Chapter 28: The Fusion of Sword and Formation

Ji Yao had not anticipated that what Sitou Jing referred to as “entry-level” was truly nothing more than an introduction.

She regretted it now—was it too late to turn back? Had she been too careless and fallen into Sitou Jing’s trap? What was she thinking at that moment? Hadn't she long known exactly what sort of person Sitou Jing was?

Seeing Sitou Jing’s satisfied expression, as if her scheme had succeeded, and the table piled high with jade slips, Ji Yao could only lower her head in silence and focus on carving the array plate in her hands.

“What’s with that look on your face? This is what you wanted to learn, remember? Make sure you read through these jade slips in order. If you don’t understand anything, come ask me.”

“Yes, Senior,” Ji Yao replied, her voice listless.

Sitou Jing paid her no mind and, with a few quick strokes of her sword, sliced a piece of high-grade spirit jade into the shape of a Bagua array base. She tossed it to Ji Yao without a second thought.

Ji Yao felt a pang of distress. She’d just received her Free Moon Sword, hadn’t even warmed it in her hands, and now it was reduced to a mere stone-cutting tool!

If the Free Moon Sword had a spirit, it would surely be weeping uncontrollably.

Ji Yao also felt she was being wasteful—having only just begun to study arrays, she was already using high-grade spirit jade as practice material for array bases. This wasn’t mere wastefulness; it bordered on extravagance.

If the array masters knew, they would probably tear her apart.

“I think I might know how to use that Five-Colored Stone. What do you think about carving it into an array plate?”

Sitou Jing’s words nearly made Ji Yao spit blood. Apparently, destroying high-grade spirit jade was no longer entertaining; now she wanted to target the Five-Colored Stone?

“Senior! You—you must be joking, right?” Ji Yao could hardly get the words out, stammering, her lips trembling—though whether from anger or shock, she couldn’t tell.

Sitou Jing cast a sidelong, chilly glance at Ji Yao, her tone dangerous: “Do I look like I’m joking?”

No, not at all! Ji Yao shuddered at her gaze, dared not speak, and buried her head, continuing her battle with the spirit jade array plate.

You’re the expert—your word is law!

Sitou Jing naturally understood what Ji Yao was thinking; their age and experience were worlds apart. She didn’t even need to guess at the little girl’s thoughts.

“My meaning is, carve the Five-Colored Stone directly into an array plate-type artifact to serve as your life-bound treasure. You should specialize in arrays from now on,” Sitou Jing, rarely, explained her intentions to Ji Yao.

Oh, so that’s what she meant! That nearly scared me out of my wits. Ji Yao loved the array path, but she still didn’t want to abandon her Free Moon Sword.

She struggled, “Is there any way to combine the sword and the array plate?”

“That—let me think.” Sitou Jing crossed her arms, propped up one hand, and tapped her red lips thoughtfully.

“It’s not impossible. The Five-Colored Stone is the perfect array base—a natural vessel for arrays. No refining is necessary.”

Sitou Jing laid out her reasoning step by step.

“This means you can inscribe as many arrays as you wish, and it will contain them all without conflict. It can harmonize multiple array formations, ready for your use.”

“So in the future, whenever you comprehend a new array, you can inscribe it into the Five-Colored Stone. The stone array plate will keep growing, becoming a true growth-type artifact.”

“Picture this: facing an enemy, you won’t need to spend time setting up an array. Simply summon the Five-Colored Stone array plate, trap your opponent inside, and unleash a barrage of formations one after another. If they survive, they’ll be crippled.”

Sitou Jing hadn’t expected Ji Yao’s suggestion to open up a new avenue of thought for herself.

Her disciple Ah Heng had once envisioned such a treasure—a multi-array plate—but none could truly perfect it.

The issue lay in the materials. No known substance could bear so many arrays; even the best array plate materials had limits. Too many formations would cause the base to collapse.

Thus, in today’s cultivation world, array plates were tools of low-level disciples, and could only bear one or a few formations—no more than nine. Most array plates in circulation carried only a single array.

No array master would waste their energy on a plate doomed to fail. Instead, they set up arrays on the spot, adapting to the environment. So, compounded array plates were rare and, when they did exist, sold for astronomical prices—since the base material would have to be a treasure of heaven and earth, beyond the reach of ordinary cultivators.

Even then, compounded array plates were cumbersome and inflexible. Only wealthy clans or powerful solitary cultivators would buy them for favored disciples, as a defensive tool for traveling.

The current consensus in the world of cultivation was that a top array master could set up or break arrays instantly; otherwise, the time spent would leave them vulnerable to attack.

Low-level arrayists traveled in teams, while high-level practitioners were often supported by powerful sects or clans, rarely wandering alone—and if they did, arrays were a secondary skill.

Her disciple Ah Heng had scoffed at array plates, unaware that in ancient times, the great experts used them.

“What about the Free Moon Sword?” Ji Yao finally interrupted, having heard Sitou Jing speak only of the Five-Colored Stone, anxiety creeping into her voice.

“What’s the rush? I was just getting to that. For such a compounded array plate, you’ll need an array core—or ‘array eye,’ as it’s also called.”

Ji Yao began to understand. “Senior, do you mean the Free Moon Sword can serve as the array plate’s core or eye?”

“That’s the idea. But your Free Moon Sword’s material is too poor to match the growth of the Five-Colored Stone array plate. In the future, you’ll likely need to find better materials and reforge it.” Sitou Jing rotated the Free Moon Flute in her hand, speaking frankly.

The Free Moon Sword seemed to sense Sitou Jing’s disdain, letting out a soft, clear chime from within its body.

“Heh, so you do have a spirit!” Sitou Jing tapped the flute, “You’re lucky. Once the Five-Colored Stone is inscribed with arrays, it becomes its own array world. The Free Moon Sword will dwell within, and over time, may develop a spirit of its own.”

Ji Yao, inspired by Sitou Jing, thought further, and a new possibility dawned on her.

“Senior, is it possible to use people as part of an array, not just objects? I mean the colossal formations from ancient times.”

“Yes. Are you thinking of bringing people into this world?”

“Yes—and no. I have an idea that hasn’t fully formed, and I’m not sure how to express it, but I’ll study hard. I believe someday I’ll make it happen.”

In that moment, Ji Yao felt something sprouting in her heart, her whole being brimming with drive.

It was this very concept that later set her apart in both sword and array arts. Who would have thought the sword and arrays could be combined in such a way?

In the generations that followed, whenever her name was mentioned, people would often say, “Even the unconventional can become a unique path.”

At this time, Ji Yao could not foresee the future. She simply gathered up the jade slips Sitou Jing had given her and began to study the next array diagram in earnest.

Sitou Jing made no further comment, but raised another matter.

“So, have you decided what form your life-bound treasure will take?”

Ah! Aren’t they all shaped like Bagua plates? Could it really be carved into a chrysanthemum shape?

Ji Yao glanced at Sitou Jing’s narrowed eyes and suddenly felt a chill run through her.