Chapter 127 : Patrolling Formation Envoy
Chapter 127: Patrolling Formation Envoy
“Junior Brother joined the Formation Hall to further his studies in formation arts, or is it to earn contribution points in exchange for a Qi Refining method?” Yun Yishu asked.
Acupoints were like stars, and mana was like rivers.
The characteristics of one who had achieved results in the Qi Refining Aperture-Consolidating Method were very obvious.
Even without using her divine sense to scan, she could see at a glance that Chen Zi’ang cultivated the Qi Refining Aperture-Consolidating Method.
From this, it could be seen that Junior Brother Chen’s ambition was not limited to the Golden Core. His aspirations far surpassed most sequence disciples in the sect who relied on background and connections to climb upward.
“For earning contribution points, to exchange for the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining and Spirit Fusion Pill.” Chen Beiwu did not conceal his true intentions.
He had been in the sect for more than half a year and had already established some basic sense of trust.
For such a trivial matter, there was no need to hide it.
Upon hearing this, Yun Yishu frowned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the Gold Egg perched on Chen Beiwu’s shoulder.
She could understand Junior Brother Chen exchanging for a Qi Refining method.
Before experiencing the harshness of reality, it was not a bad thing for young cultivators to be ambitious and daring. It was certainly better than those useless ones who hid in the sect, eating and waiting for death.
But she could not understand Junior Brother Chen’s idea of exchanging for a Spirit Fusion Pill.
No matter how strong a beast companion was, it was still merely an external aid.
If Junior Brother Chen spent so much time raising his beast companion’s cultivation, it would be far more reliable to strengthen his own.
One must know, to exchange for both the Spirit Fusion Pill and the Seven Revolutions of Great Cycle Qi Refining, it required eighteen thousand contribution points.
For a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the sect to earn such an amount of contribution points—even excluding cultivation expenses—it would take thirty to forty years of diligently completing sect tasks to gather enough.
If ordinary cultivation expenses and family expenditures were also included, the time required would multiply several times over, at least a hundred years or more.
It was precisely for this reason that Foundation Establishment cultivators who had no hope of reaching Golden Core either indulged themselves and lived out a life of enjoyment,
Or they labored diligently like old oxen, tirelessly completing sect tasks to leave behind sufficient contribution points for their descendants.
Junior Brother Chen’s talent in formation arts was not bad, enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her. He should not be wasting his time on beast taming, which neither extended lifespan nor aided cultivators in breaking through bottlenecks.
After all, a cultivator’s energy was limited. If Junior Brother Chen divided his focus among Qi Refining, beast taming, and formation arts, it would only hold back his talents.
“Although Vice Hall Master Lin usually cherishes talents, he dislikes cultivators who are indecisive. Junior Brother, do you intend to give up beast taming and focus solely on formation arts?”
Yun Yishu suddenly stopped, almost causing Chen Beiwu behind her to step on her skirt hem.
“Gulu!”
Gold Egg reacted instantly, its fish-like eyes swelling with anger.
How could this be allowed! If it understood correctly, that woman wanted its master to abandon it.
Patting Gold Egg’s head, Chen Beiwu said firmly: “Senior Sister, I believe that the Beast Taming Path and Formation Path can also complement each other.”
Yun Yishu remained silent, not speaking further.
Walking to the shadow wall, Senior Sister Yun knocked three times on the massive screen.
“Come in.” A calm male voice sounded.
Following Senior Sister Yun inside, what entered Chen Beiwu’s sight was a middle-aged man with a thin figure.
He wore a black robe embroidered with faint golden patterns, his fingers adorned with three jade storage rings, and there was a trace of weariness between his brows.
Hall Master Lin rose with a smile on his face: “Nephew Yun, come, sit and have some tea.”
After speaking, his gaze fell on Chen Beiwu: “This disciple must be the Second-Tier Formation Master Zhou Quan who entered the hall today. Not bad, quite a handsome young man. Do you have a Dao companion?”
Yun Yishu coughed twice, interrupting Hall Master Lin’s matchmaking.
“Junior Brother Chen Zi’ang is Master’s newly accepted disciple from last year, not Zhou Quan.”
“So it’s Nephew Chen. Sit down.” Hall Master Lin looked at him with great interest.
That old eccentric Zhu’s newly taken fourth disciple was also an interesting one.
Instead of studying Fourth-Tier artifact forging, he chose to stick with Yun Yishu to study formation arts.
“Junior Brother Chen’s talent in formation arts is not inferior to mine…” Yun Yishu briefly explained Chen Zi’ang’s assessment results from earlier today.
Upon hearing that Chen Zi’ang’s attainments in formation arts surpassed that of a Second-Tier Formation Master, Hall Master Lin became visibly intrigued and began asking some basic formation knowledge.
Chen Beiwu answered fluently. Every response displayed the boundless imagination a youth should possess, making Lin Zhiye’s eyes brighten.
“For Nephew Chen to have such attainments in formation arts at such a young age is truly remarkable. To be just a Formation-Walker would indeed be a waste of talent.”
“Young people are suited to venturing outside, and the Formation Hall also needs a large number of talents to build up the sect.”
At this point, Lin Zhiye paused slightly: “Would Nephew Chen be interested in serving as a Patrolling Formation Envoy, to participate in the reclamation and island-building in the western seas of the Wild Wastes?”
Lin Zhiye handed over a jade slip to Chen Beiwu.
Chen Beiwu lightly touched the jade slip with his divine sense, his eyes revealing surprise.
The Patrolling Formation Envoy was a position created by the Formation Hall for developing sect-affiliated islands. Only Second-Tier mid-grade or higher Formation Masters could assume it, and the annual salary reached one thousand five hundred contribution points—higher than what Zi Ling had mentioned for Second-Tier Formation Masters.
And the duties were simple: only needing to patrol the formation nexus nodes regularly each month to ensure the sect formations had no issues. The tasks would hardly interfere with daily cultivation.
Much money, little work, and plenty of rest.
Without a doubt, this was a cushy position that only those with connections could secure.
The fact that he could obtain it was likely thanks to the face of his master and Senior Sister Yun.
“To serve the sect is this disciple’s duty.” Chen Beiwu said gratefully.
“Very good, then it is settled. Hall Master Yun will handle the procedures for you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the solemn expression on Lin Zhiye’s face vanished, and he introduced with a smile: “I have a niece, just twenty-eight, at the Seventh Level of Qi Refining. Not only is she of peerless beauty, but also gentle, filial, and obedient…”
Chen Beiwu revealed an awkward smile.
Distance truly bred beauty.
If he had not witnessed it firsthand, he would have found it hard to believe that the Formation Hall’s Vice Hall Master, a lofty Golden Core True Person, actually had such a hobby of matchmaking.
……
Cultivators were still human, not immortals. They could not sever the three thousand worldly entanglements, thus they too had desires—often even stronger and more obsessive.
Leaving the Formation Hall and seeing Chen Beiwu’s peculiar expression, Yun Yishu explained:
“Hall Master Lin is actually a very kind person in private. His only hobby is matchmaking, pairing up sect geniuses into Dao companions.”
“Understandable.” Chen Beiwu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He indeed could not sense any malice from Hall Master Lin.
But if Senior Sister Yun had not spoken up to help him, he might have been forced to meet several female cultivators before being allowed to leave.
“The duties of a Patrolling Formation Envoy may seem simple, but there are many subtleties involved.”
After reminding her junior brother, Yun Yishu hesitated for a moment before taking out a jade-green formation disk from her storage ring.
“When patrolling outside, safety is much harder to guarantee than within the sect.”
“If you encounter danger, Junior Brother, you may deploy this Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation.
I have modified this array myself. At its peak, it can trap and kill even a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Even if a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator makes a move, it can still trap them for two quarters of an hour, allowing you to escape.”
“Many thanks for the treasured gift, Senior Sister.” After speaking, Chen Beiwu could not help but ask the doubt in his heart: “Can a Qi Refining cultivator also set up a Second-Tier illusion formation?”
“Of course not.” Yun Yishu shook her head.
Setting up a formation and activating a formation were two completely different concepts.