Strange symbols of various shapes kept transforming and evolving. A mysteriously smooth curve advanced steadily through them at an unchanging speed, tracing out an enigmatic path.
As it approached its destination, the symbols became increasingly unpredictable in their transformations, making the curve’s direction ever more uncertain.
Mei Qing’s mindset had long been tempered by countless failures into one of extraordinary calmness. He observed the unfolding scene like a spectator watching a drama with a foregone conclusion, neither elated nor sorrowful, watching it progress steadily toward its end.
Yet within his mind, calculations raged at an unimaginable speed, sifting through tens of thousands of possibilities to identify the one correct outcome.
Five symbols simultaneously emerged at the front of the curve, transforming almost instantly into entirely new forms. Beams of light traced out completely different paths, causing the previously clear curve to waver uncertainly, making it impossible to discern its next move.
Mei Qing allowed himself a cold smile. He had failed many times at this exact point, but this time, he would not falter.
His prepared spiritual awareness was fully unleashed in an instant. Five golden glows flared up, fixing the five symbols in place and revealing their ancient, intricate forms with crystal clarity.
Meanwhile, Mei Qing’s consciousness hovered subtly between the five symbols, shifting rapidly through multiple permutations in an instant.
Sure enough, the curve made a gentle arc not far from where Mei Qing’s focus lay, giving the impression of wanting to break free and soar away.
Mei Qing was ready. This time, there would be no mistake. His spiritual sense extended effortlessly and attached itself to the curve, instantly calming all surrounding distortions, revealing the smooth line with absolute clarity.
“Ding!”
It was as if a chime had rung out. Suddenly, everything became clear. The colorful, bizarre symbols vanished in an instant. The single curve, like a rainbow cleaving the sky, pointed straight ahead.
Mei Qing felt a surge of joy, knowing he had finally passed this ultimate test. Yet, upon closer inspection, he was startled.
The scene before him was all too familiar—it was exactly the same as the initial view when he had first entered the array.
After all his calculations, he had not found the key to breaking the formation, but instead returned to the starting point!
Shock rippled through Mei Qing’s heart, and with it, his calm composure shattered. The imagined scenario in his mind vanished instantly. Feeling a sense of loss, he murmured, “Why is this so? Could there really be a formation beyond calculation? Could it be… the Infinite Primordial?”
He considered further, yet it didn’t seem to fit. The Infinite Primordial was supposed to be formless yet containing all forms. This formation, though complex, clearly followed discernible patterns, not matching the infinite nature of the Primordial.
At that moment, a sudden sigh echoed from the ancient voice.
“Though it ultimately returns to the Primordial, it is not the Infinite Primordial. That you managed to complete a full cycle is already extremely rare. I never imagined that this projection of mine would encounter someone still so skilled in formations. Truly remarkable.” The ancient voice carried a tone of admiration.
This time, Mei Qing did not dwell on the speaker’s identity. Instead, he asked, “Then, what is the name of this formation?”
“Heaven is vast, Earth is vast, all returning to the Primordial—that is the Nine Returns to One. This formation was originally left here. Hehe, while it may not rival the great formations of antiquity, there is none in today’s world that can match it. Even I cannot push beyond the ninth transformation. For you, with your cultivation level and as a novice, to have completed a full cycle is indeed rare. Consider this test passed.”
The ancient voice paused, then continued, “Still, the way you calculated the formation is clearly the orthodox method of the Celestial Masters. That is most peculiar. Who taught you such a technique?”
Mei Qing shook his head, ignoring the question, and instead asked, “Are there any more tests? If so, please present them.”
The ancient voice chuckled. “You haven’t completely unraveled this formation yet—why are you in such a hurry for another test?”
Mei Qing replied, “You yourself said I passed this one. Besides, if there were further steps, they would rely on sheer cultivation power rather than calculation, wouldn’t they? My cultivation is shallow, and I know it doesn’t impress you. I have no intention of forcing myself here. If there’s another question, bring it forth. If not, please reveal yourself. I have no patience to linger here.”
“Haha, indeed, the vigor of youth, though a bit hasty. Since you insist, take a look at my second question.”
As he spoke, five glowing orbs suddenly appeared on the stone platform.
“This question is simple. Just stack the five orbs, and you pass.”
Mei Qing was drenched in sweat. He had thought the first question difficult, but this one was even harder.
These five orbs were crafted purely from the five elemental energies—something Mei Qing found astonishing. While cultivators could usually manipulate the five elements, to extract them and solidify them into stable orbs without them dispersing was unheard of.
Various strange symbols of different shapes are continuously transforming and evolving. A smooth, inexplicable curve advances at a seemingly constant speed, tracing a mysterious path.
The closer it gets to the end, the more varied the symbols become, and the direction of the curve becomes increasingly unpredictable.
Mei Qing’s state of mind has been tempered by countless failures into an extraordinary calm. He watches it step by step towards its conclusion as if observing a play with no suspense, devoid of joy or sorrow.
Yet in his mind, at an unimaginable speed, he is frantically calculating the outcomes of each link in the chain, sifting through tens of thousands of possibilities to find the one correct result.
Five symbols rise almost simultaneously at the front of the curve, each transforming into a completely different new symbol. Beams of light trace several distinct shadows, and for a moment, the advancing curve seems to waver, making it impossible to predict the next direction.
Mei Qing sneers inwardly. He has failed many times at this point, but this time, he will not make a mistake.
His prepared divine sense is pushed to its limit at this moment. Where five golden lights rise, they fix the five symbols in place, revealing their ancient and exceptionally clear forms.
Mei Qing’s spirit, however, has long been at a certain point between the five symbols, neither too close nor too far, instantly transforming into several variations.
Sure enough, the curve gently arcs near where Mei Qing’s spirit is, giving a sense of wanting to fly away.
Mei Qing, fully prepared, makes no mistake this time. His divine sense effortlessly attaches to it, instantly calming the surrounding anomalous changes, clearly revealing a single curve.
“Ding!”
Like the sudden sound of a chime, clarity suddenly appears before him. The colorful, strange symbols vanish in an instant. A single curve, like a rainbow across the sky, points straight ahead.
Mei Qing feels a surge of joy, knowing he has finally passed the final hurdle. But when he looks closely, he is startled.
Everything before him is all too familiar. It is the scene he first saw when this array was activated.
After all that calculation, he has not found the key to breaking the array but has instead returned to the starting point!
Shocked, Mei Qing can no longer maintain his calm demeanor. The scene formed in his mind instantly disappears. Feeling a sense of loss, he murmurs, “Why is this? Could there be an array that cannot be calculated? Could it be… the Infinite Primordial Chaos?”
But upon further thought, it doesn’t seem so. The Infinite Primordial Chaos is the transition from the Infinite to the Supreme Ultimate. The array’s changes, though complex, have a traceable pattern, unlike that situation.
At this moment, he suddenly hears an old, faint sigh.
“Although it ultimately returns to the Primordial Chaos, it is not the Infinite. You have managed to deduce a complete cycle, which is already quite remarkable. I never expected that my avatar would have such an understanding of arrays.” The old voice seems to carry a hint of emotion.
This time, Mei Qing does not dwell on the identity but asks, “Then… what is the name of this array?”
“As vast as heaven and earth, it returns to the Primordial Chaos. It is called the Ninefold Return to One. This array was originally left here. Although it cannot compare to the famous ancient arrays, in today’s world, there is none that can rival it. Even I cannot deduce beyond the ninth cycle. With your level of cultivation and being your first attempt, reaching a complete cycle is truly commendable. This test, I consider you passed.” The old voice pauses, then continues, “But your method of deduction is of the orthodox Heavenly Master lineage, which is strange indeed. Who taught you this technique?”
Mei Qing shakes his head, ignoring the question, and says, “Are there any more challenges? If so, present them.”
The old voice chuckles, “You haven’t fully solved this array yet, why are you in such a hurry for the next challenge?”
Mei Qing replies, “You just said I passed this one. Besides, what comes next likely relies more on cultivation than calculation. My cultivation is shallow, naturally not up to your standards. I have no intention of forcing myself here. If there are more challenges, bring them out. If not, please show yourself quickly. I have no patience to stay here with you.”
“Haha, indeed the vigor of youth, though a bit impatient. Since that’s the case, let’s move on to the second challenge.” With that, five glowing orbs suddenly appear on the stone platform.
“This challenge is simple. If you can stack these five orbs, you pass.”
Mei Qing, drenched in sweat, initially thought the challenge would be easy, but now realizes its difficulty.
These five orbs, made purely of the five elemental energies, are something he has never encountered before.
To extract and condense the five elemental energies into orbs, maintaining their form without dispersing, is a feat beyond his imagination.
He believes he could barely manage to extract and condense one type of elemental energy, but forming such large orbs is beyond his capability, let alone keeping them stable like stone orbs.
But stacking these orbs is an even greater challenge.
The five elements are mutually generating and restraining, usually mixed and indistinguishable. Extracting one could cause chaos among the elements, potentially leading to an explosion.
These five small elemental orbs, placed here without interaction, remain stable. But once they touch, they would immediately influence each other, either merging or repelling, refusing to stay together peacefully.
Stacking these five orbs is something Mei Qing cannot even conceive of how to do.
After a long time, Mei Qing finally shakes his head and says hoarsely, “I can’t do it.”
“Can’t do it?” The old voice, without mockery, says calmly, “It’s not that you can’t do it, but that you haven’t thought of how.”
Hearing this, Mei Qing is at a loss for words. At that moment, the scene before him darkens, and the five elemental energies become chaotic. Then, five points of starlight flash, and five colorless orbs gradually form.
Mei Qing, realizing the old man is demonstrating how to form the orbs, focuses intently, carefully observing.
Only when the five elemental orbs, identical to those on the stone platform, reappear does Mei Qing understand the trick. Forming one orb is difficult, but forming five simultaneously involves extracting the five elements while maintaining their balance. The key lies not in the depth of power but in the delicate balance.
Mei Qing thinks that with his current ability, he cannot yet condense the orbs as demonstrated, but perhaps he can try stacking them by reversing the process.
However, stacking them requires precise positioning—too close or too far apart won’t work. Without exceptional divine sense and skillful technique, it’s nearly impossible.
Fortunately, Mei Qing is confident in these two aspects. He approaches the stone platform, not directly controlling the orbs with his divine sense, but first creating a space above them where the five elements are separately condensed.
Instead of forming the orbs as before, he disperses the control at the moment the orbs are about to form, then gently guides them with his divine sense, causing the five orbs to fly up and stack neatly one by one.
“Teachable indeed,” the old voice says. “Although you needed a hint, your technique shows ingenuity. Not bad.”
After a pause, the voice continues, “Now for the final challenge. If you can solve it, I will allow you to meet me. How about that?”
Mei Qing simply nods, saying nothing more.
The voice says, “The final challenge is simple. In the stone chamber you are in, what is the best way to find an exit?”
Mei Qing is taken aback. In fact, since entering the chamber, he has been thinking about this. But seeing no seams in the walls and the entrance sealed by magic, he wonders if there is a hidden passage.
But then he realizes that the path of cultivation cannot be reasoned with mundane logic. Since there are no traces in the chamber and the stone door is sealed by magic, searching for a hidden passage would be futile. Perhaps there is an array or something similar inside.
As he ponders, he notices Liu Liu, standing dazed by the stone door, feeling the wall for the entrance. Mei Qing chuckles inwardly.
Liu Liu must be foolish. Since the door is sealed by magic, how can he find it? Thinking this, Mei Qing suddenly has an idea, recalling Zhang Shi San’s method of breaking arrays. He laughs and says, “Finding an exit is not difficult.”
“Oh? Tell me.”
Mei Qing smiles, “The first two challenges required either exceptional calculation or skillful technique. This one, I think, should be different. After entering, although you sealed the stone door with magic, leaving no trace, to exit, one only needs to strike with force and break through the wall. Isn’t that so?”
As soon as Mei Qing finishes speaking, the old man laughs, “Rare, rare. I see. You must have learned the three methods of breaking arrays. It seems the Heavenly Master’s fate is unavoidable.”
With these words, a figure gradually appears in the stone chamber.
Mei Qing and Liu Liu both stare, and when they see clearly, they are both stunned.
Stacking them, however, was an even greater challenge.
The five elements naturally interact—supporting and opposing each other. Normally, they remained intermingled. Even forcibly extracting one could cause imbalance, and in severe cases, even an explosion.
These five orbs, placed separately, remained stable. But once they touched, they would either repel or consume each other, refusing to remain stacked.
Mei Qing pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head, reluctantly saying, “I cannot do it.”
“Cannot do it?” The ancient voice replied without mockery. “It’s not that you cannot, it’s that you haven’t thought of it.”
At such a cryptic remark, Mei Qing hesitated, unsure how to respond. Just then, the space darkened, and the five elemental energies grew chaotic. Then, five tiny lights flickered, and five translucent orbs began to form.
Mei Qing’s eyes lit up. He realized the other party was demonstrating how the orbs were formed and quickly focused his attention.
When the five orbs reappeared exactly as before, Mei Qing finally understood. Forming a single orb was difficult, but forming five together required extracting each element without disrupting their balance. The key was not power, but balance.
Mei Qing considered. He could not yet replicate the demonstration’s skill, but perhaps he could try stacking them instead.
Stacking them, however, required precise positioning—not too close, not too far. Without exceptional spiritual awareness and delicate technique, success was impossible.
Fortunately, Mei Qing had confidence in both. He approached the stone platform but did not directly manipulate the orbs. Instead, he first created a space above them where the five elements were separated and stabilized.
Rather than forming the orbs as he had seen before, he released his control at the moment they began to form, then gently guided them with his spiritual sense. The five orbs floated up and, as if drawn by an unseen force, aligned themselves effortlessly, stacking one atop the other.
“Truly, a teachable student,” the ancient voice remarked. “Though you required a hint, the method you used was clever. Not bad at all.”
After a pause, the voice continued, “Then, one final question. If you can solve this, I shall allow you to meet me. How about that?”
Mei Qing simply nodded, saying nothing more.
The voice said, “This last question is simple. In the stone chamber where you now stand, what would be the best way to find an exit?”
Mei Qing was momentarily stunned. In truth, he had already considered this upon entering. Yet the chamber was seamless, and the entrance had been sealed with magic. Could there be another secret passage?
He quickly reconsidered. Cultivation was not bound by mundane logic. If there was no trace of a passage and the stone door was sealed magically, searching for hidden doors would be foolish. Perhaps there was an array within.
As he pondered, he glanced toward Liu Liu, who was still at the sealed entrance, mindlessly running his hands along the wall, searching for the door. Mei Qing couldn’t help but smile.
Liu Liu must have lost his mind. If the door was sealed magically, how could it be found again? As Mei Qing thought, inspiration struck. He recalled Zhang Shisan’s words about breaking formations and suddenly laughed aloud. “What’s so difficult about finding an exit?”
“Oh? Do tell.”
Mei Qing smiled. “The first two trials required either superior calculation or clever technique. This one, I suspect, will not follow those paths. After entering, you sealed the stone door magically. But if I wish to leave, I need only strike the wall with all my might and break through. Isn’t that so?”
Hardly had Mei Qing finished speaking when the voice laughed again. “Rare, rare indeed. I see now. You must have studied the Three Methods of Breaking Formations. I never thought the Celestial Masters’ legacy would always find its way through.”
As he spoke, a figure gradually emerged within the stone chamber.
Both Mei Qing and Liu Liu widened their eyes in astonishment. When they finally saw clearly, they were both taken aback.
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