"Array masters are highly sought after!" She excitedly rubbed her hands.

"You can hitch a ride to the Imperial City, get the Wood Attribute Spirit Stones you need, and you won't have to expend your Heart and Spirit or Spirit Stones to control the Flying Ship. It's a triple win!"

Seeing Zhou Qing still hesitating, she leaned in closer and said, "Don't worry, didn't you already improve our masks? No one will find out."

"Besides, everyone knows that the list of those nine second-level array masters is outdated by years, so there must be plenty of low-key people like you."

After some contemplation, Zhou Qing found it feasible, but still had concerns: "If they're transporting valuable goods to the Imperial City and we encounter endless attacks along the way..."

Upon hearing Zhou Qing's words, Luo Lingling looked at him with admiration.

Understanding the need to be prepared for unforeseen events, it seemed her usual guidance had not been in vain.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Luo Lingling brushed it off with a wave of her hand, "As long as it's not a Spirit Severing Realm old monster, can't we just run away?"

"Furthermore, for the auction to have grown to such a scale, it must regularly travel between places, and both the routes and security arrangements are definitely beyond our imagination."

Luo Lingling lowered her voice at this point: "Besides, after months of flying, who knows how many Divine Senses want to target our Flying Ship, it's still too high-profile. I think taking a merchant ship is safer."

After Zhou Qing listened, he found her reasoning sound and agreed, but quickly asked, "If I succeed in being hired, what about you?"

"Fool!" Luo Lingling poked his mask, "A dignified second-level array master, isn't bringing an assistant perfectly reasonable?"

Zhou Qing could only smile, adjusted the rooster mask on his face, and entered the Duobao Pavilion with Luo Lingling by his side.

As soon as they stepped inside, the influx of Spiritual Qi caused both of them to pause slightly — the auction's entrance was equipped with a grand Gathering Array.

"Truly extravagant," Zhou Qing muttered to himself.

A maid dressed in a star-patterned robe took graceful steps forward, her gaze lingering for a moment on their strange masks: "Are you two esteemed guests here to..."

"Apply as array masters," Zhou Qing responded, deliberately lowering his voice.

The maid was a bit surprised and quickly bowed in respect: "Please follow me, Masters."

Luo Lingling pouted slightly, walking behind Zhou Qing.

Her identity was, after all, Master Zhou's assistant, so she couldn't lose her manners.

They passed through three gateways and were led into a spacious testing hall.

Inside the hall were eight cultivators waiting, who all turned curious eyes upon their entrance.

"Playing mysterious!" a youth in luxurious clothing sneered.

The two ignored him, and Zhou Qing's gaze swept over the hall's furnishings.

In this not-so-spacious testing hall, he could clearly sense that four people present emitted faint array energy.

They were evidently array masters who had more or less condensed Spirit Seals.

The others were likely just apprentices with rudimentary knowledge.

Soon, an elderly man with white hair entered slowly.

"It's Master Zou!" someone recognized the elderly man, and immediately greeted him excitedly.

Zhou Qing and Luo Lingling exchanged a glance and followed suit with a bow.

This Master Zou Lun was a second-level array master heavily hired by the Duobao Trading House. He was supposed to be stationed at the headquarters in the Imperial City, and it was unexpected for him to appear at this branch today.

"No need for formalities," Zou Lun said, stroking his beard. "Since you're here to apply as accompanying array masters, you must be people of the same path."

"Our circle is too small, the path of arrays... never mind, it's not worth discussing!"

He then looked serious, his voice somber: "I presume you've all heard that Master Wu and Master Su tragically fell in the relics of the Vast Mansion in Longyuan County."

"These two masters pioneered the way for our Holy Martial Dynasty's path of arrays, and their written works have benefited countless later scholars."

He sighed heavily, his eyes almost glittering with tears, "I am ashamed to say that my own achievements today are much thanks to them..."

The people in the hall, hearing this, all showed sorrow on their faces, and some even started sobbing softly.

"This guy is clearly gloating!" Luo Lingling suddenly transmitted, her voice carrying some disdain.

"Why do you say that?" Zhou Qing was inwardly surprised.

"It's a secret," Luo Lingling responded slyly, "but I can sense his inner joy, probably because he thinks his opportunity has come."

Hearing this, Zhou Qing looked again at Zou Lun, with a more scrutinizing gaze.

He saw that although the other's expression was sorrowful, the muscles at the corner of his mouth were involuntarily twitching slightly.

Zou Lun continued: "Fortunately, our dynasty still has Master Lin Daochen, the only remaining third-level array master, who is currently assisting the Prince in unlocking the barrier of the Witch Ancestor Mountain Range."

"Well, I've diverged a bit," he suddenly shifted the topic, speaking with a slightly more relaxed tone.

"I'm here today just to help Manager Jin with the assessments, so I'll leave the specifics to the manager himself!"

With that, he stepped aside, letting a middle-aged man with a shiny face stride in.

This man seemed to be in his early forties, his round face glowing with a healthy flush, his small eyes sharp, resembling a shrewd businessman.

He wore a silk robe, and his waist was adorned with Jade Pendants that jingled as he moved.

"I am Jin Mantang, the manager of the Yuheng Mansion branch, nice to meet you all!"

He bowed with a smile and said, "I presume most of you have heard of Duobao Trading House, with its headquarters in the Imperial City and thirty-five branches across various regions."

"To be honest, old Jin here shouldn't be at Yaoguang Mansion, but circumstances have forced me here."

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued to explain, "My transport merchant ship, having departed from Yuheng Mansion for over a month, was attacked by flocks of knife-beaked eagles and vultures in a perilous area, causing the array to be damaged."