Immortal of the Nine Realms

”The Dao of Formations. Using weakness to overcome strength; harnessing the essence of heaven and earth’s spiritual energy; emphasizing the support of the five elements and the interconnectedness of all things...”

”Low-grade, yellow-rank Flame Formation; it requires three grams of Qing Yao Soil, One Tael of Ice Crystal, and ten pieces of low-grade spirit stones. They are to be positioned in the Nine Extremes of the Universe....”

”This formation doesn’t initially seem that powerful; however, when it’s attacked, a sea of flames will surge. Qi Refining cultivators will find it difficult to defend against it.”

”Middle-grade, yellow-rank Ghost Sword Formation. The materials required for the formation core are....”

”High-grade, yellow-rank Green Sky Mountain Protection Grand Formation. The materials required for the formation core are....”

By the time an hour had passed, Fang Chen had already memorized the contents of the jade slip. The various formations had myriad effects, and some of them could even be mixed together to achieve results that weren’t confined to a simple ”one plus one” in terms of strength.

The formation the manager had set up was the high-grade, yellow-rank Green Sky Mountain Protection Grand Formation. The formation core required a lot of materials, so it was quite complicated to set up. It also required five hundred to a thousand pieces of low-grade spirit stones to run. This formation could confuse, obstruct, and even directly attack. It was no wonder the manager had died with so many doubts.

In fact, the formation could even pose some trouble to Golden Core Realm cultivators. Ordinary cultivators would find it difficult to perceive the flaws in the formation, but Fang Chen’s divine soul could see through everything.

These formations are priceless. I reckon that ordinary cultivation families or sects would be willing to spend twenty to thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones just to obtain it.

The formation inheritance included, the rest of the high-grade, mid-grade, and yellow-rank treasures as well as the pills and spiritual materials all added up to a whopping seventy thousand low-grade spirit stones.

He had made over a hundred thousand spirit stones from this trip. It could be said that Fang Chen had grown rich overnight. He could even begin to prepare the necessary treasures and spiritual materials required for Little Sword’s breakthrough to the fourth rank.

Fang Chen handed over all the treasures he obtained to Little Sword and used his spare time to carefully study the formation inheritance. He also rifled through the storage ring and found a few formation core materials to practice with.

Several days later.

Fang Chen’s divine soul was standing in the sky. The Green Sky Mountain Protection Grand Formation set up by the manager was now completely different from before. While he couldn’t repair the flaws in the formation, he could identify where they were and compensate for them by layering other compatible formations.

Fang Chen had set up six mid-grade formations beneath the Green Sky Mountain Protection Grand Formation. These formations almost perfectly concealed the flaws of the Green Sky Mountain Protection, indirectly making it more complete. Although its power hadn’t increased, its defensive capabilities had improved significantly.

However, it had to be said that the entire process hadn’t been smooth sailing. Setting up auxiliary formations within a formation required precise techniques and timing. In fact, Fang Chen had failed several times in setting up the formations, wasting spiritual materials and depleting a considerable amount of his spiritual energy.

However, Fang Chen’s spiritual energy recovered quickly, and he continued to practice. In just a few days, he became increasingly proficient in setting up some of the formations.

“Next, I’ll wait for the Vajra Bodhi to ripen so I can pluck it. I’ll then leave the Demon Cloud Empire.”

Fang Chen recalled his divine soul. He sat in front of the ancient tree and took out the Illusion Talisman’s materials before he started to craft.

Fang Chen practiced the Five Element Controlling Technique whilst he was crafting. As he worked, elemental energy surged and dissipated around him.

***

”Why aren’t there any movements?”

Shopkeeper Lin was hiding in the shadows a few miles away from the valley, observing quietly. He was visibly confused.

He knew there was a grand formation here but deliberately didn’t inform that cultivator. Logically speaking, that cultivator should either be attacking the formation right now or have already broken through it. However, he had been watching for a few days yet he hadn’t detected any ripples in the formation or any signs of battle.

”This doesn’t feel right, not one bit. Could it be that he couldn’t break the formation and left the empire already?” muttered Shopkeeper Lin.

If the manager didn’t die, he would be in for a whole lot of trouble.

He had been worried that the manager would find out about his betrayal, so decided to stay here and observe the situation.

”Are you Lin Mu?” A supremely indifferent voice rang in Shopkeeper Lin’s ears.

Shopkeeper Lin froze.

Cold sweat dripped down his back and forehead. He turned his neck stiffly to look toward his back right and saw a gloomy-looking old man standing there.

The man was dressed in a green robe, with a withered face and prominent cheekbones. His narrow eyes resembled those of a venomous snake, occasionally flashing with a cruel light.

Shopkeeper Lin forced a smile. “Senior, I am indeed Lin Mu. May I ask who you are...?”

”I am your manager’s eldest brother, the fourth disciple under the command of Hidden Cloud Ancestor—Qi You.”.

The manager has a brother?

Shopkeeper Lin was surprised, but what shocked him even more was that this person was a disciple of Hidden Cloud Ancestor! That was a well-known Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse in the Hidden Cloud Region!

Shopkeeper Lin repressed his shock and anxiously said, ”Senior Qi, the manager is in danger!”

Qi You nodded lightly, his gaze turning toward the valley. ”He isn’t just in danger, he is already dead.”

Shopkeeper Lin was dumbfounded. ”What!?”

The manager is dead? And he had died without a sound? There wasn’t even a trace of damage to the formation! How was that possible?!

”The fact that you stayed here proves your loyalty to Second Brother. No wonder he mentioned you several times to me,” said Qi You lightly.

Shopkeeper Lin suddenly felt relieved. It was a good thing the other party didn’t know about his betrayal. If he could somehow establish a relationship with this person, he would be able to dominate the entire Hidden Cloud Region!

Shopkeeper Lin’s expression turned emotional, his eyes turning red. ”Senior Qi You, are you saying that the manager has died? That’s impossible....”

”Second Brother’s soul lamp has been extinguished, there’s no doubt he’s dead. The person who killed him is most likely still waiting for the Vajra Bodhi to ripen,” Qi You said with a dark expression. ”Your Second Brother was too foolish. He gave up his life for the sake of worldly possessions.”

”Both my sworn brothers have died at the hands of this person. I am determined to avenge this grudge. Second Brother said you have a deep understanding of this formation, do you know how to enter it?”

Shopkeeper Lin nodded hurriedly. ”Yes, I was originally responsible for taking care of the Vajra Bodhi, so I am very familiar with this formation.”

Shopkeeper Lin couldn’t help but feel perplexed. Was that ”Third Brother” he mentioned the Demon Cloud Emperor?

He never knew that the manager and the Demon Cloud Emperor had had such a relationship. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Qi You said in a grim tone, ”That’s good. Lead me into the valley and don’t attract that person’s attention. I want to see who he really is.”

Even though Qi You was in the mid stage of the Golden Core Realm, he did not dare to act rashly. After all, the other party had easily killed two early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivators. He had to evaluate his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses before he could decide on his next move.