The fog was so dense you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Jiang Man had no choice but to focus on his immediate surroundings.

Whatever was happening outside, he first had to get back safely before he could deal with it.

Survival came first.

He often boasted to Old Huang about his heaven-defying luck.

But when push came to shove, he’d never dare to bet his life on it.

He then circulated the True Martial Skill.

All of Jiang Man’s senses were enhanced.

But no matter how he tried to sense his surroundings, he found nothing.

Mist.

All there was was mist.

And it wasn’t just ahead of him; even the ground registered as mist to his senses.

Yet when he stepped forward, his foot landed firmly on solid ground.

Even though, just a moment before, his senses had told him that very spot was nothing but mist.

’Strange. This is too strange.’ Jiang Man was baffled.

He tried using various Magic Skills, but none of them could disperse the mist.

Nor could he spy on what was happening beyond it.

He couldn’t see his hand in front of his face; it was as if he had completely merged with the mist.

He even tried running for a while using Wandering Dragon.

But it was completely useless.

There was nothing but mist.

It was impossible to find a place to cultivate in secret.

The ground was impossible to dig.

As for the sky...

He had tried flying upward with Sword Control.

But it had yielded no results.

Mist was still just mist.

Unless he simply hadn’t flown high enough.

But the higher he went, the stronger the inexplicable sense of danger grew.

’This is a mysterious Immortal Mansion. I can’t be reckless.’

Powerful places like this often had no-fly restrictions.

Eventually, Jiang Man gave up on exploring.

His only option was to first set up a relatively safe area and then focus on Cultivation.

An Array was his only choice.

He had some basic knowledge, so he could try setting up a Three Talents Maze Array.

That way, he would be alerted if anyone entered.

’I just don’t know if it will even work in a mist like this.’

With that, Jiang Man began to set it up.

The Three Talents Maze Array was one of the most basic Maze Arrays.

It couldn’t trap most people, but there were always a few "array idiots" who would need time to even notice it.

This period wasn’t long, but if someone were just passing through, they might not notice him hidden within.

This was its most common use.

Setting up this Array required two Array Bases: one to prevent him from being affected by it, and another to stabilize it.

Immediately, Jiang Man took out his Spirit Sword. He would use it as a mobile Array Base, making himself the core of the Array and thus immune to its effects.

For the second Array Base, regular Array Materials would suffice.

After carving the Array Pattern onto the materials with Spiritual Qi, Jiang Man began to bury the second Array Base.

Then, he used more materials to mark the Array’s boundary.

To avoid getting lost in the mist, Jiang Man used a rope.

It was a tool for array-setting that he had bought from Meng Qiewei.

’I never thought it would be useful like this.’

He plunged the Spirit Sword into the earth and began to lay out the Array’s structure.

Once he was done, Jiang Man returned to the position of the Array Base.

He then formed a hand seal, casting the corresponding Array Pattern.

Immediately after, he pressed his palm, now glowing with the Array Pattern, onto the Array Base.

At that moment, he felt the Array nodes he had set up begin to resonate.

Then, they began to extend, linked by Spiritual Qi.

Soon, the entire Array was connected.

The Array was complete.

Jiang Man didn’t expect it to confuse anyone; the mist itself was confusing enough.

He just hoped it would allow him to sense anyone who got close.

However, the very instant he completed the Array, the mist within its borders vanished.

The ground was revealed. He was standing on slightly damp earth, with patches of grass to the side.

Beyond the Array’s boundary was the endless mist.

Jiang Man stared at the scene, a doubt forming in his mind.

"Is this how you’re supposed to explore this place?"

"With Arrays?"

’Then what if you don’t use an Array?’

Jiang Man thought back. He had used an Array to enclose this area, and then the mist had vanished.

’So, was it because of the Array, or just because I enclosed this specific spot?’

Unfortunately, there was no way to test his theory.

The only thing he could do was expand the Array.

As he expanded it, the mist did indeed recede.

This discovery delighted Jiang Man, but unfortunately, his Array Materials were limited, so he didn’t dare expand it any further.

’So, should I just sit here and cultivate?’

Even with the Array’s protection, the lack of any cover around him made him feel insecure.

In the end, Jiang Man planted his Spirit Sword in the ground before him, took out a book, and began to read.

’Forget it.’

’I’ll improve my knowledge of Arrays and my Cultivation first.’

’I still have to figure out that box.’

’I wonder what I’ll find when I open the First Layer of the box.’

’If it’s just a single Elixir, then...’

’...it would be a bit of a waste.’

An hour later, Jiang Man felt the ground begin to tremble.

He looked toward the mist; something was about to charge out.

Previously, he hadn’t been able to perceive anything inside the mist.

Now, however, he could sense something.

But he still couldn’t tell what it was.

Soon, two figures burst into his Array.

The sudden clarity of their surroundings shocked them.

They quickly broke through the Maze Array and saw Jiang Man.

’So fast!’ Jiang Man was stunned.

’Are everyone’s fundamentals in Arrays this strong?’

’I thought they’d pass right through without noticing.’

The two of them landed at the edge of the Array, watching Jiang Man warily.

A man and a woman.

They both appeared to be in their early twenties, though their actual ages were hard to determine.

Perhaps forty or fifty, or even sixty.

It would depend on their specific Cultivation level.

All Jiang Man could tell was that both were in the Golden Core Stage.

He couldn’t determine the specifics.

He estimated they were at the Middle Stage of Golden Core at most.

’But even at the Mid-stage, I’m no match for them.’

He had barely started his own Cultivation; he couldn’t even guarantee a win against someone of the Same Tier.

For a moment, Jiang Man found himself missing the Foundation Establishment realm.

In Foundation Establishment, there was Hidden Spirit. No one wanted to risk offending someone who might have it.

Taking a hit from Hidden Spirit could be devastating.

"I am Shangguan Lingyue of the Evergreen Sect. I mean no offense, Fellow Daoist. We just stumbled in here by accident," Shangguan Lingyue said immediately.

The woman beside him added, "It’s true. We were being chased by a strange Demon Beast and ended up here by mistake."