Chapter 993: Cultivating the Formation

Li Ximing heard this, straightened slightly, and looked at the young boy, who was merely in the Fetal Breath stage, smiling, "Oh?"

Li Suining raised his eyebrows, bowed, and reported, "To the Venerable One, array flags are fundamental to forming an array, but not key to learning array techniques. If the inscribed array patterns are accurate and logical, and infused with magical power, they can still manifest a smooth and harmonious aura... serving as proof of one's learning."

Li Ximing wasn't skilled in array formations, but with his high cultivation, he naturally understood Li Suining's words easily.

Array flags are not only critical points for large arrays but also their most vital hubs. Even with a minimum of six flags in place, one can use magical power to detect issues with the array patterns and complete the formation. However, even without flags, if the array is already perfectly inscribed, it will naturally manifest distinct phenomena when imbued with magical power.

This was similar to how Li Xuanxuan practiced talismans by diluting spirit ink with water during the Li family's impoverished early years. However, array arts are not like talisman arts. Array eyes, patterns, foundations, and platforms must correspond to the principles of Daoist tradition above and conform to the earth's ley lines below. At advanced levels, they even involve the secrets of ancient rise and fall. The sequence and arrangement during inscription are highly complex, often taking ten days to half a month at a time!

Therefore, among various arts, talisman crafting was the cheapest, used by common people and rogue cultivators. Alchemy was the most expensive, favored by rising aristocratic families. Artifact crafting emphasized Daoist traditions, often passed down by elders. Array arts required cultivation, typically nurtured by immortal sects.

Without array flags, hundreds or thousands of errors could accumulate, and even if one knew there were mistakes, identifying their exact location would be impossible. Only a genius could possess such ability.

He merely nodded with great interest, a joyful expression on his face, then looked at the relieved Li Jiangzong and instructed, "Go and bring up the Everlight Obscuring Star Flags."

Li Jiangzong promptly assented and personally went to fetch them. Li Ximing then smiled and asked, "The 'General Guide to Array Arts'... which Daoist tradition does that come from?"

Li Minggong stepped forward and softly replied, "To the Venerable One, the family's array formations were organized by Guest Elder Huang from Jiangbei. A few years ago, he received orders to compile many fragmented array scrolls from the family into the 'General Guide to Array Arts,' totaling nine volumes. Jiangwu and others have taken the first three volumes."

Li Ximing nodded and asked, "Are the family's array formations currently managed by him?"

Li Minggong quickly shook his head and respectfully replied, "Five years ago... Guest Elder Huang failed in his Foundation Establishment breakthrough... and perished. The current array formation lineage is managed by Steward Tian Ling and Pavilion Master He Junxiu of the Treasure Array Pavilion... Their array arts are decent, but not comparable to Guest Elder Huang's."

Li Ximing secretly shook his head, knowing that the family's array art lineage had indeed declined.

Li Suining found the names remarkably familiar. He was acquainted with Elder Tian Ling and Pavilion Master He in his previous life. After Li Ximing brought back the inheritance of Venerable Yuanbian, Li Suining and Pu Xinya took over the Treasure Array Pavilion, with these two elders still handling many miscellaneous tasks.

Later, when Tingzhou was conquered and divided, he still heard news of Pavilion Master He in Southern Xinjiang. The He family was granted Tingxi Commandery, and Pavilion Master He became the family head.

He bore no resentment, instead maintaining a normal heart. After all, the grand currents of events swept through, and few could remain outside their influence. The He family had originally been the local potentates of the West Bank. While their power was curtailed under the Li family's rule, they remained law-abiding and fulfilled their duties. It was not like Tian Ling, who committed suicide before the pavilion; seeing that the situation was insurmountable, their surrender was normal.

In that moment, Li Jiangzong entered from outside the hall, carrying a jade box the color of emerald. The lid was open, revealing twelve array flags with a purple base adorned with star patterns, emanating a brilliant glow.

The Everlight Obscuring Star Flags!

Li Ximing smiled and said, "The Everlight Obscuring Star Flags were a congratulatory gift from Quan Yuzhen, disciple of Minghuang Zifu... Young Master Zhi back then. Although they are only twelve Qi Cultivation array flags, they are quite distinctive, no less effective than ordinary Foundation Establishment magical artifacts. It was originally his kind gesture, but they've been kept within the clan, slow to be put to use."

Li Suining was overjoyed, quickly bowed down, and respectfully declared, "I will certainly not fail the Venerable One's trust!"

In his heart, he grew excited: 'I truly am valued!'

One must know that in his previous life, Li Suining had not received array flags personally bestowed by the Venerable One. The two brothers only received a word of encouragement and obtained magical artifacts and resources from the clan... While equally generous, they were far inferior to the Everlight Obscuring Star Flags!

Although the Everlight Obscuring Star Flags eventually became his, Li Suining's, it would have been when he reached the middle Qi Cultivation stage and began to distinguish himself, by which time Yang Zhu had already been enthroned for five years!

'It's just a pity... I'll have to wait until Venerable Zhaojing returns from the East Sea and the clan obtains the Profound Shifting Calculation Scripture before I can openly use the Gathering Profundity and Hanging Treasure auxiliary arrays for cultivation...'

As he calculated in his mind, Li Ximing, having resolved a long-standing concern, was unusually happy. He smiled kindly at Li Suining, finding the familiar sharp aura between his brows increasingly pleasing. He even asked, "Do you have any thoughts? Any expectations for your cultivation?"

This was asking about his future divine power lineage!

Not only was Li Jiangzong slightly surprised, and Li Minggong both shocked and delighted, but even Li Suining himself was momentarily stunned!

One should know that immortal foundation divine powers concern one's future path. Countless individuals in the family were stagnant because of this. Be it Li Minggong, or later Li Zhouda, or even Ding Weizeng, the Hall Sun Tiger, who never gained fame in Great Song and later caused Li Ximing to sigh in regret—all faced this issue: the discontinuation of their Daoist lineage.

Now, for him to ask was an excellent opportunity! Several renowned Daoist lineages in the family, such as the Bright Yang Heavenly Gate and the Path of Traversing Danger, were certainly lineages with a future path to the Purple Mansion. Furthermore, thanks to his memories from his previous life, Li Suining was quite knowledgeable about the family's lineages, including, besides Lihuo and Quandan, even the Path of Lesser Yin Purple Mansion.

Yet, he did not speak immediately. Instead, he bowed respectfully and replied, "This junior does not have a preferred Daoist lineage. However, since I cultivate the array arts, my heart is solely focused on establishing an array art inheritance for the family. I hope to cultivate Daoist techniques that are beneficial to the array arts... As for the rest... I have no other requests!"

This was indeed his sincere thought. Bright Yang was definitely not suitable for him to cultivate again; even if he wished, Li Ximing likely wouldn't grant it now. As for Lihuo and Quandan, neither was what he sought. What he truly desired in his heart was a Heavenly Management cultivation method called the Divine Scroll of the Star Sanctuary and Grand Granary.

In his previous life, he entered Secret Forest Mountain, selecting cultivation methods in its Daoist palace, then entered the secret hall of the continent, deliberating for a long time between the 'Listening to the Awakened Stars' of the Awakened Star World Supervising Manual and the 'Profound Balance of Fighting' of the Golden Scroll Official Record Manual... Finally, he chose the Golden Scroll Official Record Manual...

Later, the family obtained the Divine Scroll of the Star Sanctuary and Grand Granary, which resonated with the Golden Scroll Official Record Manual, thus elevating his Dao path. Unfortunately, he had already reached Foundation Establishment by then, and his immortal foundation was ultimately a step behind.

Now, he kept this scroll in mind, but dared not use it—a rather troublesome issue.

Regardless of the future, his present answer was quite good. Li Ximing, listening from above, slightly raised his eyebrows, nodded with considerable satisfaction, and smiled, "Good!"

He seemed about to say something more, but his expression subtly changed. He hurriedly put down his teacup, raised an eyebrow, glanced around, and said, "It's rare for our family to produce an array formation genius. I've certainly noted your name!"

After uttering that single sentence, there was no further explanation. Li Ximing looked up, and without time to give another instruction, transformed into a ray of light, dispersed, and vanished, causing Li Suining's heart to tighten...

With the lessons learned from his previous life, even during his most glorious moments, Li Suining always felt a precarious sense of danger, like walking on thin ice. He was secretly uneasy: 'It must be urgent... I just hope nothing major goes wrong!'

As soon as the Venerable One left, the atmosphere in the hall immediately relaxed. Only then did Li Jiangzong begin compiling the roster, calling out names for incense offerings, and attending to other numerous and complex matters like primary and secondary successions. Beside him, Li Minggong smiled, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Li Zhousun on the other side, seeing the quietly nodding middle-aged man. "He's a clever child," Li Zhousun remarked.

Although a Purple Mansion inheritance wasn't easily obtained, and Li Suining seemed to have missed an immediate opportunity, he would eventually get one. Having received a "Good!" from Li Ximing was enough to guarantee him a place of standing on the continent in the future—one must know that even Li Zhouda, who was currently at the height of his influence, had never received such praise!

The two patiently observed the juniors below, scrutinizing each one. Feeling quite satisfied, they soon departed one after another. However, the ceremony in the hall had only just begun. It wasn't until two hours passed and the bell rang three times that Li Jiangzong finally relaxed, arranged the clan's affairs, and dismissed the children.

The group of children mostly appeared bewildered and uneasy, with the younger ones' legs growing weak from standing. Li Suining simply led his younger brother away, whispering, "This is just the beginning. Our residence is at the Hundred Linked Pavilion of the West Seven Pillars. In three days, there will be another clan event, and all the elders and revered seniors will attend. We must prepare well..."

In fact, the event three days later was the main point. Li Xuanxuan had always personally questioned each child. It was Li Ximing's appearance that made this originally preparatory ceremony unique.

Li Suining escorted his brother back to their pavilion. Closing the door, he showed no intention of resting, immediately descending from the upper floor.

'With the elixirs bestowed by the clan, I will soon be eligible to attempt Qi Cultivation. If I wait, I'll have to make another trip to the continent later, wasting several more days. It's better to take advantage of these three days... and go to the Great Hall to choose now!'

He secretly pondered his past and future words, carefully considering: 'Fortunately... the Venerable One has not yet achieved "Enlightenment Throughout the World." I can still harbor some minor thoughts in front of him. It's just that... his prestige is still considerable...'

As he mused, he couldn't help but recall Li Ximing's hasty departure, feeling secretly uneasy: 'Impossible... impossible... it shouldn't be this soon...'

Zhijing Mountain.

Li Ximing hastily appeared, riding a beam of light. He stopped in the mountains and immediately saw the young man sitting at a table, smiling. He took a few steps forward, exclaiming with joy, "Minghuang has come out of seclusion!"

The golden-eyed young man at the table saw him. The look of contemplation quickly faded from his face, replaced by a smile, and he promptly rose, "Greetings, Grand-Uncle!"

"Alright, alright..." The Venerable One pulled the young man back to sit, prepared tea for him, and laughed, "Do you have any good news to share? If not, I certainly do!"

Li Zhouwei chuckled, his mood instantly brightening. He replied, "I was in secluded cultivation for healing; how could there be much good news? I merely used the auspicious signs of Lord Taowei's successful cultivation and the pure Qi of the Xuanhong Art to heal for a year and a half... I should thank the two barbarians from the Xiang Li family for aiding my recovery through Taowei's success; otherwise, it would have taken even longer."

"The remaining time... I spent refining divine powers and studying techniques, which isn't exactly good news."

Li Ximing, however, smiled. He first took out an object from his sleeve, round like a golden elixir—it was precisely the spirit treasure, the Dual Bright Orbs of Profound Fire!

He introduced the many functions of the spirit treasure and handed it to Li Zhouwei. The young man took it, carefully read the Southern Separation Elixir Absorption Method within, and after a while, an expression of astonishment appeared on his face. He said, "What a powerful Daoist text! If I cultivated Lihuo, reading this would certainly be greatly beneficial!"

Li Ximing replied, "I made a copy and sent it to Jiangqian's cave. And taking advantage of a gap in communications two years ago, I asked about his progress. He has already completed the first secret method, Profound Fire, and has begun cultivating the second secret method, Heavenly Apricot."

Li Zhouwei was still very concerned about Li Jiangqian's progress. He nodded upon hearing this but remained noncommittal about the utility of the Southern Separation Elixir Absorption Method: "For him to use the Southern Separation Elixir Absorption Method, he would need to be at least at the mid-Purple Mansion stage. Reading it now would be pointless. He's smart; he wouldn't waste time on it after a glance... How is Quewan?"

Li Ximing replied earnestly, "She is in Zhen Tao Mansion, guarded by Elder Changdie. There was news recently that she has refined her cultivation and is working on the first secret method, Material Transformation. The 'Hou Shu Golden Scroll' is extremely difficult, so a slower pace is quite normal."

"They are all striving."

The golden-eyed young man nodded, then saw Li Ximing take out the remaining two spirit artifacts from his sleeve, arranging them on the table. He revealed a purple-gold thunder mace, from which purple and white electric light flickered. He declared, "These past days, I've refined the spirit artifacts, and this Demon-Slaying Abdominal Striking Mace is the most formidable!"

Li Zhouwei's eyes lit up as he took the mace, listening as Li Ximing said, "This mace commands thunder and lightning, slays demons and evil, and can discern ghosts and malevolent spirits. It's a top-tier offensive weapon... It's just a pity that the Demon-Slaying Abdominal Striking Mace favors divine envoys of Profound Thunder, and we don't cultivate Profound Thunder... Otherwise, holding this weapon would greatly increase its power!"

Li Zhouwei turned it over in his hand, feeling its weighty presence. He replied, "That's natural... Profound Thunder oversees the world, fitting the methods of the Thunder Palace."

As he communicated with it via divine sense, Li Ximing began to introduce it from the side, saying, "Exactly. This item has three divine functions. The first is Thunder Surveillance: once held and activated, it will call down thunder within a hundred-li radius... Even without a Purple Mansion realm cultivator's activation, it still possesses considerable power, similar to the Huaijiang Map of old, but even more formidable, suitable for guarding a region..."

"The second is Thunder Suppression. The Demon-Slaying Abdominal Striking Mace contains a secret heavenly thunder light with a pulverizing effect, totaling three layers. I have already tested it; if all three layers are unleashed, they can pulverize most magical lights and divine abilities."

"The third is even more unique, called Cloud Patrol. It has the ability for luminous thunder to move with it, accumulating thunder clouds in the sky, gathering power little by little over time, up to a limit of three days, to generate a punitive thunderbolt of considerable power... More importantly... once it directly strikes a person... it brings an overwhelming and enduring pain..."

After saying this, his expression became slightly strange, and he continued, "It's a good method for ambushing people, but in my opinion, it probably wasn't used for ambushing anyone back then. Spirit artifacts often display greater power in the hands of those with similar Dao paths or lineages. To me... it seems like a divine ability meant for punishment..."

Li Zhouwei mused, "That's true. These three abilities are mostly supplementary... The mace's primary offensive power isn't fully displayed. The 'Demon-Slaying Abdominal Striking Mace'... just looking at the words 'abdominal striking,' it should have specialized Daoist effects... We'll just have to see if our family's descendants have the fortune to unleash them."

His eyes brightened slightly as he nodded, channeling divine power into it. A seal script character then appeared on the hilt: "Huan."