Liu Jing quickly arrived, his face pale. “General.”
Xia Yan solemnly asked, “Who allowed him in there?”
Liu Jing was absolutely terrified. “It was this subordinate. Ah Qi has comprehended a sourcebox array, and this subordinate brought him here to examine the array. But I never even dreamed that he would walk straight in!”
Master Zan spoke up, furious, “Liu Jing, do you think that this array can be repaired by just anyone who’s comprehended a sourcebox array? My master, Master Deng Guo, arranged this array! To repair it, I’ve studied it for a decade! How old is that child? Do you really think that he can repair it? Let me tell you, everything will be fine as long as he doesn’t trigger the array, but the moment that happens, this array will most likely become far more complicated than before, and it will cost double to repair it.”
Xia Yan’s expression hardened, and he glanced over at Master Zan.
The Array Master suddenly felt a chill go down his back, and he stopped talking. He had been able to demand excessive amounts of compensation in an unscrupulous manner due to his status as an Array Master and the fact that his master was a Realm Array Master, but more importantly, it was because of General Xia Yan’s tolerance. If he became angry, Master Zan knew he might not be able to endure it.
Liu Jing anxiously stared into the array of cone-shaped sourceboxes.
Long Laogui had a strange expression on his face. He had actually been ignorant that there was an Array Master among his own clan’s juniors.
“Immediately clear the surrounding area,” Xia Yan ordered. Even though he was not a Lockbreaker himself, he still understood how complex sourcebox arrays were. It was impossible for even an experienced Lockbreaker to repair an unknown sourcebox array without first studying it for several years. This was why Xia Yan had continued to tolerate Master Zan, as he was the only person aside from Master Deng Guo who was capable of repairing the second array base’s defensive sourcebox array.
The general knew that he would have to once again increase the compensation that he gave to the Lockbreakers, which caused him to frown. That was even the best possible outcome, as the worst was the sourcebox array being severely damaged or Long Qi dying, which would spell no end of problems.
“Master Zan, please reach out to Master Deng Guo and ask him to come here,” Xia Yan said.
Master Zan’s face twisted. “General, my Master protects the array base, so it’s not convenient for him to move out.”
“Master Zan, please reach out to Master Deng Guo and ask him to come here.” Xia Yan repeated his request, but with an iron tone this time.
Master Zan gritted his teeth. Still, he did not dare disobey the command of the general of the second array base. He raised his hand and used his communication crystal to call his master.
***
In Lu Yin’s eyes, he was able to see every detail of the sourceboxes’ danger zones. His star energy control had already reached the Worldliness realm, and his domain was touching upon the spiritual manifestation realm. On top of that, he had also received Gu Yue’s journal that documented his understanding of sourcebox arrays. So, after just half an hour, Lu Yin had a clear picture of what needed to be done, and he started his repairs.
“Don’t move!” Master Zan immediately tried to stop Lu Yin.
Lu Yin reacted as though he could not hear the outside world, and his star energy transformed into several delicate silk threads that shot out. They latched onto five of the cone-shaped sourceboxes that he moved simultaneously. He shifted their positions, but his manipulation calmed the sourceboxes’ danger fields. After that, Lu Yin moved again.
After another half an hour passed, Master Zan stared at Lu Yin in utter shock. By now, all of the cone-shaped sourceboxes were standing upright, and everything appeared to be perfectly calm. Even people who were not Lockbreakers could see that the damaged array was in much better visual shape than it had been before.
Master Zan stared at Lu Yin’s relaxed face. The older Array Master felt as though his entire understanding of the world was being overturned. How could this be possible? How could this person repair the sourcebox array by just shifting and turning the sourceboxes around? What did that say of Master Zan’s years of study?
Xiao Li was also stunned; how could this person remain so relaxed? Not even Master Zan was capable of being so calm.
Xia Yan and Long Laogui glanced at each other. Neither of them was able to hide the hint of joy from appearing in their eyes. They then both looked back at Lu Yin as though seeing a precious treasure.
It was at this moment that the void distorted, and an old man slowly emerged. He had a ruddy complexion and gray hair, but despite his evident age, he appeared to be very energetic.
At the old man’s appearance, even Xia Yan and Long Laogui stepped forward to greet the man. This new arrival was Master Deng Guo, a Realm Array Master. He was also an Envoy who had survived three stellular tribulations; the combination of his cultivation and sourcebox arrays meant that even a powerhouse who had survived five tribulations might not be able to take on this old man.
“Master,” Master Zan nervously greeted the old man.
Master Deng Guo clasped his hands behind his back and turned to examine Lu Yin, who was still in the middle of the sourcebox array. The Realm Array Master admired the youth. “He is very young, but his understanding of Lockbreaking is unique. He’s reached the Worldliness realm of star energy control, and on top of that, he’s supplementing it with his domain and other items. Even when this old man was his age, I could not come close to his abilities. general, can you tell this old man who that child is?”
Xia Yan opened his mouth, but no sound came from it. Instead, he sent a sound transmission to Master Deng Guo alone.
Master Deng Guo was surprised by the information. “That’s quite a coincidence. Those people only know how to arrest people. What a pity that a Lockbreaker ended up within their numbers.”
The old man then looked over at Long Laogui with a smile. “Congratulations.”
Long Laogui eagerly asked, “Does Master Deng Guo intend to accept another disciple?”
Master Zan’s expression instantly changed.
However, Master Deng Guo had a different reaction to the question. He seemed to consider it, and he thoughtfully looked back at Lu Yin. “This child has a unique sensitivity for lockbreaking, as without that, it would be impossible for him to understand this sourcebox array so quickly. He absolutely qualifies to become this old man’s disciple.”
Long Laogui laughed. No matter what complications might exist in their relationship, Long Qi was still a member of the White Dragon Clan, which meant that his prospects reflected upon the clan. The interest of a Realm Array Master was enough to completely change Long Laogui’s feelings towards Long Qi. If this child received instructions from Master Deng Guo, then he would not be treated as an ordinary member of the White Dragon Clan.
“Master, that kid is too bold and reckless! He rushed straight into the sourcebox array! If he had triggered it, he could have killed many people,” Master Zan quickly spoke up, hoping to dissuade his master from accepting Lu Yin as a disciple. What status would Master Zan be left with if that happened?
Master Zan knew that Master Deng Guo hated reckless people the most.
Master Deng Guo responded in a casual tone, “If you had done the same, it would have been reckless. However, he did it out of confidence.”
Master Zan hung his head, his face twisting into an even uglier expression. When he next looked up at Lu Yin, the Array Master’s eyes contained a terrible chill.
Inside the sourcebox array, Lu Yin was unaware of what was happening outside. Instead, he was completely focused on fixing the sourceboxes’ chaotic danger fields. Finally, after two hours or work, all the cone-shaped sourceboxes automatically buried themselves back into the ground. The array had been restored to its original state.
Xia Yan’s eyes finally relaxed, and he looked at Lu Yin with open admiration. He had never expected Qing Chen to send such a talented person here. If not for the mission that he had been given by Humility’s Gate, Xia Yan would have wanted to keep Long Qi behind at headquarters and stop him from risking his life. It was not worth it to let someone this talented fight on the battlefield.
Long Laogui stared at Lu Yin with gentle eyes that seemed to radiate encouragement.
When Lu Yin saw the old man, he had to wonder if the man had turned silly.
Out of everyone present, Liu Jing was the happiest. Brother Ah Qi had lived up to his expectations and actually repaired the sourcebox array! Liu Jing was blown away.
Xia Yan glanced over at Liu Jing. The Envoy quickly said something to Lu Yin, and the youth stepped forward. “Subordinate Ah Qi greets General Xia, Senior Long, and Master Deng Guo.”
Xia Yan felt satisfied. “Ah Qi, have you repaired the sourcebox array?”
“Yes, this subordinate was able to see that the sourcebox array was damaged, and I was bold enough to attempt to repair it. I ask for the general to deliver my punishment.”
“Haha, you repaired the sourcebox array, so what is there to punish? Not only is there nothing to punish, but you also deserve credit for your accomplishment.” Xia Yan was very happy at this moment.
Long Laogui was still smiling, and he asked, “Ah Qi, have you heard of Master Deng Guo before?”
Of course I haven’t heard of him, Lu Yin internally thought, though he did not dare to say such a thing out loud. Instead, he replied with a voice that was full of admiration and respect, as well as a hint of longing. “I’ve heard that Master Deng Guo is one of the most respected senior Lockbreakers. He is like a mountain that this junior aspires towards as a goal.”
Lu Yin’s reasoning was that, since this man was referred to as a master and was also standing in front of Master Zan, he clearly was not an ordinary Lockbreaker.
Master Deng Guo was quite happy with Lu Yin’s response, and he spoke up, “Is your name Ah Qi?”
Lu Yin quickly offered the old man a respectful bow. “Yes.”
Master Deng Guo nodded. “How many sourcebox arrays have you comprehended?”
“Two,” Lu Yin answered. Back at the Sword Monument, he had only revealed the Channeling Diagram, but during a later battle, he had also revealed the Teleportation Formation. He still had not revealed the Inception Array, so there was no need to mention it. He would only reveal that one in a terrifying situation.
Master Zan was shocked. How had this child actually mastered two sourcebox arrays?
Master Deng Guo was also stunned. “Could you demonstrate them for me to see?”
Lu Yin nodded and raised a hand to bring out the Channeling Diagram.
Master Deng Guo studied it and was amazed. “Ingenious. It takes advantage of a sourcebox’s danger field to create a dispersion array to redirect an enemy’s attack. While this sourcebox array is not particularly complicated, its usefulness in a battle is easily seen.”
Lu Yin then used the Teleportation Formation.
This time, Master Deng Guo was taken aback. “So it’s actually this sourcebox array!? Where did you learn this?”
“This junior obtained both of my sourcebox arrays from the Sword Monument,” Lu Yin replied. He became a bit nervous after Master Deng Guo actually recognized the Teleportation Formation.
Master Deng Guo muttered, “The Sword Monument holds it as well? I do remember hearing that sourcebox arrays can be obtained from the Sword Monument.”
After a moment, he refocused on Lu Yin. “Ah Qi, do you have a Lockbreaker master?”
Lu Yin shook his head. He was being honest, as he did not have a Lockbreaker master, and he also did not want one. After all, he did not see the need. If he really needed to find an expert who could guide his lockbreaking path, then Highsage Grandmaster was the most suitable option. However, only the disciples of Eversky Island could receive such guidance from Highsage Grandmaster, and Lu Yin did not have that status. Mister Mu was Lu Yin’s sole master, and he would not accept any other person as his master.
Master Deng Guo smiled. “In that case, are you willing to learn from this old man? Of course, you cannot immediately become a disciple. This old man will need to first evaluate your personality. If you prove suitable, then this old man will accept you as one of my disciples. How about it?”
Long Laogui was overjoyed. This was already a done deal!
Lu Yin was unconcerned with Master Deng Guo and his offer, but he needed to maintain his alias, so his expression became sincere. “This junior will work hard to become master’s disciple as soon as possible.”
Master Deng Guo was happy with this response, though Master Zan went pale and silently ground his teeth.
Master Deng Guo left a short while later, and he took Master Zan with him.
Long Laogui spoke highly encouraging words to Lu Yin, and he acted much more amiable towards the youth now. He made it clear that he had completely forgotten about the matter of what Lu Yin had done at the Cloud Shuttle.
Lu Yin could only act grateful towards the old man.
One by one, everyone left, and Xia Yan took his leave as well. Before leaving, he reminded Lu Yin to get a better protective item. Without any hesitation, Lu Yin leaped at the opportunity. “General, this subordinate had a question regarding that. Might I be able to ask the general for help?”
Xia Yan casually replied, “What’s the matter? We’ll take care of it.”
He was still thrilled to not have been exploited by Master Zan, as he had suffered a huge loss over the years due to the sourcebox array’s repair cost. Naturally, Lu Yin had instantly become indispensable.
Lu Yin explained, “This subordinates wished to trade for the Cloudguard Robes, but they were reserved by General Bai Chi. Thus, this subordinate would like to ask the general for help.”
Xia Yan frowned. “Reserved? Is that Bai Chi is trying to set something aside for his family again? Come with me.”
With that, Xia Yan led Lu Yin to the bottom of the headquarters to speak with the old woman again.
