I am in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have a demonic beast clone!

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Chapter Fifty-Three: Introduction to Array Formation! Magic Weapon Successfully Forged!

For convenience, Zhou Ding stayed at Tianxingzong Market.

He found a quiet inn near the western part of the market and rented a superior room.

The price wasn't high; one spirit stone was enough to stay for two months, which was practically nothing to him now that he was quite wealthy.

After settling down, Zhou Ding's life became regular and fulfilling.

Every morning, he would meditate and cultivate for an hour in his inn room, circulating the true essence of the fourth level of the "Azure Origin Sword Technique" several times to stabilize his realm.

Afterwards, he got up and went to the bamboo forest on the edge of the western district, where he spent most of the day in Xin Ruyin's courtyard, studying the art of formations.

After returning to the inn in the afternoon, he would spend an hour organizing what he had learned that day, noting down the parts he didn't understand so he could ask about them the next day.

In the evening, they would stroll around the market, either buying materials needed for alchemy and array formation, or listening to the idle chatter of the rogue cultivators to learn about the latest developments in the cultivation world of Yuanwu Kingdom.

Of course, the most important thing.

Every day, he would spare a sliver of his mind to silently monitor the activities of the Xu family's weapon-refining workshop through Xiao Jin's Earth Listening Technique.

Shopkeeper Xu indeed stayed in the shop obediently, spending his days refining weapons and occasionally going out to buy materials, never leaving the market.

The five magical artifacts, crafted from materials from the black dragon, were slowly taking shape in his furnace.

Zhou Ding felt relieved and devoted all his energy to learning the formation.

……

A small courtyard in a bamboo grove.

This quiet courtyard has almost become Zhou Ding's second home.

Every day at noon, he would appear at the gate of the courtyard on time and gently knock on the door.

The maid Xiaomei would greet him with a smile, usher him into the courtyard, sit him down in the pavilion, and serve him a cup of tea.

Xin Ruyin always came out to see him after her afternoon nap.

Her health was indeed poor; she could only be awake for a few hours each day and needed to rest in bed most of the time.

But in just a few hours, her explanation of the Dao of Confrontation was enough to benefit Zhou Ding for an entire day.

"Young Master Zhou has come again today?"

Xiao Mei walked over with a teacup, her bright black eyes curiously scrutinizing Zhou Ding: "You're always so punctual. You're the most diligent person to come and learn formations from my young lady."

Zhou Ding took the teacup and smiled slightly: "Miss Xin's mastery of array formations is profound. It is my honor to receive her guidance."

Xiao Mei blinked, leaned closer, and lowered her voice, asking, "Young Master Zhou, where are you from?"

"The State of Yue," Zhou Ding replied.

"The Yue Kingdom?" Xiao Mei tilted her head. "So, are you a rogue cultivator or a cultivator from a sect?"

Just as Zhou Ding was about to answer, a clear but slightly weak voice came from inside the room.

"Xiaomei, don't be silly."

The bamboo curtain was lifted, and Xin Ruyin walked out slowly. Today she was wearing a light blue dress, her long hair was simply tied back, her face was still pale, but her clear, watery eyes were exceptionally bright.

She walked into the pavilion, sat down opposite Zhou Ding, and bowed slightly: "I'm sorry to have troubled you to wait for me, Young Master Zhou."

Zhou Ding waved his hand: "It's alright, I just arrived early."

Xin Ruyin nodded, her gaze falling on the array diagram spread out on the stone table, which contained several questions left behind by Zhou Ding before he left yesterday.

"Let's begin."

……

For the next hour, only the low, focused voices of the two people talking could be heard in the pavilion.

"Regarding the question about the 'Five Elements Formation' base arrangement that Young Master Zhou asked about yesterday, Ruyin has thought about it carefully and feels that we can approach it from another angle..."

Xin Ruyin's voice was soft and clear. As she spoke, she used her slender fingers to gently trace the complex array on the stone table, drawing it stroke by stroke.

Zhou Ding listened attentively, occasionally raising his own questions.

Most of the time, it was Xin Ruyin who was explaining and elaborating.

She seemed to be born for array formations; those obscure and difficult principles of array formations became clear and simple in her words.

She could often cite classical texts, from ancient battle formations to the principles of the Five Elements, and her solutions always gave Zhou Ding a sense of sudden enlightenment.

Occasionally, Zhou Ding would also put forward some ideas that he had figured out himself.

Some of these come from records in the "Qingyang Array Manual," while others come from the mindset of a previous life as an Earthling.

Whenever this happened, Xin Ruyin would pause slightly, a look of interest appearing in her eyes.

She pondered for a moment, and then analyzed, supplemented, and improved these ideas from the perspective of array formations.

This kind of communication is enjoyable for both of them.

While Zhou Ding certainly gained a great deal, Xin Ruyin was also able to gain some inspiration from these novel perspectives.

Time flew by as we focused on our conversation.

Xiaomei quietly changed the tea several times and then quietly withdrew, not wanting to disturb the two of them.

As the sun began to set outside the window, Xin Ruyin lowered her fingers, which were outlining the array, and gently exhaled.

"It's getting late, let's call it a day."

Zhou Ding was startled and looked up at the window. Sure enough, it was already evening.

He then realized with a start that he had unknowingly sat there for the entire afternoon.

Over the past two months, many of his accumulated doubts have been cleared up by Xin Ruyin's explanations.

He had spent a year diligently studying the "Qingyang Formation Manual," and his foundation was quite solid.

Now that these questions have been answered one by one, he has finally truly entered the realm of array formations.

The feeling was like pushing open a tightly closed door, revealing a bright and new world waiting for him to explore.

Xin Ruyin smiled slightly, said nothing, and simply nodded.

Xiao Mei skipped over and waved to Zhou Ding, "Young Master Zhou, come again tomorrow!"

Zhou Ding smiled and agreed, then turned and left.

As Zhou Ding walked out of the bamboo forest, he looked back at the simple courtyard hidden among the green bamboo.

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The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the bamboo leaves, giving them a faint golden hue.

In the courtyard, the slender figure could still be vaguely seen sitting in the pavilion, seemingly gazing out the window in a daze.

A complex mix of emotions welled up in Zhou Ding's heart.

Xin Ruyin, this extraordinary woman of exceptional talent and yet with a tragic fate, truly deserves our respect for her wisdom and ability.

pity……

She possesses the "Dragon's Roar Body," a rare congenital incurable disease.

This condition endowed her with extraordinary comprehension of array formations, but it also destined her to have a short life.

In the original story, she ultimately could not escape the fate of dying young.

Zhou Ding withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

……

The two weeks flew by in a flurry of activity as I diligently studied the formations.

On this day, Zhou Ding, as usual, spared a sliver of his attention to investigate the activities of the Xu family's weapon-refining workshop.

According to the feedback from the Earth Listening Technique, the fluctuations in Xu's weapon refining over the past few days have subsided.

"That should be about right."

Zhou Ding put away the array diagram, got up and left the inn, heading towards the Xu family's weapon-refining workshop.

……

Inside the quiet room of the Xu family's weapon-refining workshop.

As Zhou Ding pushed open the door, he saw Shopkeeper Xu sitting upright, looking exhausted with heavy eye bags, clearly having stayed up many nights in a row.

But he was unusually excited, and his eyes gleamed with undisguised pride.

On the table in front of him, five magical artifacts, each with a faint spiritual light and a unique shape, were neatly arranged.

"Guest, I have not failed you!"

Shopkeeper Xu stood up, his voice hoarse yet brimming with barely suppressed excitement, "Please look, these five magical artifacts are all made primarily from the best parts of the Ink Dragon's body. They are all top-tier magical artifacts, and two of them are even considered masterpieces!"

Zhou Ding's gaze swept over the five magical artifacts on the table, and he was also delighted.

He stepped forward and examined each item carefully.

The first item is a pair of bizarrely shaped weapons.

It is about a foot and a half long, dark gold in color, and shaped like an enlarged dragon's claw, curved like a hook, with a cold and dazzling light at the tip.

The surface of its claws is faintly visible with fine scales. When held in the hand, it feels heavy and exudes a fierce aura.

"This is a 'mistaken victory'."

Shop owner Xu explained, "These claws were forged using a pair of sharp claws from a black dragon as the main material. Not only are they incredibly sharp, capable of easily tearing apart defensive magic weapons of the same level, but they also possess the immense power of a dragon when wielded, making them incomparably mighty."

Zhou Ding nodded.

The second item was a fist-sized, light blue brocade pouch that resembled neither cloth nor gauze. A faint red glow emanated from its surface, and it emitted a subtle, sweet, fishy odor.

"This is 'Azure Flame Miasma'," Shopkeeper Xu said. "It is made primarily from the eyes of the Ink Dragon and its remaining elixir, combined with several poisonous substances such as 'Miasma Cloud Silk' and 'Corrosive Poison Wood Heart'. When activated, it can instantly release a large area of ​​dense, azure-red poisonous mist. This mist not only contains potent poison that can corrode magical artifacts and dissolve spiritual power, but it also has the effect of confusing divine sense and concealing one's form, making it a combination of attack, defense, and support."

Zhou Ding's eyes lit up.

This thing is really insidious.

The third item was a small, round shield, about the size of a palm, pure white, with clearly defined scales. A slightly raised dragon scale was inlaid in the center of the shield, radiating a spiritual light and exuding a sense of resilience and weight.

"White Scale Shield," Shopkeeper Xu said. "It is made primarily from the toughest dorsal scales of the Ink Dragon, and repeatedly forged using the Hundred Refinement Method. Once activated, it can release layers upon layers of defensive light screens, providing extremely excellent defense, and also offering additional resistance to water and ice spells."

Zhou Ding picked up the white-scaled shield and flicked it lightly, the shield surface making a dull, soft sound.

He nodded in satisfaction.

The fourth item was a small white boat, about an inch long, with a smooth, streamlined shape. The hull was faintly outlined with dragon fin patterns, its lines beautiful, as if it were about to take off with the wind at any moment.

"Divine Wind Boat".

Shopkeeper Xu spoke with a hint of pride, "It's crafted primarily from the fins and tail of a black dragon, with the addition of 'ethereal wood' and 'wind-breath stone.' When infused with magical power, it can grow to over ten feet in size, and its flight speed far surpasses that of ordinary flying magical artifacts. If fully activated, it can travel a thousand miles in a single day!"

Zhou Ding's heart stirred.

While the Cloud-Stepping Boots are excellent, they are primarily used for maneuvering and dodging in combat, and are somewhat inadequate for long-distance travel. This Divine Wind Boat perfectly makes up for this shortcoming.

The last item was placed separately in a jade box by the shop owner, Xu.

Zhou Ding opened the jade box, inside which lay a three-inch-long, jet-black, unicorn-shaped object with a sharp tip.

It was the form that the black dragon's single horn had been refined into.

Unlike the other four magical artifacts, the aura of this Ink Dragon Cone is extremely subtle; its existence is almost imperceptible unless one senses it carefully.

But the moment Zhou Ding probed with his divine sense, he felt a violent, suppressed power, like that of a volcano, lying dormant beneath that thin shell, ready to erupt at any moment.

"Senior, this item... I don't know whether to call it a success or a regret." Shopkeeper Xu sighed, his expression complex. "The dragon essence contained within this horn is far too domineering and violent. I exerted all my strength, but I could only barely stabilize its form and refine it into this... Ink Dragon Cone!"

He paused, then smiled wryly, "This object has an extremely unstable structure; it's more like a one-time-use 'self-destruct magic weapon.' Once activated, regardless of whether it hits a target, it will instantly release the terrifying energy compressed within it. Its power is enough to instantly destroy the defenses of a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator wearing a high-quality defensive magic weapon!"

Zhou Ding picked up the section of the ink dragon cone; it felt heavy and cold to the touch.

A one-time self-destructing magical artifact.

Its power is enough to severely injure someone in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

In crucial moments, it can turn the tide of battle!

He smiled slightly and put away all the magical artifacts.

"Thank you for your hard work, Shopkeeper Xu." Zhou Ding looked up with a sincere smile on his face. "I am very satisfied with these five magical artifacts."

He took out the spirit stones he had prepared beforehand from his storage bag and pushed them in front of Shopkeeper Xu.

This is the agreed-upon refining fee, plus a generous reward.

Shopkeeper Xu couldn't refuse, and gratefully accepted the gift, repeatedly saying, "Senior, if you ever need materials to craft magical artifacts again, or if your friends have any needs, please be sure to come back and patronize my shop!"

Zhou Ding nodded and turned to leave.