The Urban Cultivation Grandmaster

Chapter 22: The Spirit-Gathering Array

Ever since the great upheaval three years ago, the spiritual energy in the world has been steadily increasing; no matter how remote a place may be, it is always brimming with spiritual energy. In some places, the spiritual energy is sparse, while in others it is dense and vast. This is especially true in certain deep mountain ranges, where the spiritual energy is so intense it feels almost overwhelming, making them seem like sacred places for cultivation. However, this is relative. Spiritual energy is fluid; it does not remain stationary in any one place. Unless someone can seal it off, the tides of fortune ebb and flow—what is in one place today may be elsewhere tomorrow—and spiritual energy is always in motion. This movement is a slow process, but there are exceptions—the spiritual energy tides are one such example. As if drawn by some force, spiritual energy surges like a tide, raging and rampaging. Mu Tian was currently facing precisely this situation. In the air around him, spiritual energy swept past his body with brutal force. Thanks to his cultivation achievements, his body instinctively began absorbing the spiritual energy drifting by, constantly drawing it into his system. “A spiritual energy tide of this intensity—even an ordinary person who has never cultivated would likely benefit greatly from being immersed in it. Their physical condition would see an incredibly dramatic improvement. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Tianjiang City truly is blessed with good fortune; in the future, this place will surely have no shortage of talented cultivators.” Mu Tian felt this immense tide of spiritual energy; the spiritual energy that was usually extremely rare now flowed as if it were free, even carrying a hint of ferocity that sent shivers down his spine. He felt as comfortable and at ease as someone who hadn’t bathed in years stepping into a bathhouse for the first time. If he were an ordinary cultivator, he would likely be racing against the clock right now, channeling his energy to cultivate—absorbing as much spiritual energy as possible before this tide subsided to boost his cultivation level. Opportunities like this don’t come around often; once this chance is missed, it’s gone for good. Mu Tian didn’t rush to cultivate. Under normal circumstances, he would have followed the crowd and absorbed as much spiritual energy as possible, but right now, he had other plans. Formations and restrictions! That’s right. Thanks to the abundant Star Sea Radiance, Mu Tian had analyzed the four heritage steles—in addition to his cultivation technique—and the results were quite promising. He gained a great deal from them, including a formation known as the Spirit-Gathering Formation. The Spirit-Gathering Array is, as the name suggests, an array designed to gather spiritual energy. If Mu Tian were to absorb spiritual energy directly, his gains would be only temporary and minimal. However, if he used the Spirit-Gathering Array to concentrate vast amounts of spiritual energy in the mountain hollow, the benefits would undoubtedly be long-lasting and substantial. With that in mind, Mu Tian didn’t hesitate for long; he fetched seven crystals from his room. These crystals were no ordinary crystals; they were products of the great upheaval in the heavens and earth, known as Tianshui Spirit Crystals. Their very essence had undergone a qualitative transformation; they radiated an overwhelming spiritual energy and possessed extraordinary properties, making them excellent materials for setting up formations. These Tianshui Spirit Crystals were part of the benefits provided to him by the Tianjiang Cultivator Academy—his allotted share—and had been delivered to him a few days earlier. In addition to a dozen or so Tianshui Spirit Crystals, Mu Tian had also received 20 Spirit Stones and two Spirit Plants. It must be said that the Tianjiang Cultivator Academy was quite generous. Using the Sanjang Pavilion as the array’s focal point, Mu Tian engraved the Daowen inscriptions onto the Spirit Crystals. Instantly, the Spirit Crystals in his hand burst into brilliant light, soaring into the air and spreading outward in a formation resembling the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper. The Spirit-Gathering Array is complete! The seven Spirit Crystals resonated with one another, linked in a mysterious way, their radiance intertwining—a truly wondrous sight. The tides of spiritual energy continued to rage and surge, but the moment he entered the Spirit-Gathering Array’s range, a vast amount of spiritual energy was instantly drawn into it. Instantly, two distinct worlds began to separate: outside the array, the tides of spiritual energy remained turbulent and unbridled;but inside the Spirit-Gathering Array, it was calm and serene. The spiritual energy was tranquil yet astonishingly dense—far more concentrated than the raging tides outside. Mu Tian felt the rich, abundant spiritual energy surrounding him, and his heart was truly overjoyed. When others encounter a spiritual energy tide, they can only rely on their vitality to retain a small amount of spiritual energy—and even then, they dare not absorb too much. After all, the spiritual energy within such a tide is far too violent. While it’s harmless for ordinary people to passively absorb it out of instinct, for cultivators like them, actively opening their bodies to guide the spiritual energy into their bodies—absorbing an excessive amount of this violent spiritual energy does more harm than good. Not only does it undermine the stability of their cultivation, but in severe cases, it can even endanger their lives. But Mu Tian was different. The Spirit-Gathering Array not only gathered spiritual energy but also served as a “filter.” Under the array’s suppressing and transforming effects, the spiritual energy within it was mild and rich—perfect for cultivation. As time passed, the spiritual energy tide showed no signs of abating; on the contrary, it grew ever more intense. Meanwhile, the Spirit-Gathering Array underwent a dramatic transformation: at first, it merely swirled around Mu Tian, but soon its coverage began to expand. The Sanjang Pavilion… the three-story building… the Three Lakes Region… Mu Tian’s residence was situated in a basin-like depression, and soon the Spirit Gathering Array’s coverage was about to fill the entire basin, even extending into parts of the Three Lakes Region. However, things were now coming to an end; the spiritual energy tide was subsiding, and the flow of spiritual energy was dwindling. “Perfect—with this last bit of spiritual energy, the Spirit-Gathering Array’s coverage will just cover my entire residence... Huh? Wait, something seems off. Has the Spirit-Gathering Array stopped gathering spiritual energy? It’s moving so slowly!” Mu Tian was somewhat taken aback. He immediately took a few swift steps, darting out of the Spirit-Gathering Array’s range and emerging outside. Although the spiritual energy tide had ended, the spiritual energy outside was still quite dense. Why had the Spirit-Gathering Array’s rate of gathering spiritual energy dropped so rapidly? That shouldn’t be happening. Mu Tian muttered to himself; he was truly baffled—this development had completely caught him off guard. Mu Tian sensed something unusual and formed a silent hypothesis in his mind, though he was able to put his mind at ease. He immediately focused his mind, his eyes narrowing as starlight flickered within them, and slowly began to sense the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth. Through Mu Tian’s perception, the flow of spiritual energy between heaven and earth began to materialize before his eyes. Indeed, the Spirit-Gathering Array was operating normally, without a single glitch. Yet the spiritual energy in the world was being drained at an astonishingly rapid pace, and its destination was precisely the direction of the Qixing Ridge, which lay behind Mu Tian’s dwelling. Even the Spirit-Gathering Array—which was like a giant spirit-devouring beast—could not compete with the mysterious presence on Qixing Ridge. It must be quite a formidable force! At that moment, a smile spread across Mu Tian’s face. A stroke of luck! A major stroke of luck! Either a priceless treasure is emerging, or a rare wonder of heaven and earth is being born! Mu Tian was overcome with excitement. He never imagined his good fortune would be so profound—to encounter such a blessing right on his doorstep. If his guess was correct, the mysterious entity on Qixing Ridge had likely begun to undergo a transformation at the very start of this spiritual energy tide. Since it hadn’t yet fully completed its evolution and metamorphosis, that meant… With these thoughts in mind, Mu Tian didn’t dare waste a moment. Ignoring the Spirit-Gathering Array, he sprinted toward Qixing Ridge at a speed that left onlookers speechless.