novelraw Chapter 171 : Second-Tier Formation Master
Chapter 171 : Second-Tier Formation Master
Chapter 171: Second-Tier Formation Master
What kind of temperament did Yun Qianzai have?
Just this single trait of loving to show off in front of others had already overshadowed all his other characteristics.
So, if one were to give him a gift, it must certainly be something that allowed him to shine in public.
Ji Yuan thought long and hard, but couldn’t come up with anything that could help someone shine in public. Just as he was about to change direction and give something ordinary like some Spirit Stones—
A scene suddenly flashed in his mind.
It was from the first time Ji Yuan saw Yun Qianzai. At that time, he had appeared out of nowhere atop a massive rock at the cliff’s edge, facing away from the crowd as he chanted a poem.
Something like, "Heaven Pivot treads the Dipper and cuts the star trail, one thought seals the abyss and calms the sea tide."
It did sound domineering, but seemed to lack just a bit of that essence. Ji Yuan felt that if he were the one reciting it, he could have made it sound even more imposing.
So, sending him a few lines of an entrance poem, plus a few Spirit Stones, would just about suffice.
Originally, if he could have killed Hu Li and taken his Thirty-Six Smoke Formation to gift to Yun Qianzai, that would have been best. As for the other three formations Ji Yuan knew, those were definitely off-limits.
"Dammit, others transmigrate to ancient times and copy poetry, so why do I transmigrate to a cultivation world and still have to copy poetry?"
Ji Yuan grumbled, "What should I copy?"
In fact, whether it was poetry or not didn’t matter; the point was that this entrance needed to have enough flair.
After thinking for a while, Ji Yuan picked a few lines.
"At the end of the Immortal Path, who stands atop the peak? Once Heaven Pivot is seen, the Dao turns void."
He styled himself as the Island Lord of Heaven Pivot, so with a bit of modification, it could be used.
As he thought of this line, another equally domineering one came to mind.
"At the pinnacle of immortality, proud above the world—first came Heaven Pivot, then came the heavens!"
These two lines were too domineering. Ji Yuan wasn’t sure Yun Qianzai could handle them. So after some more thought, he prepared another slightly more modest line.
"I, Yun Qianzai, act as I will in this life—why explain myself to anyone?!"
Looking at the three lines of poetry written in his hand, Ji Yuan didn’t need to think much to know—they would certainly please Yun Qianzai immensely.
With the gift prepared, Ji Yuan stayed on Misty Island for a few more days.
But before he could set off, he received a message from Real Person Xuan Shui, Sect Master of Water Dragon Sect, summoning him to Water Dragon Island to collect his wages.
This was the payment for guarding Linhai City the past two years.
Since he was planning to visit Yun Qianzai anyway, Ji Yuan packed up, gave a few words of instruction to Tu Yue and the Great Toad, summoned his flying boat, and headed straight north.
To the west of Water Dragon Sect, in an ordinary small city, within a certain courtyard—
Feng Xiuxiu, Hu Li, and a man named Brother Tu, who had narrowly escaped death, had gathered here. All three of them looked rather pale.
At first, Feng Xiuxiu and the others had fled together, but during their escape, they accidentally ran into several righteous cultivators.
After a fierce battle, another one of their companions was killed.
That she and Brother Tu managed to escape here was entirely by their own abilities.
The three of them sat in silence for a long time, unable to speak, all shrouded in wordless gloom.
After a long while, Hu Li finally forced a bitter smile and said, "Sister Feng, if there's nothing else, I’ll go heal my injuries first."
Feng Xiuxiu finally lifted her head at his words. "We have to admit, we lost this one. Lost so many brothers, and even Brother Qinghan didn’t make it back."
Brother Tu also looked up. "I got word about Brother Qinghan yesterday. It’s not his fault—Wu Nanchun was simply too powerful. Once she realized it was a diversion tactic, she went all out. I reckon she knew that if she didn’t kill Brother Qinghan, she’d be in more trouble when she returned, so she chose to fight to the death."
"She was reckless, and Brother Qinghan wasn’t—so Brother Qinghan died."
"Mm." Feng Xiuxiu nodded.
"And then there's that Ji Yuan—"
Feng Xiuxiu, while speaking, looked toward Hu Li.
He directly shook his head. "If I ever see him again, I’ll run as far as I can."
"To deploy two Second-Tier Formations in an instant—even if he had a Formation Disk, his understanding of formations must be profoundly deep. And then there’s that endless stream of Spiritual Artifacts and various techniques. I can’t beat him—absolutely not. I even suspect he can take on a mid-Foundation Establishment stage cultivator head-on."
"He really is absurdly strong. And he's so low-profile... must be a disciple of some Golden Core Real Person."
Feng Xiuxiu sighed deeply as she spoke.
"And that’s not even the worst part. We lost so many people, and came away with no leads. How are we supposed to explain this to the seniors when we go back?"
"Explain?"
Hu Li laughed like he’d just heard a joke.
"Sister Feng, we’re Demonic Cultivators. If we fail to land a strike, we flee ten thousand li away—that’s our way. As for seniors—if he can find me again, I’ll call him senior."
"Hu Li has a point."
Brother Tu nodded.
Feng Xiuxiu then asked, "Do either of you have any other good places to go?"
Brother Tu and Hu Li exchanged a glance, and finally, Brother Tu spoke:
"I’m planning to bury myself somewhere until the storm passes. Even though things have improved in recent years, the closer we get to major events, the more dangerous it becomes."
"Better to lie low and wait until the tide turns."
"What about you, Brother Hu?"
Feng Xiuxiu turned to Hu Li.
He hesitated slightly, but eventually said, "I have a path in the north—"
"What path?"
Feng Xiuxiu immediately asked.
She knew Hu Li well. He didn’t have many connections, so this path likely came from his Foundation Establishment late-stage Dao companion. That’s why she was so interested.
Brother Tu also looked over.
Hu Li finally explained, "I heard there’s a big figure from the west who’s now settled in the north. I want to go to him."
"How big?"
Brother Tu only asked after some hesitation.
If the figure was truly significant, he might consider following.
"I heard his father is a Patriarch."
"What?"
Feng Xiuxiu was shocked.
What was a Patriarch?
Foundation Establishment cultivators could be called Patriarchs too, but if Hu Li used the word like this, that Patriarch was likely a Nascent Soul Patriarch.
Brother Tu thought for a moment, then asked, "If someone like that has infiltrated our Shangdong region, surely there’d be a Golden Core Real Person escorting him, right? A Golden Core entering the area—wouldn’t the Shang Mountain notice?"
"I wouldn’t know. I just heard about this path and want to try it. As for you two, it’s up to you."
Hu Li shook his head.
"Is it possible... that the Golden Core is actually one of our own from Shangdong?"
Feng Xiuxiu slowly voiced her theory.
"Hiss—..."
Brother Tu's eyes flickered. "What do you think, Sister Feng?"
"If that’s the case, I plan to follow Brother Hu and take a look. What about you?"
"I—fine. Since you’re both going, I won’t. I’ll keep hiding for now, and wait for the situation to develop."
His sudden reversal caught Feng Xiuxiu off guard.
"Alright then."
"Then I’ll go ahead with Sister Feng. Brother Tu, if you change your mind, send me a message."
"Sure."
Ji Yuan weighed the storage pouch in his hand and walked out of Water Dragon Island with Liu Yuan.
In just a few days, the heavily injured Liu Yuan now showed no signs of injury at all—by this, Ji Yuan could tell this guy was a real schemer.
"Brother Liu, are we getting the market rate?"
Ji Yuan transmitted his voice to Liu Yuan to ask.
It was simple—Ji Yuan was a bit surprised by the amount of wages he received this time at Water Dragon Island.
To put it bluntly, it was a bit much.
Previously, Wu Nanchun had hinted that it would be more than 200, close to 300 pieces of Middle-Grade Spirit Stones. Ji Yuan had expected it to be around that number too. But what did he actually receive?
Real Person Xuan Shui had issued Ji Yuan a full 400 pieces of Middle-Grade Spirit Stones.
And that was still under three years of service.
"No, we received more than usual, so Brother Ji, don’t casually disclose our wages to others."
Liu Yuan transmitted back an explanation.
"Understood."
Ji Yuan nodded, then asked another question, "Do we always get more, or is it just this first time?"
"Every time will be more. So, if Brother Ji ever lacks Spirit Stones, just come speak to Sect Master Martial Uncle. He’ll assign you more tasks. And overall, it’s relatively safe—much safer than hunting demon beasts and the like."
"Got it. Many thanks, Brother Liu."
Ji Yuan finally understood why so many Foundation Establishment cultivators wanted to become disciples of Golden Core Real Persons.
Turns out, beyond the apparent benefits, there were so many hidden perks within the sect. Truly wonderful!
"Brother Ji, why are you heading north too? I remember your island is down south."
"I’m planning to visit my Second Senior Brother—just on the way."
"Oh, the Island Lord of Heaven Pivot, right?" Liu Yuan's expression showed no change as he mentioned this person.
"Exactly."
Half a day later, Ji Yuan arrived for the first time at the outskirts of Yun Qianzai’s Heaven Pivot Island.
As for how he found Heaven Pivot Island, he had previously sent a message to Yun Qianzai. But Yun Qianzai had only told him a general location. When Ji Yuan asked for the specific island, he had replied—
"You’ll know at a glance when you arrive."
Now that Ji Yuan had arrived, he really did recognize it at a glance—which island was Heaven Pivot Island.
There was no helping it; it was just too eye-catching.
When Ji Yuan arrived, it was nighttime. Yet amid this deep darkness, there stood an island radiating light.
That island was tall—more precisely, it had a very tall mountain. It was like a pillar piercing the heavens, rising abruptly from flat ground.
Moreover, atop that high mountain stood a tall platform. Ji Yuan had no idea what kind of formation was used there, but it was dazzling with brilliant light.
Ji Yuan stopped his flying boat above the water, looked up, and saw what seemed like a giant lantern atop the mountain. Though it cast some light downward—
Most of the radiance shone toward the sky beyond.
"Seriously, Senior Brother... is this like the Trisolarans firing a coordinate beacon? What is this..."
Ji Yuan stared at the scene, honestly unsure of Yun Qianzai’s intent. Of course, perhaps Yun Qianzai simply had no specific intent.
Ji Yuan paused there, pulled out Yun Qianzai’s Messaging Talisman, and sent a message again.
"Junior Brother, just come on in."
Yun Qianzai didn’t use sound transmission but instead shouted aloud. His voice echoed like thunder, as if he feared others wouldn't know his Junior Brother had come to visit.
You son of a—Ji Yuan saw the formation open a gap and immediately slipped inside.
The formation closed again, and Ji Yuan entered the formation.
"Seriously, Senior Brother, you—"
Sensing his surroundings, Ji Yuan recognized it as a Second-Tier Formation. As soon as he landed, the surrounding mist dispersed, revealing eight pathways.
Yun Qianzai’s hearty voice rang beside his ears.
"Since Junior Brother came to exchange formation insights, the exchange starts now. Try out this Four Gates and Eight Paths Formation I devised—how does it fare?"
He stressed the words "devised by myself" heavily.
As if he feared Ji Yuan wouldn’t catch that part.
In that instant, Ji Yuan immediately understood the true purpose. He now saw why Yun Qianzai had kept inviting him over—it was to show off his formations.
But Ji Yuan didn’t have time for his show.
He just wanted to ask how to become a Second-Tier Formation Master.
But knowing Yun Qianzai’s personality, if Ji Yuan didn’t appreciate his work, the man likely wouldn’t let him go. Unless he could break the formation, of course.
Yet Ji Yuan didn’t want to endure it. So what now?
He smiled and pulled out a sheet of white paper from his storage pouch, then laughed aloud: "I recently came across a verse that I felt suits Second Senior Brother perfectly, so I came to deliver it."
Before Ji Yuan even finished speaking, Yun Qianzai had already appeared before him, snatching the paper from his hand.
He lightly shook the sheet, and before even reading it, his body trembled with excitement.
"I, Yun Qianzai—live my life my way. Why explain myself to others?!"
"Brilliant, brilliant! This line is simply the essence of Yun Qianzai's life. It was born for me!"
As he finished, he turned sharply to Ji Yuan, eyes brimming with fiery emotion. "Junior Brother, how thoughtful of you!"
Ji Yuan smiled and thoughtfully explained, "The moment I thought of this line, I rushed to deliver it to Second Senior Brother—"
"I haven’t told a soul."
"Truly?!"
Yun Qianzai’s eyes lit up.
"Naturally true." Ji Yuan nodded with a smile.
"Come in quickly, Junior Brother!"
Yun Qianzai instantly cast aside all thoughts of breaking through the formation and hurriedly dragged Ji Yuan into Heaven Pivot Island.
Once inside, Ji Yuan gained an even clearer understanding of Yun Qianzai’s flair for public grandeur. This small Heaven Pivot Island—
Had four or five Second-Tier Formations set up.
Just maintaining these formations probably consumed no small amount of Spirit Stones.
Moreover, any visible location was either rare spiritual plants or scenic views carved from precious ores.
As for the Spiritual Energy density—needless to say.
It was even denser than the Spiritual Energy on Ji Yuan’s Misty Island.
Damn, formation cultivators really were loaded. No wonder even Hu Li, a Foundation Establishment early-stage demonic cultivator, could afford a Talisman Treasure—Ji Yuan inwardly grumbled.
Meanwhile, Yun Qianzai had already brought over some tea.
"Ahem, Junior Brother, about that line—"
As he spoke, Yun Qianzai felt his cheeks grow warm.
Thankfully, Ji Yuan quickly added, "That line was created by Senior Brother."
"This—"
Yun Qianzai still looked a bit bashful.
"Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, I know." Ji Yuan offered with heartfelt tact.
"Junior Brother, whatever happens in the future, just come to Second Senior Brother!"
Yun Qianzai waved his large hand grandly.
Feeling that the effect was still lacking a bit, Ji Yuan pulled out another sheet of white paper. "Actually, I came up with another line at the time. This one too—I believe it fits Second Senior Brother well."
Yun Qianzai glanced at it—and froze.
Soon, even his breathing became a little hurried.
Because written on that sheet was: "At the end of the Immortal Path, who stands atop the peak? Once Heaven Pivot is seen, the Dao turns void."
"This—"
Yun Qianzai was speechless. All he could envision was a scene where, under the gaze of all present, at the plaza where Nascent Souls were seated—
He appeared out of nowhere atop the platform, back turned toward all the Nascent Souls.
Softly reciting this line.
And then, all the Nascent Souls bowed in reverence, calling out "Greetings, Heaven Pivot Venerable!"
"Of course, if Senior Brother feels it’s not quite fitting, then forget it." Ji Yuan feigned an attempt to take the paper back.
"Wait!"
Yun Qianzai reached out to stop him and solemnly declared, "From now on, your matters are my matters!"
Ji Yuan, satisfied, handed over the white paper.
"Actually, Junior Brother also thought of another line—but without advancing further in the Way of Formations, I can’t quite recall it right now."
Yun Qianzai merely enjoyed showing off in front of others, but he wasn’t foolish. Hearing Ji Yuan’s words, he understood immediately.
"Don’t worry, Junior Brother. It’s just formations—simple stuff!"
Yun Qianzai shook his sleeves. "Come with your Senior Brother—I’ll make sure you leave delighted!"
Ji Yuan drained the tea in his hand in one gulp. Seeing that the cup was quite nice, carved from a piece of Middle-Grade Spirit Stone, he casually stashed it into his storage pouch, then followed along.
After leaving the main hall, Ji Yuan followed Yun Qianzai up the high mountain. He looked up toward the summit and asked, "Senior Brother, what is the purpose of this mountaintop?"
"Ah, that’s the Star-Picking Platform. I use it to observe celestial phenomena and comprehend formations."
Yun Qianzai spoke with mystery, and Ji Yuan couldn’t tell if it was true or not.
He was simply curious—whether Yun Qianzai’s Star-Picking Platform was more useful than his own【Formation Room】, or perhaps—was it better than the【Enlightenment Room】?
Since they were exchanging formation insights, Yun Qianzai didn’t take Ji Yuan to the Star-Picking Platform.
Instead, he brought him to a Cave Dwelling at the heart of the mountain. Upon arrival, Yun Qianzai sat down on a Meditation Cushion. Dressed in snow-white robes, and with the Cave Dwelling surrounded by Spiritual Energy and filled with all sorts of rare flowers and herbs—
Ji Yuan felt as though he were standing in a celestial paradise.
"Junior Brother, you’ve come to discuss advancing from First-Tier to Second-Tier, haven’t you?"
Ji Yuan sat down across from Yun Qianzai. At that moment, this Second Senior Brother seemed like a different person—no longer as flamboyant as before,
but rather quite serious.
"Indeed, I humbly request Senior Brother’s guidance."
Ji Yuan held the proper attitude.
"Actually, becoming a Second-Tier Formation Master isn’t that difficult. Especially for someone with Junior Brother’s talent. You merely need to comprehend a few formation nodes, and the methods of Formation Setup and Formation Breaking. Once that’s done, ordinary Second-Tier Formations naturally won’t be able to trap you. Of course, if it’s a formation set by me, it could still trap you."
Ji Yuan: "......? Senior Brother’s words are very reasonable."
And so, Ji Yuan stayed on Yun Qianzai’s Heaven Pivot Island.
Yun Qianzai taught him with great care.
Strangely enough, at first Yun Qianzai thought Ji Yuan seemed to struggle a bit when they studied formations together. But when Ji Yuan studied alone back in the Cave Dwelling, his progress was incredibly rapid.
In just under a month, Ji Yuan had advanced from a First-Tier Formation Master to a Second-Tier Formation Master.
"Not bad. Just a tiny bit below my level of comprehension."
Yun Qianzai stood atop the Star-Picking Platform, hands clasped behind his back, speaking with calm detachment.
After a month together, Ji Yuan had become almost immune to this kind of psychological attack from him.
"Ahem... I wonder if Junior Brother has recalled the remaining line?"
Throughout the month, Yun Qianzai had never once forgotten what Ji Yuan said that day. Not only that, whenever he had free time, he would ponder deeply, trying to come up with a few lines of his own to surpass the two Ji Yuan had gifted him.
But no matter how he tried, those two lines loomed like mountains in his heart.
He could never overcome them.
So today, as soon as Ji Yuan comprehended the essence of Second-Tier Formations, Yun Qianzai immediately asked.
Ji Yuan did not disappoint him. He produced a sheet of white paper he had long since prepared.
With just one glance, Yun Qianzai felt as though a star exploded in his mind.
"Boom—"
What was this line?
"At the pinnacle of immortality, proud above the world—first came Heaven Pivot, then came the heavens!"