His breakthrough made Lin Wei infinitely more confident. He no longer felt exposed; he felt hidden behind a veil of immense, refined power.
In the Shadow Alley Market, he searched for something specific: Array Diagrams. Array Masters were rare and highly secretive. An Array Diagram could be reverse-engineered by the Void Eye into combat abilities.
He was led to a shadowy stall manned by a cloaked woman known only as 'The Weaver.' She was reputed to sell authentic, but highly unstable, rogue Array Diagrams.
Lin Wei spotted a roll of brittle parchment depicting a complex defensive circle. It was labeled 'Spirit-Binding Ward.'
"How much for this diagram?" Lin Wei asked, maintaining a calm, deep tone befitting a low-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Ten High-Grade Stones," The Weaver replied instantly, her voice dry and old. "And don't haggle. This is a genuine Fourth Grade Defensive Array, worth a fortune if you can stabilize it."
Lin Wei knew the price was outrageous. He also knew the diagram was genuine. He looked closer, using the Void Eye.
"Flawed Design. Missing core node sequence. Will result in critical backlash upon activation," the Edict noted.
Lin Wei smiled faintly beneath his hood. "The price is too high for a Fourth Grade Diagram that is only useful as kindling."
The Weaver's eyes narrowed. "You dare insult my wares, boy? I sense you just broke through to Foundation Establishment. Do not mistake a few months of power for true knowledge."
"The diagram," Lin Wei said calmly, pointing with a finger, "is missing the Sun-Moon Node Tie on the second sequence. Without it, the Qi will pool in the Void Aperture and explode outward, killing the user."
The Weaver gasped, snatching the parchment back. Her eyes, visible now, were wide with shock. This was an obscure, deadly flaw that only a true master—or someone with impossible insight—could perceive instantly.
"Who are you?" she hissed, abandoning her composure.
"A seeker of knowledge," Lin Wei replied. "I will not pay for kindling. But I will pay three High-Grade Stones for the right to study this flaw and correct it."
The Weaver stared at him, calculating. She saw a low-level Foundation Master, but one with terrifying insight. She realized she couldn't afford to make an enemy of him.
"Deal," she grated out, pushing the diagram toward him. "But only for three hours, and then you leave."
Lin Wei had secured his next cultivation resource: the flawed, but extremely complex, knowledge of an Array Formation.