A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 552 Sixty-Four Great Arrays of the Heavenly Cycle
Lu Yinlin sat cross-legged deep in the cave, and after about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he suddenly opened his eyes.

After all, he was a Nascent Soul cultivator. After meditating and recovering for a while, he was already full of energy. Not only had the bloodshot eyes from staying up for six days disappeared, but the fatigue on his face had also vanished, and his expression had become gentle and serene.

Lu Yinlin slowly stood up, let out a long sigh, and then his figure suddenly disappeared like a ghost.

The Taiyi Sect is located in the heart of the Changliu Mountains, and deep beneath these endless mountains lies a dark forest stretching for thousands of miles.

Fan Hongjiao, Duan Rong, and the other inner disciples were exploring the Dark Forest and hunting Yuan Beasts, but they were actually only on the outer edge of the Dark Forest. It was like digging a deep well; they had only dug out the top layer of soil with the first two shovelfuls.

They have never yet experienced the true dangers of the Dark Forest!

But beyond the heart of the terrifying, dark forest, at its very core, lies a strange and eerie place!
This place is the ruins of gods and demons of the Taiyi Sect!

The true appearance of the Divine and Demonic Ruins can no longer be seen from the outside, as the entire ruins are surrounded and enveloped by rune arrays.

A total of sixty-four exquisite arrays, layer upon layer, surround it!
Each great formation is presided over by a senior member of the sect!

These sixty-four grand formations nourish and protect the divine and demonic relics enveloping them!

The laws within the ruins of gods and demons are different from the laws of this world!

The two laws, like a millstone, grind against each other endlessly for countless ages, eventually forming a dark forest spanning thousands of miles!

And in this endless and long period of time, the laws of this world have been constantly eroding the laws within the mysterious ruins!

There are only eight complete divine and demonic relics discovered in this world, which is also the origin of the Eight Sects!
The remaining dozen or so divine and demonic ruins, all of which are damaged and chaotic in their laws, are the result of being eroded by the laws of this world.

The reason why these eight divine and demonic ruins maintain their complete laws is not without reason. The difference lies in the central altar in their core areas, nourished by the whispers of gods and demons.

The nourishment from these whispers of gods and demons is not only highly beneficial to the cultivator's soul essence, but also greatly helpful in consolidating the laws within the ruins of gods and demons.

Even with the nourishment of the whispers of gods and demons, these eight divine and demonic relics are constantly shrinking and collapsing under the erosion and wear of the laws of this realm...

If this continues, in hundreds of thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, these eight divine and demonic ruins with intact laws will likely become ruins with broken laws and chaotic state.

Therefore, from the time the eight major sects were established, their founding patriarchs began to preside over the grand formations to slow down the shrinkage and collapse of the divine and demonic ruins.

Over tens of thousands of years of development and evolution, sixty-four exquisite celestial arrays have formed, layered around the ruins, not only preventing their shrinkage and collapse, but also, in recent millennia, the area surrounding the ruins has not continued to shrink and collapse, but has instead slowly grown and expanded…

At this moment, in the northwest Xun trigram position, where the sixty-four exquisite arrays of the Zhou Tian formation are located, an old man lazily yawns on a large blue stone outside the formation.

This person is named Fu Xingjian, a senior member of the sect who is in charge of this grand formation.

He stepped down from the large blue stone, put his hands behind his back, and slowly walked into the great formation. He circled around the formation and looked at the formation plates and flags.

He noticed that the runes on two array plates and flags had become dull and wouldn't last much longer. To be on the safe side, they should be replaced in a few days.

Fu Xingjian silently memorized the locations of the two array plates and array flags, then lazily walked out of the array, intending to go back to sleep for a while.

He had just stepped out of the formation and was about to walk onto the large blue stone when suddenly a gust of wind arose not far in front of him.

As the wind blew, a figure suddenly appeared.

Fu Xingjian was startled and immediately knelt down, saying, "Greetings, Ancestor!"

The visitor was none other than Lü Yinlin, the patriarch of the Taiyi Sect.

Lu Yinlin looked at Fu Xingjian and said, "Xingjian, there's no need for such formalities!"

Fu Xingjian immediately stood up and said with a smile, "Ancestor, it's been a while since you last visited?"

Lu Yinlin said, "You're all doing a good job here, what am I doing here?"

Fu Xingjian nodded and said, "Yes, yes, the great formation is indeed fine."

Lu Yinlin said, "Summon them all here, I have something to announce!"

"Yes!" Fu Xingjian's eyes flickered, and he clasped his hands in response.

He knew that his ancestor wouldn't come here for no reason; if he did, there must be a reason.

Fu Xingjian clasped his hands in a fist salute, took two steps back, then turned around and strode back into the great formation.

Upon entering the formation, he took out the formation ruler, sensed the surroundings, and then suddenly appeared in the center of the formation.

Fu Xingjian stood still and looked up. He saw a fist-sized bell cast in bronze suspended in the center of the sky above the great array, motionless and ancient.

His eyes narrowed, and he cast a spell on the bronze bell, which then resonated through the sky with a clear, melodious sound!
Sixty-four exquisite arrays of the Zhou Tian system and sixty bronze bells all corresponded perfectly! Different spells resonated with different arrays!

At this moment, clear and melodious voices rang out from the sky above the sixty-four great formations surrounding them.

In the southwest Gen trigram direction, Yao Zhongyu was inspecting the great formation when he suddenly heard a clear and melodious voice spreading across the sky from the center of the formation. He flashed and disappeared on his own, and the next moment he appeared under the sky in the center of the great formation.

He raised his head and looked at the trembling bells above the great formation, his brows furrowing slightly.

Listening to the clear and melodious voice, Yao Zhongyu suddenly muttered to himself, "Why is that old bastard Fu Xingjian calling me all of a sudden? Could it be that he hasn't made the array plates and flags in time again and is asking me to borrow his stock? He hasn't even returned the ones he borrowed last time!? That old bastard is getting lazier and lazier!"

Although Yao Zhongyu muttered to himself, he transformed into a streak of black light and flashed away, flying northwest along the outer edge of the Zhou Tian Grand Array.

He had just dodged a short distance when he saw three figures approaching from behind. One of them, upon seeing him, exclaimed, "What? Zhongyu! Did that old bastard Fu Xingjian call you too?"

Yao Zhongyu said, "Yes! I thought that old bastard was asking me to borrow the battle flag again? Looks like that's not the case! He probably really has something to do!"

"Something must have happened! Let's go!"

If Fu Xingjian really wanted to borrow the array plate, he wouldn't have summoned so many people in such a grand manner, making it known to everyone, as if he was afraid that no one would know about his lazy nature.

The fact that so many people have been summoned means something really must have happened!
Yao Zhongyu and his group headed towards the northwest, towards the Xun trigram. Along the way, they encountered many people, all of whom were wondering why Fu Xingjian had summoned them there!

Yao Zhongyu and his group landed in front of the large formation in the northwest Xun trigram direction, and saw that many people were already standing in front of a large blue stone. On that large blue stone, a person was sitting cross-legged. Everyone could tell who it was from a distance.

"Ancestor! The Ancestor has arrived!"

Yao Zhongyu and the others stepped forward to the large blue stone, knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Ancestor!"

Lu Yinlin gave a soft "hmm" and casually raised his hand as a greeting. Yao Zhongyu and the others stood up and joined the crowd.

As soon as Yao Zhongyu stopped, his gaze swept across the crowd and he spotted Fu Xingjian standing at the edge. He walked over slowly, glanced at Fu Xingjian, pointed his chin to the large blue stone at the front of the crowd, and quietly asked, "Xingjian, what's the matter?"

Fu Xingjian raised his left hand and waved it gently, indicating that he didn't know either. Yao Zhongyu then returned to his seat.

Not long after, the sixty-four elders of the sect stood in front of the large blue stone.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Lü Yinlin stood up, his gaze sweeping across the room, and said with considerable authority, "You all have been presiding over the grand formation for many years, and it must be hard work! In half a month, I intend to open the Divine and Demonic Ruins! I need you all to preside over the grand formation and cooperate with me, using the power of the sixty-four exquisite grand formations of the Eighty-Eight Heavens to open a passage that pierces through the chaotic area of ​​laws and goes deep into the Divine and Demonic Ruins!"

Upon hearing Lü Yinlin's words, a slight commotion immediately arose in the room.

Yao Zhongyu suddenly clasped his hands and said, "Reporting to the Ancestor! According to the ancestral rules, the Divine Demon Ruins should be opened once every thirty years! It has been twenty-nine years since the last opening! There is still one year left!"

What Yao Zhongyu said was also a question that everyone had in mind, but he was the only one who voiced it.

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin remained expressionless, merely clearing his throat before saying, "I know there's still a year left! The Divine Demon Ruins are indeed opened once every thirty years, it's an ancestral rule, but as the sect's patriarch, don't I have the authority to open them a year earlier?"

“This…” Yao Zhongyu seemed to want to say something, but suddenly felt someone tugging at his sleeve. He turned his head and saw Fu Xingjian shaking his head at him.

Yao Zhongyu immediately swallowed the words that were on his throat.

Seeing that no one spoke, Lü Yinlin said in a deep voice, "Just like when we opened the Divine Demon Ruins in the past, I will personally oversee this. The array flags and array plates of the sixty-four exquisite Zhou Tian arrays must be brand new, otherwise they may not be able to withstand the pressure of the laws within the Divine Demon Ruins. If the passage collapses halfway, those who will be strangled inside are the most outstanding talents of our sect in recent years. Everyone, please do not be careless!"

"Rest assured, Ancestor! We have been in charge of the formation for many years, so there will definitely be no problems!" As soon as Lü Yinlin finished speaking, Fu Xingjian took the lead in clasping his fists in response.

As soon as he spoke, everyone echoed his words.

Lü Yinlin nodded and said, "We only have fifteen days. Thank you all for your hard work!"

"Don't worry, Ancestor! We will definitely not make any mistakes!" someone in the crowd shouted.

Lu Yinlin then gave a satisfied "hmm," and a gust of wind rose, and his figure disappeared.

At this moment, the crowd, which had been quiet, started making a ruckus again.

Fu Xingjian looked at Yao Zhongyu and said, "Old Yao, what's wrong with you? The ancestor has already said that he wants to open the ruins of gods and demons, so why are you still spouting ancestral rules?"

Yao Zhongyu looked displeased and said, "Isn't the ancestral rule supposed to be activated once every thirty years? What's wrong with me saying it's the ancestral rule?"

"Fine, fine! You're getting more and more pathetic as you get older!" Fu Xingjian's face changed with anger at Yao Zhongyu's words. He said, "Are you the ancestor, or is he the ancestor?"

"I..." Yao Zhongyu was speechless for a moment, realizing his rashness. But he was naturally straightforward, and although he had good talent for cultivation, he was never very good at interpersonal relationships.

Seeing Yao Zhongyu's speechless expression, Fu Xingjian's anger subsided slightly, and he said, "Old Yao, haven't you heard?"

"What did you hear?"

Fu Xingjian said, "A few days ago, regarding the sect's marriage alliance, his bloodline, that girl named Lü Qingzhu, severed her own meridians in the Dragon Fish Hall!"

Yao Zhongyu shook his head and said, "Never heard of it."

Fu Xingjian rolled his eyes at him and said, "You really are oblivious to what's going on around you! The Ancestor opened the Divine Demon Ruins ahead of time, obviously because he wanted to go in and collect divine medicine to heal his bloodline. Why do you have to provoke him in such a way?"

"I see!" Yao Zhongyu nodded, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes, and then said, "Xingjian, thank you for calling me back in time!"

Fu Xingjian laughed and said, "We're such good friends! No need to thank me! But... Old Yao!"

"Ah."

"Um... um..." Fu Xingjian hesitated, "Could I borrow some of your array flags and array plates? I need to refine a brand new set in fifteen days, it's a bit of a rush!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Zhongyu's face fell, and he said, "No way! You haven't returned the loan you gave me last time!?"

Fu Xingjian laughed and said, "Let's pay it back together next time!"

Yao Zhongyu said, "No!"

Fu Xingjian laughed and said, "How about this! I'll borrow half a set!"

"What!?" Yao Zhongyu exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Impossible!"

Yao Zhongyu couldn't understand how Fu Xingjian had the audacity to ask for half a set of array flags and array plates so brazenly.

“Then how about this… eight array flags, eight array plates… how about it… Old Yao, Old Yao…” As soon as Fu Xingjian saw Yao Zhongyu turn his face away and was about to leave, he immediately grabbed him and continued to coax him.

Just then, Lü Yinlin returned to his cave dwelling. He sat down at the stone table, sipped some water, and not long after, Chu Wushang entered the cave dwelling.

Chu Wushang was the only person in the Taiyi Sect who could enter his cave without asking permission.

Lu Yinlin glanced at Chu Wushang. He knew that Chu Wushang had been treating Lu Qingzhu's injuries for the past six days, so something must have happened within the sect. Chu Wushang rushed over as soon as he saw Lu Yinlin emerge from seclusion, clearly having something to report to him.

As soon as Chu Wushang bowed, Lü Yinlin said, "What is it? Speak."

Chu Wushang said, "Ancestor, after the incident at the Dragon Fish Hall that day, you went into seclusion to heal Miss Qingzhu. Two days later, the alliance with the Tianyan Sect was finalized."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yinlin let out a long sigh. For the past few days, he had been preoccupied with healing Lü Qingzhu. The alliance between the two sects to jointly resist the Divine Will Sect was still undecided!

Lu Yinlin said, "Go and call Chu Qiushan over here."

The negotiations for the alliance were presided over by Chu Qiushan, and Chu Qiushan had to report the specific details to him.

"Yes, Ancestor!" Chu Wushang replied, then took out a secret letter from his clothes, held it up with both hands, and said, "This is a secret letter from Ancestor Li Ku of the Tianyan Sect to you two days ago. Chu Qiushan delivered it as soon as he received it, but since you were in seclusion at the time, I didn't dare to come in and disturb you!"

Lu Yinlin raised his right hand and made a pinch in the air, and the secret letter flew over and landed perfectly in his hand. He looked down and saw that the seal on the letter had sealing wax and a stamp, which was Li Ku's personal seal.

Lu Yinlin tore open the secret letter and began to read it. Meanwhile, Chu Wushang had already left; he still needed to find Chu Qiushan to come and see the patriarch.

In the secret letter, Li Ku not only did not blame the Taiyi Sect for the marriage alliance, but also sincerely apologized. He said that he had been rash in arranging the marriage, and that he was unaware that Li Ruozhou was a bad person who had caused Lü Qingzhu to sever her meridians in the Dragon Fish Hall, which made him feel very uneasy.

"If you need any help with the treatment, Brother Lü, please don't hesitate to ask. I will do my best to assist you!"

As Lü Yinlin looked at the secret letter, his eyes flashed with a deep and thoughtful expression. Li Ku was clearly afraid that the marriage alliance would turn into an unpleasant affair and affect the alliance between the two sects.

Lu Yinlin slammed the secret letter onto the stone table, sighing to himself, "Qingzhu, you're so headstrong! Just like my little girl..."

Long-forgotten memories seemed to surge into his mind, and Lü Yinlin's eyes even reddened slightly as he sighed repeatedly.

(End of this chapter)