Early morning.
Chu Xingchen held the system blueprint and carefully checked it against the terrain, surveying the area before planting a small twig as a marker.
Although it could not conjure things out of thin air, the blueprint had one advantage: it could be reused.
After all, he still had to build everything himself. If it were a single-use item on top of that, it would be one hell of a rip-off.
That meant he could perhaps build a Spirit-Gathering Formation on Ten-Mile Slope first.
After all, Ten-Mile Slope was not a place where spiritual energy converged, nor did any spiritual veins run through it. It had some spiritual energy, but naturally could not compare to places where spiritual veins gathered.
Simply put, it was not a good place for cultivation.
Under otherwise identical conditions, cultivating where spiritual veins converged naturally produced better results.
That was why most respectable cultivation sects chose a mountain occupied by a spiritual vein as the site of their sect.
Previously, whenever Li Yingling cultivated, Chu Xingchen used spirit stones to set up a crude formation for her.
That was manageable with one person, but now that Li Xingtian had joined them, such wasteful spending had to stop.
Supporting Li Yingling's cultivation alone had nearly cultivated him into poverty. With Li Xingtian added to the mix, his spirit stone reserves clearly would not last if he kept doing the same thing.
A thin stream flowing steadily was the way forward.
Building a Spirit-Gathering Formation was still very necessary, and it would also make taking on disciples easier in the future.
Although the materials currently on hand were not enough to complete the Spirit-Gathering Formation.
He could still begin some preliminary construction.
Chu Xingchen located another spot within the designated area and planted a twig.
Boom!!
A surging blast of wind swept over from afar, followed by earth flying up and scattering in every direction.
With an irritated wave, Chu Xingchen blasted the gust away and hurried two steps forward.
He looked toward Li Yingling, who held a wooden sword and was hard at work blasting a large pit.
Li Yingling was already in the Foundation Establishment Realm, so protecting herself with spiritual energy was no problem. No dirt would soil her clothes.
At that moment, she held her wooden sword and repeatedly struck the ground with a Divine Ability, her expression earnest.
Another fierce burst of Sword Qi slammed into the ground, bringing a violent tremor along with its deafening crash.
Chu Xingchen hurriedly raised a hand to stop her. "Wait!"
Hearing her master's call, Li Yingling stopped and looked at him in confusion:
"What's wrong, Master?"
"Seriously, who digs a hole like that?"
Li Yingling was utterly puzzled. "How else am I supposed to dig it?"
Chu Xingchen said irritably, "Once we bury the formation foundations, we'll need to fill the holes back in. You're blasting the dirt everywhere. What are we supposed to fill them with? That little head of yours?"
At her master's words, Li Yingling silently glanced at the dirt scattered all around.
Yet she still sounded a little aggrieved. "But if I don't dig like this, it'll take ages."
Chu Xingchen reassured her, "I never told you to finish in one day. Just dig a little whenever you have time after cultivating. Once your junior brother finishes refining that lousy rock, take him along to dig with you."
"Don't rush. I'll make you something tasty later."
Li Yingling raised her eyes to Chu Xingchen's gentle expression and nodded softly. "I understand."
With that, Li Yingling began controlling her wooden sword to dig the hole, piling the excavated soil to one side.
Whatever else might be said of her, Li Yingling was very obedient when it mattered.
After watching briefly and finding no problems, Chu Xingchen left to continue marking the other formation points.
Setting the formation points according to the blueprint went quite quickly.
Before long, he had marked every location.
Then Chu Xingchen slipped back into the rundown temple.
Li Xingtian was sitting cross-legged, with the Millennium Bone Jade floating above his head.
The Millennium Bone Jade poured out energy continuously, cleansing Li Xingtian's root bone.
After taking a careful look and confirming that nothing had gone wrong with his second disciple, he slowly sat back down on his wooden plank.
As for the materials missing from the Spirit-Gathering Formation, they were not actually anything precious.
With spirit stones, they could be bought.
Although he was poor, Chu Xingchen did have an idea.
That idea, naturally, was the second disciple refining the bone jade in front of him.
As someone who had been reborn, surely he knew at least a few ways to make money, or the locations of some powerful cultivators' tombs that had not yet been opened?
Digging up graves might be immoral, but the money came fast. Even a few scraps left behind by those mighty cultivators would probably be enough to build the formation.
Besides, the cultivation world universally referred to these tombs as secret realms.
Usually, sect elders led large groups of disciples inside to dig up the graves together.
Thinking about it that way, his moral standards were still on the same level as those of the cultivation world.
After all, the Heavenly Dao Alliance's dream is to become a renowned, upright sect!
Chu Xingchen leisurely lay back down on his bed plank.
Now he just had to wait for Li Xingtian to finish refining it, then ask whether he knew any promising avenues.
The sun stood at noon.
Li Xingtian still had not finished refining it.
Li Yingling returned first, panting heavily, her spiritual power nearly drained dry.
She looked at the two people inside the rundown temple, particularly her master lying leisurely on his wooden plank.
Li Yingling asked in puzzlement, "Master! Why am I the only one digging? Aren't you going to dig?"
Chu Xingchen sat up and looked at Li Yingling. She was pouting, apparently somewhat angry.
With a light cough, Chu Xingchen said unhurriedly, "Do you think your master is slacking off?"
"Aren't you?" Li Yingling countered. "Master, you said yourself that you'd dig with me once you finished marking the spots!"
Faced with his disciple's accusation, Chu Xingchen decisively changed the subject:
"What kind of talk is that! Are you going to fill the air with complaints over making a little contribution to the sect? Do you understand how your master has poured his heart's blood dry for your futures?"
Hearing this, Li Yingling wanted to speak but held back, realizing she now stood on the lower moral ground.
But she still knew how to handle her master in his current state.
Li Yingling put on an aggrieved expression. Tears seemed to shimmer in her peach-blossom eyes, and her lovely face looked so pitiful that anyone would have softened at the sight as she complained:
"If you don't want to dig, then don't, Master. After all, how could I refuse something you've assigned me?"
"I wasn't angry just now. I just never thought you'd lie to me, Master. I never thought you saw me as that sort of person."
Well, damn!
Watching his eldest disciple's theatrical performance, Chu Xingchen was momentarily speechless.
But then he immediately pointed at Li Xingtian, who sat beside them meditating and absorbing the bone jade:
"I was simply worried that something might go wrong while your junior brother absorbed the bone jade, so I came to check on him."
"After all, your junior brother has taken this long just to refine a piece of bone jade, and his aptitude is nowhere near yours. How could I not worry?"
"Unlike you, my eldest disciple. You're capable and clever, so you put my mind much more at ease."
Yet Li Yingling's reaction was different from what he had expected.
Her expression instantly turned aloof, and her voice lost its earlier grievance as she said coolly:
"Master, there is no need to say more. Since Junior Brother has joined our sect and has the lowest cultivation, giving him extra care is only what we ought to do."
Chu Xingchen could have figured out with his backside that Li Xingtian had woken up behind him. He said irritably:
"...Before your master loses patience, get out there and hunt!"
"As you command, Master!" Li Yingling promptly cupped her hands in acknowledgment, then hurried out of the rundown temple.
"I'm sorry, Master... My cultivation and aptitude are lacking. Sorry for causing you so much worry."
Li Xingtian's slightly apologetic voice came from behind him.
Chu Xingchen coughed lightly, without turning to look at his disciple:
"You... as long as you know. You need to put in more effort."
Before you continue