translator: ahad
Proofreading: shaheer
Humanity’s Great Sage – Chapter 1032: The Subtle Use of the Array Disc
For different cultivators to form a battle formation, the first requirement was that their auras be linked.
Yet aura was something formless and intangible, different for every person. Naturally, linking them together was an extremely difficult matter.
Thus, many cultivators from large sects would have a dedicated group responsible for practicing battle formations. These people were generally not of poor aptitude—if their aptitude was too poor, their cultivation would be too low, and forming a battle formation would be useless. But their aptitude wouldn’t be too high either. Cultivators with high aptitude would be better off cultivating alone to raise their own cultivation than spending time practicing battle formations.
Generally speaking, such people were those in the middle ranks of their respective sects. After forming a battle formation, they could exert power surpassing their own level, thereby enhancing their sect’s foundation and strength.
Within the Nine Provinces, battle formations were rarely seen at the front lines where the two great factions clashed, because casualties were frequent on the front lines. After finally mastering a battle formation through hard practice, if casualties occurred in a great battle, all the prior practice would become meaningless.
Thus, although battle formations were very useful, they often required a great investment of manpower, energy, and time. As a result, in the Nine Provinces, the number of cultivators willing to practice battle formations was not high.
But what if there were something in this world that could easily allow cultivators to link their auras, without requiring long practice or deep reliance and trust between them?
Then they could easily form battle formations to face the enemy. The Same Breath, Linked Branches array disc was precisely such an auxiliary item.
It had to be said that Feng Wujiang’s breadth of experience was indeed greater than Lu Ye’s. Originally, when Lu Ye refined the Same Breath, Linked Branches array disc, his intent was to allow cultivators within its area of effect to borrow strength from one another. Only later did he realize it could be used to form battle formations.
But Feng Wujiang had immediately seen its greatest use.
It was not for borrowing strength—it was for assisting cultivators in forming battle formations. Moreover, if this item was used to form a battle formation, the effect might be even better than a simple battle formation, because within the formation, cultivators could mutually borrow strength.
If cultivators were individual components, then the Same Breath, Linked Branches array disc could very easily fit those components together, assembling them into an inseparable whole.
One could say that the emergence of such an item would play an immeasurable role in large-scale warfare!
With enough Same Breath, Linked Branches array discs, the overall strength of the Jade Blood Holy Land could be boosted by at least thirty percent—perhaps even more.
This was far too important for the Jade Blood Holy Land’s current predicament.
Over these past few decades, the Jade Blood Holy Land had not been able to cultivate many especially powerful experts. Yet under the vast population base, quite a few human cultivators had emerged—Cloud River Realm and Real Lake Realm cultivators alike. The Same Breath, Linked Branches array disc was perfectly suited for them to use.
“Is this item difficult to refine?” Feng Wujiang asked in a grave tone.
“Not difficult,” Lu Ye shook his head.
What difficulty was there in refining an array disc? Branding the Same Breath, Linked Branches Spirit Pattern into it was even easier.
“I’ll take this item and study it first.” Feng Wujiang rose to his feet. “Junior Brother, rest for now. I’ll come back to speak with you later.”
The emergence of the Same Breath, Linked Branches array disc had undoubtedly left Feng Wujiang exhilarated. He couldn’t wait to have the people under him refine as many as possible in preparation for the coming great battle.
With these instructions, he shot into the sky and flew off in one direction.
The words on the tip of Lu Ye’s tongue could only be swallowed. He had very much wanted to tell Eldest Senior Brother that for him, refining that item was not difficult—but for others, it might not be so.
Because the core of that item was not the array disc itself, but the Spirit Pattern within. Such a complex Spirit Pattern was not something just anyone could brand during the refinement process.
Moments after Eldest Senior Brother left, an azure-robed man walked over, cupped his fists, and saluted. “My Lord, the Holy Master instructed me to lead you to your rest.”
Lu Ye nodded slightly. “Lead the way.”
Shortly after, under the azure-robed man’s guidance, Lu Ye entered a great hall and was properly settled in.
For the better part of this past year, he had been travel-worn and dust-laden. At the very end, had he not encountered Jian Guhong and the others, he would likely have needed to travel for over another month to reach the Divine Watch Sea.
Indeed, he was somewhat weary.
After sitting cross-legged in the quiet chamber for a moment, Lu Ye suddenly opened his eyes.
He had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something, but thinking carefully, he couldn’t recall what it was for the moment. In the end, he simply stopped bothering. He would remember when the time came.
At the foot of the mountain, Dao Thirteen had been sleeping soundly with his head drooped low. When he opened his eyes, Lu Ye was nowhere to be seen beside him. He stood up, scratched his head, and not knowing what else to do, simply stood there like a wooden post, waiting.
His thinking was simple: he couldn’t find Lu Ye, but Lu Ye would surely come find him. It had to be said, low intelligence wasn’t entirely a bad thing—at the very least, he was free of worries.
Meanwhile, in a certain place beneath the Holy Mountain, the clanging of metal rang out. Mostly, brawny men, stripped to the waist, labored here, streaming with sweat. The surrounding environment was billowing with waves of heat, and scorching flames erupted from time to time.
This was the Holy Land’s artifact refining workshop, a place specifically responsible for refining spirit treasures for the Divine Ocean Realm great cultivators.
Feng Wujiang stood beside a lean, gaunt old man. Like Jian Guhong and the others, this old man’s hair and beard were completely white. Although his frame was lean and withered, his bare upper body was sharply defined with muscles. In his hand, he held a hammer larger than his own head.
In his other hand, he held the array disc Feng Wujiang had taken from Lu Ye. Activating both his divine sense and spirit artifact simultaneously, he silently perceived the structure within the array disc.
The gaunt old man was named Ouyang Zi. He was not some sect master or clan lord by origin. Three hundred years ago, he had been the chief artifact refiner of the Divine Trade Association, having refined who knew how many exquisite spirit treasures in his lifetime.
Not only was he from the Divine Trade Association, but most of the numerous refiners gathered here were also from the Divine Trade Association. Though they all possessed decent cultivation, they had basically never fought with anyone.
After perceiving for a long time, Ouyang Zi opened his eyes, his expression solemn.
Feng Wujiang immediately asked, “Senior, can this item be mass-produced?”
Ouyang Zi glanced at him, weighed the hammer in his hand, silently estimated the disparity in strength between himself and Feng Wujiang, gave up the idea of hitting him over the head with the hammer, and frowned. “Where did the Holy Master find this item?”
How could such a thing be mass-produced? In the entire artifact refining workshop, he was probably the only one capable of refining it, and the chance of success was very, very small.
“What’s wrong?” Feng Wujiang sensed that Ouyang Zi’s expression was somewhat off.
“The refining technique for this array disc is somewhat immature, but it’s clear that it follows a proper lineage. The refiner must have received instruction from an extraordinary master. Yet what puzzles this old man is that with such refining skill, it should be impossible to brand such a complex Spirit Pattern inside the array disc.”
Ouyang Zi had refined artifacts his entire life, so his eye was naturally sharp. Lu Ye’s refining technique was indeed immature. In his eyes, such an array disc was completely a defective product, riddled with many flaws. But overall, it was a usable item. And judging solely by the refining technique, the refiner had received guidance from a very formidable artifact refiner.
Yet the key to this item was not the array disc itself, but the Spirit Pattern contained within.
His perception just now had truly been shaken by the complexity and precision of that Spirit Pattern.
He had never heard of or seen such a Spirit Pattern, and had no idea what it was used for. If he were simply to attempt to construct that Spirit Pattern using his spiritual power, by a conservative estimate, he would have a thirty percent chance of success.
“Who refined this array disc?” Ouyang Zi asked. No one in the Holy Land should have been able to refine this, which made him rather curious.
“It was refined by my junior brother.”
“The Holy Master’s junior brother?” Ouyang Zi was bewildered. He had never heard that the Holy Master had a junior brother.
“From the Nine Provinces.”
Ouyang Zi suddenly understood. “The Nine Provinces’ Heavenly Secrets has sent someone over again?” And at this point in time.
For a moment, many thoughts ran through his mind.
“Your junior brother… has great talent in the Way of Artifact Refining. If convenient, could the Holy Master bring this old man to meet him? There are some matters I wish to consult him about.”
Mainly, he wanted to see with his own eyes how exactly the Holy Master’s junior brother had successfully branded that Spirit Pattern into the array disc.
Feng Wujiang was surprised. “If Senior wishes to meet him, I will bring him over later. It would be a good opportunity for you to instruct him a little as well.”
It was somewhat incredible. One had to know that in the Way of Artifact Refining, Ouyang Zi was the most formidable person Feng Wujiang had ever encountered. In this path, Ouyang Zi was also exceedingly proud by nature, and Feng Wujiang had never heard him say he wanted to consult anyone.
“Senior, can this item not be mass-produced?” Feng Wujiang asked again. He sensed some unusual information from Ouyang Zi’s tone.
Ouyang Zi could not help but weigh the hammer in his hand again. “I cannot refine this item, let alone mass-produce it.”
Feng Wujiang was stunned. “Even you, Senior, cannot refine it?”
Ouyang Zi said, “Refining the array disc is simple. But I cannot brand the Spirit Pattern within.”
It was far too complex. He would have to spend a great deal of time studying and practicing, and even then, he would not be able to raise his success rate by much.
Walking out of the artifact refining workshop, Feng Wujiang’s brow was deeply furrowed.
This didn’t make sense. Junior Brother had clearly said that this item was not difficult to refine. Why then did Senior Ouyang Zi say he couldn’t refine it?
It was impossible for Junior Brother’s refining skill to be higher than Ouyang Zi’s.
He wanted to go and ask clearly right now, but considering that Lu Ye had rushed all the way here and was probably resting at the moment, there was no need to be in such a hurry.
It wasn’t until the next day that Lu Ye suddenly remembered someone was missing from his side.
He hurriedly went down the mountain to look.
He saw Dao Thirteen standing there, motionless.
Sensing Lu Ye’s aura, Dao Thirteen immediately raised his head and looked over, his face full of resentment.
Lu Ye signaled him with his eyes, and Dao Thirteen followed closely behind, step by step.
Back on the peak, Lu Ye wasn’t sure how to find Eldest Senior Brother. There weren’t many buildings on the summit—only a few great halls and several side rooms. It seemed the cultivators from the Nine Provinces did not live here.
The azure-robed man he had seen yesterday was still there. Lu Ye stepped forward and asked, “Where is the Holy Master?”
The azure-robed man replied, “The Holy Master has gone to inspect the defensive fortifications on the surrounding islands. Before leaving, he left word that if you are well-rested, my Lord, you should wait for him here on the Holy Mountain.”
(End of Chapter)