Cultivation: Starting from a Mortal Bone
Chapter 251 - 249: Concealing One’s Ability
Upon hearing Luo Lizhu’s question, Qin Yu almost wanted to say... Is it that hard?
Clearly, it is indeed very difficult.
With a somewhat naive look, he said, "I don’t know either..."
"..."
Luo Lizhu fell silent; what else could she say?
Qin Yu didn’t know, so she couldn’t ask further.
Perhaps this is the difference in insight.
Of course, that’s a good thing!
Without much hesitation, Luo Lizhu immediately led Qin Yu to the next Ancient Stele.
However, this made Qin Yu realize that he shouldn’t be too ostentatious.
What he wanted was only to draw the attention of Cyan Mist Hall to see if he could be chosen for a Cultivation Technique.
Slow down the pace?
Speaking of which, Qin Yu was also greatly intrigued by this Ancient Array at the moment, and under the circumstances where he could comprehend it, he decided to give it his best effort.
However, in order not to be too noticeable, he decided... to hide his skills slightly.
He could pretend not to comprehend it.
He was different from other cultivators; others could comprehend the array only by contacting the stele and using Spiritual Power to sense and slowly organize the veins within.
Whereas he, possessing the Celestial Eye, could observe the 108 Ancient Steles clearly just by standing there and see the veins within each stele.
Naturally, no one could perceive whether he had comprehended it or not.
During the process.
Qin Yu was even discontent with the speed of his comprehension, and immediately began considering other thoughts.
"I wonder if the Life Rune can also be comprehended simultaneously."
Actually, the speed of his comprehension of the array depended on the rate of recovery of his Spiritual Power.
After all, activating the Celestial Eye is an extremely consuming thing for Spiritual Power.
When he first awakened the Celestial Eye, he was in the Qi Refining Realm and could only maintain it for a short while before depleting his Spiritual Power completely.
Now he is in the Golden Core Realm, and the ’amount’ of Spiritual Power is beyond comparison with what it used to be.
In the Qi Refining Realm, the ’amount’ of Spiritual Power could only be considered a large cistern, whereas now, it is already a substantial lake, capable of continuously maintaining the Celestial Eye for over an hour.
As Qin Yu invoked the Life Rune, a consciousness fell upon the distant Ancient Stele.
Indeed, it worked!
Instantly, his speed of comprehending the array increased threefold.
Of course, the main reason is because of the Celestial Eye, so he wouldn’t encounter the obstacles other cultivators face.
In just half a day, the nine outermost Ancient Steles were fully comprehended by Qin Yu.
This was because he spent a lot of time recovering his Spiritual Power.
At this moment, within his body, at the Life Rune site, nine array scripts were linked into a circle, gleaming with golden light, emanating an indescribable aura.
Not bad.
Qin Yu then started out, pretending to approach the next Ancient Stele.
Yet, even so, Luo Lizhu remained amazed.
You must know, with each additional array script, the difficulty doubles, which is why, until now, no one has ever fully comprehended the entire Ancient Array.
But Qin Yu’s current speed of comprehension has already far surpassed the Hall Master, and can even be compared to that former Array Master from the Imperial Capital.
Could it be... he could also comprehend half the Ancient Steles?!
Thinking about this, Luo Lizhu felt a bit excited, yet dared not make any sound, seemingly afraid of disturbing Qin Yu.
At this time, the Palace Envoy already placed Qin Yu in a very high position.
If...
If Qin Yu’s Root Bone were a bit better, if he could possess the Dao Bone, perhaps he could truly become a Master of Arrays!
But clearly, this is just a wish.
And at this moment, Qin Yu has already begun to comprehend the eleventh circle of Ancient Steles.
It’s indeed a bit more complex than the twelfth circle of scripts, but it didn’t delay him much.
Two days later.
Qin Yu had already comprehended three full circles, 27 Ancient Steles.
While he himself was merely standing in front of the fifth Ancient Stele, and Luo Lizhu had not a hint of doubt.
Soon enough.
Qin Yu caught up to the Hall Master as well, thanks to the Celestial Eye, he apparently wasn’t discovered by the Hall Master either.
Half a month later.
There were only the last nine steles of the circle left.
Why did it take half a month?
Because, the further into the array center, the veins became weaker, naturally increasing the difficulty for him.
At this moment, even under the Celestial Eye, the veins of the last nine Ancient Steles were faintly visible, causing Qin Yu to furrow his brows.
This evidently couldn’t be comprehended, unless...
He approached it, contacting the Ancient Stele directly.
But doing so would mean exposing himself.
Moreover, Qin Yu felt a sense that there seemed to be dangers at its center, which, even with the Celestial Eye, he couldn’t quite see through, as if it was shielded by the Ancient Array.
Currently, there’s plenty of time.
The Secret Realm opens once every hundred years, each time lasting a year.
The cultivators entering have half a year to comprehend.
Why it’s half a year, Qin Yu isn’t quite sure, as there isn’t any Spiritual Qi here, so he couldn’t improve his cultivation.
He could only comprehend slowly.
The half-year passed swiftly, and the Hall Master took the opportunity to comprehend the scripts of three more Ancient Steles.
He looked toward the center of the array, furrowing his brows, lost in thought.
After a while, his figure soared into the air, landing on the outskirts of the Ancient Array, where a crowd of cultivators had long been waiting.
Luo Lizhu approached to report to the Hall Master.
"Cyan Mist Hall, Qin Yu, has comprehended the scripts of 25 Ancient Steles!"
This was obviously Qin Yu’s deliberate act.
Even so, it still aroused a chorus of astonishment.
"Not bad!"
Even the Hall Master couldn’t help but praise.
Of course, he didn’t know that Qin Yu had actually comprehended 107 Ancient Steles, leaving only the last one due to unclear veins, hence unable to comprehend it.
"Red Miao Hall, Fu Ping, has comprehended 19 Ancient Steles."
He was precisely the cultivator with Spiritual Power at High Tier Refining, showing quite good insight.
"Very good."
Though he wasn’t from Cyan Mist Hall, Duanmu Hong equally showed a pleased expression.
It seemed this time’s seedlings were quite promising.
Originally thinking Cyan Mist Hall would be at the bottom, but didn’t expect Qin Yu would give him face.
The cultivators varied, the worst among them only comprehended a single Ancient Stele, unable to comprehend even the second one.
"The top ten follow me into the Array Hub, the others stay here under Lizhu’s arrangement."
No one dared to defy the Hall Master’s order.
Duanmu Hong merely waved his sleeve lightly, Qin Yu felt an indescribable force enveloping him, making him float involuntarily, as if being guided by an invisible hand, towards the core of the Ancient Array.
"Hope... nothing untoward happens."
Luo Lizhu sighed inwardly, then began organizing these cultivators, continuously consolidating array scripts, integrating them into the Ancient Steles, and suddenly, a piece of dazzling golden light.
...
Upon reaching the heights, Qin Yu along with the other nine found themselves in a spot where the view suddenly opened up, and the scene below lay before their eyes.
Even though Qin Yu wasn’t seeing this scene through the Celestial Eye for the first time, he was still unable to quell the shock witnessing it firsthand.
As they delved deeper, around them was a desolate scene—
Everywhere were ruined eaves and broken walls, enormous and mottled sculptures scattered among them, each collapsed architectural ruin vaguely hinted at the grandeur that once existed here.
However, what puzzled Qin Yu was that amidst this devastation, not a single bone or relic was visible.
Even so, the air inexplicably permeated with a heavy deathly silence, as if stepping into an ancient and deep tomb, the surrounding filled with a chilling and fear-inducing eerie sensation.
As they continued deeper, that cold aura intensified, seemingly capable of permeating the marrow and reaching the depths of the soul.