Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 1068: Common misconseptions

"How did you uncover the betrayal by the three from the Ember Palm Pavilion?", Wei Yuanjie chuckled, entering the inn room where he was staying and sinking onto the sofa with a sigh of satisfaction, pleased with his work.

It was evident that Lu Bihai and the Sect Elders had activated the Protective Formation when discussing their conspiracy. Furthermore, the formations installed in that room by the Martial Alliance far surpassed anything Wei Yuanjie had observed even in the Imperial Palace; after all, Symbol Arts Masters from the Martial Alliance were part of the delegation.

Additionally, Wu Long had only recently emerged from seclusion when the Ember Palm Pavilion finally mustered the resolve to approach Lu Bihai. Therefore, it was improbable that Wu Long had personally eavesdropped. The 9th Prince found it hard to believe that many individuals possessed Wu Long’s unconventional skills and abilities, allowing them to permeate such powerful formations with ease.

"Why don’t you take a guess?", Wu Long chuckled, removing his veiled bamboo hat and taking a seat on the opposite sofa. He then gently embraced Cai Yin, who had also removed her hat, resting his arm around her. "It can be beneficial to ponder methods of spying or how one might achieve it against others."

"Oh, come on, I’ve already strained my brain too much for one day~... Can’t you just tell me?", Wei Yuanjie whined. Duan Feng, who had settled into an armchair beside them, merely shook his head with a wry smile, while Wu Long and Cai Yin erupted in laughter.

Seeing Wu Long’s reluctance to readily provide the answer, Wei Yuanjie grumbled softly. Just then...

"Actually, I was going to ask that as well," Cai Yin inquired, turning towards Wu Long with a smile that hadn't quite faded from their shared amusement.

As the Prince’s eyes widened for what felt like the umpteenth time, realizing the perceived unfairness of the world, Wu Long readily responded, "It's the spatial rings."

"S-spatial rings?", Wei Yuanjie’s attention was immediately captured by the surprising answer.

"Mm, upon my return from the Emerald Falls Continent, I presented each Elder with a spatial ring containing cultivation techniques intended to aid them in reaching higher realms, along with supplementary pills. These served as tangible proof of our clandestine agreement, known only to the three of them, and were also valuable treasures. Consequently, they couldn't simply store them anywhere for fear of discovery or theft. Since spatial rings typically cannot contain other spatial rings, they were compelled to keep them on their person, within their sleeve pockets, at all times," Wu Long explained in detail, nodding.

"But I always thought it was impossible to tamper with spatial rings...", Duan Feng tilted his head. "I suppose that’s why those Elders didn’t suspect anything either."

"That is one of those widely held misconceptions that is almost universally mistaken for truth. Thus, you are correct in assuming I exploited that common belief," Wu Long affirmed with a nod.

"But aren’t the designs for spatial rings derived from ancient knowledge? I believed no one had deciphered or truly understood their workings due to their profound and esoteric nature...", Wei Yuanjie expressed his confusion, then exclaimed with widened eyes in shock, "...Are you implying you actually achieved it?"

"Certainly not," Wu Long chuckled, shaking his head. "You are correct, but you are overlooking a crucial detail, which also accounts for that prevalent misconception. It is not the entire design of the spatial ring that originates from ancient knowledge, but rather the arrays and formations intricately engraved upon them. And it is true that these remain a mystery. One unique characteristic is their facile replication simply through engraving," Wu Long elaborated.

"Yes, I recall reading about that. Normally, one must comprehend the arrays and formations to replicate them. However, with those and certain other ancient formations, one can purportedly copy the design, and it will mysteriously function. One simply needs to select the appropriate design for the corresponding material, as some materials cannot withstand the power of arrays bearing more intricate designs. This is precisely what establishes the classification distinctions between grades, tiers, and levels of spatial rings – the material and the array design," Wei Yuanjie readily contributed his learned knowledge, nodding in agreement.

"Half-correct again," Wu Long smiled. "That constitutes a portion of the factors contributing to the classification distinctions, but it is not the entirety."

He then retrieved two simple, spare Spatial Rings from within his sleeve and released them, allowing them to float into the air. The intricate patterns engraved on the inner surfaces of the rings illuminated, enlarging for all to observe clearly.

Wu Long continued, "This is a low-level, 9th-tier Mortal Grade spatial ring, and that one is a mid-level, 1st-tier Profound Grade one. Can you discern the ancient formations?"

"Eh?", Wei Yuanjie's eyes widened in surprise.

"Hmm", Duan Feng emitted a low sound of contemplation.

"I see...", Cai Yin declared, a look of understanding dawning upon her face.

The trifecta of reactions brought a smile to Wu Long’s countenance, as they had grasped his central point. "You can’t truly distinguish between the Mortal Grade and the Profound Grade ancient arrays, can you? Both are so complex that making a distinction based solely on appearance is difficult. But what about the others?"

As he spoke, he isolated the patterns Cai Yin had indicated, leaving two distinct sets of intricate designs.

"These exhibit a clear disparity in complexity and even the number of arrays involved," Cai Yin responded.

"Are these... protective measures?", Wei Yuanjie, possessing a limited grasp of Symbol Arts, tilted his head and squinted at the patterns.

"Yes," Wu Long confirmed with a nod. "The ancient arrays, regardless of their designation, only embody the core functionalities of spatial rings. These core functions can differ for higher-quality spatial rings, but the three most common functions are: the establishment and maintenance of a stable spatial chamber, completely insulated from external influences – with rarer ancient array rings even incorporating modifications for the passage of time and gravity; the creation of an access point enabling perception of the contents via spiritual sense; and the management of item ingress and egress through the channeling of spiritual qi into specific array conduits."

"You mean to suggest that there are no inherent security protocols... and that any individual can utilize a spatial ring inscribed solely with these ancient arrays, provided they can access it with spiritual sense and spiritual qi, irrespective of whether they are wearing the ring itself?", Duan Feng articulated in his customary composed tone, a hint of astonishment coloring his voice as a new realization dawned.

"Precisely. Features such as restricting access to the ring’s wearer, enabling personal identification through spiritual qi aura and frequency, and locking the spatial ring – all these and more are security measures provided by the modern arrays of our Current Era. Consequently, they vary significantly from one spatial ring to another, and this variation contributes to the classification of grades, tiers, and levels of a spatial ring."

"So~, theoretically, a highly adept thief could circumvent these safeguards and gain access to a spatial ring being worn on someone’s finger?", Wei Yuanjie raised his hand, examining his own high-tier, 2nd-grade Profound Grade spatial ring.

"Indeed, which is precisely why they exert such a substantial influence on classification," Wu Long chuckled. He then highlighted the patterns on Wei Yuanjie’s ring, elevating the spiritual qi projection and enlarging it.

"It’s the identical ancient array," Cai Yin observed instantly. The array for the mid-tier, 1st-grade Profound Grade spatial ring and the array on Wei Yuanjie’s ring were the same. This implied that both rings possessed equivalent storage capacity, but Wei Yuanjie’s ring featured a significantly greater number of supplementary security arrays.

"Now, contrast it with this one. This is also a 2nd-grade Profound Grade spatial ring, albeit a mid-tier one," Wu Long quipped with a chuckle and produced another spare. Upon illuminating its arrays, it became evident that the security features were comparable to the mid-tier, 1st-grade Profound Grade spatial ring, or perhaps even fewer. However, the ancient array differed. "This particular ring boasts a substantially larger storage capacity, yet it is deficient not only in security features but also in another exceedingly critical aspect – it lacks a protective array. Therefore, it relies solely on its external coating of protective material. Ancient arrays also offer no defense to the spatial ring itself or to their own integrity against damage."

"Ah, now that you bring it up...", Wei Yuanjie nodded. "I do recall hearing accounts of cultivators inadvertently damaging their own spatial rings amidst intense combat, or missing out on valuable loot because a destructive technique they employed rendered their adversary's spatial ring irreparable..."

"Precisely," Wu Long agreed with a nod. "While ancient arrays are indeed unfathomable, minor damage to them might merely destabilize the inner spatial chamber rather than utterly destroy it. It requires exceedingly significant harm to the array for the spatial chamber to be irretrievably lost. Even if a spatial ring is bisected, there exists a fleeting window of opportunity to attempt salvaging a portion of its contents. This stands in stark contrast to most of our formations and arrays, which would be disrupted even with the slightest damage to a minor component."

"Hmm, so you are implying that you incorporated enhancements into the security arrays of the spatial rings you bestowed upon those Elders?", Wei Yuanjie steered the conversation back to his initial inquiry.

"Indeed," Wu Long affirmed, retrieving the spare spatial rings. "To be more precise, I modified the internal framework upon which the arrays were inscribed, effectively constructing a dual-composition spiritual treasure. One layer functions as a clandestine surveillance device, while superimposed upon it is the spatial ring spiritual treasure itself. This was feasible because, at that juncture, Kai Huoshi was already in my employ."

"That’s incredibly ingenious! But wait, couldn’t you flood the world with these spatial rings? Isn’t it common for people to use spares for significant transactions and the exchange of numerous items? Your unique spatial rings could become globally distributed in a flash!", Wei Yuanjie exclaimed, his mind racing with the potential implications.

"It is a clever stratagem, but it necessitates merely one individual, anywhere in the world, to discern the underlying mechanism, and the entire clandestine operation collapses," Wu Long stated, shaking his head. "An organization once attempted a similar ploy within the Seven Boundless Worlds, nearly bringing down the Palace of Secrets. However, they were apprehended precisely because someone detected their ruse. While ordinary individuals might overlook such details, major organizations, prominent Trading Companies, and even the notoriously inept Martial Alliance meticulously inspect spatial rings. We, too, conduct thorough examinations. Consequently, its utility is confined to restricted, localized applications. I merely gambled on those three Elders’ ignorance of this technique and the sophistication of my design. Yet, even my creations cannot withstand the scrutiny of the Palace of Secrets or other major powers."

"Ah, I comprehend now," the Ninth Prince replied, a hint of disappointment mingling with understanding. He realized that if such a strategy were truly viable, Wu Long would likely have already implemented it.