Lin Feng frowned, carefully examining it for a while. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up, as if he had thought of something. He exclaimed in surprise and doubt, "Could this be… that 'legendary'… array disk?!"
An array disk, the core 'tool' used to set up formations, could also be considered a type of magic treasure. However, it wasn't crafted by artifact smiths but forged by formation masters.
Formation masters were an extremely rare profession in the cultivation world. They were proficient in all kinds of formations. By deploying formations, they could accomplish feats far beyond their own cultivation level. Whether in battle or cultivation, the assistance of a formation could yield twice the result with half the effort.
For instance, the 'Spirit Gathering Array' could concentrate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a certain radius, allowing cultivators within the array to cultivate much faster than normal. Another example was the 'Illusion Array,' which could cause those caught within it to hallucinate and confuse their senses. Then there was the 'Trapping Array,' which could act like a cage, imprisoning people inside. Additionally, there were the grand protective arrays of major sects, capable of projecting powerful spiritual shields to ward off external attacks…
An outstanding formation master was highly sought after in the cultivation world, coveted by major powers wherever they went.
Formation masters employed different methods to set up formations. The most common was refining various formation flags for deployment. Others used specialized formation-setting tools. The truly profound masters could even use a single blade of grass or a piece of wood to set up a formation. An array disk, however, could be considered a portable formation. Setting up a formation was greatly simplified and time-efficient if one possessed the relevant array disk. Of course, it was still possible to set up a formation without a disk, but it was far more troublesome.
The more advanced the formation, the more complex the array disk, making the setup considerably harder. For lower-level formations, however, auxiliary tools were often unnecessary; a single array disk could suffice.
Lin Feng knew nothing about formations and had never even seen an array disk before, which was why it took him so long to realize what it was.
"This should be an array disk, right? I just don't know what kind of formation it's for. That He Yuan was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, so this disk's level shouldn't be high—at most a Grade Two array disk, probably just Grade One. The most common Grade One array disk is likely…" Lin Feng speculated silently, a look of pleasant surprise gradually appearing in his eyes. He thought to himself, Could it be a 'Spirit Gathering Array' disk?! Possible! That He Yuan came from a well-off family; it wouldn't be strange for him to have a Spirit Gathering Array to aid his cultivation. Besides, considering he was only at early Foundation Establishment, the only array he could probably use effectively is precisely the Spirit Gathering Array!
The mere thought that this might be a Spirit Gathering Array disk sent waves of excitement through Lin Feng's heart. This was a rare and precious item indeed!
Anyway, repair it first! Then I can test it and see if my guess is correct!
Lin Feng calmed his excitement. Holding the array disk, he focused his mind.
"Equipment Damage Level: 95%"
"Repair Materials Required: Grade One Earth Element Mineral, Grade One Genyin Sand, Low-grade Spirit Stones."
A string of information appeared in his mind. Lin Feng processed it and thought, All Grade One materials… so it really is just a Grade One array disk. And the damage level is 95%… practically unusable. But… hehe, for me, it's no problem at all.
The materials required for repair weren't particularly valuable, and Lin Feng happened to have stockpiles of them all. He rummaged through his storage ring briefly and pulled out all three types. Unsure of the exact quantity needed, he prepared generously: two fist-sized chunks of Grade One Earth Element Mineral, a package of Grade One Genyin Sand the size of an apple, and ten low-grade spirit stones—piling them onto the small disk until it was nearly covered.
Cupping the disk in both hands before him, Lin Feng took a deep breath and silently commanded, "Repair."
"Buzz…"
The familiar scene unfolded again. Lin Feng felt the true energy within his body rapidly draining away. A cluster of fiery red light enveloped the disk in his hands. He could vaguely see the materials on the disk slowly 'melting.' The disk itself began to emit a scorching heat. The complex runes etched upon its surface seemed to flicker faintly, growing brighter and brighter…
This repair took longer than any previous one—nearly a full minute passed before the red glow before him gradually dissipated, and the notification of successful repair appeared in his mind.
"Whew…"
Letting out a long breath, Lin Feng realized his internal true energy had depleted by more than half. He didn't bother to recover it immediately, eagerly examining the disk in his hands instead. He saw that only about half of the materials he'd prepared had been consumed. Stowing the leftovers away, he inspected the fully repaired array disk.
Its size and shape remained unchanged, but the disk now looked brand new. The cracks that had marred its surface were gone. The intricate, mysterious runes looked freshly carved and shimmered faintly.
"Let's test it. These indentations… probably slots for spirit stones? Like battery compartments?"
Lin Feng studied it for another moment, then placed the remaining spirit stones he had into the five indentations. They fit perfectly.
"Swish…"
The instant all five slots were filled with spirit stones, a flash of white light burst before Lin Feng's eyes. The entire disk lit up like a set of illuminated bulbs. However, this brightness was fleeting. Immediately after, he sensed the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding air noticeably thicken!!
"Spirit Gathering Array… It really is a Spirit Gathering Array disk!!"
Lin Feng was instantly overcome with excitement. The situation clearly indicated that this was indeed a Spirit Gathering Array disk! A low-grade, Grade One Spirit Gathering Array didn't even require any other components; inserting the spirit stones and activating the disk was enough—it was a complete Spirit Gathering Array in itself!
"Fantastic! Haha! My cultivation speed can leap up another level now!" Lin Feng was ecstatic, even feeling a trace of gratitude towards that He Yuan—sending him both a cultivation technique and a Spirit Gathering Array; these were precisely the things he desperately needed!
"Cultivate! Cultivate!!"
After settling his emotions, Lin Feng couldn't wait to start cultivating. Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he placed the Spirit Gathering Array disk in front of him. He brought out a large pile of spirit stones, placing them beside him. Grasping one in his hand, he calmed his mind and spirit, and began circulating the newly learned Profound Fire Art technique…
Time flowed slowly, from the rising sun to the setting sun. Lin Feng cultivated intently for an entire day without stopping. As night fell, wisps of crimson light began to emanate from his body, growing more numerous until they formed a faint crimson vortex around him. Had a powerful cultivator been nearby at that moment, they would have sensed that the concentration of spiritual energy within the small courtyard where Lin Feng resided was two to three times denser than the surrounding areas. Fortunately, Lin Feng's neighborhood was inhabited solely by ordinary people, so this anomaly went completely unnoticed.
A day and a night passed swiftly in cultivation. At dawn the next day, the crimson vortex surrounding Lin Feng suddenly trembled. After flickering violently several times, it shrank back into his body in the blink of an eye. The air outside his body distorted slightly, as if an invisible wall of force emanated from within him, persisting for a few breaths before the anomaly finally dissipated.
Lin Feng opened his eyes at that moment. A flash of flame-like light vanished deep within them, replaced by an expression of immense joy. Raising his hands, he clenched his fists before his eyes, feeling the surging power within him. He murmured gleefully to himself, "Qi Refining Seventh Layer… Finally reached the late stage of Qi Refining!"
—After cultivating for a day and a night, he had actually broken through his bottleneck and reached the Qi Refining Seventh Layer!
"Truly worthy of being a Human Rank upper-grade technique! Truly worthy of the Spirit Gathering Array! This is fantastic…" The more Lin Feng thought about it, the more satisfied he became. He couldn't help but inwardly marvel. If he had continued with his original cultivation method, he estimated it would have taken him over ten more days to break through. Now, switching to a much higher-quality technique, aided by the Spirit Gathering Array, he had achieved the breakthrough in just one day! Naturally, this was cause for celebration.
Once his excitement settled, Lin Feng looked at the Spirit Gathering Array disk before him. He noticed that all five spirit stones placed within its indentations had turned into powder. Picking up the disk to examine it, he found its damage level had risen again to 70%. This meant that even a brand-new disk could only be used continuously for just over three days.
This was undoubtedly a luxury item with massive consumption costs, far beyond the means of an ordinary cultivator. Even He Yuan, upon acquiring this disk, had treasured it immensely, never daring to use it lightly for regular cultivation, reserving it only for critical moments when attempting to advance his stage.
However, this was absolutely no problem for Lin Feng. He deftly produced several pieces of material and easily restored the array disk back to its pristine state once more. This signified that, from now on, he could continuously use this Spirit Gathering Array to aid his cultivation!!
After putting away the Spirit Gathering Array, Lin Feng took stock of the pile of spirit stones he had placed nearby. He discovered that during his day and night of cultivation, he had actually consumed a full fifty low-grade spirit stones!!
"Human Rank upper-grade techniques are indeed different. But as long as the cultivation effect improves, it's worth it. Spirit stones are plentiful anyway…"
He muttered this to himself, then gathered up the remaining spirit stones and stowed them away. Afterwards, he got up to wash up. He simply assumed that higher-level cultivation techniques naturally consumed spirit stones at this rate. Having never discussed cultivation with anyone before, Lin Feng had no idea that his current spirit stone consumption… was highly unusual…