Chapter 1: Array Masters

  In the Great Qi Kingdom, a humble thatched cottage sat on the waist of Lianyun Peak, with occasional crackling sounds coming from inside.

  A fifteen or sixteen-year-old handsome young man was holding an iron sword in one hand, and the other hand was drawing something on it. Occasionally, a few sparks of fire or a small piece of mist would splash from his fingertips.

  "Water and Fire Two Ritual Array, condense for me!" The young man suddenly shouted loudly, his fingers quickly picked up two crystal stones the size of rice grains, one red and one black, from the table and pressed them into the recessed grooves on the iron sword. Instantly, the iron sword shone brightly, sometimes fiery red, sometimes jet black as ink, changing several times in an instant. Then, with a sudden soft whooshing sound, all the strange phenomena were absorbed into the body of the sword.

  Heh! The young man let out a heavy sigh, as if he had exhausted all his energy. He plopped down on the ground, not caring about the beads of sweat seeping from his forehead, and stared straight at the iron sword in his hand, smiling wryly.

  "I didn't think I'd actually succeed in drawing the Water and Fire Two Elemental Formation, now I can barely be considered a second-rate formation master." The young man muttered to himself, a hint of delight on his face.

  The young man spoke lightly, but if others were to know that he had already become a second-rate array master at such a young age, they would likely be shocked to the point of their jaws dropping. Not to mention his innate talent in array magic, being an array master was already a profession worthy of envy. Whether it was in the Great Qi Kingdom or throughout the entire Eastern Ling State, array masters were a rare breed, yet possessed extremely strong abilities, not only able to set up arrays to assist in killing enemies, but also capable of engraving seals on weapons and treasures, increasing their power.

  If one were to say what is most important for a cultivator, aside from their innate talent, it would be their cultivation technique, alchemical elixirs, and magical artifacts. A cultivation technique is the gateway to cultivation; without one, even with exceptional innate talent, it's impossible to embark on the path of immortality. Alchemical elixirs assist in cultivation, some can even help break through boundaries and make up for deficiencies in innate talent. Magical artifacts are a part of one's strength, possessing a good artifact can even allow one to challenge those above their level.

  The formation master can directly enhance the quality and power of the magic weapon. Think about it, when others are struggling to find a good ordinary artifact, they already have many processed artifacts, which is enviable! Of course, turning a low-quality magic weapon into a high-quality one isn't that easy, it depends on the formation master's level and the quality of the original materials.

  However, the handsome young man didn't think that much, at this time he was happily wiping the iron sword in his hand, his eyes fixed on the array pattern engraved on the sword. The layout of the pattern is too small, it's not quite suitable to call it an array, or it would be more accurate to call it a seal.

  This was originally just an ordinary iron sword, and it may not even be considered a first-class mortal device. However, after he engraved the Water and Fire Two Instruments Array on it, its quality directly soared by several levels, and its power is no less than that of a fifth-class mortal device. If the Water and Fire Two Instruments Array were not just a second-rate array technique, this iron sword might have even become a magical artifact. After all, only magical artifacts can generate seals. Of course, this kind of seal is naturally generated by the magical artifact itself, which is different from the one forcibly added by the young man. One is natural and the other is artificial. If we only look at the degree of harmony, it's clear which one is better.

  Strictly speaking, this iron sword has a forbidden track and can be considered a magic weapon, but it's just a pseudo-magic weapon, with a big difference in power.

  Feeling a bit of energy restored in his body, the young man stood up and patted off the dust on his clothes. The young man's name was Fang Li, originally a collateral descendant of the Fang family in Yan City, who had never been valued by his family and lived a difficult life. However, he was discovered by the wandering Upper Void True Man a year ago, who determined that he had the talent to become an Array Master, and immediately took him as his apprentice, bringing him back to Lianyun Mountain to teach him array techniques.

  It's been a year now, and Fang Li has become a second-rate array master, which can be considered as having achieved something. However, he is now thinking of going back home to take a look. The Fang family was originally poor, with only his mother who was not in good health and a younger sister two years younger than him, besides himself. This year without him sharing the burden, they must have had an even harder life.

  Thinking of this, Fang Li's desire to return home became more urgent, and he immediately walked out of his thatched hut, wanting to beg Master to let him go home and take a look.

  When Fang Li burst into the house of the fake master, he couldn't help but be stunned. The room was empty and bare, without even a small wooden table or chair, let alone any sign of his master.

  "Master, is this... moving? Why did you even take the wooden table and chairs?" Fang Li shook his head with a bitter smile. His master was sometimes really hard to figure out.

  However, Fang Li suddenly saw a palm-sized cloth bag hanging on the wall and his eyes lit up as he took it down.

  "This is the Qian Kun bag!" Fang Li was overjoyed, as the Qian Kun bag had the power to store items inside it, making it extremely convenient. Fang Li had long wanted one, but Xiū True Person had always used the excuse that he didn't need it temporarily and hadn't given him one. Unexpectedly, he left one behind just before leaving.

  Fang Li focused his attention on the Qian Kun bag, and the space inside the bag suddenly appeared in his mind, with only a note except for nothing else.

  "It's just a small, one-cubic-meter乾坤bag, but it's better than nothing. I have to thank Master for his kindness." Fang Li smiled slightly, feeling a bit greedy, but still carefully put it away in her bosom, then opened the note.

  There are a few lines of words on the strip: You have entered the Array Gate, and your future achievements depend entirely on your personal destiny. The master has something to do and will leave first, don't look for him, don't think about it.

  "Has he really left?" Fang Li was stunned, muttering to himself, and suddenly knelt down, heavily kowtowing ten times towards the note.

  Fang Li stood up and didn't stay any longer, carefully keeping the note in his Qiankun bag. He immediately returned to the thatched cottage to pack his things and start heading down the mountain.

  It's been a year, I don't know what changes have taken place at home?

  As he stepped onto the road home, the young man felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. Now that he had become a rare formation master, he would be able to make his mother and sister live a better life, at least they wouldn't have to suffer from the bullying of those legitimate sons anymore. Thinking of this, Fang Li clenched his fists tightly.

  He vaguely remembered the times when he was bullied by those legitimate young masters in his family, and as a collateral branch descendant, he probably couldn't even be considered a servant in their eyes. They would beat him at will, and because his father had passed away early, his status was lower than that of other branches, often becoming their plaything: hitting him with stones, catching insects and putting them on his body, tearing his clothes to humiliate him, pushing him into the icy river on snowy days... Many scenes began to flash before his eyes.

  Fang Li was young and vigorous, but he had thought about resisting, even having the intention to kill. However, thinking of his mother and sister at home, if he were to take advantage of a momentary impulse, he feared it would implicate them as well. In the end, he endured. Moreover, at that time, his cultivation had only reached the third layer of Qi Refining, so even if he resisted, he wouldn't be a match for those young masters.

  What makes Fang most angry is that he had reacted to the elders in the clan many times about being bullied, but not a single elder intervened to warn those rich kids, all of them turned a blind eye, and even if he was killed by someone, no one would sympathize with him.

  Thinking of the scene where his mother was heartbroken and tearfully washed her face after he was beaten by others, Fang Li's anger suddenly surged upwards. Being beaten by others is nothing, a big man can only feel pain for a while, but making his mother worry and heartache is unforgivable. Moreover, his father died fighting for the family, and his dedication to the family cannot be overstated, yet his family members suffered from the bullying of the legitimate sons, if he knew in the underworld, he would not be at peace either.

  Thinking of this, Fang Li clenched his fists again, and the mood to go home became more urgent. At the same time, he silently prayed in his heart, hoping that they would not bully his sister like they bullied him, otherwise, he would make them regret living in this world!

  If it were a year ago, Fang Li would not have been so confident, but now he is different, he is a second-rate array master, and this is his reliance. Although in the past year, he has basically been contemplating arrays and hasn't cultivated much, his cultivation has only increased by a small margin to reach the fourth stage of Qi Refining, but relying on the assistance of the array and the iron sword engraved with the Water and Fire Two Instruments Array, Fang Li even dares to challenge someone at the sixth stage of Qi Refining. As far as he knows, there are not many people among the younger generation of the Fang family who have reached the sixth stage of Qi Refining.

  With accomplished skills and head held high, he returns home, no longer the weak and bullied young man, nor the unfilial son who brought tears to his mother's eyes.