Inside the Master Teacher building, Jun Wu and the others sat with serious expressions, the weight of their impending journeys pressing on their shoulders.

"I know most of you are still unsure of how to begin your first open lecture," Jun Wu began, his voice slow and clear, every word chosen with care.

His calm cadence carried a quiet authority that settled over the room like a protective veil.

"You must know, no one will pressurize you to conduct your open lecture. Nevertheless, you can't stay inside and study all day," he continued, choosing his words with precision.

"Growth comes from stepping forward, even when the ground shakes a little beneath your feet."

"This is my advice for you… go to smaller villages and begin small. It is not compulsory for anyone to start from a big city like Mystic City," he said, outlining a practical path forward.

"Grow your confidence gradually, and you will feel the wonder of being a Master Teacher," he concluded, his eyes sweeping the faces before him.

The room seemed to hold its breath as the implications of those words settled in.

Since he would soon depart, he needed to help the others as much as he could.

He looked at Yuan Lan and asked, his tone softening to invite questions rather than to command.

"Do you have any questions about your study of runes?"

Yuan Lan smiled faintly and responded, "Young Master, I do have questions about the runes."

"Why don't you ask me?" Jun Wu questioned, creasing his brow in a slight, encouraging frown.

"Young Master, you're so busy that I did not want to disturb you." Her smile deepened, and a subtle strength showed in the way she held herself.

She was not a fool.

She could see what was going on in the city; she had learned from her parents that they had just strengthened the city defense formation.

With such heavy work resting on his shoulders, it would be unthinkable to disturb him with a question that might seem trivial.

Jun Wu could guess what was going on in her mind and shook his head.

"You think too much. I made myself clear… you can ask me anything."

"Nevertheless, ask your question," Jun Wu prompted gently.

"What is the difference between a rune and an array formation? Besides, can I see the rune application?" Yuan Lan asked.

This was the question that had been gnawing at her.

She had learned that runes were the language of the heavenly dao, sacred symbols that could amplify the power of an object, sometimes in astonishing ways.

Yet without witnessing it firsthand, everything could only exist in her imagination.

Listening to her question, Jun Wu was slightly shocked.

Then it dawned on him: apart from him, no one in this backward region knew about runes.

This was a kind of negligence on his part, a gap in teaching he hadn't fully filled.

"Sorry about that. I should have shown you the power of runes before allowing you to study them," he admitted, his tone carrying a rare seriousness.

"Young Master, you did nothing wrong. This was my domain, how could it be your fault?" Yuan Lan shook her head, a respectful smile lingering on her lips.

Watching their exchange, Mei Ling's expression remained cool and aloof, though inside she was quietly processing every detail.

The others wore a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"You don't understand. As the first Master Teacher, one of my responsibilities is to make sure all of you are on the right path," Jun Wu said, speaking with a weight that made the air seem denser.

When Yuan Lan heard this, she had nothing to say.

The truth was undeniable, and there was no arguing with it.

Although Jun Wu did not act as their formal leader, they all knew he was their guiding figure and they followed his lead without question.

Even Long Fei, who was the oldest among them, shared this unspoken conviction.

Changing the topic, Jun Wu moved straight to the point.

"Array and runes all come from the same source."

"You can think of array formation as our world, while runes represent everything within it," he explained in simple terms, the metaphors click­ing into place as he spoke.

"For example, the blades of grass that grow on the ground are runes. Trees are another rune; fire, water, and earth are runes within the grand formation of the world."

"You might ask how the runes have their power. Their power comes from the heavenly dao."

"A rune symbol that you study is the language we use to communicate with the heavenly dao."

"Why is an array formation different from a rune? An array formation encompasses runes, not the other way around. From formation, we discover runes."

"A simple array formation would have only one rune to function properly. This is what we call Grade-1 Array Formation."

"Take from my explanation…. if the world is an array formation and you want to strengthen a specific part, you need a single rune, whether a wind rune, earth rune, or energy rune to do the work."

Listening to his in-depth explanation, everyone inside the chamber was amazed.

They realized Jun Wu's ability to break something so complex into manageable parts was a skill that only he possessed.

Mei Ling, Bao Lu, and Shao Lin, who did not understand runes and formations well, learned a great deal from his simple demonstration.

"Young Master, you really have the talent of teaching," Shao Lin commented, his face filled with respect and reverence.

"I don't believe I possess any teaching talent. This is the power of my domain in action. The deeper you sink into your domain, the easier it becomes to make others understand your words," Jun Wu explained, his voice carrying a quiet pride.

"Really?" Bao Lu asked, eyes widening with a spark of curiosity.

Jun Wu did not respond with words, only a calm smile that suggested there was more to come.

"Let's continue. Let's talk about why runes are so important, much like an array formation."

"Without runes, our world would be barren or blank. Runes give it color, vitality, and essence."

"Do any of you know why there has never been a Grade-1 Blacksmith in our Soaring Cloud Region?" he asked, shifting the discussion toward a practical historical insight.

The chamber fell quiet for a moment before they shook their heads.

Mei Ling stared at him, and though her gut told her the answer was hidden in the runes, she kept quiet, allowing him to reveal the truth in his own time.

"I know some of you might have already guessed it from my explanation," Jun Wu continued with a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips.

"It was because all the weapons lack runes."

Huh!

Even though they had suspected as much, the truth still stunned them when it was spoken aloud.

"So this is why?" Long Fei muttered, eyes narrowing as realization dawned on him.

"Yes, it is," Jun Wu nodded. "Miss Yuan, you asked me to show you a rune application. You've already seen it but did not know."

Hmm?

Yuan Lan was momentarily stunned, but not just her, others were surprised too, except Mei Ling.

She had already connected the dots.

The memory of that strange weapon, capable of killing a Master Realm cultivator as if they were nothing, made the concept of rune power even more compelling to her.

Contrary to her expectation, Jun Wu did not pull out the Runic Revolver, but rather array plates.

"I believe you've all seen this before," he said with a knowing smile.

They all nodded.

Everyone in Mystic City and beyond had seen the legendary array plates.

Many had even tried to reverse engineer them, only to fail miserably.

No one truly understood how they were made.

But now…

It seemed they would find out in time.

"Young Master, are the array plates made using runes?" Yuan Lan asked, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and excitement.

This was a major secret newly revealed to them.

"Yes and no," Jun Wu replied.

"The array plates contain both a rune and fragments of array formation. But without the rune serving as an anchor, the plates would be nothing more than ordinary metal plates."

From his storage pouch, he drew out a small dagger.

The blade gleamed with a sharp edge, its surface etched with tiny runic symbols.

He handed it to Yuan Lan.

"Observe carefully," he said, and Yuan Lan received the dagger with a mix of awe and reverence.

She could indeed see the tiny runic symbols, delicate, precise markings that pulsed with a hidden life.

If Jun Wu had not explained the concept of runes, she might have overlooked their importance entirely.

As she examined the dagger, Jun Wu continued his lecture.

"The dagger was ordinary, but with the right rune engravings, sturdy runes for body, sharp runes for cutting. This makes it to transcends from an ordinary weapon to a Mortal Grade Artifact."

"This is just the most basic use of runes. You can use runes in almost everything under heaven. Everything solely depends on your understanding."

"I will compile a short book on the physical applications of runes for you."

Jun Wu finished his concise, practical lecture and looked at Yuan Lan, who was now filled with understanding and anticipation.

She had never imagined that a few symbols could hold such transformative power.

"Young Master, thank you. This has cleared all my doubts," she smiled brightly. "Now I know what to do."

"I'm glad I could help," he nodded, glancing at the others and assessing their expressions.

After today, he did not know when they would have another chance to meet like this, so he spoke with a firmness that suggested both instruction and farewell.

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