North of the North Sea, deep amid the vast oceans, a small island a little over ten li across lay alone in the open sea.
This place was called Tu Xingshan. It was called a mountain rather than an island because it possessed a spirit vein spring that could almost qualify as a pseudo-blessed land. A mountain range on the scale of a subsidiary peak rose from the seabed and broke through the surface.
Although Tu Xingshan was remote, it lay near a shipping route. A spirit vein spring like this naturally could not remain unclaimed.
The current master of Tu Xingshan was a renowned Formation Dao expert named Lin Ji. He was also active around Northsky Island and maintained close ties with the Money Guild and various other powers.
Li Ling had first come into contact with Formation Dao circles while renovating Moon-Sand Island and Nine-Wan Island, which he occupied. He had met the Formation Dao cultivators involved in the renovations, but those Grand Arrays were essentially finished products already. The renowned experts who accepted the commissions and came to modify them had merely made a cursory tour, like viewing flowers from horseback.
Only when he renovated Little Olive Island, and the Money Guild invited the highly respected Formation Dao elder Master Hong on his behalf, had Li Ling finally developed an interest in this path and earnestly learned something about it.
Through this Formation Dao elder, Li Ling had also met several Foundation Establishment cultivators who were formation masters. The one with whom he got along best was Lin Ji.
When Li Ling arrived above Tu Xingshan, he discovered that a layer of white mist resembling cloud gauze already enveloped it. In the distance, sea and sky merged into one boundless expanse, while nearby, clouds and mist curled