Mist Maze Array

Xiao Yuansi held up the Formation Diagram and examined it for more than a dozen breaths. Shaking his head, he said, "I wondered what novelty it was. It is merely the same old Mist Maze Array with a different name."

He put away the Formation Diagram in his hand and passed it to Li Xiangping. Xiao Yuansi continued:

"Though I do not know much about the Dao of formations, this Formation Diagram is far too simple. It can only fool Fetal Breath Realm cultivators. Once one has formed the Jade Capital Wheel, one can withdraw unscathed. If a Qi Refining cultivator comes across it, breaking the array and seizing the flags would be effortless."

"Our Li Clan is poor and empty-handed. Having this formation will at least put our minds at ease."

Li Xiangping cupped his hands and gave a bitter smile.

Xiao Yuansi looked at Li Xiangping, who had only reached the Bearing Light Wheel, and Li Tongya, who was at the Circulating Movement Wheel, and could not help but laugh.

"For people like you, it truly is a fine choice."

With a light pat of his Brocade Pouch, six small flags appeared in Xiao Yuansi's hand. Their blue-and-white flag surfaces were painted with profound talismanic patterns, while their poles were reddish-brown. They looked quite impressive.

"These are the Array Flags I used when I was at the Jade Capital Wheel. The flags are made from White Pattern Carp skin, and the poles from Red Birch Wood. They are fairly decent treasures for the Fetal Breath Realm and happen to suit your formation."

"I have no use for this flag array now, so I shall leave it here for you to set up a Mist Maze Array. If you find a better Formation Diagram in the future, you may also use these Array Flags to arrange it."

Xiao Yuansi smiled and waved a hand to stop Li Xiangping, Li Tongya, and the others, who were about to thank him.

"Twelve spirit stones."

Li Xiangping was instantly speechless. He smiled awkwardly.

"These spirit stones...?"

"You do not have spirit stones?"

Xiao Yuansi froze for a moment, then explained:

"Among cultivators, spirit stones are like gold and silver among mortals. At markets and shops, transactions are generally settled with spirit stones. Larger clans also need spirit stones when handing over their tributes."

Li Xiangping's heart stirred at those words, and he hurriedly asked, "How many spirit stones can White Essence Fruit and spirit rice be worth?"

"If those two items are used as collateral..."

Xiao Yuansi stroked his chin, pondering for a while before answering:

"Ten White Essence Fruits should be worth one spirit stone. As for spirit rice, one hundred catties would be worth one spirit stone."

Li Xiangping and Li Tongya fell silent at once. They thought to themselves, One hundred catties of spirit rice was enough to make the Wan Family send cultivators to rent our fields and grow rice. Twelve spirit stones meant a full twelve hundred catties of spirit rice! Even if we sold the entire Li Clan, it would not be worth that much.

Seeing Li Tongya and the others lower their heads without speaking, Xiao Yuansi immediately understood. He said softly, "Very well. I shall take your Bewildering Mist Array as payment, counting it as two spirit stones. Put the rest on account for now. Once your family has gathered it all, have the senior brothers collecting tribute in Li Xia County deliver it to Green Spike Peak."

Li Xiangping gave a bitter smile, bowed, and thanked him. Then he saw Xiao Yuansi form a hand seal, and the six Array Flags in his hand rose into the air.

"Go!"

With a gentle lift of his hand, five of the six Array Flags streaked into the sky with pale white trails behind them. As though possessed of awareness, they scattered apart and plunged headlong into the bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.

In an instant, smoke slanted and mist spread across the mountain's foot. Layer upon layer of dense gray fog billowed outward, completely shrouding Li Jing Mountain.

Before long, the gray mist gradually faded. From afar, the people on the mountain vanished as well. The entire mountain seemed frozen in that moment, no longer showing the slightest change.

"Done! What I have set up for you is the sect's Mist Maze Array, which is somewhat better than that Bewildering Mist Array."

Xiao Yuansi withdrew his hand and planted the final Array Flag in the ground. At once, a palm-sized array core emerged, divided into inner and outer layers, gleaming with faint white light.

"This array core is divided into the outer array and the inner eye. If the outer array lights up, someone has entered the array from the foot of the mountain. If the inner eye lights up, that person has already broken through the array and entered within."

Xiao Yuansi clapped his hands and pointed at the array core as he explained to them:

"Once you have formed the Jade Capital Wheel, you may refine the array core with Spiritual Sense and control the formation as you please. At present, with only the cultivation of the Circulating Movement Wheel, you can merely drip fingertip blood onto the Array Flag in this array core. Then the formation will recognize you."

"Thank you, Immortal Master!"

Li Tongya and Li Xiangping hurried forward and dripped their blood onto it. The array core flickered, and both men immediately felt a faint connection with it.

Witnessing such a wondrous sight, Li Xiangping's heavy heart, burdened by debt, lightened considerably. He thought to himself, This Mist Maze Array is far better than I expected. It can conceal our mountain gate and keep prying mortals at bay. These Array Flags can even be used again and again. It seems those ten spirit stones were well spent after all.

Once the younger generation grows up, all the Spirit Fields in the village can be put to use. At worst, we will spend a few more years repaying it. But this mountain gate is of paramount importance—especially that Mirror Fragment...

Xiao Yuansi withdrew his spell and asked with a smile:

"Do you have any further questions?"

When everyone repeatedly shook their heads, Xiao Yuansi laughed loudly and said in a low voice, "Then I shall take a turn through these mountains, kill some demon beasts, and gather some spirit herbs. I will return at dawn tomorrow to refine pills."

"Farewell, Immortal Master!"

Li Xiangping and the others hurriedly said, watching Xiao Yuansi summon a Flying Shuttle and ride it into the air.

After Xiao Yuansi had gone far away, Li Tongya turned to Liu Linfeng.

"Uncle, the academy is no longer suitable for the mountain. Move it down the mountain tonight."

"I'll pack it up."

Liu Linfeng answered and went down. Li Tongya looked at Li Xiangping and said:

"Tomorrow, bring out that Mirror—"

"Brother!"

Li Xiangping was suspicious by nature. Still suspecting that Xiao Yuansi had not gone far, he hurriedly interrupted him.

Li Tongya understood at once. The two exchanged a glance, then sat down cross-legged and began cultivating.

Though Li Jing Mountain was no famous mountain, it was still a remnant branch of Great Li Mountain and had produced a Spirit Root such as the Snake Dragon Fruit. With the formation cutting off the flow of spiritual energy between inside and out, the mountain's spiritual currents and earth veins flourished. The density of spiritual energy gradually rose, only slowly stopping once it was ten percent higher than outside.

The two men cultivating were instantly overjoyed, and their satisfaction with the formation deepened further.

They breathed and cultivated until brilliant golden light rose in the east. The clouds and mist among the mountains slowly dispersed, gathering upon the treetops and forming droplets of dew.

Only then did Xiao Yuansi descend from the sky. His robes and cap were immaculate as he rode the Flying Shuttle down slowly into the courtyard.

"Time to light the furnace and refine pills!"

He laughed heartily and summoned a man-tall, jet-black Pill Furnace from his Storage Bag. Sitting cross-legged, he said to the two men, "Though this Snake Essence Pill bears the name of snakes and dragons, its nature is mild. Although it is a pill for the Qi Refining stage, those in the Fetal Breath Realm may take it as well. It will greatly benefit you two."

Taking out a yellowish-brown piece of wood from his Storage Bag, Xiao Yuansi brought his hands together and summoned a wisp of pure white pill fire from his dantian. He lightly brushed the pill fire over the wood in his hand, and it immediately began to crackle as it burned, revealing a Deep Blue flame.

He tossed the wood beneath the furnace, took out the jade box, drew out the Snake Dragon Fruit with his magic power, and cast it into the furnace.