“Today, we study Formations!”
A clear ray of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the dense branches of the giant tree overhead, falling to the ground and forming blurry circular patches of light.
The Old Man lay in his reclining chair, eyes closed, and said in a hoarse voice, “Cultivation can be without Medicinal Pills, but it cannot be without Formations!”
“Formations are the most crucial!”
“Have you learned about them?” The Old Man slowly opened his eyes, turned his head slightly, and looked sideways at He Pingsheng.
He Pingsheng, who was standing respectfully to the side, shook his head, “Disciple has never encountered Formations!”
He Pingsheng’s Formation level was almost zero.
He did know how to set up that First Grade Defense Array.
But with that thing, as long as you purchased the Materials for a First Grade Defense Array, they would give you a Formation construction manual. You just had to place the Materials according to the directions in the manual and then activate the Formation Plate.
This First Grade Formation could then be activated.
No Formation knowledge was needed, just follow the instructions.
“I ask you!” The Old Man continued, “What is the greatest fear for us Cultivators in our cultivation?”
“Greatest fear?” He Pingsheng had truly never considered this question. He pondered for a few breaths: “Disciple is dull, I truly don’t know what is most feared? Is it enemies?”
“Hehehe…”
The Old Man smiled, “What’s so scary about enemies?”
“Just hide!”
“In this Dao of cultivation, the greatest fear is the human heart.”
“Whether cultivating within the Sect or traveling outside, not flaunting one’s wealth is the most basic principle. But there are all sorts of people in this world. Even if you don’t flaunt your wealth, what then? Others will still covet what you have!”
“Therefore, Formations become incredibly important!”
“A Defense Array can protect oneself!”
“A Spirit Restriction Array can prevent others’ Divine Thought from probing!”
“There are also Illusion Formations, Early Warning Arrays, Gathering Spirit Arrays, and so on… The types of Formations are countless and numerous!”
“Besides Formations, there’s also the Dao of Talismans. A Talisman has countless complex Talismanic patterns drawn on it, and the principles of these Talismanic patterns are actually connected to Formations!”
“Every Great Master of Talismans is also a Great Master of Formations!”
“Give me a cup of spiritual tea, I’m dying of thirst!”
Taixu Old Ancestor sat up from his reclining chair, reached out, and took the teacup offered by He Pingsheng. He drank it in one gulp.
Then he continued, “Not just Talismans, look at every Treasure Artifact in your hand, whether it’s a Magical Artifact or a Spiritual Artifact, or even a Magic Treasure, each one has a Restriction on it, right?”
“Where do you think these Restrictions come from?”
“This is also a variation of Formations!”
“Within this Jade Slip are some of my insights into Formations over the years!” Taixu Old Ancestor somehow produced a Jade Slip and threw it to He Pingsheng: “For so many years, I’ve been cultivating and comprehending Formations simultaneously. Now I’ve reached the level of a Fourth Grade Formation Master!”
“You may take it and comprehend it!”
“Hmm… In seven days, I will test you again!”
“Go!”
He Pingsheng took the Formation Jade Slip and returned directly to his side hall.
Comprehending Formations?
Alright!
This was a good choice.
Because now He Pingsheng was under the Ancestral Master’s watchful eye. No matter how much the Ancestral Master claimed to be uninterested in treasures, He Pingsheng didn’t believe him.
No matter what you say, I won’t take out my treasures.
So, he wouldn’t take out that top-grade Gathering Qi Pill to consume.
At worst, I won’t cultivate; I’ll outlive you, Old Man.
It won’t be too late to cultivate after you kick the bucket.
Anyway, it’s a Bottleneck period now.
With Formation comprehension, he at least had something to do.
Let’s do it!
After three or four days of such comprehension, two streams of light streaked across the sky and landed at the entrance of He Pingsheng’s main hall.
Yujiao ran over in a hurry and said, “Ancestral Master, someone is visiting!”
He Pingsheng asked, “Who is it?”
Yujiao said, “It’s Junior Martial Uncle Zhao and Junior Martial Uncle Xu from Xiuzhu Peak!”
He Pingsheng quickly stood up from the ground and said, “Good, I’ll go see!”
He personally walked out of the main hall, opened the door, and welcomed Zhao Ling'er and Xu Kunlun inside.
“Heh… Damn it!” Xu Kunlun sat down with a dark face, cursing, and said, “Zhao Senior Sister and I went to Black Frontier to find that chijing ginseng for you. When we left, you were still my Ninth Brother, but when we returned, you became my Grandmaster…”
“Damn it!”
Zhao Ling'er also looked at He Pingsheng with a bitter expression.
He Pingsheng, however, was very surprised: “Ah?”
“You two went to Black Frontier?”
They had originally agreed that the three of them would go to Black Frontier together to find the chijing ginseng. Later, He Pingsheng was brought to the Ancestral Master’s side, and Zhao Ling'er and Xu Kunlun didn’t wait for him. The two of them teamed up and went to Black Frontier.
Because they felt that He Pingsheng’s cultivation was too low, it was better not to bring him.
“Mm!” Xu Kunlun said, “Ninth Brother… Ah, no, no… Ancestral Master He, look what I brought you!”
Slap…
A Jade Box was thrown onto the table by Xu Kunlun.
He Pingsheng glanced at the Jade Box without opening it, then looked up at Xu Kunlun, feeling slightly moved: “Don’t call me Ancestral Master He. From now on, we are still Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters. You are my Senior Brother, she is my Senior Sister, and I am your Ninth Brother!”
Xu Kunlun grinned and chuckled, saying, “That’s more like it!”
He Pingsheng asked, “So there really was chijing ginseng there? Was the guarding Yao Beast a giant python?”
“Yes!” Xu Kunlun frowned and said, “But it wasn’t one, it was two!”
“I originally thought there was only one. I lured that giant python away and let Senior Sister go collect the chijing ginseng!”
“As a result, there was another one hidden deep in the forest, and under a sudden attack, Senior Sister was injured.”
“Ah?” He Pingsheng looked up at Zhao Ling'er: “Senior Sister, how is your injury?”
Zhao Ling'er’s face was a little pale. She smiled and shook her head, saying, “It’s nothing!”
“The injury doesn’t matter!” Xu Kunlun interjected, “It’s just a superficial wound, but that giant python was venomous. Although the venom wasn’t strong, Senior Sister won’t be able to get rid of it quickly!”
“Wait for me!”
He Pingsheng walked into the back hall, then retrieved a drop of Golden Bee Holy Nectar and returned, telling Zhao Ling'er, “Drink it quickly!”
Zhao Ling'er didn’t ask what it was and swallowed it in one gulp.
Then, Zhao Ling'er felt the toxins in her body being completely cleansed in an instant.
“This…” She asked in shock, “Ninth Brother, what did you give me to eat?”
“This detoxification effect is too good!”
“Shhh, shhh, shhh!” He Pingsheng put a finger to his lips and whispered, “Don’t spread the word!”
“Do you two remember the nest of those Tiger-striped Golden Bees we found in the Secret Realm before?”
“Mm, mm, mm…” The two nodded vigorously.
He Pingsheng whispered, “Later I went inside and got a few drops of this Tiger-striped Golden Bee Holy Nectar, but I got very little!”
“I’ll give each of you two drops later!”
“But I have a condition: you absolutely cannot tell anyone about this. If this gets out, it could cost me my life!”
“Dear patrons, the five-chapter updates can only last until the third day of the lunar new year. I have no more saved drafts, and I am in my cold old home in rural Henan. Everyone, please wait for me in February to save up some more drafts, and in March, I will resume five-chapter updates! For February, it will temporarily be three chapters a month.”