Chapter 1936: Ten Years to Build an Array

Chapter 1936: Ten Years to Forge an Array

Speaking of forging arrays, Ye Chen gathered his thoughts and stood firm, using his mind to activate the Dun Jia Tian Zi. The Dun Jia Tian Zi glowed brilliantly, with the sounds of the great dao echoing around it. Under his urging, it formed based on the Ba Gua, arranging and combining elements, while Fu Shi flew out to take their positions, coordinating with the Dun Jia Tian Zi.

Next came the array patterns. Ye Chen sacrificed his dao principles, merging them with his bloodline power, carefully etching line after line to connect the Fu Shi and the Dun Jia Tian Zi. The array began to take shape, and its foundations started to shift.

Ren Wang sat on a rock, propping up his chin with one hand, watching idly without much reaction. Ye Chen's talents were not bad, but his array-forging abilities only barely met expectations.

Or perhaps, as his mentor, Ren Wang had set his hopes for Ye Chen too high.

Ye Chen remained silent, still etching the array patterns.

Though he had not been skilled in arrays back in the day, he was not completely clueless and could set up simple ones, giving him some foundation. Now, after comprehending the methods of forging arrays and gaining insights over the past ten years, he had reached a decent level in arrays. The only shortcoming was his speed in setting them up.

He did not know when he finally stopped.

Looking at what lay before him, the array was complete. From the outside, it appeared unremarkable, but stepping inside revealed a different world—a dim realm with surging winds and clouds, flashing lightning, and rumbling thunder.

This was the first array of the Di Dao Fu Xi, specifically designed to trap opponents. Though it did not match the profound nature of the one set by Ren Wang, it was about seventy to eighty percent similar and could easily trap an ordinary Sheng Wang-level cultivator.

Unfortunately, Ye Chen had not yet nurtured a spirit for the array, so its power was considerably weaker.

Ren Wang stood up, wine flask in hand, and strolled unsteadily into the array to test it himself.

This guy was as carefree as ever, wandering through the array like he was strolling in his own garden. In just three to five breaths, he casually walked out again. With a single wave of his sleeve, he destroyed the array entirely. To him, Ye Chen's array seemed like nothing more than a decoration—he entered and exited without any effort, and breaking it was effortless.

"For the first time forging a Di Dao Fu Xi array and reaching your level, that's quite commendable."

Ren Wang took a swig of wine.

"However, the array you forged is full of flaws!"

"Give me time, and I will surely grasp its mysteries."

Ye Chen said.

"There's plenty of time."

Ren Wang sat back on the rock.

"I give you ten years. Focus solely on the first array of Di Dao Fu Xi. Forge it yourself and break it yourself, until you can set it up with a casual wave of your hand. Not only should it have the array form, but also an array spirit. Remember, all changes stem from the same core principle."

"Ten years to practice one array?"

Ye Chen frowned. He could do the math—Di Dao Fu Xi had ninety-nine arrays, and if each took ten years, that would be over eight hundred and ten years. That was a conservative estimate; later arrays would be harder, possibly taking thirty to fifty years each. At that rate, mastering all of Di Dao Fu Xi would take him over a thousand years.

"Is ten years that long?"

Ren Wang glanced at Ye Chen.

"Do you know how many years the Ren Huang spent comprehending the mysteries of forging arrays? Eight hundred years—exactly eight hundred years."

As he spoke, Ren Wang lay down on the rock and continued,

"Forging arrays is like cultivation. The first array is like the Qi Condensation stage—extremely important, as it builds the foundation. You should understand that principle."

"I understand."

Ye Chen nodded, then turned around to continue forging arrays.

"The young can be taught."

Ren Wang closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep, one that would last a long time.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and summoned the Dun Jia Tian Zi again.

He dared not slack off, meticulously handling every foundation and every array pattern. With ten years ahead, he needed to calm his mind and practice until perfection—the principle of familiarity breeding mastery had always been a timeless truth. His current array-setting speed was adequate but would gradually reach mastery as time passed.

Half an hour later, the array was complete.

He tested it himself, sensing within the array and using the Ba Gua mysteries to identify flaws, then broke out and started forging again. Once, twice, countless times, without tiring, like a cold-blooded puppet.

In this way, one day passed quietly, followed by two days, three days, one month, one year...

Forging and breaking arrays formed a endless cycle.

Through this cycle, his speed in forging arrays increased rapidly, and the flaws in his arrays gradually became invisible. The arrays he set up evolved repeatedly, approaching perfection.

By the third year, he could set up arrays with a casual wave of his hand.

In the fifth year, his array nurtured a spirit for the first time, giving it life.

In the tenth year, the array underwent another rebirth.

Ten years to forge one array—he had built an incredibly solid foundation and truly comprehended the mysteries of forging arrays.

Ten years of seasons, with flowers blooming and fading.

He had spent ten years forging arrays, and Ren Wang had slept for ten years.

In those ten years, the starry skies were far from peaceful.

A new generation rose like spring bamboo after rain, or like brilliant stars in the sky. The two most dazzling were the Tian Quan Zhi Ti and the Di Zi Zhi Zi, overshadowing the new talents. The two had battled for a full ten years without a clear victor, each fight drawing spectators from all directions.

Whenever people saw the Tian Quan Zhi Ti, they could not help to recall a war god, a legendary figure who had created an immortal myth by slaying great emperors more than once. That was the Sheng Ti Ye Chen.

After twenty years, with no sign of Ye Chen and no news of him, people felt quite unaccustomed.

Not just Ye Chen, but also his generation, the various Tian Di Zi-level figures, and the Hong Huang Di Zi, all seemed to have vanished from the world. In twenty years, there was little word from them.

Everyone knew that this group of fierce individuals was in seclusion, brewing new conquests.

Yet, this period of calm was not dull—the new generation's competitions added excitement to the world.

In a certain part of the starry skies, a graceful figure in purple robes walked through the air, holding a divine pearl in her hand and examining it closely. This young woman was only about twenty years old, with hair like flowing waves, clear and bright eyes, and features sculpted to perfection—an unparalleled beauty that outshone everything around her.

At first glance, she looked somewhat familiar, very much like Chu Ling.

But she was not Chu Ling; she was the precious daughter of Chu Ling and Ye Chen: Ye Ling.

Ten years had passed, and she was now twenty-three, standing tall and graceful like a fairy, possessing the same charm as Chu Ling in her youth. Moreover, her talents were extraordinary; at such a young age, she was a genuine Quasi-Saint, the youngest in the heavens, and she would likely break the record of the Di Jiu Xian in the future.

In the past twenty years, her fame had surpassed even that of the Tian Quan Zhi Ti and the Di Zi Zhi Zi.

Unlike them, she was renowned not only for her talents but also for her talent for causing chaos wherever she went, always stirring up trouble and sending places into turmoil.

For this, the world had given her a nickname: the Little Devil of the World.

It was no exaggeration—the forces of the heavens guarded against her like a thief, because wherever she appeared, treasures went missing, and if one was not careful, even the holy sons might be dragged away for a beating.

That was not the worst of it; strangely, she had a habit of kidnapping holy daughters, not for ransom, but just keeping them for a few days before sending them back, which always led to her being hunted across the lands.

Because of this, the holy lords of various forces frequently visited the Da Chu dynasty, either to demand back treasures stolen by Ye Ling or to retrieve holy daughters she had kidnapped, leaving Chu Ling and the others extremely embarrassed. As mothers, they were driven to frustration by this wild girl.

Over time, an unspoken rule emerged in the heavens: whenever a treasure or holy daughter went missing, people would head straight to the Da Chu Heng Yue Sect to chat with Ye Chen's wives over tea.

"The Hao Yue Shen Zhu is quite good; I'll take it back for Mother."

As she spoke, Ye Ling crossed another star domain, twirling the divine pearl and chuckling to herself. She was still very filial, knowing to bring gifts.

As she was walking, a sudden roar echoed from the starry skies behind her.

"That's her—capture her alive!"

In an instant, divine rainbows appeared—some riding flying swords, others on spirit beasts, and some soaring through the clouds. There were hundreds of them, their momentum causing the starry skies to tremble and rumble.

These people were of unknown origin, but the three elderly Sheng Ren leading them had dark, grim faces, and those behind them wore expressions of frustration, shouting as they charged.

"What a keen nose."

Ye Ling turned and fled, her speed absolutely inherited from her ancestors.

"Little devil, where do you think you're going?"

The three elderly Sheng Ren shouted, chasing with all their might.

"Give back our divine pearl!"

"You're lying—I picked it up!"

Ye Ling pouted, though her confidence was lacking, and she ran even faster.

From the looks of it, she had clearly gone to their place to "pick" it up.

Boom! Boom!

The starry skies grew lively due to their pursuit and escape, drawing cultivators from all sides to watch.

When they saw Ye Ling, the old folks stroked their beards.

"This girl looks familiar—how so?"

"She resembles the Wu Lei Shen Nu quite a bit; she must be the daughter of the Sheng Ti. She's been the most troublesome one these years."

"This time, she probably went to someone's place to pick something up and got caught red-handed."

"Her style is just like her father's."

Many sighed with a meaningful look.

"Jiangshan has talents in every generation, each leading the scene for centuries. The Sheng Ti has a worthy successor—one who fights like the Tian Quan Zhi Ti, and one who causes chaos like the Sheng Ling Zhi Ti. Both are monsters."

"Little brat, you won't escape!"

Amid the discussions, the three elderly Sheng Ren crossed the starry skies, each manifesting a five-pointed star in their palms to form a sealing array.

Ye Ling, still fleeing, was suddenly trapped on the spot.

But this girl was quick to adapt—in an instant, she broke free and vanished a thousand zhang away.

The three elderly Sheng Ren nearly choked on their breath, almost spitting blood. A sealing array cast by three Sheng Ren together had failed to hold a little Quasi-Saint—such a loss of face.

What followed was even more embarrassing—they chased for at least tens of thousands of li but still could not catch up.

"Ye Chen, you bastard!"

Helpless, the three elderly Sheng Ren cursed openly—not at Ye Ling, but at Ye Chen.

"Hey, how dare you curse my father?"

Sure enough, their words made Ye Ling stop ahead. She rolled up her sleeves, her bright eyes sparking with fire, her long hair turning red, and an ancient divine mark etching itself on her forehead. Her aura surged instantly, approaching that of a Sheng Ren.

Soon, the scene in the starry skies became too brutal to watch.

Ye Ling had stopped, and the three elderly Sheng Ren caught up, only to be sent flying with a single palm strike each. The hundreds behind them were also beaten into the air by Ye Ling.

The lawless spectacle left onlookers swallowing hard and staring in shock. A Quasi-Saint had overturned three Sheng Ren and hundreds of experts—Ye Ling was even more terrifying than the Sheng Ti in his youth. She did not fight one-on-one; it was always one against many.

"We don't want it anymore—just let us go!"

The three elderly Sheng Ren cowered, scrambling away in the starry skies.

"You cursed me—I'll make you pay for that!"

Ye Ling grew more furious as she fought, with a fiery temper and a violent streak. If her father Ye Chen were there, he would surely be proud.

It was some time before the starry skies calmed down.

On an ancient star, Ye Ling dusted off her hands and emerged, having chased them all the way to their home and given everyone a thorough beating.

Before leaving, she did not forget to "pick up" a few more treasures from their place.