Chapter 183: Master Qian

Inside the exquisitely luxurious study of the Qian family.

Qian Hong sat in a chair, his eyebrows tightly locked, while opposite him sat a cultivator with half-white beard and hair, whose expression was arrogant yet leisurely.

"Grandmaster Qian, are you aware of the recent events?" Qian Hong asked.

"I've heard a little, family master need not be anxious."

The middle-aged cultivator, called "Grandmaster Qian," maintained his usual expression and spoke in a calm tone.

Grandmaster Qian was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining cultivation, but he could draw out a first-grade nine-pattern array. Although he had not yet passed the Dao Court's formal assessment to become a first-grade array master, it was only a matter of time.

So even without a formal title, the Qian family cultivators and array masters in Tongxian City who had friendly relations with the family all respectfully called him "Grandmaster Qian."

Having crossed the threshold of a first-grade array master and having the potential to become one, Grandmaster Qian held a very high status in the family. Even without Foundation Building stage cultivation, he had become a family elder, his status second only to the Qian family master.

Qian Hong said: "Yu Changlin had an array master helping him, allowing him to contend with us inside Great Black Mountain. Now, because he also has an array master's help, he is confident enough to dare build such a large tool refining workshop."

Occupying such a large piece of land, hiring so many craftsmen, and building the largest tool refining workshop in Tongxian City was clearly an attempt to openly challenge the Qian family.

Inside Great Black Mountain, they had snatched such a large piece of meat from the Qian family's mouth.

Now that they had eaten the meat and grown stronger, their courage had also increased. They actually thought about snatching more meat from the Qian family's mouth. They simply overestimated themselves!

Grandmaster Qian sneered, "So what if they have an array master? Does our Qian family not have one?"

Qian Hong said: "That array master might be a first-grade array master!"

Grandmaster Qian said categorically: "Impossible!"

"The array he used inside Great Black Mountain was indeed first-grade..."

Grandmaster Qian shook his head, "Family master, you are not an array master and haven't studied arrays, so you don't understand just how difficult it is to become a first-grade array master..."

"Let's take myself as an example. Not to boast, but among all the family disciples, my talent in arrays is already unique. I spent several decades becoming a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and thereafter devoted myself to researching arrays, experiencing countless ups and downs. Not to mention anything else, just the leap from eight-pattern arrays to nine-pattern arrays, this threshold alone, I painstakingly researched for over ten years..."

Grandmaster Qian sighed, "Although it's only the difference of one pattern, it's as difficult as a natural barrier. Thinking back to a first-grade array with nine patterns, I could only attempt to draw it once a day, and I still couldn't succeed. Although I couldn't draw it, I still had to try. I persisted like this, drawing and drawing, for over ten years, and finally crossed this threshold."

"I put in so much effort, painstakingly for so many years, to have the strength of a first-grade array master. Even so, the last time the Tian Shu Pavilion assessed ranks, I had smoothed things over, but ultimately still missed by a little and didn't succeed."

Qian Hong sighed: "Grandmaster Qian has worked hard!"

Grandmaster Qian shook his head, "I'm saying this not to complain to the family master, nor do I want to talk about how difficult these many years have been for me, but to let the family master understand just how difficult it is to become a first-grade array master!"

"With the family's help, I still had to exhaust my heart and blood to reach this step, let alone other array masters."

After Grandmaster Qian finished speaking, he sneered again: "In this situation, as long as there is some talent, some ambitious array masters, once they can touch the threshold of the first grade, without exception, they all look upwards, clinging to bigger families and sects to obtain better inheritances and make further progress in arrays! Such array masters would not befriend our Qian family; instead, they would keep company with those shabby demon hunters. What are they thinking?"

"Grandmaster Qian's words are reasonable." Qian Hong frowned: "But inside Great Black Mountain, the array master among the demon hunter camp did indeed use a first-grade array..."

"Perhaps the family master saw wrong?"

"I personally tested the power of that array, and it is not below the first grade." Qian Hong said, while at the same time, a wave of humiliation surged in his heart.

He did indeed "personally" go and test it, being blasted by the array until his hair was disheveled and his face was dirty, and he was left in distress.

In the end, the spirit mine also fell into the hands of others, and he even received ridicule from Yu Changlin.

This was the shame of his life as the Qian family master!

Grandmaster Qian pondered for a moment, "That is also no harm. Even if he can draw out a first-grade array, he is not necessarily a first-grade array master. Moreover, a first-grade array is difficult to learn and also difficult to master. At most, he can only draw one or two; it's impossible for him to know more."

Grandmaster Qian asserted.

Qian Hong felt relieved. In the path of arrays, Grandmaster Qian's attainments were still very high. Since he asserted this, it meant the array master among the demon hunters was not that much of a concern.

Subsequently, Qian Hong felt a little regret. At that time, on the nameless peak in Great Black Mountain, if Grandmaster Qian had personally gone, they would not have been at a loss against the demon hunters' array.

However, array masters cannot personally take risks; this is also common sense in the cultivation world.

In case Grandmaster Qian really went, and that old fellow Yu Changlin was really shameless and killed Grandmaster Qian with one palm regardless of the consequences, their Qian family's loss would be truly immense.

A self-cultivated array master who could be promoted to the first grade was extremely important to the Qian family.

"There's no need to worry about their array master, but supposing Yu Changlin really builds the tool refining workshop, it will inevitably pose a threat to our Qian family. Family master should make plans early." Grandmaster Qian said again.

Qian Hong nodded: "Grandmaster Qian can rest assured, I have already secretly sent people to use some means. Even if we cannot prevent the tool refining workshop from being built, we can at least make them suffer some hardship."

Grandmaster Qian nodded, his expression arrogant, "Inside this Tongxian City, anyone who dares to challenge our Qian family must be made to suffer some hardship."

Qian Hong thought for a while, then said: "There is still one matter that I need to trouble Grandmaster Qian with."

"Family master, please speak freely."

Qian Hong carefully explained his plan:

"We will first send people to harass, pick quarrels and make trouble, so that it is best they are unable to build the tool refining workshop. This way, the problem will be solved once and for all. Even if this measure does not take effect, it can also delay their progress..."

"On the other hand, I want to forge a batch of tool refining furnaces and let several tool refining workshops within the clan work overtime to refine spirit tools. Once Yu Changlin's tool refining workshop is built, we will sell spirit tools and lower the prices, so they will have no foothold."

Grandmaster Qian didn't understand much about the tool refining business, only asking: "I wonder what the family master wants me to do?"

Qian Hong simply said: "I want to forge a batch of tool refining furnaces. This batch of furnaces will be expensive and of superior quality, with stronger furnace fire, capable of refining more spirit tools. Only, the arrays inside will have to trouble Grandmaster Qian!"

Grandmaster Qian frowned, "You want a first-grade array?"

"Preferably."

Grandmaster Qian thought for a while and said: "A first-grade tool refining furnace must use a first-grade melting fire array. I haven't researched this array; I need some time to study it properly."

Qian Hong immediately said: "This is natural. We will find some trouble for the demon hunters. Grandmaster Qian doesn't need to worry; just focus on researching the array."

Grandmaster Qian nodded, "Good."

Qian Hong's eyes brightened, and he cupped his hands, saying: "Then I will trouble Grandmaster Qian."

Qian Hong's attitude was very polite. Although he was the family master and had Foundation Building stage cultivation, he still had to be courteous to Grandmaster Qian.

In the cultivation world, some things are solved by cultivation, but there are also some things that cannot be solved by cultivation alone.

Array problems are precisely problems that cannot be solved by cultivation alone.

High or low cultivation is just a personal matter, but arrays can benefit and influence the majority of cultivators.

Fighting and killing rely on cultivation, but various industries and crafts, if they want to improve efficiency and quality, are extremely dependent on arrays.