Morning arrived, soft and golden.
After days of relentless effort, she had finally reached the rank of Apprentice. Not bad for someone who had never dared to dream of cultivating arrays. I stood in front of her, arms crossed, my gaze calm yet proud.
"The system truly has a good eye for disciples," I murmured to myself, before reaching out to gently pat her head, the way a master would acknowledge his most promising student.
"Hmm. Good," I said softly.
A shy smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded, her usual alertness giving way to a moment of vulnerability.
She felt... strange. Complex emotions swirled inside her chest. Surprise, pride, disbelief.
She never expected to be talented in the Array Path. To her, that realm was something reserved for geniuses—noble-born cultivators, prodigies with ancient bloodlines, or those with unique physiques. Not a servant girl like herself.
Array Alchemists and Talisman Masters were notoriously rare. Sometimes, they were even harder to find than cultivators with high-tier spiritual roots. In some sects, they were valued more than someone with a special physique.
And yet, here she was. Smugness flickered in her eyes before she quickly shook her head, banishing the feeling. She was still an apprentice, after all. No room for arrogance.
I let my hand fall from her head and spoke again in a composed tone, "I'll be heading out for a while. If you need help, your senior sister can assist you with your cultivation or you could practices array"
While I had provided her with the basics, the truth was—I didn't actually possess any profound array formation techniques.
But that would change soon.
A sly smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I already had a plan. I'd "acquire" high-grade or maybe even Earth ranked
array techniques one way or another—from high-ranking clans who couldn't afford to offend someone like me.
After all, who would dare deny someone who carried the terrifying aura of a Divinity Transformation Realm cultivator?
And even if something went wrong, I wasn't worried. I had a flute—no ordinary instrument, but one imbued with a life-saving Dragon Enough to escape even if surrounded by enemies.
Satisfied with my plan, I turned to her one last time.
"I'll be gone for a few days. Inform your senior sister. And keep practicing."
She nodded again, graceful as a swan, her obedience almost amusing.
I smiled faintly, then launched into the sky, vanishing into the blue.
---
The journey was long.
I flew across countless provinces, scanning for high-scale clans. Not sects—they were too formal and too strong but clans, where inheritance was guarded fiercely, and treasures hidden well.
I refused to waste my time on mid-scale clans like the Lu Clan, whose array techniques were undoubtedly trash.
Hours turned to a day. Then finally, something promising appeared on the horizon. A large village—no, perhaps a small city.
The words etched into the grand archway made me pause.
"Azure Fang Clan."
A fitting name.
I descended slowly, like an immortal descending from the heavens. I took each step with measured calm, my robes flowing like clouds around me.
Unsurprisingly, guards appeared. Foundation Establishment stage. Weak—but not useless.
They tried to block my path, spears crossed.
Before they could say a word, I released a hint of my Divinity Transformation Aura.
The effect was immediate.
Their eyes widened. Goosebumps rose on their skin as they bowed low, trembling.
"M-My apologies, Senior," one of them stammered. "May we ask the reason for your visit?"
They were terrified—and rightly so. A Divinity Transformation cultivator could destroy an entire clan if offended. If I clashed with their Clan Head, even if they won, the aftermath would reduce them to a mere mid-scale or even low-ranking clan.
I let my cold gaze rest on them for a moment longer, then said, "Bring me your Clan Head."
They nodded and rushed off like frightened rabbits.
---
A few minutes later, she arrived.
The air shifted. Her aura was unmistakable—also at the Divinity Transformation Realm.
She was stunning. Elegant and regal, with short, silky black hair and an elaborate robe embroidered with flowers and moons. Her presence comparable of Bai Lianhua, and that was no light comparison.
Her beauty was not the soft, delicate kind. It was sharp—refined. Dangerous.
I hid my surprise behind an expression of detached calm. I had expected someone powerful, but not... like this.
She approached and offered a nod, her voice smooth, almost flirtatious.
"Fellow Daoist, may I know the reason for your visit?"
I returned her gaze, unwavering. "Let's talk in private," I said coolly.
The surrounding crowd was tense, waiting for a possible battle between two Divinity Transformation titans.
But instead, the two of us rose into the air and disappeared into the estate.
She led me to an ornate building, filled with delicate decorations and the scent of incense. We sat across from each other on plush sofas.
Then, I made my move.
"Give me your three best array formation techniques," I said simply, my tone sincere yet commanding.
Her eyes twitched. I could see the annoyance behind her perfectly controlled smile. Intimidating her for manuals? She probably expected a formal negotiation, not brute pressure.
Still, she replied smoothly, "Hmm... I can provide one. But the price may be quite steep, Fellow Daoist."
Before she could say more, I flicked my wrist and revealed a single Tenth-Tier Pill, gleaming with dense energy.
She froze.
Her words caught in her throat as she stared at the pill. That was no ordinary treasure—it could easily buy entire cultivation legacies.
I didn't flinch. I remained calm and quiet, letting her imagination do the work.
What kind of cultivator trades tenth-tier pills like pocket change?
Her demeanor shifted instantly.
A smile curled on her lips—one too sly, too alluring.
"Fellow Daoist is indeed... well-connected. I'll fetch the manuals immediately."
With a snap of her fingers, a shadowy figure appeared from the corner. I barely held back a smirk. So she had someone spying on us? As expected of a Clan Head. She probably assumed I had noticed them all along—after all, we were at the same level.
A minute later, she handed me three scrolls—each glowing faintly with old, sealed energy.
I opened them briefly, just enough to scan the core techniques.
They were genuine.
I tossed her the tenth-tier pill casually, like it meant nothing.
My tone was now relaxed, yet full of hidden promise.
"I hope this marks the start of a fruitful cooperation. Perhaps... next time, I'll offer a twelfth-tier pill."
Her breath hitched. A twelfth-tier pill? Her clan only had access to the eleventh at most.
She smiled again, this time with real warmth. Or perhaps hunger.
"I look forward to your return, Fellow Daoist," she said, her voice soft, eyes gleaming with seduction.
I rose slowly, my gaze cold again.
Staying here too long might be dangerous. I could feel it—her interest wasn't just professional anymore.
But that's fine.
Let her wonder who I really was. Let her think I had a bottomless well of treasures and secrets.
That mystery... was my greatest weapon.