The scroll is made of cempisel wood, now very rare in the Wilderness. When fingers lightly glide over it, they carry the scorching heat on their fingertips. The material is somewhat coarse, and its shape is extremely simple.
Even before opening, one can feel the intensely rich power of the starlight within.
Deng Chanyu had a guess, and in the eyes of Taiji, slowly opened the scroll.
In her vision, light points full of stars took up space. Each beam of light contained true meaning, and it echoed with the zodiac stars in the sky. When she opened the scroll, 365 beams of light descended from above, and the scroll responded.
The original scroll seemed to contain an entire world within. Now, the light points inside the scroll connected with the celestial constellations, and the beams of light intertwined, presenting a microcosmic world of the primordial era in Deng Chanyu's eyes. Before she could delve into its true meaning, one became two, two became three, and three gave rise to all things; in a flash, the combination of 365 beams of starlight encompassed all changes in the primordial era.
The vast ocean and the changing sands, the sparkling stars, her gaze on the stars seemed to be a moment, yet also like eons.
"Wow!" Deng Chanyu examined the array map in her hand, even though she had some predictions, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "It's the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations!"
Di Ku nodded: "Indeed, it is the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations. The Eastern Emperor once traveled through the Yunmeng Lake in his early years, and he had a very pleasant conversation with the Lord of the Clouds. Therefore, he left behind this array map, presumably not wanting this great array to disappear from the primordial era."
Deng Chanyu was not unfamiliar with the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations. Both Bai Ze and Fu Xi had once fought against the Wugui in this array. As the leader of the ten immortal demons, Bai Ze had even temporarily presided over the great array, mobilizing its power to assist Di Jun and Taiyi.
Just explaining the details of each array node and ingeniously manipulating the power of the celestial constellations, Deng Chanyu estimated that even Bai Ze had not seen it before. At best, he might have seen only those parts that he needed to understand and could control.
Bai Ze is like a person who knows how to drive a car, relying on his own intelligence to also repair cars, but he doesn't need to understand how to manufacture cars. It's impossible for him to research every single component one by one, and there's no necessity for it.
The array map that Emperor Ku is giving to Deng Chanyu is like a design drawing, starting from the most basic and fundamental array nodes and gradually stacking them up like building blocks to form the array map of the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations.
When Taiyi traveled to Yunmeng Lake and met the Lord of the Clouds, it was during his early years of cultivation. This array map of the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations should not be the version during the final battle between Wugui and Immortals. However, the ideas and array knowledge contained within are still incredibly valuable.
Emperor Ku was in seclusion, and the Cloud Spirit Lord was half-mad. This array required the mobilization of huge amounts of human and material resources, reaching an extremely exaggerated extent. For the indigenous deities of Yunmeng Lake, even if the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations was as ingenious as possible, it would not be used because they simply do not have enough manpower to set up the array.
Let's keep this array map for now and study it carefully later. Deng Chanyu estimated that it might come in handy on the side of the phoenix in the future. The great array of Di Jun and Taiyi covers thirty-three heavens, so she doesn't need to go to such extremes. She can make a downsized version instead.
"Boring," Taiji pursed her lips, she dislikes arrays. She is naturally not fond of them. Things like archery and axe handling, with effort and practice, can be refined to an outstanding level. Skills like array formation and alchemy, however, cannot be acquired easily.
"Wait a moment!" Deng Chanyu called out to Emperor Ku.
Di Ku: "???"
"Are there also restrictions in the array map, elder?"
Di Ku was surprised: "The old man is an ordinary person and does not know the skills of immortals."
Deng Chanyu looked at the array map again. The stars had almost blinded her before, but luckily, she had taken a few more glances; otherwise, she would have missed it.
She said: "There is no location for the array eye in the array map, as if it has been sealed by some sort of restriction."
Di Ku's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but turn around to look at the unconscious Cloud Spirit Lord. He said slowly, "In the past, I turned to the god for help, hoping that when my race faced the chaos of the primordial era, we would have a means to protect ourselves. The god then gave me an array map, saying that with the power of my race, we could certainly set up the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations."
What's this "gifting," just listen to it; it didn't cost a great deal, that Cloud Spirit Lord wouldn't easily give up benefits.
Deng Chanyu asked: "It seems that the Cloud Spirit Lord is doing business twice, may I ask the King, will you still protect him?"
Di Ku replied calmly: "He once had a favor to me, please the immortal to let him go."
"Alright." Emperor Ku is after all a mortal and has no good method to deal with the Cloud Spirit Lord. If he were to switch places with Deng Chanyu, at this moment, he could only pray that the Cloud Spirit Lord would not die.
Deng Chanyu still has a way out.
The ruler of the heavens pointed to the body of the Cloud Spirit Lord at a distance, and clear qi rose while impure qi fell. After a cup of tea, a bright light orb that resonated with the Grand Array of Celestial Constellations flew out from his essence. Deng Chanyu unfolded the array map and collected the light orb. When she looked at the array map again, she found that the position of the array eye had been completed.
After accepting the favor, Deng Chanyu no longer dwelled on the matter of the Cloud Spirit Lord.
The Cloud Spirit Lord definitely did not die, but was hit directly by the virtual shadow of the Taijidian Array. Whether he would wake up anytime is a matter of time.
These ancient gods who are not under the jurisdiction of heaven can be considered as the elderly and marginalized of the previous dynasty. The heavens may not take their lives, but they will not extend a helping hand, let alone bestow them with qi and yun. You have to endure it patiently.
Deng Chanyu and Taiji ultimately did not ask about Emperor Ku's past with his wives. The old man was more to their liking, and they should not do something as hurtful as prying into someone's past wounds. They said goodbye to the old man and went back to continue tinkering with the cave palace in the Yunxiao realm.
During the past millennium, the nine-headed serpent has made a mess of things. No one knows how he managed to do it, but he has ruined the protective array outside the cave.
All related content such as earth veins, array eye, array flag, and nodes have been displaced.
Originally, Deng Chanyu held the car key given by the owner, and she could open the car door to enter.
Now she has to take off the engine before she can open the car door. Considering that this cave is for Deng Chanyu and Taiji to practice cultivation, she has to put the engine back in its original state after she disassembles it. This makes the workload several times greater than before.
It took her three days to disassemble the three small arrays at the corners of the array edge, documenting and studying them, recording the layout of the large array to seven or eight tenths. When they leave, they have to set up a defense array again, helping Yunxiao close the door and prevent him from being puzzled when he comes next time: "Is this my home?" "How did my main gate change?"
"Huff-huff—" The black qilin lay on its stomach on a relatively flat stone, sleeping like a dead pig, its snoring steady and rhythmic.
Taiji treated it like a large-sized cushion, with her eyes slightly closed and leaning on a doze, listening to it as if it was a plush footrest, lying by her feet to rest.
If Deng Chanyu were removed, the picture of the qilin, Taiji, and the white dog dozing under the setting sun would be quite aesthetically pleasing.
