From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 172 The Beginning of Exploring the Mysteries of the Spirit Array

After the taming ceremony, I immediately returned to my cave.

The image of the spirit array in the valley lingered in my mind, and the patterns on the spirit contract stone were clearly a simplified version of some kind of array!

I sat cross-legged and tried again to feel the energy contained in the Spirit Pact Stone. The scene of the valley reappeared, clearer than before, and I could even feel the spiritual energy flowing in the air.

I am certain that the spirit contract stone and the spirit array in the valley are connected in some way.

The next day, I arrived at the entrance to the Spirit Array Valley.

The valley was shrouded in a thin layer of mist, and a strange fluctuation permeated the air, causing the spiritual energy within my body to tremble slightly.

"This place... is indeed not simple," I muttered to myself.

"Xiao Yao, are you really going in? The spirit array in this valley is one that even Elder Murong couldn't completely break." A fellow disciple worriedly tried to dissuade me.

"Yes, Junior Sister Xiao Yao, it's best to be careful," another senior sister chimed in.

Their concern warmed my heart, but I had already made up my mind.

"Thank you for your concern, senior brothers and sisters, but I must go in and take a look." I nodded to them and resolutely stepped into the valley.

As soon as I entered, I felt a powerful pressure coming at me, and the surrounding fog became thicker, with visibility dropping sharply.

I moved forward cautiously, taking each step with utmost care.

I had just approached a small spirit array and hadn't even had a chance to observe it closely when an invisible force blasted me away, and my body crashed heavily into a rock.

"Ugh..." I groaned as a sharp pain shot through my back.

"Heh, I thought it was someone so bold, but it turns out it's Xiao Yao." A disdainful voice rang out.

I looked up and saw Li Yunfei standing not far away, looking at me with a mocking expression.

Several disciples followed behind him, all with expressions of anticipation for a good show.

Li Yunfei walked up to me and said condescendingly, "You? You think you can break this spirit array? You're really overestimating yourself." He paused, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes, "Let me give you a piece of advice: don't waste your time, go back now." As he spoke, he reached out to pull me up, but I shook off his hand and stood up on my own.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the anger in my heart, and gave him a cold look.

"You don't need to worry about it." I dusted myself off and turned my gaze to the spirit array that was still shimmering faintly in front of me... Li Yunfei smiled contemptuously, his eyes scraping across me like a knife.

"Hey, isn't this Junior Sister Xiao? What happened, did you hurt yourself?" Several disciples behind him also burst into laughter, and one of the tall, thin disciples exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Senior Brother Li, Junior Sister Xiao is a genius who can break spirit arrays! We have to be careful not to block her way!" I gritted my teeth, not wanting to pay attention to their mockery.

genius?

Without spiritual roots, I'm probably not even as good as trash in their eyes.

At this moment, Su Yao also came over. She was wearing a gorgeous dress and an exquisite hair ornament, which made my coarse clothes look even more shabby.

"Xiao Yao, you should go back. This isn't a place for you." A hint of barely perceptible smugness lingered in her voice. "The Dao of Spirit Arrays is profound and complex; not just anyone can dabble in it." Her maidservant chimed in, "Exactly! She doesn't even know her place! To think she can break a spirit array is pure delusion!"

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails almost dug into my flesh.

Their words stung my pride like needles, and I felt powerless and humiliated.

I desperately want to become stronger and prove myself more than anyone else, but in their eyes, I will always be that useless person without spiritual roots.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger in my heart.

I cannot let them defeat me; I must prove them wrong!

I silently walked toward another small spirit array, my eyes filled with determination.

Suddenly, an old and dignified voice rang out: "Wait!" I looked up and saw Elder Murong walking slowly towards me... His sharp gaze swept over me, carrying a hint of warning.

Elder Murong walked up to me, and the oppressive aura emanating from him made it almost impossible for me to breathe.

“Xiao Yao,” he said in a low voice, with a hint of warning, “I know you’ve been studying arrays lately, but this Spirit Array Valley is no place to play. Every spirit array here contains enormous energy, and the slightest carelessness can trigger dangerous mechanisms. Let me be clear: if you make a mistake due to recklessness, I will not forgive you easily.”

His words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the hope that had just been ignited in my heart, and the air around me seemed to freeze.

Li Yunfei chuckled sarcastically, "Elder Murong is right, Junior Sister Xiao, you'd better be careful. If you lose your life, you'll have nothing left." The disciples behind him joined in the jeering, their laughter like sharp thorns piercing my heart.

Su Yao looked at me with a "worried" expression, but her tone carried an undisguised schadenfreude: "Xiao Yao, you should listen to the elder and not be reckless. This spirit array is not something someone like you without spiritual roots can touch." Her maid chimed in, "That's right, if you trigger the mechanism, it won't just be a simple injury."

I gritted my teeth and tried hard not to let the tears fall.

Their words were like sharp blades, tearing my self-esteem and confidence to shreds.

I felt incredibly humiliated and powerless. Was I really that worthless?

Am I really just supposed to let them laugh and ridicule me?

No, I can't give up! I must prove to them that I, Xiao Yao, am not a piece of trash!

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

I silently walked up to a small spirit array and began to carefully observe its patterns.

The surrounding laughter, sarcasm, and worries all became blurred background noise; my eyes were only on the spirit array before me.

Time passed by, and my heart gradually calmed down.

Suddenly, I noticed a tiny engraving on the edge of the spirit array. It was hidden among the intricate patterns and was almost impossible to detect without careful observation.

This engraving... seems out of place with the other patterns.

Could this be... the key?

A glimmer of hope slowly rose in my heart.

I reached out my finger and gently touched the engraving... "This..."

"This..." I murmured to myself, a slight stinging sensation coming from my fingertips.

The engraved mark seemed to contain a strange energy that flowed into my body through my fingertips, and a wave of dizziness washed over me.

When I opened my eyes again, the scene before me took me by surprise.

The original intricate spirit array patterns disappeared, replaced by a blank stone wall.

"What's going on?" I touched the stone wall again, puzzled, but there was no response. Was I seeing things?

"Did you find anything?" a deep voice came from behind.

When I turned around, I saw that it was the legendary master of array formations.

He had white hair but a youthful face, and deep, penetrating eyes that seemed to see through everything.

I quickly told him what I had just discovered.

After hearing this, the array master walked to the stone wall and carefully observed it, his brows furrowing slightly.

"This is not an ordinary spirit array, but a hidden entrance."

"An entrance?" My heart leaped with joy. "Where does it lead?"

"This..." The array master pondered for a moment, "I am also unsure. The way this entrance is opened is very special, and a puzzle needs to be solved." He pointed to a few lines of ancient characters that suddenly appeared on the stone wall, "This is the key to the puzzle."

I carefully examined the characters, only to find that they were not any of the scripts I was familiar with.

They are distorted and abstract, like strange pictures, yet they contain a certain pattern.

"What kind of script is this?" I asked the array master in confusion.

“These are ancient spirit runes,” the array master explained. “Only by deciphering the meaning of these spirit runes can the entrance be opened.”

My heart sank.

Ancient spirit patterns?

I had never heard of this script before, let alone understood its meaning.

Li Yunfei sneered from the side, "It seems Junior Sister Xiao has encountered a problem. Even a master of array formations can't solve this puzzle, so what can you possibly do?"

I gritted my teeth and ignored his sarcasm.

I began to try to understand these spirit patterns, attempting to find a clue within them.

Time passed second by second, and fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead.

These spirit runes are like a bottomless abyss; the more I delve into them, the more confused I become.

"Could it be... that I really can't solve this mystery?" A slight wavering arose in my heart.

Just then, my fingertip accidentally touched a protrusion on the stone wall.

Suddenly, the surrounding scenery began to distort and warp... I reached out, trying to grasp something, but only grabbed at nothingness...