Chapter 251: A Seamless Stroke, Carving the Array

"Old Doctor, what should we do now?" Ma Gu asked.

Old Doctor paused, then finally said, "We’d better turn back. Let’s head to Yun Zhou and find another route."

If it were just him and Lu Qing, Old Doctor might have chosen to abandon the carriage altogether. After all, as master and disciple, their martial prowess far surpassed that of ordinary warriors. On foot, they could travel faster than any horse-drawn cart.

But with Xiao Yan and Wei Zian in tow, they couldn’t afford such a luxury.

So they had no choice but to retrace their steps and seek a new path.

"Alright, I understand," Ma Gu nodded, preparing to turn the carriage around.

"Master, hold on," Lu Qing suddenly spoke. "Let me try something first—before we give up."

"A Qing, you have an idea?" Old Doctor looked at him in surprise.

"Just a hunch," Lu Qing replied. "Let’s find a place nearby to rest for a day. If my idea works, it might drastically increase our speed—whether we move forward or return."

He didn’t promise anything outright. But Old Doctor knew his disciple well. If Lu Qing was speaking like this, he clearly had strong confidence.

Without further hesitation, Old Doctor nodded. "Fine. Then we’ll do it your way. Let’s stay here for one day."

It was already afternoon. With only an hour or so left before dusk, they decided to rest early.

Lu Qing had the carriage lifted out of the stone pit, pulled back along the mountain path, and then set up camp in a relatively spacious clearing nearby.

He instructed Ma Gu to dismantle the carriage, then began pacing around it, studying every detail, deep in thought.

"A Qing, what exactly are you thinking?" Old Doctor asked.

"Master, I was wondering—if we could carve a few basic arrays onto the carriage itself, perhaps it wouldn’t be hindered by uneven terrain anymore," Lu Qing answered.

"Carve an array?" Old Doctor was genuinely startled. "A Qing, are you serious? Can you actually do it?"

"I’m not certain yet. I just need to think it through," Lu Qing admitted.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian, the two of them, stared blankly, utterly bewildered.

Arrays? Lu Qing knew something like this?

This wasn’t just magic—it was the kind of supernatural artistry from legendary tales, reserved for immortals in ancient stories.

Especially Wei Zian, a sudden memory flashed in his mind—Lu Qing and Old Doctor talking earlier about that Breathing Technique, that Qi Ingestion Method…

Could it be that those were also ancient, forbidden arts?

Lu Qing didn’t notice their stunned expressions. He continued circling the carriage, studying it closely.

His inspiration came from two sources: first, Wei Zian’s earlier comment about terrain and movement, and second, the vivid sight of Liu Yun Zong activating two massive arrays—both functional, both alive with power.

That moment had awakened a realization in him:

The world had changed. Qi was returning.

The long-forgotten arts of cultivation—once thought dead—were slowly regaining their strength.

If that was true, then perhaps he could test his own ideas.

After several laps around the carriage, memorizing every joint, every beam, every structural detail, Lu Qing sat cross-legged.

"Master, Ma Ye," he said, "I need to calculate the layout first. I won’t have time for dinner. You’ll have to manage on your own."

"No problem," Ma Gu said quickly. "I’ll handle dinner."

His cooking wasn’t refined, but it was edible. Over the past few days, whenever Lu Qing had been busy with other matters, Ma Gu had been the one preparing meals.

Lu Qing nodded, then closed his eyes. His spirit sank into the Brow Qi Cavity, entering a state of deep meditation.

In stillness, his mind settled, and he began to think.

First, he asked himself: What kind of array should I carve?

Having inherited two cultivation legacies, Lu Qing knew quite a few arrays—more than most.

The Divine Seal Sect, however, was different. It followed a philosophy of learning from all things in nature, building arrays ad hoc, with no fixed patterns, free and spontaneous.

Its legacy contained few specific arrays, mostly massive, world-shaping formations that required natural terrain to function. Lu Qing couldn’t even begin to create those yet.

But the legacy from the Lihuo Ding was another story.

The Lihuo Sect had mastered the Fire Path with unmatched depth, and their expertise in alchemy and weapon crafting was legendary.

And in crafting any weapon or artifact, arrays were essential.

Without a properly inscribed array, a tool remained just ordinary material—powerless.

Thus, the knowledge passed down from Lihuo Zong was vast: from the most basic beginner-level arrays to advanced ones capable of forging Spirit Artifacts.

But Lu Qing’s current skill level was far from that.

Even medium-tier arrays were beyond him.

So he narrowed his focus to the most fundamental ones.

After sifting through the memories in his mind, he finally selected three basic arrays:

[Lightness Array],

[Clear Wind Array],

[Solidification Array].

The first two were meant to lighten the carriage.

The third, [Solidification Array], was to reinforce its structure.

A lighter carriage would move faster, but only if it remained sturdy.

Otherwise, at high speed, any sudden jolt could send it flying off the road—resulting in disaster.

With his choices made, Lu Qing activated his abilities, entering a state of deep cultivation.

In a near-breakthrough trance, he quickly mastered the three arrays.

Then, the image of the carriage’s framework appeared in his mind.

He began calculating the optimal placement—where to etch each symbol, how to connect them, how to ensure the flow of energy remained unbroken.

After a short while, he finalized the perfect design.

Double-checking every line, every junction, confirming no error remained, he finally withdrew from meditation and opened his eyes.

Outside, night had nearly fallen.

Old Doctor and Ma Gu were huddled around a small fire, eating.

"A Qing’s awake!" Old Doctor spotted him first. "Come on over, eat something."

"Thanks," Lu Qing replied, taking the roasted flatbread Ma Gu handed him.

"Well? Any progress?" Old Doctor asked.

"Most of the calculations are complete. I’ll begin carving tomorrow morning," Lu Qing said.

Hearing this, Ma Gu and Wei Zian exchanged wide-eyed glances, filled with anticipation.

They couldn’t believe Lu Qing was actually capable of such legendary techniques.

They were desperate to witness it firsthand.

Even Old Doctor felt a thrill of curiosity.

He had seen real arrays in Liu Yun Town before—but the spectacle had been so profound, so abstract, that he’d been utterly lost.

Now, watching Lu Qing do it himself—perhaps he could finally grasp a sliver of its mystery.

That night, excitement kept them awake.

Wei Zian even dreamed of flying through the clouds, summoning storms with a single gesture—so vivid, so real, that when he awoke, he still felt the wind on his face.

The next morning, Lu Qing opened his eyes to two pairs of unwavering gazes, fixed on him like lasers.

No matter what he did, they followed.

Especially during breakfast. Ma Gu and Wei Zian stared at him with burning eagerness—so intense, Lu Qing could barely eat.

"Alright," he sighed, "I’ll finish my porridge first. Then I’ll start carving, okay?"

"Go ahead, take your time!" Ma Gu and Wei Zian chorused, though their eyes never left him.

Lu Qing sighed again, quickly finishing his bowl, then stood up and walked toward the carriage.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian followed closely, their curiosity palpable.

Old Doctor couldn’t help but chuckle at their expressions.

At the carriage, Lu Qing took out a carving knife and a bottle of crimson ink.

The most basic arrays didn’t require rare materials—just Spirit Ink would suffice.

This bottle of red ink was one he had prepared himself.

The ingredients had originally been gathered by Wei Shanhai at his request.

It was meant for use in the small herb garden at Half Mountain Courtyard—until Old Doctor abruptly decided to travel to Zhong Zhou.

Now, the ink sat unused.

Lu Qing stared at the bottle.

Back then, I wanted to set up a small Spirit Gathering Array to nourish the garden.

But now… the garden is empty.

And that Thousand-Year Ginseng… I wonder if it’s still just patiently waiting in the soil?

He shook his head, dispelling the thought.

Then, he uncorked the ink, picked up the knife.

With calm focus, he centered himself.

When his mind was perfectly still, he began.

A ripple of Spirit Soul Power surged through him.

The knife lifted, dipped into the ink, and began to etch.

With yesterday’s observations and the mental calculations complete, every beam and joint of the carriage was etched into his memory.

The carving flowed smoothly.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian watched, eyes wide, breath held.

Lu Qing’s hand moved with precision, drawing delicate arcs—each line a symbol, each symbol a piece of ancient power.

Even more astonishing: with every completed character, a soft glow flared—then faded, sinking into the wood.

They had never seen anything like it.

Their eyes widened. Their jaws slackened.

Only Old Doctor remained solemn, his own spirit energy subtly stirring in his Brow Qi Cavity, absorbing the essence of the technique as it unfolded.

Lu Qing worked for over an hour.

When the final stroke connected back to the first, the entire carriage flared with radiant light.

Red, thread-like symbols—like glowing veins of Qi—rose into the air, then vanished into the wood.

The glow faded.

The carriage looked unchanged—just a little more ornate, with faint new patterns.

But Ma Gu and the others could feel it.

Something had changed.

A subtle, mysterious presence now pulsed beneath the surface.

"Lu Qing, is it done?" Ma Gu asked.

"Yes," Lu Qing nodded. "I’ve inscribed three arrays. Assuming nothing goes wrong, we should reach Zhong Zhou much faster."

He didn’t add more arrays—because he couldn’t.

The carriage, though crafted with rare materials by the Wei Family, was still made of ordinary wood and metal.

It couldn’t withstand too many powerful arrays.

And his supply of Spirit Ink was limited.

He’d need to save some for emergencies.

Still, he felt deeply satisfied.

This was his first true attempt at carving an array.

And he’d done it perfectly—no mistakes, no hesitations.

The Divine Seal Sect’s legacy… truly extraordinary.

He marveled silently.

But it wasn’t luck.

It was because of Shen Hun Fu Lu.

Carving an array wasn’t just about drawing symbols.

It required the soul as a guide, Spirit Ink as a conductor.

Each symbol had to be linked to the next—forming a continuous circuit that could summon the power of the heavens.

And during the carving, Lu Qing felt it.

Through Shen Hun Fu Lu, he had an almost instinctive control over the symbols—like they were extensions of his will.

It was as if Shen Hun Fu Lu was the true master, and he, merely its hand.

"Shen Hun Fu Lu… truly the foundation of the Script Dao. Its power over seals and talismans is far greater than I imagined. I’ve underestimated it."

A sudden clarity washed over him.

But he couldn’t blame himself.

The Divine Seal Sect’s inheritance he’d received was only a fragment—left behind by a mysterious figure who once built the Jade Transformation Cave Chamber.

It wasn’t the full legacy.

Beyond the cultivation methods, there was little else recorded.

Unlike the Lihuo Ding’s inheritance—rich, complete, detailed.

So the true extent of Shen Hun Fu Lu’s abilities remained unknown.

It was something Lu Qing would have to uncover on his own.

"Still," he thought, "this is enough."

He wasn’t disappointed.

In fact, he welcomed the uncertainty.

After all, the path of cultivation was meant to be full of surprises.

"Lu Qing, since the arrays are done, shall we test it now?" Ma Gu asked eagerly.

Lu Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Good idea. The carving worked, but we won’t know the real effect until we try it."

"Then I’ll get the horses ready!" Ma Gu said, already sprinting toward the stables.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end