Dao of Formations

Ling Yun began to take an interest in formations.

After cultivating for so long, he decided to do something different and relax. So he turned his attention to the Formation Emperor's inheritance among the four Great Emperor inheritances.

There was a reason for this.

One day, Ling Yun discovered numerous formation patterns manifesting outside the first Spirit King's tomb. They were naturally part of the Royal Mausoleum's grand formation. Ever since the Spirit King activated it a year ago, the patterns had appeared from time to time.

At first, Ling Yun thought it was merely an ordinary fifth-tier formation. That was until he sensed an aura from certain formation patterns similar to that of the Heart of Heavenly Illusion.

The Heart of Heavenly Illusion was itself the core of a top-grade sixth-tier illusion formation. Since the Royal Mausoleum's grand formation could emit a similar aura, it was very likely a sixth-tier formation as well, and an exceptionally terrifying killing formation at that.

"What formation is this?"

Ling Yun wanted to find out, so he could better understand the Royal Mausoleum he had made his lair.

And so, Ling Yun began studying the Dao of Formations.

Of the four true Daos-pills, formations, artifacts, and talismans-the Dao of Formations probably had the lowest cost to begin learning. That did not mean it was easy to master.

On the contrary, the Dao of Formations also demanded extraordinary talent. Many people could set up formations, but their work was so crude that others could easily spot the formation eye and break it with brute force.

Those whose mastery of the Dao of Formations reached the heavens, however, could place formations within formations, layering killing intent until there was no way to guard against it. Many renowned ancient killing formations passed down through the ages struck terror into people at the mere mention of their names. Once cultivators fell into one, even heaven-defying abilities would hardly let them escape with their lives.

That was why many people were unwilling to offend high-level formation masters. Given some time, a high-level formation master could even lay down terrifying formations far beyond his own cultivation!

Although formation masters were feared, they were also highly sought after. They were indispensable when exploring certain ruins in particular.

The Dao of Formations inheritance Ling Yun was studying came from a Great Emperor who had lived only a few epochs before the present-the Divine Formation Great Emperor.

Because he had lived not so long ago, many legends about him still circulated in the world, inspiring longing.

The Eastern Desolation, of course, had none of those legends.

Ling Yun knew about them only because the system had provided information about the inheritance.

Unlike the Heavenly Talisman Great Emperor and the Witchcraft and Gu Pill Physician before him, the Divine Formation Great Emperor had left a Great Emperor inheritance in the world, giving rise to a terrifyingly powerful imperial Dao faction-the Divine Formation Sect.

Imperial Dao factions were those that had once produced a Great Emperor. They could pass down their legacies for countless generations without fading and were very likely to possess imperial weapons to suppress and secure their fortunes.

The Divine Formation Sect was an incomparably powerful yet mysterious and elusive imperial Dao faction, rumored to be located in the distant Nine Regions of the Central Heaven.

"Another world beyond the Eastern Desolation..."

Reading this, Ling Yun could not help feeling reflective.

The Thirty-Six Territories of the Heavenly Pole Northern Region, the Nine Regions of the Central Heaven... Who knew how far those flourishing worlds were from the Eastern Desolation?

Yet the Eastern Desolation seemed like a place forgotten by the world. Not even legends of someone as renowned throughout the world as the Divine Formation Great Emperor had spread there.

"The Divine Formation Great Emperor's mastery of the Dao of Formations reached the heavens, but he wasn't as monstrous as the previous two Great Emperors. In the end, he didn't ascend either. Perhaps that's one reason he left behind the Divine Formation Sect to carry on his legacy."

After reading the brief introduction to the Great Emperor, Ling Yun became even more interested in the Dao of Formations.

At the heart of the Divine Formation Great Emperor's inheritance was the use of a "formation foundation" to activate formations.

The Divine Formation Great Emperor had refined an "imperial artifact" known as the Divine Spirit Formation Foundation. It contained the foundations of the formation cores of the world's countless formations. With a single thought, he could use it to activate formations, dispensing with the lengthy preparations normally required. It allowed him to lay down thousands upon thousands of formations in an instant, with no one able to break them.

There was no way Ling Yun could obtain the Divine Spirit Formation Foundation. It was, after all, a supreme imperial weapon, an artifact of a Great Emperor. Nor could he obtain an ordinary formation foundation as he was now.

Refining a formation foundation involved the Dao of artifact refining and required a wondrous treasure of heaven and earth capable of containing thousands upon thousands of formation patterns. The cost was enormous.

Thus, Ling Yun held out no hope of obtaining one.

Even so, the Formation Emperor's inheritance concerning traditional formations was an incomparably powerful legacy, one even Ling Yun could not refuse.

Generally speaking, the traditional Dao of Formations used formation flags and other materials to draw upon the forces of heaven and earth and create formations. Every formation flag served as a core of the formation, and setting up a formation on different terrain could make a world of difference.

For example, a formation set up on terrain containing Sha was sure to be a "killing formation," and one that was nearly impossible to solve. Thus, many formation masters had shrewd insights into geomancy and surveying and were highly skilled at turning the forces of heaven and earth to their own use.

"Low-level formation flags are easy to obtain. Ordinary cloth woven from spirit silkworm silk will do. Carve a formation flag core onto each flag, and it can serve as a formation eye. Combined with various formation-setting methods, that's enough to lay down most common formations."

Ling Yun acted at once. He found one of his own spirit silkworm silk garments, tore it into pieces, and made some simple formation flags.

"The Divine Formation Great Emperor's inheritance, the Formation Emperor Canon, records many methods for carving formation eye cores. These methods are like spells; with enough practice, they can be mastered."

This was another major factor in learning the Dao of Formations-a high-level inheritance. Such an inheritance was the foundation for establishing a sect and the treasured cornerstone of many factions. In this respect, no one could compare with Ling Yun except the Divine Formation Sect.

"Yin-Yang Two Aspects Formation Core!"

Ling Yun could not help reading the words aloud.

It was one of the highest-level formation eye cores recorded in the Formation Emperor Canon. Its advantage lay in the harmony of yin and yang, sustaining itself without end. It was exceptionally stable and difficult to break through.

All things could not have life without death; the mortal world could not have day without night; the Heavenly Dao could not have yang without yin.

The most common example was the Ten-Gate Killing Formation. It always contained one gate of life: a formation of nine deaths and one chance of survival, a formation of great peril.

Such formations were truly close to unsolvable. Amid endless killing intent, one searched for the gate of life, only to fall step by step into the gate of certain death. They were far harder to solve than formations devoted solely to slaughter.

"You're the one!"

Ling Yun spoke with satisfaction and began learning how to carve this formation core, working day and night without pause.

Finally, one day, Ling Yun formed seals with both hands and sent out formation core runes one after another, merging them into the formation flags.

Soon, a taiji pattern appeared on a formation flag. Its yin and yang fish spun rapidly, changing into all manner of wondrous forms and giving it a sense of perfect balance.

"I did it, my Yin-Yang Two Aspects Formation Flags!"

Before long, all nine formation flags in Ling Yun's hands were complete. From that day forward, he could use them to set up most formations!

"Metal Astral Formation!"

Looking at his newly acquired formation flags, Ling Yun wasted no time and began setting up a simple fifth-tier formation.

The formation flags landed at different points. Ling Yun formed seals with both hands, sending formation patterns flying out one after another. In just a few breaths, the flags sent golden light surging across the ground, and golden astral Qi slashed outward in streaks. In an instant, heaven and earth were churned upside down.

"As expected of a formation! Even the most ordinary low-grade fifth-tier formation can rival a powerful spell and cause an opponent tremendous disruption!"

Ling Yun's eyes shone. He felt that his means were likely about to grow even stronger.