A Loose Cultivator's Path to Longevity

In the days that followed, Lü Zhong devoted all his free time to studying Arrays.

After more than half a year of effort, he finally gained a rudimentary understanding of the Array Dao. He could now analyze a First-tier Array and roughly determine its composition.

For instance, he had successfully analyzed the Spirit Gathering Array.

The Array consisted of three main components: Gathering Spirit, Purification, and Lock Spirit. These granted the Spirit Gathering Array the ability to gather Spiritual Qi and increase its concentration, purify it by removing impurities, and lock most of the Spiritual Qi within a small area.

His next step was to analyze these three components in greater detail.

Once he thoroughly understood them, he would be able to form an Array using only Prohibitions. After that, with a bit of knowledge in Artifact Refining, it would be possible for him to craft a Spirit Gathering Array himself.

This was the path of advancement for an Array Master outlined in the book *Lianxing’s Array Discussion*.

Without a master to guide him, Lü Zhong could only fumble his way forward alone. Though his progress was slower, the upside was that he had pieced together all the knowledge himself, which gave him the benefit of a solid foundation. This was a small consolation.

His rapid progress in the Array Dao didn’t just appear out of thin air, of course.

In truth, it was all thanks to a new change in the Gray Mist Space.

After some experimentation, Lü Zhong had finally determined what the change was.

Simply put, he could now interfere with items within the replayed scenes.

Within a limited range of ten zhang, by expending the Power of his Divine Soul, he could influence objects in the replayed scenes. Whether activating a Talisman or consuming a Pill, he received the exact same feedback as he would in the real world.

When applied to his exploration of the Array Dao, this greatly reduced his trial-and-error costs.

This was precisely why he had been able to make such remarkable progress in the Array Dao in such a short time.

Otherwise, at the rate of a normal cultivator, even one with some talent in the Array Dao, it would likely take three to five years to reach this level of achievement.

’It’s a shame. If I had received an Alchemy Dao legacy, I could probably be refining Pills by now,’ Lü Zhong thought, a little dissatisfied. However, he also knew he was engaging in wishful thinking.

A complete Alchemy Dao legacy was incredibly precious. Any cultivator who possessed one would invariably keep it a closely guarded secret.

As a result, the many cultivators who wished to learn Alchemy could only do so by becoming an apprentice and learning step by step. Most were content just to master a portion of the art, enough to refine a few types of Pills to earn resources. After all, the Alchemy Dao was as profound and complex as the Array Dao.

Lü Zhong understood the principle of not biting off more than he could chew, so he put the thought out of his mind.

He quickly jotted down a few more notes, recording the insights he had just gained from his analysis. Only then did he tidy up the Quiet Chamber and head for the door.

A few days earlier, a letter had arrived from Jingyang Market, informing him that the Flying Ship was complete.

So, Lü Zhong was now preparing to make a trip to Jingyang Market to retrieve his Flying Ship.

He made his way to the Steward Hall, where Li Hejun was still on duty. With nothing to do, however, she was dozing on a soft couch behind a screen, sleeping soundly.

Seeing this, Lü Zhong decided not to wake her. Instead, he wrote down what he needed to say on a piece of paper.

...

Aided by the Light Body Skill from his Flying Star Qi Introduction Skill, his running speed was quite fast. After a swift journey of just three ancient hours, Lü Zhong arrived at Jingyang Market.

He soon arrived at the Artifact Refining Square.

When he saw Fellow Daoist Hong again, she was dressed in exquisite clothing that hugged her ripe figure, making her look like a sweet, juicy peach and appear all the more alluring. However, Lü Zhong had grown somewhat weary of carnal matters recently, so after a couple of glances, he averted his eyes and focused on the Cyan Wood Ship in her hand.

”I have not disappointed you, Fellow Daoist. I’ve successfully crafted this High-grade Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship!” Hong Wanyun declared with a proud expression, her fair neck flushing red with excitement.

Flying Magical Artifacts were inherently difficult to craft. One had to consider many factors: they needed a high top speed, had to conserve Spiritual Power during long flights, and also required a certain level of defense. The internal Arrays and Prohibitions were thus complex and interwoven, and simply finding the right combination took a massive amount of effort.

And this was a Flying Ship that even possessed the Wind-Manipulating Divine Technique.

The Wind-Manipulating Divine Technique was one of the most powerful Divine Techniques for a Magical Artifact, allowing the Flying Ship to reach its maximum possible speed. While still a far cry from the Rainbow Flight of a Golden Core Cultivator, it vastly outstripped the flight speed of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator and was comparable to other top-tier Flying Magical Artifacts.

Having just studied the Array Dao, Lü Zhong understood the significance of the two words ”Wind Manipulation” and was naturally delighted. After paying the final installment for the artifact’s crafting, he accepted the exquisitely shaped Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship, eager to test it outside the Workshop Market.

Once he was out of the Workshop Market’s main gate, Lü Zhong slapped his Storage Bag. A small cyan ship flew out, enveloped in a rosy light. He infused it with a bit of Magical Power, and it levitated in the air before him.

He admired it for a long moment. Then, instead of looking at the Manipulation Mantra Hong Wanyun had provided, he drew upon his own expertise in the Array Dao to write a new, more familiar set of mantras for it. This served two purposes: it would prevent anyone who stole the ship from immediately using it, and it would also help him master the Magical Artifact more quickly.

With a few quick hand signs, he cast several Technique Mantras. The size-altering Prohibition on the Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship activated, and it began to grow. A moment later, it had transformed into a ship a zhang and a half long, large enough for several people. Its entire body was a streamlined, shuttle shape, looking far more elegant than the common flying ships that resembled fishing boats.