Chapter 115: The Sect's Grand Formation

The Array Pavilion was a remarkably modest structure, far inferior to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion he had visited earlier. Yet, it was here that Jiang Chen clearly grasped the exorbitant cost of arrays.

Setting aside minor, unranked arrays, the labor fee for hiring a specialist to set up any ranked array started at three hundred spirit stones. The more complex the array and the wider its area of effect, the higher the price. Furthermore, this was merely the array master's fee; the cost of the spiritual materials required for the formation was calculated separately.

By this reckoning, if the Taiping Sect wished to establish a grand sect-protecting array capable of covering the entirety of Muyu Island, they would need to shell out at least two thousand spirit stones. For a slightly better one, three or four thousand might not even suffice.

According to the current market rates in Qingyuan County, a low-grade magical artifact was worth roughly three hundred spirit stones, while a mid-grade artifact could fetch seven or eight hundred—about the same as a vial of Frost Spirit Water. As for high-grade artifacts and above, they essentially did not circulate in the open market. In fact, on Yanhui Island today, only low-grade artifacts were readily available, and even those were limited in quantity and variety. Mid-grade artifacts had to be sought out at auctions, and even then, they appeared only on rare occasions.

"The Taiping Sect has truly had a decent harvest recently. Between the mined Yin-element stones, the spiritual items salvaged from the Qingyuan River, and the grain we rushed to harvest, there is quite a bit gathered in total."

"Not to mention the spiritual sand equivalent to three thousand spirit stones I obtained from the Yuling Gate. It is technically possible to set up a grand array, but the price is too steep. It would not only jeopardize the sect’s operations but also hinder my own cultivation."

As his gaze swept over the descriptions of various arrays, these thoughts raced through Jiang Chen’s mind.

"Array discs have limited utility and are mostly for small-scale formations. Large-scale arrays generally require an array master to set them up personally, a process that takes a significant amount of time—at least several months, while complex ones can take years."

"Precisely for this reason, only those long-established Qi-refining factions in Qingyuan County consider setting up large-scale arrays; ordinary rogue cultivators and emerging families simply lack the foundation."

Walking to a corner of the Array Pavilion, Jiang Chen picked up a small booklet. It was a comprehensive guide to the Way of Arrays, containing basic knowledge of the discipline and an attached method for setting up a simple Spirit Gathering Array.

"I’ll take this one."

Without further hesitation, Jiang Chen brought the booklet to the shopkeeper. The man’s expression remained as calm and indifferent as ever.

"Ten spirit stones, or one tael of spirit sand," the shopkeeper stated flatly.

Jiang Chen paid the price without a second thought.

"A sect-protecting array is of paramount importance. If we are to build one, it is best handled by our own people to ensure stability."

Stowing the booklet into his storage bag, Jiang Chen exited the pavilion with this thought in mind. Watching his retreating figure, the shopkeeper shook his head.

"Another dreamer. Without a master’s guidance, trying to enter the field with nothing but a basic guide is pure fantasy."

Turning his gaze away, the shopkeeper reclined on his chair, returning to the storybook he had been reading. His business was the type that might not see a customer for three years, but one sale would sustain him for three more. He was in no rush. As for that booklet, it was both useful and useless: it could give a cultivator a basic understanding of common arrays, but without a mentor, one could never hope to cross the threshold into the true Way of Arrays.

In the following days, Jiang Chen did not rush back to his temporary dwelling to wait for the auction. Instead, he spent a day wandering Yanhui Island. Though he didn't buy much, he gathered a significant amount of intelligence.

"The recent turmoil involving the Lu family is no small matter. Many on the island are discussing it. On one hand, it’s because tall trees catch the wind; on the other, it is likely being stoked from the shadows."

That night, in his temporary residence, Jiang Chen looked out at the dim, starry sky as he organized the information he had collected. His day on Yanhui Island had given him a clearer understanding of the current situation in Qingyuan County. Since the island served as a gathering point for cultivators from all over the county—and even from neighboring ones—it was brimming with news.

"Compared to the currently silent Lu family, the Gao family is far more active."

"When the An family was wiped out so quickly, the Gao family was behind it. It was because of this that the Lu family moved against the River-Sweeping Bandits to keep the Gao family in check. After the Lu family intervened, the Gao family’s behavior improved, and the matter of the An family was shelved."

"But now that the Lu family is in trouble, the Gao family has struck again. They have swallowed most of the inheritance left behind by the An family of Qingxi County. That spiritual spring has now become the private property of the Gao family. Most importantly, the Lu family has yet to make any response to this."

Thinking of the Lu family’s current predicament, Jiang Chen could not help but frown.

"Swallowing the An family’s inheritance is likely a test by the Gao family to see exactly what state the Lu family’s peak Qi-refining expert is in."

Gazing into the deep night, Jiang Chen fell into contemplation.

The next day, the auction officially began. Jiang Chen saw many cultivators there, though not as many Qi-refining practitioners as he had expected.

"The overall climate is poor. A Qi-refining cultivator is already considered a person of status."

With an expressionless, aged face, Jiang Chen stepped into the auction hall. The proceedings began shortly after. Many spiritual items were auctioned, but few were useful to him. He lacked neither heritage nor magical artifacts, and having cultivated high-grade True Qi, ordinary spiritual items were of little use to him.

Because of this, he only made two bids during the first half of the auction, spending six hundred spirit stones to acquire two sets—six vials in total—of True Qi Pills. These were pills used by Qi-refining cultivators to aid their cultivation, refined by the Lu family itself. Their effects were excellent, with the only drawback being their high price; ordinary Qi-refining cultivators could simply not afford them.

"With these six vials, my cultivation speed should increase. It is a pity that unless it is a special period, the Lu family rarely releases these."

Having successfully secured the pills, a trace of satisfaction rose in Jiang Chen’s heart. Although the Taiping Sect had a certain relationship with the Lu family, their resource exchange was currently limited to spirit-level materials; the Taiping Sect mostly traded beast skins for basic supplies. As an emerging sect, the Taiping Sect possessed too little and had nothing else of value to trade.

In truth, there were only two sets of True Qi Pills available; otherwise, Jiang Chen would have bought more. While he had to weigh the pros and cons of investing in a sect-protecting array, he never hesitated when it came to items that would benefit his own cultivation.

Just as the auction was nearing its end, something caught Jiang Chen’s attention.