After the battle outside the Scripture Pavilion, the atmosphere within the ruined sect gradually returned to normal.
The surviving cultivators scattered throughout the secret realm once more, each continuing their search for opportunities.
As for the Lin Family...
Their small group temporarily gathered together before deciding on their next course of action.
Lin Yan glanced at the rescued Lin Family disciples behind her.
Most of them were still shaken from nearly becoming bargaining chips.
Several carried minor injuries, while others had exhausted a large portion of their Spiritual Qi.
"I'll take them with me."
Her voice remained calm.
"The medicinal garden has already been searched thoroughly, but there are still many unexplored places."
"Keeping them together is safer."
Everyone nodded.
With Lin Yan personally leading them, few people within the secret realm would dare provoke the group.
After all, the scene outside the Scripture Pavilion had already spread throughout the ruins.
The genius of the Lin Family had become even more terrifying in everyone's eyes.
---
Lin Shou stretched his shoulders before speaking.
"I'm heading to the Life and Death Arena."
His eyes shone with anticipation.
"My Martial Intent still isn't stable enough."
"The arena should help polish it further."
Beside him, Qian Feng grinned.
"I'll go too."
"I've been stuck for a while."
"Maybe fighting those ancient projections will give me some inspiration."
Lin Shou nodded.
"Good."
"The two of us can compete and see who improves faster."
---
Lou Han looked toward Lin Xiaolu.
"What about us?"
Lin Xiaolu answered almost immediately.
"The Scripture Library."
"There are still countless damaged martial records."
"Even if most are incomplete, there may still be techniques worth studying."
Lou Han smiled.
"I was thinking the same."
Unlike ordinary cultivators, martial artists often benefited greatly from fragmented inheritances.
Even a few remaining lines from an ancient martial scripture could inspire entirely new ideas.
The two quickly departed together.
---
Soon...
Only Lin Sheng remained.
He lowered his head slightly.
The jade slip rested quietly within his palm.
Unlike everyone else's destinations...
His goal had been decided from the very beginning.
The Array Centre.
---
Several minutes later...
Lin Sheng once again arrived before the ancient building.
The surrounding formations still quietly operated.
Invisible barriers layered one over another.
Even Purple Palace cultivators would struggle to force their way inside.
Fortunately...
He slowly raised the Core Disciple jade slip.
The surrounding formations immediately reacted.
Countless runes emerged beneath his feet.
Instead of rejecting him...
The barriers opened one after another.
The passage leading toward the deepest part of the Array Centre gradually appeared.
Lin Sheng calmly walked forward.
The jade slip continuously emitted faint spiritual fluctuations.
Soon...
He arrived before an ancient stone door.
Unlike the previous entrances...
This one possessed no visible runes.
Only a single circular depression sat at its center.
The shape...
Matched the jade slip perfectly.
Without hesitation...
Lin Sheng placed the jade slip inside.
Click.
The entire Array Centre suddenly trembled.
Ancient formation lines spread across the walls.
Golden light illuminated the entire hall.
A dignified voice echoed throughout the chamber.
---
"Identity confirmed."
"Heaven Seal Gate..."
"Core Disciple Token recognized."
A brief silence followed.
Then...
The voice changed.
---
"True Disciple Trial..."
"...Commencing."
---
Lin Sheng's eyebrows rose slightly.
True Disciple?
Interesting...
He immediately recalled the hierarchy recorded within Qin Fenxing's memories.
Outer disciples.
Inner disciples.
Core disciples.
Then...
True disciples.
Core disciples represented the greatest geniuses among the younger generation.
Future elders.
Future hall masters.
Pill Hall.
Array Hall.
Law Enforcement Hall.
Each would eventually be managed by Core Disciples.
True disciples...
Were completely different.
There were only a handful within every generation.
Each one possessed the qualifications to inherit the position of Sect Master.
Only one would ultimately succeed.
Which also meant...
The knowledge hidden here exceeded ordinary Rank-4 formations.
It represented...
The true inheritance of Heaven Seal Gate.
Lin Sheng's eyes quietly brightened.
The stone door slowly opened.
Without hesitation...
He stepped inside.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold...
The surrounding scenery distorted violently.
Spatial fluctuations engulfed his body.
It resembled...
A miniature teleportation array.
The next instant—
His surroundings completely changed.
---
Lin Sheng now stood within a square chamber.
The room wasn't large.
Nor luxurious.
The walls were completely empty.
Only a stone platform stood in the center.
Resting atop the platform...
Were twelve array flags.
Each flag differed slightly.
Different runes.
Different colors.
Different spiritual fluctuations.
The ancient voice sounded once more.
---
"Trial One."
"Formation Fundamentals."
"To become a Grandmaster..."
"...one must first master the foundation."
"Arrange the twelve formation flags correctly."
"Construct a functioning formation."
---
The voice disappeared.
Silence returned.
Lin Sheng slowly approached the platform.
He picked up one of the flags.
Immediately...
The Chip began scanning.
---
Scanning...
Runic Analysis...
Material Analysis...
Formation Structure...
---
Streams of information flooded his vision.
The countless runes engraved upon the flag rapidly unfolded before him.
His perception field spread throughout the room.
Every single flag entered its detection range.
The Chip simultaneously analyzed all twelve.
Several seconds later...
The first conclusions appeared.
---
Formation Type Identified.
Attribute: Lightning.
Constellation-Based Array.
Twelve Celestial Positions Required.
---
Lin Sheng nodded slightly.
Just as expected.
Each flag represented one celestial constellation.
None could simply be placed randomly.
Each position influenced the flow of Spiritual Qi.
One incorrect placement...
Would collapse the entire formation.
Ordinary formation masters would likely spend hours deciphering the relationships.
Lin Sheng quietly stood still.
Within his mind...
The Chip rapidly simulated millions of possible arrangements.
Runes connected.
Separated.
Recombined.
Countless virtual formations appeared and vanished.
Finally...
A complete structure emerged.
---
Optimal Solution Found.
Success Probability: 100%.
---
Lin Sheng calmly moved.
One flag.
Then another.
His movements contained no hesitation whatsoever.
Each flag landed precisely upon its corresponding position.
The final flag gently touched the stone platform.
Buzz—
The entire room immediately lit up.
Lightning suddenly flowed between the twelve flags.
Blue arcs intertwined with astonishing precision.
The formation activated perfectly.
Not a single fluctuation escaped.
The ancient voice returned.
This time...
A trace of approval seemed hidden within its tone.
---
"Trial One..."
"...Passed."
"Proceeding to Trial Two."
---
Before Lin Sheng could observe the completed formation further...
Space around him twisted once again.
---------
Spatial fluctuations faded.
Lin Sheng slowly opened his eyes.
The second trial chamber was vastly different from the first.
Instead of an enclosed stone room...
He now stood before the entrance of a quiet cavern.
Ancient stone walls stretched deep into the mountain.
The air was cool and still.
Yet the moment he stepped inside...
His eyes narrowed slightly.
The entire cavern was filled with floating boulders.
Not ten.
Not twenty.
But ninety-nine.
Each boulder hovered silently in midair, rotating at an almost imperceptible speed.
Their sizes varied.
Some were no larger than a fist.
Others were several meters across.
Every single one bore intricate runes carved into its surface.
Ancient runes.
Formation runes.
Some glowed faintly.
Others had almost faded with time.
Despite their differences...
Lin Sheng immediately realized something.
None of the runes were complete.
Each boulder contained only fragments.
Some carried only several strokes.
Others contained dozens.
No single boulder formed a complete formation.
At that moment, the ancient voice echoed throughout the cavern.
---
"Trial Two."
"Comprehension."
"Technique may be taught."
"Experience may be accumulated."
"Resources may be gathered."
"But comprehension..."
"...belongs only to oneself."
The voice paused briefly.
---
"Before you lie ninety-nine fragments."
"Together..."
"...they form one complete Grandmaster Formation."
"Those of ordinary talent may freely observe every fragment."
"Those of exceptional talent..."
"...need only understand."
---
Silence returned.
Lin Sheng slowly looked around.
The ninety-nine stone fragments floated throughout the cave in seemingly chaotic positions.
Some rotated upside down.
Others were hidden behind larger rocks.
Several continuously changed orientation.
At first glance...
It looked like complete disorder.
But Lin Sheng knew...
Nothing inside a formation inheritance could truly be random.
Every position...
Every angle...
Every distance...
Held meaning.
He slowly exhaled.
Then spoke softly.
"Chip."
---
Task Creation Requested.
---
"Analyze all ninety-nine rune fragments."
"Construct the complete formation."
---
The blue interface immediately appeared before him.
---
Mission Created
Formation Reconstruction
Difficulty: Rank-4
Scanning Rune Fragments...
---
One after another...
Every floating boulder entered his perception field.
His Divine Sense spread throughout the cavern.
Combined with the Chip's computational ability...
Each rune was rapidly copied into the database.
Fragments...
Lines...
Angles...
Energy pathways...
Every tiny detail was faithfully recorded.
Several seconds later...
The first estimate appeared.
---
Estimated Reconstruction Time
2 Hours 13 Minutes
---
Lin Sheng frowned slightly.
Too slow.
The trial might not have an explicit time limit...
But he disliked wasting time.
He calmly spoke again.
"Increase computational output."
---
Energy Consumption Increase Requested
---
"Maximum safe level."
The Chip hesitated briefly before responding.
---
Warning
High Energy Consumption Mode
Processor Temperature Increasing
Core Energy Drain Significantly Elevated
Proceed?
---
Lin Sheng answered without hesitation.
"Proceed."
The interface immediately changed.
---
High Computation Mode Activated
Parallel Analysis Running
---
Instantly...
The speed of analysis multiplied several times.
Millions of possible rune combinations appeared simultaneously.
Countless incorrect possibilities were discarded almost instantly.
The cavern became completely silent.
Only Lin Sheng remained motionless.
His eyes quietly observed the floating stones.
Yet behind those calm eyes...
The Chip was performing calculations at terrifying speed.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Five minutes...
The projected formation gradually became clearer.
Rune after rune found its proper position.
Energy circuits connected perfectly.
Ancient formation nodes rapidly emerged.
The estimated completion time continued dropping.
---
Remaining Time
4 Minutes
---
The final missing runes were quickly identified.
The Chip immediately generated the completed blueprint.
---
Formation Reconstruction Complete
---
Lin Sheng smiled faintly.
Only ten minutes.
Compared to over two hours...
The improvement was astonishing though he felt his mental strength being drained.
Without delaying further...
He walked toward the empty stone platform positioned at the center of the cave.
Beside it rested a simple carving brush formed from condensed Spiritual Qi.
Lin Sheng picked it up.
Then...
Without consulting the floating stones again...
He began drawing.
Stroke after stroke appeared upon the platform.
His movements remained smooth.
Steady.
Confident.
Every rune connected perfectly with the next.
Spiritual Qi naturally flowed through the completed structure.
The surrounding ninety-nine boulders suddenly began vibrating.
As though resonating with the formation he had drawn.
Buzz—
The completed runic formation suddenly emitted brilliant golden light.
Every floating stone simultaneously shone.
One after another...
The rune fragments detached themselves from the surrounding boulders.
Like countless streams of light...
They merged into the formation Lin Sheng had reconstructed.
The completed Grandmaster array instantly burst into dazzling radiance.
The ancient voice returned.
This time...
Its tone clearly carried approval.
---
"Outstanding comprehension."
A brief pause followed.
---
"Trial Two..."
"...Passed."
"Congratulations."
---
Before Lin Sheng could inspect the completed Rank-4 formation further...
The cavern suddenly distorted.
Space folded inward once again.
Another teleportation formation activated beneath his feet.
The surroundings blurred.
The third trial...
Was about to begin.