Building a long-range teleportation array, even a rudimentary, single-use one, was not a task that could be rushed. It was a monumental undertaking requiring absolute precision, immense resources, and, most importantly for Lin Fan, complete secrecy.
The courtyard of Xiao Xiao Peak transformed into a bizarre, high-security workshop. Lin Fan erected temporary soundproofing and energy-dampening barriers around his hut, supplementing the peak's already formidable arrays. From the outside, the peak looked quieter and more deserted than ever. Inside, however, Lin Fan was engaged in the most complex and demanding work of his long, cautious life.
He began the slow, painstaking process of forging the array's core components. This involved melting down rare spiritual metals obtained from Yue Qingqian's "lessons," purifying them to an unprecedented degree, and then painstakingly carving microscopic runes onto their surfaces. Each rune had to be perfect; a single misplaced stroke could cause the entire array to destabilize catastrophically upon activation.
His divine sense, usually employed for detecting threats or perfecting his tea brewing, was now focused entirely on manipulating streams of molten metal and etching patterns finer than a human hair. The strain was immense. He consumed high-grade spiritual recovery pills like candy, yet his face grew progressively paler, his exhaustion becoming a permanent fixture.
Yue Qingqian took on the role of the silent, vigilant assistant and guard. Her "lessons" with Elder Liu became less frequent, replaced by excuses of needing extended periods of "quiet contemplation" to "digest" the profound experiences from the Dragon-Locking Pool. Liu Changqing, utterly convinced of her genius, readily agreed, even sending over more "offerings" – calming incense, rare teas, and even ancient musical scores he believed might resonate with her "Dao of Harmony." These offerings were gratefully accepted by Lin Fan and repurposed into components or fuel for his forge.
When she wasn't "contemplating," Yue Qingqian spent her time patrolling the perimeter of the peak, her own spiritual sense, sharpened by Lin Fan's training and aided by the arrays, constantly scanning for any sign of intrusion or surveillance. She also took over the mundane tasks – tending the herb garden (now mostly used for Lin Fan's energy pills), preparing simple meals, and ensuring their sleeping master remained undisturbed.
She watched her Senior Brother work, seeing a side of him she had never imagined. The lazy, cautious man was gone, replaced by a driven, obsessive craftsman pushing himself to the absolute limit. His focus was terrifying, his dedication absolute. She understood, with a clarity that chilled her, just how desperately he wanted – needed – to escape.
Progress was slow. The core navigational module was complete, but the energy conduits, the stabilization matrices, and the spatial anchoring pylons required materials they simply didn't have in sufficient quantity or quality. The knowledge from the library provided the blueprints, but the reality of construction was a harsh master.
"We need more Starlight Sand for the energy conduits," Lin Fan muttered one evening, rubbing his temples, his eyes bloodshot from staring at arcane diagrams for three days straight. "And the stabilization matrix requires at least three pounds of Deep Ocean Black Iron, refined."
Yue Qingqian looked at the updated, heavily annotated blueprint. These were not materials Elder Liu could simply provide, even with his fanatical devotion. Starlight Sand was found only on meteorites, and Deep Ocean Black Iron came from volcanic vents miles beneath the sea.
"Can we... ask Master Liu to request them from the sect's main treasury?" she suggested tentatively.
Lin Fan immediately shook his head. "Absolutely not. Elder Zhao is watching every move. A request for such specific, non-alchemy related materials of this rarity would set off every alarm bell in his head. No, the 'Wool-Harvesting' phase is definitively over. We need another way."
He stared at the map of the sect he had acquired from the library, his gaze distant and calculating. His eyes drifted over the various peaks, the resource points, the designated training grounds... and then, they stopped, focusing on a specific, often overlooked area.
The Outer Sect Market. A chaotic, bustling place where outer disciples traded goods, information, and rumors. It was largely unregulated, a grey area where rare, sometimes illicit, materials could occasionally surface, brought in by disciples returning from dangerous expeditions.
It was also a place Lin Fan had avoided like the plague his entire life. It represented everything he hated: crowds, uncertainty, unpredictable encounters, and endless potential for trouble.
But now... it might be their only option.
"Junior Sister," Lin Fan said slowly, a look of profound reluctance on his face. "It seems... we may have to go shopping."