Basic Formations, Windchaser Art

They had come up here seeking a clear answer: would Immortal Master Lu, having broken through to the Purple Mansion Realm, wish to meddle in some of Spirit Terrace County's affairs? Would he seek to monopolize all of Spirit Terrace County's resources...

If he opened his jaws like a lion, how could they possibly scrape together what a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator required?

"I'll accept the gifts you've brought. If there is nothing important in the future, there is no need to come looking for me. Handle matters yourselves."

"Of course," seeing the faint relief on their faces, he paused before smiling. "The Dao Academy's required share cannot be lacking. Your four families have done this for so long; you should know what to do. I will not interfere with anything else."

His voice was ethereal, yet his meaning could not have been plainer: the shares were his bottom line. He did not care about the rest.

The Bai Clan's eldest young master froze for a moment. Having always followed his father, the Bai Clan Head, learning how to handle Lineage relations, he was accustomed to being smooth and tactful in every direction. Hearing such blunt words so suddenly, he could not help reading several more layers of meaning into them.

But then he heard his father say, "Rest assured, Immortal Master. We have always handled these matters well. We guarantee we will not trouble you with such trivial affairs."

"Mm. You may leave."

Though he stood in this place, with the mountain wind howling and stirring the hems of his robes, neither Lu Qing's clothes nor hair moved in the slightest.

Following his father down the mountain, he returned home.

Bai Shoucai's face was brimming with delight.

"Father."

"Hmm? If you have something to say, say it." Bai Shoucai glanced at his son.

The eldest young master of the Bai Clan hesitated, then voiced his thoughts.

Since he had become the resident guardian, should he not grasp some things firmly in his hands?

Wouldn't concentrating the resources make cultivation easier?

"Mm, you simply think too much. What I usually taught you was the balancing art needed by a Lineage. But to one devoted wholeheartedly to cultivation, such trivial matters are burdens."

After hearing this, Bai Shoucai said, "And how do you know that, compared with the resources of our little patch of land, the resources that can be exchanged for in a true great Immortal Sect do not surpass all imagination?"

As he spoke, a trace of daze appeared in Bai Shoucai's eyes, as though he had recalled something from his youth.

The eldest young master of the Bai Clan said, "Then isn't he an ascetic cultivator? But..."

In his impression, ascetic cultivators were all impervious to persuasion, rigid and inflexible.

What Lineage did not have a few matters it could not let others know? If an ascetic cultivator came here as their resident guardian, perhaps from the day he arrived, a torrential rain of blood would fall from the heavens and rolling heads would rain upon the earth.

This was no fabricated tale. It was a true incident that had happened in the neighboring county just last year.

That bloody storm had left countless cultivators too afraid to embezzle anything, fearing that the moment they reached out, someone would chop off their heads.

Ascetic cultivators themselves were not the worry. What was worrying was the backing behind them.

"You think he doesn't resemble an ascetic cultivator?" Bai Shoucai shook his head. His aged eyes saw straight through his eldest son's thoughts. "The world is vast. Ascetic cultivators are not all cut from the same cloth."

"That ascetic cultivator from before cultivated precepts. He killed in accordance with his own Dao."

The eldest young master of the Bai Clan was somewhat stunned. He had not known the inside story behind that affair.

He wanted to ask further, but Bai Shoucai had already waved his hand. "Enough of this. In any case, do not disturb that Immortal Master unless something important arises."

"The road of cultivation stretches long and far. You should focus on raising your own cultivation as well."

The other Lineages likewise gave such warnings to their clansmen and descendants.

After only two brief meetings,

Lu Qing had already left an impression on quite a few people.

That was, this Immortal Master truly did not concern himself with affairs.

And he had said so with such bluntness. Clearly, he would not involve himself in the pile of rotten business among the various Lineages.

Such casual delegation of power made some people suspect his motives, while others faintly sensed his indifference.

For Lu Qing, the matter was exceedingly simple. He only wanted to remain here peacefully for a full year, then leave immediately once that year was up.

He was no master of political maneuvering. He could not outscheme these people. But Lu Qing had not come here to fight them for power and profit. To put it plainly, the Dao Academy needed its share, and he needed his own share. As for everything else, they could do as they pleased.

So long as no demon beast tide arrived, even if several Lineages fought one another to the death, he would remain utterly unconcerned.

Lu Qing had not come to Spirit Terrace County to be a nanny. As his cultivation deepened, every period of secluded cultivation saw him carefully tempering his Dao heart.

Having crushed the shadow of that past death beneath his feet, Lu Qing had become increasingly calm and unrestrained.

Still, he would not place himself in danger.

When he came to Spirit Terrace County this time, he had used the opportunity of his breakthrough to carefully scan every inch of the place.

He found no fortuitous opportunities. Only the place in the Jiang River where that old turtle slept could be considered a decent Cultivation Cave rich in spiritual energy.

But it still could not compare to the Green Bamboo Courtyard where he now resided.

His Divine Consciousness split apart and spread outward as he examined the opened contents of the wooden chests.

His gaze held a hint of surprise. Inside were neither spirit stones nor treasures, but dozens—perhaps over a hundred—formation diagrams: ordinary, simple, high-grade, and incomplete diagrams, all types included.

Moreover, they were strikingly consistent. Aside from spirit stones, the gifts they had presented were either formation diagrams, detailed explanations of formations, or jade slips and books containing records related to formations.

Lu Qing's expression turned strange. He had not even known he was so obsessed with formations.

Still, this was good. The sect naturally possessed an enormous number of formation diagrams of every sort, but Lu Qing's pockets were empty. Earning contribution points truly required time.

Now that he had these formation diagrams, though most were basic ones,

Lu Qing also knew that a tower ten thousand zhang high rose from level ground. The foundations of formations began with precisely these things. He had already come into contact with formations and successfully drawn them before. Now, with a greater variety of formation diagrams, he would have plenty to keep him busy in the days ahead.

Looking at the several large chests, Lu Qing spoke of being busy, but he could not conceal his delight.

"Trapping formations, killing formations, sealing formations, bewildering formations, illusion formations... There truly are so many kinds of formations."

Lu Qing had broken through a major realm, but he was not in a hurry to cultivate further. After entering the Purple Mansion Realm, he had also begun to touch upon comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth. At this initial stage, it was no longer possible to advance to a higher realm merely through breakthroughs in spiritual power as before.

Over the next several days,

he began with the simplest formations. Several utterly ordinary basic formations became as familiar to him as fire and purest skill in his hands. Beyond that, immersed in formations, Lu Qing also carved a killing formation into the Void Ground within the bamboo forest—a killing formation designed to break the formation eye by stepping on it, specially meant to complement his practice of the Windchaser Art.

The Windchaser Art, when cultivated to great mastery and perfection, made one like the wind, a shadow without a trace.

During the first half of his journey here, Lu Qing had practiced this art along the road, but later he had set it aside for some time.

This was the perfect opportunity. He could test the killing formation's power while also experimenting with the perfected state of the Windchaser Art.

He even pondered how to conceal the fluctuations of the formation.

Within the bamboo forest's Void Ground, green bamboo leaves rustled. Though not a single figure could be seen in the clearing, it seemed as though a gust of wind swept through the leaves, raising a soft susurrus.

Lu Qing's figure appeared.

Having entered the Purple Mansion Realm, the increase in his cultivation had brought this art to its utmost limit.