Li Xian'er

Lu Shang had now arrived outside Red Moon Island.

Before he even approached the island, he saw more than a dozen enormous ships docked at its harbor.

Lu Shang drew a little closer, puzzlement crossing his face.

"As far as I know, although Red Moon Island trades with the outside world, everything goes through formations. A little storage space is usually all they need."

"So many huge ships have come this time. It must be quite a substantial deal."

"There are even two Core Formation Cultivators down there. The goods must be extremely important."

These were only Lu Shang's guesses. None of it concerned him, however, and he had no intention of investigating further.

He promptly turned into a streak of red light and headed toward the center of Red Moon Island.

What Lu Shang did not know was that the people below had not come merely to conduct trade.

The instant Lu Shang turned into red light and flew toward the island's center, the Core Formation Cultivators below noticed him.

"There's a Core Formation Cultivator!" an elderly-looking cultivator with graying hair and a white beard said to the middle-aged man beside him.

"Red Moon Island is a major hub for formation trading. Having Core Formation Cultivators here is perfectly normal. Even if someone comes looking for trouble, the island's experts aren't pushovers."

"Clan Elder Zhu, I'm afraid you're worrying too much. We came here for the young clan leader's marriage. Let's not stir up unnecessary trouble."

"You're right. This visit is about the marriage between Zhu Ai and Miss Li of Red Moon Island."

"If he can marry Li Xian'er, Fairy Li of Red Moon Island, our Zhu Family will surely climb another rung with the island's backing. With support from Red Moon Island's formations, we might even become..."

The elderly cultivator closed his mouth halfway through.

Just then, a young man stepped out.

The young man surnamed Zhu wore a blue robe, his eyes glinting green. With his hands behind his back, he glanced at the two clan elders.

The two clan elders bowed respectfully to him. "Young Clan Leader."

"Clan elders, this undertaking is especially important. Be sure not to let too much information get out."

"As long as I marry the Revered Master of Red Moon's only legitimate daughter, we can practically have Red Moon Island's resources delivered straight to us."

As he spoke, the handsome young man brought his right hand before his chest and clenched it, producing a thunderous crack.

"Yes, Young Clan Leader!"

Clearly, this handsome young man held no low standing before these two Core Formation Cultivators.

By now, Lu Shang had reached the hall with his extraordinary flight speed. He briefly swept the area with his divine sense.

"Sure enough, there's still only one elder in the main hall."

"Elder Li, I've come to collect my formations!" Lu Shang called loudly from outside.

Without waiting for a reply, Lu Shang walked straight inside.

But the moment he stepped in, Elder Li answered, "All right, come in. We prepared the formations you wanted long ago."

By the time Elder Li finished speaking, Lu Shang was already inside.

Yet at first glance, he saw neither Elder Li nor the little girl from last time.

"Looks like they're in the rear courtyard."

Lu Shang headed through the back door.

Sure enough, the moment he entered the rear courtyard, he saw Elder Li holding a cup of tea.

"Elder Li, I've come unannounced. I hope I haven't disturbed your pleasant leisure."

"Not at all. Wait here a moment. I'll fetch the formations you need right away."

"All right, I'll wait here, then."

Just then, a girl dressed in pale blue suddenly sprang out.

"You're here!" After jumping out, she extended her right hand and pointed at Lu Shang's nose.

Lu Shang looked at her and smiled.

She was the little girl who had pestered him last time.

"Now, now, my dear niece, pointing at someone's nose is rude," Elder Li admonished her with a smile from behind.

"Never mind, never mind. She's only a child."

Hearing Lu Shang's words, Elder Li simply assumed that he did not take this lively, mischievous little Li girl too seriously.

"In that case, I'll fetch the formations you wanted, fellow Daoist. Please wait here a moment," Elder Li said to Lu Shang.

With that, Elder Li hurried out of Lu Shang's sight.

The little girl before him now looked thoroughly pleased with herself as she said, "Give me the little beads!"

She held out her palm, asking Lu Shang for the demon cores they had wagered last time.

Lu Shang immediately remembered.

Smiling, Lu Shang took out three demon cores and placed them in Li's palm.

"Now that I've given you the beads, shouldn't you show me what you learned from the book?" Lu Shang asked Li Xian'er.

"That's wrong!"

The girl spoke to Lu Shang with an indignant expression.

"Wrong? What's wrong?" Lu Shang asked in confusion.

He remembered quite clearly that last time, he had brought out two demon cores from Sixth-Stage Demon Beasts and one seventh-stage demon core.

Thinking he might have taken out the wrong ones, Lu Shang picked them up and examined them again.

"They aren't wrong. There's definitely one seventh-stage demon core and two from Sixth-Stage Demon Beasts," Lu Shang muttered.

But the little Li girl spoke again. "The colors are wrong! The ones you brought out last time weren't this color!"

"The colors are wrong, so you have to give me two more to make up for it!"

Only after hearing this did Lu Shang catch on.

Then he burst out laughing.

"All right, all right. I'll give you another two."

As he spoke, Lu Shang took out two more demon cores.

This time, however, he was not as generous as before. He brought out two demon cores from Fifth-Stage Demon Beasts.

Only after Lu Shang placed them in Li's soft little palm did the girl stop pouting.

After receiving them, the little girl first examined the demon cores in her hands, then said to Lu Shang in satisfaction, "They're just ordinary formations. I understood them at a glance! I'll show you a trick or two right now!"

With that, Li Xian'er patted her flat chest and shot Lu Shang a confident look.

Watching all this, Lu Shang could not help letting out a quiet, mocking snort of laughter.

Although Lu Shang covered his mouth with his hand and made very little noise, Li Xian'er still noticed.

Li Xian'er immediately pursed her lips again.

"Hmph!"

"What are you laughing at?" Li Xian'er demanded in her childish voice.

This time, Lu Shang managed to hold it in.

"I wasn't laughing, of course. Weren't you going to demonstrate the formations you studied? I'm still waiting to see them. You haven't failed to learn them and decided to distract me instead, have you?"

"Of course not! Just you wait!"

With that, the little girl turned around, took out several formation stones, and began putting them to use.

She formed seals with her hands.

Before long, changes began to occur around them.

Then a small formation appeared in the courtyard.

"She really does have an exceptional talent for formations. In so little time, she's already reached this level."

What amazed Lu Shang was not that she could deploy one of the formations.

After all, even Lu Shang, with his ordinary aptitude for formations, could make some progress after studying them for so long.

But the little girl had deployed one of the formations from the middle section.

Fully deploying this formation required two or three cultivators, yet the little girl had accomplished it effortlessly on her own.

If she had modified the formation herself so that one person could deploy it, that alone was enough to show how extraordinary she was.