From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 178 A New Path for Spirit Arrays: Exploring the Mysteries Again

The warm, smooth feel of the Heavenly Array Record was still lingering in my hands. I took a deep breath and slowly turned to the first page...

"This..." What came into view was not the clear diagram of the formation I had expected, but a piece of obscure and incomprehensible text and pattern, twisted like tadpoles, much like a book written in the heavens.

I tried hard to decipher them, but every word seemed completely unfamiliar, and the lines were utterly irregular, making me dizzy and disoriented.

The air around me seemed to freeze. I could feel countless gazes on me, some curious, some expectant, but mostly filled with hidden mockery and schadenfreude.

This oppressive atmosphere made it difficult for me to breathe.

"Tsk tsk, this Heavenly Array Record truly lives up to its reputation. Such a profound array formation, I'm afraid only someone with extraordinary talent like myself could decipher even a fraction of it." Li Yunfei's voice suddenly rang in my ears. He deliberately raised his voice, as if afraid I wouldn't hear him.

"Look at these runes, how exquisite they are! The layout of this formation, how ingenious it is! Ordinary people simply cannot understand its mysteries." As he spoke, he shook his head and gestured as if he were pointing out the flaws in the world. I was furious. He was clearly deliberately trying to distract me!

I gritted my teeth and tried to concentrate, but Li Yunfei's voice was like a buzzing fly, swirling around my ears and making me feel restless.

I suddenly looked up and glared at him, only to find him looking at me smugly, his eyes full of provocation.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my anger, and told myself that I couldn't let him affect me.

I lowered my head and continued studying the Heavenly Array Record in my hands, trying to find a clue.

However, those words and images remained like a fog, obscuring my vision.

"Could it be that I've misunderstood?" I murmured to myself, a sense of unease rising in my heart.

Li Yunfei's voice came again: "What's wrong, Junior Sister Xiao Yao? Have you run into some trouble? Do you want me to give you some pointers?" His tone was full of sarcasm, which made me even angrier.

I slammed the Heavenly Array Record shut, gave Li Yunfei a cold glance, and said nothing.

His smug look deepened, as if he could already see me fail.

"What, you've given up?" he asked, feigning surprise. "I thought Junior Sister Xiao Yao was so amazing, but it turns out she's nothing special."

A low chuckle came from around me, and I felt a burning sensation on my face, as if I had been slapped hard.

Su Yao's voice rang out sharply: "I knew it! How could a piece of trash without spiritual roots possibly understand the Heavenly Array Record? He should take a look in the mirror and see what kind of person he is!" Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached my ears, and the people around me began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms, a burning rage raging within me, yet I was powerless to refute it.

Elder Murong also came over, his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with suspicion: "Xiao Yao, how is your research going? Have you made any progress?" His voice was deep and authoritative, making me feel immense pressure.

I gritted my teeth and shook my head: "Disciple... has no clue yet." Elder Murong sighed: "The Heavenly Array Record is of great importance. If you cannot understand it, you must hand it over so that others can study it." His words were like a bolt from the blue, making me feel a sense of despair.

I felt as if a mountain was pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.

Just then, a deep voice suddenly rang out: "Elder Murong, why the rush? Junior Sister Xiao Yao has just obtained the Heavenly Array Record, it's normal that she needs some time to digest it." I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat standing outside the crowd. His figure was hidden in the shadows, and his face was not visible.

"Who are you?" Elder Murong asked warily.

The man in black chuckled lightly: "I am Ghost Shadow, just an ordinary array master." His voice was hoarse and deep, making him unfathomable.

A thought struck me: Ghost Shadow… that name seemed familiar…

He slowly walked towards me and extended a hand: "Junior Sister Xiao Yao, I can help you."

I looked at his outstretched hand and hesitated for a moment...

I took a deep breath and suppressed my surging emotions.

The surrounding laughter and doubts became a buzzing background noise. I felt as if I were in a vacuum, with only the Heavenly Array Record in my hand being real.

give up?

How can it be!

I, Xiao Yao, have never been one to give up easily.

I reopened the Heavenly Array Record, no longer fixated on understanding those tadpole-like characters, but instead started reading from the most basic array diagrams.

The Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, Yin and Yang, the arrangement of the array's core...

I quickly went through all the array formation knowledge I had ever learned in my mind, trying to find the connection point with the Heavenly Array Record.

The whispers around them gradually faded away, replaced by gasps of surprise.

They probably didn't expect that I could remain so calm under such pressure.

The smug look on Li Yunfei's face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of doubt.

He may not understand that I am not indifferent, but rather accumulating strength, waiting for the moment to break free from my cocoon and become a butterfly.

Time passed second by second, and my brain worked at lightning speed, like a sophisticated instrument, constantly analyzing, calculating, and deducing.

Suddenly, my gaze fell on a corner of the Heavenly Array Record, where there was an inconspicuous symbol that I had completely overlooked before.

This symbol...

A thought struck me, as if a bolt of lightning had ripped through the dark night sky, illuminating the path ahead.

I've seen this symbol in previous spirit arrays!

I quickly flipped through the Heavenly Array Record, marking all the places where this symbol had appeared and matching them one by one with the scenes in the previous spirit arrays.

A bold hypothesis gradually took shape in my mind, and my heart began to race.

If my guess is correct, then...

I looked up and saw that everyone around me was staring intently at me, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Li Yunfei couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Yao, what are you thinking about?" I smiled slightly and didn't answer. Instead, I turned my gaze to Elder Murong: "Elder, I need some materials..." Before I could finish speaking, I was interrupted by a deep voice.

"It seems Junior Sister Xiao Yao has found the key." Ghost Shadow had appeared beside me without me noticing, his voice tinged with amusement. "Just tell me what materials you need."

As I looked at the ghostly figure, a strange sense of trust suddenly welled up inside me.

I listed out all the materials I needed, and Ghost Shadow nodded slightly after hearing it: "Okay, I'll go prepare them now." After he finished speaking, he turned and left, and his figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.

I looked in the direction the ghostly figure had gone and wondered to myself: Who exactly is this ghostly figure?

Why would he help me?

I took a deep breath and began to deduce the new spirit array arrangement method I had outlined in my mind on the Heavenly Array Record.

Those originally obscure and difficult-to-understand words and patterns have now become clear in my eyes, like dancing musical notes playing an ancient melody.

I felt a powerful force surging within me, my mind was clearer than ever before, and my fingers moved swiftly across the pages, outlining one complex array after another.

The air around us seemed to freeze; everyone held their breath, staring intently at my every move.

The arrogance on Li Yunfei's face had vanished, replaced by shock and disbelief.

Su Yao's mouth dropped open, as if she had seen something unbelievable.

Even the usually serious Elder Murong showed a surprised expression at this moment.

"This...this...this is..." The array master's voice trembled, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "This is...a completely new method of setting up spirit arrays! Never before has anyone mentioned it!"

My heart was also filled with excitement and joy.

I made it!

I've actually discovered a completely new way to set up a spirit array!

This is not only an affirmation of me, but also the most powerful rebuttal to all those who doubted me!

I put down the Heavenly Array Record in my hand, looked around, and saw the shocked expressions on everyone's faces. A huge sense of accomplishment welled up in my heart.

"Xiao Yao, how... how did you do that?" Li Yunfei's voice trembled slightly, his eyes filled with resentment and jealousy.

I smiled slightly and did not answer his question.

"This...this is simply a miracle!" The array master walked excitedly to me, his eyes filled with admiration. "Xiao Yao, you are truly a genius! Your understanding of array formations has surpassed countless predecessors!"

Elder Murong also came over. He patted my shoulder and said earnestly, "Xiao Yao, you did a great job! You have made a tremendous contribution to our array world!"

I smiled modestly, but my heart was filled with pride.

"But..." the array master suddenly changed the subject, "Although you have discovered a new method for setting up spirit arrays, how will you apply this discovery to the actual breaking of spirit arrays?"

I looked at the Heavenly Array Record in my hand, a slight smile playing on my lips. "This..." I paused deliberately, then picked up an array plate and a few spirit stones...