"Customer, buy some meat! Which part do you want, I'll cut it for you!" The butcher enthusiastically called out, unaware that the customer had their eye on his cutting board.
"I'll take this slab of demon beast meat here, but can you throw in that cutting board? I'm just short one at home," Li Mu gestured, pointing to the cutting board made of Ancient Rong Wood Heart.
"Why is it always someone buying meat and asking for the cutting board as well!" The butcher frowned, muttering in confusion.
Previously, someone had demanded the cutting board, and now here's another one. If this keeps up, I'll have to switch to selling cutting boards!
"Can you throw it in or not? I'm buying so much demon beast meat!" Li Mu took out several middle spirit stones from his storage bag and pretended he was about to settle the bill, urging him.
"Alright then! Seeing as you're buying so much meat, I'll give you this cutting board," the butcher reluctantly agreed.
After saying so, the butcher found a long scale pole and began weighing the demon beast meat.
"Customer, this slab of meat weighs a total of 373 jin (weight unit), 1240 lower spirit stones, just give me 12 middle spirit stones!" The butcher said, looking at Li Mu with a smile.
"Alright!" Li Mu cheerfully handed over 12 middle spirit stones for the bill, then placed the entire slab of demon beast meat and the Ancient Rong Wood Heart cutting board into his storage bag.
"Boss, let me ask you something. I'm planning to build an ice cellar to store my demon beast meat. Is it better to use an Ice Formation Talisman, Cold Ice Stone, or set up an Ice Element Array; which method is more effective?" Li Mu looked at the butcher, asking eagerly.
"Well! It depends on your financial situation. A level-one Ice Formation Talisman is cheap but inconvenient to use, as you'll have to replenish them frequently; otherwise, the contents of the ice cellar could spoil. Building an ice cellar with Cold Ice Stone isn't cheap either; Cold Ice Stone is a tier two refining material and quite pricey. Using too little won't work well, but using too much will be costly. As for setting up an Ice Element Array, that's even pricier—first, hiring an Array Master is expensive, and second, it consumes a lot of spirit stones daily," the butcher explained to Li Mu in detail.
"Hmm! If I don't consider the consumption of spirit stones, which method is the best?" Li Mu had almost made up his mind.
"Of course, it's best to use an Ice Element Array! Cold Ice Stone contains some impurities, which might pollute the meat stored in the ice cellar. In contrast, an ice cellar constructed with an Ice Element Array only consumes some spirit stones, and the ice spiritual power it gathers is very pure. The intensity of the ice power is adjustable. If you intend to build an Ice Element Array, you can consult Array Master Liu, who's an expert at setting up Ice Element Arrays," the butcher recommended to Li Mu.
"Thank you, boss. Could you tell me Array Master Liu's exact address? I'll visit him right away," Li Mu gratefully thanked the butcher and inquired about Array Master Liu's disciple.
Li Mu had learned the Dragon Elephant Eighteen Array, which only included illusions, traps, and killing arrays, without living-environment arrays like the Ice Element Array. If he could exchange knowledge with Array Master Liu, learning the Ice Element Array should be no problem.
"Follow this road until you reach Fuyuan Inn,...." the butcher enthusiastically gave directions to Li Mu.
Soon, Li Mu followed the butcher's guided route to find a small independent courtyard with an Eight Extremes Illusionary Protective Array guarding the garden yard.
With his knowledge of level 5 arrays, Li Mu easily saw through the weaknesses in the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array and understood the array skills of this Array Master Liu.
"Is Array Master Liu home? This is Li, also an array master, who has come to seek guidance. Please advise!" Li Mu used his true essence to call out loudly towards the garden.
"Are you also an array master? Then break the array and come in!" No sooner had Li Mu spoken than an old voice inside the courtyard responded with surprise.
"Eh! Then excuse my humble skills!" Li Mu replied and then boldly stepped forward along the 'Solid Extreme' array pattern line of the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array, easily pushed open the slightly ajar wooden gate.
The Eight Extremes Illusionary Array consists of: Void Extreme, Solid Extreme, Illusion Extreme, True Extreme, Deep Extreme,..., with eight intertwined array pattern lines, making truth and illusion indistinguishable. Only the Solid Extreme pattern line is the array's flaw.
This Array Master Liu's array formation skills were inadequate. He only had a superficial understanding of the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array and didn't connect the Solid Extreme pattern with other extreme gates substances to achieve an indistinguishable level of reality and illusion.
With the blessing of the Innate Divine Power - Recognition of Ten Thousand Spirits and level five array knowledge, Li Mu instantly broke the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array and walked straight into the courtyard, standing before an old man reclining on a leisurely chair, enjoying the leg massage from two maids.
"You, how did you get in? You broke my Eight Extremes Array?" Liu Jian jolted upright, staring in shock at Li Mu, who broke in, asking in disbelief.
"Array Master Liu, your Eight Extremes Illusionary Array is something I'm somewhat familiar with. For instance: the intersection point of the Solid and True Extreme patterns, you obviously set it wrong. Also, the illusionary pattern overlap, you forgot to inscribe it, leading to most of the illusionary elements ineffective..., and there's also...," Li Mu smiled slightly, detailing his explanations.
Upon hearing this, Array Master Liu's eyes lit up as if he had found a precious treasure.
"Yes, yes, the ineffectiveness of the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array was because of this!"
"Fellow Daoist Li, please have a seat! Xiaoyue, fetch the spirit tea for the old master!"
"Fellow Daoist Li is also an array master? Could you point out other issues with the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array, please?"
...
Liu Jian warmly invited Li Mu and sincerely requested him to point out the errors and omissions in the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array.
Array masters are rare; until now, Liu Jian always relied on his own slow pondering and deductions, learning arrays by himself without guidance from a famous master, leaving many issues.
Li Mu pointed out several mistakes in the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array, which immediately enlightened Liu Jian, deepening his understanding of the Eight Extremes Illusionary Array.
At this moment, Liu Jian almost wanted to regard the young man in front of him as his mentor to acquire more array knowledge.
"Yes, I am indeed an array master, but my progress has been limited. I have been a closed-off cultivator. I heard that Array Master Liu is the best array master in this town, so I came specifically to exchange knowledge with Fellow Daoist Liu." Li Mu smiled slightly, sitting across from Liu Jian on a wooden chair, stating his purpose.
"I'm embarrassed that Array Master Liu might have laughed at me, I am just a loose cultivator with limited knowledge of array techniques." Hearing Li Mu's words, Liu Jian couldn't help feeling ashamed; although he learned arrays for half a lifetime, compared to the young man before him, he found himself somewhat inadequate.
"Array Master Liu is modest. I have heard that you excel at setting up Ice Element Arrays. Could I see one? I'll exchange another array technique with you." Li Mu took out the Array Inheritance Jade Scroll of the Dragon Elephant Eighteen Array, suggesting.
For Li Mu, as long as he learned a cultivation technique and recorded it on the proficiency panel, he no longer needed the Inheritance Jade Scroll, as he didn't have to study it. Just farming and increasing proficiency would raise the array level.
Exchanging the Array Inheritance Jade Scroll for other array knowledge seemed perfect to Li Mu because once the array level was raised, even if he encountered opponents using the same array, the array's power would be different.
"This Inheritance Jade Scroll contains a Yellow-tier top-grade array - Dragon Elephant Eighteen Array, complete with eighteen Dragon Elephant Arrays. The jade scroll has two preview chances left. Could I take a look at Array Master Liu's array inheritance?"
Liu Jian's eyes lit up, and he stared at the array jade scroll in Li Mu's hand, hesitated for a moment, bit his lip, and took out a jade scroll: "This is my array inheritance, a Yellow-level Lower Grade - 'Five Elements Eight Extremes Array,' with two reading opportunities remaining. However, it only records four diagrams: Five Elements Array, Ice Element Array, Eight Extremes Illusionary Array, and Five Elements Eight Extremes Array."
"Not bad. Array Master Liu, are you willing to exchange this array inheritance with mine to compare our array learnings?" Li Mu was overjoyed and asked sincerely as he looked at Liu Jian.
Hearing this, Liu Jian hesitated. Although the other party's array inheritance level was higher and more knowledgeable, he might not gain much from this exchange.
Liu Jian was no longer young; even if he learned new array inheritance, he had little time and energy to delve into it. He feared this array inheritance exchange might be unprofitable.
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