Chapter 148: Refining the Array Plate, the Ancestor Passes Away
After the one-year-old birthday banquet, Ji Chang did not leave in a hurry like the other guests.

He stayed at the Hu family for a few more days.

Ji Chang planned to ask Hu Rending to help him refine a magic weapon.

After Ji Chang had refined the corpse, he planned to obtain a battle array plate to amplify the corpse and increase his strength.

Ji Chang now has five refined corpses in his hands. If they are supported by battle formations, his power will surely increase greatly when fighting with others.

On this day, Ji Chang, led by the maid of the Hu family, passed through the winding corridors of the Hu family mansion and came to a study.

Hu Qingyun was sorting out the accounts of the banquet in his study. When he saw Ji Chang coming to visit, he put down the pen in his hand and greeted him with a smile.

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, Ji Chang directly stated the purpose of his visit.

"Brother Hu, to be honest, I came here this time to ask Daoist Hu to refine a second-grade upper-grade formation disk magic weapon for me."

Hu Qingyun frowned slightly when he heard this. He sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist Han, it's not that I don't want to help. It's just that my uncle is dying and can no longer make magic tools."

Ji Chang's heart sank, but Hu Qingyun's next words rekindled his hope.

"However, Fellow Daoist Han, please rest assured that my attainments in weapon refining have also reached the second-order upper-grade level."

"Moreover, my Taoist partner Shen Yaoyu is proficient in the art of formations. Through her influence, I have also learned a lot about formations. If possible, I might as well help refine it."

Hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Ji Chang's eyes.

He saluted and said, "Thank you very much, Brother Hu. When can we start refining?"

Hu Qingyun thought for a moment and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Han is so anxious, let's get started as soon as possible."

Ji Chang nodded upon hearing this and took out a formation diagram from his storage bag.

"Brother Hu, please take a look. This formation is called the Breaking Army Extermination Formation. It is a battle formation."

Hu Qingyun took the formation diagram, took a quick look at it, and felt a little surprised.

It turned out to be a battle formation?
Hu Qingyun originally thought that Ji Chang was planning to ask him to refine a magic formation to defend the cave.

Unexpectedly, what Ji Chang asked him to refine was a battle formation that required many cultivators to work together.

However, Hu Qingyun did not say much. He just took a look and nodded after confirming that it could be refined.

"This formation is quite complicated, but I will try my best to refine it. However, refining the battle formation plate requires a lot of materials. Is Fellow Daoist Han ready?" Hu Qingyun looked up and asked.

Ji Chang was well prepared. He immediately took out several materials from his storage bag and placed them on the desk one by one.

"Brother Hu, please look, these are the materials I prepared for refining the formation plate. I wonder if they are enough?" Ji Chang asked.

Although the formation plate refined by Ji Chang reached the upper level of the second grade, the materials required were not precious.

This is because the Pojun Extinction Array is a second-level top-grade battle array. Unlike a magic array, the power of the battle array mainly comes from the cultivator who activates it, and the array itself does not have much power.

If one is proficient in the drill, one can activate the battle formation even without formation plates or flags.

The purpose of the array plate is only to facilitate control and reduce the energy required to control the array.

Theoretically, even if Ji Chang only used a second-level mid-grade array plate, he could control the refined corpses to form the Army-Breaking Extinction Array.

As long as enough refined corpses are activated, the power of the battle formation can reach the upper level of the second stage, and even fully exert the power of this second-level top-grade battle formation.

However, when the number of refined corpses is the same, the higher the grade of the formation plate, the stronger the power of the battle formation, and the less energy is required to control it.

Originally, Ji Chang planned to take advantage of the fact that Hu Rending, the Hu family's top-grade weapon refiner, was still alive and ask him to refine a top-grade array plate.

After all, Ji Chang didn't know before that Hu Qingyun's attainments in weapon refining had reached the second-grade upper level.

However, Ji Chang didn't really care whether Hu Rending was the one who refined the formation plate. As long as he could refine the formation plate, it was enough.

Hu Qingyun carefully looked at the materials on the table, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

"Fellow Daoist Han has made thorough preparations. Not only are the materials sufficient, but they are also of high quality. The power of the array plate he refines will surely be extraordinary." Hu Qingyun praised.

Ji Chang was delighted when he heard this, and he immediately bowed and said, "Then please start refining the furnace as soon as possible, Brother Hu."

Hu Qingyun nodded and said, "Okay, I will go and prepare it and start refining tomorrow. If you have nothing else to do, you may stay at the Hu family for a few more days."

Ji Chang nodded and agreed. After chatting for a few minutes, he said goodbye and left.

Ji Chang's heart was full of expectations. As long as he could successfully refine the formation plate of the Pojun Extinction Formation, the strength of the corpse refining under his command would be greatly enhanced.

At that time, even if facing several cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage, he would not be afraid at all.

Nowadays, Huangquan Sect has expanded its territory to the Ten Thousand Mountains. Although it has not yet affected independent cultivators like him, it is estimated that it will not be long before it affects him.

With this Army-Breaking Extinction Array in hand, Ji Chang will have more confidence when dealing with such turbulent situations.

The next day.

Led by the maid of the Hu family, Ji Chang came to a reception room.

Ji Chang waited in the reception room for a moment, and Hu Qingyun appeared in front of him.

"Fellow Daoist Han, everything is ready, we can start refining." Hu Qingyun said.

Ji Chang was cheered up when he heard this. He quickly stood up and followed Hu Qingyun into the weapon refining room.

There was a huge refining furnace in the center of the refining room, with fire burning fiercely and emitting scorching heat.

Ji Chang noticed that the earth fire vein restrained by the formation in this refining room was much better than the one in his own cave.

Hu Qingyun walked to the refining furnace, took a deep breath, then waved his hand, and a stream of magic power was released, and the cover of the refining furnace flew up.

Immediately afterwards, Hu Qingyun began to process the materials provided by Ji Chang and put them into the refining furnace one by one in order.

As more materials were added, the flame in the refining furnace became more and more vigorous, and the entire refining room was filled with a hot atmosphere.

Hu Qingyun was concentrating on controlling the flame and materials in the refining furnace. His movements were smooth and there was no delay or hesitation.

Ji Chang stood aside and watched quietly, unable to help but sigh in his heart.

Although his attainments in weapon refining were not high, being only at the middle level of the first grade, his attainments in alchemy were good, and he also had a lot of experience in controlling fire.

Naturally, it can be seen that Hu Qingyun's attainments in weapon refining are indeed profound. Just in terms of fire control, he is much better than himself.

Time passed by little by little, and under Hu Qingyun's careful refining, the embryo of the array plate gradually took shape.

Finally, after a light shout, the flame in the refining furnace suddenly subsided, and then a black light flew out from it and landed steadily in Hu Qingyun's hands.

"Fellow Daoist Han, I have fulfilled my mission. The array plate embryo has been successfully refined." Hu Qingyun handed the array plate embryo in his hand to Ji Chang to take a look.

Generally speaking, after refining the embryo of a magical instrument, the next step is to carve the patterns on the instrument.

However, the array disk magic weapon is different from ordinary magic weapons. What needs to be engraved in this step is the array pattern.

Although the array patterns of formations, the patterns of magic tools, the talismans on talismans, and even the patterns on elixirs are all interrelated to some extent, it can even be said that they lead to the same goal.

However, there are still some significant differences between array patterns and weapon patterns.

Ji Chang took the formation plate and felt a heavy feeling coming over him. He looked at it carefully and showed an unconcealable joy on his face. "Thank you, Brother Hu, for your help. Han Lin will remember this favor in his heart."

Ji Chang bowed and thanked him.

Hu Qingyun smiled and waved his hand: "Fellow Daoist Han, thank you too early. This formation has not been refined yet."

"I plan to let my wife help you carve the array pattern. She is an array master and is better than me in this field."

Ji Chang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and agreed.

Seeing Ji Chang nod, Hu Qingyun turned and left the refining room.

Soon, he returned to the refining room with a petite, gentle and lovely woman. That woman was his Taoist partner Shen Yaoyu.

Shen Yaoyu was dressed in green, her eyes and eyebrows revealing intelligence and agility. Perhaps because she was a mother, she looked a lot plumper than before.

She nodded slightly to Ji Chang, then took the array plate embryo handed over by Hu Qingyun and looked at it carefully.

"My husband, this array plate embryo is made quite exquisitely." Shen Yaoyu praised.

"Yaoyu, thank you for the compliment." Hu Qingyun smiled proudly.

The two of them looked like a loving couple.

Afterwards, Shen Yaoyu began to carefully study the formation diagram of the Pojun Extinction Formation provided by Ji Chang.

"Friend Han, this formation is quite extraordinary."

Shen Yaoyu praised it a few words and then began to engrave the array pattern.

She just moved her fingers slightly, and array patterns were accurately carved on the array plate embryo.

Her movements were light and skillful, as if every stroke contained a profound attainment in formation.

As time went by, the array patterns on the array plate gradually became more perfect.

After Shen Yaoyu finished carving the last array pattern, she breathed a sigh of relief and handed the array plate to Ji Chang.

"Fellow Daoist Han, the formation pattern has been engraved, please take a look." Shen Yaoyu said with a smile.

Ji Chang took the formation plate and saw that it was covered with formation patterns, which were intricate yet orderly.

He could feel the powerful force contained in these formation patterns, and couldn't help but secretly admire Shen Yaoyu's attainments in formation.

As expected, Shen Yaoyu had reached the level of a second-class intermediate-grade formation master twenty years ago.

Now seeing how familiar he is with it, his attainment in formation may have reached the upper level of the second grade.

If it weren't for the limitation of his cultivation level at the initial stage of foundation building, he should be able to set up a second-level superior formation.

It was worth it that the Hu family spent so much effort to restrain her.

"Thank you, Fairy Shen, for your help." Ji Chang thanked.

Shen Yaoyu and Hu Qingyun smiled at each other, indicating that it was just a piece of cake.

Hu Qingyun smiled and said, "Friend Han, although the formation plate has been refined now, you should not be in a hurry to leave. You may as well stay in the Hu family for a few more days. Niece Hong Ling misses you very much."

After hearing this, Ji Chang declined slightly, but did not leave immediately. Instead, he stayed at the Hu family for a few more days.

However, at dusk on the fourth day, when Ji Chang was closing his eyes and concentrating on practicing, the Tao Seed in his sea of ​​consciousness, which was floating with his soul, trembled slightly.

While peeking into the Tao Seed, a figure disappeared.

Ji Chang's heart moved and he looked in a certain direction.

Not long after, I heard a few deep and sad bell sounds.

The bell sounded among the empty mansions, carrying with it an unspeakable desolation and sadness, as if it could penetrate the human soul and evoke endless sorrow from deep within.

"Hu Rending has passed away."

Ji Chang felt a mixture of emotions.

Although Hu Rending tried to enslave and restrain him many times, he was not friendly to him.

But in the end, he did not attack himself, and he repeatedly asked the Hu family cultivators to be on good terms with him. He also taught Ji Chang how to practice.

Hearing the news of his passing, Ji Chang couldn't help but feel a little sad.

He stood up and walked out of the courtyard, only to see that many cultivators in the Hu family mansion had already moved upon hearing the sound. With solemn expressions, they bowed from afar in the direction where Hu Rending was sitting and passing away.

Ji Chang mingled in the crowd and silently bowed in that direction as a sign of respect for the former ancestor of the Hu family.

Then he turned and walked in the direction of Hu Qingyun.

There was a hint of sadness on Hu Qingyun's face at this time, but when he saw Ji Chang coming, he forced a smile.

"Friend Han, please take a seat."

Hu Qingyun gestured to Ji Chang to sit down next to him.

Ji Chang looked at Hu Qingyun and said, "My condolences. If you need my help, please let me know."

Hu Qingyun heard this, a trace of gratitude flashed in his eyes, and then he said: "Thank you, Brother Han."

……

Because Hu Rending passed away, Ji Chang stayed in the Hu family for some time.

During this period, the Hu family invited various foundation-building families in Zheng State to attend Hu Rending's funeral.

Unlike the one-year-old birthday party of Hu Qingyun's son Hu Tianxing, many foundation-building cultivators came to attend Hu Rending's funeral.

Even during the current period of opening up the Ten Thousand Mountains, basically all the foundation-building families with some strength in the Zheng Kingdom's immortal cultivation world have sent foundation-building cultivators to participate.

In Ji Chang's opinion, this move might be intended to test the Hu family.

Perhaps many people even want to see Hu Rending die with their own eyes.

Although Hu Rending is a second-level top-grade weapon refiner, he has a great reputation and many friends.

However, due to his bad temper, he also has many enemies.

Even many cultivators like Ji Chang, who were on good terms with the Hu family, were secretly on guard against Hu Rending, fearing that Hu Rending would suddenly harm them.

It’s a pity that Hu Qingsong was driven by the Huangquan Sect to open up new territory in the Shiwan Mountains.

Even after Hu Rending passed away, he was unable to attend the funeral.

On the day of burial, Hu Rending's body was cremated by Hu Qingyun himself.

In the world of cultivating immortals, especially under the rule of the Huangquan Sect, many families will take the initiative to destroy the bodies of their cultivators at the time of burial in order to prevent the bodies of their cultivators from being used by others after their death.

Only after Hu Rending's funeral was over did Ji Chang set out to return to Baishuixian City.

(End of this chapter)