Chapter 70: Testing the Waters

Master Chen pondered and asked, “Ink… little brother, ah, is there something… something not quite right about this array of yours?”

“Where do you think it's not right?”

“I don't understand it very well either, but this array pattern seems… seems to have one extra line?”

Ink Painting's eyes lit up, “You noticed?”

“Uh…” Master Chen asked, “Then this array… is it still the Melting Fire Array?”

“Of course!” Ink Painting explained, “This is a six-line array pattern of the Melting Fire Array. I just learned it from mister. It's still the Melting Fire Array, but because there's one extra array pattern line, its effect is quite a bit stronger…”

“Have you drawn it before?”

“Don't worry, I've drawn it many times on paper!” Ink Painting said confidently.

“Have you drawn it on a refining furnace before?”

Master Chen didn't ask this question out loud, but he knew without thinking that this kid definitely hadn't actually drawn it on a refining furnace before.

A chill went through Master Chen's heart. “It's over, my refining furnace is being used by this kid for practice!”

But things had already reached this point, and there was no turning back.

Master Chen looked at the disassembled refining furnace, then at the erased array, and gritted his teeth, saying, “Then draw it. I, this old man, believe you.”

Ink Painting didn't detect the insincerity in Master Chen's words. Instead, he was greatly encouraged. He waved his array brush and began to draw.

Master Chen watched from the side with his heart in his mouth. Every time Ink Painting paused his brush, or frowned in thought, Master Chen became so nervous he broke into a sweat.

This furnace was his entire possession. If anything went wrong, he would truly have to go drink the northwest wind.

This torment continued for nearly two hours, until Ink Painting finished drawing the entire set of arrays. Only then did Master Chen let out a breath. But before he could even catch his breath, he heard Ink Painting say:

“Finished.”

Master Chen's heart jumped back into his throat.

“Did you… draw the array wrong?” Master Chen's voice trembled slightly.

“The array… it's not wrong, but the array patterns can't take effect, the spiritual power can't conduct…” Ink Painting touched his little chin, frowning in thought.

“Then… then what should we do?”

“Uncle Chen, don't worry, let me think.”

“Oh, oh.”

Master Chen nodded repeatedly, anxiously pacing in circles nearby, yet not daring to make a sound to disturb Ink Painting.

“The array is exactly the same as the array diagram. The array hub isn't wrong, the array patterns aren't wrong. The array eye is a spirit gathering array. When the spirit gathering array absorbs spiritual power, it should be able to light up the whole array, ah…”

Ink Painting muttered to himself.

Generally speaking, after drawing an array on a spiritual tool, you need to inject some spiritual power to light up the array patterns and verify if the array can take effect.

Ink Painting placed his palm on the spirit gathering array again. Faint spiritual power transmitted from his palm and seeped into the spirit gathering array. The spirit gathering array shone slightly, and the spiritual power gradually passed into each array pattern, but the whole array had no reaction.

After waiting for a moment, Master Chen finally couldn't help but interrupt, saying, “How about, let me try?”

Ink Painting thought to himself, I drew the array, and I can't even light it up myself. How could someone else make a difference? However, seeing Master Chen's anxious expression, he still agreed to Master Chen's request.

Master Chen placed his palm on the spirit gathering array, and as soon as the spiritual power operated, the entire array lit up…

Ink Painting opened his mouth wide, looked at Master Chen, and couldn't help but doubt, saying:

“Strange, why couldn't I light it up, but you could?”

“Isn't there a possibility,” Master Chen tried to use a gentle tone, saying, “that your spiritual power is too weak…”

Ink Painting: “…”

“You're only at Qi Refining third layer, right?”

“If nothing unexpected happened, I would have reached Qi Refining fourth layer already!” Ink Painting explained.

If he hadn't learned the Tianyan Jue, he indeed should have been at Qi Refining fourth layer cultivation by now.

Master Chen comforted him, saying, “It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. At your age, Qi Refining third layer cultivation is also very good. All of my apprentices at your age were only at Qi Refining second or third layer.”

“Mm, mm!”

A group of apprentices all nodded along, though it was unclear if it was true or false.

Ink Painting didn't want to explain either, and just said, “Let's install the refining furnace and see if it works.”

“Right, right! I almost forgot the main thing. Quickly install it and see.”

Master Chen became energetic and hurriedly instructed the apprentices to install the refining furnace properly. Then he took out two pieces of spiritual stones and embedded them in the back of the refining furnace.

After that, he lit the fire, and the flames immediately surged out.

Master Chen's eyes lit up. He took out a knife-shaped spiritual tool embryo and put it into the fire. In a moment, the embryo turned red. Master Chen took out the embryo, swung his hammer to smash it several times, and then laughed until he couldn't close his mouth.

“Good! This fire is good! The firepower of this furnace is almost catching up to large refining furnaces.”

Ink Painting also let out a breath. Although he was confident, he was also afraid of something going wrong. It wouldn't be good if he really messed up Master Chen's refining furnace.

“Well, Master Chen, I'll head back now.”

“Then these spiritual stones for drawing the array…”

Ink Painting waved his hand, “We agreed to draw it for free, so the spiritual stones are included.”

Master Chen still felt uneasy, so he gave Ink Painting all the remaining spiritual ink for drawing the Melting Fire Array, and also took out several brand new array brushes and forced them onto Ink Painting.

The array brushes were brand new, and should have been refined by Master Chen for others. They were better than the ones Ink Painting was using. As for the spiritual ink, there was no need to say. It was the first time Ink Painting had used such good ink, and he had been envious for a long time.

Ink Painting politely declined symbolically a few times, then happily accepted.

Master Chen said again, “Later, if you have any spiritual tools you want to refine, just come and find me. As long as it's not a particularly large object, I won't charge you spiritual stones.”

This promise was quite valuable.

“Thank you, Uncle Chen!”

Ink Painting happily went home, still thinking about which spiritual tools he might need to use on the way, so he could find Master Chen to help refine them then.

Da Zhu waited until Ink Painting had gone far, then asked his master in a low voice, “Master, is giving him this little bit of stuff really enough? If we asked Master Jia to draw this array, it would cost quite a few spiritual stones!”

Master Chen said in a bad mood, “I want to give, but where are the spiritual stones?

“The spiritual stones for that batch of spiritual tools from the Shen family haven't been settled yet. It costs spiritual stones to burn the fire in this refining furnace, it costs spiritual stones to buy refined iron for refining tools, and you brats also need spiritual stones to eat. Even if I broke a spiritual stone into ten pieces, it wouldn't be enough. I can only thicken my face and take advantage of the kid a little.”

Da Zhu was afraid of making his master angry, so he dared not speak.

Master Chen stood up, paced a couple of steps, looked at the furnace fire again, thought for a moment, and then gritted his teeth and said:

“Go get that box of hundred-year Shui Fuling. Later, take it to Ink Painting's child. I heard his mother is not well, and fire energy has invaded her body. This medicine can be used for that.”

“Isn't this box of Shui Fuling supposed to be given to Master Jia? If we give it to Ink Painting, what will we do about Master Jia?”

“Never mind him. Every day when we give gifts, he's polite, but when we ask him to draw arrays, he's arrogant, and he doesn't collect a single piece less of spiritual stones. His appetite is so big, he's not afraid of choking to death.” Master Chen was a little indignant.

“If we don't give him gifts, he won't be happy, and he probably won't draw arrays for us.” Da Zhu said with some worry.

“It doesn't matter, we have Ink Painting here.”

“Finding Ink Painting to draw arrays, won't we always give him spiritual stones? That doesn't seem right…”

Master Chen glared at Da Zhu, “Is your master that kind of person? I truly have no spiritual stones now, but later when I do, won't I naturally give them?”

“That's good, that's good.” Da Zhu nodded, and then immediately said uneasily:

“But I heard that Master Jia might be promoted to a higher rank in the coming years. A first-rank array master… If we offend him, won't it cause trouble?”

Master Chen sneered, “Getting promoted is that easy? He's just bullying others who don't understand arrays, pulling a bunch of obscure stuff. When he actually draws arrays with his brush, he's still not as nimble as that kid Ink Painting. I don't think he'll necessarily be promoted even when Ink Painting reaches a higher rank.”

“Impossible, right? Ink Painting is only at Qi Refining third layer now. Getting promoted will take until the year of the monkey and month of the horse.”

“Nonsense. Just do as I tell you. Your master knows what he's doing.”

Da Zhu weighed it in his heart and felt that compared to Master Jia, he was still more willing to give gifts to Ink Painting.

“Then I'll go in a bit.”

“Go in a bit for what?” Master Chen said doubtfully.

Da Zhu scratched his head, “If I go in a bit, I can get a meal. Aunt Liu's cooking might be delicious.”

Master Chen: “…”