Chapter 1172: Forging the Array

Han Li looked around, then flew down to an empty space near the medicine garden. He waved his hand to retrieve various materials and began smelting them, quickly constructing a massive golden platform several hundred zhang in size.

Then, he flipped his hand to take out various materials and began refining array tools one by one.

Han Li had long planned to set up the Glorious Time Astral Array, so when he had sold off various spiritual materials and treasures last time, he specifically kept all the materials that could be used for the array.

Although the Glorious Time Astral Array was an ancient grand formation requiring a vast number of materials, Han Li had previously plundered the Tai Sui Immortal Mansion, obtaining countless materials and resources, enough to set up the array.

While Han Li was setting up the Glorious Time Astral Array, inside the circular great hall at the peak of the Eight Desolates Mountain.

Bai Ze stood by the dark red brazier, staring at the clusters of golden flames within. The flames reflected in his pupils, flickering gently.

A figure walked in from outside; it was Li Qima.

"Father King, a message just came from the mountain below: Han Li has agreed to stay," Li Qima said softly, walking up behind Bai Ze.

"Good. Issue orders that whatever requests he makes, fulfill them as much as possible, and ensure he stays until the Blood Sacrifice Assembly ends," Bai Ze said, turning around.

"Yes." Li Qima's eyes flickered, and he acknowledged the order.

"Alright, go attend to your duties." Bai Ze waved his hand, then turned back to face the dark red brazier.

"Father King, Han Li is merely a human cultivator. Why keep him at Eight Desolates Mountain? If his identity is exposed and the various races learn that we are harboring a human cultivator, wouldn't that invite unnecessary trouble?" Li Qima did not leave immediately but hesitated before finally asking.

"Are you worried that I might harm your friend?" Bai Ze said with a slight smile, without turning around.

"Your son would not dare. Father King is magnanimous and would certainly not do such a thing," Li Qima quickly bowed his head and said.

"Your loyalty to your friends is commendable; it is one of the qualities a king should possess. But to become the King of True Spirits, another quality is needed: knowing when to make sacrifices. Once you become the King of True Spirits, everything must be for the benefit of the clan, and friendship must be set aside when necessary," Bai Ze continued.

"Father King, you..." Li Qima's expression suddenly changed.

"Don't be nervous. Now is not the time for you to make sacrifices. Moreover, keeping Han Li at Eight Desolates Mountain is not out of malice; on the contrary, I intend to give him an opportunity. But it's not the right time yet, so I won't go into detail with you," Bai Ze said, patting Li Qima's shoulder with a smile.

Li Qima looked at Bai Ze's familiar figure but suddenly found it exceptionally strange and distant, unable to see through him no matter how hard he tried.

"Alright, there is still much to prepare for the Blood Sacrifice Assembly. Go attend to your duties," Bai Ze said, waving his hand.

"Yes, your son will take his leave." Li Qima bowed and withdrew.

...

Half a year passed quickly.

On the golden platform within the Flower Branch Space, countless array patterns were densely inscribed, and various array tools were inserted among them, forming an exceptionally complex formation—the Glorious Time Astral Array.

Han Li inserted the last immortal essence stone into the array, then stood up and made a hand seal, pointing at the formation.

The Glorious Time Astral Array immediately emitted waves of flame-like golden light, humming as it began to operate.

A thick golden pillar of light rose from the formation, a spectacular sight. The temporal power in the nearby void was stirred, and the flow of time began to subtly change.

A hint of joy appeared on his face. After working hard for half a year and spending numerous precious materials, his efforts had not been in vain; he had finally set up this ancient grand formation.

Han Li then made a hand seal and waved his hand. Streams of green light shot out, landing on the ground near the platform. They were array flags and plates, and in an instant, a green formation was set up.

He then flicked his sleeve, and with a flash of green light, a large pile of immortal essence stones appeared within the green formation.

The green formation immediately began to hum, and a whirlwind of green light shot out from within, rolling up the immortal essence stones and continuously feeding them into the Glorious Time Astral Array.

As soon as the immortal essence stones entered the formation, they melted, turning into streams of pure energy that infused the array.

The golden light emitted by the Glorious Time Astral Array immediately intensified, and the golden pillar of light rising from it doubled in thickness and brightness. Within the pillar, countless golden runes appeared, leaping and emitting sharp whistling sounds.

Seeing this, Han Li nodded to himself. He waved his hand, sending a ball of golden light wrapping an object into the golden pillar of light within the formation, where it hovered—it was the Jun Heaven Sundial.

He stared intently at the sundial within the pillar, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

The Jun Heaven Sundial was enveloped by the golden pillar of light. The golden runes within the formation converged and merged into the sundial.

The sundial trembled slightly, as if awakening from a long slumber. A faint golden light appeared on its surface, flickering gently.

Seeing this, Han Li's face lit up with joy. He immediately began making hand seals rapidly, activating the Glorious Time Astral Array.

The golden runes within the formation immediately surged, converging toward the Jun Heaven Sundial.

But no matter how Han Li activated the Glorious Time Astral Array or increased the input of immortal essence stones, the golden light on the surface of the Jun Heaven Sundial remained dim, and it did not start operating to display its power of altering time flow.

"So it still doesn't work..." He sighed.

Without a supply of time law power, it was indeed impossible to activate the Jun Heaven Sundial.

But materials containing time law power were extremely precious. Han Li could not even find one or two pieces for his own cultivation, let alone spare any to feed into the Glorious Time Astral Array to power the Jun Heaven Sundial.

Only a colossal sect like the Truthful Words Sect, with its Sumeru Golden Mountain containing inexhaustible time law power, could continuously supply the Glorious Time Astral Array and create a time-differential space.

He looked at the golden light flickering like flames within the Glorious Time Astral Array, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"How could I have forgotten this treasure? Perhaps..." Han Li flipped his hand, and with a flash of golden light, an object appeared—the Lamp of Time.

The golden flame of the Lamp of Time flickered, emitting waves of intense time law fluctuations.

Han Li placed the Lamp of Time on the other side of the Glorious Time Astral Array, chanted incantations, and made a hand seal to guide it.

The golden flame immediately blazed up, then spun around, forming a thick pillar of fire that merged into the Glorious Time Astral Array.

Over the years, he had continuously refined the Lamp of Time, gaining much more control over it.

The Glorious Time Astral Array, as if receiving a powerful tonic, brightened sharply, its operation speed increasing several times. It also emitted a devouring force, continuously absorbing the golden flame from the Lamp of Time.

The array patterns within the formation flickered violently. Golden light spheres shot out from within, each flashing with countless golden runes and emitting strong time law fluctuations. They flew toward the Jun Heaven Sundial above the formation and merged into it.

The Jun Heaven Sundial immediately burst forth with dazzling golden light, and the golden pointer on the sundial spun rapidly.

Instantly, waves of golden light radiated from the Jun Heaven Sundial, spreading throughout the Flower Branch Space.

The flow of time in the entire Flower Branch Space changed abruptly, accelerating by more than five hundred times—much faster than the restricted area of the Truthful Words Sect back then.

Seeing this, Han Li was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

He had taken out the Lamp of Time on a whim, never expecting that the Glorious Time Astral Array could extract time law power from the lamp so effectively, powering the Jun Heaven Sundial.

Moreover, the effect of the Lamp of Time's power was so good that it even surpassed the Sumeru Golden Mountain of the Truthful Words Sect.

After the initial elation, Han Li quickly calmed down. He chanted incantations, rubbed his hands together, and then flung them outward. Dense streams of hand seals rained into the Glorious Time Astral Array.

The operation of the array immediately slowed considerably, the rate of absorbing the Lamp of Time's flame decreased, and the input of immortal essence stones from the green formation also reduced.

Correspondingly, the rotation speed of the Jun Heaven Sundial's pointer slowed by ten times, and the time flow in the Flower Branch Space became about fifty times that of the outside world.

The Lamp of Time was a third-grade immortal artifact, and the time law power it contained was surely considerable, but Han Li did not know exactly how much. He had to use it sparingly.

Moreover, this lamp possessed immense power and was one of his trump cards. He might need it to defend against powerful enemies, so it must not be drained dry by the Glorious Time Astral Array.

A fifty-fold acceleration in the Flower Branch Space was already more than sufficient.

As for the consumption of immortal essence stones, it was also considerable.

Han Li then looked at the immortal essence stones in the adjacent formation, which were continuously decreasing, and inwardly winced.

He had originally held seventy million immortal essence stones, enough for his own use for a long time. But now, with the Glorious Time Astral Array as a bottomless pit, no amount of immortal essence stones would be enough.

Fortunately, for the current consumption rate, neither the time law power in the Lamp of Time nor the immortal essence stones posed any immediate problem.

Han Li let out a light breath, set aside these distracting thoughts, and sat down cross-legged. He flipped his hand to retrieve the Celestial Sword Diagram and carefully studied its mysteries.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years passed. But within the Flower Branch Space, over a hundred years had elapsed.

The Celestial Sword Diagram hovered above Han Li's head, emitting waves of soft light that enveloped his body.

Countless sword shadows appeared on the diagram, varying in size and shape, flickering and changing rapidly, appearing extremely profound.

At that moment, Han Li's tightly shut eyes suddenly opened.

Two beams of strange light shot from his eyes into the Celestial Sword Diagram.

The countless sword shadows on the diagram immediately flickered violently, then rapidly merged with each other.

In an instant, the countless sword shadows on the diagram disappeared, leaving only thirty-six sword shadows remaining, trembling lightly.

Seeing this, Han Li's face showed a hint of joy.

After a hundred years of study, he had finally gained a preliminary understanding of the Celestial Sword Diagram's artistic conception.

Han Li then let out a light breath, suppressing the joy in his heart to maintain absolute calmness, and made a hand seal, pointing forward.

Golden lightning flashed around him, and the thirty-six Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords shot out.

Seemingly influenced by the Celestial Sword Diagram, the thirty-six Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords blazed with sword light, and thick golden lightning automatically rose from their bodies, exploding outward in all directions.

Han Li ignored the overflowing sword aura and lightning, continuing to make hand seals and point.

The thirty-six Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords flew to the Celestial Sword Diagram and merged with the thirty-six sword shadows on the diagram.