153: Chapter 153 The Price of the Spirit Array

[ Current 4-star talent probability: 10%, 5-star talent probability: 1%. Consume Spirit Crystals to increase the probability of drawing a 5-star talent? ]

The familiar talent wheel slowly unfolded in his sea of consciousness, five-colored light circulating.

Chen Yuan stared at the wheel, his fingers tapping gently against his knee.

Spirit Crystal balance: 73,400.

" Max it out. "

Chen Yuan did not hesitate.

60,000 Spirit Crystals for a 50% 5-star probability; all-in.

The goals for this simulation were Guixu, the Nine-Layer Seal, the Grave Keeper, the array base tree, and his mother's whereabouts.

None of the goals were simple.

Without a heaven-defying talent as a foundation, it would be pure suicide.

[ Ding! 60,000 Spirit Crystals consumed. 5-star talent draw probability is now: 50%! ]

[ Drawing simulation talents for the host... ]

[ Obtained 5-star talent, All-Aspects Guixu: Your analysis speed for "Spatial Seals," "Array Nodes," and "Law Barriers" is increased tenfold. Upon entering an unknown seal structure, you automatically obtain a structural snapshot of that layer. ]

" ... "

Chen Yuan froze for two seconds, then sat up abruptly.

" Holy crap, I got a gold! "

This talent was tailor-made for Guixu.

Hitting a 5-star at 50% probability—his luck was off the charts.

" I'm invincible. "

Chen Yuan took a deep breath and began selecting the talents to carry.

[ Given that the host's cultivation has reached Early True Immortal, the maximum limit for carrying talents is 12. Please make your selection. ]

[ 1-star talent: Alchemy Talent. ]

[ 2-star talents: Innate Sword Spirit Root, Alchemy Technique, Sword Heart Clarity. ]

[ 3-star talents: Array Prodigy, Gamblers Coin, Fond of Teaching, Spiritual Sense Induction. ]

[ 4-star talents: Pupil of Supreme Knowledge, Spirit Plant Master, Myriad Laws Return to One. ]

[ 5-star talents: Child of Destiny, Perfect Great Dao Body, Born to be King, All-Aspects Guixu. ]

Chen Yuan scanned the list and quickly made his choices.

All 5-star talents: Born to be King, Perfect Great Dao Body, Child of Destiny, All-Aspects Guixu.

Three 4-star talents: Pupil of Supreme Knowledge, Myriad Laws Return to One, and swapping Spirit Plant Master for Sword Heart Clarity.

3-star talents: Array Prodigy, Spiritual Sense Induction, Gamblers Coin.

2-star talent: Innate Sword Spirit Root.

1-star slot left empty; 1-star talents were meaningless to Chen Yuan now.

" Start simulation. "

[ Talents selected successfully! Simulation starting. ]

[ You are Chen Yuan, 25 years old, Early True Immortal. ]

[ You are sitting in your cave abode in Tiannan City, a map of the Upper Realm spread out in your hands. ]

[ Guixu, deep in the East Sea, 60,000 li away from Tiannan City. ]

[ You do not set off immediately. ]

[ The previous four simulations told you that being reckless is the stupidest option. ]

[ Before truly embarking on the road to Guixu, you need three things: accomplishments as an Array Master, an endorsement from your father's former subordinates, and a dharma treasure capable of crossing the East Sea's forbidden zone. ]

[ You continue to take jobs from the Tiannan Immortal King in your capacity as a Ninth-Rank Array Master. ]

[ Within three months, you repaired seven hidden flaws in the core defensive array of Tiannan City and re-laid a Ninth-Rank Array for the Tiannan Immortal King. In exchange, you received 150,000 Spirit Crystals and an unspoken favor from the Tiannan Immortal King. ]

[ However, you notice that Guan Qingqing has been acting abnormally recently. ]

[ You know it is caused by the Array Spirit hidden within her, but since the Array Spirit will not come out, you have no way to contact it proactively. ]

[ Soon, the opportunity arrives. ]

[ One night, while meditating, Guan Qingqing suddenly vomits blood and falls unconscious. When you arrive, you sense an unfamiliar divine sense slowly awakening in her sea of consciousness. ]

[ Ancient, majestic, and carrying the weariness of ten thousand years. ]

[ That divine sense speaks. ]

[ " Old man... has been waiting for you for a long time, kid. " ]

[ You are speechless; this Array Spirit is actually putting on airs with you. ]

[ However, you decide to play along, immediately responding with your divine sense: Who are you? ]

[ That divine sense condenses into a blurry phantom of an old man in Guan Qingqing's sea of consciousness. He wears a green robe, with illegible runes embroidered on his cuffs. ]

[ " This old man is named Shu. One of the nine Array Spirits of the Guixu Guardian Array. " ]

[ " Ten thousand years ago, the array collapsed, and we were scattered. A wisp of this old man's remnant soul drifted into the mortal world, lodging within the bloodline of this child's ancestors, passed down through generations until today. " ]

[ " Until you came. " ]

[ You ask him why it had to be you. ]

[ Shu laughs. ]

[ " Because you understand 'Ten Thousand Arrays Return to One'. " ]

[ " You think that is a technique? A Dao you deduced yourself? " ]

[ " No. That is 'authority.' The recognition and submission of the origin of arrays in a region of heaven and earth. When this old man laid down the Guixu Guardian Array, I sowed the basic framework of this authority along the paths of certain destined individuals. " ]

[ " That you have reached this step is no accident. " ]

[ Shu does not give you much time to think. He states his price directly. ]

[ " This old man can lend you my remaining origin to help you step into the rank of Array Master within three days. " ]

[ " The price is—after entering Guixu, you must return this old man's origin to the 'array base tree'. " ]

[ You ask him why he doesn't go himself. ]

[ " This old man only has a wisp of remnant soul left; if I leave this child's bloodline, I will dissipate. You are the only one who can take me home. " ]

[ Shu pauses, then adds a sentence. ]

[ " Your father also sought this old man out back then. " ]

[ " He left too hastily and did not wait for this day. " ]

Chen Yuan's heart tightens abruptly.

[ You are silent for a few moments, then speak: I agree. ]

[ Shu's phantom nods: Three days from now, find an absolutely quiet secret realm, and this old man will infuse your soul with the origin authority. ]

[ " But you must remember—authority is poison. If you indulge in it, you will no longer be yourself, merely an empty shell running the array. " ]

[ " If your soul is not resilient enough, even this old man cannot save you. " ]

[ Shu's phantom dissipates. Guan Qingqing slowly wakes up, with no memory of what just happened. ]

[ You settle her down and turn to walk out of the cave abode. ]

[ You take a deep breath and turn to walk toward the Tiannan Immortal King's City Lord Mansion. ]

[ You need to borrow a secret realm. ]

[ Three days later, the Array Spirit Shu will infuse the origin authority from ten thousand years ago into your soul. ]

[ You will either become an Array Master. ]

[ Or, you will become an empty shell. ]

[ Three days later. ]

[ You are sitting in the depths of the "Xuanming Secret Realm" provided by the Tiannan Immortal King. ]

[ The spiritual energy in the secret realm is so dense it is almost liquefied; every wisp of spiritual power in the air carries the pure aura of the heaven and earth origin. ]

[ This is the Tiannan Immortal King's prized possession, which he usually cannot even bear to enter himself. ]

[ You lay down a Nine-Layer God-Sealing Array in the center of the secret realm, embedding 801 Spirit Crystals into the array eye, isolating a radius of one hundred li into an independent space. ]

[ You have brought Guan Qingqing with you, and she sits cross-legged opposite you. At this moment, her eyes are tightly closed, and that ancient divine sense in her sea of consciousness has awakened. ]

[ " Are you ready? " ]

[ Shu's voice comes from Guan Qingqing's mouth, old and steady. ]

[ Shu does not waste words. A cyan radiance shoots out from between Guan Qingqing's brows, instantly boring into your own. ]

[ Your soul is "dragged" out. ]

[ It is not a physical separation, but your consciousness being forcibly dragged into a boundless space. ]