Blue Silver Grass Strategy (Douluo Dalu Fiction)

Afterwards, Ling Yi spoke in a calm voice and, without adding anything more, turned and continued walking further in.

Zhang Lei stepped forward, casually raising a hand to pat Zhang Mufeng's shoulder, chuckling as he said, "Very impressive, you were only a breath away from beating my time back then—"

As he spoke, Zhang Lei gestured with a hand sign that would enrage a kimchi man.

Then he waved at the equally bewildered Long Yin and Qingqiu Xin beside him, saying, "Let's go, don't waste any more time—"

Before his words fell completely, he had already turned and quickly followed Ling Yi's figure.

Behind them, Zhang Mufeng, Qingqiu Xin, and Long Yin exchanged glances, but, trusting Ling Yi, they thought no more about it. They lifted their feet and pursued Ling Yi and Zhang Lei.

As they progressed, the three of them instinctively observed the nearby racks while also glancing around to inspect other distant structures.

Gradually, the three noticed that the rows of wooden racks around them were a dark green, while the racks on either side differed; on one side, they remained wooden but in a brown hue; on the opposite side, they were silver-grey. As students of forging, the three understood that these were likely crafted from some kind of metal alloy.

Quickly, the trio caught up with Ling Yi and Zhang Lei, emerging from among the rows of racks before reaching a vast and flat stone platform.

What astonished Zhang Mufeng and the others was this circular stone platform, spanning four to fifty meters and about half a meter high, astonishingly composed of two different types of stone—half pure white, half dark black.

Gazing at the black-and-white stone platform and turning to look around, they saw colorful racks arranged in eight directions all around them.

Having once seen the blueprint, Zhang Lei knew that if viewed from above, the central stone platform in the warehouse, along with the surrounding eight shelves, formed a wondrous pattern.

The stone platform, starkly divided into black and white, resembled two chubby, black and white fish, with their tails and heads connected, the white fish with a black eye and the black fish with a white eye.

The arrangement of the shelves, according to the words and diagrams given to him by Ling Yi, corresponded to:

Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui.

Zhang Lei, although unable to understand, felt an inexplicable sense of profound mystery, one he still couldn't quite grasp.

Especially after Ling Yi had adjusted and arranged these shelves, whether they were wooden, metallic, or stone, Zhang Lei experienced nearly twenty seconds of disorientation upon re-entering the space.

In a battle, this long of a lapse could have allowed even a titled Douluo to be stabbed to death by an opponent.

Once he regained clarity, Zhang Lei asked his nearly omniscient cousin Ling Yi about it, but Ling Yi only told him it was a foundation, crucial for ascending to higher levels in the future.

Ling Yi said no more, and Zhang Lei didn't press further; knowing Ling Yi would not harm him was enough.

Meanwhile, although Ling Yi appeared confident and composed from the moment they entered the warehouse, he actually felt a bit speechless inside.

Since evolving, the quality of the baron-level "Blue Silver Grass" spirit has surpassed twelve hundred years. By connecting with the "Blue Silver Grass" on the ground outside, Ling Yi entered a state of harmonious unity similar to a divine communion with heaven and earth. Guided by an obscure feeling, he replicated the "Taiji Eight Trigrams Diagram" from his previous life and subtly adjusted the arrangement of wooden, metal, and stone racks. After these adjustments, an inexplicable transformation began to take place in the environment, one even he could not comprehend.

Hence, he doesn't explain to Zhang Lei the cause of the disorientation experienced in this space. It's not out of pretentiousness or riddling, but rather because he himself is unaware of the mechanics behind it.

Furthermore, after these changes occurred in this inner storage area designed as per the "Taiji Eight Trigrams Diagram", Ling Yi brought his blood relatives like Zhang Lei, Ling Xiaoshan, Ling Shan, and Zhang Dahe to experience it. Each person's trance lasted varying durations; Zhang Lei, for eighteen seconds, and the shortest, Grandpa Ling Changqing, just two seconds.

In terms of physical fitness, Grandpa Ling Changqing spent years working and practicing the "Three Farmer Forms," with an adult's physique stronger than the young girl Ling Si, yet Ling Si experienced eight seconds of trance.

Regarding cultivation talent, Cousin Zhang Xin, an ordinary person with no spiritual power, stayed in a trance for ten seconds.

In terms of willpower, normally careless Ling Shan stayed in a trance three seconds longer than Zhang Xin, who persisted in learning forging with ordinary aptitude for years.

This left Ling Yi somewhat baffled.

Besides sensing some unique quality permeating the inner space, there were no other discoveries. Even that unique quality could only be felt in a state of mental calmness. The moment any deliberate attempt to sense it arose, it seemed to vanish completely, more elusive than those girls whose thoughts are like needles in the sea!

Muttering silently to himself, Ling Yi maintained a calm demeanor as he led the four up the platform. All around stood mostly empty frames, with the ground covered in tall and thick "Blue Silver Grass," appearing entirely ordinary and in its most primitive form.

Ling Yi turned his head, looking at the three, Zhang Mufeng and his companions, who were gazing around in awe. He said, "Mufeng, Xin, Yin, the three of you should cultivate here from now on—

no one will disturb you here, whether you’re enhancing your soul power, practicing the 'Beast Martial Soul: Xingyi Fist Form,' or mastering your soul skills. A quiet environment will most effectively boost your concentration and keep it sustained longer...”

Hearing Ling Yi's words, Zhang Mufeng and his companions all nodded obediently, replying in unison, "Alright, Brother Yi~"*3

After that, they each spread out a certain distance and began their cultivation.

Seeing his three friends quickly enter a focused state, some sitting cross-legged and others taking a horse stance, much faster than usual, Ling Yi nodded slightly and lingered for a moment to observe. Once he was sure of their deep concentration, he turned with Zhang Lei and continued walking to the other side of the stone platform.

The warehouse they were in was located at the northwestern corner of the entire Shanhai Courtyard, specifically at the former site of Shanhai Village, between the old forest north of the village and the dirt road leading westward to Beikou River Town.

Originally, this was a wasteland, once cultivated by the residents of Shanhai Village. Unfortunately, the poor quality of the land yielded no crops, and after it was abandoned, it quickly reverted to its original state of brambles and low shrubs.

Now, the brambles and shrubs had been uprooted again, burned away, and the ashes mingled with coarse soil were dug up and carted away by the load.

Stones carved from a large mountain between Beikou River Town and 'Muzhi City' were transported here and used to build structures.

In front of three rows of gold metal frames arranged in an 'L' shape at the northwest corner of the black and white stone platform, Zhang Lei bent over, stretching out to grab a light blue painted metal ring on the ground. Using all his strength, he suddenly gave a powerful pull, slowly lifting a square meter stone slab about the width of an adult's palm."

One could see that the slate was covered with a carpet of "Blue Silver Grass," still full of life, the blades swaying gently as the stone slab was lifted.

Li Yi was the first to leap down into the revealed opening after the slab was raised, with Zhang Lei following closely behind. Only the stone slab, with "Blue Silver Grass" on the underside, slowly descended over the entrance using a simple pressure mechanism, eventually closing it off.

"Shhh!"

The sound of flint striking was heard, and a blossom of orange flame abruptly lit up the pitch-black space.

In the next moment, under this faint light, numerous spots of brightness appeared one after another, illuminating an underground chamber about ten meters high and extending over a hundred meters wide.

Zhang Lei descended the steps, casting his gaze towards Li Yi and the torch in his hand. At this moment, half of Li Yi's body was bathed in light while the other half remained shrouded in darkness, rendering him even more enigmatic in Zhang Lei's eyes.

Taking a few steps forward to stand alongside Li Yi, Zhang Lei's eyes had by now adjusted to the dim environment.

In this vast space, apart from patches of "Blue Silver Grass" turned black due to lighting effects, there were piles of metal debris scattered around haphazardly.

The numerous points of light were reflections from the still-intact parts of these metal remains.

Broken blades, shattered swords, split axes, chipped spear tips, crushed hammerheads, and sections of metal rods...

This place resembled a graveyard for weapons.

In the heart of the mysterious realm, the duo of Li Yi and Zhang Lei found themselves standing awe-struck, surrounded by the haunting silence of ancient armaments.

They carefully navigated through rows upon rows of once-mighty weapons, their surfaces now dulled by the passage of time.

The occasional rustle of Blue Silver Grass swaying in the dim light was the only movement in this forgotten graveyard.

Zhang Lei's eyes were drawn to a massive sword, half-buried in the earth, its hilt encrusted with blackened jewels.

"This really could be a weapons graveyard," he murmured, his voice barely piercing the heavy shroud of quietude.

"Whoever left these here must have witnessed countless battles," Li Yi speculated, tracing a finger along the edge of a sword that seemed to hum beneath his touch, as if whispering of stories long past.

His mind raced with thoughts of the countless warriors who had once gripped these handles, fighting for unknown causes in a time long forgotten.

As they continued their exploration, a chilling breeze swept through the chamber, carrying with it a whisper of ancient secrets.

Both men shivered, acutely aware of the reverent atmosphere that enveloped them.

Though the tangible presence of these historical echoes was unsettling, it also filled their hearts with an inexplicable determination.

They knew this place held mysteries that could change everything they understood about their world.

(End of Chapter)