Sage of Humanity

By the time Lu Ye reached the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, the Magic Cultivator Yooi whom he had previously injured had fallen into the midst of various Formations.

The massive wound across his chest and abdomen was hideous, his flesh turned inside out, the blood flowing incessantly.

Such an injury was very serious for a Level 6 magic cultivator like him, but it was not yet enough to make him despair.

Even though he was merely a magic cultivator, having reached this level of cultivation, his physical body was certainly not as formidable as that of physique or combat cultivators, but it was still far stronger than any ordinary person.

As long as he could properly heal and convalesce, he would eventually recover.

What drove him to despair was his current predicament.

Previously, Lu Ye had opened a safe passage with a single slash, which Yooi had fallen through into the Formation. Fearing Lu Ye's pursuit, he had scrambled forward as he landed and lost his way in his escape.

Despite being sure that he was not far from the safe passage, he was unable to discern its exact position.

Countless array cultivators from ancient times to the present have left various Formations here, and with the profound mysteries of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda overlaid, it had caused some peculiar and unknown changes to take place within these Formations.

If one didn't have sufficient expertise, falling into such a place meant there was no hope of leaving alive.

There was a dry skeleton next to him, not knowing how long it had been dead; its bones had become loose and would crumble upon touch. Looking at the skeleton, Magic Cultivator Yooi seemed to see his own impending doom.

Moreover, there was an immense danger looming around him. Although he could not discern much, he understood that he had likely fallen into an extremely dangerous Formation.

Frustration and regret churned in his heart. He could not comprehend how a Level 5 combat cultivator could burst forth with such power under a joint sneak attack from him and another Level 7 combat cultivator. His companion had been killed on the spot, and he himself had been forced into such a dire situation.

But no matter what, healing and recovering were the most important matters at the moment. Once his injuries stabilized, it wouldn't be too late to tackle the Formations here; there might still be a glimmer of hope.

However, before that, he needed to transmit the news that Lu Yiye had appeared at the Hundred Arrays Pagoda. How could he accept such a loss without retaliation?

He was not about to let Lu Yiye get away with it either!

Raising his hand, he touched the battlefield marking and sent out a message.

Outside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, Lu Ye looked up and counted, noticing that this pagoda, like the one at the Tianyan Sect, had thirty-three layers.

This meant that the final section of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda had thirty-four layers—the very topmost part. But to this day, no one knew where this part of the pagoda was located.

At the very bottom of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, there was an entrance. As Lu Ye watched, an array cultivator walked in with great enthusiasm, then disappeared without a trace.

Another array cultivator suddenly appeared in front of the entrance, his face deathly pale as though he had suffered a serious injury. His figure was unstable, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mist, falling to the ground, his life or death unknown.

Recognizing the cultivator, another cultivator cried out in shock and quickly went over to help him to the side and fed him an elixir pill for healing.

Challenging the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was very dangerous.

Having gone through the Hundred Arrays Pagoda in the Tianyan Sect, Lu Ye knew this all too clearly.

Each layer inside the tower had different tests, but in general, the challenges were of three types: array destruction, array setup, and array repair.

Array destruction involved breaking the Formations within the Hundred Arrays Pagoda.

Array setup required setting up a Formation that met the requirements presented by the pagoda.

As for array repair, it was an extension of array setup: an incomplete Formation would appear within the pagoda, or one that had flaws, and it was up to those who challenged the tower to repair it completely.

Don't think that array repair is an easy task, among array cultivators, there's a saying: "Better to set up ten arrays than repair one!"

That's because in setting up an array, one starts from scratch, with a clear understanding of everything, working entirely according to one's own plan.

But array repair is different—you never know how many hidden flaws and vulnerabilities are in that unfinished Formation. To mend these shortcomings without compromising the integrity of the original Formation and while matching the original Formation's myriad ideas is far more difficult than creating a new array.

If the test inside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda involves array setup, there's generally no danger, because even if you fail to set up the array, you just can't pass the test and will be sent out of the pagoda.

However, if it's array destruction or repair, then there's real danger.

One wrong move, and the Formation is activated—either you die, or you are severely injured!

Every year, a large number of array cultivators come to challenge the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, and many self-confident ones die within it.

This is just the danger posed by the tests; even if you pass the test, there are still risks because the Hundred Arrays Pagoda will bestow a reward afterward. It's a kind of reward akin to an enlightening infusion that allows cultivators to receive a wealth of information about the Array Path in a short time.

The effect was akin to Lu Ye probing the information carried on the leaves of the Talent Tree, yet even more ferocious.

When a massive amount of information surged into his mind in an instant, his entire psyche felt as if it were being torn apart. The better one performed in the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, the greater the rewards received, and the more intense the feeling of being torn apart became.

Lu Ye had withstood it last time by relying on soul water.

Thus, since entering the Cloud River battlefield, he had been on the lookout for treasures that could restore his psyche, but unfortunately had found none until he inadvertently visited Xianyuan City again and obtained a large amount of soul water, which made this trip to the Hundred Arrays Pagoda possible.

Of course, the benefits that an array cultivator gained from the Hundred Arrays Pagoda weren't usually so exaggerated. The main reason was that Lu Ye's performance last time was too outstanding, and he gained so much that the pressure he faced was unprecedentedly overwhelming.

Normally, cultivators who challenged the Pagoda could safely bear the rewards after passing the trials, which would then enhance their proficiency in the Array Path.

This array cultivator who had suddenly fainted showed no external injuries, but instead had a pale complexion, indicating that he had expended too much mental power.

This person undoubtedly reaped considerable gains inside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda. The benefits he had obtained were a bit beyond his limit to bear, which led to him suddenly spewing blood and fainting.

However, after waking up from this incident, his proficiency in the Array Path was bound to make considerable progress, and that was a good thing.

Various thoughts churned through his mind, and just as Lu Ye was about to step into the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, a peculiar rhythmic fluctuation cascaded out. That invisible, formless resonance, like an unseen wind, radiated in all directions and instantly spread across dozens of miles.

Outside the Hundred Arrays Pagoda, everyone stopped what they were doing, looking at the Pagoda with eyes full of surprise and delight.

Someone exclaimed, "It's resonating, it's resonating!"

As if a treasure had fallen from the sky.

Though no treasure had fallen from heaven, the resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was a heavenly fortune for all the array cultivators lingering here.

Under such rhythmic fluctuations, the array cultivators found it easier to comprehend the mysteries of the Array Path. Perhaps many things that were not clear before could now be understood in a flash, which would then enhance their proficiency in the Array Path.

Triggering the resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was no simple matter; it required achieving excellent results in the trials of the Pagoda.

Lu Ye had successively triggered the resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda several times in the Tianyan Sect, bringing many benefits to the sect's array cultivators.

It could be said that after Lu Ye completed his challenges in the Pagoda, the proficiency in the Array Path of those lower-level disciples in the Tianyan Sect generally improved by a notch. It was foreseeable that over the next ten to twenty years, the foundations of the Tianyan Sect would significantly strengthen.

It was precisely because of the resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda that many array cultivators stationed themselves here year-round. Firstly, they did so to prepare for their next challenge, and secondly, to wait for such resonance that could appear at any time to reap the benefits.

But triggering the resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was not so easy. Every day, there were many array cultivators coming and going from the Pagoda, but the occurrence of resonance was rare, maybe appearing once every three to five months. For all the array cultivators gathered here, the resonance of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was an extremely rare experience, precious and sought after.

As such, upon detecting the unique rhythmic fluctuations of the Pagoda, all the array cultivators closed their eyes, silently experiencing and contemplating the intricacies within.

Even Lu Ye stopped in his tracks. In that instant, he clearly felt his thoughts becoming much clearer; various pieces of knowledge about array setups surged within his heart, and issues he thought he had fully understood before now sparked new insights upon reflection.

The rhythm continued, and all the array cultivators were so immersed in it that they couldn't extricate themselves.

A full incense stick's time later, the peculiar rhythmic fluctuations gradually disappeared, and the immersed array cultivators reluctantly came back to their senses, savoring and chewing over their gains.

Laughter rang out, evidently someone had made a huge gain, and the array cultivators nearby all showed looks of envy.

Although Lu Ye also made some gains, they were not very substantial. His proficiency in the Array Path, like his Psyche Force, was far superior to that of cultivators at the same level, so such fluctuations weren't of much use to him.

If he wanted to improve his proficiency in the Array Path, he would need to go through the Pagoda himself and achieve good results.

At the base of the Tianyan Sect's Hundred Arrays Pagoda, there was a stone stele. According to the Great Elder Bai Qian of the Tianyan Sect, that stele was supposedly for those who challenged the Pagoda to leave their names on. If someone performed exceptionally, their names would be recorded for posterity to admire.

But since the Hundred Arrays Pagoda was divided into three parts, and the Tianyan Sect only controlled one-third of it, the stele had never served its intended purpose.

This second section of the Cloud River battlefield was in the middle of the Hundred Arrays Pagoda and naturally did not have any stele. At the bottom, there was only a simple entrance, dark and seemingly connected to an unknown space.

With a few steps, Lu Ye reached the entrance. Without hesitation, he walked right in.

The view before him blurred, giving him a sensation similar to being transported using the Heaven's Augury Pillar. When Lu Ye recovered his senses, he found himself in a small space.

He looked around and found that the situation was no different from what he had encountered during his previous challenge to the Pagoda.

This small space was not large, only about the size of a room; it was surrounded by a vast expanse of white, with nothing else in sight.

On one side of the wall, there was a protruding brick.

Following the experience and memory from his last challenge, Lu Ye stepped forward, placed his hand on the brick, and pressed down slightly. The brick immediately sunk into the wall.