101: Chapter 101 Array Master

Passing through a portal, one entered an elegantly decorated front hall, with two attendants in uniform court attire standing on either side.

Seeing Ye Changge enter, one of the attendants smiled and stepped forward:

"Welcome, Senior, to the Free Trade Fair. To protect the privacy of transactions, this association provides custom masks. Once worn, they connect to the Restrictions within the hall, making it difficult even for a False Core Immortal Master to pry into one's true appearance. Does Senior require one?"

Ye Changge pondered for a moment, finding this gesture thoughtful and comprehensive—it was indeed the style of a large-scale commercial association—so he nodded and said,

"I'll take one."

"Very well, Senior. The mask requires a usage fee of three hundred Spirit Stones."

The attendant's smile remained unchanged.

Ye Changge's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He secretly thought that this association really knew how to do business, charging even for a mask.

However, in order to avoid potential trouble, he readily paid the three hundred Spirit Stones and received a pure white, patternless mask that felt cold to the touch and had a texture that was neither metal nor wood, then put it on his face.

The moment the mask covered his face, a faint ripple of a Formation spread out.

After blending slightly with his own aura, it fell silent, and his Divine Sense became a bit blurred.

The effect was indeed impressive.

With the mask on, he stepped into the actual trade fair venue.

This was a spacious hall with soft lighting, arranged with dozens of independent low tables.

Over half of the low tables already had people sitting behind them. There were about thirty or forty Cultivators in the hall,

about half of whom, like him, wore various masks to conceal their auras;

the other half openly showed their true faces, appearing quite familiar with each other,

speaking in low voices; they were clearly local Cultivators of the Immortal City or those who knew each other well.

The trading rules were simple and direct: on the low table in front of each participant,

one could place items one wanted to sell or exchange, with a small sign next to them stating the requirements.

Those interested could step forward to negotiate; most transactions were barter, while Spirit Stone transactions were rare.

Ye Changge had nothing specific to sell, so he strolled slowly through the hall with his hands behind his back.

Surprisingly, he actually found a few good things.

Using five of his own crafted second-tier peak-grade "golden sword talisman" and one bottle of "Restoration Medicinal Pill" capable of quickly restoring twenty percent of an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator's Qi,

he exchanged for a second-tier Spirit Beast Legacy jade slip recorded with the "Spirit Beast Control Technique" from a Cultivator wearing a fox mask.

Beast taming was also an important branch of the hundred arts of cultivation. Although this Legacy was not top-tier,

the Ye family currently only had Little Gold. If they wanted to develop Dao soldiers or raise other guardian Spirit Beasts in the future, this Legacy would just fill the gap,

and perhaps he could learn some ideas from it on how to quickly cultivate Spirit Beasts and enhance combat power.

Continuing to browse, Ye Changge's gaze was caught by a small sign standing next to a low table in the corner.

On it, written in elegant handwriting, were the words:

"Seeking Heaven And Earth Treasure or unique Medicinal Pill that can effectively suppress excess Yang Qi and regulate Yin and Yang imbalances. Can trade with quasi-third-tier Formation Master skills, and can also assist with Formation design and layout."

He looked up at the person behind the low table, seeing a woman in a water-blue wide-sleeved fairy dress sitting there.

The woman did not wear a mask, revealing a stunning face with skin like jade, eyebrows like a painting, and a dignified and gentle temperament, like a classical beauty who had stepped out of a painting.

She had a slender figure and sat gracefully. Seeing her openly revealing her face, she was undoubtedly a local of the Immortal City.

Ye Changge's heart stirred.

The blue-clothed woman before him was not only a second-tier Formation Master, but her temperament and appearance were also excellent. Observing her speech and conduct, she had the demeanor of a refined young lady and a virtuous wife and mother.

A ripple couldn't help but stir in Ye Changge's heart:

A Formation Master was a rare talent. If he could bring her back to the Ye family... that seemed quite good.

He composed himself, walked forward, stopped in front of the low table, and asked, "Fellow Daoist, are you proficient in Formation layout?"

The blue-clothed woman raised her eyes at the sound, a pair of eyes like autumn water looking at Ye Changge, clear and calm. She nodded slightly, her voice gentle and pleasant:

"I am somewhat proficient. Does Fellow Daoist have a Formation that needs to be laid out?"

Her posture was poised and dignified.

Ye Changge was even more satisfied and said directly:

"I do have a matter. I need to set up a composite Formation involving concealment, protection, and Spiritual Qi guidance. It is not convenient to talk in detail here. May I borrow a step to speak with you?"

The blue-clothed woman thought for a moment, seeming to feel that Ye Changge had an extraordinary bearing and was not a treacherous person, so she nodded and stood up, saying:

"Certainly. Fellow Daoist, please follow me. There are private rooms here specifically for private negotiations." As she spoke, she led Ye Changge toward several closed small doors on the side of the hall.

"Fellow Daoist, please." She pushed open one of the doors and gestured to the side.

Ye Changge stepped into this quiet and soundproofed elegant cubicle, and the blue-clothed woman followed, gently closing the door.

Ye Changge followed the blue-clothed woman into the quiet room, the soundproof Restriction silently closing, completely isolating the subtle noise from outside.

The room was simply furnished, with only a square table and two chairs.

The two sat opposite each other. Ye Changge did not exchange much pleasantry and went straight to the point, his voice sounding a bit low through the mask:

"To be honest, I need to set up a composite Formation. The coverage of this Formation does not need to be huge, but the grade requirement is at least quasi-third-tier, and the concealment ability for the core area is extremely high."

Ye Changge currently needed such a large Formation to hide a fourth-tier True Spirit.

The blue-clothed woman's eyes narrowed slightly, her fingers unconsciously brushing over the flowing cloud pattern on her wide sleeves, clearly thinking quickly.

A moment later, she spoke slowly, her voice still gentle but with a touch of obvious regret:

"The Formation Fellow Daoist seeks... in normal times, although I dare not say I have a ten-percent certainty, but if I devoted myself to research and combined what I have learned to attempt to design and preside over the layout, it would be possible. However..."

She paused, looked up at Ye Changge, a flash of dimness passing through her eyes, and said softly:

"I currently suffer from a hidden ailment, and my Lifespan... is likely less than a year. My vitality is declining. Let alone presiding over the layout of such a complex third-tier composite Formation, even drawing a slightly complex second-tier Formation diagram makes me feel powerless now. It is truly... a case of being willing but unable, and I am ashamed of Fellow Daoist's trust."

Hearing this, Ye Changge's heart stirred, and he asked: "A hidden ailment? I wonder what kind of problem it is? Fellow Daoist was seeking items to suppress excess Yang Qi and regulate Yin and Yang imbalances outside just now. Could it be related to this?"

The blue-clothed woman nodded, a hint of bitterness appearing at the corners of her lips:

"Exactly."

Ye Changge pondered for a moment and said: "I am somewhat proficient in the Dao of alchemy, and I also have a few ancient recipes in my hand, which might be able to refine some special Medicinal Pills for the ailment of Yin and Yang imbalance. Perhaps..."

The blue-clothed woman shook her head gently, interrupting Ye Changge's words, the disappointment in her eyes growing, but her tone remained polite:

"Fellow Daoist, I appreciate your kind intentions. However, this is not an ordinary Yin and Yang imbalance. Ordinary Medicinal Pills are of no great use."