Chapter 302: Hundred Formation Tower

“Not entirely,” Gusan Yang said, crossing his hands on his lap, a thoughtful expression on his face. “He didn't mention it, and I honestly hadn't thought of it, but our sect does need to be more vigilant now. I've already sent messages to several allied sects; it's better to be safe than sorry. However, Ten Thousand Demon Ridge is unlikely to target our sect. Even if they could breach our station, what then? If we can't defeat them, we can always retreat. So, it's impossible for Ten Thousand Demon Ridge to deal with Brother Lu Ye by capturing our station.”

Wei Li gave a wry smile. “Then why did Brother Zhao say his people could come to our aid if anything happened?”

“I didn't think of it until he mentioned it, and that's when I realized something was amiss. The Heavenly Derivation Sect isn't close by; they wouldn't be able to provide any real help. The only reason he got here so quickly is because he happened to be in the vicinity for something else. If we waited for his family's people to arrive, the day would be long over.”

“This Brother Zhao… why doesn't he just say what he means instead of beating around the bush?”

“Exactly. He’s here to poach someone. He wasn't sure if Brother Lu Ye was affiliated with our sect, so it would have been inappropriate to ask directly. If he could establish good private communication with Brother Lu Ye, the situation would be different. I imagine Brother Lu Ye wouldn't be able to refuse his invitation either.”

“That man,” Wei Li said, a mixture of exasperation and amusement in his voice. “I've long heard that Zhao Li of the Heavenly Derivation Sect is full of tricks, and it seems the rumors are true. Senior Brother, should we…?”

“No need,” Gusan Yang waved his hand. “Brother Lu Ye never said he intended to cultivate here from the start; he was likely just passing through. And our sect has already received many favors from him. If Zhao Li can truly persuade him to leave, that’s his capability. Setting that aside, our sect still needs to maintain its defenses. Send more people out to monitor activities in all directions. If Ten Thousand Demon Ridge genuinely launches a large-scale attack, we’ll be better prepared to respond.”

“Understood!”

Recently, Ju Jia found an excellent place: the Divine Hidden Palace's cultivation room.

When he was with Sima Yang, he had barely even set foot in other people's stations, never experiencing cultivation in such a high concentration of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Ever since Lu Ye took him there once, he became completely obsessed with the place. Aside from returning every evening for a hearty meal, he was almost never seen during the day.

Ju Jia was a remarkably patient person, a trait that even Lu Ye couldn't match.

It wasn't surprising, really. If he hadn't been so patient, he wouldn't have stayed with Sima Yang for so long. The extent of Sima Yang's exploitation was something no one else could have endured.

But because he was grateful to Sima Yang for leading him onto the path of cultivation, Ju Jia never complained, no matter how Sima Yang treated him.

The cultivators from Feng Hua Yuan who killed Sima Yang had long since died in Xian Yuan City, and even the Feng Hua Yuan station was captured by Lu Ye's methods. Sima Yang's great revenge was complete, and one could imagine he would rest in peace knowing this.

Inside the pavilion, Lu Ye and Zhao Li sat opposite each other, conversing animatedly, their discussion centered entirely on array formations.

A few days prior, the two had "met" by chance and gradually became acquainted. However, Lu Ye had spent most of his time in the cultivation room, so they hadn't exchanged many words in total.

It wasn't until today that Lu Ye unexpectedly learned Zhao Li was also cultivating array formations, which immediately piqued his interest, prompting him to engage Zhao Li in a discussion.

What he had learned from Madam Yun was primarily related to spiritual patterns. His understanding of array formations was mainly self-taught through the books he brought from Madam Yun. Of course, the more significant reason was that array formations are a branch of spiritual patterns.

Although he had gained some insights by now, Lu Ye wasn't sure how proficient he was in array formations, as he had no point of comparison.

The more they talked, the more congenial the conversation became, with Lu Ye completely oblivious to the beads of cold sweat gradually forming on Zhao Li's forehead.

At this very moment, Zhao Li was wailing internally. The fact that Lu Ye could use special techniques to infiltrate or break through others' defensive arrays indicated considerable proficiency in array formations.

But after this extended discussion and exchange, Zhao Li realized that Lu Ye's talent in array formations was exceptionally high, though strangely so.

There are two aspects to array formations: laying arrays and breaking them. These two aspects are generally complementary; someone who understands how to lay an array can certainly break one, and vice-versa.

However, Zhao Li discovered that Lu Ye's cultivation in array formations was somewhat unbalanced…

Simply put, Lu Ye's performance in breaking arrays was impeccable, but in laying arrays, he seemed somewhat unpolished.

Their discussions naturally went beyond mere words; they would each lay an array for the other to break.

Currently, no matter what array Zhao Li set up, Lu Ye could break it within three or two breaths. Although Zhao Li's own proficiency in array formations wasn't exceptionally high and the arrays he laid weren't particularly intricate, they shouldn't have been broken so quickly. This left Zhao Li feeling quite deflated, wondering if he had wasted all his years of study.

Fortunately, the arrays Lu Ye laid weren't particularly good, and Zhao Li could break them with a bit of effort, which somewhat restored his confidence.

Lu Ye's arrays were indeed not very good, but the *process* of him laying them greatly shocked Zhao Li. This was because Lu Ye directly channeled his spiritual power to construct an array in an extremely short amount of time, without relying on any tools for array formation.

"With a thought, an array forms"—such a technique Zhao Li had only witnessed from the Grand Elder of his own sect. But what was the Grand Elder’s cultivation level, and what was Lu Ye's?