Chapter 76: Decline, Now Inevitable

The Lin Group, as Mo Baishan had predicted, would eventually fall into complete decline. But that would come later.

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After a day and a night.

Chen Xian let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and gazed at the jade floating before his eyes, a smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

The jade was covered with countless intricate runes, radiant and shimmering, as if myriad living beings lay upon its surface. The fine runes wriggled ceaselessly, transforming into tiny whirlpools that spun slowly, exuding an air of mystery.

“The first piece is finished!” Chen Xian observed it for a while, then carefully placed the jade into his storage ring.

After resting for half an hour, with a thought, a fish-shaped jade pendant floated before him.

Chen Xian formed sword fingers with both hands, light flickering at his fingertips, and resumed his engraving work.

Time, like a cunning thief, always slips away unnoticed.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

During this period, Chen Xian not only completed the carving of all three pieces of jade but also refined the remaining Spirit Gathering Powder, infusing the second and third Spirit Wheels with abundant spiritual energy.

Meanwhile, his parents and sister moved into their new home.

Chen Xian invited Zhang Xin to attend the moving-in banquet.

At that moment, his phone rang.

Chen Xian glanced at the screen—it was Ma Tian calling. He answered, “Hello, Ma Tian, how did things go?”

“Reporting to Master Chen, I’ve gathered all the materials you requested,” Ma Tian’s respectful voice sounded from the phone.

Hearing this, Chen Xian’s face lit up with joy. “Good work. Deliver all the materials to the old courtyard in the outskirts of M City. Also, assemble a hundred security and engineering personnel, as well as cranes to help with the task.”

“Yes, Master Chen!”

“I’ll be there shortly,” Chen Xian replied.

After hanging up, Chen Xian, accompanied by Little Mei, left the Jin Xiu Community, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for M City.

Now, with the three core jade pieces for the formation successfully carved and all auxiliary materials collected, he could set up the small Spirit Gathering Array.

This formation would gather all the spiritual energy within a hundred miles, concentrating it upon the small hill. At that time, the spiritual energy atop the hill would become exceptionally dense.

Such a development would greatly benefit both Chen Xian’s cultivation and the business he had long envisioned—selling spirit-infused water and cultivating rare medicinal herbs.

Cultivating within the formation would yield twice the results with half the effort;

Spirit-infused water would enhance the vitality and immunity of humans, animals, and plants, becoming a business worth tens or even hundreds of billions annually;

Rare medicinal herbs, nourished by spiritual energy, would grow rapidly and possess superior quality, providing essential ingredients for Chen Xian’s pill refining.

Looking out the car window as the scenery flew by, Chen Xian contemplated the many benefits that would come once the Spirit Gathering Array was complete, an involuntary smile appearing on his lips.

In his arms, the charming feline squinted contentedly, sucking on a strawberry-flavored lollipop.

By dusk, Chen Xian arrived at the small hill in the outskirts of M City and entered the courtyard.

Outside the gate, massive sea stones and thousand-year-old nanmu wood were piled up, surrounded by numerous engineering and security personnel.

Ma Tian, who had long awaited the arrival of Master Chen, greeted him with a beaming smile. “Greetings, Master Chen!”

Chen Xian nodded, surveying the array of materials with satisfaction.

“Master Chen, collecting these materials cost a total of 1.2 billion,” Ma Tian reported.

“I understand,” Chen Xian replied calmly.

Impatient to set up the Spirit Gathering Array, he wasted no time resting, nor did he care that night was falling. He immediately assigned tasks, setting the engineering vehicles and personnel into orderly motion.

Each massive sea stone was placed at the designated spots at the foot of the hill according to the Formation Manual, while the thousand-year-old nanmu logs were secured at their specified locations.

Time slipped away amid the bustle. After three days and nights, all auxiliary materials were in place. The next task could only be completed by Chen Xian himself.

He needed to carve formation runes onto these materials.

Chen Xian dismissed all unrelated personnel and approached a sea stone at the foot of the hill alone. Forming sword fingers with both hands, light flickered at his fingertips as he swiftly carved upon the stone.

Minutes later, dozens of profound runes appeared on the stone’s surface.

It was much easier to carve runes onto these larger materials than onto the palm-sized jade.

Without pause, Chen Xian moved on to the next sea stone, and so forth.

After two days and nights of relentless work, he finished carving auxiliary runes onto all the materials and proceeded to the courtyard at the hilltop.

Chen Xian sat cross-legged in the secret chamber, eyes closed, with three pieces of jade floating before him, radiating gentle light.

His hands moved along intricate trajectories, forming seals, while his lips parted and closed, murmuring ancient, mysterious syllables.

The runes on the jade writhed as if alive.

Soon, the light from the three jade pieces converged above Chen Xian’s head, forming a glowing sphere, its brilliance intensifying until it resembled a white sun.

Then, waves of light surged from the jade, filling the entire room and continuing to spread outward.

Night had already fallen. The security personnel outside watched in terror as light erupted from the courtyard, illuminating the surroundings.

“What’s happening?”

“Why is this happening? Is something on fire?”

The security guards murmured anxiously.

“Do not panic, everyone. I am performing a secret art.” A voice sounded from within the house, distant as if from the heavens yet close as if beside their ears.

It was Chen Xian’s voice, imbued with a calming power.

Hearing this, the guards’ fear subsided.

Buzz, buzz, buzz—

Next, the entire hill trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

Anyone viewing from above would witness dazzling points of light appearing on the hill where the courtyard stood, like stars in the night.

These points marked the locations of the thousand-year-old nanmu, sea stones, and other materials, which Chen Xian called the formation bases.

Inside, though Chen Xian kept his eyes closed, the entire hill’s situation was clearly mapped in his mind.

“Spirit Gathering Array, activate!” he commanded softly.

Though spoken quietly, his words carried authority, like the decree of a celestial emperor, enforcing law with a single utterance.

Boom, boom, boom!

The formation bases trembled violently, and the light from the jade core shot toward each base, connecting every point with the formation’s center in an instant.

Through his mind, Chen Xian perceived:

On the sea stones, illusory waves appeared, accompanied by the sound of surf;

On the thousand-year-old nanmu, towering phantom trees materialized, their branches swaying with rustling sounds;

At each formation base, astonishing phenomena manifested.

These changes lasted half an hour before subsiding. Whirlpools formed at each base, slowly rotating and emitting suction.

Immediately, spiritual energy from lakes and earth within a hundred-mile radius converged upon the hill as rivers flow to the sea...

PS: Three chapters in a row, seeking recommendation votes, collections, and positive reviews!