Yin-Yang Reversal

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Chapter 31: Yin-Yang Reversal

The morning mist had yet to disperse when Chen Beiwu picked up his homemade Illusion Weasel Wolf-hair brush, dipped it in exotic beast-blood ink, and held its tip three inches above the wolfskin talisman paper.

The detailed method for drawing a Giant Strength Talisman surfaced in his mind. The wolf-hair brush in his hand swept and turned like a roaming dragon, tracing basic talisman patterns across the paper, drawing the surrounding spiritual energy into it and embedding magic within the talisman.

"Whew!"

As the final stroke linked the patterns together, the talisman on the table immediately emitted a faint spiritual glow, which vanished a moment later.

Setting down the wolf-hair brush, Chen Beiwu picked up the slightly yellow Giant Strength Talisman and inspected it carefully.

Once he confirmed that nothing was wrong, a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes. Talismans and formations have belonged to the same family since ancient times. An unranked talisman like the Giant Strength Talisman really is child's play for me.

He picked up the wolf-hair brush and deftly began drawing two other kinds of unranked talismans: a Lightness Talisman and an Iron Body Talisman.

Before long, three talismans lay neatly on the table.

Dawn was just breaking when Mo Li pushed open the door and walked in, carrying breakfast.

"I'm leaving," Chen Beiwu said in farewell.

Mo Li froze for a moment, and the breakfast in her hands fell to the ground.

Chen Beiwu walked outside, passing her as he went. "There are three talismans on the table. Keep them to protect yourself. If you run into anyone with ill intentions, just tear one open."

"Could you take me with you?" She suddenly caught his sleeve.

Chen Beiwu looked into her eyes and asked, "Could you bear to leave your father when he's only just recovered from a serious illness?"

Mo Li fell silent.

She could not bear to see him leave, but neither could she abandon her father.

"My lord, will we ever see each other again?" Mo Li asked, her eyes reddening.

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Beiwu took a Spirit-Testing Talisman from his storage pouch and activated his magical power.

The Spirit-Testing Talisman was a low-grade first-tier talisman with a single purpose: it could roughly determine the purity of a person's spiritual root.

The next instant, the Spirit-Testing Talisman ignited on its own, becoming a wisp of pale smoke that condensed into an illusory formation diagram in midair.

The diagram took heaven as Qian and earth as Kun, then used the generative transformations of the five elements to form an obscure, profound eight trigrams diagram.

"Put your hand against the formation diagram."

The moment Chen Beiwu finished speaking, Mo Li reached out without hesitation.

The next instant, the illusory eight trigrams diagram spun faster, then abruptly shattered, transforming into a Heaven-Painting Halberd that flickered between substance and illusion, radiating the potent aura of metal weapons.

"Metal qi condensation into weapons!" Chen Beiwu's pupils contracted.

Well, well. The herb-gathering girl he had casually rescued on the mountain actually possessed an earth spiritual root. It was truly unbelievable.

"What is it?" Mo Li asked timidly.

"It's a good thing." Chen Beiwu gave her a long look. "Spiritual roots come in six grades: immortal, heavenly, earth, true, mixed, and false. Your aptitude is quite good. You have a superior metal-element earth spiritual root."

"I have a cultivation method called the Metal Refining Art. If you devote yourself to cultivating it, you'll be able to reach late Qi Refining sooner or later." Chen Beiwu handed her two jade slips.

The Metal Refining Art was not an Immortal Alliance cultivation method, but an incomplete one he had obtained from a bandit cultivator. Giving it to her was simply a convenient way to sow the seeds of a good connection. The other jade slip recorded basic information about the cultivation world of the Southern Wild Region.

Mo Li gripped the jade slips tightly and repeated her question. "My lord, will we have a chance to meet again?"

"If fate wills it, we'll meet again." Without lingering, Chen Beiwu departed using Wind Manipulation, leaving Mo Li standing alone, unwilling to leave for a long time.

This morning's class was on formations.

Their formation teacher's surname was Zhao. She was a young woman who had only recently started working and had graduated from the Lotus Formation Sect, one of the Seventy-Nine Upper Sect. Apparently, she had come to teach at Shouhe No. 2 Middle School to accumulate grassroots teaching experience, and would transfer to Fallen Dragon Prefecture the following year.

Perhaps for that reason, Teacher Zhao generally did not take the initiative to explain problems during class. Instead, she sat at the front playing on her phone and let the students read and study on their own.

In her words, the art of formations differed from alchemy and artifact refining. Explanations alone could not make it clear; it required insight.

Students with insight only needed to read during class to easily learn basic formations and understand the profound principles of the Heavenly Dao underlying the Immortal Alliance's formation concepts.

As for students without insight, who could not even understand the Immortal Alliance's introductory book on basic formations, Teacher Zhao felt there was no point in wasting their time. They would be better off spending it cultivating or learning other cultivation arts.

Simply put, the art of formations was exceedingly profound. Those who understood needed no teaching, and those who did not could not be taught.

Quite a few students had complained about Teacher Zhao's teaching philosophy because it was far too lackadaisical, but her teaching methods had never changed.

Of course, if a student took the initiative to ask Teacher Zhao a question about formations, she would patiently explain it once.

Whether the student understood was their own concern. She would not repeat her explanation, which meant most of the students in the class disliked this aloof formation teacher.

Chen Beiwu was one of only two exceptions in the class. He got along well with Teacher Zhao; they were both teacher and student, and friends.

Because when Teacher Zhao had something to teach, she genuinely taught it.

What he faced now-

Faced with his strange question, Teacher Zhao did not brush him off, but began considering it seriously.

"That's a strange idea. Water is inherently countered by lightning. Why would you use a Second-Tier Water-Attribute Formation against a Second Realm Azure Thunder Tiger? How is that any different from pitting your weakness against its strength?" Teacher Zhao frowned slightly.

"The Dao of formations is limitless, and patterns connect with principles. Why can't a water-attribute formation kill a lightning-attribute demonic beast?" Chen Beiwu countered.

"It can, but limiting the cultivator controlling the formation to the eighth layer of Qi Refining is rather excessive." Teacher Zhao poked Chen Beiwu's forehead with a fair-skinned finger, looking speechless.

"Teacher, you're a top graduate of the Lotus Formation Sect. Wouldn't killing a Second Realm lesser demon with a formation be as easy as reaching out and grabbing it?" Chen Beiwu asked in surprise.

"You think far too highly of me." Teacher Zhao shook her head, her tone helpless. "I'm not as impressive as you imagine. Do you think a Second Realm lesser demon is weak?"

"What if I set up the formation beforehand and catch it like a turtle in a jar?" Chen Beiwu asked tentatively.

"That would work, but whoever sets it up would need to thoroughly understand the relationship between the two qi of yin and yang and the formation's field. They would have to use the Yin-Yang Reversal Formation as the formation core to overturn heaven and earth, reversing the Nine-Bend Tranquil Sea Formation into the Profound Yin Tranquil Sea Formation, which counters lightning attributes." Teacher Zhao smiled.

Chen Beiwu frowned. "Teacher, do you mean it's simply impossible?"

"That's right. A Qi Refining cultivator can set up the Nine-Bend Tranquil Sea Formation using a finished formation disc."

"But the Yin-Yang Reversal Formation is different," Teacher Zhao explained. "It requires the person setting it up to possess second-tier divine sense or higher. A Qi Refining cultivator who forcibly sets up this formation will only exhaust their divine sense and die."

"A Second-Tier Formation Master capable of setting up the Great Yin-Yang Reversal Formation must at least be a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"I understand. Sorry for the trouble, Teacher, and thank you for your guidance." Chen Beiwu returned to his seat and sat down.

As expected, killing that Azure Thunder Tiger in a short time won't be so simple! Chen Beiwu sighed inwardly.

To put it bluntly, all his current troubles stemmed from his lack of strength!

Perhaps I should apply to the school for independent study. The thought stirred in Chen Beiwu's mind.

He had already completed the high school curriculum through self-study, so his grades were assured.

For him, the most important thing now was to seize cultivation resources from the Southern Wasteland, improve his Qi Refining cultivation, and reach Foundation Establishment as soon as possible!

(End of chapter)