Cultivation: Starting from a Mortal Bone

Beneath the hub of the ancient array, the threads pulsed intermittently—now clear, now dim—a sign of severe corrosion and decay.

Every hundred years, when the Secret Realm opens, what the Four Great Halls actually do is to repair this ancient array.

However, since no one can fully comprehend the ancient array, all their efforts are but a drop in the ocean.

Among the outermost cultivators—many of whom had entered in previous cycles, including even the Palace Envoy Luo Lizhu—they kept condensing array scripts, injecting them continuously into the ancient stele.

As each ancient stele lit up, resplendent golden brilliance unfurled from the periphery, layer by layer, spreading towards the heart of the array. Yet, with each layer passed, the golden light diminished, until, at the very core, the brilliance was nearly extinguished, leaving only a faint, most tenuous glow.

This also made it clear that the ancient array not only suffered severe erosion at its hub, but each of the twelve inner and outer layers bore traces of corrosion as well.

Just... nowhere nearly as dire as at the array hub.

Atop the high platform, the nine chosen cultivators relentlessly condensed array scripts.

Yet, since they had understood too few scripts, when injected into the hub, it was like a raindrop falling onto a searing desert—an effect, yes, but... almost negligible.

It was as if, whether at the periphery or the array hub, everything these cultivators did was ultimately futile.

Only the Hall Master, Duanmu Hong, with each script he delivered, could somewhat brighten the threads beneath the hub.

But, that was all he could achieve.

Perhaps contemplating the consequences should the ancient array become completely corroded, this old man’s brows knitted tightly on their own.

Clearly, with comprehension of only thirty ancient steles, there was no way he could properly repair the array.

The destruction of the ancient array was only a matter of time.

Perhaps one day in the future, billions of lives across the Four Halls would be plunged into misery and ruin because of it.

Moreover, the crisis wasn’t just here—the Ruins Rift in the Yunlan Domain, which had yet to fully close, was an immense hidden danger as well.

And there were other events unfolding in the other halls.

Though as the Hall Master, Duanmu Hong could see nothing but darkness ahead—no light at all.

Perhaps this was why the old man never smiled.

All he could do was use this broken body to patch what could still be patched.

Maybe, with each repair, he could delay the devastation for another year—perhaps.

As the old man continued weaving arrays, suddenly, a faint ripple spread not far from his side.

”Hm?!”

He opened his eyes and looked toward Qin Yu’s location.

As the Hall Master of Cyan Mist Hall, and having comprehended thirty ancient steles of this array, he was keenly sensitive to this sort of fluctuation.

And now, the aura suddenly radiating from Qin Yu’s body was almost identical to the pulsing of the ancient array itself—nearly a perfect match!

It wasn’t the fluctuation of a single or several scripts—but the pulse of the complete array!

”This...”

At first, even Duanmu Hong froze, thinking it was just his own illusion.

Wasn’t Qin Yu only supposed to have understood twenty-five ancient steles?!

In truth, from the moment Qin Yu began comprehending the first ancient stele, Duanmu Hong had kept his eye on him.

Therefore, he was certain that Qin Yu had not touched any other ancient steles!

If not, then how did he comprehend them?!

Duanmu Hong could not understand.

Yet the aura diffusing from Qin Yu now made it clear—this was definitely not something possible with incomplete array scripts.

”Could it be... this youngster has comprehended the entire Star Prison Array?!”

Duanmu Hong’s heart trembled.

If so, then is there not a hope for this ancient array to be repaired?!

”Try injecting the script you comprehended into the array hub.”

Qin Yu was still immersed in the joy of having comprehended the whole ancient array, when suddenly the Hall Master’s voice sounded beside his ear.

He wondered if it was his imagination, but in the elder’s voice he detected a faintly trembling excitement.

Qin Yu opened his eyes and saw Duanmu Hong giving him a slight nod.

The old man’s gaze was very bright, very bright.

Qin Yu couldn’t quite interpret the look in those eyes.

But clearly, he’d given himself away; the Hall Master must have noticed something.

Of course, having comprehended the ancient array—how could he hide it?

After all, he might one day arrange one for the Cyan Mountain Sect as well.

If this earned the Hall Master’s admiration, all the better—and this wasn’t even considered too high-profile.

”Alright!”

Qin Yu pressed his palm to the array script on the ground. With a thought, the ancient array hovering by his Life Rune sank into the threads of the array upon the earth.

In that instant—

The entire ancient array, all one hundred and eight ancient steles, shone together, and a vast intent flooded out, sweeping the whole Secret Realm.

Beneath the hub, the threads grew distinctly brighter in that moment.

”Rumble!...”

Many hadn’t even registered what had happened before, in the next instant, the entire ground trembled abruptly, especially at the array hub.

It was as if something underground had slammed violently into the surface—several cultivators near the edge of the high platform nearly tumbled right off.

”Waaah!...”

Immediately after, from the rift at the array hub, a savage and piercing howl shrieked forth, battering at their sanity. Even under the Hall Master Duanmu Hong’s pearl’s white glow, the other nine cultivators were all affected in some degree—bloodshot threads spreading through their eyes, breathing raggedly as if fighting hard to suppress something within.

”Anchor your minds!”

Duanmu Hong gave a low, forceful command, and at the same time poured his own Spiritual Power into the pearl. Instantly, the pearl radiated like a full moon, shining bright.

Under that soft, moon-like glow, the negative emotions in their hearts gradually eased.

Qin Yu too was somewhat affected.

After all, he was only at Early-stage Golden Core, with a still-weak cultivation, unable to fully withstand the howling’s assault.

If not for the pearl’s constant protection, he might have lost himself as well.

Yet, at the same time, a flame flickered into view before his eyes.

[Purifying Malice +100]

”Eh?!”

He had merely condensed and injected one ancient array, and already gained a hundred Flame Points?!

What if he did this a hundred or a thousand times?!

As excitement surged, the sudden change also made Qin Yu uneasy.

”Hall Master Duanmu.”

All ten, Qin Yu included, turned to gaze at the old man.

Evidently, such a shocking change made them all wish to retreat from this place of peril.

Qin Yu was no exception.

Though none of them knew what was battering at the ancient array from below, if it truly escaped its bonds, none who stood above the array hub would survive!

This was also why Qin Yu could resist the overwhelming temptation of rapidly increasing his Flame Points.