Chapter 3157: A Masterwork Array The moment the group passed through the protective shimmering veil of the sphere, a wave of silence pressed against them. The remnant noise of the ocean, the cries of gulls, and even the faint whispers of wind that had followed them in the void from the still open rift all disappeared. It was as though they had stepped into a world that obeyed rules not of nature, but of emptiness. "We can... breathe here?" Someone muttered and was heard by others too. There was air present here, which served as a bit of comfort, but not for long. The air was heavy, not oppressive, but filled with the distinct weight of countless layers of formation energy. "Hmm..." Lin Mu slowed his steps almost instinctively, his senses fanning out. He was not the only one. Daoist Chu, Grand Elder Huo, and several of the other elders all narrowed their eyes as their spiritual perception spread out like invisible threads. Even those who were not formation specialists could feel the subtle hum beneath their skin, the constant vibration of forces tightly bound in harmony. "This... is no ordinary construction," Daoist Chu muttered, his voice carrying an undertone of awe. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚 Lin Mu did not respond immediately. His gaze traveled along the inner surface of the sphere. It stretched out far into the distance, a curved dome of faintly shimmering walls that looked like smooth stone, but he knew it was nothing of the sort. Every grain, every seam, was filled with inscriptions too small to see with the naked eye. When he extended his immortal sense deeper, he could feel them thrumming in endless rhythm. The first thing that struck him was the sheer density of reinforcement arrays. These were not the simple strengthening runes one found in common sect walls, fortresses or defensive towers. Each one was interlinked with another, a lattice of power that compounded upon itself in elegant chains. It was like a spider web where every thread reinforced the other, and the slightest impact would ripple across the entire structure to distribute the force. Lin Mu had studied formations with the patience of one who valued knowledge as much as strength. He had seen complex works before, and had even broken some in his path. Yet what stood before him now made those memories feel like crude sketches compared to a master’s painting. "These arrays... they are resisting even the touch of the void itself," he said at last. His words came softly, but the weight of them drew the attention of everyone nearby. Daoist Chu nodded gravely. "It explains why this place has survived in the void for untold years. The chaotic energy outside is not something that even Transcendent Immortals would carelessly toy with. To make a shelter here... it is madness without this level of preparation." Grand Elder Huo stroked his beard slowly, his eyes glinting as he inspected another section of the sphere. "It is not only preparation, but perfection. Whoever created this sphere must have been a true master of space, and not merely a master, but one who had reached the pinnacle. This is the hand of an Immortal Spatial Grandmaster, one who devoted centuries, perhaps even millennia, to perfecting this craft." The others exchanged uneasy looks. Even the younger disciples who did not fully understand the technicalities could recognize the significance. Formation Grandmasters were rarer than phoenix feathers. Across the Immortal Realm, their number did not exceed a hundred in each court. And among them, Spatial Grandmasters were even fewer, each one a legend whispered in the halls of great sects. HIgh Elder Yan Dao felt a faint chill creep into his chest. "This was not the work of anyone from the Silent Lotus World," he said firmly. "The cultivators here do not have the knowledge, nor the time, to achieve something of this scale. This must have been created by a true Spatial Master from beyond. Perhaps one of the few renowned across the realm." Daoist Chu’s expression darkened. "That would mean the Hidden Cave Sect spared no expense. They must have paid dearly, perhaps in treasures, perhaps in services, to enlist such a figure. To construct an array of this size, covering the entire surface of a sphere, would take centuries even for the most skilled. For this to exist here... it means their roots reach far deeper than we have suspected." Silence followed his words, broken only by the faint thrum of the arrays surrounding them. Each cultivator knew the implication. If the Hidden Cave Sect had connections to such masters, then their influence was not limited to this world. It extended outward, possibly brushing against powers that none of them wished to provoke. Grand Elder Huo finally broke the silence. His voice was calm, but his tone carried a warning. "Do not speculate aloud who it may have been. The names of such masters are few, and to suggest one without proof would be reckless. No sect, no empire, no force would dare confront such a being without certainty. To do so would bring ruin upon the speaker, and upon their people." Everyone nodded in solemn agreement. Lin Mu let out a breath. "At the very least, this tells us something important. The sphere is meant for defense, not attack. I do not sense any offensive arrays. Nothing that could channel this power outward. It is all turned inward, to maintain integrity." "Which makes sense," Daoist Chu added. "If their goal was to remain hidden in the void, then they would not waste resources on outward strikes. To endure here is already consuming more energy than any sect could sustain without great effort. They would not dare to balance both offense and defense at this scale." Grand Elder Huo’s eyes gleamed as he nodded. "Yes. That was what kept me from attempting an assault from outside. I knew it would not be so simple. If the array had been designed for attack, we might have been annihilated before even reaching this place. But it seems they chose concealment and survival over confrontation. That much plays to our favor."