"You are both correct. This sphere can serve as both a refuge and a prison, depending on how it is arranged. But I would suggest another purpose as well. This place can be more than a tool of war. It can become a place of learning." Lin Mu stated.

The elders turned toward him, curiosity flashing in their eyes.

"This entire sphere is built on layers of complex arrays," Lin Mu continued. "Arrays that not only shield it but also regulate its environment, conceal its presence, and manage its resources. It is a living example of formation mastery that surpasses what most sects could ever dream of.

If we preserve it and study it, it could serve as the greatest training ground for future generations of formation masters. Not only would it give us a secure location, but it would also ensure the knowledge of these arrays does not vanish with the Hidden Cave Sect."

The formation master elder’s eyes lit up immediately. "Yes. That is true. I had already been restraining myself from going out to examine the outer layers of the sphere. The craftsmanship is extraordinary. Even the simplest concealment array here is more intricate than anything I have encountered before. To study it would be invaluable."

Another elder chimed in, "Indeed. Our disciples will learn far more from experiencing and unraveling these arrays in practice than they could from any jade slip or manual. It would be a legacy that strengthens us for generations."

The room filled with murmurs of agreement.

The excitement among the formation masters was particularly evident, though even those not directly tied to formations could see the merit in Lin Mu’s idea. The thought of producing countless generations of skilled array masters who could fortify their sects was enticing.

Grand Elder Huo gave Lin Mu an approving look. "A sound suggestion. This place will not only serve our immediate needs but also secure our long-term future. We shall formalize it as both a secure refuge, a prison for the dangerous, and a training ground for formation masters. A layered use for a layered place."

With the matter settled, the elders returned to the other details of their tasks.

For Lin Mu, though, his involvement was less pressing. Much of what followed concerned logistics, distribution of loot, and administrative organization that the Xian Sword Sect and Silent Lotus Temple could handle without him.

He had never cared for bureaucracy, and truthfully, it was unnecessary for him to meddle in it. His contribution had already shaped the larger outcome.

Instead, Lin Mu returned to his own quiet work.

In one of the empty chambers, he sat down again and began examining the storage treasures he had gathered. He had already taken stock of the more practical documents and the information relating to the sect’s operations.

What remained now were the manuals, cultivation techniques, and skills.

Opening one jade slip after another, he let his consciousness flow through them. As expected, the Hidden Cave Sect had accumulated an impressive collection. There were high-grade and top-grade cultivation techniques, martial skills of great power, and even forbidden arts that had been hidden from the public eye.

To another cultivator, this would have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But for Lin Mu, most of it was irrelevant. His path had long diverged from what these techniques offered.

Still, he knew their value.

They might not serve him, but they would certainly strengthen his allies and disciples of the sects allied with him. He decided then that he would make copies of the techniques and hand them over to the elders later.

Properly distributed, these manuals could elevate the strength of thousands.

What did catch his eye, however, were the sections on alchemy and formations. Among the manuals he uncovered were detailed treatises on the refinement of rare herbs, the mixing of unusual pills, and the structuring of arrays he had not seen before.

Some of these texts even documented the creation of hybrid formations that fused elemental energies in strange ways. Lin Mu’s eyes lingered over these with genuine interest. He absorbed as much as he could, committing the concepts to memory.

He knew Meng Bai in particular would benefit from these.

The boy’s aptitude for formations was already showing great promise, and having access to such advanced texts would only accelerate his growth. For Lin Mu himself, the manuals were another step in expanding his mastery.

Every formation he learned added another weapon to his arsenal, another tool for battle, or another path for creation.

Hours passed as Lin Mu delved through the collected knowledge, each jade slip opening new doors of insight. While others busied themselves with logistics and catalogues, he immersed himself in the hidden secrets of the sect’s legacy.

And though he had no intention of walking the same corrupt path as the Hidden Cave Sect, he would ensure that their knowledge would not vanish. Instead, it would be reshaped, repurposed, and wielded against the very forces they had once allied with.

By the time Lin Mu set the last jade slip aside, he knew that the Hidden Cave Sect’s downfall was not only a victory of war but a harvest of wisdom.

Their wealth and secrets now belonged to him and his allies, and from this dark place would rise new strength for the righteous.

Lin Mu decided to remain within the sphere, captivated by the intricacy of the formations that spread across its walls and foundations.

The deeper he looked into them, the more he realized that what the Hidden Cave Sect had constructed was not just a base of operations, but an entire masterpiece of formation arts. It was a labyrinth of overlapping layers, built with precision and foresight, designed to handle every possible circumstance from intrusion to energy channeling.

Copying even a fraction of the work into jade slips was not realistic. The lines of runes and sigils were not just written on walls or carved into stones; they were woven into the very fabric of the sphere.