Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 1058: Shape Shifting Array

Chapter 1058: Chapter 1058: Shape Shifting Array

Feng Jun listened to Luo Shuchen’s words, not embarrassed in the slightest. After years of wandering through society, the thickness of his skin had indeed grown.

He blinked, pondering as he spoke, "So you’re saying... the one who killed Master Linlang, it wasn’t the Hong Family?"

Luo Shuchen laughed heartily, "Yes, whether there is a Master Linlang or not, the Hong Family is certainly not guilty of that big a crime."

Whether there is such a person or not... These words were very clear. No one is a fool here.

But Feng Jun disagreed, "A Qi Refinement Realm practitioner offends a superior and as a result, I just take a bracer... which is my own property, and you call this a settlement?"

"Whether that bracer is yours or not is still debatable," Luo Shuchen truly was a man from the Heavenly Heart Platform, his words brutally honest.

Then Luo Shuchen raised his hand, storing away the white bowl and revealing his teeth in a grin at the now visible Hong Bafang, "Do you know who I am?"

"I know," Hong Bafang nodded honestly, "You are Luo Shuchen from the Heavenly Heart Platform."

He lived off gathering intelligence, paying great attention to the collection of information. He had been in the Zhige Mountain Area for more than a day. How could he not know this person?

"Good that you recognize me," Luo Shuchen gestured with his hand and spoke with a light touch, "I know Lu Wanfeng, and right now, I’m asking Mountain Master Feng for a favor to give you a chance to live... If you miss this chance, you can only blame your bad luck."

After a brief pause, he added, "I’m more familiar with Lu Wanfeng than you might think. If you don’t believe me... you can lie."

"Alright, let’s not talk about that," Feng Jun coughed lightly and said, "First of all, the personal equipment on you, as well as the items in your Storage Bag, I’m keeping all of them... Any objections?"

This is what’s "first"? After thinking it over, Hong Bafang nodded slightly, "No objections, could you leave me some money for the road?"

With a wave of his hand, Feng Jun spoke impatiently, "Forget about the travel money, I’m leaving you the Storage Bag and the Flying Artifact. Second, I want to know, last night when I caught you, the first time you escaped, what spatial technique did you use?"

"Hmm?" Luo Shuchen perked up upon hearing this, being quite aware of Feng Jun’s combat strength, after all, they had fought against Bai Jiuzhou and Leng Qionghua together. This person of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer... was actually able to escape from Feng Jun’s grasp, and by using a spatial technique?

Seeing Hong Bafang hesitate, Luo Shuchen immediately added, "If you don’t cooperate, I can testify to Lu Wanfeng that your crimes are deserved, and you should be executed."

At this point, Hong Bafang dared not be stubborn, "That was my family’s secret technique, the Shape Shifting Array."

He also realized that the Shape Shifting Array wasn’t ineffective, but the opponent was also using a spatial magic artifact, which disrupted the formation.

Luo Shuchen’s eyes lit up when he heard this, and he asked quickly, "Could it be the Puppetry Technique’s Shape Shifting?"

Descendants of the major sects really had too many advantages. Feng Jun collected many books and secret techniques, some by force, some purchased with Spirit Stones. However, he rarely had access to information on Puppetry Technique, while Luo Shuchen, not specializing in Puppetry Technique, still knew about these things.

Hong Bafang nodded. In the presence of a transcendent from the Four Great Sects, he knew that there was no way his techniques could pass unnoticed by their discerning eyes, "It is a hereditary technique from my Hong Family..."

"Tch," Luo Shuchen scoffed disdainfully, "That’s a derivation from the Great Puppetry Art of the Ten Directions Platform. Was your ancestor from Ten Directions Platform?"

"My nineteenth generation ancestor was an Elder from Ten Directions Platform, surnamed Qingyang," Hong Bafang answered proudly. "This can withstand verification. If Ten Directions Platform asks, my words will be the same."

Luo Shuchen fell into thought, but Feng Jun spoke up, "What about your puppet, hand it over!"

Hearing this, Luo Shuchen couldn’t help but remind him, "This is a secret technique of Ten Directions Platform, an Elder’s descendant might have the right to practice it, but Mountain Master Feng, you are an outsider, best be cautious."

In truth, even Elders didn’t have the right to spread cultivation techniques and secret arts, but when a sect grows large, the number of accidents increases as well. Although the absolute probability is still very low, the relative number becomes quite large.

The simplest example is the Jie Family from Sword Forging Peak. Originally, an Elder from the Qinggang Sect took in a disciple. At the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, he went to Qinggang Sect to pay homage and seek acceptance. But at that time... the Elder had unexpectedly perished in battle with a Demon Cultivator.

As Qinggang Sect was tightening the resources given to that Elder, his five transcendent disciples were also vying for them. When they heard that this Qi Refining Ninth Layer disciple wanted to join, the sect clearly stated... we did not know the Elder took in such a disciple.

Ancestor of the Jie Family cultivated the foundational techniques of Qinggang Sect. The master could be falsely claimed, but the techniques couldn’t be faked.

However, the sect plainly refused to recognize him. There were even proposals to reclaim the man’s cultivation techniques – effectively ending his Cultivation Level.

The five transcendent disciples of the Elder would not stand for this. The five of them had fought tooth and nail over the resources left by their master, to the point of nearly coming to blows, but when they heard that their potential junior brother was to be stripped of his cultivation, they immediately sought the higher-ups for justice.

— This man, our Qinggang Sect can deny knowing, but the cultivation he practices must have been taught by our master. With the master’s body not yet cold, do you really intend to strip his externally recruited disciple of his cultivation?

The Ancestor of the Jie Family had managed to preserve his cultivation level, but the ascendant cultivation technique he sought was out of his reach—originally, he rejoined the Qinggang Sect with the anticipation of acquiring the technique and then advancing to the ascendant stage.

This individual was also a genius by nature, who could not swallow the indignity he suffered. Lacking a cultivation technique? Then he would create one himself.

Of course, he wasn’t so defiant as to actually invent an entirely new cultivation technique from scratch; instead, he drew inspiration from several techniques. As he fumbled along, improbably, he ultimately... advanced to the Golden Core.

By that time, when the Qinggang Sect sought trouble with him again, the cost would be significantly higher. Besides, no matter what, he was a descendant of the Qinggang lineage.

When he died at the Golden Core Ninth Layer, he left a message, "Had it not been for Qinggang’s misguidance, I could at least have cultivated up to the out-of-body stage!"

Therefore, the Jie Family’s mortal-transcending and qi refinement techniques were Qinggang Sect’s cultivation techniques, and it was only after reaching the ascendant stage that they took a different path.

But the Qinggang Sect also didn’t trouble the Jie Family—since the elders had tacitly agreed, how could they find fault?

Even the disciples from the Elder lineage lamented for a long time, saying if the sect had foresight and didn’t restrict our resources back then, Qinggang would now have one more out-of-body Immortal!

Instead, for several hundred years, it was the Jie Family who harbored ongoing resentment towards the Qinggang Sect, which was only resolved about five to six hundred years ago.

This is just a simple example that illustrates the foundational cultivation techniques of the Wutai Four Sects are not entirely non-transmissible. As for the Great Puppetry Art of the Ten Directions Platform... its importance is somewhat less.

However, Luo Shuchen’s caution was not without reason, Hong Bafang could use that stuff because he could prove his lineage. If you rashly use it, and if the Ten Directions Platform decides to investigate, you’d be facing the pursuit of an entire sect!

But Feng Jun scoffed, "Which clan doesn’t have these things? I just want to see how their stuff differs from mine. Don’t mention that I only took one Substitute Doll; even if there are similarities in the cultivation techniques... Is the Great Puppetry Art exclusive to the Ten Directions Platform? Who dares to claim sole ownership of the Teleportation Formation Technique?"

Feng Jun had been pondering over the Transfer Matrix Plate, and so far had made some progress, so when he heard about the principle of the Shape Shifting Array, he recognized the value in its originality—of course, implementation also required some techniques.

However, when it comes to the fundamental secret techniques involved, there really aren’t that many. How to blend these techniques together truly reveals the masterstroke.

Was Luo Shuchen not aware of this truth? His warning was merely a precaution—to prevent accidents. After all, both the Ten Directions Platform and the Heavenly Heart Platform belong to the Wutai; to offer no warning at all would neglect the idea of "linked branches from the same origin."

So he spread his hands wide, "Anyway, I warned you. If the Ten Directions Platform comes looking, don’t blame me."

"You are quite good at shifting the blame," Feng Jun looked at him with a half-smile, "A suggestion is all it takes for you, how convenient. But regarding that substitute doll, you should not just idly observe and play with it."

Luo Shuchen immediately became indignant, bluntly speaking his piece, "I gave you a warning, whether you listen is up to you, but having gained some spoils, may I not take a look? With the kinship between our two families, is that not allowed?"

Feng Jun burst into laughter, he truly wasn’t so petty; he also knew that Heavenly Heart Platform surely had covetous thoughts, and his previous words were merely to see the opposing party’s reneging expression.

However, Hong Bafang was gnashing his teeth in anger, thinking, how did my Hong Family’s ancestral secret arts become mere playthings for you to butcher?

Yet at that moment, Feng Jun swept him with an icy gaze, his look extremely cold, "Where is the Substitute Doll?"

It was then that Hong Bafang realized that the other truly had the standing to demand and seize, and the sense of injustice in his heart suddenly vanished, "In... the Zhige Mountain Area."

"You need not feel humiliated," Feng Jun scoffed coldly, "If you were in my place, you’d realize that my humiliation is greater... The third question is, is it Lu Wanfeng who needs a doctor, or is it Master Sumiao?"

Hong Bafang was terrified out of his wits, ignoring the fact that he was bound by the Immortal Binding Rope, he immediately knelt on the ground, "Eminent one, by asking me this, you might as well kill me."

Feng Jun glanced at Luo Shuchen, "Look, he’s begging me desperately to kill him; I’d really like to spare your face, but alas, he is hell-bent on seeking death."

Luo Shuchen flipped his hand, drawing out a sword instantly, chillingly declaring, "Mr. Hong, do you really think I’m giving you face? My Luo’s sword, too, can take lives... Do you think Lu Wanfeng will vindicate you? Such ingratitude indeed."

"Alright, I was wrong," by now, Hong Bafang truly didn’t dare to resist; he originally thought, there were secrets he must take to the grave, even if it cost his life—If I die, my family might live.

But now that the personage of Heavenly Heart Platform, Luo, intervened, he realized his sacrifice might be utterly meaningless.

Only a fool would make a meaningless sacrifice, he uttered quickly and quietly, "It seems that Master Sumiao has been poisoned, someone suggested that Mountain Master Feng could cure it, but Elder Lu doubted it might be misinformation... I was sent to inquire about the situation."

"Hmm?" Luo Shuchen frowned, "Wasn’t it a curse that Master Sumiao suffered from?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Bafang turned pale, dammit, I’ve gotten involved in such a big issue?

I’m still a child... no, I’m only in the Qi Refinement Realm.