He sensed for a moment and knew who it was.

It was his neighbor, Daoist Xing.

"Why is she looking for me?"

Ji Yuan slightly frowned, recalling if anything had ever happened between them... nothing had happened; they hadn’t even exchanged Communication Talismans, only names.

After thinking it over, Ji Yuan decided to let her in.

Not allowing her to enter would only arouse more suspicion.

Half a moment later.

Inside Ji Yuan’s Cave Mansion, after the two greeted each other, Xing Shuang, who wore a half-face mask, got straight to the point:

"It’s like this. I’ve heard that Daoist Changgeng is quite knowledgeable about Arrays, and I’m currently facing a tricky problem. I wonder if you could assist me?"

"Array?"

Ji Yuan’s first response wasn’t about whether to help, but he was pondering who could have leaked that he was an Array Cultivator, so much so that even Xing Shuang knew.

"Exactly..."

Xing Shuang evidently was smart and immediately noticed Ji Yuan’s concern, so she explained with a smile:

"I observed that the Array set up in Daoist’s Cave Mansion is quite exquisite, thus I made this guess."

"I see."

Ji Yuan seemed to relax a bit before asking again, "How does Daoist need me to help?"

If it required leaving, Ji Yuan would definitely refuse at the first instance.

"I already imprinted the Array Map and brought it with me; please, have a look, Daoist."

After speaking, Xing Shuang took out a large piece of parchment from her Storage Bag. She placed it between them on the stone table and spread it out, revealing densely packed Array Patterns.

With just a sweep of his Divine Sense, Ji Yuan grasped the general idea immediately.

"Is this... an Illusion Array?"

"Exactly, Daoist is indeed impressive."

Xing Shuang first praised and then tentatively asked, "I wonder if Daoist is free to come and take a look together?"

Ji Yuan glanced at her.

The latter folded her hands in front, smiled faintly, and said, "It’s a Secret Realm, at least the Cave Mansion of a mid-stage Nascent Soul Cultivator who has passed. I already have three mid-stage Core Formation Cultivators on my side; one excels at killing, another at defense, and one in close combat. It seems we are just missing an Array Master. If Daoist is willing to go, we can discuss the rewards in detail."

It’s quite normal for cultivators to team up to explore Secret Realms, especially for those beyond the Core Formation Stage.

After all, post-Core Formation, making progress in cultivation isn’t as simple as Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment, where meditating, going into seclusion, or consuming Elixirs would suffice for breakthrough.

To achieve a breakthrough beyond the Core Formation Stage, it’s hard without some opportunity.

So exploring Secret Realms and teaming up to acquire treasures is very typical.

Ji Yuan didn’t immediately agree nor reject.

He paced back and forth in the Cave Mansion, and then with hands behind him, he turned and said, "With Daoist Xing’s connections in Lindong City, you should be able to find an Array Master; why troubling me, a newcomer?"

Xing Shuang seemed to anticipate this question. She laughed, stood up, surveyed the Cave Mansion, and then said:

"Initially, there was an Array Dao friend."

Ji Yuan understood right away.

Most likely, it was the cultivator who had previously lived in this Cave Mansion; he remembered that when Xing Shuang first arrived, she inquired about it.

Now it seems she already had plans back then?

After much thought, Ji Yuan finally decided, saying, "I’ll refrain from exploring the Secret Realm; I’ve just broken through recently, and haven’t even refined a Lifebound Magical Treasure, so I wouldn’t want to be a burden to Daoist Xing."

"As for the Array, I can only say I’ll do my best. If I come up with any ideas, I’ll let you know."

Ji Yuan nodded slightly towards her.

It was a tactful way to resolve it.

Xing Shuang didn’t say much in return, only thanked him and then offered Spirit Stones upfront, which Ji Yuan refused.

Coincidentally, he had something he intended to ask Xing Shuang.

If everything is settled with Spirit Stones, then what’s the meaning of social exchanges?

After Xing Shuang left, Ji Yuan carried the various Array Patterns back to the Enlightenment Room.

Previously, he saw that this was a Tier Three Illusion Array; comprehending it could greatly enhance his understanding of the Array Dao.

So, in the time that followed, besides Alchemy and Talisman Painting, Ji Yuan had another task in studying this Array.

With his extraordinary talent and some assistance from the Enlightenment Room, Ji Yuan finally comprehended the Illusion Array after a month.

He didn’t delay and immediately used a Communication Talisman to summon Xing Shuang.

She happened to be in the Cave Mansion nearby, so it wasn’t long before she hurried over, apparently just having bathed, with a new fragrance lingering on her.

But since Ji Yuan’s current outward appearance was that of an old man, he refrained from looking much to avoid suspicions.

"The Illusion Array that Daoist Xing encountered should be the Vast Desert Array, where you see exits everywhere, but actually, all paths lead to dead ends."

Ji Yuan mused.

"Exactly, exactly."

Xing Shuang quickly nodded, "That’s precisely it... To be honest, the Secret Realm I found is in the Northwest Sand Prison. The last time I entered, I hadn’t even realized I was in an Illusion Realm, and that’s why I was trapped inside for several years."

The Northwest Sand Prison itself is filled with endless desert, and entering an Illusion Array there would make it difficult to discern the issue unless one is proficient in Arrays.

And since the great Northwest Sand Prison is vast, Xing Shuang wasn’t worried about revealing anything by speaking out.