Volume One: A Beauty’s Bane Chapter 33: Arranging the Spirit Array

"I must become stronger! Only then can I return to the Central Province soon and avenge my father!"

At this moment, Jiang Hao had transformed his grief into strength. He sat motionless on a meditation cushion, the surroundings silent, with only the burning determination in his heart fueling him.

He slowly closed his eyes, swiftly channeling his spiritual energy. His palm hovered in the air, his fingertips trembling slightly. As he focused his intent, spiritual power surged within him like a clear, flowing stream of boundless energy.

Jiang Hao felt the spiritual energy gathering within his body, gradually converging toward his palm...

As the energy accumulated, a faint radiance began to permeate the air. A vague outline gradually emerged in the center of his palm, resembling the shadow of the moon at the first light of dawn.

It was a spirit talisman, containing infinite power and wisdom, slowly taking shape...

Jiang Hao's heartbeat quickened. He watched the talisman in his palm with intense focus; as the spiritual energy continued to pour in, the outline of the talisman became increasingly distinct. Its glow, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, was brilliant, dazzling, and intoxicating.

Jiang Hao’s fingers moved gently. Every stroke of the talisman was infused with his heart's blood and expectations, as if an artist were delicately sketching on canvas.

"Success!"

With the final syllable, the talisman burst into dazzling radiance in Jiang Hao's palm, like a brilliant star instantly illuminating the entire room.

A powerful surge of spiritual energy emanated outward. A look of joy appeared on Jiang Hao's face, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

At this moment, what Jiang Hao felt was not just the formation of a spirit talisman, but the firm conviction and pursuit within his own heart.

Jiang Hao gently opened his hand. The talisman hovered in the air, emitting a warm glow like a seed of hope, quietly waiting for him to explore and pursue it further.

"A three-talisman spirit array requires the successful condensation of three talismans, and I have only managed the first one so far. It is far from enough!"

With that, Jiang Hao's gaze grew even more determined, and he resolved to put his all into condensing the second talisman.

For a spirit array master, the number of talismans one can condense is a key indicator of their rank. For example, if a master successfully condenses one talisman and arranges it into an array, they are known as a first-talisman array master.

By extension, to successfully set up a three-talisman array, one must first condense three talismans and link them together.

Jiang Hao closed his eyes again, his spiritual energy circulating within. However, as the second talisman began to condense, an unprecedented wave of exhaustion washed over him, as if his body were trapped under an invisible weight.

"Hang in there!" Jiang Hao endured the discomfort, continuing to channel his energy and struggling to gather it once more.

Gradually, the depletion of his spiritual energy hit him like a tidal wave, causing a wave of dizziness. The surrounding air seemed to grow thin, and his vision began to blur.

"No! I must not give up here!" Jiang Hao encouraged himself internally, but his body began to sway, and his consciousness faded, as if he were about to fall into an endless abyss of darkness.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a crisp, cold voice rang out by his ear: "Kid! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Master..." Feng Ling'er's voice, like the first ray of dawn, pierced through the fog in Jiang Hao's consciousness.

Immediately after, Feng Ling'er's hand, light as a feather, swiftly grasped Jiang Hao's wrist. Warm spiritual energy flooded into his body like a gushing spring, washing away the fatigue and weakness.

Jiang Hao felt a powerful force gradually pulling him back from his stupor, as if he were enveloped in warm sunlight, and the despair in his heart dissipated.

"Do you even know what you're capable of?" Feng Ling'er scolded before Jiang Hao could even speak.

Her voice was icy, yet a flicker of hidden concern flashed through her eyes before vanishing instantly.

"Master, I just wanted to become stronger as quickly as possible." Jiang Hao slowly opened his eyes, feeling the strength returning to his body, and a mix of gratitude and guilt welled up inside him.

"Hmph? Who doesn't want to become stronger? But cultivation requires moderation! If you can't even protect your own life, how can you talk about revenge?"

"Do you think a three-talisman array is that easy to set up?"

"Right now, you are only at the early stage of the Spirit Spring Realm, yet you dare to attempt a three-talisman array all at once! Even cultivators in the Spirit Sea Realm wouldn't dare try that so easily!"

"It was hard enough for this Princess to find a disciple, and here you are trying to cultivate yourself to death!" Feng Ling'er scolded coldly, as if venting her pent-up frustration.

Hearing this, Jiang Hao took a deep breath, steadied himself, and looked at Feng Ling'er with firm eyes, reflecting sincerely: "Master, I was wrong! I will never be so reckless again!"

"It's just... Master, I didn't know that setting up a spirit array would be this difficult!" Jiang Hao scratched his head, looking aggrieved.

"Nonsense!" Feng Ling'er said coldly.

Once her mood had settled, Feng Ling'er began to console him: "However, for your first attempt at a three-talisman array, the fact that you managed to condense one talisman is actually not a bad result."

Jiang Hao was slightly taken aback, wondering, "Master, you aren't just saying that to comfort me, are you?"

"Hmph! I don't have the leisure to coddle you; I'm simply stating the truth. Take it or leave it." Feng Ling'er cast a cold glance at him.

"Master's temper is really... I wonder what kind of man could ever put up with her in the future," Jiang Hao thought to himself.

"Kid, what were you thinking just now?" Seeing Jiang Hao distracted, Feng Ling'er's gaze turned sharp and piercing.

"Ah! Nothing... Master, I wasn't thinking about anything!" Jiang Hao waved his hands in a panic, his tone betraying his nervousness as he tried to hide his thoughts.

Feng Ling'er nodded slightly, her expression softening as she realized it was time to teach Jiang Hao the techniques for setting up spirit arrays.

She walked to an open area in the room and lightly traced her fingertip across the floor, leaving a faint trail of light that looked like morning dew sliding off a blade of grass.

"A spirit array is a method of converging the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Only by mastering its essence can you use it with ease." Feng Ling'er's voice was like a gentle breeze, carrying a mysterious charm.

Jiang Hao watched intently, full of anticipation. He saw his master begin to draw complex talismans on the floor, the lines intersecting like a vast and intricate sea of stars. Every stroke contained profound logic, as if telling the secrets of the universe.

"First, you must understand the composition of a spirit array." Feng Ling'er pointed to the talismans on the ground, her voice clear and firm. "Each talisman has its own unique attributes and meaning. Only by combining them skillfully can you form a powerful array."

Jiang Hao nodded, memorizing it in his heart. Feng Ling'er continued the demonstration; spiritual energy flowed through her hands, and before Jiang Hao could react, three talismans had been successfully condensed.

With a flick of her wrist, Feng Ling'er linked the three talismans. They began to glow, and the surrounding air seemed to thicken due to the formation of the array.

Each of her movements was fluid, elegant, and firm. In just a few moments, she had successfully set up a three-talisman array.

"Now, you try." Feng Ling'er turned around, her eyes burning like torches as she watched Jiang Hao.

"What a powerful array!" Jiang Hao felt a shock in his heart. He mustered his courage, walked to the open space, raised his hand, and felt the spiritual energy surge within him.

Jiang Hao closed his eyes, trying to deeply imprint his master's teachings into his heart.

As the energy flowed, his fingers traced across the floor, struggling to draw a talisman. However, as it was his first attempt, his technique was stiff, and the light of the talisman flickered unsteadily.

Feng Ling'er frowned slightly, then offered an encouraging look: "Relax your mind, feel the flow of spiritual energy, and keep a clear image of the rune in your heart."

Jiang Hao took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. He silently repeated the structure of the array, and his movements grew firmer. As the spiritual energy gathered, the talisman began to show a clear outline, and its glow became brighter.

This time, the speed at which Jiang Hao condensed the talisman was clearly much faster than when he was alone earlier.

"Very good, continue!" Feng Ling'er's voice was like the morning sun, warm and firm, encouraging Jiang Hao to move forward.

"The second talisman..." Jiang Hao swallowed two spirit pills he had prepared beforehand, then focused his entire being on continuing to condense the talismans.