Chapter Thirty-Five: Third-Rank Spirit Array Master

Lu Xingchen frowned. So that was what the Blood Garment Technique entailed. The Blood Garment Sect was truly a den of villains; even their secret arts were so bloody and violent. Lu Xingchen did not show the slightest hint of panic. He activated the Heaven-Devouring Art, and his aura began to climb steadily. However, he did not go all out, utilizing only sixty percent of the technique's power. He feared that if he displayed too much strength, Wang Zitao would be too afraid to fight him. If Wang Zitao turned into a mist of blood and fled again, it would be troublesome.

Lu Xingchen’s cultivation base surged to that of a Ten-Star Martial Master, slightly weaker than Wang Zitao’s peak Martial Master level. Wang Zitao was shocked. "You actually have a secret technique that can temporarily boost your cultivation level!"

Lu Xingchen chuckled. "Who among those entering this secret realm isn't a genius from their respective sects? It's only reasonable to have a secret technique."

"But your technique doesn't seem as strong as my Blood Garment Technique!"

"Who is stronger and who is weaker—we'll only know after we fight!"

Lu Xingchen gripped his sword and charged forward, clashing with Wang Zitao. Despite the slight gap in cultivation, Lu Xingchen’s swordsmanship was surprisingly superior, completely suppressing Wang Zitao. After only a few dozen exchanges, three wounds had appeared on Wang Zitao's body. Enraged, Wang Zitao unleashed his ultimate move. He pressed his palms together, condensing a red-and-black sphere of blood before his chest, then launched it at Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen remained calm, immediately triggering his "Void-Breaking Slash" combined with the "Jade Shatter" talent effect. Half of his battle qi vanished in an instant, traded for five times the attack power. Lu Xingchen’s blade of battle qi sliced Wang Zitao’s blood sphere in two and struck him viciously. Wang Zitao was horrified. It was too late to use his "Spatial Blood Escape," and he was forced to endure the blow head-on. He raised his long blade to block, but Lu Xingchen’s strike sent the weapon flying and carved deep into his body.

[Congratulations to the host for killing a Five-Star Martial Master. Gained 50 experience points and 50 exchange points!]
[Congratulations to the host for gaining the talent: Devour. Effect: Absorbs 1% of the opponent's battle qi for short-term use.]

Lu Xingchen felt a surge of joy. Although the experience gain was low, the "Devour" talent was a great find. With this talent, his combat power could be significantly increased. He removed the storage rings from the three defeated men and gathered the items dropped by the puppet. To his regret, Wang Zitao’s "Blood Garment Technique" and the blood-mist escape skill were not in the ring; those would have been the most precious spoils.

After checking his loot, there was little of use: a mid-grade Profound-tier "Azure Dragon Slash" that could be used with his Shadow Sword, and a low-grade Profound-tier turtle-shell shield for defense. Among the pills were a few Recovery Pills and Qi-Restoration Pills, the latter of which accelerated the recovery of battle qi. After packing everything away, Lu Xingchen looked toward the only room in the cultivation chamber that had not yet been opened. A puppet at the Great Martial Master level stood guard. He sat cross-legged and consumed a Qi-Restoration Pill. An hour later, his battle qi had returned to its peak.

Lu Xingchen then unleashed the full power of the Heaven-Devouring Art, drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy from a hundred-meter radius. His cultivation base jumped from a Seven-Star Martial Master to a One-Star Great Martial Master. He then invested 30 talent points into "Devour."

[Devour (30): Absorbs 30% of the opponent's battle qi for short-term use.]

With his Shadow Sword in hand, he attacked the Great Martial Master puppet. With their cultivation levels matched, Lu Xingchen’s array of talents allowed him to completely suppress the puppet, defeating it almost without taking any damage.

[Congratulations to the host for killing a One-Star Great Martial Master. Gained 150 experience points and 150 exchange points!]

Entering the room, he was greeted by various diagrams, which appeared to be blueprints for spiritual arrays. On a table, Lu Xingchen found a letter left by the former occupant. "My name is Wang Jian. By the time you read this, I am already dead. I spent my life studying spiritual arrays and do not wish for my knowledge to be buried with me. If you are a fated traveler interested in arrays, tear up this letter. Everything I have learned over the years will enter your mind."

After reading the letter, Lu Xingchen was overjoyed. Why pass up an opportunity to improve his strength? He tore the letter instantly. A flash of white light occurred, and a wealth of knowledge regarding spiritual arrays flooded his mind. Although he had never been exposed to such topics, he had instantly become a Third-Rank Spiritual Array Master.

A Third-Rank Spiritual Array Master's combat prowess was already equivalent to that of a Great Martial Master. Lu Xingchen couldn't help but marvel. He wondered what kind of powerful figure the former occupant was to be able to pass on knowledge through such a direct transmission. With his current strength, he was capable of facing an ordinary Great Martial Master. He then stored all the diagrams into his ring. They included not only Third-Rank designs but also Fourth and Fifth-Rank ones. While he couldn't use them yet, he could rely on the system to grind his professional experience points. As his rank rose, these designs would prove invaluable.

After sweeping the room clean, he found two "Spirit Array Spheres" on a table. A Spiritual Array Master needed to use soul power to form seals and construct arrays based on diagrams, which took time. These spheres, however, could store pre-constructed arrays for instant release. Lu Xingchen stored two Third-Rank arrays into the spheres and left the room, thoroughly satisfied. Before leaving, he bowed toward the chamber. "Senior Wang Jian, thank you for the gift of knowledge. I, Lu Xingchen, will ensure that your teachings achieve great value!"

Leaving the complex, Lu Xingchen ventured deeper into the secret realm. Half an hour later, he spotted a medicinal garden and several other disciples lingering outside. Two were familiar faces: Lin Jing and Ning Feng. He had no memory of the other two, but their attire suggested they were from the three evil sects. Lu Xingchen walked toward them and smiled. "Senior Sister Lin Jing, finally running into an acquaintance—that’s not easy!"

Lin Jing said coldly, "Holy Son, there are two disciples of the Nine Ghosts Sect here. I don't know how they snuck in, but since they are from an evil sect, shall we dispose of them?"

Hearing this, the man and woman from the Nine Ghosts Sect looked at Lu Xingchen with a hint of gravity. They had assumed the Holy Son of the Lingxiao Sect would be Hu Junfeng or Lin Jing; they had not expected someone else. Anyone capable of defeating those two must certainly be formidable.