CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER 65: NATURAL ARRAY

"Let’s rest here for now and explore the other caves tomorrow."

Chen Xian spoke.

Shen Wang was surprised, then saw Chen Xian walk towards the cave mansion, and the array barrier automatically opened an entrance.

He pondered, "Are these stone talismans the owner’s of this place?"

"Yes, the other two are for other caves; one has been fully explored, but last time we weren’t fully prepared, and there’s another one we hadn’t had time to explore."

Chen Xian laughed, "That Black Death Blade of yours was found in another cave, and there are still a few rooms with restrictions unopened in that cave."

"Though we weren’t prepared, what on earth forced you to leave?"

Shen Wang was puzzled.

"The power of this key can only last for one day, and after that, it needs time to recover, which is three days."

Li Yuanning explained on his behalf, "So exploring one place takes four days, and without sufficient supplies, it’s too dangerous to stay here."

"Hehe, this time we are well-prepared, shouldn’t be a problem to stay for half a month."

Ning Xia laughed.

Shen Wang nodded and followed them into the Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion before him. The courtyard was filled with weeds, there was a stone platform, and several rooms dug within the cave; apart from that, there were no man-made buildings or traces.

He marveled at the situation inside the cave mansion; without the array, it really wasn’t much different from a wild man’s cave.

Entering the cave, the glow of the stone talisman dimmed and began to recover its power.

The restrictions inside the cave mansion had been removed, and everyone could move freely inside without worry of triggering an array attack.

"Shen, this room is left for you."

Chen Xian reserved the room near the cave entrance for Shen Wang.

"Alright, you all rest, I’ll take another look."

Shen Wang carefully observed the surroundings, curious about what these arrays were based on.

Since entering the area, he hadn’t seen anything engraved with array runes, wondering if they were hidden deep or had something special.

"Then we won’t disturb you, Younger Brother Shen."

Chen Xian smiled; he supported Shen Wang in researching the site, thinking that if anything were discovered, they would benefit too.

Li Yuanning approached and said, "Shen, you’re finding the array here different from usual, right? I’ve read some materials, there’s a faction that likes to use natural objects for array formations instead of deliberately engraving array runes."

"Natural objects?"

Shen Wang was thoughtful.

"Yes, common items like a piece of wood or a knife inherently contain the Qi of the Five Elements, and through ingenious combination, they can form an array."

Li Yuanning nodded, "These kinds of arrays are very exquisite, their power limit isn’t high, but they require very few materials and are ingeniously crafted. The Daoist skill is natural, stable, and might not collapse for thousands of years."

"It seems the arrays here are of this type." Shen Wang suddenly realized.

"It should be. The stone talismans we obtained are the only obvious array keys here, yet even they are made of stone."

Li Yuanning chuckled wryly, "These ancient cultivators really utilized natural materials to the extreme. I guess they were the kind who lived simply and self-sufficiently, unlike many cultivators today who prefer fighting."

"Haha, it seems that’s the path to cultivation to immortality; we are too deliberate nowadays."

Shen Wang couldn’t help but laugh.

"You can’t say that. It must have been resource-rich back then. The environment is different now; without competition, you can’t survive."

Li Yuanning sighed, "Like us loose cultivators, we have to figure out ways to obtain cultivation resources. Otherwise, it’s normal for us to regress rather than advance."

"You make a valid point."

Shen Wang acknowledged, understanding that cultivation is like rowing upstream; if you don’t advance, you fall back, and it follows the principle of reducing what is lacking to serve what is abundant.

"I won’t disturb you either, Shen. I hope you gain something."

Li Yuanning clasped his hands and returned to rest.

Shen Wang wasn’t in a hurry. After receiving Li Yuanning’s insight, he had some ideas.

He examined the courtyard. Although covered by weeds, the general layout of the courtyard was square-shaped.

The spiritual Qi here was still thin, but more abundant than outside, indicating that this place was isolated from the outside world and belonged to an independent array space.

Besides isolating inside and outside, the array could also absorb surrounding spiritual Qi, which must have been deliberately set up.

His gaze fell upon the central bluestone platform, initially thinking it was merely a place for seated cultivation, but now realized it was more than that.

Walking over and stepping onto the three-foot bluestone platform, Shen Wang judged the area, finding the cave mansion in the northwest position, higher up, while the opposite entrance had the most overgrown weeds, was lower, and not higher than two feet, perfectly not blocking the view from the cave entrance.

At the entrance, a row of ancient cypress trees grew, while the southeast side was an open space facing the sun, and the northeast side was covered with ice and snow.

Shen Wang looked around thoughtfully, "Utilizing these things for array formation, apart from the cave and this stone platform, they’re not inanimate objects. The Five Elements seem to lack fire, yet supplemented by sunlight, covering the changes of Yin and Yang, leaving an opening to absorb the Essence of Heaven and Earth."

He figured out some things and couldn’t help but feel enlightened. Here, the Five Elements are present during the day, while at night, lacking fire, it leans towards a Yin attribute array. This sect’s cultivation technique should also lean towards the Yin attribute, aligning with the environment.

Continuing to observe nearby, he noticed that the trees, ice, and even the cave mansion had specific shapes and positions, especially the trees, a few main ones connected like wood attribute runes forming an independent small array.

"Without these weeds and random stones, would the array power run more smoothly?"

Shen Wang stood up to pull weeds, but stopped after pulling a few, "These plants are all withering; pulling them might unbalance the Five Elements."

He stood watching for a long time but still didn’t figure it out. Finally, he shook his head, opting to move less and observe more.

Without entering the cave, he sat cross-legged on the bluestone platform for cultivation.

The night quickly engulfed the light, and darkness completely descended.

Sitting cross-legged on the stone, Shen Wang suddenly felt a surge of cold Yin energy rising from beneath, rushing up his spine to his brain.

Shen Wang had no discomfort; in fact, he found it quite comfortable. In his contemplation, Luo Shen became increasingly clear, and the river in his spiritual world became vivid and lively.

"Oh, is this Pure Yin Qi?"

Shen Wang was surprised; he hadn’t expected this change from sitting on the stone. Opening his eyes, the starry sky above was clear, with the Big Dipper and moonlight exceptionally bright.

"The Big Dipper and moon are both Yin. Currently, under the array’s influence, Pure Yin power gathers here, benefiting the cultivation of Yin attribute techniques."

Shen Wang pondered, realizing that the Contemplation Method was also Yin attribute, so contemplating benefits him.

Is this truly the Daoist skill of nature?

Shen Wang was lost in thought, amazed at how just by utilizing the surrounding environment, an array could be set up, achieving Unity of Heaven and Man, following a very primitive path.