Chapter 1583: Three Years
Over the past year, many people from the Great World had once again passed through the Four Symbols Death Ground and stepped into this Small World, finding the Imperial Palace.
The Qiankun Great Emperor was known as the number one Array Dao expert of the Small World. As long as one descended upon this land, it was easy to guess that the Qiankun Great Emperor might be connected to the Wuji Heavenly Emperor. Upon seeing the Imperial Palace, one could immediately understand that this was the Wuji Imperial Palace. Therefore, as long as one could safely reach the Small World, the Imperial Palace was not difficult to find.
In fact, in the Great World at this time, as more and more people spread word of entering the Four Symbols Death Ground, rumors had already spread throughout the Four Symbols Domain. The Wuji Imperial Palace was within the Four Symbols Death Ground, and the Four Symbols Death Ground had elephant beasts to guide people. Once this rumor spread, even more people risked entering the Death Ground when the elephants trumpeted. Almost all of them were guided to this world.
Of course, no one knew that the giant elephant had once gone berserk. While passing through the most powerful destruction zone, it had gone mad, throwing the strong cultivators on its back off and tossing them into the destructive Death Ground. On its back had ridden Emperor-level experts. It seemed that the elephant's guidance also selected its passengers. For those people that time, it could only be called a disaster. How many survived was unknown, and no one even knew that such an event had occurred.
However, Lin Feng knew nothing of what was happening outside.
At this moment, he was frowning, a contemplative look in his eyes. After a long while, he let out a long breath and murmured to himself, "The path of Array Dao requires the utmost rigor. If even a single stroke or line is carved incorrectly, the power of the formation will be diminished. Another aspect is deduction. The Heavens' Great Dao is deduced from the Three Thousand Grand Array Dao, and the Three Thousand Grand Array Dao is deduced from the One Hundred and Eight Thousand Minor Array Dao. The so-called 'Wuji' means no limit, no end. Array Dao deduction is Wuji. As long as my deduction ability is terrifying enough, I could even use the Minor Array Dao to deduce a Grand Array Dao more powerful than the one created by the Wuji Heavenly Emperor. At that time, I would be another Wuji."
Lin Feng thought to himself. The reason the Wuji Heavenly Emperor had achieved such terrifying accomplishments in Array Dao was his ability to deduce formations. His Three Thousand Grand Array Dao and One Hundred and Eight Thousand Minor Array Dao were all deduced. As for the Heavens' Array Dao, there was no need to record it; one could deduce it freely according to one's will, using the Three Thousand Grand Array Dao to deduce even stronger formations.
With this thought, Lin Feng's hand trembled slightly, and the lines he had carved with his Indestructible Force instantly annihilated. He did not continue carving the Minor Array Dao but started from the beginning, stroke by stroke, press by press, hook by hook, endlessly repeating each most minute and basic action. This cycle continued without end.
No one knew how much time had passed. Lin Feng's hand trembled casually, and a formation line took shape. This clear line contained a mysterious fluctuation, as if it contained many strokes.
Without any pause, Lin Feng's hand casually slapped the void again, and the formation line reappeared. He repeated this action continuously. The many Minor Array Dao he had carved not long ago were almost taking shape within a few breaths.
"That Yan Di guy must have already reached this stage long ago," Lin Feng murmured to himself. The solid foundation and rigorous strokes deepened his understanding of Array Dao. He did not deliberately follow the Wuji Heavenly Emperor's Array Dao to carve formations but used those strokes to deduce various formations. He deduced, failed, and then continued to deduce, as if he were completely immersed in it, unable to extricate himself.
Outside, the seasons changed, flowers bloomed and withered on their own, and time passed in the blink of an eye. Now, three years had passed since Lin Feng stepped into the Wuji Imperial Palace. He had never spent such a long time cultivating, but this time, comprehending formations, he had not left seclusion for a full three years, completely immersed in it.
At this moment, in the center of the Imperial Palace, nearly half of the three thousand cave dwellings on the surrounding stone walls had been closed. This showed how many people had come to this Small World. After all, even if one reached the Small World, stepping into the center of the Imperial Palace was no easy task. The eighty-one mysterious barriers required caution and proficiency in Array Dao techniques to pass.
At this time, in one of the three thousand cave dwellings, a Martial Emperor from the Divine Dao Palace opened his eyes, a dazed look in them. He murmured, "Our Divine Dao Palace has always excelled in formations, but after coming into contact with the Wuji Heavenly Emperor's Array Dao, I realize how shallow I am. The formations I once thought were powerful now seem laughable, and that trace of self-righteousness was pure ignorance. This Concealment Array Dao, one of the Three Thousand Grand Array Dao, I don't know how long it will take me to comprehend and break through this cave dwelling."
"Fortunately, I didn't bring Xuan Chen along. Even if he came here, he would only be trapped. I wonder if I can get out in a hundred years," the Martial Emperor from the Divine Dao Palace sighed. The inheritance of the Wuji Heavenly Emperor was not so easy to obtain. Even if he was allowed to comprehend it, he didn't know how long it would take. But he knew that once he comprehended one of the Three Thousand Grand Array Dao, his understanding of formations would undergo a transformation. Even if his martial arts cultivation hit a bottleneck in the future, he could still refine artifacts and set up formations, earning the admiration of countless people.
Not everyone could cultivate without bottlenecks. The higher one went on the path of cultivation, the harder it became. Many people found it as difficult as ascending to heaven to take even a single step forward after reaching the Martial Emperor realm. Some even knew they would be forever stuck at a certain level, unable to advance. Therefore, even though Array Dao cultivation consumed too much time, countless people were still willing to practice it. For Martial Emperor-level experts, a hundred years was too short. Once stuck at a level, thousands of years were normal. So why not cultivate Array Dao to strengthen oneself?
But Array Dao—how easy was it to cultivate?
In the cave dwelling next to him, a young man in a dragon robe stared at the stone door before him, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He was from a large family in the Four Symbols Domain, a family very skilled in Array Dao. In his family, his talent for Array Dao was considered formidable. He was now a Low-rank Martial Emperor and could already use Array Dao to kill opponents of the same level. However, even one of the Wuji Heavenly Emperor's Three Thousand Grand Array Dao still felt extremely difficult. He thought his deduction was fine, but when it came to actually forming the formation, he was far off. At this rate, he didn't know when he would succeed.
It wasn't just the two of them. Among these cave dwellings were many powerful experts, including quite a few High-rank Emperors. But after entering the cave dwellings for two or three years, they felt that breaking out was still far off. Only one person was an exception: a Daoist in a Daoist robe who had no Daoist bearing at all. In these few years, he had already entered and exited ten cave dwellings. The understanding of Array Dao was like this: once you truly had a perfect foundation and strong deduction ability, the further you went, the easier it became. This Daoist was already fantasizing about when he would sweep through all three thousand cave dwellings.
Three years later, in the Great World, outside the Four Symbols Death Ground, many figures stood on the distant mountain ranges. It had been over two years since the rumor of the elephant guidance spread. But half a year ago, the elephant trumpeting in the Four Symbols Death Ground stopped. Countless people who had rushed to the Four Symbols Death Ground could only watch the Death Ground from afar, unable to step inside.
At this moment, on a mountain range, Qi Yuchen gazed at the Four Symbols Death Ground, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. But this disappointment vanished in an instant. If he was fated not to find the Imperial Palace, so be it. So many experts had gone in pursuit of the Imperial Palace, and not one had returned yet. Whether they were alive or dead was unknown. Perhaps not being able to go was a good thing. Moreover, over these three years, his cultivation had become more refined, and he had already touched the barrier of the Martial Emperor realm. He was only one step away. He planned to return to Qing Di Mountain and go into seclusion once, to see if he could have the opportunity to ascend to the Martial Emperor seat.
"It seems my talent is still far inferior to Wen Aofeng's. No wonder the master values him so much," Qi Yuchen stood up and murmured to himself. Wen Aofeng had become a Martial Emperor three years ago, while he was still stuck here, unable to ascend to the Imperial throne. It wasn't just him; Zhou Tianruo and the others were the same, stuck at this peak realm. They were already the strongest Invincible Sovereign Lords, but they still couldn't break through that barrier.
However, Qi Yuchen was not discouraged. The path to becoming an Emperor was never easy. That single step would lead to a different level. His opportunity had not yet come. In fact, if Qi Yuchen used his destiny to break through to the Martial Emperor realm, he would likely succeed. But he would not do that. Using destiny to achieve laws and break through to Martial Emperor power would result in an incomplete Martial Emperor. Everything must rely on oneself!
"Lin Feng, back then, you were only at the Eighth Layer of the Sovereign Martial Realm. Although your combat power was strong, in three years, you should also be stuck below the Martial Emperor realm. I will definitely become a Martial Emperor before you," Qi Yuchen sometimes thought about whether his inability to ascend to the Imperial throne was due to the shadow Lin Feng had left in his heart. Of course, he believed that he would definitely break through to the Martial Emperor seat before Lin Feng.
But the person he was thinking about at this moment had not progressed in cultivation at all over these three years. That was because Lin Feng had not touched cultivation at all in these three years, completely waiting for him. He had devoted all his energy to Array Dao.
(End of Chapter)