… gān kěn dìng bù néng zài dòng fǔ fù jìn dòng nián 。 nà yàng tiān yǐn rén zhǔ mù 。 duì fāng shuāng yī xiǎo guǐ jǔ dòng ， xiǎng bì yě shì cún le tóng yàng de niàn tou 。
…甘肯定不能在洞府附近动年。那样天引人瞩目。对方双一小轨举动，想必也是存了同样的念头。
...
cǐ shì jí bù dé ， yào me bù zuò ， yào me jiù yī jī chéng gōng 。
此事急不得，要么不做，要么就一击成功。
Gan Qing could not act rashly near the cave dwelling. It would attract too much attention from the heavens. The other party's minor actions were likely driven by the same thought.
lín xuān nài xīn děng dài zhe 。
林轩耐心等待着。
This matter couldn't be rushed; either it was done or it wasn’t, and if so, it had to succeed at once.
dāng rán ， zhè duàn shí jiān tā yě bú huì xián zhe ， suī bù gǎn bì shēng sǐ guān ， dàn yī jiù kě yǐ dǎ zuò xiū liàn ， tóng shí lín xuān qǔ chū tiān yuán zhèn shū ， kāi shǐ xì dú 。
当然，这段时间他也不会闲着，虽不敢闭生死关，但依旧可以打坐修炼，同时林轩取出天元阵书，开始细读。
Lin Xuan patiently waited.
lǐ miàn miáo shù de fù hé zhī zhèn xuán miào wú bǐ ， lín xuān hěn kuài jiù chén mí le jìn qù 。
里面描述的复合之阵玄妙无比，林轩很快就沉迷了进去。
Of course, during this time, he wouldn’t be idle. Although he dared not close his eyes for a life-and-death test, he could still meditate and practice. Lin Xuan took out the Heaven Essence Array Book and began reading in detail.
dāng rán ， xiǎng yào lǐng wù bìng fēi yī zhāo yī xī ， lín xuān xiàn zài jiù cóng zuì jiǎn dān de kāi shǐ xué xí 。
当然，想要领悟并非一朝一夕，林轩现在就从最简单的开始学习。
The complex array described within was incredibly intricate, and Lin Xuan quickly became engrossed.
liàn qì shì 。
炼器室。
Of course, mastering such techniques wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. Lin Xuan started with the simplest ones first.
lín xuān pán xī ér zuò ， tā de shēn qián ， dà dà xiǎo xiǎo de fàng le shí yú zhǒng cái liào 。
林轩盘膝而坐，他的身前，大大小小的放了十余种材料。
In the炼器室 (Alchemy Workshop).
rán ér jǐn jǐn shì yī xiē xuán jīng tiě mǔ ， méi yǒu yī jiàn zhēn xī zhī wù 。
然而仅仅是一些玄晶铁母，没有一件珍稀之物。
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, with various materials placed in front of him—mostly玄晶铁母 (Cosmic Crystal Iron Core), none of which were rare treasures.
lín xuān xiàn zài yào liàn de shì sān cái bā guà zhèn ， gù míng sī yì ， jiù shì jiāng chū jí zhèn fǎ zhōng de sān cái zhèn yǔ bā guà zhèn jié hé zài yì qǐ 。
林轩现在要炼的是三才八卦阵，顾名思义，就是将初级阵法中的三才阵与八卦阵结合在一起。
What he was trying to refine now was the Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array. As its name suggested, it combined the basic Three Talents Array and the Eight Trigrams Array.
rán ér jù zhèn shū shàng suǒ shuō ， liàn zhì chéng gōng hòu wēi lì kě shì bǐ zhōng jí zhèn fǎ hái yào shèng shàng yī chóu 。
然而据阵书上所说，炼制成功后威力可是比中级阵法还要胜上一筹。
According to the array book, once successfully refined, its power could surpass that of a medium-grade array technique by a notch.
suī rán zhè zhǒng děng jí de bù zhèn qì jù ， duì yuán yīng qī de zì jǐ ， méi yǒu shén me bāng zhù dàn zhèng hǎo yòng lái liàn shǒu 。
虽然这种等级的布阵器具，对元婴期的自己，没有什么帮助但正好用来练手。
Although such grade of setup tools were of little help to his current stage of cultivation—婴灵期 (Incubation Spirit Stage)—they served well for practice.
xiū xiān bǎi yì ， zhèn fǎ zhī dào shēn ào wú bǐ ， lín xuān dāng rán bù gǎn shuō zì jǐ shì shén me dà shī ， dàn zhuān yán le shù shí nián de xuán jī xīn dé ， duō shǎo hái shì yǒu yī xiē tǐ wù ， yǐ qián biàn shì liàn zhì zhōng jí shàng pǐn de zhèn qí ， yě zuì duō shī bài sān sì cì 。
修仙百艺，阵法之道深奥无比，林轩当然不敢说自己是什么大师，但专研了数十年的璇讥心得，多少还是有一些体悟，以前便是炼制中级上品的阵旗，也最多失败三四次。
The myriad arts of cultivation, the path of arrays was profound. Lin Xuan certainly didn’t claim to be an expert but had spent decades studying and refining his skills, which gave him some insights. Even when he refined a medium-grade array flag before, he only failed three or four times at most.
kě zhè huí mō suǒ tiān yuán zhèn shū ， yí gè zuì jiǎn dān de sān cái bā guà zhèn ， lín xuān huā le shù rì de gōng fu ， què shī bài le bù xià shí qī bā cì zhī duō 。
可这回摸索天元阵书，一个最简单的三才八卦阵，林轩花了数日的功夫，却失败了不下十七八次之多。
However, this time, while exploring the Heaven Essence Array Book, even a simple Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array took Lin Xuan over seven days to fail nearly 20 times.
rú guǒ huàn yí gè rén ， kǒng pà duō shǎo dōu yǒu xiē bù nài fán le ， dàn lín xuān tiān shēng què shì yī gǔ jiān rèn de xìng gé ， sú huà shuō ， hǎo shì duō mó ， yǎn qián zhè diǎn kùn nán suàn shén me ， xī rì zì jǐ huā fèi sān nián shí jiān ， hái zài líng dòng chū qī pái huái de jīng lì yě yǒu guò 。
如果换一个人，恐怕多少都有些不耐烦了，但林轩天生却是一股坚韧的性格，俗话说，好事多磨，眼前这点困难算什么，昔日自己花费三年时间，还在灵动初期徘徊的经历也有过。
If it were someone else, they might have grown impatient by now. But Lin Xuan was naturally tenacious. As the saying goes, good things come after much effort; this little difficulty meant nothing. He had spent three years in the Incubation Spirit Stage before.
lín xuān bù jí ， fǎn ér àn àn xīn xǐ ， yuè nán yuè néng shuō míng fù hé zhèn fǎ de wēi lì 。
林轩不急，反而暗暗欣喜，越难越能说明复合阵法的威力。
Lin Xuan wasn’t anxious but secretly delighted. The more challenging it was, the better it demonstrated the power of complex arrays.
děng zì jǐ màn màn jiāng cǐ shū cān xiáng tòu le yǐ hòu ， duì yú rì hòu de xiū xiān zhī lù ， bāng zhù jué bú shì yì diǎn bàn diǎn de 。
等自己慢慢将此书参详透了以后，对于日后的修仙之路，帮助绝不是一点半点的。
Once he thoroughly understood this book, it would undoubtedly benefit his cultivation path immensely.
fǎn zhèng xuán jīng tiě mǔ yě zhí bù liǎo jǐ kuài jīng shí ， shī bài zài duō cì ， zì jǐ yě bù yòng xīn téng dì 。
反正玄晶铁母也值不了几块晶石，失败再多次，自己也不用心疼地。
Since the Cosmic Crystal Iron Core didn’t cost much in crystal stones, he wouldn’t mind failing repeatedly.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān shēn chū shǒu lái ， zài chǔ wù dài shàng yī pāi ， jiāng tiān yuán zhèn shū qǔ le chū lái ， shén shí chén rù lǐ miàn 。
想到这里，林轩伸出手来，在储物袋上一拍，将天元阵书取了出来，神识沉入里面。
With that thought, Lin Xuan stretched out his hand and tapped his storage bag. The Heaven Essence Array Book appeared as his spiritual sense delved into it.
lín xuān fàng xià yù tǒng ， yòu shì yī dào fǎ jué dǎ chū ， yī kuài yīng ér quán tou dà xiǎo de jīn shǔ jiù fēi dào shēn pīn le ， hái sàn zhe yǒu hēi de guāng zé 。
林轩放下玉筒，又是一道法诀打出，一块婴儿拳头大小的金属就飞到身拼了，还散着黝黑的光泽。
Lin Xuan put down the jade cylinder and cast another spell. A piece of metal about the size of an infant’s fist flew to him, still emitting a dark luster.
zhè jiù shì tiě mǔ 。
这就是铁母。
This was the Iron Core.
dà bù fèn shǔ xìng de líng qì dōu xū yào jiā rù cǐ wù ， dāng rán ， lín xuān zǎo jiù kàn bù shàng yǎn le ， bù guò xiàn zài liàn zhì zhèn qí què xū yào yòng 。
大部分属性的灵器都需要加入此物，当然，林轩早就看不上眼了，不过现在炼制阵旗却需要用。
Most spirit artifacts required this substance, though Lin Xuan had long lost interest in it. However, for refining array flags now, he needed it.
shuō qǐ bù zhèn qì jù ， yě yǔ líng qì fǎ bǎo yī yàng ， wēi lì yuè dà de xū yào de cái liào yuè zhēn xī ， ér cóng zhè diǎn yě kě yǐ kàn chū fù hé zhī zhèn de hǎo chù 。
说起布阵器具，也与灵器法宝一样，威力越大的需要的材料越珍稀，而从这点也可以看出复合之阵的好处。
Speaking of setup tools, like spiritual artifacts and magical treasures, the more powerful they were, the rarer their materials. This also highlighted the benefits of complex arrays.
bǐ rú shuō liǎng gè gāo jí zhèn fǎ dié jiā ， wēi lì jiù yǒu kě néng hé shàng gǔ liú xià lái de duàn jìn dà zhèn xiāng bǐ 。
比如说两个高级阵法叠加，威力就有可能和上古留下来的断禁大阵相比。
For example, combining two high-grade arrays could yield a power comparable to ancient forbidden arrays.
ér duàn jìn dà zhèn ， suī rán xiàn zài yě yǒu yán jiū ， kě bù zhèn qì jù xū yào de cái liào què zhēn xī wú bǐ ， bié shuō pǔ tōng de zhèn fǎ shī ， jiù suàn shì yǒu dà mén pài de zhī chí ， yě hěn nán còu qí 。
而断禁大阵，虽然现在也有研究，可布阵器具需要的材料却珍稀无比，别说普通的阵法师，就算是有大门派的支持，也很难凑齐。
While there was ongoing research on such arrays, the materials required for them were incredibly rare. Even ordinary array mages would find it hard to gather them with support from major sects. But gathering the materials needed for two high-grade arrays was much easier.
kě liǎng gè gāo jí zhèn fǎ xū yào de cái liào ， què míng xiǎn qīng sōng dé duō 。
可两个高级阵法需要的材料，却明显轻松得多。
This alone made Lin Xuan envious.
guāng shì zhè yì diǎn ， jiù zú yǐ ràng lín xuān yǎn chán le 。
光是这一点，就足以让林轩眼馋了。
Of course, these thoughts were too intangible now. He hadn’t even figured out how to make a simple Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array.
dāng rán ， xiàn zài xiǎng zhè xiē ， hái tài guò xū wú piāo miǎo ， bié shuō gāo jí zhèn fǎ de fù hé jiù suàn shì sān cái bā guà zhèn zhè zhǒng zuì jiǎn dān de ， tā dōu méi yǒu nòng qīng chǔ 。
当然，现在想这些，还太过虚无缥缈，别说高级阵法的复合就算是三才八卦阵这种最简单的，他都没有弄清楚。
With this in mind, Lin Xuan shook his head and cast aside the distractions. He opened his mouth, and a fine flame emerged—his long-practiced infant fire—which easily melted the Iron Core.
xiǎng dào zhè lǐ ， lín xuān yáo le yáo tóu ， suí hòu jiāng zá niàn pāo zhū nǎo hòu ， zhāng kāi kǒu ， yī dào xiān xì de huǒ yàn pēn tǔ ér chū 。
想到这里，林轩摇了摇头，随后将杂念抛诸脑后，张开口，一道纤细的火焰喷吐而出。
Next, he flicked his sleeves, and a burst of light flew out, transforming into two greenish hands.
bié kàn bù qǐ yǎn ， què shì tā kǔ xiū duō nián de yīng huǒ ， qīng sōng yǐ jí de biàn jiāng nà tiě mǔ róng huà le 。
别看不起眼，却是他苦修多年的婴火，轻松以极的便将那铁母融化了。
Unlike the strange claws used in combat, these hands were delicate and graceful, especially their fingers, which were incredibly nimble.
suí hòu lín xuān zǎo yǒu zhǔn bèi de yī dǒu yī xiù ， yī piàn guāng xiá fēi lüè ér chū ， huà wèi le liǎng zhǐ qīng sè de guāng shǒu 。
随后林轩早有准备的一抖衣袖，一片光霞飞掠而出，化为了两只青色的光手。
One hand caught the molten Iron Core, spreading it flat on its palm. The other hand flexed its fingers, either tapping or picking at it as if kneading dough.
yǔ duì dí shí de guài zhǎo bù tóng ， zhè liǎng zhǐ guāng shǒu xiān qiǎo xiù qì ， yóu qí shì shí zhǐ ， gèng shì líng huó yǐ jí 。
与对敌时的怪爪不同，这两只光手纤巧秀气，尤其是十指，更是灵活以极。
In less than a cup of tea, a short rod about half a foot long and thinner than his little finger appeared in front of him.
yī zhī guāng shǒu jiāng róng róng tài de tiě mǔ jiē zhù ， ràng qí píng tān zài zhǎng xīn zhī zhōng ， lìng wài yī zhī xiān ， shǒu zé wǔ zhǐ chàn dòng ， huò dàn huò tiāo ， rú róu miàn tuán shì de ná niē qǐ lái le 。
一只光手将熔融态的铁母接住，让其平摊在掌心之中，另外一只先，手则五指颤动，或弹或挑，如揉面团似的拿捏起来了。
Lin Xuan nodded. He then slowly raised his left hand, and fine spiritual energy shot out from the tip of his fingers, striking the Iron Core-turned-short-rod.
jǐn jǐn bú dào yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu ， yī gēn bàn chǐ lái zhǎng ， bǐ xiǎo zhǐ hái yào xì shàng yī quān de duǎn bàng jiù yìng rù yǎn lián 。
仅仅不到一盏茶的功夫，一根半尺来长，比小指还要细上一圈的短棒就映入眼帘。
Some seemingly simple yet somewhat arcane patterns emerged on its surface.
lín xuān diǎn le diǎn tóu ， zài huǎn huǎn de tái qǐ zuǒ shǒu ， xiān xì rú sī de líng lì cóng zhǐ jiān jī shè chū qù ， jī dǎ zài tiě mǔ suǒ huà de duǎn bàng shàng miàn 。
林轩点了点头，再缓缓的抬起左手，纤细如丝的灵力从指尖激射出去，击打在铁母所化的短棒上面。
Lin Xuan’s expression was extremely serious; this step was crucial and difficult in array flag refinement. Most failures stopped here, so he could not afford to be careless.
yǐn yǐn de ， yī xiē kàn shì jiǎn dān ， què yòu yǒu xiē xuán ào de huā wén zài duǎn bàng de biǎo miàn chū xiàn 。
隐隐的，一些看似简单，却又有些玄奥的花纹在短棒的表面出现。
This carving required great precision; even a small mistake would render all his efforts futile.
lín xuān shén sè zhèng zhòng yǐ jí ， zhè zhèng shì liàn zhì zhèn qí zuì zhòng yào yě zuì nán de bù zhòu zhī yī 。
林轩神色郑重以极，这正是炼制阵旗最重要也最难的步骤之一。
After over half an hour, Lin Xuan finally exhaled. Diligence paid off; despite failing 18 times before, this time was successful.
shàng miàn de shī bài ， jī hū dōu shì zhǐ yú cǐ ， lín xuān zì rán bàn diǎn bù gǎn shū hū dà yì 。
上面的失败，几乎都是止于此，林轩自然半点不敢疏忽大意。
Next, Lin Xuan’s spiritual sense moved slightly, and the jade box in front of him automatically opened to reveal a strange blue thread.
zhè ge diāo zhuó kě shì fēi cháng jīng xì de ， shāo wēi cuò yì diǎn jiù qián gōng jìn qì le 。
这个雕琢可是非常精细的，稍微错一点就前功尽弃了。
"Quick."
zú zú guò dà bàn gè shí chén ， lín xuān cái shū le kǒu qì ， gōng fu bù fù yǒu xīn rén ， jǐn guǎn qián miàn shī bài le shí bā cì ， dàn zhè huí zǒng suàn chéng gōng le 。
足足过大半个时辰，林轩才舒了口气，功夫不负有心人，尽管前面失败了十八次，但这回总算成功了。
Lin Xuan pointed his finger forward, and those threads flew into the air, weaving about. Soon, a palm-sized small flag appeared in his sight.
suí hòu lín xuān shén shí wēi dòng ， shēn qián yí gè yù hé zì dòng dǎ kāi ， lǐ miàn zhuāng zhe yī tuán gǔ guài de lán sè sī xiàn 。
随后林轩神识微动，身前一个玉盒自动打开，里面装着一团古怪的蓝色丝线。
Lin Xuan cast several spells,
“ jí 。”
“疾。”
Thus, after countless efforts, the first array flag for the Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array was finally completed.
lín xuān shēn zhǐ xiàng qián diǎn qù ， nà xiē sī xiàn fēi dào bàn kōng ， chuān suō bù yǐ ， hěn kuài ， yí miàn bā zhǎng dà de xiǎo fān jiù chū xiàn zài le shì xiàn lǐ 。
林轩伸指向前点去，那些丝线飞到半空，穿梭不已，很快，一面巴掌大的小幡就出现在了视线里。
Lin Xuan’s face was filled with joy.
lín xuān yòu shì jǐ dào fǎ jué dǎ chū ，，
林轩又是几道法诀打出，，
On the surface, it seemed unremarkable, but its impact was profound. It wasn’t inferior to mastering astonishing techniques like the Green Illusion Profound Fire; because this flag's successful creation meant Lin Xuan had opened the door to complex arrays.
jiù zhè yàng ， huā fèi le bù zhī duō shǎo gōng fu ， sān cái bā guà zhèn de dì yí miàn zhèn qí zhōng yú liàn zhì chéng gōng le 。
就这样，花费了不知多少工夫，三才八卦阵的第一面阵旗终于炼制成功了。
Although just at the beginning, this skill would significantly aid his survival in the cultivation world.
lín xuān liǎn shàng mǎn shì xīn xǐ zhī sè 。
林轩脸上满是欣喜之色。
Previously, Senior Immortal Tongyǔ could repel two powerful cultivators with mere talismans. The power of complex arrays was undoubtedly stronger than those mysterious talismans.
biǎo miàn shàng kàn ， sì hū méi yǒu shén me zhí de jì niàn ， qí shí yǐng xiǎng què fēi cháng shēn yuǎn ， yì diǎn yě bù xùn yú tā xué huì bì huàn yōu huǒ zhī lèi de jīng rén shén tōng ， yīn wèi zhè miàn zhèn qí zhì zuò chéng gōng ， yì wèi zhe lín xuān yǐ jīng tuī kāi fù hé zhī zhèn de dà mén le 。
表面上看，似乎没有什么值得纪念，其实影响却非常深远，一点也不逊于他学会碧幻幽火之类的惊人神通，因为这面阵旗制作成功，意味着林轩已经推开复合之阵的大门了。
Lin Xuan toyed with the array flag in his hand, a relieved smile on his lips. Suddenly, his expression changed as he stood up and put away the items on the ground before slowly walking outside.
suī rán cái gāng gāng qǐ bù ， dàn zhè xiàng jì yì duì yú tā rì hòu zài xiū xiān jiè de shēng cún dà yǒu bāng zhù 。
虽然才刚刚起步，但这项技艺对于他日后在修仙界的生存大有帮助。
The cave dwelling door opened, revealing several layers of light shields.
xī rì ， shén fú shàng rén píng jiè fú zhuàn jiù kě yǐ yǐ chū qī de shén tōng lì dí liǎng míng dà xiū shì ， ér fù hé zhī zhèn de wēi lì yǔ nà xiē shén miào de fú zhuàn xiāng bǐ ， jué duì hái yào gèng qiáng yī xiē 。
昔日，神符上人凭借符篆就可以以初期的神通力敌两名大修士，而复合之阵的威力与那些神妙的符篆相比，绝对还要更强一些。
Lin Xuan had his defenses fully activated; he wasn’t negligent at all. A flame was blocked by one of them.
lín xuān bǎ wán zhuó shǒu zhōng de zhèn qí ， zuǐ jiǎo biān liú lù chū xīn wèi de xiào yì ， tū rán ， biǎo qíng yī zhèn ， zhàn le qǐ lái ， jiāng dì shàng de dōng xī shōu rù chǔ wù dài ， suí hòu huǎn bù zǒu xiàng le wài miàn 。
林轩把玩着手中的阵旗，嘴角边流露出欣慰的笑意，突然，表情一震，站了起来，将地上的东西收入储物袋，随后缓步走向了外面。
A transmission talisman.
dòng fǔ zhī mén dǎ kāi ， jǐ céng guāng zhào yìng rù yǎn lián 。
洞府之门打开，几层光罩映入眼帘。
Lin Xuan felt slightly surprised. Although he was a named elder in Hoshí City, it was merely for external display and intimidation. Lin Xuan knew that for an unknown cultivator like him, the other party wouldn’t trust him much, so they wouldn’t assign any tasks either.
lín xuān kě shì suí shí jìn zhì quán kāi ， bàn diǎn yě bù céng xiè dài ， zhǐ jiàn yī dào huǒ guāng bèi dǎng zài le wài miàn 。
林轩可是随时禁制全开，半点也不曾懈怠，只见一道火光被挡在了外面。
Suddenly receiving a transmission talisman—what could be going on?
chuán yīn fú 。
传音符。
Lin Xuan’s eyes flashed with curiosity. After Immortal Tongyǔ took his risky move, the crisis at Spirit Medicine Mountain was resolved, but the entire southern part of Cloud Province remained turbulent. It wasn’t strange for fires to break out here and there.
lín xuān le lüè lüè gǎn dào yǒu xiē jīng yà le ， tā rú jīn suī shì hào shí chéng de guà míng zhǎng lǎo ， dàn shuō chuān le ， yě jiù shì yī zhǒng duì wài xuàn yào ， wēi shè bān de cún zài ， lín xuān yě qīng chǔ ， duì yú tā zhè zhǒng lái lì bù míng de xiū shì ， duì fāng shì bù kě néng zěn me xìn rèn de ， suǒ yǐ gèng bú huì fēn pài rèn wù shén me 。
林轩了略略感到有些惊讶了，他如今虽是浩石城的挂名长老，但说穿了，也就是一种对外炫耀，威慑般的存在，林轩也清楚，对于他这种来历不明的修士，对方是不可能怎么信任的，所以更不会分派任务什么。
Lin Xuan tapped his storage bag and took out several tokens, then deactivated the defenses as the flame flew into his palm. His spiritual sense delved in.
tū rán sòng lái chuán yīn fú ， nán dào shēng shén me dà shì le ？
突然送来传音符，难道生什么大事了？
"Surprisingly, nothing was said; they just asked me to attend a meeting. That’s rather unusual," Lin Xuan mumbled to himself before transforming into a streak of light heading towards Hoshí City.
...
Gan Qing could not act rashly near the cave dwelling. It would attract too much attention from the heavens. The other party's minor actions were likely driven by the same thought.
This matter couldn't be rushed; either it was done or it wasn’t, and if so, it had to succeed at once.
Lin Xuan patiently waited.
Of course, during this time, he wouldn’t be idle. Although he dared not close his eyes for a life-and-death test, he could still meditate and practice. Lin Xuan took out the Heaven Essence Array Book and began reading in detail.
The complex array described within was incredibly intricate, and Lin Xuan quickly became engrossed.
Of course, mastering such techniques wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. Lin Xuan started with the simplest ones first.
In the炼器室 (Alchemy Workshop).
Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, with various materials placed in front of him—mostly玄晶铁母 (Cosmic Crystal Iron Core), none of which were rare treasures.
What he was trying to refine now was the Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array. As its name suggested, it combined the basic Three Talents Array and the Eight Trigrams Array.
According to the array book, once successfully refined, its power could surpass that of a medium-grade array technique by a notch.
Although such grade of setup tools were of little help to his current stage of cultivation—婴灵期 (Incubation Spirit Stage)—they served well for practice.
The myriad arts of cultivation, the path of arrays was profound. Lin Xuan certainly didn’t claim to be an expert but had spent decades studying and refining his skills, which gave him some insights. Even when he refined a medium-grade array flag before, he only failed three or four times at most.
However, this time, while exploring the Heaven Essence Array Book, even a simple Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array took Lin Xuan over seven days to fail nearly 20 times.
If it were someone else, they might have grown impatient by now. But Lin Xuan was naturally tenacious. As the saying goes, good things come after much effort; this little difficulty meant nothing. He had spent three years in the Incubation Spirit Stage before.
Lin Xuan wasn’t anxious but secretly delighted. The more challenging it was, the better it demonstrated the power of complex arrays.
Once he thoroughly understood this book, it would undoubtedly benefit his cultivation path immensely.
Since the Cosmic Crystal Iron Core didn’t cost much in crystal stones, he wouldn’t mind failing repeatedly.
With that thought, Lin Xuan stretched out his hand and tapped his storage bag. The Heaven Essence Array Book appeared as his spiritual sense delved into it.
Lianzhī…
Lin Xuan put down the jade cylinder and cast another spell. A piece of metal about the size of an infant’s fist flew to him, still emitting a dark luster.
This was the Iron Core.
Most spirit artifacts required this substance, though Lin Xuan had long lost interest in it. However, for refining array flags now, he needed it.
Speaking of setup tools, like spiritual artifacts and magical treasures, the more powerful they were, the rarer their materials. This also highlighted the benefits of complex arrays.
For example, combining two high-grade arrays could yield a power comparable to ancient forbidden arrays.
While there was ongoing research on such arrays, the materials required for them were incredibly rare. Even ordinary array mages would find it hard to gather them with support from major sects. But gathering the materials needed for two high-grade arrays was much easier.
This alone made Lin Xuan envious.
Of course, these thoughts were too intangible now. He hadn’t even figured out how to make a simple Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array.
With this in mind, Lin Xuan shook his head and cast aside the distractions. He opened his mouth, and a fine flame emerged—his long-practiced infant fire—which easily melted the Iron Core.
Next, he flicked his sleeves, and a burst of light flew out, transforming into two greenish hands.
Unlike the strange claws used in combat, these hands were delicate and graceful, especially their fingers, which were incredibly nimble.
One hand caught the molten Iron Core, spreading it flat on its palm. The other hand flexed its fingers, either tapping or picking at it as if kneading dough.
In less than a cup of tea, a short rod about half a foot long and thinner than his little finger appeared in front of him.
Lin Xuan nodded. He then slowly raised his left hand, and fine spiritual energy shot out from the tip of his fingers, striking the Iron Core-turned-short-rod.
Some seemingly simple yet somewhat arcane patterns emerged on its surface.
Lin Xuan’s expression was extremely serious; this step was crucial and difficult in array flag refinement. Most failures stopped here, so he could not afford to be careless.
This carving required great precision; even a small mistake would render all his efforts futile.
After over half an hour, Lin Xuan finally exhaled. Diligence paid off; despite failing 18 times before, this time was successful.
Next, Lin Xuan’s spiritual sense moved slightly, and the jade box in front of him automatically opened to reveal a strange blue thread.
"Quick."
Lin Xuan pointed his finger forward, and those threads flew into the air, weaving about. Soon, a palm-sized small flag appeared in his sight.
Lin Xuan cast several spells,
Thus, after countless efforts, the first array flag for the Three Talents Eight Trigrams Array was finally completed.
Lin Xuan’s face was filled with joy.
On the surface, it seemed unremarkable, but its impact was profound. It wasn’t inferior to mastering astonishing techniques like the Green Illusion Profound Fire; because this flag's successful creation meant Lin Xuan had opened the door to complex arrays.
Although just at the beginning, this skill would significantly aid his survival in the cultivation world.
Previously, Senior Immortal Tongyǔ could repel two powerful cultivators with mere talismans. The power of complex arrays was undoubtedly stronger than those mysterious talismans.
Lin Xuan toyed with the array flag in his hand, a relieved smile on his lips. Suddenly, his expression changed as he stood up and put away the items on the ground before slowly walking outside.
The cave dwelling door opened, revealing several layers of light shields.
Lin Xuan had his defenses fully activated; he wasn’t negligent at all. A flame was blocked by one of them.
A transmission talisman.
Lin Xuan felt slightly surprised. Although he was a named elder in Hoshí City, it was merely for external display and intimidation. Lin Xuan knew that for an unknown cultivator like him, the other party wouldn’t trust him much, so they wouldn’t assign any tasks either.
Suddenly receiving a transmission talisman—what could be going on?
Lin Xuan’s eyes flashed with curiosity. After Immortal Tongyǔ took his risky move, the crisis at Spirit Medicine Mountain was resolved, but the entire southern part of Cloud Province remained turbulent. It wasn’t strange for fires to break out here and there.
Lin Xuan tapped his storage bag and took out several tokens, then deactivated the defenses as the flame flew into his palm. His spiritual sense delved in.
"Surprisingly, nothing was said; they just asked me to attend a meeting. That’s rather unusual," Lin Xuan mumbled to himself before transforming into a streak of light heading towards Hoshí City.