145: Safe House

Su Ming stared nervously at the halo, counting silently in his heart.

One breath, two breaths... ten breaths... half an incense stick.

It took a full half an incense stick for the light of the rune to slowly dim, eventually disappearing completely.

Success.

Successful on the first try!

And the effect lasted for half an incense stick!

Su Ming stared blankly at the clean circle on the ground, then at his own fingers. A huge, unreal sensation enveloped him.

The problem that had plagued him for so long was solved so easily with just a few pointers from his Master?

"Master..."

His Divine Thought trembled slightly.

"Disciple... did it."

"Hmm, not bad."

Inside the xuantian ring, Lin Yu's voice was as calm as an ancient well, as if this were a trivial matter.

"This is merely the beginning of the Dao of Formations. You have only taken the first step on a journey of ten thousand li. You must not become arrogant and complacent."

Holy crap! My Disciple is awesome! I just moved my lips, and he actually pulled it off! This Comprehension Ability is simply incredible! It's settled, it's settled!

Upon hearing this, the ecstasy in Su Ming's heart was instantly replaced by a feeling of reverence.

Yes, for a Great Master like his Master, this might truly be an insignificant introductory skill.

What did his own small achievement amount to?

He took a deep breath, firmly suppressing the excitement and joy in his heart.

"Disciple respectfully heeds Master's teachings."

"Very good." Lin Yu was very satisfied with Su Ming's attitude.

He immediately changed the subject, leading it to the Domain he cared about most.

"My Disciple, your success in setting up this Formation is certainly gratifying. However, it also brings a new problem."

"Problem?" Su Ming was startled.

"When you set up the Formation, although the disturbance was faint, it would still cause Spiritual Qi fluctuations." Lin Yu's voice became serious. "This Ding Qi Courtyard is a mixed bag; it's hard to guarantee there aren't those with keen perception."

"Especially Li Kai in the south house; his breathing technique is quite peculiar, and his aura is extremely restrained. Such a person either possesses a rare treasure or Cultivates a profound Cultivation Technique. Either way, it indicates that this person is not simple."

"The communication between us, Master and Disciple, and your future Cultivation, must all be conducted in an absolutely secret environment. Otherwise, once exposed, both you and I will die without a burial place!"

Lin Yu's words were like a basin of ice water, instantly extinguishing the warmth that had just risen in Su Ming's heart.

A layer of cold sweat seeped from his back.

Only then did he realize that his recent success also came with immense risks.

"Then... Master, what should we do?"

"The most urgent task is to establish a 'safe house' in your east wing room."

"Safe house?"

"Precisely." Lin Yu's thoughts carried a hint of strategic confidence. "We must use Formations to completely 'isolate' a portion of this room's space from the perception of the entire Ding Qi Courtyard—no, from the entire Cloud Hidden Sect!"

"Extend an extra space, turning it into an absolute Domain that outsiders cannot see, hear, or perceive!"

Su Ming's heart trembled as he listened; such a method was simply unheard of!

"Can... Disciple do this?"

"With your Master here, naturally, you can."

Lin Yu's Soul Power once again delved into the outline of formation basics Jade Slip in Su Ming's memory.

He quickly scanned through it, continuously complaining in his mind.

Sound-insulating Formation? Is that all? The energy conduction path winds around so much, like a maze, and the final effect is terribly poor. A typical academic design, flashy but impractical!

Breath-concealing Formation? My heavens, this is practically screaming 'come discover me'! Forcibly suppressing Spiritual Qi fluctuations into a ball? Isn't that as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark? Stupid! Too stupid!

"My Disciple."

Lin Yu finished filtering and slowly spoke in his profound and mysterious tone.

"Your Master has selected two most suitable introductory Formations for you."

"One is the Micro Sound-Insulating Formation. The other is the Simple Breath-Concealing Formation."

"These two Formations are of the lowest rank, consume the least, and their Spiritual Qi fluctuations are the weakest when activated, making them most suitable for our current situation."

Su Ming quickly listened intently.

"However..." Lin Yu changed his tone. "The Formation methods recorded in the Jade Slip are too crude and full of flaws. Your Master will make some... fine-tuning to them."

"Fine-tuning?"

"Precisely."

Lin Yu's Soul Power directly manifested the Formation diagram of the "Micro Sound-Insulating Formation" in Su Ming's mind.

It was a composite Formation composed of nine basic runes.

"My Disciple, look at the 'Stillness' rune here."

Lin Yu's will pointed to the bottom left corner of the Formation diagram.

"The Jade Slip states that this rune requires seven strokes to draw, to ensure structural stability. In reality, it's redundant."

"You only need to change three of its strokes into an arc. This way, the Spiritual Qi can circulate on its own, forming a stable 'silent field,' which can increase the effect by at least fifty percent while reducing consumption by thirty percent."

In his mind, Su Ming modified the rune according to his Master's instructions.

He immediately felt that the energy flow of the entire Formation diagram became much smoother!

"And here, these two 'Guidance' runes are completely superfluous! Remove them! They will only cause Spiritual Qi fluctuations to leak out!"

"As for the Formation eye, do not use the 'Suppress' rune; it is too rigid and prone to causing a rebound. Replace it with the 'Melt' rune, allowing sound fluctuations to be absorbed and dissolved, like silent rain nourishing all things. This is the superior Dao of sound insulation!"

Lin Yu's voice was like the most exquisite craftsman meticulously carving a piece of unpolished jade.

Every modification he made went straight to the core, simplifying the complex, yet causing earth-shattering changes to the effect of the entire Formation!

The more Su Ming listened, the more astonished he became.

How was this fine-tuning?

This was practically transforming a dilapidated ox cart into a lightning-fast carriage with drastic changes!

Moreover, the theories his Master spoke of, such as "energy circulation," "wave rebound," and "absorption and dissolution," were all unheard of to him, yet he felt... they made so much sense!

"Do you understand?"

"Disciple... understands!" Su Ming nodded heavily, his eyes gleaming with fervent light.

"Good, then let's begin." Lin Yu's tone naturally followed his previous line of thought, preparing to start his 'safe house' Master class.

However, the excited expression on Su Ming's face instantly froze, then turned into a hint of embarrassment.

He had to bite the bullet and interrupt his Master's grand blueprint.

"Um... Master..." Su Ming's voice carried obvious awkwardness. "Disciple... Disciple currently... actually... only knows how to draw the 'Gather' rune."

Inside the xuantian ring, Lin Yu's endless Soul Power came to an abrupt halt.

A strange silence spread through the Master and Disciple's mental connection.

Lin Yu's soul body seemed to have been paused.

He had just finished heavily modifying the outline of formation basics in his mind, and even had a 3D model of the 'safe house' almost built, but... the construction team told him they currently only knew how to lay one type of brick?

An emotion named 'Holy crap' almost broke through his carefully maintained demeanor of a Great Master.

Lin Yu took a deep breath... no, he didn't need to breathe.

He forcibly stabilized his Soul Power fluctuations.

"...No matter." His voice showed no ripple, as if the previous silence was merely him pondering who he was.

"A tall building starts from the ground. Mastering one Dao is far better than having a superficial knowledge of a hundred. Since you have already mastered the 'Gather' rune by analogy, learning other runes should not be difficult."

Good, good, this Disciple has high Comprehension Ability, so the remedial class shouldn't take too long.

Upon hearing this, Su Ming's embarrassment lessened slightly, and he felt even more ashamed of his Master's magnanimity: "Disciple is dull-witted and has caused Master trouble."

"The Dao of Formations is as vast as the sea. Progressing step by step is the correct path." Lin Yu quickly adjusted his mindset and teaching plan.

Lin Yu quickly adjusted his mindset and teaching plan.

"Since that is the case, we shall begin by studying the most basic runes. Today, you shall focus on studying the 'Control' rune."

"Yes, Master!"