Chapter 675: Climb the tower

The Wind Rises in Kyushu

“This is the Hundred Array Pagoda?” Yiyi looked around, a little surprised. “The spiritual Qi here is incredibly rich and pure.”

The Hundred Array Pagoda's rewards are not limited to knowledge of array formations. After cultivators pass a trial, a vast amount of pure and rich spiritual Qi emerges, allowing them to quickly recover their depleted strength and prepare for the next level's trial.

While Lu Ye's spirit was overwhelmed by the immense influx of information, rendering him unable to move, a large amount of spiritual Qi suddenly surged into the small space. The tiny room was almost filled with dense white mist.

Having traveled extensively with Lu Ye, Yiyi was no stranger to different environments.

She had experienced both Class C and Class A spiritual lands, but what surprised her was that the concentration and purity of the spiritual Qi here far surpassed even Class A lands, almost reaching a level only achievable by using spiritual tokens.

After a brief attempt, she realized her perception was correct. Even if the spiritual Qi here wasn't quite as potent as that produced by spiritual tokens, it was remarkably close, allowing for rapid absorption and a significant increase in one's foundation.

Such a cultivation environment was truly a dream for any cultivator.

Without hesitation, Yiyi immediately began cultivating.

Beside her, under the effect of the Soul Cleansing Water, the pain in Lu Ye's spirit gradually subsided. A vast amount of knowledge about array formations, all previously unknown to him, surged through his mind.

However, he did not rush to examine this information. Instead, he first focused on constructing small spirit-gathering funnels on himself.

For him, constructing these small spirit-gathering funnels was no longer difficult. With a mere thought, a funnel would instantly take shape.

As each funnel appeared, a devouring force emerged within his body, absorbing the surrounding spiritual mist. With the increasing number of funnels, this devouring power grew stronger until, eventually, Lu Ye himself seemed to transform into an invisible vortex. The spiritual mist visibly surged towards him, then disappeared.

Although he had long suspected that the spiritual Qi within the Hundred Array Pagoda would be exceptionally pure, the reality still exceeded Lu Ye's expectations.

This cultivation efficiency, comparable to using spiritual tokens, was precisely what he needed most urgently.

Having his spiritual power vastly exceed his physical strength was always a potential hidden danger. If he could enhance his cultivation within the Hundred Array Pagoda this time, he could resolve this imbalance.

The method of using small spirit-gathering funnels for cultivation and recovery had proven to be a great help to Lu Ye on many occasions.

Just like now.

When ordinary array cultivators came here, even if they passed the trial and received rewards, their immediate priority would be to quickly recover their strength. During this process, they would need to focus entirely on recovery, unable to do anything else.

Only after sufficient recovery would they then begin to comprehend the knowledge they had received. This meant they would have limited time, and the improvements they could achieve in a short period would naturally not be significant, inevitably affecting their performance on the next level.

Therefore, since ancient times, even array cultivators who could cause a resonance within the Hundred Array Pagoda typically only did so once. Those who could trigger it twice or even three times were exceedingly rare.

Lu Ye, however, was different. Once his small spirit-gathering funnels were established, he could allow the surrounding spiritual mist to flow into his body while simultaneously dedicating his full attention to comprehending the Hundred Array Pagoda's rewards. He had more time than other array cultivators to utilize these gifts to enhance his array formation skills.

His mind immersed, time flowed by until, at a certain moment, the spiritual mist around him vanished without a trace.

Lu Ye faintly sensed this and quickly withdrew his concentration, knowing that his time on this level had reached its limit and it was time to proceed to the next.

He silently estimated that approximately three hours had passed since he entered the Hundred Array Pagoda.

This was similar to his previous experience challenging the pagoda.

Each level of the Hundred Array Pagoda had a three-hour time limit. Passing the trial within this limit granted rewards from the pagoda. Therefore, the less time spent on the trial, the greater the rewards received, and the more time remained for self-recovery and comprehension.

Lu Ye had spent only a stick of incense's time breaking the array on the first level, dedicating the rest of the period to absorbing the benefits.

The spiritual energy river within his body had noticeably expanded, but his greatest gain was in the field of array formations. The immense reward, so vast that his spirit could barely endure it, offered unimaginable benefits to his array skills.

Naturally, he couldn't fully digest and assimilate all of it in less than three hours. Yet, even so, it was enough for him to make a significant step forward in his array mastery, more than sufficient to face the next level's trial.

Lu Ye was very confident about this.

Without Lu Ye needing to say a word, Yiyi had already darted into Amber's body. Amber, somewhat reluctantly, padded over to Lu Ye, who then picked him up and placed him into his spirit beast pouch.

No sooner had he finished these actions than he felt a sensation of being teleported. He reappeared in another small space, similar to the previous one, with a stone brick protruding from an adjacent wall.

With time pressing, Lu Ye didn't hesitate. He walked to the stone brick, raised his hand, and pressed it.

As the stone brick receded, the surrounding scenery shifted, and Lu Ye found himself in an extremely vast and open area.

A point of light suddenly appeared before him. He raised his hand and touched the glowing point, and a message immediately formed in his mind.

This trial required setting up an array formation according to the Hundred Array Pagoda's specifications. The array itself was not difficult; it was merely a spirit-gathering array.

In fact, the spirit-gathering array was one of the first array formations Lu Ye learned to construct, as he had acquired its spiritual marks relatively early.

However, the Hundred Array Pagoda's trial was naturally not that simple. It had specific requirements for the array's scope, the number of array flags consumed, and the effects it needed to achieve.

There was a minimum standard for passing this level's trial.

Given Lu Ye's current mastery of array formations, meeting the minimum standard was not difficult. Almost immediately upon comprehending the trial, several solutions had already formed in his mind.

However, he was not content with merely meeting the minimum. In trials like this, the better he performed, the greater the rewards he would receive.

He paused for a moment to consider, and quickly, a plan solidified in his mind. He immediately began to implement it.

One by one, array flags shot out in all directions, forming the basic framework of the array. Lu Ye then activated the spirit-gathering spiritual marks to create the array's core. As spiritual energy surged, his powerful spiritual force allowed him to perfectly control the subtle changes in his spiritual energy. Complex patterns took shape within the array's framework, forming the nascent outline of a grand array.

For him, this level's trial was actually simpler than the previous one, requiring less effort.

Thus, in just half a stick of incense's time, a grand spirit-gathering array was formed. As the final pattern integrated, the entire array was immediately activated and began to operate.

The surrounding scenery shifted once more, shattering like bubbles, and Lu Ye reappeared in the enclosed small room.

A large amount of pure and rich spiritual Qi surged forth from nowhere, accompanied by a glowing orb.

Following his previous preparations, Lu Ye first released Amber from his spirit beast pouch. Almost without needing a command, Yiyi flashed out and retrieved the jade bottle containing Soul Cleansing Water, standing ready.

They exchanged glances, and Yiyi nodded slightly.

Only then did Lu Ye raise his hand and tap the glowing orb. The orb shattered, and once again, he felt as if the entire starry sky was collapsing upon him.

Outside the Hundred Array Pagoda.

Today, two Hundred Array Pagoda resonances occurred in quick succession, separated by less than a stick of incense, exciting the array cultivators gathered there. After all, this was an unprecedented event, giving them much to discuss.

When Lu Ye had arrived earlier, some array cultivators here were sparring, others meditating with closed eyes, and some were engaged in discussions about the Dao.

But now, all the array cultivators were gathered in small groups, chatting animatedly.

This was a sight rarely seen on ordinary days.

Normally, even when discussing the Dao, array cultivators here would control their volume so as not to disturb others. However, today's grand event had caused them to break free from their usual restraints, indulging in a more uninhibited mood.

Even though they were not the ones who triggered the Hundred Array Pagoda's resonance, simply witnessing such an event made them feel a sense of shared honor.

Some array cultivators even stood guard at the Hundred Array Pagoda's exit, asking everyone who emerged if they were the one who had caused the resonance, though they received no definitive answers.

"I wonder which two fellow Daoists caused those resonances," a young man in a green robe remarked. "If we could ascertain their identities, perhaps we could seek their guidance. What a pity, what a pity."

Those who could trigger a Hundred Array Pagoda resonance here were destined to become grandmasters of array formations. Naturally, everyone was eager to befriend such individuals, and it was not shameful to seek their advice on array matters.

As for faction allegiance, under the unique atmosphere of the Hundred Array Pagoda, faction boundaries had become blurred. All cultivators who came here were array cultivators with a deep yearning for the Dao of arrays.

The unfortunate thing was that those outside didn't know who had triggered the resonance, and even those challenging the pagoda might not realize they were the cause.

"Fellow Daoist Luo has already passed fifty levels," someone nearby flattered. "His future prospects are surely limitless; he might not be inferior to anyone."

In the Cloud River Battlefield, the Hundred Array Pagoda's levels are calculated from the thirty-fourth floor onwards. This cultivator, surnamed Luo, had passed fifty levels, an extremely impressive achievement, especially considering that many array cultivators here hadn't even cleared forty levels.

Their method of challenging the Hundred Array Pagoda differed from Lu Ye's. Most would attempt one level at a time. If they failed, there was nothing more to say. Even if they succeeded, their depleted strength and spiritual strain would force them to exit the pagoda first, then re-enter once they were fully prepared.

The Hundred Array Pagoda recorded the levels they had cleared, allowing them to directly enter the next uncleared level upon their return.

This was not only true for the Cloud River Battlefield but also for the Tianyan Sect cultivators when they challenged their own Hundred Array Pagoda. This was why Lu Ye's feat of clearing thirty-three levels in one go had caused such a stir within the Tianyan Sect.

However, this achievement was not publicized. Under the orders of Tianyan Sect Master Yu Xiao and Grand Elder Bai Qian, all Tianyan Sect disciples aware of the news had sworn a Heavenly Secret Oath, vowing never to disclose Lu Ye's feat in the Hundred Array Pagoda.