What's So Difficult About a Mere Formation?

Qiu Changtian of the Kunlun Taiqing Sect currently served as the chief disciple of the 280th generation of Kunlun.

He practiced the sect's supreme secret art of Qi Refining, the Nine Heavens Pure Micro Entrance True Words.

This Qi Refining Technique was difficult to learn and understand, but the True Qi it refined was exceptionally pure. It granted precious bonuses to the eventual quality of one's Core Formation and Nascent Soul.

Additionally, upon reaching the first level, one gained a derived Daoist Magic called Universal Clear Sound Minor Brightness Art. It could heal injuries, cure illness, repel evil, and cleanse the mind... When in doubt, simply use it; it had all sorts of wonderful applications.

Aside from the Qi Refining Technique, Qiu Changtian also had a seventh-rank metal-type flying sword, Yuyan, and a Lightning Magic technique, Jade Pivot Thunder.

Yuyan Sword was a versatile means of conventional attack, while Jade Pivot Thunder served as an explosive trump card.

Overall, Qiu Changtian's combat prowess was clearly far greater than Ling Yunpo's, and vastly superior to Luo Yan's, who couldn't even truss a chicken.

Of course, these three identities were ultimately just virtual personas. Beneath the illusion, the body was still the same. All the abilities were, in truth, his own.

There were three things to do next:

First, go out on routine training excursions, establish his persona among his fellow disciples, and rack up Synchronization.

As for prestige as the chief disciple and such, Qiu Changtian didn't really care. In a cultivation sect, strength ruled. What use was fame?

Second, continue studying the Five Thunder Orthodox Law.

Jade Pivot Thunder was his trump card, and he had to master it thoroughly.

As for the lead to Divine Firmament Thunder that Elder Xu had given him last time, its location was in distant Yangzhou in the southeast. So until he had completely mastered the Jade Pivot Thunder he already had, Qiu Changtian had no intention of making the long journey there.

Third, prepare for the Li Palace trial.

Although he didn't yet know the trial's specific contents, it was easy to guess that as a relic of the ancient Chan Sect, Li Palace would certainly focus on the qualities the Chan Sect valued:

That meant the cultivation and temperament, Root Bone and combat strength, and intelligence and comprehension respectively prized by Kunlun, Shu Mountain, and Penglai.

As luck would have it, Qiu Changtian wasn't worried about being tested on any of them—so he would calmly continue going out on training excursions.

One day, while wandering around the Deacon Hall at Yuxu Peak, he came across an interesting assignment:

Rescue a group of Penglai disciples trapped in the Qinling Mountains.

Apparently, following a clue to a hidden treasure, the Penglai disciples had found a cave-heaven left behind by the ancient Chan Sect in the Qinling Mountains. But they had accidentally triggered a formation inside, trapping most of them.

Fortunately, one female disciple had escaped being trapped. She hurried to the nearby Kunlun Deacon Hall to ask for help, where she happened to meet Qiu Changtian.

Qiu Changtian followed her and flew by sword to the cave-heaven in the Qinling Mountains. Behind a dense tangle of vines, he heard the Penglai disciples shouting in panic:

"Senior Sister Bilian! Is that you back?"

The Penglai female disciple named Bilian hurriedly called through the vines:

"It's me! I brought Daoist Qiu, Kunlun's chief disciple, to help!"

Hearing her, the Penglai disciples inside began shouting all at once, chattering so noisily that it was impossible to make out what they were saying.

Qiu Changtian calmly stepped forward, swept his Divine Sense over the luxuriant vines that were clearly growing abnormally, and compared them against the formation knowledge in Luo Yan's mind.

"It should be the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation," he said with a frown.

"Yi Wood Dragon Binding?" Bilian's expression changed dramatically. "But that... isn't that a mountain-protecting formation with a range of a hundred li?"

"They make smaller versions, too, for guarding cave-dwellings," Qiu Changtian said evenly. "You've probably already tried every way to break the formation, haven't you?"

"Yes." Bilian lowered her gaze. "We tried hacking, slashing, burning, and even tearing them apart by force, but nothing worked. No matter how many vines we destroyed, just as many grew back."

As she spoke, tears began to fall despite her efforts to hold them back.

After all, this had happened because of her. If she hadn't stumbled upon the clue to these ruins and rushed over to investigate, her junior brothers and sisters wouldn't have been trapped inside.

If her master found out, who knew how she would be punished!

"The Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation really isn't something you can break at your current level," Qiu Changtian consoled her. "Judging by the work of whoever set it up, they seem to have been at the Abode Transformation Stage."

Hearing that it wasn't the work of a Golden Core True Person, Bilian first breathed a sigh of relief, then grew troubled again.

Formations were designed to let the weak overcome the strong. To break by force a formation set up by someone at the Abode Transformation Stage would basically require a Golden Core True Person.

But she was only at the Marrow Cleansing Stage. Where could she find a Golden Core cultivator to help? Even in Kunlun, she didn't know any True Person.

It seemed she could only hurry back to Penglai and confess to her master, then ask her master to call in favors and invite over a few fellow disciples who understood formations...

Bilian bit her lower lip, tears falling again as sorrow and bitterness filled her heart. Then she heard Qiu Changtian say leisurely:

"However, the person who set this formation up was terribly incompetent. The ten parts of Spiritual Power they poured in could barely bring out six. It won't be hard to break."

Bilian: ...

She had no time to complain about how he was dragging out his explanation. Like someone clutching at a lifeline, she hurriedly asked:

"Senior Brother Qiu, do you have a way to break it?"

"From what I can tell, this formation was built on the Three Powers principle." Qiu Changtian stood with his hands behind his back, a confident smile on his face. "These vines are only one formation gate. The true Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation is much larger, made up of three smaller formations nested together and supporting one another."

He led Bilian up along a stream nearby. Before long, they found a pool at the summit.

"This is the Gui Water Moistening Formation. It transforms the Spiritual Power outside and supplies what the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation needs to operate."

As he spoke, Qiu Changtian raised a finger and sent out a streak of lightning.

The Jade Pivot Divine Thunder struck the pool, blasting its water apart in an instant.

The water splashed in all directions, then abruptly vanished, leaving behind nothing but a damp hollow.

Bilian stared in stunned silence, only to hear Qiu Changtian say:

"This formation is broken. Come with me."

Qiu Changtian led Bilian back down the mountain. They walked, then stopped, until at last they reached a rock face. He summoned the Yuyan Sword and smiled.

"This is the Ji Earth Bearing Formation, the foundation of the Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation. It's been deliberately disguised as an ordinary rock, with even its fluctuations of Spiritual Power concealed."

"If I hadn't calculated its location from the formation's pattern, I wouldn't have recognized it even standing right in front of it."

He sent the Yuyan Sword chopping down. The rock split in two, revealing a small cauldron half-buried in the dirt beneath.

After carefully putting the cauldron away, Qiu Changtian saw that Bilian had no objections, so he led her back to the entrance of the cave-dwelling.

The vines blocking the path had withered and shriveled, but they were still tough and hard to tear apart.

"Look around nearby," Qiu Changtian called inside. "Is there a big tree?"

After a while, a Penglai disciple inside replied:

"There's no big tree, but there's a potted iron tree!"

"Yi Wood needs to climb and attach itself to Jia Wood to grow." Qiu Changtian laughed. "All we have to do now is chop down that iron tree, and the formation will break on its own!"

The sound of chopping wood rang out from inside. After two or three blows, the vines blocking the path rustled and fell, turning into withered branches and leaves.

The Yi Wood Dragon Binding Formation that had trapped the Penglai disciples was now broken with ease by Qiu Changtian!

Bilian had watched the whole process from the side, feeling both delighted and excited.

When all the vines had fallen, she finally let out a long breath, as if releasing the stale air pent up in her chest.

Her gaze at Qiu Changtian now held a little more admiration and longing.

Invincible Persona, Synchronization +1.

The Kunlun Mirror reminded him.