Chapter 498: Beneath the Precipice
Lin Feng, at this moment, naturally knew nothing of what was happening within the Imperial Palace.
At the former Snow Moon Holy Academy, now the Cloud Sea Sect, figures flickered continuously across seven different directions. The entire area had been renovated, with the ground exuding a dense aura of Heaven and Earth Origin Qi.
Old Man Huo and Old Man Chi stood at one of these seven locations, watching the flickering figures. Old Man Chi chuckled, "Old Man Huo, what kind of grand formation is Lin Feng trying to set up, to go through such trouble?"
"The Eight Trigrams govern killing, the Seven Stars govern illusion, the Eight Diagrams govern trapping, and the Nine Palaces govern gathering. Lin Feng is setting up this formation across seven directions, forming the image of the Seven Stars. He should be arranging an illusion formation."
Old Man Huo replied. Among formations, those below the Five Elements were all simple arrays. Only when one reached the Eight Trigrams did formations become more difficult and powerful. The Eight Trigrams, Seven Stars, Eight Diagrams, and Nine Palaces each had their own meanings—they could be killing formations, illusion formations, or energy-gathering formations. However, there was also a saying that Eight Trigram formations were more lethal in slaughter, Seven Star formations were stronger in illusion, Eight Diagrams were best at trapping, and Nine Palaces were supreme for gathering energy.
Of course, this was just a saying, not absolute. Eight Trigram formations could also be powerful illusion or energy-gathering arrays, while some Nine Palace formations were extremely effective at both trapping and killing. The key always lay in the formation itself.
As for truly powerful formations, they were no longer simple Eight Trigrams, Seven Stars, Eight Diagrams, or Nine Palaces. Those complex, mighty arrays integrated countless smaller formations, encompassing all these types. They were both killing formations and illusion formations, possessing immense power.
Moreover, the more formations integrated, the more terrifying the power could become. Of course, obtaining such formation manuals was difficult enough, let alone the challenge of actually setting them up.
On the Nine Heavens Continent, truly formidable Array Dao masters were rarely provoked. With a wave of their hand, they could form arrays, easily challenging those above their level, annihilating thousands with a single gesture, leaving mountains of bones.
Although he could not yet arrange such overwhelmingly powerful formations, he had been studying the Array Dao for some time and had achieved considerable skill.
Additionally, the thirty-six women were all quite proficient in the Array Dao. Working together, a layer of illusory, misty energy had begun to drift around the Cloud Sea Sect, as if many vapors and dust particles were swirling in the void.
"The profound complexity of formations is in no way inferior to the Dao of Alchemy."
Old Man Huo watched the illusory energy spreading and drifting in the distance, sighing with emotion. Martial arts had the Martial Dao, alchemy had the Alchemy Dao, and formations had their own Dao as well—profound and unfathomable, elusive to outsiders.
"Naturally. Consider how vast and boundless the Nine Heavens Continent is. We don't even know its full extent; we've never even left the Snow Domain. Our knowledge is shallow. Truly, we can only read about great powerhouses in ancient texts. Not all of them were dedicated solely to martial arts. Alchemy masters are revered and worshipped, and formation grandmasters can also destroy heaven and earth. Of course, whether alchemy or formations, both must be based on martial arts."
Old Man Chi also spoke with some emotion, expressing his own views.
Old Man Huo nodded in deep agreement. "Without mastering martial arts, alchemy and formations are empty words. One would never achieve great success and could be eliminated at any time. Martial arts are the foundation of the continent."
"You two seem to be in good spirits."
At that moment, a laugh came from behind them, causing Old Man Chi and Old Man Huo to focus their gazes. Turning around, they saw Lin Feng standing behind them with a smile. They were momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly.
"Lin Feng, you've already left us two old, useless men far behind." Old Man Huo shook his head. Lin Feng had walked up behind them, yet they had heard nothing, sensing no sign at all. If Lin Feng had wanted to kill them, they would already be dead. From this alone, one could see the refinement of Lin Feng's cultivation—his aura completely restrained, his steps light and utterly silent.
"It's just that you two weren't paying attention." Lin Feng made an excuse for them, then said, "You two mentioned earlier that the foundation of the Nine Heavens Continent remains martial arts. I agree with that. With strength, one can soar to the heavens and annihilate all obstacles. But since everyone knows martial arts are the foundation, why do so many still pursue alchemy, artifact forging, or formation setting?"
"Lin Feng, you must understand that not everyone has your talent. Many people often encounter bottlenecks in their cultivation that they cannot break through. At such times, blindly and stubbornly training won't work. If one's comprehension is insufficient and their state of mind cannot rise to another level, breaking through becomes an insurmountable chasm. But at that point, perhaps studying some auxiliary arts might help one gain insights into certain matters, potentially leading to a breakthrough."
"Moreover, alchemy, artifact forging, and formations are not merely auxiliary arts—they can be considered extremely powerful methods. An alchemist who can refine mid-grade Mysterious Pills will have people at the mid-stage Mysterious Martial Realm seeking their help. This satisfies their state of mind while also allowing for material exchanges. The pills they refine might also be used for martial cultivation, helping them become stronger. Why wouldn't they do it?"
Lin Feng nodded in agreement. This was indeed true, and he had already thought of it. The reason he asked the two elders was because he was facing some issues with his own state of mind. He had discovered that he possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, alchemy, and formations alike. This actually made him hesitate—how should he allocate his energy?
"Lin Feng, I understand the confusion in your heart. But what I want to say is, you must not waste your talent in alchemy and formations. Perhaps one day, it will yield unexpected results. Martial arts allow one to dominate the world, but that doesn't mean they are omnipotent. Imagine if you were not present and someone threatened your loved ones or friends—what would you do? If you were proficient in alchemy and formations, on one hand, you could help your family and friends improve their strength, and on the other, you could use formations to protect them."
Old Man Huo knew what Lin Feng was thinking and advised him, "Of course, Lin Feng, this is just my personal opinion. The key is for you to decide for yourself."
A warm smile appeared on Lin Feng's face. He nodded to Old Man Huo and said, "Old Man Huo, I understand."
"Good. You probably don't need my reminder anyway—you've already made some decision in your heart, haven't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have spent so much effort setting up this grand formation that covers the entire Cloud Sea Sect, nor would you have demolished all the buildings in the front area and replaced them with areas suitable for formations."
Old Man Huo stared at Lin Feng, causing the corner of Lin Feng's mouth to curl into a slight smile. The former Snow Moon Holy Academy occupied an extremely vast area. Setting up this formation had indeed consumed a great deal of energy and focus. For instance, most of the Origin Stones he had obtained from the Origin Qi vein at the Sword-Gazing Peak had been used in this formation.
...
Three days later, many people came again to the former Snow Moon Holy Academy, now the Cloud Sea Sect. The scene appeared the same, but many noticed that the Cloud Sea Sect seemed somewhat different. It gave them a very illusory, ethereal feeling, as if some mist was drifting in the void.
Yet, wherever their eyes could see, everything was clearly so distinct. There was nothing unusual.
"How strange!"
Many people murmured to themselves, gazing at the Cloud Sea Sect that seemed both real and unreal.
But at that moment, a figure stepped out from the void, growing clearer and clearer. It was a very young figure—handsome and unrestrained, full of spirit.
Moreover, behind this handsome figure followed a demonic beast, the ferocious beast Qiongqi. Wherever its gaze fell, the eyes of the crowd trembled.
"Lin Feng!"
Seeing this person, many people's pupils contracted, freezing in place. The handsome figure walking out was none other than Lin Feng.
Just as Lin Feng was about to emerge, he took a step forward, and his body instantly rose into the air. At the same time, Qiongqi let out a low roar, its body instantly leaping into the air and landing beneath Lin Feng.
Lin Feng took another step, directly standing on Qiongqi's wings. Man and beast drifted away, as carefree and unrestrained as immortals.
High in the sky, white clouds drifted. With each flap of Qiongqi's wings, they covered tens of thousands of meters, incredibly fast. The direction they were heading was unmistakably toward the Cloud Sea Mountain Range.
The Cloud Sea Mountain Range was tens of thousands of miles from the Imperial City, but with Qiongqi's speed, they could reach it in a single day.
At the place where misty clouds rolled, Qiongqi descended to the strange peak at the back mountain wall, slowly sinking into the clouds.
At the Bell and Drum Precipice, Lin Feng looked at the eight-sided bells and drums, and his thoughts drifted, a stream of memories flooding into his mind.
"Follow the precipice downward, a thousand meters down."
Lin Feng murmured to himself, recalling Old Man Bei's words. He slowly descended until he reached a thousand meters below the Bell and Drum Precipice.