Cultivation Through Artifacts

"So this is how a hidden shrine looks like on the inside? I thought it will be a little bit more... Luxurious..." Khal mumbled quietly, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment.

Indeed, the interior of the shrine was not as majestic as one would think, as the whole place was literally empty, with only a few scrolls laid here and there together with some weapons that seemed below average as a matter of quality and appearance.

"Didn\'t you say that the larger the entrance the greater amount of treasure will there be inside? Then what is the meaning of this?" Khal knitted his brows together without turning toward the void from where Darla\'s figure emerged.

Darla who just arrived next to Khal halted her steps and looked around, just only to get confused in the same way as Khal.

"I... don\'t know... In truth, this is my very first time seeing a hidden shrine from the inside, but according to several records, this shouldn\'t be like this."

"Then did someone find a way inside and take away everything, leaving behind nothing but these Mortal Grade techniques?" Khal asked as he picked up a scroll from the ground and checked it, only to shake his head helplessly and toss it into his spatial ring.

Darla wished to deny that suspicion from Khal with a no, but just before she had the chance to talk a blinding light appeared before them out of thin air.

"What is happening?" Darla raised her guard immediately and watched as the light before them manifested into a humanoid shape and began to talk.

"Congratulations, you deserve my praise for finding and entering my shrine even after knowing the risk."

The manifested light began to speak calmly, making Khal and Darla glance at each other before lowering their weapons slightly.

"So you are the creator of this shrine, right?" Khal asked, but strangely, he got no reply and the humanoid figure simply continued to talk.

\'A record?\' Khal pondered but decided to remain silent and listen.

"Maybe you are pondering who I am, but I can say it with assurance that you don\'t need to know it as I am no longer alive when you see this vision. Instead, let me tell you what you need to know to acquire my legacy that I decided to leave behind to the newer generations such as yourselves."

As None talked the scenery around Khal and Darla changed before several carvings began to form on the jade floor below while a fist-sized orb began to float in the distance with a golden glow.

"Your trial is rather easy. The carvings you can see hold different powers, some can freeze you to death, some can burn you to ashes, and so on. However, there are also a few that has no special properties, such as the ones you are standing on."

"Find ones such as those and cross the hall without dying. If you succeed, you can get the orb and leave this place in one piece. As for if you fail... I don\'t think I need to explain what will happen then, right?"

And as the light said those last words, it dispersed into light particles, leaving the two youngsters alone in the hall once again.

The two were silent for a long time, both of them thinking about how to differentiate the symbols on the ground from one another.

"Can you recognize any of the symbols?" Khal was the first to break the silence as he felt a slight headache staring at the symbols for a long while.

"Unfortunately, I can\'t." Darla sighed and asked, "And I guess you neither."

"Yeah..." Khal nodded mildly as he felt stuck too. He even activated his Heaven\'s Eyes in the hope to get a better look, but his effort was meaningless. Even if he saw the carvings with clearer sight, that did not mean he would miraculously understand their meaning.

"Then what should we do? The hall is simply way too huge and I can see a thousand symbols if not more."

Khal glanced at the spot where the void was previously, as now it has long vanished, and touched his chin gently.

[Those symbols have no meaning at all. They are arrays.]

\'Arrays?\' Khal asked with surprise and asked, \'Then can you tell which Array is which?\'

[Well, I have memories of using basic arrays in the past, but these are on a whole other level. It\'s obvious whoever did this was an expert, so I can\'t help you.]

Khal\'s eyes twitched slightly upon hearing this. Why does she bring his hope up only to shatter it like that? It made no sense at all!

\'Whatever...\' Khal shook his head inwardly and asked Darla, "Do you know anything about Arrays?"

"Arrays?" Darla raised her delicate brow at the sudden and unexpected question, but soon nodded and said, "Yeah, I have a little bit of knowledge about Arrays as my father is an Array Master."

"Oh? Then how come you can\'t recognize these arrays before you?"

"What do you mean-, wait... You are right! These are really arrays!" Darla\'s eyes lit up like stars by the sudden revelation before her gaze turned sharp once again and said, "Although they seem a little bit complex because they have been formed inside the symbols, compared to my father\'s they seem rather simple."

"Your father is an Array Master and you have only a little bit of knowledge? Your father didn\'t wish you to learn his ways or what?" Khal asked with doubt in his voice.

"In truth, he didn\'t. He wished me to follow my path and not his, that is why he told me he will only teach me about arrays if I truly wish to follow down that path with the entirety of my heart. Of course, with him always talking about and creating arrays, it\'s impossible not to learn a few things." Darla explained with a nonchalant look, but Khal obviously noticed the hidden warmth in her words.

"What a great father." Khal nodded with admiration, but suddenly an image of his past life father popped up in his mind which made his mood instantly sour.

"Anyways, do you think we can get to that orb?" Khal asked after a while. He felt at ease once again after knowing Darla knew about arrays thanks to her father.

"I will give my best shot.." Darla nodded and without saying anything else, started to concentrate on the symbols with Khal inspecting the surroundings with keen eyes too.