Gabriel had finally finished his training with his three senior sisters.
His arms were sore from hours of sword practice with Seraphina, his legs ached from Kaelira's sparring session, and Liora had insisted that he drink a medicinal recovery tea before allowing him to leave the training grounds.
Gabriel was exhausted.
But he was happy.
He thought he was finally finished for the day.
Then a familiar voice entered his mind.
Gabriel, come to my residence.
Gabriel immediately recognized it.
"Master?"
It was his master Alana.
He quickly said goodbye to his senior sisters and made his way toward his master's residence.
When Gabriel arrived, he found her sitting in her study drinking tea.
She looked toward him.
"Come sit."
Gabriel sat across from her.
"Afternoon master, may I asked why you summoned me."
Alana smiled.
"I called you because your cultivation has reached a point where I believe you should begin learning another important discipline."
Gabriel became curious.
"What discipline is that master?"
"Array formations."
Gabriel tilted his head.
"What's that master?"
Alana didn't answer and just waved her hand. A series of glowing symbols appeared in the air. Lines connected the symbols, forming a complicated geometric pattern.
"This is an array formation."
Gabriel stared at it with sparkling like toddler with candy.
Alana chuckled at his expression.
"Array Formation is divided into 9 ranks, rank 1 being the lowest and rank 9 being the highest."
She continues.
"An array is a structured arrangement of spiritual energy, symbols, materials, and sometimes natural terrain. When properly constructed, and arranged it can produce effects far beyond what an individual cultivator could accomplish alone."
Gabriel's eyes widened.
"So they're like spells?"
"Not exactly."
Alana shook her head.
"A technique is generally activated through the cultivator's own spiritual power. An array uses a structure to guide, store, amplify, restrict, conceal, or manipulate spiritual energy."
She moved her finger through the air.
The glowing array symbols shifted from.
"Arrays can be used for protection, concealment, trapping enemies, gathering spiritual energy, communicating across distances, sensing intruders, and many other purposes."
Gabriel became increasingly interested.
"Can I learn this?"
"That is precisely why I called you."
Alana looked at him seriously.
"You will eventually leave have to the sect to go on missions and gain experience."
Gabriel nodded.
"Yes, Master."
"When you begin traveling through the outside world, your cultivation will not always be enough to protect you."
Gabriel's expression became serious.
"Even if I become stronger?"
"Even then."
Alana's gaze became distant.
"The world outside the sect is dangerous. You may encounter cultivators stronger than yourself, powerful beasts, ancient ruins, poisonous environments, hostile sects, bandits, and countless other dangers."
She looked back at Gabriel.
"I want you to have another method of protecting yourself."
Gabriel nodded.
_________________________
Celestial Array Hall
The residence stands on its own mountain peak deep within the Inner Mountain of the sect, far from ordinary disciples. The entire mountain belongs to Great Elder Alana.
At the summit sits an enormous ancient jade-and-blackstone estate, surrounded by several layers of defensive formations. From a distance, countless golden runes can be seen drifting through the air around the mountain like stars.
The Main Areas
Heavenly Rune Hall, The central building where Elder that study ancient array inscriptions and instruct disciples on formations.
Grand Inscription Chamber, A massive underground chamber containing enormous stone platforms covered in rune patterns. Powerful inscriptions can be tested here without damaging the surrounding mountain.
Ten Thousand array Library, A sealed library containing countless jade slips, ancient rune manuals, incomplete inscriptions, and forbidden rune records.
Heavenly Ink Pavilion, A workshop containing spiritual inks, rune brushes, jade tablets, spirit beast blood, rare minerals and ore's, formation flags and other inscription materials.
Array Disciple Courtyard, A collection of smaller courtyards where the disciples and trusted attendants reside.
Spirit Herb Garden, Contains spiritual plants used to manufacture special inscription inks.
Meditation Pavilion, Located at the highest point of the peak, where the deciples cultivate while surrounded by concentrated spiritual energy.
Ancient Rune Pagoda, A seven-story pagoda containing the most valuable array and rune creations and ancient inheritances.
The Great Elder's Private Pavilion, stood at the highest point behind the palace stands a small three-story pavilion. It is somewhat smaller than the other buildings. This is where Great Elder Alana her 4 direct disciples live and cultivation.
Alana gave Gabriel access to the ten thousand array library and heavenly ink pavilion.
Under her authority, he was permitted to retrieve introductory array manuals along with practice materials.
Gabriel spent the rest of the afternoon gathering everything he needed.
His first manual was called The Fundamentals of Array Formations.The second was One Hundred Basic Rank-One Arrays.The third was a handwritten collection of notes from Alana herself titled An Array Master's First Principles.
Gabriel also received several stacks of blank formation papers, bottles of low-grade spiritual ink, formation pens, small spirit stones, blank formation disks, and formation flags. He carefully arranged everything on a table.
Alana watched him.
"Before you begin, there is something you must understand."
Gabriel looked up.
"Arrays are not simply drawings."
She pointed toward the manual.
"Every line has meaning. Every symbol has a purpose. Every connection between formation points affects the flow of spiritual energy."
She picked up a formation pen.
"If one line is slightly misplaced, the array may weaken."
She moved the pen by the width of a fingernail.
"If the error is greater, the formation will fail completely."
Gabriel swallowed.
"And if I make a really big mistake?"
Alana gave him a serious look.
"the formation won't work, because the errors are that significant."
Gabriel nodded carefully.
"So I need to be precise."
"Extremely precise, because one mistake is all is need to lose your life." Said Alana.
Gabriel decided to enter seclusion.
For the next six months, he would focus almost entirely on learning and practicing Rank-One formations.
Alana personally prepared a secluded cultivation room for him. It was a simple stone chamber beneath one of the sect's mountains. The walls were covered with basic formations designed to prevent spiritual disturbances from entering..
Before entering, Gabriel looked at Alana.
"Master, what should I accomplish during these six months?"
Alana smiled.
"I don't expect you to become a formation grandmaster in six months."
Gabriel nodded.
"Then what should I do?"
"Study."
She raised one finger. "Understand formation theory."
A second finger. "Learn to draw formation patterns."
A third finger. "Learn to establish formation nodes."
A fourth finger. "And most importantly, learn how to activate and maintain a formation."
Gabriel nodded seriously.
"I'll do my best."
"I know."
The stone door closed.
Gabriel's six-month seclusion began.