Lu Haotian sat quietly in his courtyard, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee.
The morning breeze was calm, but his thoughts were not.
Breaking through to the 9th layer had not brought urgency—but it had brought clarity.
He needed strength.
But not just cultivation.
The Brand Seal Scripture lingered in his mind like a shadow he could not ignore. Cutting the soul… weaving it into a mark… it was not something he could attempt recklessly.
He needed preparation.
Soul-nourishing resources.
And those…
Were not something the Lu Family would hand over easily.
Lu Haotian opened his eyes slowly.
"If I rely only on cultivation…" he muttered, "…it won't be enough."
Spirit stones? He had them.
But rare materials?
Those required either status… or value.
And right now—
He had neither.
He leaned back slightly, looking up at the sky.
Then, something surfaced in his memory.
The Lu Family was not just a cultivation clan.
It was structured.
Disciplined.
Divided into different branches.
Alchemy Hall.
Array Hall.
Talisman Hall.
Artifact Hall.
Each branch specialized in a profession.
Each one trained disciples.
Each one produced resources for the clan.
But there was a limit.
The Lu Family could only produce Spirit Rank items.
Anything above that required sect-level influence.
Still—
That was enough.
Lu Haotian's eyes sharpened slightly.
"If I learn one of these…"
He would gain:
• A source of income
• Access to materials
• A legitimate reason to move freely within the clan
More importantly—
A cover.
No one would suspect someone learning arrays to be hiding anything.
It fit perfectly with his outward image.
Average talent.
Slow cultivation.
Looking for another path.
"Array formations…"
He thought about it for a moment.
Alchemy required flames, control, and ingredients.
Artifacts required forging skill and resources.
Talismans required special inks and spiritual sensitivity.
Arrays…
Required understanding.
Structure.
Precision.
And—
Perception.
Lu Haotian's gaze deepened slightly.
"…Qi sense."
He didn't fully understand arrays yet.
But he knew one thing.
His qi sense gave him an advantage.
Not mastery.
But potential.
He stood up.
Decision made.
"If I'm going to do this…"
"Then I'll do it properly."
The next morning, Lu Haotian adjusted the Veiled Emperor Ring.
A faint fluctuation passed through his body.
His aura dropped.
From the peak of the 9th layer—
To the 5th layer of Qi Condensation.
Perfect.
Ordinary.
Unremarkable.
He nodded slightly and stepped out.
The Array Hall was located in the inner section of the Lu Family.
Not grand.
But orderly.
Several disciples moved in and out, some carrying jade slips, others holding formation plates.
There was no noise.
Only quiet focus.
Lu Haotian walked in calmly.
At the front sat an elder, his eyes half-closed, as if dozing.
But the moment Lu Haotian stepped closer—
The elder spoke.
"Name."
"Lu Haotian."
The elder opened one eye slightly.
"Cultivation."
"5th layer of Qi Condensation."
A pause.
The elder looked at him properly this time.
"…Purpose?"
Lu Haotian did not hesitate.
"My talent in cultivation is average," he said calmly. "I want to learn array formations… to see if I have aptitude elsewhere. And to have a way to support my cultivation."
Simple.
Direct.
Believable.
The elder stared at him for a moment.
Then snorted lightly.
"Hmph. Another one."
He waved his hand lazily.
"Most who come here say the same thing. Few stay."
He pointed toward a shelf behind him.
"Beginner manuals are there. First three days are free."
"If you show no progress, don't come back."
Lu Haotian nodded.
"Understood."