Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds

The legacy disciples Hua Shu had Xu Xing take away from the sect were none other than the few female cultivators who had accompanied her this time.

These female cultivators possessed only average aptitude within the Qiming Sect, ranking in the mid to upper tier. The reason there were no male cultivators among them was quite simple: the Fragrant Fox Sect's policy towards female cultivators from other sects was a single word: "Kill!" However, they actively tried to win over male cultivators, intending to turn them into fox slaves and Furnace Dings for the Fox Immortals to use for replenishing their energies. Although the term "Furnace Ding" was unpleasant, at least their lives wouldn't be in danger. If they managed to please the Fox Immortals, they could even be promoted within the Fragrant Fox Sect and become Protectors.

Because of this, female cultivators from the various sects were mortal enemies with the Fragrant Fox Sect, with almost no chance of reconciliation. Female cultivators could only fight to the death, while male cultivators still had a chance of survival. If they saw the situation as untenable, they might even choose to surrender. This was a harsh reality, not an indication that Hua Shu harbored selfish motives. If the Extinct God Sect had been the invaders, Hua Shu, as Sect Master, would have had Xu Xing lead the male disciples to safety, because the Extinct God Sect had a habit of capturing female cultivators to be wives and concubines, while they invariably slaughtered male cultivators.

Over four thousand years, the various sects had all experienced their own rises and falls. This was not the first time the Qiming Sect had faced a crisis threatening its existence.

The place Hua Shu instructed Xu Xing to take the sect's female cultivators to was a location in the Wu Yi Mountain Range known as Five Thunder Mountain. This area was characterized by perpetual thunderclouds and lacked any spiritual veins, making it what all sects considered a "Heaven-Scorned" land. "Heaven-Scorned," as the name implied, meant abandoned by the heavens. There were about twenty such desolate, uninhabited Heaven-Scorned lands in the Wu Yi Mountain Range.

However, more than one thousand four hundred years ago, the Qiming Sect had inadvertently discovered a Spirit Land hidden within Five Thunder Mountain. It conformed to a "Yin Concealed in Yang" feng shui configuration. Unfortunately, the spiritual veins of this Spirit Land were meager, capable of supplying spiritual energy for only a few people's cultivation. This was one reason why Hua Shu had Xu Xing evacuate only a small group from the Qiming Sect's main encampment.

"Cultivate here, and do not venture out without permission," Xu Xing instructed after bringing them to the Spirit Land. "After one hundred years, if the situation in the outside world has stabilized, I, as a House Elder, will come to escort you out. If it remains unstable, continue your cultivation here. When you are strong enough, find an opportunity to leave."

After departing from the Qiming Sect, Xu Xing had immediately rushed to Five Thunder Mountain with the four female cultivators. Using the map and array technique compass provided by Hua Shu, he located the hidden Spirit Land with little effort. Activating the Spirit Land's array technique, he brought the four female cultivators, who had been waiting outside Five Thunder Mountain, into the sanctuary one by one, giving them these instructions.

"Elder Yao, please rest assured..."

"We will adhere to the Sect Master's instructions."

The four female cultivators nodded in unison, their voices confirming their understanding. They were not fools. Five Thunder Mountain was wreathed in Heavenly Thunder, a barrier only Eight Tribulations Ghost Immortals could hope to cross. Without the protection of an Elder like Xu Xing, venturing out alone would be suicide. Moreover, the outside world was fraught with peril. The sect's hidden refuge here was not only secure but also provided them with virtually limitless cultivation resources. They wouldn't want to leave such a haven even if given the chance.

"You can make your own decisions," Xu Xing replied with a nod, not wishing to meddle further.

Xu Xing understood that when the four female cultivators said they would 'follow the Sect Master's instructions,' they weren't trying to flatter him or cause trouble. Instead, they were acknowledging that what he had just told them—his instructions—was simply him fulfilling his duty as a House Elder by reiterating Sect Master Hua Shu's decree.

Subsequently, after a moment of contemplation, Xu Xing began to set up a new array technique based on the terrain of the Five Thunder Mountain Spirit Land. Although this new array technique was not of a particularly high grade—merely an ordinary second-grade upper-tier array technique—it incorporated everything he had learned about array techniques from the Two Realms.

To break his array technique, one would either need superior array technique mastery or resort to brute force. Tearing open a second-grade upper-tier array technique would take even Approaching Yang Realm Ghost Immortals a significant amount of time. This was because the array technique drew upon the power of heaven and earth, making it potentially more formidable than a powerful person of equivalent grade.

As he deployed the array techniques, Xu Xing thought, It's a pity I don't have any artifact refining techniques; otherwise, I could refine some Array Banners and set up third-grade array techniques...

First-grade and second-grade array techniques could be readily deployed using ordinary jade stones as Array Eyes. However, third-grade array techniques and above necessitated Array Banners to maintain their stability. Ordinary jade stones, if inscribed with the array patterns of a third-grade array technique, would be instantly shattered by the ambient power of heaven and earth. While higher-grade jade stones could withstand the celestial power contained within third-grade array technique patterns, such jades were typically exorbitant, making it impractical to use them as substitutes for Array Banners. Array Banners were the creations of artifact refiners and were considerably cheaper than high-grade jades.

Could it be that the reason I haven't made a breakthrough in my 'Clear Array' side Immortal Fate is because of this? Xu Xing suddenly realized. Condensing an Immortal Fate, much like condensing a Destiny, required a process of "Verification." Although he possessed a certain level of array technique mastery, he lacked this "Verification" step, which was why his Tenth Heaven Immortal Destiny, "Clear Array," had failed to advance.

I'll find some time to learn artifact refining later, Xu Xing decided. Although Array Banners can be purchased, ordinary ones that aren't tailored to a specific, unique array technique often fail to bring out its full power...

He set his future goal: after completing his cultivation of the Immortal Path and condensing the Dao Pill, he would dedicate some time to learning artifact refining.

He then reflected, Artifact refining, pill refining, talisman crafting, array inscription, and the like are merely auxiliary skills for cultivators. One must not confuse the primary with the secondary. For cultivators, their cultivation level is paramount.

A new thought surfaced: However, I could test this theory about 'Verification' in the Main World... see if my idea is correct...

With a shift in his thoughts, Xu Xing returned to Reality.

In Reality, he had no Array Banners on hand, but he did possess some Rock Jade Utensils remaining from when he had stored the Gangsha Meridian.