Formations

After spending half a month collecting a portion of the Five-Metal Raw Materials from the merchant associations and gangs under his command, Lin Yun left the Yue Kingdom and arrived in the neighboring Yuanwu Kingdom, intending to collect Five-Metal Raw Materials here in the same way.

He did so because the Yue Kingdom was the territory of the Seven Sects to begin with. Its mortal society had hidden ties to its cultivation world, and the Black Fiend Sect also operated there. In fact, the sect leader himself was the ruler of the Yue Kingdom.

Thus, although Lin Yun's merchant associations only collected Five-Metal Raw Materials, he had kept them relatively small to avoid drawing the attention of the Seven Sects and the Black Fiend Sect as much as possible. As a result, they could not gather particularly large quantities.

But now that Lin Yun intended to refine the Clearvoid Invisible Sword, as well as other magical treasures in the future, his need for Five Metals Essence had grown enormous.

That was why, after descending the mountain this time, he had decided to open another channel, establishing several merchant associations in the neighboring Yuanwu Kingdom to collect Five-Metal Raw Materials for him.

Riding his sword light, Lin Yun entered the Yuanwu Kingdom and flew off in an arbitrary direction, intending to find a small city at random and support someone with whom he shared a thread of fate in establishing a gang or merchant association.

Influenced by the Daoist Books of the Zu Mountain world, Lin Yun liked to place emphasis on "fate" in his dealings.

Under the strict heavenly causality of the Zu Mountain world, everything revolved around "fate." Through karma and destined encounters, the inheritance of all manner of Daoist Books and magical treasures had long since been ordained.

Although the Mortal world had no such heavenly causality, and Lin Yun possessed neither the ability nor the inclination of the Zu Mountain immortals to calculate everything in advance, he did not mind placing some emphasis on "fate" here as well.

Born of fate, arising through fate-if that bond existed, Lin Yun did not mind bestowing wealth and honor vast enough to flood the heavens upon someone. That was how he had chosen the people in charge of his merchant associations and gangs in the Yue Kingdom.

As he approached a small mountain, Lin Yun suddenly halted his flying sword and looked in surprise at a nearby hill. Apart from the wisps of mist drifting around it, nothing about the hill appeared unusual.

But to Lin Yun, who was well versed in observing qi, the mist-shrouded portion of the hill actually gave off faint spiritual radiance from a formation.

"A formation? This one is steeped in an ancient air. It doesn't look like something from the present age. Have I finally stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter?" Lin Yun murmured in surprise.

He immediately turned his sword light and flew toward the hill with keen interest.

Over the past half year, his excellent work had earned him Martial Uncle Ma's sponsorship. Aside from cultivating, he often visited the Yellow Maple Valley library to read, absorbing this world's cultivation knowledge. He had gained a preliminary understanding of its cultivation world, including a fair amount of knowledge about formations.

Thus, he had recognized at a glance that the formation on the hill was unusual. It was very different from the formations currently popular in the cultivation world, with an ancient air that strongly resembled an ancient formation.

After flying closer to the hill, Lin Yun did not rashly enter the formation. Instead, he rode his sword light around it several times to assess the situation first.

He had not forgotten that the Heavenly Star Sect, one of the Three Great Sects of the Yuanwu Kingdom, specialized in formations. What if this was their territory? It would be unwise to charge in recklessly and offend them for no reason.

After circling the hill several times, Lin Yun realized that this was an unattended formation. Who knew how long it had been operating? It had already suffered damage, which was why it had become exposed. It was not something recently laid down by the Heavenly Star Sect or anyone else.

Since that was the case, Lin Yun no longer stood on ceremony and directed his sword light straight into the formation.

Through observing qi, Lin Yun could see that the formation was grand and upright, without any murderous intent within it. It was no sinister killing formation, which was why he felt safe flying inside.

Sure enough, after entering, what appeared before Lin Yun was not some lethal technique, but a chaotic jumble of reversed Five Elements Essence Qi that sought to trap him within the formation.

At the sight, Lin Yun could not help stopping to study the formation carefully for a moment. Why does this formation look a little like the Five Elements Reversal Formation? Could this place have something to do with Xin Ruoyin?

There was no time to dwell on it. He had already entered, and since he was here, he could only break through the formation first.

Lin Yun was well versed in numerous Daoist Books and knew a great deal about formations. He had even mastered a sliver of the essence of the Twofold Dust Array, the foremost formation of the Zu Mountain world.

Naturally, this Five Elements Reversal Formation posed no difficulty for him.

The foundations of all formations under heaven were nothing more than the One Origin, Two Modes, Three Powers, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Harmonies, Eight Trigrams, and Nine Palaces. Although the Five Elements Reversal Formation reversed the five elements, it still could not escape the fundamental principles by which they generated and overcame one another.

Using the Qi-Observing Art, Lin Yun followed the flow of Five Elements Essence Qi within the formation. Guided by the principle of mutual generation among the five elements, he soon found a way out.

After stepping out of the formation, Lin Yun froze at the sight before him.

Halfway up the mountain, in front of a cluster of dilapidated bamboo huts, stood a girl who looked seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a slightly worn blue gown. She stood warily outside the formation, holding up a talisman in her right hand whose spiritual energy was nearly exhausted.

The girl was not an exceptional beauty, but her eyes were extraordinarily lively. Like the finishing strokes that brought a painted dragon's eyes to life, they added greatly to her charm, making her memorable at first glance.

Could she really be Xin Ruoyin? Lin Yun wondered as he studied the girl.

Seeing Lin Yun examining her closely, the girl immediately made the talisman in her hand light up, though she could not yet tell whether his intentions were good or evil.

At this, Lin Yun immediately said, "My apologies, miss. I didn't know anyone lived here. I thought this was merely an ancient cultivator's ruin, which was why I entered the formation. Please forgive my intrusion."

As he spoke, Lin Yun immediately concealed the Invisible Sword hovering beside him, signaling that he meant no harm.

He did not know whether the girl before him was Xin Ruoyin. Regardless, one could never dispense with caution toward others, so it was better to keep the Invisible Sword hidden in the shadows.

Seeing Lin Yun put away his flying sword, the girl relaxed her guard slightly and lowered the right hand holding the talisman, though she did not put it away.

The girl glanced at the formation behind Lin Yun before asking in some surprise, "Young master, did you really make your way through this Five Elements Reversal Formation?"

A slight flicker passed through Lin Yun's eyes. So it really is the Five Elements Reversal Formation. But when Han the Old Devil obtained it, hadn't Xin Ruoyin only restored a fraction of it? Why does the formation outside seem complete?

Although he had passed through it easily, the formation's true power was nothing like that of a restored version possessing only a fraction of the original's strength. It was a fully intact Lesser Forbidden Grand Formation.

At that thought, Lin Yun asked, "Did you lay down this formation, miss? As far as I know, the Five Elements Reversal Formation has long been lost. Even the Heavenly Star

Sect has no such formation."

The girl did not answer directly. She pressed her lips together, then asked, "Do you understand formations too, young master?"

Lin Yun gave a modest smile. "A little. Although this Five Elements Reversal Formation reverses the five elements rather than arranging them according to mutual generation or mutual overcoming, its underlying principles-the changes through which the five elements generate and overcome one another-remain unchanged no matter what."

The girl naturally understood the principles of formations as well. After a moment's thought, she grasped Lin Yun's meaning and said, "Since you also understand formations, young master, I won't conceal anything. I indeed did not lay down this Five Elements Reversal Formation. Through a chance coincidence, I stumbled through it not long ago and arrived here."

After a pause, the girl continued, "Since you passed through the formation by genuine ability, rather than blundering through as I did, the opportunity within it ought to belong to you. Besides, this formation was left behind by a senior of the Heavenly Star Sect. Since you understand formations, I imagine you must be from the Heavenly Star Sect as well. Consider the things here returned to their rightful owner."

With that, the girl made to enter the bamboo hut and fetch the items for Lin Yun.

Hearing this, Lin Yun did not concern himself with whether she really intended to fetch something or was seizing the chance to escape.

Instead, he laughed heartily and waved a hand to stop her.

"There's no need for that, miss. Since chance brought you here, you clearly share a stronger thread of fate with this place than I do. I don't like taking opportunities destined for others. You needn't worry that I harbor ill intentions."

Since this girl had stumbled upon the opportunity within these ruins, she clearly shared a stronger bond of fate with their original owner than he did. As an inheritor of Zu Mountain's teachings, how could he steal an opportunity destined for someone else?