After finishing her one-sided beating of Tang Yan, Zi Yun's figure flickered and vanished from the first floor.

Tang Yan grimaced as he pushed himself up, rubbing a sore spot on his waist.

Limping over to the wooden tub Zi Yun had used for bathing, he peered at his reflection in the water. He could clearly see his face was already a patchwork of purple and blue bruises.

He let out a helpless, bitter laugh. After accidentally catching her changing clothes that morning and then walking in on her bathing just now, he considered himself lucky to not have been beaten to death.

Tang Yan knew well enough that most of his injuries were superficial. The only truly heavy blow was the final kick she had delivered in her blushing fury.

"Well, since she already beat me, I should be allowed to keep staying here, right?" He sighed, taking out a porcelain bottle. He smeared some medicinal ointment over his wounds, then sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.

The next morning, as the first ray of dawn pierced the lingering darkness, Tang Yan slowly opened his eyes.

A faint, deep blue light flashed through his pupils. Sensing the surge of Spiritual Qi within his body, a satisfied smile touched his lips.

Cultivating within the Nine Nether Fire Sea truly yielded twice the results with half the effort.

After throwing on fresh clothes, Tang Yan stepped out into the small courtyard and ran through the Six Extreme Forms. Once enough time had passed, he made his way toward the Array Pavilion.

By the time he arrived, Elder Zhen was already waiting.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting, Elder Zhen," Tang Yan said hurriedly, stepping forward to bow.

"No matter, your timing is just right." Elder Zhen waved a hand with a faint smile. "Let us go to the back courtyard to practice."

He led Tang Yan through the main hall, and it did not take long before they reached an open clearing in the back courtyard.

"Condense some Array Points and show me," Elder Zhen instructed.

Tang Yan did as instructed. True Qi circulated within his body, and nine Array Points manifested without warning, floating quietly before him.

Elder Zhen's brow twitched involuntarily. This little fellow could actually manifest nine Array Points simultaneously?

Taking a deep breath, Elder Zhen finally asked, "Have you ever studied Array-Martial Arts before?"

"No," Tang Yan replied, shaking his head.

"Then today, I will teach you how to set up a Formation. Array Points are the foundation of Array-Martial Arts. Merely condensing them only counts as reaching the Novice stage. To manifest a Formation with true killing power, you need an Array-Martial Diagram."

"An Array-Martial Diagram?" A hint of confusion flickered in Tang Yan's eyes.

"An Array-Martial Diagram acts as the guiding trajectory for your Array Points. Only by arranging them according to specific heavenly laws can you activate the points and unleash their power.

Every Array-Martial Diagram is profoundly exquisite.

I will demonstrate the Array-Martial Diagram I used last night. Watch closely how I lay out the array."

With that, eight Array Points suddenly materialized in midair before Elder Zhen, rapidly swirling into motion. As the Array Points traced out precise trajectories, the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth abruptly surged toward the Formation, and a razor-sharp aura burst outward.

"Ding, ding, ding..." Just like the day before, sharp blades condensed from Spiritual Qi rained down from above, striking the ground with a series of crisp chimes.

Although the blades dissipated into nothingness upon impact, the deep gouges left in the earth proved that the destructive display was no mere illusion.

Tang Yan could not help but click his tongue in awe at the sheer destructive power. Elder Zhen had clearly shown mercy the day before. Had he gone all out, even a mere first-rank Spirit Formation would have been more than enough to make Tang Yan suffer.

"This Formation is known as 'Rain Blades.' Once you lock onto your target, it will unleash its assault. Furthermore, it only requires eight Array Points, making it perfectly suited for your current cultivation," Elder Zhen explained.

Tang Yan was overjoyed. Ever since witnessing the terrifying might of Array-Martial Arts yesterday, he had been completely enamored. He asked eagerly, "When may I begin practicing?"

"Right now." Elder Zhen did not hold back, flicking his wrist as a scroll flew out from his storage ring. "Study it closely. If you have any questions, ask me at once. Only when you have truly mastered this Formation should you return the scroll."

"Thank you, Elder Zhen." Tang Yan reached out to catch the Array-Martial Diagram. Unrolling it, he quickly realized that the dense records within were obscure, profound, and incredibly difficult to decipher.

It took a full half-hour before Tang Yan firmly committed the entire Array-Martial Diagram to memory.

Having thoroughly digested the instructions detailed on the diagram, he carefully rolled the scroll back up.

"What is it? Having trouble understanding?" Elder Zhen asked with a faint smile.

"Array-Martial Arts is truly profound. It opens up an entirely new world of the martial Dao.

Comprehending a first-rank Array-Martial Diagram is not too difficult, but laying it out leaves absolutely no room for error. This requires a deeply Proficient command over Array Points to accurately grasp the flow of power.

I wish to consolidate my foundation with the Array Points first.

Sharpening the axe does not delay chopping wood. If I forge a solid foundation now, applying it in battle will come far more naturally later," Tang Yan explained.

Elder Zhen no longer bothered to hide the deep admiration in his eyes. He let out a soft sigh. "To possess such profound insight at your age is truly rare.

However, no matter how extraordinary one's talent may be, it still requires bitter, unyielding practice to reach true heights. Remember never to slack off in your cultivation."

"Rest assured, Elder Zhen!"

Elder Zhen offered a few more words of guidance before stepping back to let Tang Yan practice on his own.

Tang Yan did not waste any words. Standing firmly in place, he extended his spiritual will to control his Array Points.

Streams of Array Points continuously materialized and vanished.

Appearing, disappearing.

Appearing again, only to instantly vanish once more...

Standing off to the side, Elder Zhen watched Tang Yan repeat this monotonous cycle over and over. A hint of confusion flickered in the old man's eyes.

Just what exactly was this little fellow trying to do?

The true method to temper one's foundation was to summon all the Array Points one could control and sustain them, pushing one's mastery of their manipulation to the absolute limit.

Yet, Elder Zhen did not rush to correct him. The path of cultivation was never entirely smooth; letting the boy suffer a few dead ends might actually temper his spirit.

Time slipped away, breath by breath. Half an hour, an hour, two hours, three hours...

"It has been so long, yet he still persists in this futile effort. Fine, I will give him a hint..." Seeing Tang Yan stubbornly repeating the exact same motion, Elder Zhen sighed. He was just about to speak up when, suddenly, an Array Point materialized abruptly before Tang Yan.

It appeared entirely without warning, manifesting as fast as a flash of lightning. Elder Zhen's half-lidded eyes suddenly went wide with a sharp light, his heart giving a violent lurch.

He fixed his undivided attention on Tang Yan. After watching the boy intently for several more seconds, Elder Zhen finally exhaled a long breath and slumped back into his wooden chair.

In that moment, Elder Zhen finally realized how wrong his assumptions had been.

Tang Yan's relentless, repetitive practice was not aimed at refining his sustained control over the Array Points. He was repeatedly drilling the absolute speed at which he could summon them!

With a mere thought, an Array Point appeared before Elder Zhen, vanishing a second later, only to reemerge...

Carefully comparing his own summoning speed against Tang Yan's, Elder Zhen swallowed hard. Though Tang Yan was currently slower, the elder knew with absolute certainty that as the boy's cultivation base grew, it was only a matter of time before that manifesting speed caught up to-and even surpassed-his own!

"A genius... truly a monstrous genius..." Elder Zhen murmured, sighing in endless admiration.

It was not until the sky began to darken that Tang Yan finally broke out of his deep trance.

Bidding his farewells to Elder Zhen, Tang Yan immediately hurried off toward the Nine Nether Fire Sea.

He had exhausted nearly all his Spiritual Qi during his grueling practice; this was the perfect opportunity to temper and replenish his reserves.

Stepping straight onto the third layer, Tang Yan submerged his consciousness into deep cultivation.

For the next two days, Tang Yan lived a rigid, unchanging routine between the Array Pavilion, the Nine Nether Fire Sea, and his dormitory.

On the third day, Tang Yan had just stepped out of the Array Pavilion and was making a swift beeline for the Nine Nether Fire Sea.

Under the relentless pressure of his continuous training, Tang Yan could feel the barrier to the next cultivation realm faintly beginning to loosen.

"Have you heard? Today, a kid from the East District named Du Shu was beaten half to death because of Tang Yan!"

Tang Yan was deep in thought regarding the formation of arrays when the drifting words suddenly caught his attention.