93: Nine Heavens Star Array

When Lin Ye's figure reappeared on the cloud-shrouded peak of Luoyun Peak, it was already the dead of night.

The stone door rumbled shut, completely isolating everything from the outside world.

Inside the Immortal Cave, there was a profound silence.

Lin Ye did not immediately start cultivating on autopilot as usual. He simply stood quietly in this independent space that belonged only to him, his mind repeatedly replaying the scenes from the Sect Master's Great Hall earlier that day.

The Sect Master's gaze, full of anticipation and trust.

Su Qingyue's clear, cold eyes, sparkling with equally fervent expectation.

And that astonishing gamble, concerning the Sect's prosperity or decline for the next ten years!

"A secret trump card, huh..."

Lin Ye slowly exhaled a turbid breath, his dark eyes gleaming with unprecedented Battle Intent!

Seven Sect Martial Gathering!

He knew very well that although he had fortunately ascended to the Treasure Body Realm, a level countless Cultivators could never reach in their entire lives, it was still far from enough!

Tiannan Dynasty was full of hidden Dragons. The other six great Sects, with Legacies spanning hundreds of years, surely harbored Geniuses and Prodigies who were not to be trifled with.

He could achieve such a Heaven-Defying feat in just a few months with the System. Who was to say that among the other six Sects, there weren't those blessed with great Luck, possessing equally astonishing fortuitous encounters... Sons of Destiny?!

Moreover, Sect Master Su Changqing's plan was to use him as a "trump card" hidden in the deepest part!

If a trump card could only be effective in one-on-one combat, its value would be greatly diminished!

"The format of the Martial Gathering is ever-changing."

Lin Ye sat cross-legged on the cold stone bed, his brain working at an unprecedented speed.

"If it's a straightforward arena competition, with my current Treasure Body Realm Cultivation, coupled with the Perfection of Golden Bell Shield, Wind Chasing Sword Technique, and the overbearing Heaven Burning Heart Sutra, I naturally fear no one."

"But what if... it's a group battle?"

"Or, like last time in Black Wind City, all Disciples are thrown into a Secret Realm for a chaotic free-for-all?"

Possibilities full of unknowns and variables were rapidly being deduced in his mind!

He quickly discovered his biggest... weakness at the moment!

All his Cultivation Techniques, whether it was the defense of Golden Bell Shield, the dominance of Heaven Burning Heart Sutra, or the sharpness of Wind Chasing Sword Technique, were more inclined towards... one-on-one combat!

Once caught in an encirclement, or facing some strange, never-before-seen Formation, his seemingly powerful strength could very likely be infinitely weakened!

No!

He couldn't place all his hopes on his "reckless bravery"!

He must possess more versatile methods!

A thought, like a lightning bolt piercing the darkness, suddenly illuminated his entire mind!

Formation!

A powerful Formation Master could, by himself, trap and kill enemies ten, even a hundred times his number!

If he could master a powerful Formation, then in the upcoming Seven Sect Martial Gathering, no matter what situation he encountered, he would be... at ease!

He no longer hesitated, tightly gripping the purple-gold token that symbolized his status as a Core Disciple!

...The next day, early morning.

Lin Ye's figure appeared in the magnificent nine-story glazed pagoda – the Inner Sect Scripture Pavilion.

He walked straight towards the highest floor of the pagoda, a place he hadn't even dared to imagine before.

The higher he went, the richer the profound Dao rhyme emanating from the ancient Jade Slips in the air became!

When he finally pushed open the ancient wooden door, crafted from a single piece of thousand-year-old agarwood and carved with countless swirling stars, and stepped into the legendary ninth floor—

Buzz!!!

A vast Dao rhyme, as if from primordial times, filled with endless wisdom and ancient aura, surged towards him!

Lin Ye felt as if his Divine Soul was cleansed and became utterly clear in that instant!

The ninth floor was startlingly empty.

Here, there were no rows of jade shelves, nor was there an dazzling array of Jade Slips.

There were only nine enormous stone pillars, made of an unknown material, reaching straight up to the sky!

On each stone pillar, ancient runes were engraved with a... Sect-guarding absolute technique... enough to drive the entire Tiannan Dynasty mad!

"Qingyun Rainbow Transformation Art," "Myriad Swords Return to Origin," "Grand Purity Emotionless Record"... Lin Ye's heart was completely numb.

He knew that any Cultivation Technique here, if leaked, would be enough to cause a storm of blood in the outside world!

But he was not attracted by these supreme divine Cultivation Techniques that could drive anyone mad.

His gaze calmly swept over the eight stone pillars, each representing a major Dao of Cultivation such as "Sword," "Technique," "Body," "Pill," etc., and finally landed on the most central, most ancient, and most... mysterious stone pillar!

That stone pillar was dark gold all over, with no Cultivation Technique formulas engraved on it, only a... star map... full of endless profundity and ancient aura!

The star map was vast and boundless, as if encompassing the entire Nine Heavens Star River!

And at the very bottom of that star map, four ancient seal characters, full of supreme majesty and dominance, shone brightly!

—"Nine Heavens Star Array"!

This was the Qingyun Sect's true, Sect-guarding Formation, capable of protecting the entire Sect for eternity!

It was the true Sect-Protecting Treasure!

Lin Ye slowly walked forward, reaching out and gently touching the cold stone pillar, which seemed to contain the entire starry sky.

He knew that with his current Cultivation and authority, it was impossible, and absolutely not allowed, to Cultivate such a supreme grand Formation that involved the safety of the entire Sect.

But what he wanted was not it.

His gaze fell on the base of the huge stone pillar.

He saw that on the rock-like base, there was actually a scroll made of unknown beast hide, full of the marks of time... an ancient Formation Diagram.

That Formation Diagram also depicted a starry sky, but compared to the complete star map on the stone pillar, it appeared... much simpler.

"Nine Heavens Star Array (Simplified Version), Earth Rank Low Grade Formation. It was simplified by the Sect's Ancestral Master, who extracted thirty percent of its Divine Soul from the complete Formation Diagram. It is specifically for Core Disciples of the Sect to comprehend the Dao of Formation. This Formation requires one's own spiritual Qi as an lead, to set up eighty-one Formation eyes, drawing upon the power of the Nine Heavens stars to bless oneself. It can trap, kill, and defend, ever-changing and infinitely powerful."

This is it!!!

He slowly took the ancient beast hide Formation Diagram from the base... Back on Luoyun Peak, the stone door was tightly shut.

Lin Ye slowly unrolled the ancient beast hide Formation Diagram, filled with an ancient aura, in front of him.

Buzz!

In that instant, the entire stone chamber seemed to disappear!

In its place was a vast and boundless... void starry sky... composed of countless dazzling stars!

Streams of extremely complex and profound Formation information, like a bursting river, frantically poured into his mind!

Any ordinary Cultivator, upon contact with this torrent of information, would probably have their Divine Soul collapse on the spot and explode to death!

However, Lin Ye's Divine Soul, which had long been tempered by the System to be incomparably tough, stood firm like a rock, enduring this terrifying impact!

"System!"

He endured the throbbing pain in his brain and issued a command in his mind!

"Record new Cultivation Technique!"

[Ding! Detecting Earth Rank Low Grade Formation "Nine Heavens Star Array" (Simplified Version)... Analyzing...]

[Analysis successful! Cultivation Technique recorded successfully!]

"Add it to the autopilot list!"

[Command confirmed! "Nine Heavens Star Array" has been added to the autopilot list!]

After doing all this, Lin Ye let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked at his refreshed System panel, at the new, brightly sparkling star-shaped icon representing "Formation," and a cold smile, full of anticipation, finally appeared on his calm face.

"Seven Sect Martial Gathering, huh..."

"Xuanhuo Sect? Heavenly Sword Manor?"

"I hope that by then, you will like this... little 'surprise' I've prepared for you."