Chapter 1186 - 814: The Dao of Array

Lady Biyun examined Zhang Chen from head to toe and then covered her mouth with a gentle laugh, "You don’t need me to take care of you. The Queen Mother of the West regards you favorably, something unprecedented. In the future, it will be me who needs your care, little brother."

After joking, Lady Biyun guided Zhang Chen, weaving through the palatial structures of Kunlun Mountain, explaining the history of each place they passed.

"Kunlun Mountain has three main pavilions. The first is the Scripture Pavilion, containing countless letters from the Queen Mother of the West and various marvelous cultivation techniques. The second is Lingxi Palace, where the Queen Mother refines alchemy, filled with rare flowers and plants, and numerous Spirit Medicine gardens. The third is the water pool for refining your cultivation techniques, the place where Golden Armored Warriors undergo transformation." Lady Biyun pointed to the various palaces as she introduced them to Zhang Chen.

As they reached the Scripture Pavilion, they saw that it towered twelve stories high, imbued with unfathomable forbidden techniques. Standing outside were five Golden Armored Warriors, whose bodies emanated a Mysterious Power, resembling statues.

Sensing someone’s arrival, one Golden Armor Divine General opened its eyes and expressionlessly intoned: "The decree!"

"By decree of the Queen Mother of the West, retrieve a scroll from the Scripture Pavilion. Here is her decree," said Lady Biyun, presenting a Jade Token that shone with divine light. After glancing at it, the Golden Armor Divine General closed its eyes again, standing silently like a stone sculpture.

The Jade Token surged towards the pavilion before them, and with a loud rumble, the doors opened. Lady Biyun led Zhang Chen inside, saying, "These Golden Armor Divine Generals ordinarily enter a state of slumber to conserve their life’s energy. They won’t awaken unless disturbed. At their level, unless the Queen Mother grants them subsequent cultivation techniques, their cultivation cannot advance any further, making their continued existence a waste."

Understanding dawned upon Zhang Chen, "So that’s how it is," he thought.

Upon entering, they saw a great bookshelf stretching across all twelve floors, filled with densely packed Golden Pages.

"Golden Books! They’re all Golden Books!" Zhang Chen’s eyes remained fixed in disbelief as he gazed at the entire pavilion of Golden Books.

"Are the subsequent cultivation techniques for us Golden Armor Divine Generals also kept in the pavilion?" Zhang Chen asked.

"On the top floor," replied Lady Biyun, pointing to the highest level. She then warned Zhang Chen, "To obtain higher-level techniques, you must earn merit. Do not think of seizing an opportunity to steal them. The entire bookshelf is protected by an Innate Grand Array, and without the Queen Mother’s decree, any attempt would inevitably activate the array, alerting the Queen Mother."

"There was once a Golden Armor Divine General who couldn’t bear the passage of time and tried to steal scrolls from the Scripture Pavilion. Unfortunately, although he managed to infiltrate the pavilion, he triggered the Queen Mother’s Innate Array and was captured, eventually being transformed into Gold Water." Lady Biyun solemnly warned Zhang Chen.

"Innate Array?" Zhang Chen scrutinized the entire Library Pavilion, but couldn’t sense the power of the Innate Grand Array. Curious, he realized that it might not be that the array didn’t exist, but rather, his cultivation level was too low to perceive it.

Lady Biyun ascended into the air within the Scripture Pavilion, the token in her hand emitting beams of light that scanned through the entire pavilion. Moments later, scrolls flew out, one by one, into Lady Biyun’s grasp. She handed the scrolls to Zhang Chen, and the green token transformed into a stream of light, vanishing within the pavilion.

Lady Biyun looked at Zhang Chen, "These are the scrolls bestowed upon you by the Queen Mother of the West."

"Why did the token disappear?" Zhang Chen asked curiously as he took the scrolls.

"The token was formed from the Queen Mother of the West’s spoken words. Possessing such a token, you can only retrieve the scrolls she mentioned. Once obtained, the words dissolve." Lady Biyun explained.

"Such marvelous means," Zhang Chen remarked, his curiosity piqued.

Lady Biyun led Zhang Chen out of the pavilion and advised, "The Queen Mother’s methods are indeed extraordinary. Now that you’ve received the scrolls bestowed by Her Majesty, make sure to cultivate diligently, and do not disappoint her. If you consistently make yourself known in her presence, she will not hesitate to bestow rewards upon you, whether in terms of advanced techniques or the path to immortality."

"I will follow your teachings," Zhang Chen respectfully responded, bowing to express his gratitude to Lady Biyun for her guidance.

Lady Biyun seemed satisfied with Zhang Chen’s attitude and led him to a spacious hall. The hall was lavish, though it couldn’t match the splendor of the Queen Mother’s hall, it was far superior to ancient imperial palaces.

"This is where the Golden Armor Divine Generals reside. You, ranked as Jia Shiba, are to stay in Palace Number Eighteen," Lady Biyun said as she guided Zhang Chen inside. "Be cautious of your fellow Divine Generals and the people around you, as each General represents a tribe, and competition exists among the tribes. The Queen Mother will grant glory to your tribe based on your performance."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s heart stirred, surprised that there was such a hidden connection. The golden armored divine generals are unexpectedly linked to the tribes beneath Kunlun Mountain.

"I’ve heard people say that every year, the Queen Mother of the West recruits numerous children into the mountain. By calculating by age, Kunlun Mountain should be filled with people, yet why is it so cold and desolate now?" Zhang Chen voiced his inner doubt.

"Those people you speak of have long passed away," Lady Biyun replied.

Zhang Chen was taken aback: "Passed away?"

Lady Biyun nodded: "Most didn’t complete the tasks assigned by the Queen Mother of the West and died of old age. A small portion of them perished while carrying out missions outside, either slain and devoured by innate spirits or eliminated by protective forces while harvesting extraordinary flowers and spirit medicines to seize Creation."

Zhang Chen was startled upon hearing this, and upon scanning the desolate Kunlun Mountain, suddenly felt this world to be quite dangerous.

"Since you have now gained the favor of the Queen Mother of the West, you must perform well and strive to stay alive," Lady Biyun advised.

Zhang Chen fell silent after hearing this. Lady Biyun glanced at Zhang Chen, seeing his earnest attention to her words, then rose to leave, leaving Zhang Chen alone in the empty great hall, staring into space.

After a while, Zhang Chen moved to sit on the central bed of the great hall. The bed was crafted from unknown wood, and as Zhang Chen sat upon it, he felt as if an enigmatic qi mechanism emanated from the bed, nourishing his entire body, extending his lifespan, and healing the aura of slaughter surrounding him.

"This bed has longevity effects, but they’re not so apparent." After examining the bed for a while, Zhang Chen paid no further attention to it. It was merely made from extraordinary wood, still short of innate spirit plants—not worth excessive contemplation.

Zhang Chen’s fingers caressed the Golden Page, holding the scroll for study. The scroll was as thick as a modern dictionary, and the entire scroll was quite large, about the size of a primary school textbook. After examining for a while, Zhang Chen applauded, exclaiming how indescribably wonderful it was.

What does the scroll record?

Remarkably, it contains the Great Path of Arrays. No specific grand arrays are recorded; it’s filled with foundational array knowledge and mysteries. From basic array analysis to the operational rules of arrays in heaven and earth, it’s all contained within.

"Indescribable! Although it records the most basic array Great Path, it surpasses any specific array in value. Mastering the knowledge within will allow me to deduce arrays and create various astonishing arrays myself," Zhang Chen thought, sparks of brilliant ideas flashing within his mind, as his Primordial Spirit became lively, endlessly analyzing and recording the array’s wonders.

"The Queen Mother of the West is truly benevolent! This scroll not only records the Great Path of Arrays but also the essence of arrays—the Innate Array. It contains the wondrous mysteries of grand arrays from the Innate Era, opening the door to the Innate Grand Array for me. Despite the basics recorded, it greatly enriches my insights, providing a profound foundation for future comprehension of the array Great Path," Zhang Chen was utterly absorbed at this point, immersed in understanding and recording the array’s mysteries, unable to extricate himself.

Page after page of Golden Pages flickered before his eyes, countless knowledge, symbols, and laws flashing in his view.

"To comprehend the array Great Path, one must cultivate a Primordial Spirit. Only by relying on the strong calculative power of the Primordial Spirit, can one grasp the operational laws of grand arrays. The Queen Mother of the West passed down the array because I refined a Primordial Spirit, but..." Zhang Chen then pondered a contradiction: "With the Queen Mother of the West’s capabilities, cultivating warriors with a refined Primordial Spirit shouldn’t be challenging, right? Why does it seem Kunlun Mountain has birthed countless golden armored divine generals, but only I have refined a Primordial Spirit?"

Suddenly, Zhang Chen thought of Immortal Techniques and the Yang God Great Path: "Could it be that this world cannot practice Qi Cultivation Skills? Thus, it can’t spawn a Primordial Spirit?"

He recalled the Ancestor of Earth Immortal from the mysterious era, who also relied on the Power of the Earth Veins to tread a pseudo-immortal path, right?

Without the cultivation of immortal dao formulas, a Primordial Spirit cannot be born.

"In the era of the Queen Mother of the West, was cultivation also impossible? But if no one could cultivate, how would anyone know of the Primordial Spirit’s existence? How did the Queen Mother of the West know of the Primordial Spirit? Is the Queen Mother of the West a cultivator?" Zhang Chen was beset by endless speculations, temporarily unable to unravel the mysteries. Apart from the Queen Mother of the West, it seems no one knows the secrets within.

"There is a grand secret here, touching upon the greatest secrets of the Ancient Era, the origins of the Immortal Dao, and all mysteries of the divine era, seemingly right before my eyes," Zhang Chen murmured to himself.