I'll make you the furnace and the cauldron, so you can refine Yin and Yang and prove the Great

Elder Gong put down his teacup, his gaze lingering on Li Hanshan for a moment before shifting away. He rose and walked to the carefully hung array diagram, his fingertips slowly tracing one of the repeatedly drawn array lines. His voice was a few decibels lower than before: "However, since you have voluntarily revealed your cultivation level, this elder also has a question for you."

Li Hanshan stood three steps behind him: "Elder, please speak."

Elder Gong turned around, his lightning-like eyes now filled with a solemnity completely different from before: "The technique you used to repair those twelve array flags is one I have never seen before. It's not an array technique passed down by any sect in the Immortal Alliance. Where did you learn it?"

The air in the stone chamber fell silent for a moment. Shen Yun stood beside Li Hanshan and could feel that when Elder Gong asked the question, the tension that had been stretched to a certain point tightened even more.

Li Hanshan remained silent for a moment, then took out a scroll carefully wrapped in animal hide from his storage ring. The edges of the scroll were slightly curled from repeated reading, and the surface retained a warm luster from repeated handling. He took the scroll from his sleeve and presented it to Elder Gong with both hands: "Over the years, I have compiled some basic theories about ancient formations. Most of them are pieced together from various relics and fragments, while some are my own deductions. If Elder Gong does not mind, you may keep it for reference."

Elder Gong's gaze fell on the rolled-up animal-skin manuscript. He reached out and took it, opened it and flipped through a few pages. At first, his movements were just routine, but as he turned the third and fourth pages, his speed slowed down noticeably. His gaze lingered on a certain array pattern diagram for a long time, and his fingertips slowly moved along the carefully drawn arc.

He didn't speak immediately, but instead flipped through the scroll from beginning to end, then closed it, held it in his hand, and remained silent for a long time. Only the sound of the spiritual spring water and the subtle tinkling of the luminous pearl reflecting in the mist remained in the stone chamber, like amber soaked in time, freezing this moment in a warm and tranquil atmosphere.

"The reasoning behind the array patterns in this scroll," Elder Gong finally spoke, his voice lower than before, carrying a natural slowing tone from seeing something beyond expectations, "is almost identical to the original design concept of the Flowing Light Array. If I, the elder, were to personally deduce these processes, it would take at least decades to complete. How long did it take you?"

Li Hanshan answered truthfully, "It took me nearly fifty years. But I also drew upon some ancient texts."

Elder Gong's gaze lingered on his face for several moments before he solemnly tucked the rolled-up note into his sleeve: "I have noted what happened today. The Flowing Light Array will open again in about two years. If you still wish to enter then, I can reserve a spot for you. No merit points are required, no sect recommendation is needed, you just need to come."

Li Hanshan was slightly taken aback. Access to the core immortal island was always scarce within the Immortal Alliance; even Void Refinement cultivators needed to accumulate a large amount of merit to gain entry. Elder Gong's words carried more weight than the deacon token.

"However," Elder Gong changed the subject, his tone becoming more serious, "the Flowing Light Array needs a thorough inspection, and the spiritual energy circulation of the array flags also needs adjustment, so I can't let you stay any longer."

He paused, then lowered his voice further: "Moreover, the war against the Demonic Sect is about to begin. The tasks of the Array Formation Hall will increase significantly, requiring the deployment of numerous arrays and restrictions on the front lines. This is one of the reasons why I'm so eager for you to report to the Array Formation Hall. As a steward of the Array Formation Hall, you'll likely have to contribute a great deal."

When Li Hanshan heard the words "war against the Demonic Sect," his heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm as he asked, "May I ask, how does the Immortal Alliance plan to fight this time? Will it be a full-scale offensive, or will it first test the waters? I serve in the Array Hall, and if I have the opportunity to participate in the frontline deployment, I can make some preparations in advance."

Elder Gong remained silent for a moment, then picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "The specifics of how to fight are still under discussion above. I am only responsible for the deployment of the formation; tactical decisions are beyond my jurisdiction."

Li Hanshan understood. Although Elder Gong's trust in him had deepened considerably compared to the beginning, it hadn't yet reached the point where he was willing to lay out the entire military plan. He didn't press further, but simply nodded: "Disciple understands."

Elder Gong seemed to realize the boundaries he had crossed in his previous words. He glanced at Li Hanshan and added, "However, you can rest assured about one thing—the Array Hall's primary responsibility is setting up arrays and defense; you won't be sent to the front lines to fight. Once you arrive at the Array Hall, familiarize yourself with its structure and functional allocation. When the specific deployment plan is finalized, someone will naturally inform you of your tasks."

Li Hanshan clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "This disciple has remembered."

Elder Gong nodded, stood up, and walked to the twelve silver-white array flags in the center of the cave. He raised his hand and released a beam of silver-white spiritual light. The runes on the surface of the array flags lit up simultaneously, the light weaving into a fine net in the cave, like lamps being lit one by one. "The Flowing Light Array is about to close. You may all go out now. Once outside, those who need to undergo tribulation should do so, and those who need to complete the formalities should do so. Don't delay."

His words stirred something in Li Hanshan's heart—Elder Gong's statement that "those who should undergo tribulation should undergo tribulation" clearly referred to cultivators who had broken through to the Void Refinement stage, such as Lin Qingyin.

The tribulation after breaking through to the Void Refinement stage is shielded by the restrictions of the Flowing Light Array. Once outside the array's coverage area, the power of the Heavenly Dao will be released instantly, like a spring compressed to its limit.

The four of them did not linger any longer and returned to Cave No. 9.

The following morning, the pale golden light began to slowly fade from the direction of the central mountain range of the island. The restrictions on the cave dwellings that had been accelerated by the flow of time for fifteen years gradually dimmed, and the mist that had been rising from the spirit spring pool for fifteen years left a layer of fine watermarks on the stone walls.

At the entrance of Cave No. 9, Shen Yun had already changed into a clean outer robe. Shen Qingyue put the last few rolls of talisman paper into her storage bag. Lin Qingyin stood by the spirit spring pool, pressed her palm on the surface of the pool and then lifted it up, as if using the remaining coolness to bid a final farewell to this space.

As the four passed through the slowly dissipating barrier at the entrance of the cave and stepped onto the main bluestone path, the first true morning breeze blew in from the direction of the sea, carrying the salty, fishy smell of water and the crisp scent of grass and trees. That long-lost, primal touch, unfiltered by any array, made everyone slow their pace.

Shen Qingyue walked beside Li Hanshan, her voice light and cheerful, as if touched by the morning breeze: "Finally out. Although the spiritual energy inside the Flowing Light Array was abundant, after fifteen years, I felt like I had almost forgotten what the real wind tasted like."

Lin Qingyin walked at the back of the group, her aura of early-stage Void Refinement still not deliberately concealed, a layer of silvery-white halo flowing in the morning light. She paused as she stepped out of the cave's perimeter, looked up at the sky, and frowned slightly—the once clear sky was now visibly darkening.

Thick clouds surged and converged from all directions, their color changing from grayish-white to leaden gray, and then from leaden gray to a chilling dark purple. Fine golden arcs of electricity surged at their edges, like lit fuses weaving and running through the clouds.

The aura of heavenly might precisely locked onto Lin Qingyin's location, like an invisible mountain slowly taking shape above her head.

"It's a Heavenly Tribulation," Shen Yun said. "When a Void Refinement cultivator leaves the formation, a Heavenly Tribulation will be attracted. You broke through in the Flowing Light Formation, where that world was self-contained, and the Heavenly Dao Laws were mostly isolated by the Time Formation, so the Heavenly Tribulation was suppressed. Now that you've left the formation, it's naturally coming."

Lin Qingyin stood still, looking up at the rapidly gathering tribulation clouds, her expression calm and composed. She could feel the locking force of the Heavenly Dao, each strand carrying an unavoidable weight.

She turned to Li Hanshan: "I'll be right back. Husband, wait for me here. You don't need to lift a finger."

After she finished speaking, she transformed into a streak of silvery-white light and soared into the sky, heading towards the open sea surrounding the island. The tribulation clouds followed her closely as if drawn by a force, drawing a dark purple arc across the sky.

Her escape light stopped above the sea, and she turned to face the rapidly forming calamity cloud. The moment the first bolt of lightning struck, the entire sea area was illuminated, like a giant silver pillar piercing straight from the sky into the sea, forming a dazzling path between the clouds and the sea. Fine golden arcs of electricity shot out from the edges of the lightning, illuminating the seawater for thousands of miles around as if it were daytime.