Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Meanwhile, at the main peak of the formation.

There was no bustling human voice or strong medicinal fragrance here, only the faint "sizzling" sound of countless runes flashing in the air and the faint sound of wind generated by the flow of spiritual energy.

Zhao Qingyan hovered in mid-air in the center of the array pavilion, her eyes closed, a point of spiritual light shining brightly between her brows, closely connected to the huge array compass that covered the entire pavilion beneath her feet.

Countless strands of spiritual energy, as thin as hair, extended from the compass, connecting with the hundreds of constantly evolving and combining array runes on the four walls.

What she was simulating was not an offensive or defensive array, but a small, mobile "short-range directional teleportation array"! This was the key to breaking the blockade and enabling trade within the secret realm!

Elder Han Lin sat to the side, holding a jade slip, and from time to time entered data about the stability of spatial nodes and the compression ratio of spiritual energy into the compass.

"Qingyan, the spiritual energy fluctuations at the third node of the southwest 'Kun' position are too intense. Is this due to insufficient purity of the 'Void Stone' powder?" Han Lin said in a deep voice.

A glint of light flashed in Zhao Qingyan's eyes, and a cluster of runes in the corresponding area immediately lit up, displaying unstable ripples. She lightly tapped her fingertip, injecting a purer stream of spiritual energy, while her divine sense, like a thread, probed deep into the node.

"This is the place. The powder refined from the 'Void Stone' by-product mineral has many impurities, causing unstable spatial coordinate anchoring. It needs to be purified a second time with 'Flowing Cloud Pattern' and then reinforced with 'Solidifying Yuan Talisman' to strengthen the node structure. Elder Han, please help me retrieve one tael of 'Star Sand' and five mace of 'Mithril' from our inventory."

"Okay!" Han Lin immediately took out the corresponding materials from the storage bag beside him and used his spiritual power to deliver them to Zhao Qingyan.

Zhao Qingyan's hands moved like butterflies flitting among flowers, rapidly forming hand seals. Under her exquisite control, the stardust and mithril melted and stretched, transforming into delicate lines that shimmered with starlight and silver light, precisely imprinting themselves on the damaged spot.

After a moment, the unstable ripples gradually subsided, and the node light became stable and soft.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg of the massive teleportation array. Constructing a stable spatial channel involves countless precise calculations and material handling; the slightest error could lead to teleportation failure or even spatial collapse.

In the past, such profound formations were beyond the reach of Foundation Establishment cultivators, but Zhao Qingyan, who possessed the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body" and the Flowing Cloud True Person's formation inheritance, unleashed astonishing potential under the pressure of the sect's survival.

"Senior Sister Qingyan, the spiritual energy of the warning array eye in the northeast 'Gen' position is overloaded. Should we adjust the output?" a disciple from the array hall asked loudly.

"Reduce output by 20%, connect to the 'Gui Water' array pattern for diversion and buffering, and simultaneously activate the backup 'Geng Metal' node to provide structural support." Zhao Qingyan didn't even turn her head; her divine sense had already swept towards another area that needed fine-tuning.

The entire array pavilion resembled a finely crafted brain. Zhao Qingyan's face was somewhat pale, clearly indicating a significant depletion of her spiritual energy, but her eyes grew increasingly bright. Under this extreme pressure, her understanding of spatial arrays was improving at an unprecedented rate.

"Perhaps... give me another three months, and the first experimental 'Secret Realm Teleportation Array' can be initially completed..." A thought flashed through her mind, but her hands did not stop moving at all.

Just as Li Xiaocao and Zhao Qingyan were leading the Dantang and Zhentang to charge against the technological barrier, Shen Mo's plan also pointed in a bolder direction.

Inside the main hall of the sect leader, Shen Mo and Su Xiao sat facing each other. On the stone table in the middle, a scroll of shimmering light was laid out, which was the fragment of the "Map of the Secret Realm" obtained from the core of the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm.

On the map, in addition to the already explored areas such as "Flowing Clouds", "Golden Stone Forest" and "Raging Waves", there are large areas of unknown territory shrouded in mist and outlined only with dotted lines. A faint arrow of spiritual light points to the edge of the map and disappears into the void.

"Junior Sister Xiao, has the news about the 'Inter-Domain Secret Realm Node' been confirmed with Chen Hao of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion?" Shen Mo asked in a deep voice.

Su Xiao nodded solemnly: "It's confirmed. Chen Hao used the highest level of intelligence network, and combined with the clues on the map of the secret realm, it can be basically confirmed that there is an extremely unstable edge node deep in the 'Shattered Star Sea' in the far west of the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm, which is suspected to be connected to the 'Wanji Ice Plains' in the northern part of the Eastern Wilderness."

There were scattered records in ancient books, referring to it as the "Ice Cloud Ancient Road", but it has long been lost to history and no one has set foot on it for hundreds of years.

She paused, then continued, "Chen Hao stated that if this point can be stabilized and a secret trade route can be established, its value would be immeasurable! The Northern Region of the Eastern Wilderness is rich in materials with cold and soul attributes, which are precisely the resources that our sect urgently needs but which are scarce in the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness!"

"Our red copper and elixirs are also in high demand in the north. More importantly, this route completely avoids the sphere of influence of the Blazing Sun Sect!"

A glint of light flashed in Shen Mo's eyes: "What are the risks?"

"Extremely large!" Su Xiao's expression was solemn. "First of all, the nodes are extremely unstable and require everyone in the array formation to stabilize them. Moreover, the number of people and the amount of supplies that can be used each time are limited. Secondly, the Shattered Star Sea has a harsh environment, with numerous spatial rifts and unknown ferocious beasts lurking in it."

"Furthermore, the situation on the Desolate Ice Plains is unclear; it's uncertain whether it's a forbidden zone or if another force is involved. Finally, although this information is confidential, it's hard to guarantee that other forces don't know about it, and if it leaks, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Shen Mo remained silent for a moment, then gently tapped the dotted line with his finger: "Risk and opportunity coexist. Since the Blazing Sun Sect has blocked my land route, I will find another way and traverse this secret realm! This matter will be classified as a top secret of the sect, codenamed 'Cloud Shuttle'."

He looked at Su Xiao: "You will personally take charge of liaising with Chen Hao, and at all costs, acquire all ancient books and intelligence related to the 'Shattered Star Sea,' the 'Ten Thousand Silence Ice Plains,' and the spatial nodes. As for Qingyan, I will have her prioritize stabilizing the spatial nodes."

"Furthermore, have Shi Tie select ten of the most elite, reliable disciples from the Battle Hall, skilled in stealth and survival, to begin extreme environment adaptation training, serving as the vanguard for exploring the 'Cloud Shuttle' route!"

"Yes, Senior Brother Sect Leader!" Su Xiao responded sternly, knowing full well that this matter concerned the very lifeline of the sect.

Just as the Qingyun Sect was racking their brains to break the blockade, the ongoing war in the outside world also brought an unexpected "influx of talent".

The southwestern corner of the Black Wind Mountains is relatively safer than the surrounding area due to the existence of the Qingyun Sect (Black Stone Village, Shadow Moon Valley), which has gradually attracted some rogue cultivators and small families who lost their support in the war to come and seek refuge.

Some were traveling with their families, weary from their journeys; others possessed extraordinary skills but had no way to serve others; and still others were ordinary cultivators struggling to survive in the chaos of the world, yearning for a place to settle down and make a living.

The Qingyun Sect demonstrated both high vigilance and strong inclusiveness in the face of this influx of people.

Outside Black Stone Village, a simple yet heavily guarded "Welcoming Camp" has been set up. All those who come to seek refuge must register here, undergo questioning, and be initially screened.

The camp manager was Zhou Yuan, a skilled and experienced disciple of Elder Han Lin.