"Where is Yang Shengwu now?"

Jia Ren remembered that when he left the Great Wilderness Market, Yang Shengwu had mentioned he would go to the Jade Cauldron Market.

Since arriving at the Jade Cauldron Market, he naturally wanted to meet him.

He took out a Sound Transmission Talisman from his Storage Bag, activated it, but there was no response.

Isn't the person nearby?

The Sound Transmission Talisman had its usage limitations; its effective range would not exceed twenty miles. The entire Jade Cauldron Market was within its range.

If he couldn't make contact here, it meant he was not in the Market. It had been a year since Yang Shengwu left the Great Wilderness Market. Was he still alive?

In the vast lands of the Cultivation World, one never knew if there would be a day of reunion in this lifetime.

Jia Ren felt an inexplicable sense of loss and, before he knew it, found himself back at the courtyard he had rented.

"Senior Sister, could you help me find a shop to rent?"

The expenditure of Spirit Stones was too great. He couldn't afford to sit and consume his reserves, so he inquired if there were any suitable shops available for short-term rent.

"I'll go take care of it right away."

Zhang Peng Peng rarely felt needed, and she hurried to take care of the task.

"Senior Shi, should you require anything, I am willing to serve."

Wang Mingyan, seeing Zhang Peng Peng leave, couldn't hide the envy on her face.

Life was difficult for Loose Cultivators, and especially weak female cultivators without power or support found it hard to get by.

Being a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was considered powerful, and she no longer dared to hope to become his Dao companion or concubine. Even being at his disposal could grant her resources far beyond those of ordinary Loose Cultivators.

Wang Mingyan is still considered reliable, much better than risking one's life for a cultivator of unknown background, Jia Ren thought. Senior Sister will soon be managing the shop on my behalf, converting goods into Spirit Stones. Someone also needs to collect information for me; I don't want to be meditating in seclusion, oblivious to Bizarre Demons laying siege outside. Besides that, there are the Scarlet Fire Spirit Bird and Warding Off Evil materials required for the Xuan Yang Fire Spirit Pendant, precious Spiritual Medicines, Spirit Insects, Spirit Fish... My time is precious and meant to be spent in arduous Cultivation. I can't personally attend to matters like these. Wasting precious time is not an option. Cultivating 'trusted followers' is also an essential task.

"I indeed have something for you to do," Jia Ren said. "Collect treasures for me..."

He took out a blank Jade Slip, immersed his consciousness, and began to record the items he needed.

Ordinary cultivation resources will be purchased by Wang Mingyan on my behalf, saving my own time.

"Take these three bottles of Major Restoration Elixirs and three Evil Warding Talismans."

"If you need Spirit Stones, you can inform me with the Sound Transmission Talisman."

Jia Ren took out the Elixirs, Sound Transmission Talismans, and Evil Warding Talismans, handing them to Wang Mingyan.

When others take care of my affairs, I can't do so without providing benefits. It's about spending money to buy other people's time to save my own.

"Many thanks for the generous reward, Senior."

Wang Mingyan bowed her head, her expression unclear. She collected the Elixirs and quickly departed.

The courtyard Jia Ren rented was extremely large. The vast majority of the area was for his exclusive use, protected by the Yun Luo Illusion Array he had set up to guard his privacy. Apart from himself, no one else was entitled to enter.

The Fish Pond, Insect Breeding Room, and Talisman Crafting Room were all available.

The Fish Pond hadn't been restocked yet, so there wasn't a single Spirit Fish in the water.

In the Insect Breeding Room were numerous Spirit Insects, including the Golden Armor King Worm, Illusionary Demon Moth, Sound Seizing Demon Mosquito, Black Wind Mantis, Puppet Demon Insect, and Golden Thread Silkworm.

During Qi Refinement, they were a powerful trump card, assisting me in battle, repeatedly killing formidable foes. After Foundation Establishment, the combat power of the Spirit Insects seems somewhat weaker; they are of little use in battles at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Jia Ren scattered a large number of Spirit Nourishing Pills to speed up the growth of the Spirit Insects and help them quickly produce eggs.

I plan to amalgamate the Spirit Insects next, hoping to create Second Order Spirit Insects comparable to Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators.

"Let's start setting up the Formation."

Jia Ren took out materials for setting up the Spirit Gathering Array, meticulously recalling the information about the Formation Path inheritance in his mind.

Formations are divided into four types: Heavenly, Earthly, Human, and Spirit. Heavenly Formations utilize the power of heaven, borrowing from the sun, moon, and Star River, turning heaven and earth into a chessboard, with heaven unleashing killing intent, moving stars, and changing constellations. Earthly Formations draw upon the power of the earth, using mountains and rivers, with the earth unleashing killing intent, dragons and snakes rising from the ground. Human Formations make use of human power, utilizing the Spiritual Power of cultivators, with humans unleashing killing intent, causing heaven and earth to turn. The Heavenly and Earthly Formations are less evident, and Human Formations are only seen in Sects that train specific cultivators capable of forming a Human Formation, allowing them to exert power far beyond that of individuals. Ten or more late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators skilled in Human Formations could possess the strength to challenge an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator. What I received is the inheritance of Spirit Formations, which are currently the most mainstream type.

Information about the Spirit Gathering Array became clear in his mind.

The Spirit Gathering Array is one of the introductory formations of the Formation Path and also the simplest. 'Simple' is relative to other Formations; it's much more complex than the Inscriptions used in Artifact Refining. The Spirit Gathering Array involves two approaches: setting up the Formation directly, or the simpler Method Gate of crafting Array Plates. The former takes more time and energy, taking slightly longer but offering better results. The latter is similar to the Yun Luo Illusion Array and the Impenetrable Defense Formation Plate I use; its power is greatly diminished, but its advantage is portability and ease of setup, allowing even those who are not Array Masters to set it up. The difficulty of crafting an Array Plate is slightly higher than setting up the Formation; besides being well-versed in Formations themselves, it's best to have a good Refining Level. Refinement Experience is not something I lack, so my first consideration is to refine a Spirit Gathering Array Plate.

The Spirit Gathering Array Plate is divided into small, medium, and large, differing in the number of Formation Bases and Formation Flags used in crafting. A small Spirit Gathering Array is generally for the use of one to three people, attracting relatively less Spiritual Energy. Medium and large Spirit Gathering Arrays are often used by Sects and for cultivating Spiritual Medicines that require a high concentration of Spiritual Power, with quite a difference in the difficulty of their creation. To refine a small Spirit Gathering Array, three Formation Flags and a core Formation Base are needed, which can quickly increase Proficiency Level.

Thoughts about the Method Gate to refine a Spirit Gathering Array Plate emerged in Jia Ren's mind.

Spiritual Power circulated within his body, and a ball of white flame condensed in his palm.

This is the Innate True Fire only Foundation Establishment Cultivators possess, a flame that doesn't rely on Earth Fire or Sunfire Wood and can be used for Artifact Refining and Alchemy. Maintaining the Innate True Fire at all times consumes a significant amount of Spiritual Power. For long periods of Alchemy and Artifact Refining, Earth Fire is still superior to Innate True Fire. However, the appearance of Innate True Fire gives Cultivators another choice; they won't find themselves in the wilderness, troubled by the lack of suitable flames for Alchemy and Artifact Refining. The difficulty of refining a Spirit Gathering Array Plate isn't high, and the refining time is short, so Innate True Fire is sufficient.

The Flame Control Pill Technique operated. At a Grandmaster Level of fire control, the flames were stable, the temperature contained, not a bit leaking.

The materials melted rapidly upon the Innate True Fire, burning away impurities and extracting their essence.

In less than half an hour, a gray jade plate had taken shape. Next was the time to inscribe the Formation Patterns.

Thanks to my skill in Artifact Refining Inscriptions and Talisman Crafting symbols, I find inscribing Formation Patterns easy. Soon, an almost perfect Array Plate was formed.

Next are the three corresponding Formation Flags for the Spirit Gathering Array; the requirements for these are lower and more straightforward.

Was it a success?

On the Proficiency Panel, the Spirit Gathering Array's status was still at the uninitiated level, which gave him an unsettling feeling.

The Spirit Gathering Array Plate and the three Formation Flags were placed in their corresponding positions.

Spirit Stones were inserted into the core, and the Array Plate activated.

Under the Spirit Eye Technique, there was no movement of Spiritual Power, as if it were a dead object.

Where did the problem lie?

Jia Ren scrutinized every Formation Pattern carefully – they were clear and fine, like exquisite works of art.

His Divine Soul transformed into fine threads of Spider Silk, touching the veins of the Formation, constantly resonating with them.

In an instant, I saw a world filled with colorful brilliance, different colored specks of light dancing. They were of various colors, some bright, some dim, flying chaotically. The Spirit Gathering Array targets the white specks of Spiritual Power, but the strange force emitted by the Spirit Gathering Array has no attraction to them. This is quite embarrassing. What's the issue?

Jia Ren used the Mysterious Turtle Water Strategy, and the wandering spots of light seemed delighted, quickly gathering to his location.

Why is there a difference in the operation of the Spirit Gathering Array? 'The moment you treat Talisman Crafting as creating life, you can truly comprehend the essence of Talisman Crafting.' Elder Wu's voice seemed to echo in my heart. Both Talismans and the Spirit Gathering Array share common ground. How do I make the Spirit Gathering Array have its own 'spirit'?

Jia Ren recalled the information about the Spirit Gathering Array Plate.

I perfectly replicated it following the Method Gate of refinement without any issues. Could there be flaws or hidden secrets in the Formation inheritance? I 'created' the Array Plate into a life, so why isn't it attracting Spiritual Power?

Moments later, Jia Ren's eyes lit up as if he had an epiphany.

"Let's try again!"

The second round of refining was much faster than the first; the inscribing of the Formation Patterns became smoother.

Injecting Essence, Energy, and Spirit, I began resonating with Spiritual Power during the inscribing process. Only by having the presence of Spiritual Power 'kin' within the Formation Patterns can the Spirit Gathering Array attract like-kinds when operating. When creating the Spirit Gathering Array Plate, I indeed infused it with Essence, Energy, and Spirit. However, this 'spirit' was relatively hollow, lacking a specific target. Without the ability to attract Spiritual Power, it's impossible for the Spirit Gathering Array to function.

"It worked!"

Under the Spirit Eye Technique, countless white specks of light danced, constantly flying towards the location of the Array Plate.

The concentration of Spiritual Power increased at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After sensing it briefly, the density of Spiritual Power seemed to have increased by roughly twenty percent.

The effect is average, but it's a constant flow. Through refining the Spirit Gathering Array, I feel I'm beginning to grasp much more. I'm not a native to this world and thus not set in my ways. The changes in the Spirit Gathering Array have made me realize many things. When inscribing Formation Patterns, what effect would absorbing special specks of light—other than those of Spiritual Power and its aura—produce? This is beyond the Spirit Gathering Array; it's also beyond the Formation Path inheritance I received.

Jia Ren wanted to experiment. While in the state of Spirit Eye Technique, he observed the strange black specks.

For the second Array Plate refinement, I'll choose to draw this aura into it. The difficulty of refining the Spirit Gathering Array Plate isn't high, at least not for me. He completed it with ease.

Let's test its effect?

Upon activating the modified Spirit Gathering Array with Spirit Stones, countless tiny black spots converged on this location, their numbers increasing.

Was it successful?

The aura emitted by the Spirit Gathering Array became increasingly strange, exuding a bizarre and eerie feeling.

It somewhat resembles… the flame of the Gathering Bizarre Red Candle once used by the Gathering Stars Trade Association to lure the White-dress Lady Bizarre; it gives off a similar vibe. Could this thing be gathering a special force that attracts Bizarre Demons? I vividly remember that the force of the Gathering Bizarre Red Candle was similar to my modified Spirit Gathering Array, just purer in effect.

Jia Ren's heart raced, and he promptly ceased his potentially fatal behavior.

Only after removing the Spirit Stones embedded in the Array Plate did the strange aura gradually dissipate.

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