Chapter 26: Chapter 26: The Unveiling of the Medallion’s Power
Curious about his newly crafted medallion, Lu Fan placed it in the center of his magnet experiment, intrigued to see how the array's patterns might interact. As he watched, the medallion's power amplified, yet the surge overloaded the talisman inscribed on it. This experiment confirmed his suspicion: while crafted weapons held power, they lacked the natural resilience and limitless potential that artifacts like his storage gourd possessed.
Moving on, Lu Fan placed the medallion in his spiritual spring array, this time substituting the heart vein with a top-grade spirit stone to see what effects this high-energy material might have.
He then turned his attention to his sword grass seeds and jade wood seeds, experimenting with them in the magnet array. With his two primary arrays moved into the network of hidden caves below the island, Lu Fan decided to replace their spots with dedicated arrays for sword grass and jade wood, each set up with optimal configurations for their unique cultivation. As days passed, he observed the sword grass transform into long, blade-like leaves.
When he harvested a few, they indeed resembled swords, sharp-edged and sturdy. Trying his magnet experiment with one of these natural weapons, he found the resulting patterns far more intense, even generating sword qi in the process. This discovery prompted Lu Fan to adjust his array, incorporating the new patterns to encourage further sword qi production.
Satisfied, Lu Fan visited the jade wood array. As expected, the jade trees flourished, producing trees with a jade-like gleam, perfect for crafting containers to preserve pills and other precious items. Venturing next to his spiritual spring array, now concealed within a cave, Lu Fan checked on the medallion's progress. The top-grade spirit stone had undergone a transformation, merging with the medallion, just as the black stone in the spring had turned into jade.
Over the following days, the medallion underwent remarkable changes. Not only had its flaws disappeared, but the inscriptions on its surface also grew more intricate, hinting at higher functions. Gradually, the medallion ascended through the levels, breaking through to level 4 and reaching Nascent Soul grade. As it evolved, however, thunderous clouds began to gather above the island—an ominous sign of an impending Thunder Calamity.
Realizing the danger, Lu Fan grabbed the medallion and used an earth escape talisman to quickly surface. He placed the medallion in an open space, alongside spare spirit stones and other refining materials, hoping they might serve as a buffer. Then, he retreated a safe distance, just as the first bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the medallion and melting nearby materials.
The medallion, damaged but resilient, absorbed the surrounding qi and molten materials to heal itself. Eight more strikes followed, each one a test of the medallion's durability and Lu Fan's nerves. After the ninth strike, the skies cleared, and Lu Fan carefully collected his creation, now tempered by the heavens themselves.
Acting quickly, he shut down all arrays across the island and harvested the herbs in his gardens, sensing the disturbance might attract unwanted attention. His intuition was correct: soon after, a family monk arrived on the island to investigate,apparently drawn by the calamity's energy. Suppressing his cultivation to show as a level 4 Qi cultivator, Lu Fan greeted the monk as he arrived.
The monk, Lu Zhenyu, observed Lu Fan carefully. "You've drawn quite the disturbance here. That Thunder Calamity was far too intense for a mere coincidence."
Lu Fan nodded solemnly. "I only saw a flash of lightning, which seemed to strike the sea. It could have been an unusual storm. The island is so isolated, it's hard to tell what happens outside of it."
Lu Zhenyu wasn't convinced. "Are you sure? A storm like that wouldn't just randomly appear. I can sense that something unusual happened here." He narrowed his gaze. "What exactly went on, Lu Fan?
Lu Fan smiled, but his voice remained measured. "I can assure you, it was nothing out of the ordinary. I've had no contact with anyone, and I'm sure you'll find nothing of interest here." He hoped the monk's suspicions would fade.
Lu Zhenyu walked toward the island's edge, inspecting the surrounding sea. "You say it was nothing, but I sense a powerful energy that radiated from this area. What is going on with the array here?" He gestured to the herb garden Lu Fan had cultivated.
"I use the array to help with the growth of medicinal herbs," Lu Fan explained, maintaining his calm. "Nothing more to it."
The monk's expression softened as he looked at the array. "Impressive work. Most cultivators your age would not have the patience or knowledge to establish such an array. You truly have potential, Lu Fan."
Lu Zhenyu eyed the herb garden for a moment longer before turning back to Lu Fan. "I still sense something isn't quite right, but it seems there's no immediate danger. The people on the island seem to be unaffected, and the direction of the lightning seems to have been from the sea, not from the island itself." He then looked up at Lu Fan. "I'll be asking around the village. I don't expect anyone here knows much, but you never know what can be uncovered."
"I understand," Lu Fan replied smoothly. "But I can assure you, there is nothing for you to find here. It's only a small garden." He offered a respectful bow, maintaining a neutral expression.
Lu Zhenyu's suspicion was still evident as he turned to leave, but he refrained from pressing the matter further. Instead, he moved to meet some of the island's residents, but they too had only seen the lightning from a distance. He walked around the island, keeping a close eye on any unusual signs, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
After several hours of investigation, he returned to speak with Lu Fan once again. "I couldn't find anything," he said. "Nothing that indicates the source of the disturbance. I looked over the sea and the entire island—nothing out of place. However, your garden… it's more advanced than I would have expected."
Lu Fan smiled, glad that the monk was now moving away from the topic of the Thunder Calamity. "It's just a small project of mine," he said humbly. "I've been working on it for a while. It's not much."
Lu Zhenyu looked at him intently, then sighed. "I'll be reporting this to the family. I cannot say what I saw, but you have certainly earned some attention. Don't be surprised if more people come to investigate."
"Thank you, Lu Zhenyu," Lu Fan said, bowing slightly. "I will be prepared."
Before the monk left, he had one last remark. "You know, I was surprised to hear you have such a large family. Six wives and six children, that's quite a lot to manage for someone your age."
Lu Fan chuckled softly. "Family is everything, isn't it? I believe in keeping things… balanced."
Lu Zhenyu shook his head, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Balanced, yes, but you'll have to take care of them all. I didn't expect this from you, Lu Fan. It's impressive. Anyway, I'll report back to the family. We'll see what comes of it."
Lu Zhenyu took his leave, but before he departed, he gave Lu Fan a small package. "This is a level 2 array manual. I thought it might help you in your studies. Consider it an encouragement for your progress."
Lu Fan received the manual with gratitude. "Thank you, Lu Zhenyu. I will make good use of it."
Once the monk had gone, Lu Fan carefully opened the manual, pondering the new possibilities it might offer for future array formations. Within a month, more monks arrived to investigate the island. Despite their thorough search, they found nothing suspicious and eventually withdrew.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone