Chapter 106: Repairing the Teleportation Array

The old man took the elixir and began to examine it. He opened the wooden stopper and poured out a green pill. Bringing it close to his nose, he took a sniff; with nearly eight hundred years of experience, he quickly identified what it was.

The elixir emitted a remarkably fresh fragrance, and just the scent alone made him feel a stirring of anticipation. He looked at the intricate patterns etched onto the surface of the pill and remarked with great emotion, "I never imagined that you, young friend, possessed such profound mastery of alchemy. Our family has truly failed to welcome you with the proper honors."

The old man took a small blade and scraped a tiny bit off the elixir, then touched his finger to the powder. He had practiced alchemy himself, and to him, this pill was nothing short of a work of art. By comparison, the elixirs he had crafted were mere trash—absolute garbage.

"I wonder what method you used to refine this, young friend? It appears to have been crafted without the aid of a demonic beast core." The old man was surprised to find no trace of a beast core in the elixir, which was highly unusual for high-level pills in the Chaotic Star Sea. "And your refining technique does not seem to be part of the heritage of the Chaotic Star Sea. Coupled with your aura, it is clear you are not from these parts."

The old man had correctly deduced that Lin Yang was an outsider, yet he harbored no ill intentions. He merely sighed with a sense of perspective; after all, many people had traversed the Endless Sea over the past few centuries.

"Indeed," Lin Yang replied, weaving a plausible excuse. "I hail from the Great Jin Dynasty across the Endless Sea. I crossed it this time to escape some enemies. Having heard that the Star Palace is the most powerful force here, I wish to join them."

Lin Yang’s talent for spinning stories was peerless. He stretched his thirty years of life into ninety and added a myriad of bizarre and complex plot points. If his fabricated tale were to be performed, it would easily span a three-part drama series.

An hour passed quickly. Having stayed here longer than intended, Lin Yang decided to repair the teleportation array and take his leave. He did not want to linger; he had come with a purpose, and he hoped to resolve his resource issues quickly so he could return to the Yue Kingdom.

With this in mind, Lin Yang stood up. "Where is the teleportation array located? I am here at the invitation of Fellow Daoist Shui. Let us get the array in order first; we can save the reminiscing for later."

The old man, not expecting Lin Yang to be so urgent, led him toward the array located in the west of the city. "Very well, let us go at once."

The old man rose from his rocking chair and kneaded his aging lower back. "Sigh, the young are always so impatient."

With that, the old man placed a hand on Lin Yang's shoulder, and in a flash, they shifted positions, appearing atop a massive stone platform. This display left Lin Yang breaking out in a cold sweat. The old man had used the teleportation array to establish nodes across the entire island. Should anyone dare to attack, he could arrive in an instant. It was the perfect cage for the Shui family. No wonder they felt no need for walls; they treated the entire island as their private property.

"Not bad, was that trick of mine?" the old man asked, showing off. During their earlier conversation, Lin Yang had proven more eloquent and knowledgeable than he was, often recounting things the old man had never heard of despite his centuries of experience. He had performed that feat specifically to shock his guest.

"It is indeed impressive. I had never considered using a teleportation array to establish spatial nodes. Senior, you have opened a new line of thought for me," Lin Yang replied truthfully. This response caused the old man, who had been ready to revel in his own brilliance, to freeze. The array and the technique had been passed down by his ancestors; it had nothing to do with his own skill. Deflated, he swallowed the boastful words he had been prepared to utter.

"Very well. Take a look and see what is wrong with the array. It has been in frequent use for nearly ten years. It would be a great pity if the spatial channel were to collapse one day, rendering it useless." The old man waved his hand, his pride slightly wounded, and gestured toward the array.

"Understood, I shall begin."

Lin Yang turned his attention to the array on the ground. It was a circular structure, a hundred yards wide, with three tiers of steps. The outermost circle had a diameter of two hundred yards. As he observed the formation patterns and flags, he realized this was a very classical type of teleportation array. Were it not for his comprehensive training under the System, he would not have recognized these markings at all.

At a glance, he identified the core issue: over the centuries, countless people had repaired it in a haphazard, patchwork manner. If Lin Yang’s assessment was correct, this array was liable to leave someone stranded in the spatial void at any moment. The only reason it still functioned was a matter of probability. Since no major disasters had been reported, people continued to use it.

Lin Yang noted that the patterns would need to be scraped off entirely and replaced. It was a tedious process, but he was capable of it.

"Can you solve the problem, young friend?" the old man asked anxiously.

"It is possible, but it will likely take a considerable amount of time."

The old man breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as it can be fixed, that is enough. Rest assured, the reward we agreed upon will not be diminished. I will have my people look after you while you work."

He summoned his guards and ordered them to announce that the array would be closed for several years. Merchant caravans bound for Heavenly Star Island were told to travel by sea instead. Once the area was cleared, leaving Lin Yang plenty of space to work, the old man turned to him. "Are you ready to begin?"

"I am ready."

Lin Yang drew his long sword and began scraping away the old surface patterns. The old man was startled by the aggressive approach. Seeing the original markings being erased caused him some alarm, but the die was cast. He could only commit the sight to memory, silently nursing the thought that if Lin Yang failed to repair it, he would see to it that the young man paid with his life.

After watching for a while, the old man concluded that the task would take a long time, so he took his leave. "In that case, I will not disturb you further. I shall return now; if you have any questions, feel free to ask the guards."

With that, he departed, leaving Lin Yang alone to clear away the remnants of the old, worn-out formation.