Chapter 308 - 297: Joining the Auxiliary Formation

Chapter 308: Chapter 297: Joining the Auxiliary Formation

Early the next morning, Chen Yi delivered an official document from the Primordial Yang Sect.

"The mission to set up the auxiliary array for the Core Formation Platform has been issued," Chen Yi said, placing the document on the table.

"The preliminary preparations start today. The Array Masters, the administration office, and the materials team will be working together. Do you want to participate?"

Li Yuan took the document and skimmed through it.

The document was quite detailed.

It stated that the main array of the Core Formation Platform had not been damaged when the ruins collapsed. The platform’s own functions were still intact, but the main array only assisted with Core Formation; it lacked any Spirit Gathering, flow diversion, or protective capabilities.

These supporting functions were all handled by auxiliary arrays, but the old ones were long since destroyed and had to be rebuilt from scratch.

The last page of the document included a description of the access permissions.

All Array Masters participating in the construction would be granted long-term access to the Core Formation District, allowing them to freely enter and exit the outer ring and the auxiliary array construction zone. Access to the core area required prior notification but was otherwise unrestricted.

"What about the materials?" Li Yuan asked after nodding in agreement.

"The Sect’s first shipment of materials has arrived. The administration office is responsible for verifying them and putting them in storage," Chen Yi said. "Your Array Master’s material list is also in the document. Just pick them up according to the list."

Li Yuan put the document away and headed to the Core Formation District that same afternoon.

The Core Formation District had been guarded ever since it was sealed off, and now that the array project was approved, another layer of personnel had been added. A set of identification arrays was installed at both ends of the outer ring’s corridor, requiring identity tokens to pass through two checks upon entry and exit.

Li Yuan presented his identity token and the document and passed through without issue.

The layout inside the outer ring hadn’t changed much since his last visit.

A few temporary Restrictions were still active, and the remnants of old patterns still littered the stone walls and ground around the Core Formation Platform. The only difference was several piles of unopened Array Materials in a corner, covered by dust cloths, with a stack of registration ledgers next to them.

After joining the team, Li Yuan first spent some time helping to check a round of materials.

Once the verification was complete, Li Yuan began what he truly wanted to do.

Survey the old Restriction structures around the Core Formation Platform.

This was a fundamental task that an Array Master had to perform before setting up a new auxiliary array. The new array had to be compatible with the old structures; its Array Patterns and node positions couldn’t conflict with the old Restrictions. Otherwise, once deployed, the two would interfere with each other, leading to reduced efficiency at best, or a complete collapse of the array at worst.

Li Yuan began to systematically survey the old Restrictions around the Core Formation Platform, using his Tier Two Array Dao mastery and his highly precise perception from his enlightened Spiritual Sense.

There were three layers of old Restrictions in total.

The outermost layer was a defensive Restriction temporarily set up by the Primordial Yang Sect after the area was sealed off. Its structure was simple and its Array Patterns were clear, so this layer didn’t take much time.

The second layer was a protective Restriction left behind by the original sect. It was ancient, and its Array Patterns were severely weathered, but its core structure was still operational. The node positions and pattern trajectories of this layer required careful surveying. In many places, the Array Patterns were too blurry to be seen with the naked eye and had to be detected using Divine Sense and Spiritual Power.

The third layer was pressed right against the Core Formation Platform itself, making it the oldest and sturdiest layer. Its Array Patterns were carved directly into the platform’s base and the surrounding stone walls, integrated with the platform’s main array. This layer had the most complex structure and the most nested levels.

Li Yuan surveyed and recorded the Array Pattern trajectories, node positions, and weak points of all three Restriction layers into the jade slip he carried with him.

The other Array Masters were doing similar work, but none were as meticulous as Li Yuan.

Their surveys focused mainly on the new auxiliary array construction area and the outer structures of the old Restrictions. They only performed a cursory scan of the third layer of Restrictions pressed against the platform.

That night, Li Yuan did not begin cultivating immediately after returning to his stone house.

He waited until the market square had fallen completely silent and the outpost patrols had changed shifts before getting up and heading out.

He descended through the mine shaft entrance behind his stone house, walked all the way to the vicinity of the Spirit Vein Core, and then entered an underground passage from the core node of the main vein.

He activated two concealment techniques simultaneously, one to hide his meridians and one to mask his presence, doubly shrouding his energy fluctuations and external aura.

The five layers of Restrictions along the teleportation structure’s path had all been dismantled, leaving the passage clear. Li Yuan’s figure followed the old circuit upward, arriving moments later in the sealed space directly beneath the Core Formation Platform.

Stone walls on all four sides, a layer of rock overhead, and stuffy air.

After coming to a stop, Li Yuan first took out the jade slip from his daytime survey and pulled up his records.

During the day, his perspective had been from above looking down; all the Restriction’s Array Pattern trajectories and node positions were recorded from the surface. Now, standing underground and looking up, the perspective was completely reversed, and the relative positions of many things needed to be recalculated.

Li Yuan committed the comparison results to memory, one by one.

The key conclusion was already clear.

The Restrictions above and on the sides of the Core Formation Platform were layered densely. To reach the platform from the surface, one would have to break through all of them—a massive undertaking with an extremely high risk of exposure. But approaching from underground was a completely different story.

The first layer of Restrictions had almost zero downward coverage and posed no obstacle. The second layer’s downward coverage was limited, with sparse nodes, making it far less difficult to dismantle than from above. The only real challenge was the web of Restrictions from the third layer, pressed against the bottom of the platform.

As long as he could break through the Restrictions from the underground approach, he could directly access the Core Formation Platform’s main body from below.

There would be no need to touch the other Restrictions on the surface.

Li Yuan’s gaze lingered on the stone layer overhead for a moment before falling back to the Array Pattern structure of the third Restriction layer.

But just as he extended his perception to the outermost Array Patterns of the third Restriction layer, a detail he hadn’t noticed before emerged.

Embedded between the Array Pattern nodes was a set of extremely fine Spiritual Power circuits.

This set of circuits was not part of the Restriction’s own defensive structure, and its trajectory differed from the main patterns. Like a thin thread, it connected all the key nodes of the third Restriction layer, extending from the base of the platform all the way up the stone walls, finally connecting to a location Li Yuan could not perceive.

’An alarm circuit.’

Li Yuan immediately withdrew his perception, not daring to probe any deeper.

The function of this circuit was clear. If any key node of the third Restriction layer was damaged or dismantled by an external force, the Spiritual Power fluctuation would travel along this thin thread and trigger a preset alarm somewhere.

This meant that even if he could dismantle the third Restriction layer from underground, he would be discovered the instant he did so.

Li Yuan stood in the sealed space for a moment, organizing all the information he had gathered that night in his mind.

’The path is clear and the direction is right, but the final step is blocked by this alarm mechanism.’

’Two options, then. I could force my way through, check if the Core Formation Platform can be equipped, and then leave quickly.’

’But that’s too risky. The alternative is to find a way to shield the Spiritual Power fluctuations that would be caused by breaking the Restriction.’

Li Yuan did not linger. He returned to his stone house the way he came.

The next day, the Primordial Yang Sect officially distributed the Array Maps for the auxiliary array to all participating Array Masters.

What Li Yuan received was a complete set of schematics for a Tier Two Spirit Gathering Flow Diversion Array.

Its name was the Spirit Gathering Flow Diversion Array, and as the name suggested, it had two functions. The first was to gather the surrounding Spiritual Qi, and the second was to direct the gathered Spiritual Qi to a designated location.

The array’s structure wasn’t overly complex. The core concept was to gather Spiritual Qi at the Array Hub, then send it in a predetermined direction through a set of flow-diversion patterns. The trajectory of these patterns could be adjusted during setup, offering a high degree of flexibility.

Li Yuan read through the schematics twice and came to a judgment about this array’s purpose.

’This isn’t a Spirit Gathering Array meant for cultivation.’

A normal Spirit Gathering Array simply gathers Spiritual Qi, and a cultivator sits inside to absorb it. But this array had an added flow-diversion function, which meant the Spiritual Qi it gathered wasn’t for people to use, but to be sent elsewhere.

When a cultivator cultivates, their Spiritual Power circulates freely, making this kind of flow-diversion array unsuitable.

Used on the Core Formation Platform, the logic was clear. The auxiliary array would gather the surrounding Spiritual Qi and then, via the flow-diversion patterns, channel it directly into the Core Formation Platform, providing a sufficient and stable supply of Spiritual Power for the Core Formation process.

After putting away the schematics, Li Yuan found an empty patch of ground near his stone house that evening and set up a trial version.

For the Array Materials, he used the batch of Stabilizing Spirit Sand and Drainage Stones he had previously stockpiled, and for the Array Hub, he chose a medium-quality Spirit Gathering Stone.

The setup process went smoothly. With his Tier Two Array Dao mastery, enhanced by his permanent trait, ’Array Mechanism Link-Sense,’ an array of this difficulty was no longer much effort for Li Yuan. In less than two hours, the Spirit Gathering Flow Diversion Array was complete.

He channeled his Spiritual Power, and the array lit up.

After confirming the array’s actual effects, Li Yuan walked back to the Array Hub.

As he crouched down, the Array Hub Stone came within a three-foot radius, and the panel popped up.

[Detected equippable item: Spirit Stone (Complete)]

[Trait Preview: Spirit Stone (Green)]

[Effect: Increases Spiritual Power flow speed by 30% and Spiritual Power control precision by 20%]

[Permanence Condition Preview: Cultivation must reach Late-stage Foundation Establishment]

The permanence condition was to reach Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

He had already met it.

Li Yuan equipped it directly, then made it permanent.

[Spirit Stone (Green) has become a permanent trait]

The change was immediately apparent in the circulation of his Spiritual Power.

The flow of Spiritual Power in his meridians was noticeably faster. It wasn’t a stiff, forced acceleration, but rather a decrease in the Spiritual Power’s inherent resistance, allowing it to flow more smoothly.

At the same time, his control precision over his Spiritual Power improved. When he condensed a wisp of Spiritual Power at his fingertip, his manipulation of its form and trajectory was more refined than before.

A thirty percent increase in Spiritual Power flow speed and a twenty percent increase in Spiritual Power control precision.

These two improvements would be useful in alchemy, array deployment, and combat.

Li Yuan stood up, leaving the empty spot in the Array Hub where the Spirit Stone had disappeared. He took a new Spirit Gathering Stone from his storage pouch and embedded it in the Array Hub.

The array lit up again, operating as usual.

Li Yuan glanced at the trial Spirit Gathering Flow Diversion Array, confirmed its structure was stable, and then paid it no more mind, turning back toward his stone house.

He had thoroughly understood the schematics and had completed a practical test. There shouldn’t be any problems when he officially set up the array in the Core Formation District.