With dozens of array banners cast out, Joe Di swiftly arranged a simple ninth-level protective array. In his heart, he was deeply grateful to his master, Quinn Windflower. Without Quinn Windflower, he could have spent years studying here and still never become a ninth-level Grand Arraymaster.
Although the Qi Trading House possessed many Arraycraft Jade Scrolls, the formations recorded within were far too basic and offered him almost no help. The scrolls from Skyblade Sect were more beneficial to his arraycraft, but unfortunately, Skyblade Sect was not an arraycraft sect. Their Arraycraft Jade Scrolls did touch upon ninth-level formations, but learning from them was extremely complex.
Even with Joe Di’s comprehension, thoroughly understanding the Arraycraft Jade Scrolls of Skyblade Sect was still very difficult.
Fortunately, his master Quinn Windflower had given him a treatise on arraycraft. This treatise was the true textbook that allowed Joe Di to rapidly advance his arraycraft.
Quinn Windflower’s insights into arraycraft within the cultivation world were clear and approachable, expressing complex array principles in the simplest language. Even an ordinary cultivator could rapidly improve after reading this Jade Scroll. Thanks to Quinn Windflower’s treatise, Joe Di spent just over five months to step into the ranks of ninth-level Grand Arraymasters.
As a ninth-level Grand Arraymaster, Joe Di quickly noticed the problem with the portal array. The issue had arisen when he implanted the ley lines—the ley lines appeared to be in place, but in reality, they weren’t properly connected to the portal array.
Such a simple problem had cost Joe Di nearly half a year of studying arraycraft.
Joe Di truly wondered how Qi Qi would be able to re-implant the ley lines and activate the portal array after coming here. To his knowledge, there was no publicly recognized ninth-level Grand Arraymaster in all of Aurora Continent. Even the person who left the spiritual mark on the Mindshift Stone—Joe Di could only guess that his arraycraft had reached the ninth level.
As for the Qi Trading House, Joe Di was not underestimating them—he was certain they did not have a Grand Arraymaster above the seventh level.
After repairing the portal array, Joe Di was in no hurry to leave.
This portal array likely leads to the Central Realm. According to his master, the Central Realm is the strongest cultivation continent among the surrounding Five Continents.
Since it is the strongest, it must be teeming with powerful cultivators—even Ascendants would be countless.
Currently, he was at the Fourth Level Soul Ancestor. Though he had some skills, his cultivation was still too weak by comparison. At this level, he could roam freely across the Aurora Continent, but in the Central Realm, he might be insignificant.
Here, it was quiet, and there were ley lines and spirit stones. This was the most suitable place for him to study the Titan’s Step.
The contents of the Titan’s Step divine ability were completely different from the spell jade scrolls Joe Di had obtained before. Typical cultivation techniques or spell jade scrolls begin by explaining the Dao and integrate the technique with the Dao.
But the Titan’s Step divine ability started with no superfluous words. After a brief introduction to its levels, it immediately guided the user through the circulation of energy and physical movements.
Titan’s Step is divided into seven levels. At the first level, a single footprint can directly tear through an opponent’s spiritual defense and true essence. As long as there is any weakness in their divine ability or defense, Titan’s Step can stomp right through.
The second level allows two footprints, tearing through the opponent’s defensive space simultaneously. The third level is four footprints, the fourth level is eight footprints…
Following this pattern, the seventh level should be sixty-four footprints. Yet, according to the text, when Titan’s Step is cultivated to the seventh level, it unleashes billions of footprints.
Billions of footprints stomped out...
Joe Di suspected this divine ability was somewhat exaggerated. If billions of footprints were stomped out at once, it would probably shatter an entire planet.
The latter half of the Jade Scroll was missing, but Joe Di didn’t mind. Completing the seventh level of Titan’s Step already seemed impossible—surely it was the highest level, with no eighth to follow. In Joe Di’s view, the missing part was likely just empty space.
Since Titan’s Step had seven levels, Joe Di assumed the first level would be easy to master. To train, he deliberately left the portal hall and practiced in the plaza.
To Joe Di’s frustration, even with his talent and comprehension, he spent half a year cultivating in the vast plaza. He kicked away every ruined wall and broken pillar around, and even advanced his cultivation to the Fifth Level Soul Ancestor, yet still failed to master the first level of Titan’s Step.
According to the Jade Scroll, a single stomp should tear through the opponent’s spiritual sense and true essence. Any opponent would have a weak point, and once found, his footprint could break through.
But Joe Di was sure he couldn’t do it. When he stomped, his true essence surged and the entire space was filled with the momentum of that stomp. In actual combat, his footprint would land directly on the opponent’s defensive magical artifact or true essence, never bypassing their defenses.
It was as if there was a wall ahead—when he stomped, he hit the wall, not what lay beyond.
After half a year of fruitless effort, unable to break through the first level of Titan’s Step, Joe Di stopped practicing. Advancing from seventh-level to ninth-level Grand Arraymaster had never been this difficult; yet half a year of training in Titan’s Step had yielded no breakthrough. It was utter failure.
He couldn’t keep wasting time—he had to return to Hengyu Star as soon as possible. He even regretted training in Titan’s Step, feeling he’d wasted half a year. It was his stubbornness—always believing the breakthrough was just a moment away—that had cost him so much time.
Stepping onto the hexagonal portal array once more, Joe Di cast out array banners. This time, white light swirled around the array, instantly enveloping him.
Even though Joe Di hadn’t mastered Titan’s Step after half a year of cultivation, it wasn’t a complete loss. Not only had he advanced to the Fifth Level Soul Ancestor, but his spiritual sense had also reached a new peak. After spending six months studying the portal array, when it finally activated, Joe Di didn’t even faint.
Despite knowing the risk, Joe Di let his spiritual sense frantically probe outward. The violent spatial shift nearly made him cough blood, but he knew this was a rare opportunity. Such spatial fluctuations were extremely helpful for advancing his spatial arraycraft.
Amidst the intense spatial shift, Joe Di caught a familiar fluctuation...
This fluctuation was crucial to him. Joe Di desperately tried to make it clearer, but the shift was too rapid. Even with his formidable spiritual sense, he couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of blood.
As the blood spurted out, Joe Di finally grasped the trace of that fluctuation. At that instant, the gray stone in his sea of consciousness trembled, and a nearly imperceptible golden ripple radiated from it, instantly sharpening Joe Di’s perception.
It was a spatial fluctuation—the trace he caught was a spatial law. No, it was a sliver of spatial principle...
Before Joe Di could recover from his excitement, his body solidified and his feet touched solid ground.
There seemed to be many people around, but Joe Di paid them no mind. The moment he stepped out of the portal array, he stomped his foot forward.
The Titan’s Step he had failed to grasp after half a year of cultivation suddenly became clear with that stomp. Even though he struck only empty air, Joe Di knew he had mastered the first level of Titan’s Step.
So it was a spatial principle. If he hadn’t just comprehended a sliver of spatial principle from the portal array, he could have spent a hundred years on Titan’s Step without a single insight. No wonder Titan’s Step could tear through an opponent’s spiritual sense, true essence, or even defenses—without a spatial law, such a divine ability would be impossible.
This seemed a bit different from what the first level described—now that he’d comprehended a sliver of spatial principle, did he still need to seek out his opponent’s weak points? But none of that mattered anymore.
"Hahaha..." Joe Di couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Comprehending Titan’s Step was one thing, but what truly excited Joe Di was grasping a sliver of spatial principle. He didn’t know how powerful his master Quinn Windflower truly was, but he was certain Quinn Windflower’s cultivation far surpassed that of any Ascendant.
Even his master, such a formidable expert, had not comprehended spatial principle—yet Joe Di had. If word got out, no one would believe it.
Once he merged spatial principle with his Mindshift technique, his escape speed would be even faster.
"No shouting! If there is any further disturbance, entry to the Central Realm will be denied." A sharp voice suddenly rang out. Only then did Joe Di realize a middle-aged man had appeared before him. With Joe Di’s cultivation, he couldn’t discern the man’s level at all, proving the man was far stronger than him.
Facing such a powerful figure, Joe Di quickly apologized. The middle-aged man only warned him and did nothing more.
Once the man left, Joe Di looked around at where he’d landed—there were portal arrays everywhere. He roughly counted at least two or three hundred different arrays, forming a massive portal cluster. People were constantly arriving, each from a different portal. Joe Di saw these cultivators hurriedly leaving without lingering.
Joe Di followed the other cultivators out and soon discovered these portal arrays only allowed entry, not exit.
Leaving the portal cluster’s grand hall, Joe Di saw another enormous hall across from him, its facade marked with a giant 'Exit' character. Looking back at the entrance he’d just come through, he saw a giant 'Entry' character above the door.
Joe Di felt relieved—it seemed the portal arrays of the Central Realm were separate for entry and exit.
Joe Di admired this portal array design. First, it reduced the energy cost; second, it separated the flow of people entering and leaving, preventing congestion and chaos.
Between the two grand halls, Joe Di saw a sign labeled 'Portal Fee Station.'
Joe Di walked over and asked at one of the windows, "I want to go to Yalen Continent. How many spirit stones will it cost?"
Joe Di would return to the Central Realm again, but for now, he wanted to go back to Yalen Continent.
"You want to go to Yalen Continent?" The receptionist, a young female cultivator, seemed surprised and asked again to confirm.