I laid back in my boat, floating over a small pond. A fishing pole sat beside me, with its line thrown into the water and its makeshift float bobbing lightly with the waves. I was leaning back with my feet up on the front of the boat with a coolie hat protecting my face from the sun.

As I relaxed on my little pond, my senses were elsewhere. I was watching the approaching cultivators run through the hot desert day. Most of them were just exploring the desert, hoping to be able to map out a cool route before the rainy season started. But one of them was obviously a scion. You could always pick them out from a crowd.

Well, better now or never. I waved my hand, and I was somewhere else. Everything was black, aside from me and the boat. It was like I was floating in deep space. It was one of the storage spaces that I had worked into the array. Its main purpose was to store qi, but it could do this for now.

Then I waved my hand again, and they appeared.

All at once, numerous beasts showed themselves. Panthers walked out of the shadows, phoenixes flew down from the darkness, and snakes squirmed out of nothing. A huge water dragon emerged from just below the boat, its head piercing through the darkness directly behind my boat.

By the end of it all, I was surrounded on all sides by divine beasts. Animals of every kind littered the forest and every single one of them had their eyes on me.

Yup, they were all here. Every single beast that I had purchased from the Divine Beast Emporium stood before me, glaring. An important thing to remember about beasts was that they weren’t people. They were just very smart animals.

The difference was simple, people tend to have things like morality and compassion, but beasts are not people. They could be loyal and kind or caring, but only to those they had ties with. The empathy that humans had was not a byproduct of intelligence, it was a byproduct of need. Humans need each other, therefore, they have empathy. Beasts, however, were different. It depended on the particular species and how its social structure plays out, but even the kindest of wolves was not a man.

We desire to speak with you. One of the phoenixes said, flapping its wings lightly as its flaming form set down on nothing. She had a young feminine voice, one that echoed with a bit of caution.

"I figured you might, sooner or later," I replied.

I picked up my coolie hat and put it down on my head and readjusted myself into a comfortable position. I could sense all of them glaring at me, each one of them waiting with claws and fangs ready to act.

"I hope you’re all not going to try to kill me to escape this place," I said out loud, projecting my aura.

"Because I’m telling you now, even if we were all at the same rank, you’d all be left dead by the end of it."

The beasts stared at me. They didn’t take it as an insult, my declaration of power had truth behind it, sensing my aura could tell them that.

We seek answers to our current predicament.

Instant acceptance. That was how animals were, they looked at who was on top and bowed until they could go up there and tear them down themselves. They were very similar to cultivators in that way but also different. Beasts didn’t have morals and they were honest about that, but cultivators would hide under the charade of kindness and virtue to excuse their behavior.

"Rules huh? Well, I’m sure you’ve discovered that you can’t leave the valley, that and don’t harm any humans or fellow beasts is the only rule I have. Oh and also the pets and livestock, leave those alone as well."

There was a small silence as the beasts took the moment to ponder my words.

This place, one of the panthers said.

It is a prison to us.

"Yeah," I said, nodding lightly. "Well, what do you guys want me to do about it?"

The beasts all looked toward the phoenix. A silent moment passed as they all discussed their thoughts.

We desire more space.

A simple statement. I had thought of this problem when I purchased these beasts. Most of these creatures had been living on their own planet and had enough space to roam as they pleased.

"Well, I can’t give you more space, but I can give you less mass," I said as I pulled out an old piece of jade from my robes.

I invited all of their senses into the jade piece, showing them the technique it held. A quick set of techniques flooded their minds, and most of the beasts froze in place as they tried to comprehend it. It took them a minute, some of them woke up earlier than others and a few of them even started to apply the technique, pushing it forward in their dantian.

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This is your solution? The water dragon asked. I think he was insulted, though you could never really tell with beasts.

"Yeah," I replied.

We are divine beasts, defined by our glory and power and you would have us reduce our size to-

"Look, buddy," I interrupted. "You can either use the technique with no consequence to you at all, or you can stay here and hate every moment of your life."

The dragon looked down at me with his Gyarados-like face. I knew it wanted to fight me, that’s how all dragons are, prideful and arrogant, especially the young ones.

What must we do to gain our freedom? The beast asked.

"Gain it? You don’t need to gain it. You can just leave if you want to, but I’ll wipe your memories of me and everything you’ve seen here so far."

The beasts were surprised by that statement. A few elephants trumpeted and golden lions roared in show. They were having a discussion amongst themselves, but not as one whole group, but as smaller separate groups. The lions talked among each other, and so did the herd of elephants and even a colony of prairie dogs.

The choice was an individual one for the most part and they were the ones with the option to make that choice or not make that choice.

The phoenix suddenly raised her beak to the sky and let out a quick shriek that echoed throughout the valley.

Why? She asked

Why would you be so willing to set us free?

"I don't want to keep any slaves," I shrugged.

"You’re not people, you’re beasts, far different from people. But you’re not less than people either, so I’ll give you guys the same courtesy, I suppose. And besides, I don’t think you’d choose to leave after taking a look around where I want you to live."

The phoenix cocked her head in a very human way.

"You haven’t noticed? I mean look around, or feel around I guess, you haven’t felt the rise of qi in the place?"

Hmfp, the dragon somehow scoffed.

The rise is merely due to our presence. Our collective auras have strengthened the qi density, that is not your doing.

"Wrong," I corrected.

"The initial growth in qi was due to your arrival, but you guys are less like batteries and more like a jump start. Come on, send your sense even deeper, and tell me what you find."

The dragon stared at me, unhidden contempt in his eyes. But he listened nonetheless, sending his senses scattering everywhere to try and find what I was talking about. All the other beasts did the same.

There is another source of qi, the phoenix said suddenly.

Another set of roars and howls filled the air. This time I decided to peek in on their little conversation.

What of this other source?

It is most likely just the land, but there are far more fertile places in the multiverse.

Isn't it strange that we did not notice?

Whether we knew it or not is not the problem, it's that this other source is not enough to confine us to his rule.

Lots of these comments passed by, some of them being spoken in the town square of the mental discussion while the others were being held in private. Finally, they all quieted down as the phoenix turned her head towards me.

What is this other source? She finally asked.

I smiled. This array had taken me a long time to develop, even by immortal standards. It was most likely the greatest thing that I had ever made, or would ever make for that matter. And I had to admit, it felt good to finally have someone ask me about it.

"The array," I answered.

That is impossible. Arrays don’t create qi, they merely change it.

"That used to be true."

All the beasts looked at me, with an almost tangible mix of curiosity and hunger.

"Arrays are all about connections, tying one thing to another. An array master’s job in that regard is to create the right connections to cultivate a certain type of reaction. But when you think of it that way, almost everything is an array then. Everything has connections, whether it's the laws of the universe or a rock on the ground."

The beasts nodded along to what I was saying.

"The clouds in the sky can be thought of as a result of the connection between dust, water, and wind all being connected by gravity and all the other forces of this universe. So, in that sense, why can’t life be considered the same?"

Is… is this thing living?

"In a sense. It’s more like a spiritual germ. It currently lacks consciousness but is technically alive and with a soul nonetheless."

How can this be? Only those with a mind can create qi.

"Like I said, a spiritual germ. Sentient life has been created before but this array doesn’t fall under that qualification. It will be sentient, eventually, but it’s just a thing for now."

Is it a thinking array? The dragon asked.

"No, not just a thinking array. This is an array with a soul, and moreover, it has a natural soul. A soul produced from the array itself instead of being transplanted from some other being. A living array."

Why should that matter? So our cage grows with power as it ages, is that supposed to be a merit for us? The dragon asked.

"No, you dimly lit room. As the array grows in power, so will the ambient qi around the place. Existing in its presence will become exponentially more beneficial," I answered.

Then why do you need us? If we are not to power your abomination, then why keep us for eternity?

"I won’t," I answered.

"You would all be free eventually, just not for a decently long time. And your presence would be nurturing to the array during its initial development, but you’d all be free after it grows enough."

Another set of squawking, roaring, and chirping resumed.

What will this living array be like after it matures? The phoenix asked.

"Well, it's an array and every array has a purpose, so a living array would probably pursue that purpose."

What is its purpose then?

"To provide peace," I said with a smile.