Chapter 94: A Universe of Wonders Within a Formation

Luo Jinhua’s opinion of Qin Haoxuan improved once again. Anyone else, faced with fifteen hundred third-tier spirit stones, would have snatched it up in a heartbeat. But this boy was able to maintain his composure in the face of wealth, a sign of a truly firm Dao Heart.

News of their massive profit, of course, reached the ears of the well-informed Li Jing and Zhang Yang almost immediately.

Li Jing frowned. So that was how Xu Yu had broken through to the Second-Leaf Realm so quickly. She had refined such an incredible powder and earned a fortune from it. He, still stuck at the First-Leaf, was overcome with jealousy. Among the three Purple Seeds, Zhang Kuang had a fortuitous encounter and was, according to his followers, about to break through to the Fourth-Leaf. Xu Yu now had this miraculous powder and was already at the Second-Leaf. That left him, the one with the noblest birth, in the weakest position.

“Senior Brother,” Li Jing asked his guide, Shi Junjie of the Jade Bamboo Hall, “do you think that powder of hers is worth buying?”

“I went back to the Jade Bamboo Hall last night,” Shi Junjie replied, “hoping to get a sample from Senior Brother Chang Jizi to study. But his door has been shut tight ever since he returned. It seems he hasn’t come out at all. Knowing him, that means the powder must be extraordinary. He’s a true pill-maniac with incredibly high standards. He wouldn’t act like this over something mediocre.” Though he didn’t say it directly, his meaning was clear: the powder was absolutely worth it.

Li Jing rested his chin on his hand. “My relationship with Xu Yu is fairly good. Buying a few packets from her shouldn’t be a problem. But the price is just too high. Even if she sold it to me at cost, I couldn’t afford it right now.”

Shi Junjie smiled. This was a perfect opportunity to curry favor with the Purple Seed. “I’m also very interested in her powder,” he said. “You go and gather what you can. I’ll cover the rest.”

An excited nod was Li Jing’s reply, his goodwill toward his guide deepening. With just one packet of that powder, he could significantly shorten the time needed to reach the Second-Leaf Realm.

In another room, Zhang Yang paced back and forth like a caged animal. His guide, Chu Xiangzi, sat in a chair, his face a dark cloud. Zhang Yang’s followers stood in a corner, not daring to breathe. He desperately wanted the powder, but he knew that with his terrible relationship with Qin Haoxuan, Xu Yu would never sell it to him.

“Boss,” one of his followers said timidly, “you may not be able to buy from Xu Yu, but you could buy from Qin Haoxuan. You grew up together. If you just act a little friendlier, he’s just an Uncolored Seed, he’d surely let bygones be bygones…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Yang lunged and slapped him twice across the face. “Don’t you ever say something so foolish again!” he roared. “What is my status? What is his? Is he even worthy of me personally trying to befriend him?”

The fury in his voice terrified his followers into silence. After shooting them another impatient glare, he waved them away. Once he and Chu Xiangzi were alone, a dark thought flickered in his mind. “If I can’t buy it,” he muttered, “why can’t I just take it?”

The words startled Chu Xiangzi, who leaped from his chair. “You can’t!” he warned, his face serious. “Rob anyone you want, but not a Purple Seed! If the Sect Master finds out, he’ll have us both skinned alive!” Seeing the wicked smile still playing on Zhang Yang’s lips, he added, “The sect places immense importance on the Purple Seeds. If you make a move on Xu Yu, there will be dire consequences. Do not entertain such a foolish idea.”

Zhang Yang just laughed. “Senior Brother, I know that. I won’t rob Xu Yu. I’ll rob Qin Haoxuan.”

At the mention of that name, Chu Xiangzi, who hated Qin Haoxuan with a passion, was instantly intrigued. “But he’s not the one who made it,” he pointed out. “And he might not even have any. Kidnapping him would be useless.”

“Senior Brother,” Zhang Yang said, a cunning glint in his eyes, “it seems you don’t fully understand their relationship. In this entire sect, Xu Yu only listens to him. It’s perfectly natural that she would have given him a few packets. And even if he doesn’t have any, we can kidnap him and use him to blackmail her. She would definitely trade the powder to get him back.”

Chu Xiangzi’s eyes lit up. The plan was brilliant. Kidnapping a Purple Seed was a capital crime, but kidnapping a worthless Uncolored Seed was a minor offense at worst. If they could get their hands on that powder, not only could Zhang Yang advance rapidly, but he himself, who had been stuck at a bottleneck for a long time, could finally break through. And most importantly, he could get his revenge on Qin Haoxuan. It was a plan that killed three birds with one stone.

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s plan this carefully.”

The news of Xu Yu’s miraculous powder spread not only among the disciples, but also reached the ears of the Sect Master, the four Hall Masters, and many of the elders. They were all greatly intrigued. Xu Yu, once considered the least promising of the three Purple Seeds, had suddenly shown incredible potential. Some speculated she had simply added a rare heavenly treasure to the mix, but dismissed the idea as wasteful. They concluded she must have stumbled upon some secret, low-cost, high-yield technique.

The next morning, after finishing his practice of the Celestial River Dao Art, Qin Haoxuan felt his spiritual energy had grown thicker. It shouldn’t be long now before I grow my first leaf, he thought. Once I reach the First-Leaf Realm, I can learn alchemy.

Pu Hanzhong knocked and entered. “Yesterday was a distraction, but a welcome one. Today, I’m going to teach you about Formations from the Six Arts, and give you a taste of real combat.”

“Formations? Combat?” The words sent a thrill through Qin Haoxuan. He had been in many fights since joining the sect, but he had always had to rely on his tough body because he didn’t know any spiritual arts. Finally, he could say goodbye to simple brawling.

“First, let’s talk about formations,” Pu began. “They are divided into two main types: Illusion Formations and Attack/Defense Formations. An Illusion Formation can make an enemy see things like the sky falling or a sea of fire. When combined with a Spiritual Sense attack, it can be deadly. An Attack/Defense Formation is just what it sounds like; it uses the power of heaven and earth to strike down anyone who takes a wrong step within it. Elder Chu has probably told you this much.”

He then looked at Qin Haoxuan. “But he was not entirely correct. There is a third type: Auxiliary Formations. Formations are everywhere in the cultivation world. This entire Great Islet Mountain range is a massive formation set up by the sect’s ancestors, combining attack, defense, illusion, and auxiliary functions. It’s more powerful than even the Dao Fruit Realm patriarchs. Remember the white mist when you first arrived? That was the illusion part. And the reason the spiritual energy on Emperor Peak is so dense is because of a giant, auxiliary Spirit-Gathering Formation that locks in the energy and concentrates it over time.”

“But if the mountain formation is such a secret,” Qin Haoxuan asked, a thoughtful look on his face, “why would the Sect Master entrust the method for dispelling the illusion to the low-ranking guide disciples? Wouldn’t that be a huge security risk?”

(End of Chapter)