Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Sudden Realization
Ye Xuan pondered for a moment before speaking his thoughts aloud.
To be honest, while the Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array piqued his curiosity, Ye Xuan wasn’t overly concerned with it. After all, no matter if it came from the Ancient Era, it was still just a Third-Level Array—nothing truly remarkable.
But he couldn’t say that to Elder Kuchun directly. Therefore, the decision now rested with the elder.
If Elder Kuchun considered the Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array too precious to show anyone, afraid that Ye Xuan might glean its secrets, then Ye Xuan wouldn’t press the issue. He would simply find another way to obtain the Five Elements Crystal.
If the elder was willing to share it, however, Ye Xuan wouldn’t mind taking a close look to see exactly where Elder Kuchun had gone wrong.
But Ye Xuan believed that if Elder Kuchun was truly passionate about Array Formation, he wouldn’t give up so easily.
After hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Elder Kuchun studied him for a long moment, his profound gaze sweeping over him from head to toe. Suddenly, he broke into a faint smile. "Since you know so much about this Array... well, there’s a saying: ’Once you trust someone, you don’t doubt them.’ I’ll choose to believe you this once. It’s just an Array diagram. So what if I let you see it? Besides, if you can actually manage to craft it yourself, then that would be your own good fortune."
Elder Kuchun smiled with an air of nonchalance.
For some reason, even though Ye Xuan’s tone was placid and he hadn’t made any grand promises, Elder Kuchun sensed a powerful undercurrent of confidence in him. It wasn’t overtly displayed, but hidden deep within, yet the elder’s keen senses still picked up on it.
So, if he were to get hung up on the diagram’s rarity and refuse to show it now, then figuring it out on his own would likely take an eternity.
Hearing Elder Kuchun’s words, Ye Xuan relaxed internally. He had been worried the elder would be hesitant and suspicious. In that case, looking at the diagram might have inevitably led to disputes down the line.
It seemed this Elder Kuchun had considerable spirit and was quite magnanimous.
Soon, an Array diagram with a simple, ancient aura was placed in Ye Xuan’s hands.
Ye Xuan gently unfurled the diagram, his gaze locking onto it.
This was a complete diagram.
A "complete diagram" was one that contained not just the flow of the Array’s patterns and its final design, but also the materials for the Array fluid and its preparation method, as well as the detailed steps for its construction.
Such a diagram detailed everything, from how to prepare the Array fluid to the pathing of the Array patterns. An Array Master typically just needed to follow the steps, which usually made the crafting process exceedingly simple.
"Elder Kuchun, this is a complete Array diagram," Ye Xuan couldn’t help but remark after his first glance.
Elder Kuchun gave a bitter smile. "I know it’s a complete diagram. But my crafting process follows the instructions on it perfectly, without a single deviation. Yet every attempt ends in failure, and I’m at a complete loss as to why. Sometimes I wonder, ’Perhaps it’s not my crafting process. Could the diagram itself be flawed?’"
His numerous failures had forced Elder Kuchun to consider every possibility.
Ye Xuan didn’t respond. He carefully examined every detail of the Array diagram, while also observing the Array Disc Elder Kuchun had managed to produce.
After looking back and forth a few times, he had seen enough. A faint smile touched the corners of his lips.
"Elder Kuchun, I’ve looked over this diagram and have a few thoughts. I’d ask that you describe your crafting process to me from beginning to end, without leaving anything out. From preparing the Array fluid to the final formation of the Array Disc, don’t miss a single detail."
"Oh?" Elder Kuchun’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to have formed an idea simply from looking at the diagram.
He considered for a moment. ’These are all just records of my failures, so there’s no harm in sharing them. Besides, I’m a Third Grade Soul Refiner. Even if I explain every step, it’s impossible for a First Grade Soul Refiner like Ye Xuan to replicate it.’
He immediately began to recount the entire process in painstaking detail: how he prepared the Array fluid, how he readied the Array Base, how he began to inscribe the Array patterns, and so on, leaving nothing out.
Whenever they reached a critical point, Ye Xuan would occasionally interrupt Elder Kuchun’s account to ask a few questions.
After about fifteen minutes, Ye Xuan had a complete and thorough understanding of how the Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array was crafted.
The Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array was a classic Array from the Ancient Era, primarily used to enhance a Soul Refiner’s Soul Power.
Any Soul Refiner who cultivated within this Array would find their Soul Power advancing not only faster but also more safely, making it less likely for them to suffer a cultivation deviation. In addition, the Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array could be used to trap Profound Beasts and restrict the use of their Soul Power, making it quite versatile.
And precisely because the Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array was a classic from the Ancient Era, its creation followed the methods and rules of that time.
The ancient and modern arts of Array Formation, while largely similar and often achieving the same results through different means, still differed in certain details. It was precisely these subtle differences that had led to Elder Kuchun’s failure.
It wasn’t a matter of Elder Kuchun’s skill being insufficient; rather, he hadn’t shifted his mindset. Ultimately, his knowledge of Array Formation was one-sided, lacking sufficient breadth and depth.
Had it been Ye Xuan, he could have diagnosed Elder Kuchun’s general problem even without seeing the diagram. Now, having seen it, he understood exactly where the elder had gone wrong.
"So, Ye Xuan, what do you think of my process?" Elder Kuchun asked casually.
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. He had already identified Elder Kuchun’s mistakes, but he couldn’t just spell them out bluntly.
After all, it would be too unbelievable for a First Grade Soul Refiner to so easily point out the errors of a Third Grade one.
After a moment of thought, Ye Xuan finally said, "Elder Kuchun, after looking at the diagram and analyzing your Array Disc, I have a few ideas. I wonder if they might offer some inspiration."
"Please, go on." Elder Kuchun’s eyes brightened. He hadn’t really expected Ye Xuan to discover anything just by looking at the diagram, but to his surprise, the young man actually had some thoughts. He immediately focused his attention and listened intently.
"The Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array is clearly an Array from the Ancient Era. So, I was thinking, perhaps its creation must follow the rules of the Ancient Era completely, rather than modern rules."
"Take the preparation of the Array fluid, for instance. In the Ancient Era, Array Masters liked to control the fluid’s concentration when constructing an Array, using different concentrations for different parts."
"This made the Array more flexible. Modern Array Formation, however, deeming the process too complex, has gradually done away with this requirement. As a result, the fluid concentration for the entire Array pattern is typically uniform. I was wondering, did Elder Kuchun consider this during your crafting?"
"Secondly, aside from fluid concentration, the inscription of Array patterns in the Ancient Era was also slightly different from modern Array Formation. Take the First-level Spirit Gathering Array, which is widespread across the continent today. In its ancient form, great care was given to varying the pressure of the strokes and ensuring the connections were clever. This way, the strong parts were strong, the weak parts were weak, and the spirit-gathering effect was completely maximized."
"The modern, improved Spirit Gathering Array, however, emphasizes being completed in one go, with the inscription of the pattern maintaining a consistent pressure throughout. While its efficacy is nowhere near that of the ancient version, it is far simpler and more straightforward, allowing any First Grade Array Master to inscribe it."
"So, I was also wondering if this Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array, being a classic Array from the Ancient Era, might also have specific requirements for stroke pressure. For example, these sections here are merely for connection; they don’t need to be so strong. Perhaps by lowering the fluid concentration and lightening the inscription pressure, the connection could be made more ingeniously. If the stroke is too heavy, it feels like the connection itself would usurp the primary role, losing its subtle function as a simple bridge."
Ye Xuan didn’t dare to point out the mistakes directly. Instead, he used a very tactful tone, analyzing the problem from the perspective of a First Grade Soul Refiner and cleverly guiding the elder to his own errors.
At first, Elder Kuchun wasn’t paying much mind, but gradually, his brow furrowed. His eyes grew pensive, and he became completely lost in thought.
By the time Ye Xuan had finished speaking, the elder’s entire body jolted, and a sharp glint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
Ye Xuan’s words were like a sudden ray of sunlight piercing through endless darkness, instantly clearing a path through the fog and shadows that had clouded his mind.
"’An Array from the Ancient Era must be crafted using the methods of the Ancient Era...’"
All this time, Elder Kuchun had been limited by his own knowledge and experience. He’d never considered this possibility, instead clinging rigidly to the crafting process, convinced he was following each step without error.
He hadn’t considered that while most techniques were the same for ancient and modern Arrays, certain conventions were subtly different. And it was precisely these subtle differences that had caused his failures.
Now that Ye Xuan had laid it bare, it was as if a bolt of lightning had flashed through his mind, illuminating the darkness. He felt a profound sense of awakening.
"’Of course, of course! That’s right! The Arrays of the Ancient Era are different from modern ones! Why didn’t I ever think of that?’"
Elder Kuchun trembled with excitement, muttering to himself.
Every step of creating the Ten Directions Soul Guarding Array flashed through his mind, again and again, growing clearer with each pass.
Gradually, his eyes grew brighter, and the smile on his face widened.
About fifteen minutes later, materials suddenly appeared before him. With a flash of his hands, right there in his research room, he became completely absorbed and began to craft.
The preparation of the Array fluid.
The preparation of the Array Base.
Elder Kuchun had performed these steps countless times before. Now, with his newfound understanding, they felt even more familiar. The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, a beautiful sight to behold.
