Chapter 576: Xie Yunhan

The Daoist Xie mentioned by Zhou Yuntian was named Xie Yunhan. He was a middle-aged man who appeared to be around forty years old, not tall, with a slender build, and possessed a cultivation at the Seventh Layer of the Cloud River Realm.

Such a cultivation level at his age undoubtedly indicated one thing: Xie Yunhan's cultivation aptitude was not high; in fact, it could be said to be quite poor.

In the Spirit Stream Battlefield, there existed a special group of cultivators known as "veteran Ninth Layer cultivators." Limited by their aptitude, their cultivation found it difficult to advance further after opening 180 Spirit Apertures. Since the minimum standard for cultivators to advance to the Cloud River Realm was to open 240 apertures and cultivate a Heaven-tier technique, these veteran Ninth Layer cultivators could never reach the Cloud River Realm and were destined to languish at the Ninth Layer.

Lu Ye had even encountered some white-haired old men who were cultivators unable to open more Spirit Apertures due to insufficient talent.

It was rare to see very old cultivators in the Cloud River Battlefield. This was because Cloud River Realm cultivators could use Spirit Emblems, which rapidly boosted their cultivation. As long as a cultivator wasn't extremely unlucky or too lazy, their cultivation would always improve little by little.

However, rare did not mean absent. Individual aptitudes varied, so the speed of cultivation naturally differed.

Overall, while cultivation stagnation like that of veteran Ninth Layer cultivators did not occur in the Cloud River Battlefield, there were still some middle-aged cultivators, though their numbers were small.

Xie Yunhan was undoubtedly one of them. In the entire Fox Immortal Valley, he was the oldest, but his cultivation was not the highest.

Led by Zhou Yuntian, Lu Ye met Xie Yunhan. After introductions, Xie Yunhan was undoubtedly very pleased to learn that Lu Ye cultivated the Path of Formations and was assigned to assist him. As the only formation master in the entire Fox Immortal Valley, he was solely responsible for setting up and maintaining all formations. He was overwhelmed with work every day, leaving him mentally and physically exhausted. If not for this, his cultivation wouldn't be stuck at the Seventh Layer of the Cloud River Realm, primarily because he lacked much time for daily cultivation.

"Daoist Xie," Zhou Yuntian said, "Daoist Lu is now in your care. He's new here and has many things to learn, so please give him plenty of assistance."

"Rest assured, Daoist Zhou," Xie Yunhan replied.

After Zhou Yuntian left, Xie Yunhan sized up Lu Ye. His eyes brimmed with unconcealed delight, clearly welcoming Lu Ye's arrival. He then said, "Daoist Lu, I'd like to test your mastery of the Path of Formations. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Lu Ye nodded, "Of course."

Xie Yunhan waved a hand and said, "Follow me," then led the way.

In a short while, they arrived at a corner of Fox Immortal Valley. Xie Yunhan pointed ahead and said, "There's a trapping formation here. It's been set up for some time, and I plan to move it. Daoist Lu, please dismantle it."

"Alright!" Lu Ye nodded and stepped forward. With the Insight Spirit Pattern empowering his eyes, he observed the formation ahead.

Dismantling formations was something he was extremely familiar with; it was even simpler than setting them up.

A few breaths later, he had a plan.

The method used to set up this trapping formation was not particularly intricate, and its overall strength was not high. Even if he accidentally entered and was trapped, he could break it with brute force within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

With his current mastery of the Path of Formations, truly dismantling this formation would also be effortless.

He pondered for a moment, weighing in his mind whether he should display his true abilities or hide them.

If he were to display his true abilities, it would likely provoke Xie Yunhan's displeasure and jealousy. After all, Xie Yunhan was the only formation master in the entire Fox Immortal Valley and was highly regarded by the fox demon. Once Lu Ye revealed a higher mastery in the Path of Formations than him, Xie Yunhan's standing would certainly suffer.

But by doing so, he could naturally ascend to a higher position, making the fox demon value him more and entrust him with important tasks, which would also facilitate his future actions.

When he met the fox demon yesterday, she was clearly most interested in Li Baxian due to his great reputation and immense potential. Next was Xia Liang, because Xia Liang was the strongest.

As a Fourth Layer Cloud River Realm cultivator, if not for some special abilities, the fox demon might not even look at him.

To kill the fox demon, he first needed to gain her regard and trust! Compared to that, potentially inciting Xie Yunhan's jealousy was insignificant.

Having made up his mind, Lu Ye immediately began to act.

In just twenty breaths, the trapping formation was perfectly dismantled, and the formation flags were retrieved one by one.

Xie Yunhan watched in astonishment and surprise. "Daoist Lu," he exclaimed, "your mastery of the Path of Formations seems to be very high!"

Although he had set up this formation himself, honestly, even if he had done it himself, his efficiency might not have been as fast as Lu Ye's.

Getting a glimpse of Lu Ye's abilities, Xie Yunhan vaguely perceived that his mastery of the Path of Formations was extraordinary. However, merely dismantling one formation didn't reveal too much, so Xie Yunhan then led him around various parts of Fox Immortal Valley.

Some formations needed to be dismantled, some required strengthening and maintenance, and some areas required new formations to be set up.

Under Xie Yunhan's instructions, Lu Ye meticulously and extremely swiftly completed one task after another.

The work originally scheduled for an entire day was already completed by noon.

The surprise in Xie Yunhan's eyes deepened. Previously, when Lu Ye was assigned to assist him, he merely thought his future tasks would be easier. Only now did he realize that Lu Ye's mastery of the Path of Formations far surpassed his own.

It was more than just easy; it was like finding a treasure.

Instead of showing any jealousy or displeasure as Lu Ye had expected, Xie Yunhan was very happy. He pulled Lu Ye's arm and said, "We've stolen half a day of leisure, Daoist Lu. Come, let's go have a drink."

Lu Ye naturally wouldn't refuse. This was a good opportunity to improve their relationship and also to learn more about Fox Immortal Valley from Xie Yunhan.

Following Xie Yunhan to his pavilion, Xie Yunhan personally cooked a few small dishes and dug out a jar of aged wine from the open space behind the pavilion.

On the second floor of the pavilion, Xie Yunhan and Lu Ye sat facing each other, drinking and chatting happily.

Due to his second senior sister, Lu Ye rarely drank alcohol. However, with his cultivation at this level, as long as he didn't drink too much, it wouldn't have any significant effect on him.

He wasn't in a hurry to inquire about the situation in Fox Immortal Valley, merely chatting casually with Xie Yunhan.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became much more harmonious. The "Daoist Lu" in Xie Yunhan's mouth also became "Brother Lu." Although it was their first time interacting, due to the secret technique planted by the fox demon, Xie Yunhan had little suspicion of Lu Ye.

Basically, as Zhou Yuntian had said before, once one entered Fox Immortal Valley, everyone would be like family from then on.

The jar of fine wine was quickly emptied. Xie Yunhan stood up and said, "Brother Lu, wait a moment, I'll go get another jar."

Lu Ye hurriedly said, "Brother Xie, I have some here, no need to trouble yourself."

Saying this, he took out several jars of different fine wines from his storage space.

He himself didn't drink, but he had killed many cultivators from the Myriad Demon Ridge, many of whom were fond of alcohol. Their storage bags always contained various wines from different parts of the Nine Provinces, all becoming his spoils of war.

Most of them he had given to Li Baxian, only keeping a small portion for himself. After all, these things were of no use to him.

He unsealed the jar, poured a bowl for Xie Yunhan, and half a bowl for himself.

Xie Yunhan picked it up and sniffed it gently, his eyes showing intoxication. He tilted his head back and drank it all, then closed his eyes and savored it for a while. Finally, he shook his head, "The Qionghua Brew from Yun Province still has such an endless aftertaste."

"If Brother Xie enjoys it, then drink more." Lu Ye raised his hand and refilled his bowl, casually asking, "Is Brother Xie from Yun Province?"

"That's right, I am indeed from Yun Province." A look of nostalgia appeared in Xie Yunhan's eyes. "Back then, my favorite was this Qionghua Brew. Could Brother Lu also be from Yun Province?"

"I'm from Bing Province," Lu Ye replied.

Xie Yunhan smiled, "No matter if it's Bing Province or Yun Province, once we're here, we're all family."

"Indeed. I'll toast to you, Brother Xie."

They drained another large bowl.

As Lu Ye poured the wine, he seemingly casually said, "Brother Xie, I'm new here and don't understand many things in the valley. It seems you've been here for quite some time. If I do anything wrong in the future, I hope you'll guide me."

Xie Yunhan picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, and while eating, he proudly said, "Rest assured, little brother. Since we are colleagues and get along well, I will certainly take good care of you in the future. I can't say much else, but as for the taboos and customs of this Fox Immortal Valley, no one understands them better than I do. After all, I have been here for twelve years."

Twelve years... Lu Ye's eye twitched.

He really wanted to ask him what he had been doing for those twelve years, and why he only had cultivation at the Seventh Layer of the Cloud River Realm.

Xie Yunhan seemed to recall something else and couldn't help but sigh. "Twelve years," he murmured, "seeing people come and go in the valley, a new generation replacing the old, alas!"

"Is there anyone in this valley who has been here longer than you, Brother Xie?" Lu Ye asked.

Xie Yunhan chuckled and shook his head, "Not at all. Most people who come here stay for at most one or two years..." At this point, he suddenly sobered up considerably and stopped talking. He lowered his voice and said, "Anyway, as formation masters, we are indispensable talents to our respected superior, so our safety is guaranteed. Another thing, Brother Lu, remember not to let your cultivation advance too quickly!"

"Why is that?" Lu Ye vaguely felt as if he had stumbled upon a secret. From Xie Yunhan's words, it seemed that advancing one's cultivation too high would lead to some kind of danger.

Xie Yunhan offered no explanation. He simply said, "Just listen to me. Many talented individuals have come to the valley over the years. Their cultivation advanced rapidly, but what good did that do? They've all turned into a handful of dust now. Whereas I, Xie, have lived to this day."

Since he put it that way, Lu Ye found it hard to ask more questions so as not to arouse suspicion. He immediately raised his large bowl, "Brother Xie, I'll toast you again."

"You're too kind, little brother," Xie Yunhan said, "Let's drink together, let's drink!"

The drinking session lasted from noon until evening. Lu Ye didn't gather too much information from Xie Yunhan, but what he did learn confirmed his previous suspicions: this seemingly peaceful and harmonious Fox Immortal Valley must conceal some unseen dangers, which would cause those with higher cultivation to die more quickly.