A Prodigy’s Dilemma and a Forbidden Formation

“Young man, you have disturbed the serenity of the mortal realm. Do you confess your transgression?”

Li Yao nodded, knowing that denying it would only bring about severe physical punishment.

“To which sect do you belong? Are you, perhaps, a disciple of the Soaring Cloud Sect?” As he spoke, the elder’s expression grew chilling.

“I belong to no sect or faction. I merely witnessed the suffering of the people in Lu Kingdom and wished to alleviate it.”

“No sect, no faction? Come closer, let me see.”

The elder grasped Li Yao’s wrist, and then his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

“An ice-attributed mutated spiritual root! How old are you this year?”

Li Yao looked utterly bewildered, his wrist throbbing from the elder’s grip. “To answer Senior… I am in my early twenties.”

“Excellent! Truly excellent! This transgression is not a grave one, and your intentions were benevolent. If you join our Hidden Forest Mountain, your crime can be pardoned. What say you?”

“I prefer to wander alone, Senior. Please mete out my punishment.” Li Yao bowed his head respectfully.

“Oh? This is a capital offense, young man. Have you truly considered it?” The elder’s tone shifted, causing Li Yao to freeze in an awkward stupor.

The elder could not possibly allow him to leave. Such talent was undeniably prodigious; should it fall into the hands of the rival Soaring Cloud Sect, it would become a formidable threat.

“You are currently at the fourteenth level of Qi Condensation. Join Hidden Forest Mountain, and you shall receive a Foundation Establishment Pill. Furthermore, inner disciples of Hidden Forest Mountain face no restrictions on their freedom. What more do you need to consider?!”

A disciple of such caliber was a rare sight, perhaps once in a millennium. Any sect would be tempted. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, nurturing him with full effort would surely allow him to reach the Core Formation stage!

Under duress and enticement—to refuse meant death—Li Yao had no choice but to agree.

Meanwhile, Luo Yingkong had already returned to her cave abode, releasing the Corrupting Butterflies and setting up the Thousand Mechanisms Tower.

“Jiaofeng, you should remain here. Many areas in Hidden Forest Mountain have detection formations; it would be troublesome if you were discovered.”

“What is there to fear? Even if I am discovered, nothing will come of it. It’s not uncommon for Qi Condensation cultivators to possess spirit beasts.” Jiaofeng, looking unconcerned, walked into the Thousand Mechanisms Tower.

“Right, Master, I have a forbidden spell formation here. It might be useful to you.” Jiaofeng spat out a piece of animal hide paper from his mouth, still sticky with some mucus.

“Uh… Brother Jiaofeng, your method of storing things is certainly… unique.” Luo Yingkong picked up the animal hide paper, a hint of disdain on her face.

“Spirit Gathering Formation… This formation only teaches how to arrange it. What does it do?” Luo Yingkong inquired.

“Do not underestimate this formation. My previous master discovered it in an ancient battlefield. It is a forbidden art that can gather all the spiritual energy from the surrounding area, transforming it into a cultivation sanctuary.”

“It’s that miraculous?!” Luo Yingkong exclaimed, astonished.

“Don’t rejoice too soon. It’s called a forbidden art precisely because it depletes the spiritual energy in the surrounding area, affecting other cultivators nearby. In uninhabited places, it’s fine, but if you use it within the sect, you know the consequences.”

“Brother Jiaofeng means that this formation will diminish the surrounding spiritual energy and gather it within the formation?” Luo Yingkong nodded.

“Precisely. However, you can try to reduce its power. If you only weaken the surrounding spiritual energy by a fraction, no one should notice. After all, this formation has been lost for a long time; no one would recognize it.”

Luo Yingkong did not overthink it and immediately began to set up the formation. It would be foolish not to use such a treasure. What did it matter if the spiritual energy elsewhere diminished, as long as she wasn’t discovered?

The formation’s setup was incredibly complex. All her small flags were insufficient, forcing her to dismantle other formations to complete the Spirit Gathering Formation.

Within the sect, it was relatively safe; there was no need for defensive formations. A mere illusion formation would suffice to fool others.

Once the Spirit Gathering Formation was arranged, to reduce its potency, she simply needed to place fewer spirit stones. If all the surrounding spiritual energy were absorbed, explaining it would be impossible.

Luo Yingkong initially lacked seventy-two formation flags, but she discovered many in Senior Uncle Zhang’s storage bag, saving her considerable effort.

Each flag required at least one spirit stone beneath it. Luo Yingkong only dared to try placing low-grade spirit stones.

The formation enveloped her cave abode, spirit field, and the Thousand Mechanisms Tower. At first, no changes were discernible after activation.

However, after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the spiritual energy within the formation became increasingly abundant, directly forming a mist!

Simultaneously, the entire sect’s spiritual energy had diminished by a fraction, all swallowed by the Spirit Gathering Formation!

Fortunately, the slight reduction in spiritual energy went unnoticed. Hidden Forest Mountain was rich in spiritual energy, so a minor decrease had little impact.

‘This formation truly is miraculous. With this, our cultivation speed will increase severalfold,’ Luo Yingkong thought, delighted.

“Not only us, but your little butterflies and spirit herbs will also grow faster. Oh, I followed my previous master for many years and saw him cultivate many medicinal herbs. I can offer you some insights.”

Jiaofeng had now sincerely acknowledged Luo Yingkong as his master, devising many ways to aid her growth.

When cultivating spirit medicines, inserting a few spirit stones into the soil allows the spirit herbs to absorb the spiritual power completely, accelerating their growth. Luo Yingkong watched, utterly fascinated, learning a great deal from Jiaofeng.

She sifted through Senior Uncle Zhang’s storage bag, finding fifty mid-grade spirit stones, two thousand low-grade spirit stones, and many healing pills. The cultivation-enhancing pills were for the Foundation Establishment stage, thus currently useless to her.

Next were two magical treasures: a massive cauldron and a small bell. Luo Yingkong tried to operate them. Although powerful, they consumed an extreme amount of spiritual energy, making them impractical for her use.

Magical treasures were typically wielded by Core Formation cultivators. For a Foundation Establishment cultivator to acquire even a few low-grade ones was exceedingly rare. Luo Yingkong using them was like a child wielding a great saber, lacking the strength to control them.

She had initially intended to give them to Jiaofeng, but he claimed he had no need for magical artifacts, stating his body was the best artifact, and true strength lay in a stronger physical form.

Luo Yingkong couldn’t persuade him and decided to keep them, hoping to find an opportunity to sell them. Selling them within the sect was out of the question, as many recognized these artifacts, and Senior Uncle Zhang had often boasted about them to other elders.

“I still need to refine artifacts. You may wait here.”

Leaving her cave abode, Luo Yingkong paid a visit to Li Yuan, but he was in closed-door cultivation, with all his formations active, preventing her entry. She had no choice but to leave.

Just then, she encountered Mo Yuqing, another disciple of Li Yuan.

“Oh? Junior Sister Luo! I heard you went to Lu Kingdom for a mission. Did you finish it so quickly?”

“Senior Sister Mo, where are the two senior brothers?”

“They are not in the sect, and Master has also gone into closed-door cultivation. I was just about to look for you.”

Luo Yingkong remained silent, and Mo Yuqing continued, “Master asked me to inform you that there will be an inner sect assessment in two years. Since your cultivation is the highest, you will represent us in the assessment.”

“Inner sect assessment? Am I not already an inner disciple?” Luo Yingkong blinked.

“No, no, no. You will participate in the trial as an examiner. The rules will be explained to you in detail then.”

‘I’ll be an examiner…’ Luo Yingkong recalled the scene in Mount Mufu where three people fought against inner disciples. ‘It wouldn’t be like that, would it…?’

“In any case, two years pass in the blink of an eye for us cultivators. Junior Sister, you must cultivate diligently. The sect will not assign you any tasks during this period.”

“That is excellent…”

After chatting for a while, the two bid farewell and parted ways. Luo Yingkong headed directly to the Artifact Refinement Hall.

This hall was located in the eastern part of the sect, near a dormant volcano. The attendant was a disciple at the tenth level of Qi Condensation, a task assigned by the sect.

The young man, dressed in a white robe, sat on a bluestone slab, playing chess with himself, appearing exceptionally leisurely.

“Senior Brother, I wish to borrow a refinement room.”

He glanced at Luo Yingkong, surprised to see that she was an artifact refiner. Typically, only elders above the Foundation Establishment stage came here.

“Junior Sister, you look unfamiliar. Whose disciple are you?”

“I only recently joined, and my esteemed Master is Senior Li Yuan.” Luo Yingkong curiously peeked at the chessboard before him.

“Does Junior Sister also play chess? I’m quite bored here. How about a game with me?” the young man chuckled.

“I have urgent matters to attend to…” Luo Yingkong declined, unwilling to waste any time.

“Why such a rush, Junior Sister? Tell you what, if you win against me, you can use the refinement room for free for one month. How about it?”

Using a refinement room for a month would cost at least a hundred spirit stones. Luo Yingkong pondered for a moment and then agreed. As long as money was involved, she would do anything.

This game involved black and white pieces, no different from the Go she knew. In her previous life, she had been a Go master as a child.

“Please, Junior Sister.”