Chapter 12: Reflection

Chen Mobai's parents worked hard all year, but their efforts only amounted to about 50,000 merit points. The two spirit stones he held were already equivalent to half a year of their income. No wonder he lost his composure. Chen Mobai had never touched a spirit stone in his life; if not for the detailed descriptions in textbooks and television shows, he probably wouldn't have recognized them.

It was then that Chen Mobai realized the water mansion might no longer be within the territory controlled by the Immortal Sect. Forcing down his trembling hands, he placed the spirit stones on his clothes. Then he took out his phone and photographed the first thirty pages of the "Detailed Explanation of the Azure Water Array." Chen Mobai was afraid he wouldn't be able to take these items back when he returned to the city. By photographing the book with his phone, he could at least study the knowledge at school later. He tied his clothes into a bundle, cradled it in his arms, then opened the "Turtle Treasure" app on his phone and pressed the "Return to City" button. A silver-white light flashed for a moment, and Chen Mobai opened his eyes to find himself sitting on his bed. He checked the wall clock; there were exactly thirty minutes left until class. The weighty feel in his hands made him even more excited. He brought everything back!

He untied his clothes and laid the items out one by one on the floor. After counting and confirming them again, Chen Mobai couldn't suppress his excitement, jumping onto the bed and doing a somersault. Fortunately, soundproofing enchantments had been installed when the house was built; otherwise, the noise alone would surely have woken his parents. After venting his excitement, Chen Mobai opened his cabinet and pushed the spirit stones, crossbow, and dagger—items that could easily arouse suspicion—to the very back. He then took out his schoolbag, which he hadn't used in a long time, and put the gold and the book into it. Finally, only the needle case used by the brown-clad youth remained.

Chen Mobai hesitated. This item was undoubtedly a genuine magic tool, but he didn't know its grade. He also didn't know how to use it. The best method would be to sell it directly online. However, transactions for second-hand magic tools on the Immortal Sect's online platform required a certification. More than eighty percent of cultivation items, especially magic tools, were second-hand. To maintain order in the magic tool trading market, the Immortal Sect issued certificates to cultivators who passed the magic tool appraisal qualification exam, stipulating that every magic tool must have an appraisal certificate from a treasure appraiser before being traded. Each transaction required a new appraisal to determine the magic tool's wear and tear, lifespan, and so on.

Of course, official regulations were one thing, but actual transactions were another. Especially for first-grade magic tools, some low-grade ones were worth less than the travel expenses of hiring a treasure appraiser, so there were still some uncertified products circulating in the market. However, for a magic tool to be traded and sold at a good price, the appraisal step was absolutely indispensable. Especially for second-grade or higher magic tools, due to their immense value, almost all cultivators would only dare to buy them after they had been examined by a treasure appraiser. It was precisely because of this that the profession of "treasure appraiser" was one of the most certified among the hundred cultivation arts.

After buying three Azure Arrow Talismans, Chen Mobai was completely broke and had no extra merit points to hire a certified treasure appraiser. So, this needle case could only be set aside for now, to be dealt with when he had money, or to be used by himself after he figured it out. Despite thinking this, Chen Mobai still put the needle case into his schoolbag and took it to school. This was the first genuine magic tool he had ever owned.

Carrying his schoolbag, now filled with treasures, Chen Mobai went downstairs, placed the fish in the sink, heated two steamed buns for breakfast, and then left directly for school. It just so happened that today was the turn of the array formation teacher to teach. The teacher, surnamed Chan, was a young intern, reportedly still a student at Danzhu Academy. Although this teacher had the least experience among all teachers at Immortal Sect Fifth High School, Chen Mobai felt her teaching quality was one of the best. If not for the school's principal, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, also teaching, Chen Mobai wouldn't have added "one of." Perhaps because she was young and her thought process was similar to theirs, she always explained array formation concepts in an easy-to-understand manner, using vivid examples. It was precisely because of this that even though Chen Mobai usually didn't pay much attention to array formation, he could generally remember everything Teacher Chan taught. Thanks to this, Chen Mobai was able to repair and reactivate the Azure Water Great Array.

Teacher Chan had a good appearance and figure; she just didn't smile much and was quite serious during lectures, otherwise, her popularity would be even higher. However, among cultivators, there were generally no unattractive people. After generations of cultivation, their bodies had evolved to near perfection. While spiritual roots were bestowed by heaven and purely a matter of luck, acquiring a beautiful physique only required a few years of qi cultivation. Some cultivators even intentionally underwent plastic surgery to make themselves extremely ugly to demonstrate their unwavering devotion to cultivation, showing they had no distractions besides the Dao. For instance, Chen Mobai had a paternal uncle who was incredibly handsome in his youth. When he was selling goods on the street, someone accidentally filmed him and uploaded the video online, making him an internet sensation overnight. However, his devotion to cultivation was firm. Facing countless film and television companies approaching him, he went directly to a hospital and had his face surgically altered to be ordinary and unremarkable. Although his spiritual root aptitude was ordinary, he still entered the Lingxiu Academy, one of the 120 academies. Now, he dedicates himself daily to exploring mountain ranges, excavating ancient cultivator ruins, and conducting protective research.

The morning array formation class passed quickly as Chen Mobai focused on studying the "Detailed Explanation of the Azure Water Array." After class, he repeated his old trick, pretending to lag behind, and slipped into Teacher Chan's office. Using the same excuse, he claimed his parents had hired a private tutor for his college entrance exam, and he had several homework assignments related to array renovation and repair that he needed to complete independently. He then feigned being too dull to figure them out and thus had to ask the teacher for help.

However, Chan Si was different from Old Man Ding. After listening to Chen Mobai and taking the Azure Water Array grade he had written on a draft paper, she slightly frowned. "Given your ability, your private tutor dares to give you a second-grade array formation assignment?"

"It's just about reactivating the array after maintenance and renovation; actually, the private tutor has already taught me the entire array," Chen Mobai forced an explanation.

"Oh..." Chan Si glanced at him, smiled meaningfully, but said nothing more. She picked up her pen, ready to answer all the questions on the draft paper, showcasing her ability as a teacher. But after she had finished reading it thoroughly, she found that with her own knowledge base, she actually had no idea where to start. "Huh, the array formation your private tutor taught you is so different from the mainstream Immortal Sect arrays; they're almost two completely different systems."