do that, it would be tantamount to cutting ourselves off from the power structure of the Myriad Manifestations Sect—no one would cooperate with someone who doesn't understand the rules at all.

The Myriad Manifestations Sect has few rules that are publicly stated, but in reality, it has many more unspoken rules.

These unspoken rules, which gradually emerged from internal power struggles within the sect, exert a strong constraint on cultivators.

In fact, the Flying Cloud Conference, as a formal institution, is an excellent solution that emerged after negotiations among various parties. It can resolve internal conflicts and determine the outcome, while also controlling the degree of internal friction to prevent it from becoming too devastating, and it can also absorb new blood from the outside world to replenish the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

"This is one of the reasons why the Myriad Manifestations Sect is so powerful. It's like the Myriad Manifestations Cloud Sea, always in a state of expansion," Ning Zhuo thought to himself.

After the banquet, he gained a clearer understanding of the situation within the Myriad Manifestations Sect.

Because Ning Zhuo had asked Shen Xi so many questions, after the banquet, when they parted ways, Shen Xi took out a jade slip and gave it to Ning Zhuo on the spot.

"These are my class notes, containing information about this Nine Palaces Formation and Xie Tang's magical treasures."

"I will give it to Fellow Daoist Ning Zhuo. Please do not find it offensive."

Ning Zhuo immediately showed a look of surprise and delight. After putting it away, he thought for a moment, took out a golden pill, and wanted to give it to Shen Xi.

This startled the other three.

Ning Zhuo, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, actually took out a Golden Core!
Yu Heye suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

At this moment, Su Lingkou realized that Ning Zhuo wasn't just boasting. She was very clear about one thing: since Ning Zhuo casually gave away a golden core, it meant that he had more than one golden core!
Shen Xi quickly waved his hand in refusal, his impression of Ning Zhuo rising once again: "The power behind Ning Zhuo is definitely not small. He is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet he was granted a Golden Core by the power, which means that his status in this power is definitely not low!"

"This is really too valuable."

"My array formation notes are definitely not worth a Golden Core like this!"

"This is... a Ghost Dao Golden Core?"

Although Shen Xi refused firmly, his gaze was still inevitably drawn to her, and he became interested.

If he could obtain a Golden Core in advance and study it, he would have a more concrete understanding of the subsequent realms. This would be of immense value to Shen Xi.

Furthermore, he couldn't help but wonder: "If I used my golden core as the core of the formation, how powerful would the array I set up be?"

The moment the thought arose, it became incredibly tempting, making Shen Xi unable to suppress it.

Ning Zhuo, observing Shen Xi's expression, saw the longing deep in his eyes. He laughed and directly stuffed the golden pill into Shen Xi's hand, "forcefully" making him accept it.

Upon touching the surface of the deep-cold golden core, Shen Xi's fingers initially recoiled, but quickly lingered, reluctant to let go.

His feelings grew stronger, and Ning Zhuo's "tough" attitude fully demonstrated his sincerity and determination, making it even harder for Shen Xi to refuse.

Finally, he nodded with difficulty and accepted the golden pill.

But the next moment, he took out a magic weapon and gave it to Ning Zhuo: "This array gap shuttle is a powerful magic weapon that I use to explore and learn about arrays, and to make minor adjustments after setting up an array."

"Brother Ning, if you are interested in the Dao of Combat and wish to learn it, you are welcome to make more use of this treasure."

"If we discover any clues, we can use this shuttle to explore further, and perhaps we will find the magic weapon left behind by Senior Xie Tang."

Ning Zhuo had no intention of expecting anything in return, but Shen Xi, coming from a prominent family, possessed a certain grace and would never easily seek to take advantage of others.

He received an elite education from a young age and knew long ago that trying to gain a small advantage often leads to a bigger debt!
And the magical treasure he gave away truly touched Ning Zhuo's heart.

"Next, I will secretly explore Bao Teng Cliff to find the teleportation array my mother used here. This teleportation shuttle is perfect for me!"

Thinking of this, Ning Zhuo no longer stood on ceremony and accepted it directly.

Su Lingkou's gaze was fixed on the shuttle moving through the gaps in the array. She was secretly anxious for Shen Xi: "This is my cousin's most useful magic weapon, the family's reward for him getting first place in the major examination, it is of great significance to him. I didn't expect it to be given away so easily."

"Oh dear, my cousin only has three magic weapons. Although this one is not a weapon for offense or defense, but only an auxiliary tool, and it is a magic weapon at the Golden Core level, it is still a magic weapon after all."

"Although it was exchanged for a Golden Core, which is indeed quite rare, is it really more valuable to my cousin than the ability to travel through the gaps in the formation?"

Su Lingkou secretly plotted.

Shen Xi breathed a sigh of relief.

At the banquet, Ning Zhuo successfully and subtly demonstrated his assertive side through Yu Heye. This further convinced Shen Xi that contacting Ning Zhuo was the right thing to do.

But he still didn't expect that when they said goodbye, Ning Zhuo would give him a golden pill!
This put Shen Xi under even more pressure!

Ning Zhuo's generosity made Shen Xi even more worried that the former would make some difficult requests later. However, he couldn't refuse Ning Zhuo's generous gift.

He refused, disregarding appearances. He still wanted to maintain a good relationship with Ning Zhuo!

Ning Zhuo casually gave away a golden pill as a gift. Did this person not want to build a good relationship?

Therefore, Shen Xi preferred to give away the dimensional chasm shuttle in advance to redeem this valuable gift. In this way, he effectively plugged any potential misunderstandings Ning Zhuo might have in the future that he would be unable to fulfill.

The group formally parted ways. Ning Zhuo left Baoteng Cliff and returned to his temporary cave dwelling.

He released the old cook, Qingchi, and Sun Lingtong from the Wanli Youlong, and first had them examine the magical treasure they had unexpectedly obtained.

This precious shuttle was three inches and seven fen long, with a frame of green jade and flowing stardust inside. The shuttle was engraved with cloud and water patterns, and the head and tail were inlaid with the eyes of a dragon, which could emit a bluish-white light.

The handle is wrapped with a circle of dark blue vine bark, and the end is adorned with a five-element forbidden silk ribbon.

Qing Chi was just curious, but after the chef and Sun Lingtong checked, they confirmed that there was no problem.

Sun Lingtong took a liking to the treasure shuttle at first sight, her small hands constantly stroking its surface: "I've always wanted to buy such a treasure to enhance my thieving skills. This treasure shuttle is far superior to those sold on the market; it truly lives up to its reputation as a product of the Shen family of Nine Palaces Immortal City."

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly: "Boss, if you want it, I'll give it to you."

Sun Lingtong didn't stand on ceremony, not even offering thanks, only responding with a simple "hmm."

The two communicated through their spiritual senses, without revealing their true relationship in front of Qing Chi and Chef Lao.

Sun Lingtong had always served Ning Zhuo as a subordinate.

In Qingchi and the old chef's view, Ning Zhuo was a noble young master from a prominent family, and Sun Lingtong was the young master's page.

Of course, neither of them dared to underestimate Sun Lingtong in the slightest.

Previously, Sun Lingtong had disguised herself as several Foundation Establishment cultivators and easily defeated Yu Heye's Foundation Establishment subordinates one by one in the Martial Arts Hall.

Sun Lingtong's cultivation level is similar to Shen Xi's, at the peak of Foundation Establishment. Back in Baizhi Immortal City, she once wanted to form her core, but was delayed by the matter of Lord Wangchuan.

After exchanging thoughts, Ning Zhuo immediately ordered the cook and Sun Lingtong to move to Bao Teng Cliff.

The main task, led by Sun Lingtong, was to navigate the gaps in the refining array and actively explore the teleportation arrays within the mountains. The old cook served as his assistant.

As for Qingchi, Ning Zhuo kept him by his side to take care of him because of his amnesia.

Sun Lingtong and the old cook immediately accepted the order.

Ning Zhuo then took out the jade slip given to him by Shen Xi and asked everyone to study it together.

The old chef had little knowledge of Daoist practices, but after reading it once, he said he would actively follow Sun Lingtong's arrangements and instructions.

Sun Lingtong watched with great interest.

His mastery of array formations is even stronger than Ning Zhuo's!
Ning Zhuo only had a solid foundation in array formations, while Sun Lingtong had a wider range of knowledge in classical texts and rich practical experience.

"Xiao Zhuo, we're lucky. If we had gone it alone from the start, we probably would have failed and been exposed. The magic array here is quite complex!" Sun Lingtong transmitted her thoughts, feeling fortunate.

Ning Zhuo agreed, thinking to himself, "It's not easy for my mother to set up a teleportation array. There's a high probability that she knows about the two mountain-protecting arrays of Baoteng Cliff and Yunmo Peak, as well as the Xietang Nine Palaces Array. Otherwise, setting up a teleportation array rashly would very easily cause a conflict with these three arrays."

Ning Zhuo's guess was not made out of thin air.

In the White Paper Immortal City, inside the giant paper statue, he witnessed firsthand the astonishing scene of the Buddhist physician Meng Yaoyin repairing the magic array within the statue.

At that moment, he was completely impressed by his mother's unfathomable mastery of array formations!

Sun Lingtong nodded, a confident glint in her eyes: "I think the same way. In this way, we can calculate the possible locations by deducing the three magic arrays."

"I think we'll find the teleportation array in that mountain very soon!"

Ning Zhuo was also very confident: "Of course."

"Don't forget, we thwarted the century-old scheme of the Lord of the River of Oblivion, which is a service to Yangtian."

"We are all currently in a state of divine favor."

"Otherwise, we wouldn't have received a pillow when we were sleepy—Shen Xi just happened to send out this jade slip."

Sun Lingtong nodded: "If it weren't for the spiritual treasures within the Myriad Manifestations Sect that suppress destiny, the treatment we received would have been even more extravagant."

"I really want a copy of the fortune-telling tradition."

"Oh, Xiao Zhuo, your aunt is so skilled in divination. Could there be a divination tradition passed down in her cave?"

Ning Zhuo's eyes also gleamed with anticipation: "If there is, that would be wonderful!"

After their battle with the Lord of Wangchuan, the Sun brothers gained a profound understanding of destiny and fate. They both desired a legacy of divination.

Sun Lingtong and the old cook successfully entered their respective caves.

Yu Heye, who was once the biggest obstacle, has now become the biggest help.

Sun Lingtong used the Earth Escape Technique and disappeared into the mountain.

He swam freely inside the mountain, but he still encountered obstacles.

Deep within the mountain rocks, countless vines and roots coiled and twisted like a swarm of pythons. A constant flow of Wood elemental energy emanated from these roots and vines, making it impossible for the Earth Escape Technique to penetrate them.

Sun Lingtong was not surprised, as she was already aware of this situation.

He kept taking detours, searching for a passage.

He couldn't act rashly yet; if he severed these vine roots, it might trigger a counterattack from the Thousand Vine Drinking Cloud Formation.

In this situation, the ability to navigate through gaps in the formation becomes extremely useful. For one thing, the Five Elements Breaking Silk Ribbon alone allows Sun Lingtong to directly break through these vine-root obstacles.

The magic shuttle could also slip through the gaps between the large magic arrays, allowing Sun Lingtong to slip inside.

Sun Lingtong's childlike petite frame is perfectly suited for this kind of exploration.

"We've found the teleportation array." Not long after, Sun Lingtong discovered a stone chamber inside the mountain.

The stone chamber was small, containing only one teleportation array.

The markings on the wall hinted at Meng Yaoyin's identity, but only Ning Zhuo could discern them.

"Xiao Zhuo, I'll go in first to scout ahead." After communicating with Ning Zhuo, Sun Lingtong activated the teleportation array.

The next moment, he entered Shuyuzhai.

(End of this chapter)