"Excellency Lin Xiao... no, Elder Lin Xiao! We should head to the Inner Academy to discuss this further."
After forcibly suppressing his excitement, Su Qian's manner of address changed instantly! Hearing himself called "Elder," a faint smile played on Xiao Lin's lips. He knew his "job application" was officially a done deal.
Before learning that Xiao Lin was an Array Master, Su Qian viewed him simply as a powerful Dou Zong who would increase the Academy's prestige and external deterrence. Now, however, the math had changed. A Dou Zong who was also an Array Master was a strategic asset of a completely different magnitude. He didn't just bring his own strength; he brought a massive "buff" to the very foundation of the Academy's power.
In Su Qian's mind, as long as Lin Xiao remained loyal, his status within the Academy would easily rank in the top five—a list that included the absent Principal Mang Tianchi and the reclusive Guardian Elders, Qian and Bai.
"Great Elder Su Qian, does this mean I am officially part of Jia Nan Academy now?" Xiao Lin asked with a chuckle as they soared toward the Inner Academy.
"Without a doubt!" Su Qian replied with absolute certainty.
The two didn't need long to reach their destination. The flying speed of Dou Zong powerhouses was incredible. Their graceful figures—soaring through the sky without the need for Dou Qi wings—captured the attention of every student, teacher, and elder below.
"Look! Two Dou Zongs!" "One is Great Elder Su Qian, but who is the other? Does anyone recognize him?" "Never seen him before." "Could it be the Outer Academy Principal back from his travels?" "Dream on. I saw him two years ago; he was only a 6-Star Dou Huang then. There's no way he broke through to Dou Zong that fast." "Then who is he?" "I heard a rumor that a powerful Dou Zong was applying to join us as an Elder... could it be true?"
The campus was abuzz with speculation. To most students, a Dou Zong was a legendary existence, someone they might only see once in their lives. The arrival of a new, unknown Sovereign was the biggest news in years.
Xiao Lin and Su Qian disappeared into a secluded pavilion. What they discussed remained a mystery to the outside world, but when Xiao Lin finally stepped out, he was wearing a crescent-colored robe—the formal attire of a Jia Nan Academy Elder.
The news spread like wildfire: the Academy had gained a "New Elder Lin," a Dou Zong powerhouse equal in rank to Great Elder Su Qian!
Inside that pavilion, Xiao Lin had demonstrated his value. Under Su Qian's watchful eyes, he had used Academy-provided materials to construct a Gathering Qi Array.
Xiao Lin made a deliberate choice: he did not use Spirit Seals to set the array. As a Lao Liu, he knew that the inheritance of a "Spirit Array Master"—capable of manifesting arrays with a thought—was a treasure that even the Eight Ancient Clans would kill for. He wasn't strong enough to protect that secret yet.
Instead, he posed as a high-level Array Master. The difference was simple: an Array Master requires physical materials (like Monster Cores and specific gems) to anchor the energy, whereas a Spirit Array Master uses internal Spirit Seals. By using physical materials, Xiao Lin looked like a rare specialist rather than the possessor of a world-shaking lost art.
The result was the same: the air in the pavilion became thick with high-density Dou Qi. Su Qian was so impressed that he practically begged Xiao Lin to stay.
An Array Master is a profession that almost everyone in the cultivation world "disdains" to become, yet every major power desperately "needs."
Why the disdain? Because it is a tedious, resource-consuming path that requires immense patience and time—time most would rather spend increasing their Dou Qi. However, a single Array Master can provide a sect with defensive perimeters, offensive traps, and concealment fields. For a prestigious institution like Jia Nan Academy, they are priceless assets.
In its founding years, Principal Mang Tianchi had managed to invite a master to lay down the great "Academy Guarding Array," which had secured their peace for centuries. But such arrays required constant, expensive maintenance. Now, having a resident Dou Zong who was also an Array Master felt like a divine gift to Great Elder Su Qian.
If Su Qian knew that Xiao Lin currently only knew how to deconstruct the Gathering Qi Array, his expression might have been complicated. But for Xiao Lin, the Nine Foundations of the Spirit Array were a universal key; with time, he could deduce any formation. He just hadn't seen the necessity—until now.
Life as an Academy Elder wasn't all quiet meditation. Since news broke that the new "Elder Lin" was a Dou Zong, Xiao Lin had been hounded by students desperate to become his disciples.
To a student at the Dou Ling or Da Dou Shi level, having a Dou Zong as a master was the ultimate golden ticket. Xiao Lin, however, found it exhausting. He wasn't an irresponsible person; if he took a disciple, he refused to be the kind of master who "free-ranges" their student and waits for them to save him later. He couldn't afford that loss of face!
"Unless I find a talent that truly moves me, I'm not taking anyone," Xiao Lin muttered, looking out his window at the lingering students. Eventually, Su Qian had to step in, assigning two Dou Ling guards to his pavilion and clearing the perimeter. Only then did Xiao Lin find the silence needed to prepare for the task ahead.
For the past month, Xiao Lin had been "adjusting his state." In reality, he was practicing the "inferior" method of array-building.
Using Spirit Seals (as a Spirit Array Master) was effortless, but those arrays vanished once the master stopped maintaining them. To create a permanent fixture for the Tower, and to keep his true "Spirit Array" identity hidden from the Ancient Clans, Xiao Lin had to do it the hard way: using physical materials like high-level Monster Cores and specific energy-conducting gems.
It was more time-consuming, more taxing, and prone to failure if a single material was misaligned. But it was the only way to play the "Lao Liu" game.
Under Su Qian's orders, the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was completely cleared of students. Initially, the students were furious at being kicked out of their prime cultivation spot. However, once the news broke that "Elder Lin" was installing a permanent "Speed Booster" array, the anger turned into a frenzy of anticipation.
Early that morning, when Xiao Lin and Su Qian arrived at the base of the tower, they were met with a sea of faces. Hundreds of students and teachers were lined up as if for a royal review.
"Greetings, Great Elder! Greetings, Elder Lin!"
The synchronized shout echoed through the valley. Xiao Lin nodded to the crowd, but Su Qian frowned. "What is this? Are you all so idle that you've stopped cultivating?"
A top-ranking student from the "Strongest List" stepped forward, bowing. "Great Elder, we want to cultivate, but without the Tower, it's too slow! we're all just waiting for Elder Lin to finish so we can be the first to experience the new speed!"
Su Qian was speechless. The logic was sound. "Fine. You can stay, but if anyone gets close or disturbs Elder Lin during the installation, don't blame me for being heartless!"
"Understood!" the students roared.
Su Qian turned to Xiao Lin, solemnly handing over a high-grade storage ring filled with the world-class materials the Academy had spent a month gathering. "Elder Lin, everything depends on you now."
"Rest easy, Great Elder. Leave it to me."
Xiao Lin took the ring and walked toward the dark entrance of the tower. The crowd parted like the Red Sea, their eyes filled with reverence. As he stepped into the cool shadows of the structure, he felt the faint, rhythmic pulse of the Fallen Heart Flame deep below. It was time to begin the "Double Buffer" project.