72: Chapter 72 Joining the Formation Pavilion

"Is it... like this?"

"Yes! Yes! It is exactly like this!"

"No, no, the Formation shouldn't be set up this way... Oh, wait, yes, yes..."

Inside the Immortal Cave, Shen Moyan scratched his head and ears while facing the grand Formation set up by Wild Goose Formation True Monarch.

The Formation patterns were simply too complex, countless times harder than the cross-prefecture Teleportation Formation.

"The reason I was able to build the Teleportation Formation before was by relying on tracing the Formation patterns."

"This was equivalent to copying someone else's homework, then selecting the appropriate Teleportation Formation patterns through numerous experiments, without truly grasping the essence of the Formation patterns."

Shen Moyan suddenly realized this.

It was truly wishful thinking for him to try and comprehend and break the essence of Wild Goose Formation True Monarch's grand Formation in one go.

"Working behind closed doors is not advisable, even though I have the achievement of being a Person Outside the Formation."

Through this period of secluded cultivation, Shen Moyan had figured out the limits of self-study.

"It seems I still need to find a renowned master for guidance."

Shen Moyan stood up and stretched.

The Formation Diagram beside him was collected into his storage ring via his thoughts.

After affixing the breath concealing talisman, which could block detection by Guizang Realm experts, he walked out of the Immortal Cave.

Outside Immortal Longevity City, Feiguang Prefecture.

Shen Moyan stepped on the clouds and looked down at the famous City of Longevity below.

Immortal Longevity City was not a traditional grand city or metropolis; it lacked soaring city walls or bustling markets.

Instead, it consisted of countless courtyards built along mountains and rivers, and scattered towers, each subtly connected to the earth veins, forming an invisible grand Formation that enveloped the heavens and earth.

The air was filled with brilliant flowing light, as various flying boats and Flying Swords traversed back and forth in perfect order.

The air was permeated with faint spiritual mist and complex rune streams; taking a breath felt refreshing and greatly benefited Divine Soul comprehension.

"As expected of Feiguang Prefecture, the legendary Holy Land of Longevity." Shen Moyan nodded slightly.

Feiguang, Feiguang, I urge you to drink a cup of wine.

The entire Feiguang Prefecture had many elderly Cultivators, most of whom had given up hope of further advancement and retired from the central great prefectures to spend their remaining years here.

Shen Moyan chose this place precisely because he valued its strong atmosphere of the Dao of Formations and its relatively relaxed environment.

The Holy Court's control over this area was weaker than in the core prefectures, and various great aristocratic families flourished.

Within Feiguang Prefecture, the Formation Masters Pavilion was one of the most influential powers, known for its inclusiveness and teaching without discrimination.

He descended from the clouds and arrived before a magnificent complex of buildings in the west of the city.

Azure jade formed the foundation, and glazed tiles made up the roof.

Shen Moyan found a quiet corner and sank his Divine Sense into his palm.

The nine songs seal on the back of his hand shone slightly, and his consciousness accessed the vast Nine Songs Net.

Ignoring the noisy forums and official announcements, Shen Moyan directly entered the “Xian Gong Recruitment” area.

He set the filtering conditions to Feiguang Prefecture, Dao of Formations, Apprentice, and Loose Cultivator.

The light screen scrolled, and countless pieces of information flashed past.

Soon, one recruitment notice caught his attention:

Formation Masters Pavilion, Outer Pavilion Deacon Hall Notice.

Seeking Dao of Formations Loose Cultivators; Apprentices and Elementary Formation Masters are also welcome. The mandatory cultivation requirement is the Mortal Transformation Realm.

Requirements include familiarity with basic Formation principles, the ability to independently refine low-tier Formation Plates, resilient Divine Soul, good patience, and the ability to pass the assessment.

Benefits include access to the first three floors of the Outer Pavilion Scripture Repository, usage rights for the Earth Fire Chamber and Formation Testing Platform, monthly Spirit Stone stipends, and guidance from a Formation Grandmaster of the Inner Pavilion for outstanding performers.

"The conditions seem fair enough." Shen Moyan thought.

The Formation Masters Pavilion seemed to value practical ability over background, which suited him perfectly.

As long as he could receive guidance from a Dao of Formations Grandmaster, working for the Formation Masters Pavilion temporarily would be worthwhile.

He immediately condensed a heavily disguised resume using Divine Thought and projected it over.

In his resume, he wrote that he was the Loose Cultivator Shen Moyan, who had accidentally obtained an Ancient Formation Master's Incomplete Manual, taught himself to enter the Dao, specialized in refining low-tier Spirit Gathering and Concealment Formation Plates, and wished to find a renowned master for further study.

Finally, he attached a section detailing his insights on deducing basic Formation principles.

It was enough to demonstrate his foundation without being too shocking.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the Nine Songs Net sent a reply:

"Fellow Daoist Shen, your resume has been reviewed. You may proceed to the Outer Pavilion's Formation Performance Court at Chen Shi tomorrow to participate in the assessment. No latecomers will be accepted."

Direct and efficient.

The next day at Chen Shi, Shen Moyan appeared punctually before the massive gate tower of the Formation Masters Pavilion.

Today, he had changed into an ordinary blue Daoist robe, concealing his Aura at the Early Stage of the Mortal Transformation Realm.

After handing over the assessment certificate received via the Nine Songs Net, an expressionless deacon led him inside.

After passing through several layers of corridors, the view suddenly opened up to an extremely vast open-air plaza.

The ground of the Formation Performance Court was paved with a dark-colored metal, inscribed with countless complex Formation patterns, faintly emitting powerful energy fluctuations.

At this moment, dozens of Cultivators had already gathered in the plaza, including men and women, old and young. Most of their cultivation levels were in the Mortal Transformation Early Stage, and they all looked nervous yet hopeful.

The assessment was presided over by a purple-robed Elder with a stern face but eyes as sharp as an eagle, who introduced himself as Elder Sun Haifeng.

"Assessment Item One: Formation Identification."

Elder Sun waved his sleeve, and dozens of Formation phantoms appeared in the sky above the plaza, each with different light and varying degrees of structural complexity.

"Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, identify the location of the Life Gates and Formation Eyes of at least three basic Formation combinations."

This posed no difficulty for Shen Moyan.

He didn't even need to use the Heavenly Demon Eye; his profound foundation, accumulated from analyzing the cross-prefecture grand Formation in Langya Prefecture, was enough.

A glance was enough; it was like observing patterns in the palm of his hand.

He casually selected three medium-tier difficulty phantoms, lightly tapped his finger, accurately reported their locations, and even included a comment on the Formation's redundant areas.

A faint trace of surprise flashed across Elder Sun's placid face, and he nodded slightly.

"Assessment Item Two: Setting up a Formation."

Each person was distributed a set of standard Materials and required to refine a "Lesser Five Elements Trapping Formation" Formation Plate with specified effects within one hour.

Shen Moyan's technique was practiced; he activated the Earth Fire, tempered the Materials, and inscribed the Formation patterns smoothly like flowing water.

Not only did he fully meet the requirements, but he also made subtle optimizations, making the Formation Plate activate faster and consume less spiritual power.

He deliberately controlled his speed and completion quality, keeping it at an above-average level, showcasing his ability without being too conspicuous.

In the end, only a handful of the fifty-plus participants passed the assessment, and Shen Moyan was conspicuously among them.

"The seven of you, starting today, are Cultivators of my Formation Masters Pavilion Outer Pavilion."

Elder Sun's gaze swept over the crowd, and he said solemnly.

"To join my Formation Masters Pavilion, you must drip your Soul Blood, establish a contract, strictly abide by the Pavilion rules, and must not transmit the Pavilion's Legacy externally."

A golden contract rune, containing binding power, floated in the air.

With Cen Boliang's previous mistake as a warning, Shen Moyan's Divine Sense stirred, and he secretly activated the Scripture of Severing All Manifestations.

Concealed by the breath concealing talisman, a trace of the true blood of the heavenly demon was forced out of his body, contaminating the rune and leaving a backdoor in the contract.

Seeing that everyone had successfully signed the contract, Elder Sun felt relieved.

"The Dao of Formations lies in diligence. I wish you all an early ascension to Grandmaster status and entry into the Inner Pavilion."

Once the procedures were complete, a deacon led the seven Outer Pavilion Cultivators to their accommodation and the Scripture Repository.

Walking inside the Formation Masters Pavilion, Shen Moyan kept his eyes straight, while his Divine Sense quietly spread out like a spiderweb, sensing the foundation of this Dao of Formations power.

The majestic power of the earth veins coming from deep underground, the faint fluctuations of the protective grand Formation visible in the air, and even the subtle inscriptions on some pillars and rockeries that looked like decorations but were actually Formation nodes.

Everything filled him with admiration.

"I have finally taken this step."

Shen Moyan sighed internally.

Now, he could systematically study the Dao of Formations System of this plane.

At the same time, he could utilize the resources and channels of the Formation Masters Pavilion to better conceal himself and make preparations in secret.

After receiving the identification token and the Formation explanation Jade Slip at the Scripture Repository, Shen Moyan was assigned a quiet room equipped with a Spirit Gathering Formation.

He sat down cross-legged, holding the Jade Slip, and immersed his Divine Sense within it.

A sea of fundamental Formation theories, detailed rune explanations, Materials atlases, and so on, rushed into his mind.

Unlike his previous isolated self-enlightenment, this was systematic knowledge.

If guidance was needed, there were Immortal Masters waiting in the Pavilion, which was very convenient.

All of this held immeasurable value for perfecting his own Dao of Formations, especially for understanding the Formation on the "Kua Fu Aspect" in Langya Prefecture.

"Just wait, Wild Goose Formation True Monarch."

"The great battle of this lifetime will be spectacular."

A flicker of anticipation flashed in Shen Moyan's eyes.