“Miss Zhang.”
“Please stop calling me ‘Miss’ all the time. It sounds so strange.”
“Eh, then how should I address you?”
“Just call me Chenghuan.” Outside the training room, Zhang Chenghuan, who had just been stopped by Li Tan, blushed slightly and shyly avoided eye contact.
Li Tan coughed dryly twice and changed his tone, “Zhang Chenghuan, would it be convenient to ask you a few questions?”
“Of course, but I’m afraid I won’t know much if even Senior Li doesn’t understand it,” Zhang Chenghuan mumbled shyly.
Li Tan smiled and said, “You must know this. I just want to learn a bit about Dongfang Zheng.”
“The Eastern Elder from the Mechanism Division?”
Zhang Chenghuan looked surprised, “Why are you suddenly interested in him?”
“Well, it’s mainly because I promised the sect leader to persuade him to participate in deciphering the ancient tomb’s seal.”
“Oh right, indeed. Among us Tianlang Sect, the only expert in formations is indeed Elder Dongfang. The Mechanism Division was actually established in recent years. Dongfang Elder is actually a very good person, but he’s overly rigid sometimes—he could even make someone furious. Last time I accidentally messed up a formation while learning, he scolded me for half a day, and his criticism was actually quite reasonable.”
Zhang Chenghuan pouted with grievance, “If Senior Li wants to persuade him to help decipher the seal, you’d better just pick someone else to go. It would save time.”
“Cough, cough, I see. You’re preparing for a retreat, right? Then I won’t disturb you anymore.”
Li Tan left the training room and walked along the small path, troubled.
It seemed that convincing that venerable figure would indeed be an extremely challenging task. He thought and thought but couldn’t come up with any good ideas.
Forcibly dragging him along was definitely unrealistic. Should he use his status as an honored elder to threaten?
That temper would probably get him expelled immediately. What about luring him with a rare formation manual from the Huang Pagoda?
But the books in the Huang Pagoda were all precious ancient texts. Wasting them like that would surely invite divine punishment.
As he approached Dongfang Zheng’s residence, Li Tan still hadn’t figured out a plan.
But he couldn’t just stand outside forever. Knowing himself like this, he wouldn’t have an answer even by tomorrow. After hesitating for a moment, Li Tan knocked on the courtyard gate. A voice from inside floated out:
“It’s not locked. Come in yourself.”
Li Tan entered as instructed. It felt as if a fish had leaped into water—he immediately felt a refreshing sensation. The spiritual energy in the courtyard was significantly denser than outside.
Looking around, Li Tan noticed that the house was built upon a simple spiritual energy gathering formation. Since Zhang Zhi didn’t have such a formation, it wasn’t hard to deduce that this was Dongfang Zheng’s own handiwork.
Li Tan released his spiritual sense, quickly scanning the surrounding area.
Besides the energy-gathering formation, there were several other small formations around the house—defensive formations to prevent disturbances during cultivation, attack formations that automatically activated upon detecting assassins. There were all sorts of them.
In the cultivation world, formation techniques were generally considered a minor and unorthodox discipline. For Dongfang Zheng to be so devoted to this field truly marked him as an extraordinary person.
The house door wasn’t locked, so Li Tan walked straight in, passed through the main hall, and found an elderly man buried in books in the study. He must be Dongfang Zheng, the Mechanism Division’s senior elder.
“This junior greets Elder Dongfang.”
Li Tan politely bowed his fists.
Dongfang Zheng didn’t even look up from his book, “If you have something to say, say it quickly.”
Li Tan, knowing this kind of personality, didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point:
“An ancient tomb has been unearthed in an oasis about a hundred miles north of Fan City. The sect leader sent me to invite you to help break the seal.”
“If the tomb could be found, the seal must have already deteriorated significantly. Any person with a bit of sense could probably open it. Go back and tell Zhang Zhi I’m not going.”
Dongfang Zheng didn’t even hesitate.
Truly not giving any face at all—no wonder Zhang Zhi was so troubled.
Since he had already come this far, leaving empty-handed and slinking back wasn’t Li Tan’s style. He glanced at the book in Dongfang Zheng’s hand and said, “Senior, are you reading Master Jishan’s ‘Entering the Formation Manual’?”
Dongfang Zheng looked up in surprise, examining Li Tan from head to toe before asking, “Kid, do you understand formations?”
“A little.”
“How much is ‘a little’?”
“I can barely manage to set up formations like the spiritual energy gathering array outside.”
“Really?”
Dongfang Zheng looked serious.
Li Tan nodded, “Really!”
“Alright then. Tell me, how should a formation be set up?”
“There are two methods, but I don’t know which one you’d like to hear first.”
“Two? Then tell me the first one first.”
“Find objects symbolizing the five elements, place them according to a certain pattern, and then guide them specifically to generate various abilities. That’s how Elder Dongfang set up this energy-gathering formation. However, formations set up this way usually don’t have much power.”
“Oh, you mean the second method is stronger than the first?”
“Exactly.”
“Then explain this second method.”
“Constructing a formation based on the grand natural patterns of heaven and earth.”
Dongfang Zheng scoffed, “Sounds nice, but tell me, how exactly can one construct a formation based on the grand natural patterns of heaven and earth?”
Most formation manuals described the first method of setting up formations, with few mentioning the second. Li Tan’s knowledge of the second method was something he had learned casually during a chat with friends while drinking. It was perfectly normal for Dongfang Zheng not to understand it—it was completely beyond his realm of knowledge.
After thinking for a moment, Li Tan replied, “Words won’t help much. If you don’t mind, I can demonstrate right away.”
Dongfang Zheng clearly thought he was talking nonsense, but human nature is naturally greedy. When Dongfang Zheng thought about constructing a formation based on the grand natural patterns of heaven and earth, he couldn’t help but wonder, what if it’s true?
So he half-heartedly agreed, giving Li Tan an afternoon.
Li Tan didn’t bother to act humble or say anything like “an afternoon is too much,” immediately taking action to prepare what he needed.
In reality, there was no need for further preparations. Dongfang Zheng’s house already had everything required. In principle, a true formation based on the grand natural patterns of heaven and earth didn’t require any external objects. However, Li Tan’s knowledge of formations was only at an introductory level and couldn’t truly achieve a formation based on the grand natural patterns of heaven and earth. He still needed some help from external objects, which naturally reduced the formation’s power. However, it would be more than enough to impress Dongfang Zheng.
Li Tan pretended to be busy wandering around the courtyard for quite a while, making a show of being solemn and serious. He then rearranged the objects used in the original energy-gathering formation slightly and, following the method his friend had described, spread out his spiritual sense and carefully worked for about an hour. After wiping the sweat from his forehead, he activated the formation’s core. Soon, the spiritual energy in the courtyard visibly became much denser.
Mission accomplished.
“This!”
Dongfang Zheng was stunned.
Li Tan turned around and smiled, “What do you think, Senior?”
Dongfang Zheng paced around the courtyard, excited, “The spiritual energy is more than twice as dense as before. Inconceivable! Absolutely inconceivable!”
Setting up this formation had indeed consumed quite a bit of effort, depleting half of Li Tan’s spiritual energy. He leaned casually against a pine tree, waiting for Dongfang Zheng’s next reaction.
After repeatedly exclaiming “inconceivable” for quite a while, Dongfang Zheng finally calmed down. He approached Li Tan excitedly and asked, “Kid, how did you know this method of setting up a formation?”
“My master taught me.”
Li Tan answered naturally.
“Your master?” Dongfang Zheng’s lips twitched, and his expression turned grim.
Across the Jiuzhou region, sects and schools were all strict about keeping their core techniques secret. If it was taught by a master, then it would be difficult for him to learn this method.
Li Tan had expected this reaction. He loudly muttered to himself, “My master wanders all over the world. Even if this method accidentally leaked, he probably wouldn’t know about it.”
Dongfang Zheng froze, his face reddening slightly as he edged closer to Li Tan and whispered, “Kid, name your price. Tell me this method of setting up a formation.”
Li Tan grinned and said, “No price at all. Just agree to the sect leader’s request and participate in deciphering the ancient tomb’s seal.”
Dongfang Zheng’s expression turned a bit odd, “That’s it?”
Li Tan nodded.
Dongfang Zheng was filled with suspicion. Could it be that for such a trivial matter, he was offering such a valuable benefit? Was this kid trying to trick him?
“This junior is upright and honest. I never lie.”
Li Tan deliberately declared.
Dongfang Zheng’s expression was extremely complex. Finally, he gritted his teeth and nodded reluctantly.
“Fine, I’ll go.”
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