Previously, Ink Painting tried to collapse a complex array, generating a reverse spiritual power that was able to injure this Sealed Pig.

However, the Sealed Pig’s blood energy is too strong, and its regeneration is also fast. A small range of collapse fundamentally cannot eliminate it. A large range of array collapse, on the other hand, is completely different.

If the great array were to entirely collapse, just how powerful would the resulting collapse power be…

Ink Painting thought about it for a bit, and even his heart felt a sense of dread.

It’s best not to reach this step…

Building a great array requires expending countless hardships and spending immeasurable manpower and resources. Ink Painting is not too willing to part with it.

However, if there is time, he still needs to use his divine sense to deduce the great array and make preparations in advance.

Even if it is not used for collapse, using divine sense to deduce it and increase his understanding of the great array would also be greatly beneficial.

After all, the opportunity to truly draw a great array is hard to come by in a thousand years.

The matter of constructing a great array to suppress and kill the Sealed Pig was formally announced to the cultivators of Tongxian City after the agreement of the Dao Court Division, the Dao Soldier Division, and Elder Yu.

The reactions of the cultivators in Tongxian City varied.

Some cultivators from small families, not believing that a great array could be built and also unwilling to go build a great array, packed their luggage overnight and secretly left.

Some cultivators with family property or special status had also prepared their retreat routes early and naturally would not stay in Tongxian City to take risks.

There were also some loose cultivators who felt that building a great array was a fantasy and quietly left without saying goodbye, seeking other ways to survive.

Other cultivators or forces with some connections and ways out also all left or dispersed.

In comparison, the vast majority of loose cultivators and nearly all demon hunters chose to stay.

They have lived in Tongxian City for generations, born here, grown up here. They were born, married, and had children in this place, and they will also slowly grow old in this place. Their entire lives’ joys, angers, sorrows, and happiness are all closely related to Tongxian City.

It is hard to leave their native land; they do not want to abandon the city and flee.

As long as there is a glimmer of hope, they will fight for it.

Moreover, after experiencing various things, they trust Elder Yu and even more so, trust Ink Painting.

A large part of their current lives benefits from Ink Painting’s arrays.

Now that Ink Painting wants to build a great array, they all want to lend him a hand.

What’s more, this great array is being built for themselves.

Furthermore, most of the weapon refiners led by Master Chen stayed, while on the alchemists’ side, it was Old Mr. Feng who made the decision. Most alchemists also wanted to stay and contribute a bit.

Ink Painting felt a moment of emotion.

In a time of crisis, the “upper layer” cultivators in Tongxian City mostly abandoned the city and fled.

Meanwhile, the bottom-layer cultivators who had experienced hardships in Tongxian City were wholeheartedly protecting this city…

However, some cultivators escaping is actually not a big deal.

Most loose cultivators are staying, which provides the manpower foundation for building the great array.

Building a great array requires constructing array mediums, which requires craftsmen. Elder Yu then went to invite Master Ban.

Upon hearing this, Master Ban agreed without hesitation.

He had received a favor from Elder Yu and also owed Ink Painting a favor. He was even more endlessly amazed by Ink Painting’s array level.

Having an opportunity to repay a bit at this time, he did not think much and agreed.

What’s more, this is building a great array.

In his lifetime, including all the craftsmen he had interacted with, none had built a great array. Master Ban naturally wanted to experience it.

Master Ban sighed in his heart:

“This is a big undertaking! If a great array can really be built, then it will be a matter recorded in the history of the state realm. It can be boasted about to descendants for a lifetime.”

Master Ban’s group of craftsmen also all nodded in agreement.

With the manpower for the great array sorted, the next step was to raise spirit stones and materials.

Elder Yu donated most of the demon hunters’ earnings.

This included the spirit mines occupied by the demon hunters, the earnings of the weapon refining shops and alchemy shops these days, and some of his own savings.

Other loose cultivators, more or less, also donated some spirit stones, only leaving some for basic cultivation use.

Ink Mountain also donated, and Liu Ru Hua then donated most of the spirit stones saved from opening the eatery.

She was a bit reluctant, after all, these were for Ink Painting’s future cultivation, buying a cave mansion, and marrying a dao companion.

But now the great array is being primarily built by Ink Painting, so these spirit stones can also be considered as being used according to Ink Painting’s intention.

Ink Painting also donated the ten thousand spirit stones previously given by Elder Yu, but Elder Yu was unwilling to accept.

Elder Yu blew his beard and glared: “You don’t join the fun!”

“The great array is something I want to build, so I naturally also need to donate some spirit stones,” Ink Painting said.

“Not lacking your bit,” Elder Yu refused.

Ten thousand spirit stones… can that be called a bit?

“But…”

Ink Painting still wanted to say something, but Elder Yu interrupted him:

“These are for you to build your foundation. Whether the great array can or cannot be built, and whether the Sealed Pig can ultimately be killed, none of this can delay your foundation building.”

Elder Yu said with a heavy tone: “Your foundation building is the most important thing!”

“But we always need to first get through the current crisis…”

“The current crisis, whether it can or cannot be passed, you must build your foundation!” Elder Yu repeated once more.

Seeing that Ink Painting still wanted to say something, Elder Yu then sighed:

“If you really feel uneasy, in the future after building your foundation and becoming a second-grade array master, you can help us a bit then.”

“A second-grade array master, that’s truly a person of great importance. At that time, whatever you do will be a bit more convenient.”

Ink Painting nodded. Elder Yu was right, but he didn’t know that whether the great array could be built or not was equally important to himself.

He wanted to build a great array, borrowing this step by step to comprehend deeper arrays.

Ink Painting still insisted on giving the spirit stones to Elder Yu.

Elder Yu let out a sigh and only then accepted them. After accepting them, he quickly stuffed them back into Ink Painting’s embrace when Ink Painting wasn’t paying attention.

“Alright, you have already donated now, and I am giving them back to you.”

Ink Painting felt a bit like laughing and crying.

“How can an array master draw arrays without wanting remuneration?” Elder Yu said with a straight face, “You keep it properly.”

Ink Painting knew Elder Yu’s stubborn character and only then kept it.

The raising of spirit stones was proceeding step by step, but relying solely on demon hunters and loose cultivators was clearly far from enough.

Ink Painting went to find Zhou Zhang Si again.

Zhou Zhang Si stroked his beard and suggested two methods:

“One is for me to submit a memorial to the Dao Court, applying for some more spirit stones and materials. The reason would be disaster relief and city relocation, citing a shortage of spirit stones…”

“Not directly say it’s used to build a great array?” Ink Painting said doubtfully.

“If you say it’s to build a great array, that will be impossible to approve,” Zhou Zhang Si said.

Ink Painting was slightly startled.

Zhou Zhang Si then explained to Ink Painting:

“If I say it’s to build a great array, the Dao Court will not believe it, and even more so, will not approve it. Tongxian City is just a small immortal city; there aren’t even a few first-grade array masters. How can it build a great array?”

“Even if they believed it and wanted to approve it, they would need to send people over to investigate clearly.”

“The Dao Court’s institutions are redundant, and interests are intricate. I have no one above to look out for me. With all this back and forth, who knows how much time would pass.”

“Moreover, the cultivation materials required to build a great array are a bottomless pit. The Dao Court may not be willing to spend that much.”

“Instead, finding a known, steady reason and applying for a batch is better. Whatever we get is a gain; if it’s less, we don’t lose; if it’s more, we profit.”

“As for the main spirit stones, we still need to think of another way.”

Ink Painting said curiously: “What other methods?”

Zhou Zhang Si stroked his beard and said with a smile that was not a smile: “You guess.”

Ink Painting thought for a bit, weighing his words:

“The Qian family?”

Zhou Zhang Si nodded, “Correct. The Qian family has a wealthy background, and because of the relations of the Qian family old ancestor, they are mostly not clean.”

“Want to confiscate the Qian family’s home?”

Zhou Zhang Si shook his head, “Not yet to that extent. Things are urgent. As long as the Qian family donates their family property, we can not pursue the matter of the Qian family old ancestor building Black Mountain Village and colluding with evil cultivators.”

Zhou Zhang Si said coldly: “This matter of the Sealed Pig, the root cause must still be attributed to the Qian family old ancestor. If he hadn’t used people to refine pills and used this pig demon as a pill furnace, it wouldn’t have led to this kind of great dao disaster.”

“Now give their Qian family a chance to atone for their crimes. Hope they know what’s good for them…”

Ink Painting nodded and then said:

“Then I will go find Old Master An again and see if he is willing to donate a bit.”

The An family is the second largest family in Tongxian City and also has many spirit stones.

Zhou Zhang Si hesitated a bit, “The An family are honest business people, and asking them to donate family property, Old Master An may not agree.”

“How do we know without trying? What if Old Master An is broad-minded, benevolent, and charitable?” Ink Painting said.

Zhou Zhang Si twitched the corner of his mouth, clearly not believing it, but still said:

“You can go try.”

Ink Painting then ran to find Old Master An, also without any suspense, and went straight to the point:

“Old master, we want to build a great array. Do you think about donating some spirit stones?”

Old Master An’s expression showed neither joy nor anger. He said faintly:

“If I’m not willing to donate?”

Ink Painting said casually: “I’m just asking. If you don’t want to donate, then forget it. Our relationship is so familiar; we won’t make things difficult for you.”

Old Master An sized up Ink Painting’s expression, seeing that he was not unhappy, then slightly sighed, realizing he had overthought things a bit.

He had still thought Ink Painting was coming to be polite first, then forceful.

Building a great array requires spirit stones. Their An family has spirit stones. This relationship is very subtle.

Once changes occur, their An family is a natural spirit warehouse.

Old Master An had lived for so long and deeply knew that between people, friendship is shallow and fragile, while interests are cruel but tough.

The An family and Ink Painting have a bit of friendship, but no matter how strong the friendship, it cannot be stronger than spirit stones. What’s more, their friendship with Ink Painting is not considered very deep.

Old Master An’s expression gradually became heavy.

He knew that this matter of building a great array was decided by Ink Painting.

Although he also didn’t understand how Ink Painting persuaded Elder Yu, as well as Zhou Zhang Si of the Dao Court Division and Yang Tong Ling of the Dao Soldier Division, about such a big matter.

This is building a great array, how can it be so easy?

But Ink Painting just did it.

Ink Painting’s identity is special, and his connections are wide. Although he looks young, many matters in Tongxian City are actually led by him.

Especially now, the biggest forces in Tongxian City are almost all standing behind him.

If he wanted to make things difficult for the An family, then the An family would definitely have a hard time.

If he insisted on the An family donating spirit stones, then the An family would have to donate. If they didn’t donate, they definitely wouldn’t have a good ending.

If Ink Painting didn’t make things difficult for their An family, then neither the Dao Court Division, nor the Dao Soldier Division, nor even the demon hunter side would pressure the An family.

Looking now, Ink Painting seems not to want to make things difficult for their An family…

Old Master An secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately a doubt arose in his heart:

“You really don’t want me to donate?”

Ink Painting corrected: “I definitely want you to donate, but whether you are willing or not still depends on yourself.”

Old Master An nodded. After a moment, he suddenly probed again:

“Suppose I want to donate?”

Ink Painting’s eyes brightened. He calculated the words he had already prepared and began to “paint a big picture” for Old Master An.