Chapter 282: Departure

Ge Yuan chuckled, "You flatter me, senior. Even if we don't find the medicine garden, I know of other places in Autumn Goose Market where treasures are stored. If we work together, we're bound to gain something; I won't let you leave empty-handed."

Wandering Cloud nodded with a smile, merely perfunctorily agreeing with Ge Yuan.

Qin Sang knew in his heart that Wandering Cloud, like him, only valued the spirit medicine for healing. If they couldn't find it, their efforts would be for naught.

The three individuals each dripped their essence blood onto the Heart-Unifying Pendants, allowing them to merge. Once the pendants absorbed the essence blood, a connection was established between them. Then, each person took a pendant, and after further discussion, they parted ways to pursue their own objectives. They agreed not to contact each other again unless absolutely necessary before entering the Autumn Goose Market.

In the small courtyard, everyone stood in their respective positions, listening as Yu Kong explained the Returning Yuan Formation in detail. The principle of the Returning Yuan Formation was not complicated: it could gather a portion of the power of the nine individuals within the formation onto a single person, combining the strength of all nine to deal with various perilous situations that might arise during the formation's activation.

While the formation didn't strictly require nine people, its power would be greatly diminished if there were fewer. With only two or three individuals, it would be almost useless and could even restrict them, making independent action and improvisation a better choice. Only with all nine people could the Returning Yuan Formation achieve its maximum effect.

Among the nine individuals in the formation, the one who received the concentrated power was also the main operator, known as the "formation eye." The formation eye could be rotated, but it required time, which might be insufficient when danger struck. A replacement would only be considered if the main operator was inadvertently injured and unable to bear the responsibility of the formation eye. Among the group, Yu Kong had the highest cultivation and had previously entered the Autumn Goose Market, making him the undisputed main operator of the formation.

After thoroughly understanding the Returning Yuan Formation, Qin Sang felt it differed significantly from the Nine Luminaries Star River Formation. The biggest distinction lay in the autonomy of the individuals within the formation. Once the Nine Luminaries Star River Formation was activated, the power of everyone formed a boundless star river, immensely powerful. However, those within it completely lost their freedom; their spiritual power would be continuously drained by the grand formation, and they couldn't even withdraw from it. This type of formation would only be agreed upon if there was extreme mutual trust, or if a powerful expert was overseeing them, similar to when they explored the ancient cultivator's relic. The formation, after Sima Muyue's improvements, had somewhat mitigated this flaw, but it still persisted. However, every advantage has a disadvantage. Precisely because it had fewer variations, mastering the Nine Luminaries Star River Formation didn't require much time.

The Returning Yuan Formation, on the other hand, was different. Although the main operator still held significant power, their control over others wasn't as strong. When disaster struck, everyone could go their separate ways; there was no need to worry about being dragged down to death by the main operator. Qin Sang surmised that Yu Kong's choice of the Returning Yuan Formation was a last resort. After all, everyone was a stranger, making it impossible to build much trust among them. However, this also increased the instability of the formation.

Regarding this, Yu Kong specifically issued a warning. "Unless your life is truly in danger, no one is allowed to leave the Returning Yuan Formation without permission. Otherwise, if you endanger others, don't blame me for being ruthless! This has been said beforehand, so don't claim you weren't warned!" Yu Kong's smile vanished, and his gaze swept coldly over everyone, reminding them that he was a mid-Foundation Establishment expert, far from a gentle scholar.

Under Yu Kong's piercing gaze, Qin Sang nodded solemnly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the varied expressions of the others, finally settling on the three who had joined later. These three were also rogue cultivators recruited by Yu Kong. One was an old man in a black robe, extremely gaunt, with hands so emaciated they resembled a pair of eagle talons. He was known as Old Man Muteng, and his wood-elemental spells were exceptionally refined. The second was a short, stout middle-aged man named Wu Chen. Like Qin Sang, he was skilled in swordsmanship, but his sword was concealed within the fan he held; its seven ribs were seven sharp swords. The last was a woman, dressed in a revealing, bright red light gauze, exuding a seductive aura. Her eyes flowed like water, seemingly gazing amorously at everyone. Her name was also pleasant to the ear: Crescent Fairy.

Xiu Zhirui also had a touch of charm, but compared to Crescent Fairy, she seemed much more naive. Given the natural repulsion between those of the same sex, the two women seemed to dislike each other, with sparks flying in their glances. Crescent Fairy's magic artifact was a coil of red thread, capable of diverse transformations. Like Wu Chen's fan, it resembled some kind of concealed weapon. Including Qin Sang, the strength displayed by each individual was remarkable; they were all top-tier among rogue cultivators.

"The jade slips contain the various transformations of the Returning Yuan Formation. Once you all have memorized them, we will begin practicing the formation. We will depart in three months," Yu Kong said, as he sent out jade slips one by one.

Crescent Fairy was incredibly surprised by Yu Kong's decision, dramatically covering her small mouth. "Senior Yu, why such a rush? Isn't Autumn Goose Market still at least a year away from opening?"

Crescent Fairy's voice was as exquisitely charming as her appearance; hearing it felt as though a fire was igniting in one's lower abdomen. A person of weak will could be enchanted by her voice alone. Yu Kong, however, maintained a normal expression, ignoring Crescent Fairy's theatrics. He patiently explained, "The protective grand formation of Autumn Goose Market is unfathomable. I just received news that it has undergone new changes. Since the grand formation's weakest period is very short-lived, we don't have much time left. It's best for us to arrive early and wait outside the market. Once the low tide appears, we should enter the grand formation immediately. Even if we can gain just an extra quarter-hour inside, we might obtain an additional treasure. Furthermore, the distance between West Desolate Town and Autumn Goose Market is considerable. By departing early, we can travel at a leisurely pace, gain experience along the way, and familiarize ourselves with each other, thus increasing our chances of breaking the formation."

From then on, they followed Yu Kong's instructions. Three months passed quickly. While cultivating, everyone practiced the formation diligently, becoming incredibly proficient with the Returning Yuan Formation. As soon as the time came, they left West Desolate Town together, heading straight north.

They brought ample magical artifacts, spirit pills, and other supplies, slowly approaching Autumn Goose Market. As they grew more familiar with each other, they often collaborated to hunt cloud beasts, equally distributing the spoils. On the surface, the team's atmosphere was very harmonious.

As time passed, they drew closer and closer to Autumn Goose Market. Along the way, everyone except Yan Wu subtly inquired about Qin Sang's plans after entering Autumn Goose Market. After a period of 'reserve,' Qin Sang had already accepted Yu Kong's invitation. He also realized that Yu Kong hadn't invited only him; presumably, everyone else had also received an invitation. However, unlike Qin Sang, who had his own agenda, most others were hesitant. Through his observations over these days, Qin Sang hadn't noticed anything suspicious about Yu Kong. Yu Kong completely disregarded the rumors. Whenever the others mentioned them, he would dismissively remind everyone that such an opportunity arose only once every thirty years, and it would be a pity to waste it on rumors. Instead, it was better to plan carefully on how to compete for more treasures. From Yu Kong's explanations, they also gained a general understanding of Autumn Goose Market.