Chapter 113: Restoring the Ancient Array of the Formless City Beneath the Ruins

"Wonderful, wonderful." The magic restoration hands glowed once more, transforming the weathered building materials into pristine new ones. She was truly worthy of being the eldest lady of the Shen family.

The craftsmen began constructing the house, starting with the excavation of the foundation, the installation of underground drainage and water facilities, and the laying of the base formations requested by the masters. Only above that would they build the underground warehouses and basements, and above those, the final surface structure. Because of Qinghu's requirements, the craftsmen dug the foundation quite deep.

When they reached a certain depth, they dared not proceed further. Wang Si, hearing that they had stopped, immediately ran over to inspect. The moment he saw the situation, he understood why. He hurried to consult with Qinghu and Qingjin. "Young Master Shen, Miss Shen, we cannot dig any further. We have reached the dilapidated ancient array beneath Wuding City. If we continue, we risk damaging this ancient formation. Although it is already failing, some areas are still struggling to operate; we don't know how much longer it can hold on. If we accidentally break it, it might collapse completely. The city walls might even cave in. The stakes are too high; we dare not dig any further."

"So quickly reached the underground formation? You are quite diligent," Qinghu said with satisfaction. "Here is what we will do: I will tell you how to dig, and you will follow my instructions exactly."

"This... if we destroy the ancient formation under Wuding City, we cannot bear the responsibility," Wang Si said with a grim expression.

"Rest assured, even if it breaks, I can fix it instantly," Qinghu replied.

Wang Si was left speechless. He had forgotten about Shen Qinghu’s magical ability to restore buildings. "But... can you also restore arrays?"

"No problem. Let’s go. Tell your men to be careful and just don't dig blindly," Qinghu commanded.

Wang Si remained skeptical, but with his employer urging him on, he found it difficult to refuse directly, lest he lose future business. However, he made up his mind: they would try digging a small corner first. If it didn't work, he would walk away from the job rather than continue.

Qinghu ignored his internal calculations. Walking to the large pit the craftsmen had dug, she began directing them on where to dig, how to dig, where to start, and how to handle anything they encountered.

"Yes, yes, dig here. Mmm, this depth is fine. Alright, stop now." Once the digging was sufficient, Qinghu applied her restoration hands, imbued with faint divine power. A rich, earth-yellow glow, streaked with a hint of gold, surged into the ground.

The underground array immediately began to recover from the brink of collapse at a visible speed. Even the various spiritual metals and crystals used in the formation grew back from their shattered edges, and the missing parts were completely repaired by the yellow light, looking exactly as they had when first installed. Not only was the underground formation restored, but the recovery effect subtly spread to the surrounding areas and other parts of the network beneath the city.

Boom, boom, rumble... The earth beneath them trembled repeatedly. The array layer beneath the ground, using one point as an axis, continuously repaired and expanded outward. The fractured strata returned to their original positions, and the dried-up underground river channels began to flow with cool, clear water again.

*Splash!*

In a flat area that had just been cleared, a spring burst forth. A massive amount of cool, crisp spring water sprayed out, drenching the craftsmen who hadn't managed to escape in time.

"My god, isn't this area supposed to have no water source? How did a spring appear?" a young craftsman asked in astonishment.

"How could such a major city have no water in a certain area? It must be that the formation here was severely damaged, blocking the water eye. Now that the underground array is fixed, the water eye is cleared, and the spring has burst forth again," an experienced old craftsman said with delight. Having water meant this place had become a truly livable area.

"Who is so powerful that they can even repair ancient underground arrays?" another young craftsman asked.

"Who else? The one who just repaired those building materials," the old craftsman chuckled. "Look over there, isn't she fixing the formation right now?"

The surrounding craftsmen craned their necks to look toward the pit. Not only the craftsmen, but even the brothers Qingjin and Qingzhen, as well as Wang Si, were stunned by Qinghu’s display.

"I thought your ability to repair wall tiles and floors was impressive enough. I never expected you could repair arrays, too. You’re incredible. I never knew an Earth-type talent could be this strong," Qingzhen said, clicking his tongue.

"In this day and age, there are no weak talents, only those who don't know how to use them," Qinghu said with arrogant pride.

Qingzhen fell into deep thought upon hearing this. It was true. If he properly developed his Wind-type talent, perhaps he could become as strong as Qinghu.

Qingjin's eyes also flickered with a strange light. Long ago, he had researched and developed the "Water Dragon Break," a highly destructive Water-type offensive technique. Now, he could manage three large water dragons simultaneously with ease. Yet, looking at his little sister, Qinghu, she had reached a higher level in the application of energy, having figured out how to use Earth-type energy to restore old building materials and broken formations.

Technically, many materials in the underground formations were metallic, but "Earth gives birth to Metal," and metal is born from the Earth element. So, Qinghu had likely found a way to transform Earth into Metal, allowing her to repair even the damaged metal within the formations. (In truth, it was not that; Her Majesty was directly using divine power to create things from nothing.)

These were all self-created methods. While Qinghu's move might not have high combat power, it was highly instructive. Qingjin felt that his sister had broadened his horizons, allowing him to re-examine his own creative abilities from a new perspective. If Qinghu could do it, he should be able to as well.

If the brothers were surprised by Qinghu's application of Earth-type spiritual energy, Wang Si was simply terrified. He was shocked by Shen Qinghu’s terrifying Earth-type methods. The fact that she could instantly repair even the broken ancient underground arrays made him feel that the young girl before him was barely human. Taking a sharp breath, Wang Si decided he would work diligently from now on, and whatever Miss Shen said, went.

After selecting the connection points needed for the upper-level arrays within the underground formation, Qinghu began directing the craftsmen to continue digging. As they dug, she repaired, reserving the connection ports as she went. As she repaired, the underground vibrations became incessant. They fluctuated in depth and intensity, initially affecting only the ruins, but gradually spreading beyond.

Even some of the great nobles living in the nearby areas felt their houses shaking. Was it an earthquake? Oh no, an earthquake! Many old men dragged their families out of their mansions, only to discover there was no actual earthquake—it was just the underground vibrations coming from the Black Market. Everyone emerged to find themselves looking at each other's disheveled states.

It was outrageous. One by one, the heads of the various families and the power-holding ancestors took to the sky, flying angrily toward the Black Market. They demanded justice; the Black Market had to provide an explanation!

However, before they could reach the edge of the ruins, they were stopped by the Black Market's black-robed law enforcers and Commander Raging Bull.

"Old Bull, what are you doing?" someone asked with a cold face.

"What we are doing is none of your business," Raging Bull sneered.

"You've caused an earthquake! My house is shaking, and you say it's none of my business?" another elder demanded angrily.

"What house shaking?" Raging Bull curled his lip. "At most, there's a bit of underground vibration. Our master is repairing the underground formations. The ancient arrays here were too dilapidated. We had to fix them, so we hired people to do it."

"Underground formations? Those are hard to fix. Are the people you hired capable? Don't end up destroying them completely," someone asked.

"Why would we hire people if they weren't capable? Besides, our master never does anything unreliable. Furthermore, by repairing the formations here, we won't have defensive weaknesses if something happens again," Raging Bull said. In truth, he was very curious himself. He didn't know why his master insisted he play the scapegoat, but that lady was truly capable. She was a master of repairing ancient underground formations. It hadn't been long, and she had already repaired several layers of the array in that area. Not to mention anything else, the small lake outside his master’s residence, which had long since dried up, was now rippling with clear water. His master had stared at that lake in a daze for a long time.

"But..." Just as the group wanted to continue, *Boom, boom, boom...*

Several huge roars echoed from underground, as if parts of the depths had collapsed. Following this, the outer walls of the ruins suddenly experienced large-scale subsidence. Some parts sank by half a foot, others even more. However, after the walls settled, they miraculously formed a regular, unified whole. They were no longer uneven, shifting in all directions, or filled with countless gaps. Some walls had even moved significant distances, swapping places with one another.

"Look, look, the walls over there moved! Oh my, this is all the Black Market's doing!" Without another word, the big shots rushed toward the ruins' walls. If they collapsed, it would be a disaster. Although there were many holes and gaps in Wuding City's walls, having a wall was a completely different concept from having none.

But just as they flew near the wall area, they saw several sections of the wall slam together with a *clatter*, and with a flash of yellow light, the cracks and holes vanished completely. The walls became as smooth and pristine as if they were brand new.

*Clang!*

The last gap in the nearby wall closed naturally, a flash of yellow light appeared, and it became a seamless, solid wall. Everyone stared, dumbfounded. This was too exaggerated... which expert had repaired this? From broken ruins to brand-new walls—were these newly built?

Looking closely, besides the walls that had been restored to their peak state, there was also a man wearing a half-ghost mask. He was very tall, dressed in black, standing silently in the air, staring blankly at the restored wall.

"Lord Lingxu, we didn't expect you to come out in person," everyone said when they saw him, coming forward to greet him.

The man turned his head and nodded. "I just came to look."

"It's too miraculous. Which master repaired this? Could you help us repair ours as well?" an elder asked cautiously. There were still many broken walls in Wuding City, and he wondered if that master could help fix them all.

"I imagine we'll have to wait until she has time. I'll ask her later," the black-robed man known as Lord Lingxu replied nonchalantly.

"Then many thanks, my lord," the elder said with a smile.

Just then, the earth shook repeatedly again. *Boom, boom, boom!* Nine massive stone steles arched up from the ground. These nine huge steles were distributed across the nine cardinal directions of the ruins, forming a ring that linked the entire area and created an even more powerful aura—or rather, a divine power radiation field. These nine giant steles were even more formidable than the walls; they could automatically extract spiritual energy from the surroundings and convert it into faint divine power to store within the steles.

The ghost-masked Lingxu couldn't help but curl his lips. That girl really couldn't resist; she had repaired these nine steles after all. Once these "Nine Character God-Fixing Steles" were reactivated, Wuding City could repair itself.

"You should head back now; I need to go back and cultivate," Lingxu said, dismissing them.

Everyone looked at each other. Could he be any more heartless? He hadn't even told them which expert had repaired this place.

"What? You don't want to leave? Do you want me to escort you?" Lingxu asked.

"No, no, my lord, we are leaving right now," the group had no choice but to retreat helplessly. Unable to best Lingxu, they left the ruins under his intimidating gaze.

...

By now, the pits on the land belonging to the Shen family had all been dug, and even where they hadn't, the ancient formations beneath Wuding City had been partially repaired. Everything was functional. While instructing the craftsmen to continue according to the blueprints, Qinghu happily swallowed a fist-sized "Divine Power Bead." This earth-yellow bead was the residual divine power from the nine steles that had just emerged. After absorbing and refining it, she condensed sixty-six drops of divine liquid. Although it was Earth-attribute divine liquid, it was still divine liquid. Qinghu decided not to be picky and ate it. She continued to hoard divine power and divine liquid.

*Sigh*, one really has to go out and make things happen. If she hadn't come out, she wouldn't have even collected this much divine liquid. Repairing the underground formations had wasted twenty strands of divine power, consuming all the gains from her recent binge-eating and swallowing of Turtle Essence Pills. It was like the Earth Essence Bead had been eaten for nothing. The remaining spiritual energy was also used to repair the formations.

Qinghu took out another Earth Essence Bead and swallowed it, continuing to refine it. She also popped a handful of Turtle Essence Pills to continue tempering her body.

"Qinghu, what are you eating over there?" Qingzhen asked curiously.

"Earth Essence Beads. The last one was used up. I just ate this one, and I also ate ten or so Turtle Essence Pills. Fourth Brother, do you want some?" Qinghu asked.

"No thanks. Just give me more turtles, and I'll go back and make my own pills," Qingzhen said.

"That's fine. I'll give you more turtles when we get back," Qinghu agreed.

"Little Hu'er, why don't you get some rest? Fourth Brother and I can handle the rest of the supervision," Qingjin said.

"Oh, okay," Qinghu nodded, pulled a couch, pillows, and a blanket from her storage bag, and found a flat, quiet spot to sleep.

"I thought she would go to meditate and cultivate," Qingzhen said, surprised.

"She doesn't need to meditate. She can recover her magic power just by sleeping," Qingjin chuckled.

"Envy, jealousy, and hate," Qingzhen snorted, but he still took a large screen from his storage bag to shield Qinghu. It would block the wind and also keep the eyes of other men away. His little sister still needed protection.

...

Dinner was brought by Xiaobai and his men. After dinner, the craftsmen worked a bit longer, and as dusk fell, everyone packed up to go home, rest, and return early the next morning. Working for the Shen family meant good food and high wages. Even though it was tiring, everyone loved it, and craftsmen were constantly introducing their friends and relatives to work there.

The Shen family’s house rose quickly. In three days, the tall courtyard walls were finished. To make them tall and beautiful, Wang Si had used his own abilities to reshape them. The reshaped walls were filled with the thick, luxurious architectural style of the Primordial God Clan.

Even the relief carvings on the corners had an air of wealth. Beyond the original carvings, Qinghu strongly suggested that the newly arrived stone carvers carve the likenesses of the various dragons she had raised to decorate the new house. Not only did they have to be carved, but they had to be imposing. Every time the stone carvers finished, Qinghu would make modifications to make the carvings look as if they were alive.

"What kind of fierce beast is this? It looks strange, but it's quite good-looking," Qingzhen said to his sister while admiring the new carvings.

"A dragon."

"A dragon? These are all dragons? How can there be so many kinds?" Qingzhen asked, clicking his tongue.

"Why is it strange that there are many types of dragons? Many fierce beasts have dragons in their evolutionary lineage," Qinghu replied.

"Phoenixes are also quite good-looking," Qingzhen remarked.

"They're alright. By the way, how are your bird children doing?" Qinghu asked. She had been busy lately and hadn't checked on them for a few days.

Qingzhen frowned, looking troubled. "They've grown as round as balls. They have to squat down and catch their breath after walking a few steps. I'm worried they'll never be able to fly."

"What's difficult about that? When their wings harden, just take them to the top of a cliff and throw them off. They'll know how to fly after a few throws," Qinghu suggested.

"That's too cruel! What if they fall to their deaths?" Qingzhen asked, shocked.

"They have wings. At worst, they can glide in the air and land safely. They aren't humans; how could they fall to their deaths?" Qinghu looked at her fourth brother as if he were an idiot.

"Ahem, I didn't think of that," Qingzhen said, annoyed. He had forgotten the birds had wings.

"Besides, fifth-tier Radiant Sparrows have rock-solid bodies. Even a hammer can't kill them; at most, they'll cough up blood. Even as nestlings, they won't be harmed by a cliff. Their little bodies are much tougher than yours," Qinghu said, puzzled by her brother's tendency to use human logic to solve problems concerning birds. Young Radiant Sparrows were hard to raise, but most died from hunger or lack of care. Her brother's birds had never lacked energy or food since they hatched. They were growing perfectly; how could they not handle a cliff?

"Birds are birds, and humans are humans. Humans are fragile, but Radiant Sparrows are a fierce, fifth-tier species among beasts. They have immense vitality, overwhelming killing intent, and can use magic. They are all-around fierce beasts. Don't ever think they're weak. They were strong from the moment they hatched," Qinghu thought to herself: *Especially since they've been modified by my divine power.*

"That's right. You should temper your body more. Otherwise, when your Radiant Sparrows grow a bit bigger and try to act cute by landing on your head, they'll give you lumps, or tear your scalp with their talons. Yesterday, Xiaomiao pounced on me and knocked me down. Look at how small Xiaomiao is—less than three months old—but the force of that pounce was comparable to a full-strength strike from a peak Qi Refining cultivator," Qingjin said. After being pounced on, he realized that a fierce beast was still a fierce beast. He had made the same mistake as Qingzhen, thinking the kitten was harmless, forgetting it was not a human but a beast. If raised in the wild, a kitten of that size might already be hunting humans or other large beasts.

Qingzhen nodded solemnly.

After Qinghu returned home, Ruan Qingwu arrived. "I’ve rushed the refining of your pills. All five hundred Turtle Essence Pills are here. The Profound Heaven Tower opens the day after tomorrow. Which day do you plan to go?"

"What about you?" Qinghu asked.

"I plan to go the day it opens, and return home immediately after coming out," Ruan Qingwu explained her plan.

"Then we'll go with you, and continue building the house when we get back," Qinghu said.

"That works," Ruan Qingwu agreed. It was better to go together than alone.

Not long after, Ning Qi arrived. He found Qingjin directly. "The Profound Heaven Tower opens the day after tomorrow. Are you going?"

"Yes," Qingjin said, adding that Ruan Qingwu would be joining them.

"Which day will you go?"

"The first day."

"Why not wait a few days? There will be too many people on the first day," Ning Qi frowned.

"We'll finish it and be done. Besides, we still have to supervise the house construction after we get back," Qingjin thought that a day or two of missed supervision shouldn't affect the overall quality. After all, Wang Si seemed quite upright and principled.

"By the way, how is the construction of your house going?" Ning Qi asked.

"It's going quite well. The foundation is finished, and they're building the living quarters now. Little Hu'er designed the houses to be tall, but no more than two stories. The buildings are sparse, but they occupy a large area. It shouldn't take long to finish," Qingjin said.

"You're quite daring. I've heard no one dares to live there," Ning Qi laughed.

"It's alright," Qingjin replied. He had heard the ruins weren't suitable for living, that people who stayed there tended to get sick. But their formations and foundations had been in place for a while now, and none of the craftsmen or they themselves had fallen ill. He didn't pay much heed to the rumors. Perhaps the Black Market had spread them to keep people away for their own security and secrecy.

*As for our family... ahem, our identities have been misunderstood.* He wondered how long Qinghu's fake identity could last. Once they finished the tower and the house, they should leave quickly.

"Alright, it's settled. My senior sister and I will meet you at the entrance of the Profound Heaven Tower," Ning Qi said. Qingjin agreed.

On the day the Profound Heaven Tower opened, they headed toward it early in the morning. They entered the region where the tower stood. The massive tower, reaching into the clouds like a silent giant, loomed over the sea of people, who looked like ants crawling at its feet. After the stone gate on the first floor opened, people began to enter one after another.