Chapter 154: Spirit Gathering Array
"Indeed, this is truly a semi-top-grade spiritual treasure," Linke said excitedly at that moment.
"That's impossible! There are no materials here capable of forging a top-grade spiritual treasure. How could a semi-top-grade spiritual treasure possibly be produced?" Feng Ye found it utterly hard to believe.
"Why is it impossible? The materials Yang Xiao selected can be used as auxiliary materials when forging a top-grade spiritual treasure, so it is entirely possible to craft a semi-top-grade spiritual treasure with them," Linke explained.
"This—?" Feng Ye wanted to argue a bit further, but with the facts right before his eyes, any argument was futile. Moreover, just as Linke had said, while forging a top-grade spiritual treasure using Yang Xiao's chosen materials was out of the question, no one could guarantee that a semi-top-grade spiritual treasure couldn't be made.
"Our Lin family has won two consecutive rounds. May we now enter the Spirit Gathering Array?" Linke asked at this point.
"Fine, we'll let you win this year's round. Our family has claimed victory so many times already; letting you have one this once is no great matter," Feng Ye said through clenched teeth.
With a smile, Linke then proceeded to arrange the candidates for entering the Spirit Gathering Array. According to the rules, up to six people could enter at a time. Therefore, Linke selected six young disciples to enter the formation. Because the youth had a much higher potential for breaking through their cultivation realms, Linke chose to forgo some of the middle-aged cultivators.
Among the six were Yang Xiao, Lin Hao, Lin Tian, and three other young disciples, all of whom happened to be at the middle stage of Qi Condensation. According to Linke, one could not enter the Spirit Gathering Array with a cultivation level that was too low, as it would be far too easy to be injured by the fierce spiritual energy within the formation.
The six of them quickly made their preparations and then stepped into the Spirit Gathering Array.
The spiritual energy inside the array was indeed violent, and its density was many times greater than that of the outside world. This was merely the result of Yang Xiao and the others entering the first tier. According to Linke, the Spirit Gathering Array consisted of four tiers in total. The deeper one went, the more abundant and formidable the spiritual energy became, making it impossible for those with lower cultivation to enter the deeper levels.
The first tier required at least a middle-stage Qi Condensation cultivator to enter, the second tier required at least the late stage of Qi Condensation, the third tier required at least a Universe Realm cultivator, and as for the fourth tier, no one had ever set foot in it thus far, and no one knew what it was like.
Upon entering the first tier, Yang Xiao was immediately buffeted by the surrounding turbulent spiritual energy. However, by circulating his cultivation technique, he quickly adapted. Only then did he open his eyes to observe his surroundings. He saw that this tier was a stone chamber about a hundred feet square, filled with extremely dense spiritual energy that manifested in a misty state. Yang Xiao and the others could cultivate by absorbing this misty spiritual energy. Though this misty spiritual energy was not easily absorbed, once absorbed and transformed, it was vastly superior to the outside spiritual energy, allowing one's cultivation to progress at a much faster pace.
At this moment, the other individuals had already sat cross-legged to cultivate. Clearly, having just arrived, they still found it difficult to adapt for the time being. Two of the middle-stage Qi Condensation cultivators were even sweating profusely as they barely resisted the impact of the surrounding spiritual energy. It seemed that the spiritual energy here was not so easily absorbed and utilized; even if a pie fell from the sky, one needed the strength to consume it.
Yang Xiao, however, appeared much more relaxed. He quickly adapted to the spiritual energy. While cultivating and converting it, he also cast his gaze around the room. He noticed sparkling objects embedded in the surrounding stone walls. When he walked closer, he discovered that these were actually all spiritual instruments, with as many as ten thousand of them lining the four walls, all belonging to the high-grade spiritual instrument class.
"It seems the Lin clan head is truly generous, preserving so many high-grade spiritual instruments," Yang Xiao could not help but praise inwardly. Had Linke not given a brief overview of the situation inside the Spirit Gathering Array before they entered—making Yang Xiao aware that various treasures existed within the array, and that the deeper one went, the higher the grade of the treasures—he would likely have been even more astonished. Even knowing treasures existed, he had never expected there to be so many.
If Linke hadn't warned them that each person could only select and take away a single treasure, and that even if they entered the array again in the future, they would not be able to retrieve another one, Yang Xiao would have genuinely wanted to take several treasures with him. However, it now appeared that this idea was out of the question. It seemed he could only choose a single treasure of greater power. To obtain such a treasure, though, he would have to venture into the deeper tiers.
"Are you shocked by the various treasures preserved by my ancestor?" Lin Hao walked over to Yang Xiao's side and asked. Evidently, Lin Hao had also adapted to the spiritual energy here by now and was able to move around freely, whereas the other individuals clearly lacked this ability and were still meditating in cultivation.
"Your ancestor is indeed magnanimous," Yang Xiao praised. "However, if we wish to see even higher-grade treasures, we must proceed to the next tier. Let us enter the second tier now."
Yang Xiao had already spotted the gateway leading to the second tier just moments before. This gateway served only to block the spiritual energy, while people could freely pass through it. Still, without sufficient strength, one obviously should not attempt to enter the next tier, because the spiritual energy there was far more violent; forcing one's way in would be detrimental to one's cultivation progress. In truth, lacking adequate capability made it very easy to be repelled by the spiritual energy there. In other words, although the gateway remained open, those without strength simply could not enter or stay there for long.
Yang Xiao naturally entered the second tier with ease. The spiritual energy here was indeed vastly more violent and formidable. While absorbing it, Yang Xiao also had to employ his Nine-Turn Golden Body to resist it, though this undoubtedly served as a tempering process for the Nine-Turn Golden Body as well.
Following Yang Xiao's entry into the second tier, Lin Hao also made his way inside. However, he clearly did not find it easy; he had to sit cross-legged without moving to gradually adapt. He was even less relaxed in this second tier than Yang Xiao. Aided by the Nine-Turn Golden Body, Yang Xiao was able to withstand a significant amount of spiritual energy impact, while simultaneously allowing his Nine-Turn Golden Body to be tempered and elevated through it. Thus, the Spirit Gathering Array actually brought numerous benefits to Yang Xiao.
"They've entered the second tier." Outside the Spirit Gathering Array, Linke and the others saw two beams of spiritual light rise within the array—the sign that the gateway to the second tier had opened. With this, Linke and the others gained a rough understanding of Yang Xiao and his companions' situation.
After cultivating in the second tier for some time and gradually adapting, Yang Xiao finally took note of his surroundings. This was a stone chamber fifty feet square, and its walls were likewise embedded with over a thousand treasures. These treasures turned out to be spiritual treasures of every variety, ranging from low-grade to high-grade, truly opening one's eyes to a whole new world. (To be continued.)