Super Soldier in the City

Chapter 1882 - 1945: Learning Formation Methods from Elder Su

At some point in their lives, many people experience this kind of confusion about whom they live for. In their youth, many can’t stand the emotional fetters from parents and family, can’t endure education, always thinking they want to live for themselves, but how many truly can do that? As they reach a certain age, they start living for others. As children, they live for their parents, later for their partners, and when they have children, they live for them too. Some live for their dreams, but these are not isolated...Li Yifei fell into deep thought, yet his furrowed brow gradually relaxed. Earlier, he was puzzled by the death of ants, contemplating the meaning of life, nearly getting trapped in it. If not for Xiaowu suddenly appearing and suppressing his thoughts, he might have, as Elder Su said, gone astray. Once that happened, recovery would be difficult.

This might have something to do with his injuries, but he was fortunate to have internal injuries, which temporarily rendered his Worm ineffective, allowing him to harmonize Yin and Yang with the women at home. Otherwise, he would have already gone astray. Understanding this, Li Yifei felt a bit of lingering fear. It was much more severe than a snake bite. Who knows to what extent he’d go mad if he strayed? If one day he awoke to find he had killed everyone at home, he might commit suicide right there.

"Understanding the meaning of being alive gives people direction, making them less likely to lose themselves," Su Tianhai said with a gentle laugh, seeing Li Yifei’s gaze gradually clear.

Li Yifei stood up and bowed deeply to Su Tianhai, thanking him for his well-intentioned advice. Su Tianhai graciously accepted the bow. After Li Yifei sat down, Su Tianhai said, "If there are any other confusions, tell me now while there’s time in these few days."

Li Yifei first shook his head and said, "There are many things I want to ask you about, but today has been enough. I think I need to ponder and fully understand first, or this potential danger will always weigh on my mind."

"Alright, there’s still time. You can ask slowly," Su Tianhai agreed.

Li Yifei then left to return to his room, where he ruminated alone for the entire afternoon. It was only in the evening that he stepped outside. This time, the sharpness in his eyes had faded, and the astonishing aura around him had also dissipated. Cultivation is not just about skills, but also about one’s state of mind. By midday, Li Yifei had just healed and hadn’t properly controlled his body, but after an afternoon of reflection, he was back to normal.

By chance, Li Yifei encountered Su Lio again as he came out. She was staring blankly at a flower, seemingly deep in thought. Li Yifei walked over, but she did not notice until he lightly coughed, causing Su Lio to turn sharply as if just noticing Li Yifei. Upon realizing it was him, Su Lio said, "Do you need something?"

"No, just passing by," Li Yifei replied.

Su Lio let out an "oh" as she curiously sized up Li Yifei, as if wondering how this person’s aura had changed again.

It was only a brief encounter, and Li Yifei didn’t linger, quickly heading to see Su Tianhai. Upon seeing him again, Su Tianhai couldn’t help but laugh. After the afternoon, even Li Yifei’s demeanor had changed, proving that his midday advice hadn’t been in vain. At least Li Yifei listened, and his mindset had changed.

It takes a true expert to protect a large family; otherwise... they will eventually be scattered and blown away.

Su Tianhai never intended to build any great family. His family living in this little manor was good enough, with no need to complicate things.

The next day, Li Yifei began earnestly seeking Su Tianhai’s guidance, starting with practical combat questions and confusions encountered during cultivation. Then, he addressed what he had long been pondering—the Formation Method.

Li Yifei knew a little about Formation Methods, but just as an entry-level understanding. Su Tianhai, on the other hand, was a Formation Master. In today’s world, Su Tianhai’s knowledge of formations is undoubtedly among the best, far surpassing others.

Having a Formation Master at hand and not seeking guidance from him would certainly cause Li Yifei to wake up crying in the middle of the night at the missed opportunity.

However, Formation Methods are truly not easy to learn. Li Yifei was already rudimentarily familiar with the basics and thought he was quite decent, but when he truly started learning from Su Tianhai, he realized how naive and laughable his previous understanding was. Su Tianhai’s simple explanations took a long time for him to digest and comprehend. Even a casually set up formation by Su Tianhai required extensive study from Li Yifei, who often found himself unable to grasp the key intricacies.

This was somewhat disheartening, but since he was determined to learn, he accepted this hardship. For several days, Li Yifei delved into studying Formation Methods, knowing it was impossible to master everything at once. Even if he could only absorb a bit within these days, he felt satisfied, spending several days working tirelessly through the night to research Formation Methods.

Su Tianhai did not urge him to rest and would answer every question like a teacher and even assign tasks for Li Yifei to ponder and complete overnight.

The Su Family’s younger generation showed interest in cultivation, but few were keen on Formation Methods. Most would shy away upon learning of the difficulty, and Su Tianhai did not force them. His exploration of formations began only near the end of wartime, when, by chance, an ancient tomb excavated by enemies led him to discover a box of ancient formation texts. Su Tianhai’s mood had improved significantly then, and upon seeing these texts, he treated them as precious treasures, studying them relentlessly.

According to him, it took him two full years to finish reading all the texts. Unfortunately, before he could copy them down, they were ruined, a regret for Su Tianhai. Otherwise, he had planned to spend several months transcribing them.

Later, he dedicated over a decade to researching formations. Around the time New Huaxia was established, Su Tianhai volunteered to move to the Changbai Mountain, where he continued his formation studies. Over ten years passed before he initially grasped the fundamentals, starting to set formations up. Like the Spirit Qi-Gathering Great Formation that Li Yifei sensed upon entering the manor, Su Tianhai laid it out over twenty times before succeeding. Initially, its effect was limited to a small area; it was only around twenty years ago, when Su Lio was born, that Su Tianhai, to improve the home’s Spirit Qi and the surrounding climate for little Su Lio’s comfort, spent a year setting up this formation. He subsequently set up formations within the home, facilitating the life of Su Lio and his family, especially in the zoo at the back hill, which Su Tianhai meticulously arranged for his granddaughter.

Listening to all this, Li Yifei couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration, marveling at such a grand gesture. Just because the granddaughter liked it, he did not hesitate to spend countless precious materials to set up a zoo.

Elder Su spent over half a century studying formations, tirelessly and painstakingly, to achieve his current accomplishments. It is impossible for Li Yifei to grasp it all in just a few days, so after understanding some basic principles and being able to outline a few simple formation diagrams, Li Yifei asked Su Tianhai how to set up a Spirit Qi-Gathering Formation.

Understanding Li Yifei’s intent, Su Tianhai thought for a moment and said, "You are not yet able to learn this formation. Here’s what you can do: get someone to map your house and the surrounding geography. I can design a formation diagram for you. Then you can follow the diagram to set it up."

"Okay." Li Yifei wasn’t discouraged, knowing he shouldn’t try to run before he could walk. He quickly arranged to have his home’s map and surrounding geographical data measured and sent to him as soon as possible.

Then, Li Yifei inquired about another formation, the type that triggers an alarm. Upon asking, he realized that such a setup is not a grand formation. In fact, it’s considered a small formation since each formation covers about a four-meter range. It isn’t difficult to set up, only requiring a few items, but they must be linked; otherwise, even if triggered, the formation can’t signal an alarm.

The linking formation was key, and it took Li Yifei a whole day to understand how to construct this compound formation. Feeling exhilarated, he requested materials from Su Tianhai and began setting up, eagerly jumping into the formation to trigger it, only to find no apparent change. Feeling puzzled, he looked back at the others only to find everyone laughing. Li Yifei was bewildered, especially since Su Lio, Wang Chao, and Ma Han, who were observing, were also laughing. He asked, "Did I set it up wrong?"

Su Lio and the others shook their heads, prompting Li Yifei to ask, "Then what’s the matter?"

Unable to hold back, Su Lio reminded him, "You didn’t activate the formation..."

"Ugh..." Eyes widening, Li Yifei realized his oversight. He had constructed the formation but didn’t activate it, akin to an unplugged light bulb, which can’t light up. Immediately, Li Yifei used True Qi to activate it, and sure enough, it triggered the alarm upon being retested.

Ecstatic, Li Yifei jumped and cheered. This was his first successfully set up formation, so naturally, he was thrilled.

Su Lio pursed her lips, finding Li Yifei not as detestable as when she first met him. But even though he was in his thirties, here he was jumping around like a big monkey, far less composed than her brothers and cousins of similar age.

However, Su Lio’s impression of Li Yifei slightly improved, acknowledging him as a genuinely nice person and, indeed, a master. However, her view of him being a notorious playboy remained unchanged, given his numerous women at home and his declarations of love for each one.

But how could that be possible? This man surely exploited his authority to possess those women, denying them freedom. Such a person must be a villain who deserves moral condemnation. Watching the prancing monkey, or rather, Li Yifei, Su Lio thought to herself.