18: Azure Spirit Concealment Array

The group discussed things animatedly, their faces filled with longing for the future, as if the path of Cultivation were right before them and the future full of promise.

Only Zhao Qiyang snorted coldly, seemingly unwilling to associate with the others, and turned to leave directly.

The others didn't say anything about this; they were not of the same path to begin with.

After some discussion, Lin Yan and the other four decided to visit the Scripture Pavilion first.

The Scripture Pavilion, Treasure Pavilion, and Merit Hall of the Spirit Herb Hall were all very tall, standing out prominently among the palace complex of the Mountain Gate.

The Scripture Pavilion stood on the west side of the Spirit Herb Hall, with greyish-blue tiles, dark red pillars, and wooden stairs spiraling upwards, exuding a sense of ancient dignity.

It was not particularly tall, yet it possessed an imposing presence that one could not look at directly.

The pavilion doors were always open; one could enter after presenting their Waist Token.

Upon entering, there was a large hall; there were not many people coming and going, and it was very quiet.

The Elder guarding the pavilion sat on a recliner, eyes narrowed in a nap.

The Deacon on duty stood straight, processing procedures for the Disciples who came to learn Cultivation Techniques.

"You must be the new Junior Brothers who just joined," a middle-aged Deacon said, recognizing their status, and reminded them:

"New Disciples are entitled to receive one Cultivation Technique of their choice for free, but it is limited to the first floor."

"Senior, are there any Sword Techniques on this floor? I wish to learn Sword Techniques," Hua Chenan asked respectfully.

"Of course there are. There are over a thousand techniques on this first floor, including Cultivation Techniques, Sword Techniques, Spells, Formations, Secret Arts, and so on.

These techniques are primarily based on the Wood element, though other Five Elements are also available.

There are even a few Wind and Thunder attribute ones, prepared specifically for special Spiritual Roots.

However, I do not advise you to Cultivate Sword Techniques. You only have one free chance, so I suggest you choose some Secret Arts or Formations that are useful for cultivating spirit plant."

The middle-aged Deacon carefully explained the pros and cons to them:

"Sword Techniques are for increasing combat power, but with your current Cultivation, learning them won't give you much combat capability, and it will only waste your energy."

He expressed himself very bluntly, and the group suddenly understood.

In the path of Cultivation, one must be down-to-earth; increasing one's Cultivation is the true path.

"We have been enlightened, we have been enlightened!"

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior!"

Lin Yan and the others bowed in thanks.

"You are welcome. Go in and take a look yourselves. Each technique has a summary; try to choose one that suits you," the middle-aged Deacon reminded them again.

The group bowed again, then eagerly walked into the interior of the Scripture Pavilion.

Inside, it was just as the Deacon had said; rows of shelves were neatly lined with various Cultivation Techniques.

At a glance, the exquisite Jade Slips were as dazzling as a department store; saying there were over a thousand techniques was no exaggeration.

These Cultivation Techniques were all recorded in specially made Jade Slips.

Next to each Jade Slip was a small booklet with a summary of the Cultivation Technique.

The Cultivation Techniques and Secret Arts of Cultivators all involved Mind-Cultivation Techniques and incantations.

These techniques could only be understood intuitively and not described in words, so they could only be recorded using Jade Slips.

Lin Yan was a good listener, and he planned to choose a Formation.

Compared to the other four, Lin Yan had a higher need for Formations.

Arriving at the Formation section, the various Formations made Lin Yan's head spin.

Nine-Star Spirit-Gathering Formation: Uses Spirit Jade to cast nine Formation bases, with nine Spirit Stones placed according to the celestial nine-star positions, the central one being the main Spirit Stone, with the other eight surrounding it.

The Formation eye is located beneath the central Spirit Stone; one can bury an item rich in spiritual energy or plant a high-grade spirit plant to enhance the Formation's Spirit-Gathering effect.

Once the Formation is complete, it can gather surrounding Spiritual Qi, increasing the Spiritual Qi concentration within the Formation by about 30% to 50%.

It is suitable for cultivating low-grade spirit plant, or for the daily Cultivation of Cultivators from the Qi Refinement Stage to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Five Elements Spirit-Gathering Formation: Uses Ore of the five attributes—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—to cast five Formation bases, with five Spirit Stones of each of the Five Elements placed in a cycle according to the Five Elements mutual generation order, forming a pentagram Formation.

A "Spirit-Gathering Jade Essence" or Spirit Crystal is placed in the center as the Formation eye to enhance the Formation's Spirit-Gathering effect.

Once the Formation is complete, it can not only gather Spiritual Qi but also has a concealment effect, harmonizing the Five Elements and reducing the impact of Spiritual Qi turbulence on the Cultivator.

It is suitable for cultivating high-grade spirit plant, and can also be used for the daily Cultivation of Cultivators from the Foundation Establishment Stage to the Golden Core Stage.

The Dao of Formations is vast and profound; it is an extremely complex technology.

Setting up a Formation requires not only comprehending the technique of the Formation itself but also learning some knowledge about Artifact Refining and the like.

Because many Formations require the refining of Formation bases, which is very similar to Artifact Refining.

Lin Yan did not have the energy to learn Artifact Refining now, so he had to find something more suitable for himself.

Soon, he found a Formation he liked.

Azure Spirit Concealment Array: Uses Azure Spirit Vine as the main spirit plant, and Hidden Mist Grass and Concealing Breath Flower as auxiliary spirit plant; through specific techniques, the three spirit plant complement each other to form the Azure Spirit Concealment Array.

Once the Formation is complete, it has both Spirit-Gathering and concealment effects; depending on the growth of the spirit plant, it can increase Spiritual Qi by 10% to 50%.

If there are insufficient spirit plant, it can be simplified to a version with only Azure Spirit Vine and Hidden Mist Grass; the effect is weakened but still has basic Spirit-Gathering and concealment effects.

"This is it, the Azure Spirit Concealment Array!" Lin Yan made his choice.

This Formation uses spirit plant as its core and possesses dual effects of Spirit-Gathering and concealment.

It does not rely on precious Spirit Stones or treasures, but utilizes the growth characteristics and Spiritual Qi affinity of specific spirit plant to naturally form a spiritual power cycle.

More interestingly, if the spirit plant are cultivated properly, the Formation's effect can increase with the years.

Although spirit plant Formations are weaker in the early stages and cannot produce immediate results, they generally have growth potential.

It was too suitable for someone like Lin Yan, who had an Innate farming constitution.

Before long, the group had all chosen their techniques.

After recording with their Waist Tokens at the Scripture Pavilion Deacon, the Deacon did not hand the Jade Slip directly to Lin Yan, but took out a new Jade Slip, copied it using a special method, and then handed it to Lin Yan.

"The original Jade Slip cannot be taken out. This is a backup of the 'Azure Spirit Concealment Array'; the content is the same as the original, but it can only be used to impart the technique once. Keep it safe," the middle-aged Deacon instructed.

"Thank you, Senior," Lin Yan said respectfully.

"Choosing a Formation is a wise move, but are you sure you want to choose this 'Azure Spirit Concealment Array'? The difficulty of setting up this Formation is no less than a Tier 3 Formation!" the middle-aged Deacon kindly reminded him:

"Although it has a simplified version, the difficulty of getting started is comparable to a Tier 2 Formation. As a mere Qi Refinement Stage Disciple, I'm afraid it will be very difficult for you to comprehend the key techniques."

"Senior, this Junior wishes to try," Lin Yan said firmly.

"Very well, it is a good thing for young people to have ambition." The middle-aged Deacon smiled, no longer dissuading him, and then said with a solemn expression:

"You must all remember: any technique exchanged from the Scripture Pavilion is for your personal cultivation only. If you impart the technique to others, the Sword Pavilion will certainly punish you severely!"

"This Junior will keep it in mind!" the group said in unison.

The middle-aged Deacon nodded, then suddenly seemed to recall something and said to the group:

"Today, an Elder from the Wood Lineage is giving a lecture in the side hall of the Scripture Pavilion. You may go and listen."

Upon hearing this, the group's faces lit up with joy.

In the path of Cultivation, it is said that a master leads the way into the door, but cultivation depends on the individual.

Not to mention Utility Disciples, even they, as Outer Sect Disciples, did not have a proper master.

They relied entirely on their own Comprehension Ability to grow wildly.

"An Elder from the Wood Lineage is giving a lecture?"

"Quick, quick, let's go take a look..."

"Our luck is really good today!"

The group chattered away, bade farewell to the middle-aged Deacon, left the Scripture Pavilion gate, and walked toward the side hall.