NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 358
CHAPTER 358: Blending In
“The Dao of Array Formations is derived from nature.”
This was the first thing Jiu Han had told Lu Ming when he was first introduced to the Dao of Array Formations.
Long before the advent of extraordinary power, many worlds already had legends surrounding array formations. The most well-known example was Earth’s Five Elements Eight Trigrams Formation.
Of course, without extraordinary power to fuel it, the strength of such formations was unimpressive. But they were still sufficient for simpler tasks—like tracking or hiding.
To put it bluntly, even a maze could likely be considered a rudimentary form of an array formation.
And this was the foundation of Lu Ming’s creation of a safe zone.
Using materials infused with non-origin power extraordinary energy, he set up a simple tracking formation. By utilizing other energy fluctuations, he could mask the origin power fluctuations of his Silver Dao Patterns and the Boshi Tower, shielding them from unwanted eyes.
At level 7893 in the Dao of Array Formations, determining the construction process of a tracking formation was a trivial task for Lu Ming.
One by one, he placed the strange stones in their designated positions. He even dug up ordinary stones from the ground to fill in the gaps.
After a busy day of work, the formation was nearly complete, covering an area of almost 10,000 square meters.
For now, this space was more than sufficient for Lu Ming’s needs.
Returning to an antique house within the array, Lu Ming checked the formation’s stability while attending to other matters.
The first thing he turned his attention to was the Boshi Tower.
He took out the tower and placed it beside him. But he didn’t enlarge it, keeping it at palm size so it could be easily carried in case of a quick escape.
His perception flowed through the array formation and settled within the Boshi Tower.
Lu Ming saw that the interior of the Boshi Tower was layered, with a total of 999 floors. Each floor had a considerable amount of space—enough to accommodate people. Some of the larger floors even featured fertile fields, treasure mines, and vast landscapes.
After all, it was a divine artifact. Jiu Han had truly invested great effort into crafting the Boshi Tower.
“It can sustain me and those inside,” Lu Ming noted.
The Boshi Tower could produce its own water and food. Even though a number of people were living inside, the tower’s resource reserves and ample land ensured that supporting them would be easy.
In addition, Lu Ming had modified the array formation within the tower just the day before.
The original Spirit Gathering Formation had been altered into a Spirit Locking Formation. This change reduced the origin power fluctuations emitted by the Boshi Tower and also slowed the depletion of origin power within. It not only protected the safety of those inside but also prevented the rapid deterioration of materials, treasures, and the main array formation.
However, Lu Ming knew this was not a long-term solution.
To make matters worse, there was no viable long-term plan.
The Black Mist had completely drained the surrounding area of origin power, all of it absorbed by the Anomalies. Any living or non-living thing imbued with origin power would gradually lose it until it was entirely depleted—this was the so-called Origin Power Tide.
Simply put, it was the natural principle of energy flowing downhill.
While Lu Ming could slow this process using array formations, he couldn’t stop it entirely.
With that thought in mind, he pulled a smartphone from his pocket.
Dialing calls or sending messages had long proven ineffective. Lu Ming had tested this before— the Black Mist blocked all technological means of communication.
After briefly tinkering with the phone, Lu Ming stowed it away, not discouraged by its uselessness.
Then, with a single thought, his entire body dissolved into green smoke, seamlessly fusing with the Boshi Tower.
Inside the Boshi Tower, in Lu Ming’s manor, the atmosphere was markedly different from the ominous Black Mist outside. Standing in this familiar, tranquil place, Lu Ming felt his mood lighten considerably.
As usual, he drew the Divine Origin from Moonfiend, ensuring that she remained in her dormant state. Afterward, his gaze shifted to the four Divine Realm experts he had saved, including Shufang.
It had been a day since their rescue.
However, during the initial impact of the Black Mist, a powerful anomaly had siphoned away their Divine Origin, forcing their divinity into dormancy.
They had yet to awaken.
As he looked at the four of them, Lu Ming’s brow furrowed.
“Restraint.”
“Absolute restraint.”
“The anomalies hold an absolute and overwhelming restraint over origin power, divinity, and even the Divine Realm itself.”
In fact, compared to Lu Ming, these gods were even more heavily suppressed—due to their reliance on divinity, now locked in dormancy.
Without anyone needing to tell him, Lu Ming had already begun to piece together the truth.
Origin Power, Divine Origin, Divinity, and the Heaven Ascension Stairs...
There were significant issues with all of these elements put together.
He thought about the divinity reconstruction experiment he had yet to complete.
A faint premonition stirred within him. Perhaps through this experiment, he could uncover the answers he had been seeking.
With that realization, Lu Ming was no longer in a hurry to leave.
The newly formed Tracking Formation now provided reasonable safety within the Black Mist.
“So, let’s complete the experiment first,” Lu Ming decided, “before considering the next steps.”
Muttering to himself, Lu Ming returned to the cultivation room and entered the void space.
Origin Power traced the intricate patterns of the array formations, with crisscrossing threads weaving the formations together. These arrays drew upon Divine Origin, which generated additional threads, and in turn, those threads of Origin Power formed new array formations in an ever-repeating cycle.
This was the basic process of the divinity reconstruction experiment.
By now, Lu Ming had fully grasped the structure of the divinity array formation. What remained was careful manipulation and refinement—each step taken with meticulous precision.
He moved slowly, not striving for speed but for accuracy.
As he worked, Lu Ming continued to elevate the level of the array formation, knowing that the higher the level, the more precise his operations would be.
Time passed bit by bit, and Lu Ming found himself immersed in the process, almost enjoying it.
Outside the Boshi Tower, the effect of the Tracking Formation exceeded Lu Ming’s expectations.
Various non-origin power energy stones emitted fluctuations that perfectly masked the origin power of the Boshi Tower. The maze-like main formation confused any mindless anomalies that wandered into the area, causing them to unknowingly exit from another entrance.
While this array formation couldn't guarantee permanent safety, it offered Lu Ming a much-needed moment of peace.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
On this particular day, Lu Ming suddenly opened his eyes in the void space.
After a brief rest, he had dispelled the mental fatigue accumulated from long hours of concentration.
Looking ahead, he saw faint Divine Origins forming intricate patterns, shaped by the origin power array formation. Amidst countless complex and precise formations, a faint golden crystal—no larger than a grape seed—was slowly taking shape.
At this moment, the Divine Origin he had been creating was 99% complete. Only a few final strokes remained before it would be fully formed.
To reach this point, Lu Ming had endured countless failures and had spent an immeasurable amount of time in the Void Realm.
But all his efforts were finally paying off.
“This time, it will definitely succeed,” Lu Ming thought, an inexplicable sense of certainty settling within him.
With renewed focus, he continued his delicate work.
✦✧☠︎✧✦
Outside, the Blood Flesh Mother Tree had, after a cautious journey, finally arrived outside Xuanshui City.
From a high vantage point, it gazed down upon the ruins of the once-thriving city. Waving its large hand, the Mother Tree sent its thousands of humanoid monsters scattering, moving towards the city in search.
“I can’t pinpoint Lu Ming’s exact location,” it muttered with a hint of frustration.
“I’ll have to conduct a thorough, carpet-style search.”
The Mother Tree’s expression reflected its helplessness.
Along the way, it had reached a clear conclusion: it wanted Lu Ming to survive long enough for its arrival.
After all the indignities it had endured, the Mother Tree craved payback—twofold.
It longed to see the look of desperation on Lu Ming’s face.
It yearned for the moment when Lu Ming would be humiliated.
And most of all, it wanted to witness Lu Ming standing before it, humbled and respectful, saying, “Please save me.”
The Mother Tree relished the thought of kicking someone when they were down, and it was fully prepared to savor that moment with Lu Ming.
For now, everything was going according to the Mother Tree’s plans.
✦✧☠︎✧✦
Far away, across nearly half of the Black Mist Zone, Jiu Han followed Zero to a small island in the Western Sea.
End of Chapter 358