What do you mean I'm a cultivator?-Chapter 46

The following night, Cheng sat outside his cabin, a stone around the size of his head resting on his lap.

The cool night air contrasted against the lingering warmth of the wooden plank from the night before, still faintly holding onto the residual heat from the successfully formed array.

And even though it was faint, Cheng could tell. The wood was slowly being destroyed. It made sense. Wood had an attribute of Nature Qi, and warmth had the attribute of Flame Qi. According to the cycle of affinities, wood fed fire. So it made sense. Perhaps if he carved the array on a tree, either it might not work, or the tree to be set aflame.

This time, he wanted to test something different. The boo said rock resisted fire. So perhaps it would work better. The book, after all, recommended the warmth array to be carved or formed on rock.

But that set off another idea. What would happen if A flame material, like some kind of fiery rock, were used? Would it be even better?

The book described arrays as external pathways of Qi, etched onto surfaces to manipulate its nature. But his master’s teachings on crafting were about working within the material itself. Shaping it from the inside. Wiping away the imperfections.

By now, Cheng would easily grab a chunk of iron ore and form it into a smooth sphere, all thanks to this technique that he was by now intimately familiar with.

And now. An even more pressing question arose. What if he combined both methods?

Cheng ran a hand over the rough surface of the stone, feeling its uneven texture. A stone was far denser than wood, harder to inscribe. Carving an external array would be possible but inefficient, especially if the surface was imperfect.

Fixing the surface was one thing. But. What if he tried to etch the warmth array from the inside, instead of the outside of the rock? Would something change?

Closing his eyes, he placed both hands on the stone, letting his Qi seep into it. The process was slow, but familiar.

But, just like any other material. It had its own special little feel. Rock felt similar to metals like iron. But a bit softer. Wood, for example, one material he knew like his own hand by now, felt alive. The fresher the cut of it, the more fresh and lively iyt felt, as his Qi moved with his intent.

Within an hour, he was sure that he couldn't sense any imperfections in and on the outside of it, leaving him with a now smooth rock devoid of any cracks or bumps.

This practice was always delicate. Any wrongs could range from cracking the material to even exploding it by flooding it with too much Qi, and not properly using it.

Minutes turned to another hour.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he kept going.

And finally, after what felt like an eternity, he finished.

With a steady breath, Cheng withdrew his Qi and let his senses scan the stone. The Warmth Array was there. But formed not on the surface, but within the rock sitting on his lap.

The next question. Would it even work as intended? hell, would it even work at all?

Placing a hand on the rock, Cheng sent a pulse of Qi into the array.

The response was immediate. It did work.

The stone began absorbing heat, much faster than the wooden chunk had, showing that indeed, materials mattered when building an array. But something was different.

Instead of spreading warmth into the surroundings uniformly, like an all encompassing fire, the heat was trapped inside.

Cheng narrowed his eyes. The rock was acting as a barrier, preventing the heat from escaping. It was working, but only internally.

It was almost like he made a different array. For it did work as intended. Gather heat and Qi to act with the intent inscribed in it. But it also worked as a lock, sealing warmth and Qi inside, with it building up, as the part where the heat gathered could not spread out of the rock.

The outside remained cool, unchanged. Then, minutes later, it was room temperature.

Some cultivators would have taken it as a failure. After all, the array was not doing what it was intended for, so it was wrong.

No. For Cheng, it was a lesson.

"Everything can be used differently." He muttered, rubbing his hands along the surface of the rock.

This was a fundamental difference between external and internal inscriptions, if they even existed for that matter, as the book contained no mention of such. The wooden chunk had gathered warmth and let it spread outward. The stone, however, was keeping it contained.

He tapped the rock, thoughtful, as all sorts of ideas ran through his mind.

If he could control how the heat dispersed, maybe he could use this method for something else.

Weapons, perhaps? Could he forge a sword that held heat within its core, only to unleash it when swung?

Like some kind of Fire Qi battery. Now that was an interesting thought. Of course, it was one form deep within his subconscious.

For some reason, they had become quite space over the years.

It made Cheng wonder why. He knew from reading that this was not normal. If weird memories existed in everyone, someone would have at least mentioned it somewhere, somehow.

The internal array functioned. But it was isolated. Self contained. Like a fire trapped in a sealed room, slowly building up more and more, as the stone gathered warmth and Qi. Perhaps if it were left alone, it might even explode in a year or two, if it kept gathering Qi at the same rate.

That wasn’t enough. For Cheng, though. He was on a roll this night.

He needed to test a theory.

What would happen if he added a second array? This time, on the surface. While keeping the internal one intact? Could he bridge them somehow? Make them cooperate, one enhancing the other?

Two would have to be better than one, after all.

With that thought, he took out his carving knife and began carefully etching the same Warmth Array on the stone’s surface, using the same precision and positioning as before, only scaled to fit the outer dimensions.

Of course, it wasn't perfect. The two arrays were not formed the same. Cheng ensured the lines mirrored the inside array as well as he could.

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It took time. Far more than the wooden creation did.

The surface was harder to shape, needing more Qi and more control. But eventually, the final line was carved.

Then came the moment of truth.

He placed a hand on the stone again and pushed a pulse of Qi into the outer array.

The reaction was immediate. And violent.

A loud crack split the silence. Cheng flinched as a sharp pressure surged through the stone.

The Qi inside collided with the flow from the surface, clashing like two currents moving in opposite directions.

The warmth sputtered, then intensified erratically. One side of the stone grew hot, the other remained cold. It was unstable, pulsing with conflicting energies.

Cheng quickly withdrew his Qi, grimacing.

He’d felt it clearly. The arrays were fighting each other. Their flows weren’t aligned, like two gears grinding instead of turning in sync.

A breath escaped him.

“So if I want them to work together. They have to be perfectly aligned. Or maybe some kind of two layered design.” he muttered, eyes narrowing. “They’ll have to be in perfect alignment at bare minimum.” Cheng spoke with a small exhale.

The flow of Qi from the surface array would need to complement the inner one, not override or contradict it. Like forging a weapon, where the grain of the steel had to be respected. Arrays, too, needed harmony.

Again. Harmony. So far, even in his low realm, Harmony made itself prevalent.

He looked at the stone, now cracked from the strain.

The attempt had failed.

But the potential was there.

If he succeeded in aligning both inner and outer arrays, the result would be more than one equals one, if the reaction was to tell.

A loop. Internal warmth feeding the external, and vice versa.

It would be a cycle. Just as an array was uniform, and in a state of cycling, with Qi entering and Qi being used, then so should this two layered approach be.

The thought sent a shiver down his spine—not from the cold, but from excitement.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely. At least in Cheng's eyes. Perhaps some array or formation master might scoff, saying something like he was a hundred years early to try such things.

But even if it took him a hundred tries, he would make it work.

Because if he could pull this off, he wouldn’t just be someone who copied inscriptions, forming them as intended. He’d be creating a whole new dimension to them.

Was it something original, or was he walking in the footsteps of something lost to time, or hidden in some sect's library?

No one knew.

And so the days passed, quiet and cold outside, warm and relentless within Cheng's little cabin.

Each night, after the day's duties and training, he returned to that same stone. Or rather, stones, as he’d shattered a few during failed attempts. He etched with precision, channeled with focus, and adjusted every angle, every depth, every flow of energy until finally.

He succeeded.

The moment it happened, he knew.

The Qi flowed like water from a spring, smooth and unimpeded, running from the surface array into the one buried deep within the stone. And instead of resisting each other, they danced. Resonated.

A soft hum echoed from the stone. A low, vibrating tone that sang with balance.

The warmth it produced wasn't just stronger. It was richer, more stable. More efficient.

Cheng had to hold the stone, reinforcing his hand with Qi, lest it grew too hot to touch for even his cultivator physique. But even then, the heat wasn't erratic. It didn’t spike or falter. It just was. Constant. Enduring.

Much more than a single array could ever produce. And most importantly. It worked exactly as intended. It merely warmed up the room. It didn't burn his hands.

It was like the arrays weren’t simply working side by side, but amplifying each other.

And so, Cheng decided to call this a Layered Array.

It wasn’t revolutionary. Not yet. It was still a Warmth Array, after all. A glorified heating stone at most.

The implications were massive, however.

If such layering could be done with other arrays, what then?

Could he create a defensive seal that was stronger than normal? A Qi gathering array that pulled energy much farther away and with greater efficiency?

He let out a slow breath, steam curling in the cold air of his cabin.

This was just the beginning. A foundation. A single step on a long path.

Just like his cultivation, his knowledge needed a proper foundation.

But he had learned something invaluable.

Even something as simple as a warming array could become extraordinary if one truly sets their mind to doing so.

He stared at the stone, still radiating heat in his hands. it was the perfect temperature. It was one that felt right to Cheng. The array had its intent after all.

Something that made him consider. If some kind of cold creature formed an array. Would their definition of warm be freezing cold to him?

Or did words have meanings of their own?

The warming array was a humble thing. Useful? sure. But in the grand scheme of arrays and formations, it was nothing but the first step.

And this step was proof to Cheng.

Proof that he could build upon what already existed. That he could take Something, and improve it in a whole different way. And make it new. Make it his.

Not just copying what the books told him. But feeling it, testing it, understanding it.

This was experience.

This was true array making.

And he’d just taken his first real step in it.

With the warmth stone still humming quietly in the corner of his cabin like a loyal pet, Cheng pressed on.

The rest of Master Liu’s books, old, creased, and heavy with the scent of dust, were far more valuable than he expected.

He read them all, sometimes twice, sometimes thrice, sometimes with his fingers tracing the diagrams and his brows furrowed in deep concentration, and sometimes staring at them, as if they would unravel themselves and plunge the knowledge into his skull.

The world outside blurred, with him almost missing the daily work of the mornings.

What mattered was understanding this knowledge.

And among the lessons he soaked in, four arrays stood out as foundations. The Warmth Array he had already explored. But the other three? They lit a fire in his chest.

The Gathering Array was the centerpiece of his interest.

It was almost poetic in design. A spiral of fine lines that curved inward, reminiscent of a whirlpool, coiling toward a central character representing “Concentration. Gathering. unity.”

When activated, it would draw in ambient Qi, slowly at first, like a breath being held, and then settle into a steady pull, gathering stray Qi and holding it tight, near it.

It didn’t create Qi. It simply called it and made it stay.

Though it posed a question that Cheng hadn't thought about prior to that. Was Qi finite? Was it infinite? Was it everywhere? Was it nowhere at places? Was it everything? Did it hold the answers to everything?

Though burning with interest and answering that, mastering his array came first.

This was another difference between the outer and inner sect. In the outer sect, no gathering arrays could be found. Yet, He was sure that the inner would have dozens. The concentration of Qi must be much higher than outside.

But Cheng’s thoughts twisted beyond the array itself.

What if he layered it?

What if he carved a gathering array within the material, like he did with the warmth stone?

Could it even work like that? Or would he have to learn how to create it from scratch?

Would the Qi be denser?

Would it linger longer, and closer?

The idea clung to him.

Because if Foundation establishment needed time, then perhaps He needed this, and much more.

The Sealing Array was the second one that drew his interest.

This one was different.

A ring of angular symbols that connected into a closed loop, centered around the character for “Containment. Sealing.”

It wasn’t violent or offensive, but it was strict. Its purpose was denial. To keep things in. Qi, warmth, sound, even movement, depending on how it was tuned.

The last part was interesting, but the most valuable aspect of it was the sealing of Qi.

The book described its use in containing volatile materials, dangerous artifacts, or even rooms, where Qi was precious and must not be allowed to leak.

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The idea of locking in energy fascinated Cheng.

It complemented the Gathering Array perfectly.

One drew Qi in.

The other kept it from leaving.

Could he combine the two? Layer them, like he did with warmth?

A sealed chamber with a gathering array inside would be like a reservoir, wouldn’t it?

He stared long into the candlelight that evening, the glow flickering in his silver eyes.

But there were concerns. What would happen if someone learned of his knowledge? Cheng didn't want to end up like his master. But, he also didn't want to just become a servant, slaving away, making things forever. He wanted to be free. Free to do anything he could think.

The Cleansing Array added another layer to think about.

This one was gentler in nature. It wasn’t a purifier in the spiritual sense, but rather a filter. It cleansed ambient Qi, removing impurities from it, and even separating it into a preferred affinity.

Mostly used by alchemists and healers, it could help produce higher quality pills, ointments, and even smoother cultivation breakthroughs in certain contexts.

But what caught Cheng’s attention was how precise it had to be.

It required an almost surgical level of detail to filter only what you wanted to remove.

One mistake, and it would neutralize everything, including the very Qi you wanted to keep, turning it all into a jumbled mess.

If you wanted to grow a plant with filtering nature Qi, one mistake could fill the room with a mix of Qi affinities, slowing down the growth it would have gained by using this array.

It was still unclear what kinds of Impurities Qi contained. he couldn't sense anything like that in his Qi, nor in the ambient Qi. Perhaps, it was of concern to a higher realm.

But for now, he let the warmth from the stone next to him seep into his hand as he closed his eyes.

The world was still. The arrays in his mind pulsed softly, like a heartbeat.

He had a long way to go.

But he was on the path.

And that was enough.