Chapter Eleven: Acquiring the Battle Formation Map

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The woman in purple manipulated the rune light flowing within the scroll and approached Qinglan. "I have four soul techniques here: Shattering Delusions, Shared Soul, Moon’s Lament, and Soul Bath. I have embedded them into your mind sea."

Qinglan was puzzled, only sensing something obscure added to her mind, bringing waves of dizziness. The four soul techniques were shrouded in mist, impossible to discern clearly.

The woman in purple sighed softly with a touch of melancholy. "The path of soul cultivation is deeply bound by fate. When the time comes, you will naturally perceive them. But without guidance, soul arts are very difficult to enhance. I have passed away and cannot teach you further. If only..."

Her gaze grew desolate as she spoke. The Moon Sect of Mingshan had been destroyed; how many soul path masters remained in the world now?

This girl’s talent was so extraordinary—everything would have to depend on fate.

The woman continued, "If possible, find a teacher. That would be very beneficial to you."

Qinglan felt unaccustomed to such kindness and beauty. They had only known each other a short while, yet the other had thought so much for her.

Curious, she directly asked.

The woman smiled faintly. "Because you and I are very much alike."

Her gaze fixed on Qinglan, piercing through all her layers with a single look. She sighed softly, "But you are less fortunate than I. Your injuries are severe... carrying hatred forward will not be easy."

Qinglan’s expression remained unchanged; she neither confirmed nor denied, and naturally, she would not alter herself.

The woman in purple said no more. Raising her hand, she condensed a strand of violet light and slowly infused it into Qinglan’s body, her own form becoming increasingly ethereal.

"Your spiritual roots are deeply damaged. Even at my prime, I could not fully heal you, let alone now, when I am but a lingering soul. This Immortal Moon violet light can only help your spiritual source hold for three years, preventing further decline."

"However," she shook her head slightly, her voice weakening, "while your realm can be stabilized, advancing further will be difficult."

A warmth surged within Qinglan’s heart. She softly asked, "May I ask, is there any way in this world to reconstruct damaged spiritual roots?"

The woman fell silent for a moment, as though recalling something. "Unless you find a top-tier wood element cultivator—perhaps they might have a method."

She did not mention another possibility—if one could obtain the heart of a great demon, using its essence and full cultivation path as a price, spiritual roots could be rebuilt. But such a method was nearly impossible; the demon clans would never part with something so precious.

Qinglan bowed deeply. "Thank you, honored one, for your instruction. May I inquire your name?"

The woman in purple looked at her and smiled faintly. "There is no master-disciple bond between us, so you need not know. Once you leave here, do not think too much of it."

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At this moment, Qinglan did not yet realize that in the future, she would become intricately linked with the now-vanished Mingshan Moon Sect…

But she knew it was time to part.

The woman’s figure gradually faded within the water mirror, transforming into a leisurely strand of violet light. "Go now. This is all I can give you. Remember, no matter how far you cultivate, never lose your true self..."

…

Inside the cave, Yue Dong watched Qinglan disappear. His brow furrowed slightly, a trace of worry stirring within him, when he heard the orange bird chuckle softly.

"Don’t worry. If she hasn’t come out, it means she is receiving that person’s inheritance," the orange bird said leisurely, then gestured to Yue Dong to look around. "Why don’t you help me tidy up the clutter here? The formation diagrams are among these things."

Yue Dong sighed and obediently began cleaning, sorting the scattered items carefully. Dusting off the debris, he put the heaps of clutter in order.

He gently brushed away dust and discarded decayed remnants. As he cleared deeper, some precious materials buried beneath the mess gradually revealed themselves.

"These are Green Spirit Teeth, Blue Amber, Wind-Calming Black Crystal, Ghost Obsidian..." Yue Dong muttered as he sorted, struggling to recognize the names of these rare treasures. Though not a pill master or artifact crafter, he knew their rarity and value.

Soon, he calmed himself.

Treasure belongs to its rightful owner, not me.

The orange bird flapped its wings lightly beside him.

Just as Yue Dong was about to classify a stack of ordinary papers, his fingers touched several exceptionally smooth sheets. He paused, gently drew them out, and spread them in his palm—four formation diagrams!

He stared at them in astonishment, tracing the intricate, exquisite spiritual seal runes on the diagrams, silently reflecting for a long time.

In the cultivation world, the most common first-tier formation diagrams respond to and use the five elements’ spiritual power. They are relatively easy to cultivate, highly practical for daily life, training support, or small-scale battles, and can be purchased with low-grade spirit stones.

Second-tier diagrams mainly divide into offensive, defensive, and auxiliary types. Formation masters gain more options in battle. These often appear at auctions and circulate among sects and factions.

Third-tier formation diagrams are treasures of sects. Formation masters of this rank are pillars of any faction, some building spirit-gathering formations to accelerate disciples’ cultivation, others fighting demons at the borders. The price of this tier is exorbitant.

Among countless scattered cultivators, few possess fourth-tier diagrams, and fifth-tier diagrams exist only in legend.

After nearly a decade of cultivation, Yue Dong had accepted countless commissions, and by fortune, acquired the two formations of Soundproof and Spirit Capturing. As he advanced to the Zhiwei Realm, these two formations could only increase their spiritual seal count from six to nine, enhancing power but still unable to rival true second-tier formations.

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For Yue Dong, whose resources were meager, these four diagrams before him perfectly solved his predicament.

Second-tier diagrams: Phantom, Sandstorm, Arrowhead.

Third-tier diagram: Earth Store Mysterious Trace.

…

Holding the four formation diagrams, Yue Dong looked up at the orange bird, his eyes filled with cautious hope.

Were these meant for him?

The orange bird calmly watched him and gently waved its wings, giving a clear affirmative.

Yue Dong’s usually steady heart stirred slightly. Awkward yet sincere, he bowed deeply, respectfully expressing his gratitude to the bird.

The orange bird accepted the bow quietly, nodding slightly, its tone tinged with faint regret and admiration. "It is a hard path for scattered cultivators—no sect support, no family resources. To have come this far at your age is truly not easy."

It paused, with a hint of inquiry, "Now that your heart is set on revenge, what comes after that?"

Yue Dong raised his head, his gaze bewildered, his mind suddenly blank.

The orange bird seemed to have seen through his thoughts and said calmly, "As a formation master, you must know where the sacred ground of formation path lies, right?"

Yue Dong remained silent. Of course, he knew—the name had been buried in his heart for years: Southern Sky Formation Sect, the ancestor of all formations, one of the world's top sects.

"Mingshan is vast, but still too small compared to Southern Sky," the orange bird’s gaze was gentle but encouraging. "Go south and see the highest peak of formation path."

It chuckled softly, "Besides, the people of the Nan family are decent. I think there, you will no longer encounter betrayal or abandonment."

Yue Dong was startled and lowered his head silently thinking: Actually, I have already found friends I can trust with my back…