Immortality and Cultivation: I can extract entries from all things.

The waves in the sea are becoming more and more turbulent each day.

Fang He arrived at the port early in the morning. The sky in the distance was a hazy gray, and the sea breeze carried a strong salty smell.

The roars of beasts that came from time to time were more frequent than in the past few days, as if they were about to surround the entire Qing'ao Island.

Zhao Hengdao was already waiting at the dock, followed by six sword cultivators.

Qian, the array master, stood to the side, looking down at the array plate in his hand.

"Young friend Fang, you've come at the perfect time."

Master Qian raised his head, his expression grave. "Last night, three more sea monsters were wandering outside the harbor, but they were scared away by the alarm array. The sea monsters are becoming increasingly agitated."

Fang He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the port's deployment.

Although the main structure of the triple composite array has been completed, the details still need to be perfected.

"Today's task: Add auxiliary nodes, set up backup spirit stone slots, and prepare contingency plans."

Fang He took out array flags and array plates from his storage bag. "Array Master Qian will check the array patterns. Fellow Daoist Zhao, lead your men to patrol the outer perimeter and familiarize yourselves with the retreat route."

The crowd responded and moved.

Fang He stood in the center of the harbor and closed his eyes.

[Divine Sense Warning] Activating at full power, divine sense spreads outwards like a tidal wave.

The spiritual energy pathways of the formation were clearly presented in my mind, with every node and every line completely exposed.

Three breaths later, he opened his eyes and walked straight to the northeast corner.

"The flow of spiritual energy here is sluggish, and the response speed is half a beat slower."

Fang He squatted down and lightly traced lines on the ground with her fingers.

With the blessing of [Formation Mastery], his understanding of formations reached a whole new level.

Nodes that previously required repeated debugging can now be identified at a glance.

As spiritual energy was infused, the array patterns shimmered faintly.

Fang He's fingers flew, re-carving three auxiliary array patterns.

The flow of spiritual energy was smooth and instantaneous, and the response speed increased by nearly 30%.

Qian Zhenshi watched from the side, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Young friend Fang's skill in formations... has improved once again."

Fang He didn't stop and continued towards the next location.

In less than half an hour, he had optimized seven nodes and added three backup spiritual energy channels.

Even if the main passage is damaged, the formation can still maintain 70% of its power.

"Add a spirit stone trough for equipment use."

Fang He pointed to three key locations at the port, "Here, here, and here. Place three slots for mid-grade spirit stones at each location to ensure uninterrupted power during a prolonged battle."

Master Qian nodded and did as instructed, secretly praising him in his heart.

The design of this triple-layered array is intricately linked: the outer alarm array provides early warning, the middle trap array restricts movement, and the inner killing array assists cultivators in annihilation.

They are adept at both advancing and retreating, and skilled in both offense and defense.

What's even more remarkable is Fang He's efficiency in deploying the formation.

What would take an ordinary array master two or three days to complete, he finished in less than half a day.

"This triple-complex formation shows a shrewd tactical mindset."

Master Qian couldn't help but sigh, "Young friend Fang not only has profound knowledge of formations, but what's even more remarkable is his strategic vision."

Fang He put away the last array flag: "Master Qian, you flatter me. Arrays are inanimate, but people are alive."

He turned to look at Zhao Hengdao: "Are you familiar with the retreat route?"

Zhao Hengdao nodded: "We've already gone three times. If the sea beasts break through the defenses, the sword cultivator team can retreat from the eastern cliff, where the terrain is treacherous and easy to defend but difficult to attack."

Just as Fang He was about to speak, a strange fluctuation suddenly came from the [Divine Sense Warning].

It's not dangerous.

It's a kind of resonance.

Fang He's expression changed slightly, and he used all his divine sense to perceive.

A moment later, he found the source: in the southeast, deep in the sea.

There was a fluctuation of spiritual energy there, which resonated strangely with the frequency of the port's defensive array.

Beast-driving formation.

A flash of inspiration struck Fang He.

The beast-driving array of the Dark Abyss Pavilion and the defensive array of the Zhou family resonate in terms of spiritual energy frequency.

He closed his eyes and carefully discerned the characteristics of the fluctuation.

They have similar frequencies but opposite phases.

If we could manipulate this resonance in reverse...

"Young friend Fang?"

Qian Zhenshi noticed that his expression was strange and asked him a question.

Fang He opened her eyes and glanced at everyone present: "Master Qian, Fellow Daoist Zhao, Miss Zhou. I have something to discuss."

Zhou Xiaolan, who was coordinating the distribution of Dan medicine supplies, came over upon hearing this: "What is it?"

The four of them gathered in a secluded corner.

Fang He lowered his voice: "I've discovered something. The Dark Abyss Pavilion's beast-driving array resonates with our defensive array in terms of spiritual energy."

"What?"

Master Qian was taken aback, then his expression turned serious. "Are you sure?"

"Confirmed. Similar frequencies, opposite phases. If this resonance can be manipulated in reverse, it might be able to disrupt the beast-driving formation at a crucial moment and throw off the sea beast tide's offensive."

Master Qian gasped: "Reverse control of the Beast Driving Formation? This requires an extremely deep understanding of the Beast Driving Formation. If you're not careful, the Beast Driving Formation will backfire, causing the entire defense system to collapse."

Zhao Hengdao frowned: "The risk is too great."

Fang He frankly admitted, "Currently, I only have a 40% chance of success. But if I can fuse the [Beast Taming Array Pattern] and [Array Comprehension] to obtain [Array Countermeasure], my chances can increase to 70%."

Everyone fell silent.

Zhou Xiaolan looked at Fang He with a complicated expression.

This rogue cultivator always manages to come up with methods that ordinary people wouldn't think of at crucial moments.

"How long will it take you?"

"Two or three days."

Zhou Xiaolan pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Then let's give it a try."

Qian Zhenshi wanted to say something more, but seeing that Zhou Xiaolan had already made up her mind, she said no more.

Fang He glanced at Zhou Xiaolan and nodded slightly.

Their eyes met, and they both saw the trust in each other's eyes.

---

In the evening, Fang He returned to the pharmacy.

Su Yun'er had already prepared dinner and hot tea. When she saw him return, she silently stepped aside.

After finishing his meal, Fang He took out the fragment of the array plate he had obtained from the core area of ​​the Beast Driving Array and sat in the courtyard, deep in thought.

The inscription on the fragment, "[Beast-Driving Array Pattern]", is his greatest reliance at this moment.

The courtyard gate creaked softly.

Fang He looked up and saw Zhou Xiaolan standing at the door, holding a jar of spirit wine in her hand.

She changed into a plain-colored long dress, with only a jade hairpin in her hair, making her look less sharp and more gentle than usual.

"The great battle is about to begin, let's celebrate in advance."

She said it casually, but her tone lacked some of the usual aloofness.

Fang He stood up to greet her: "Miss Zhou, please."

The two sat facing each other at a stone table in the courtyard.

Zhou Xiaolan broke the seal on the wine jar and poured two cups.

The wine is pale blue and exudes a refined and elegant aura.

"Qingyuan Sect's Spirit Fruit Wine".

Zhou Xiaolan pushed a glass in front of Fang He, "I usually can't bear to drink, but I'll make an exception today."

Fang He picked up his wine glass and gently clinked it against hers.

The two drank together, remaining silent for a moment.

The sea breeze blew in from outside the courtyard, carrying a faint salty smell.

The distant roars of beasts could be faintly heard, but they seemed far away and unreal.

"Have you thought about how to coordinate your actions during the sea monster swarm?"

Zhou Xiaolan spoke.

Fang He put down his wine glass: "I've thought it through. You'll focus on ice magic, which has a large control range, and be responsible for restricting the sea beasts' movements. I'll focus on formations, using a triple composite formation as the foundation, to assist in defense and precise kills."

"Specifically?"

"When the middle-layer trapping formation is activated, the sea beasts' movements will be restricted. You can use ice magic to cover the area of ​​the trapping formation, providing dual control and significantly slowing down the sea beasts' charge. The inner-layer killing formation is mainly for high-level sea beasts; I will control the fire attacks, and you will assist in finishing them off."

Zhou Xiaolan nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in her eyes: "Clear tactics. Integrated offense and defense, well-planned advances and retreats."

She paused, then lowered her voice slightly: "To be honest, I did underestimate you back then."

Fang He remained silent.

"I thought you were just a rogue cultivator with some good fortune, relying on your cleverness to get by on Qing'ao Island."

Zhou Xiaolan gave a self-deprecating laugh, raised her glass, and said, "I never imagined that you would grow to this extent in such a short time."

Fang He clinked glasses with her: "Miss Zhou, please don't take it to heart. On Qing'ao Island, there's always been a chasm between independent cultivators and direct descendants. I understand."

Zhou Xiaolan looked at the wine in her glass, her expression complex: "You're quite magnanimous."

"It's not about being generous, it's about being pragmatic."

Fang He said calmly, "Dwelling on the past is pointless; focusing on the present is the right path. Now that the sea monster tide is approaching, fighting side by side is the best way to reconcile."

Zhou Xiaolan looked up at him, her gaze now more serious: "You're right."

The two clinked glasses again and drank it all in one gulp.

After a few rounds of drinks, Zhou Xiaolan got up to say goodbye.

As she reached the courtyard gate, she suddenly stopped and turned back, saying, "Fang He, we must all come back alive from this great battle."

Fang He nodded: "Definitely."

Zhou Xiaolan smiled slightly, turned around and left.

---

After seeing Zhou Xiaolan off, Fang He returned to the quiet room.

He sat cross-legged and summoned the Golden Finger Panel.

On the panel, the two entries, 【Beast Taming Array Patterns】 and 【Array Comprehension】, floated quietly, emitting a faint white light.

[Beast Taming Array Pattern] (White): Understanding of beast taming arrays +20%

[Insights into Formations] (White): Basic Understanding of Formations

The combination of the two can theoretically provide the ability to reverse the formation.

Fang He took a deep breath and channeled his mental energy into the panel.

The two entries slowly rotated, drawing closer to each other.

The white light intertwined and gradually merged.

Fang He could feel his mental energy being rapidly depleted, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The integration process did not go smoothly.

The [Beast Taming Array] leans towards destruction and manipulation, while the [Array Comprehension] leans towards understanding and construction. The two spiritual attributes have subtle conflicts and require precise control of the fusion rhythm.

Fang He calmed himself down and gradually adjusted his mindset.

Mental energy, like fine threads, coiled around the two terms, guiding them to find a balance.

A quarter of an hour, a quarter of an hour...

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, the white light of the two entries grew ever brighter, intertwining into one.

Fang He felt that his mental energy had been mostly depleted, but the fusion was still in progress.

Suddenly, a violent tremor ran through his mind.

The two beams of white light suddenly contracted, then burst forth violently.

A brand new power emerged in the sea of ​​consciousness, carrying a faint green glow.

A prompt pops up on the panel:

【Successful integration】

[Acquired entry: Formation Counter (Green)]

[Effect: Increases the ability to reverse formations by 30%, allowing you to attempt to disrupt, break, or even briefly counter enemy formations]

Fang He let out a long breath, feeling utterly exhausted, but her heart was filled with joy.

He took out a small test array and tried to interfere with its operation with new terms.

When mental energy touches the array plate, the [Array Counter] is activated.

The array patterns on the array plate paused slightly, and the flow of spiritual energy became briefly disordered before returning to normal.

Although it was only for a moment, it was enough to prove the power of this term.

In the battle against the sea monster tide, even a moment of chaos can be enough to change the course of the battle.

Fang He withdrew his mental energy and looked out the window.

The night was deep, and the sea was turbulent.

The starlight was obscured by dark clouds, with only the occasional flashes of phosphorescent beast eyes in the distance foreshadowing the approaching storm.

The marine mammal tide is getting closer.

But Fang He felt more confident.

"bring it on."