Signing In at Biyou Palace's Core Forbidden Grounds, Obtaining an "Origin Fragment of Formation Dao"

It had been ten days since Lin Xuan returned from Zixiao Palace. The gathering storm clouds over Jin'ao Island had become increasingly apparent. Daoist Duobao had spent days summoning the leaders of the various halls for secret discussions, while the number of disciples patrolling the outer grounds of Biyou Palace had increased several times over. Even the protective formation around the island glowed more brightly than usual. Lin Xuan (Xuanyuanzi) knew that the situation beyond the sect was treacherous, and that the sect itself was far from united. Only by improving his strength as quickly as possible and consolidating his foundations could he establish a foothold amid the coming turmoil.

That night, moonlight flowed like water, and the starry river hung over the wilderness. Lin Xuan sat quietly, regulating his breathing as he carefully reviewed what he had gained from listening to the Dao at Zixiao Palace. He felt his Dao foundation growing ever more solid, and his sensitivity to the laws of heaven and earth had sharpened considerably. Suddenly, a thought stirred in his mind, and the system prompt, silent for a long time, quietly sounded in his sea of consciousness, carrying a solemnity and depth unlike its usual tone:

[Ding! The host has been detected in a special environment: the core area of Biyou Palace (within the radiating range of the Shangqing Xuanyuan Formation Eye).]

[The host's formation comprehension has reached a critical point (enlightenment from the Dao Charm at Zixiao Palace + nourishment from Nuwa's Creation Pure Qi).]

[External environmental pressure index has increased. The host's need for "formation Dao" has risen sharply.]

[Hidden conditions met: favorable timing (full moon), favorable terrain (formation eye radiation), and harmony among people (breakthrough in comprehension). Special signing-in task in the core forbidden grounds triggered!]

[Special signing-in task: At midnight, when the moonlight shines directly upon the "Shangqing Xuanyuan Formation Eye," complete a deep formation-insight sign-in.]

[Task description: This formation eye is one of the core hubs of the Myriad Immortals Formation system that the Sovereign of the Heavens laid out on Jin'ao Island. It contains a trace of the Interception Sect's formation Dao Charm. A successful sign-in may grant a high-tier reward related to the very essence of formations.]

[Warning: The formation eye's energy is immense. Guard your mind and proceed within your limits while seeking insight.]

Lin Xuan's spirits lifted. He knew this was a rare opportunity. He quietly rose and followed the faint guidance coming from the system, slipping past the patrolling disciples as he headed toward the forbidden grounds in the rear mountains, deep within Biyou Palace—an area usually protected by formidable restrictions. The farther in he went, the richer and purer the surrounding spiritual energy became. Countless tiny runes seemed to circulate in the void, forming layers upon layers of intricate concealment and defensive formations. Had he not possessed a trace of the Dao Charm of the Azure Pine Sword Seal and earned the recognition of Biyou Palace's formations, and had the system not secretly harmonized his aura, he would likely have triggered the restrictions long ago.

He stopped before a circular altar surrounded by nine towering jade pillars. The altar was simple and unadorned, but a hollow in its center resembled both a Taiji symbol and an unopened lotus. It was just midnight, and the full moon had risen to the middle of the sky. Its cool, clear light poured down like a waterfall, precisely filling the hollow.

Buzz—!

The altar trembled gently, and countless tiny runes appeared on its surface, flowing like a river of stars. Moonlight gathered in the central hollow, transforming into a hazy, chaos-colored glow. Within it, the elements of earth, water, fire, and wind seemed to arise and vanish, while the ultimate principles of heaven and earth intertwined. A vast, ancient Dao Charm, pointing directly to the origin of formations, spread through the air.

"Now!" Lin Xuan sat cross-legged in the designated spot before the altar, held his breath, and focused his entire mind on comprehending the chaotic glow. At the same time, he sent the system an instruction: "Sign in!"

[Sign-in instruction confirmed! Connecting to the Dao Charm of the "Shangqing Xuanyuan Formation Eye"... Analyzing fragments of the formation's origin laws...]

[Warning: High concentration of law information flow detected! Buffer protocol activated!]

[Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host, on completing a deep formation-insight sign-in in the core forbidden grounds of Biyou Palace!]

[Obtained epic-level reward: Origin Fragment of Formation Dao (one wisp)!]

As the system prompt sounded, Lin Xuan felt an indescribable torrent of information—containing the ultimate, intricate principles of formations, both simple and complex—pour into his sea of consciousness like floodwaters released from a breached dam! It was not a specific Formation Diagram or formula, but something far more fundamental: insight into the underlying rules of how to optimally distribute "energy nodes," how "law runes" could channel the power of heaven and earth, how "spacetime curvature" affected a formation's effects, and how cycles of mutual generation and restraint maintained a formation's balance...

In an instant, Lin Xuan seemed to witness the beginning of heaven and earth: clarity and turbidity separating, yin and yang joining, and all things taking shape. The many configurations that had naturally formed along the way were all "formations"! The movement of the stars was a formation, the flow of rivers was a formation, and the turning of the seasons was a formation. Even the breathing of living beings and the circulation of their blood and vital energy conformed to the principles of formations! Formations were not created out of nothing by human effort. They were discoveries, imitations, and refinements of the "order" and "patterns" already present in nature.

Under the light of this "Origin Fragment," all the formation knowledge he had learned before became crystal clear, whether it was basic formations like the Spirit-Gathering Formation and the Confusion Formation or the complex Minor Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation. Many things he had known only by rote, without understanding why, suddenly made perfect sense! He could even "see" several subtle points in the simplified version of the Myriad Immortals Formation that Wuyun Xian was currently working out—places where the flow of energy could be optimized!

This Origin Fragment of Formation Dao was like a master key, opening the gateway to the deepest halls of the great Dao of formations! Though it opened only a narrow crack, allowing him a glimpse inside, its significance far surpassed learning a thousand or even ten thousand specific formations!

[Origin Fragment of Formation Dao (one wisp): A small, manifested fragment of the innate laws of the great Dao of formations.]

[Effects:]

1.

Greatly enhanced formation comprehension: Understanding, learning, and creating formations undergo a qualitative change, making it easier to perceive their essence.

2.

Increased formation affinity: Setting up and controlling formations become more effortless, and it becomes easier to resonate with the formations of heaven and earth.

3.

Formation-breaking intuition: When faced with an unknown formation, the host can find its energy nodes and operating principles more quickly, improving the efficiency of breaking it.

4.

Foundation for optimization and innovation: Provides the most fundamental theoretical support for the host to optimize and innovate formation systems based on Scientific Thinking.

Only after a long while did Lin Xuan slowly emerge from that wondrous state of insight. His eyes shone brightly, as though he could see countless trails of energy through the void. With a thought, he casually used his own magic power to sketch a few simple runes before him. He set up a small warning formation that, in the past, would have required careful adjustment. Now the whole process flowed as smoothly as running water. The runes fit together naturally, and the formation took shape in an instant, its effect more than thirty percent stronger than before!

"So this is... the power of touching the origin?" Lin Xuan was shocked and delighted. This gain gave him even more confidence in facing the upheavals to come! It would be especially crucial to the "scientific version of the Myriad Immortals Formation" he was about to develop.

He bowed respectfully to the altar, then quietly left. Under the moonlight, the forbidden grounds of Biyou Palace returned to silence. Only the formation eye continued to absorb and release the moonlight, as though nothing had happened.

Yet a seed, one that understood the very essence of formations, had already been planted in Lin Xuan's heart. When the storm came, it would take root and sprout, growing into a towering tree that could shelter an entire region.