355: The prodigy in this courtyard

The "Floating Formation Board," which looked like it was cobbled together, finally showed signs of slowing down amidst a tooth-gritting screech of metal.

"We're here, we're here! Grab the handrails... Oh, right, this board doesn't have any. Just grab your belts then!"

Accompanied by Luo Feng's shouting, the Formation board sank abruptly and landed with a loud "thud" next to a crooked ancient pine, kicking up a cloud of dust mixed with pine needles and stone chips.

Su Ming’s feet hit the ground, and before he could even recover from the dizzying jolts, the sight before him caused his pupils to contract slightly.

This was... truly the residence of a True Disciple?

Compared to the grand vastness of the Star Pivot Hall or the serene isolation of the Star Gazing Cliff, the courtyard before him looked more like a scrap yard that had just been baptized by a small Lightning Tribulation.

An elegant stone table was missing a corner, the break showing a strange charred blackness as if corroded by some strong acid. At the base of the courtyard wall, various discarded Formation Plates, broken Jade Slips, and several low-level Puppets missing limbs were piled up, staring at the sky in various twisted poses.

No wind chimes hung under the eaves; instead, several large Formation diagrams filled with complex lines were suspended there, their ink still wet as they rustled in the night breeze. A unique mixture of scents filled the air: the pungent smell of burning metal, the light fragrance of spirit ink, and... an extremely overbearing aroma of cumin grilled fish that pierced right into the nose.

"Cough, it's a bit of a mess."

Luo Feng jumped off the Formation board and kicked away a one-eyed Puppet head that had rolled to his feet. The head rumbled into the grass, its remaining ruby eye flickering twice.

"When you're doing research, how can you not have a few explosions? Don't be shy, take a seat! Just don't sit on that blue stone—that's the 'Extreme Cold Formation' hub I just finished carving last night. It hasn't completely lost its effect yet; sitting on it will freeze your butt off."

Su Ming’s mouth twitched imperceptibly as his gaze swept over the crooked ancient pine in the courtyard. Countless metal plates of varying lengths hung from the pine branches. As the night wind passed through, the clinking of the metal plates didn't sound like noise, but rather an ethereal and profound melody, reminiscent of ancient chime music.

"The Wind Whistle Formation?" In his Sea of Consciousness, Lin Yu's voice sounded somewhat surprised. "Using the differences in wind speed and the vibration frequencies of different metal materials to calibrate the melody... This kid is quite interesting. He's really figured out physical acoustics."

Su Ming nodded inwardly but remained composed as he found a relatively safe-looking stone stool and sat down.

"Come, come, don't just stand there."

Luo Feng was clearly the Dominator here. With a wave of his hand, he sent out several bursts of spiritual power to clear the clutter from the stone table. He then pulled several mud-sealed wine jars and oil-paper packages from his Storage Pouch.

"Cold Fat Fish, freshly grilled, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside! This wine is 'drunken immortal brew.' Although it's the watered-down version, it's still the good stuff that only those Elders can afford."

He briskly slapped off the mud seals, and a rich aroma of wine instantly filled the small courtyard.

The Eldest Senior Sister, Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang, didn't stand on ceremony either. She unstrapped the ancient sword from her back, placed it on her knees, poured herself a bowl, and tilted her head back to drink. Her movements were as bold as a Jianghu wanderer, forming a sharp contrast with her cold appearance.

Second Senior Brother Second Senior Brother Qin Yi focused more on the grilled fish. He pulled a small silver knife from a leather pouch at his waist and slowly removed the fish bones with precision, as if he were dissecting some rare Yao Beast.

Holding his wine bowl, Su Ming watched these three eccentric individuals, and the question in his heart finally couldn't be held back any longer.

"Senior Brother Luo," Su Ming took a sip of the wine. The spiciness entered his throat and turned into a warm current. "During the apprenticeship ceremony today, a doubt has been on my mind. Formation Peak is established on the Dao of Formations, but from what I see of Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother... they don't seem to specialize in this path?"

A Sword Cultivator and a Beast Tamer seemed completely out of place on Formation Peak, where "tech geek" was practically written on everyone's faces.

"Ha! I knew you were going to ask that!"

Luo Feng tore off a piece of fish and stuffed it into his mouth, laughing indistinctly. "Our Master is famous for his high standards and broad mind. Outsiders say Formation Peak has declined and its numbers are thin, but in reality, it's because the old man is too capricious when it comes to taking disciples. He often says: when recruiting disciples, prioritize Heart-Nature first, then look at fate, and finally that nonsense called Aptitude."

He pointed at Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang, who was looking down and wiping the corner of her mouth.

"Eldest Senior Sister was picked up by Master years ago when he was traveling through the bitter cold of the Northern Border. She was only seven or eight then. Her entire village had been slaughtered by Wolf Yao, and she was the only survivor. When Master found her, she was clutching a broken sword and huddled in a pile of corpses, her gaze colder than the snow and wind of the Northern Border."

Su Ming’s hand tightened slightly on his wine bowl as he looked at Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang.

Eldest Senior Sister Ling Shuang acted as if she hadn't heard, merely stroking the scabbard on her knees with her fingers, her expression indifferent.

"Master said she has the sword in her eyes and even more so in her heart. When she was tested back at the Sect, she indeed turned out to be a natural Sword Seed. But here's the problem: Eldest Senior Sister has no interest at all in those convoluted Array Patterns. She even gets sleepy just looking at a Formation diagram."

Luo Feng shrugged. "Any other Elder would have probably sent her to Sword Peak long ago. But Master didn't. He said: 'A Clear Sword Heart is also a Great Dao. Forcing things would only lead to a poor outcome.' However, he still sent Eldest Senior Sister to Sword Peak to audit classes and even managed to get the Elders there to give her pointers. As for the Formation classes..."

Luo Feng gave a mischievous grin. "Those were private lessons Master gave her. He only taught her two things: how to 'break Formations' and how to 'protect herself.' He didn't teach her how to set them up, only how to dismantle them. Master said this helps her understand the 'momentum' and 'flaws' within sword moves. If you were to set up a Formation in front of her now, believe it or not, she could pick out your Formation Eye with just three strikes."

Su Ming was inwardly appalled.

A Formation Master who only taught how to break Formations? This was practically a "weapon" cultivated specifically to counter Formation Cultivators.

"As for Second Senior Brother..." Luo Feng turned to look at Second Senior Brother Qin Yi.

Second Senior Brother Qin Yi had just finished deboning the last piece of fish. He didn't put the tenderest piece of belly meat into his own mouth but instead tossed it casually into the darkness behind him.

Rustle.

A spirit cat, entirely pitch-black with only its eyes glowing a ghostly green, lunged from the shadows, caught the fish meat with precision, and vanished silently once more.

"Second Senior Brother is even more outrageous." Luo Feng lowered his voice as if afraid of disturbing something. "Master bought him from a group of poachers in the Southern Wilderness as a 'Beast Slave.' It's said he was born able to understand the speech of birds and beasts. Even before entering the path of cultivation, he could command wolf packs to hunt. Once he reached the Sect, he felt right at home as soon as he entered Beast Peak. Those Spirit Beasts that are usually terrifyingly fierce are closer to him than their own fathers."

"His interest in Formations is probably limited to how to use a Spirit Gathering Array to make a beast's nest warmer or how to use a modified 'Cleaning Formation' to automatically clean the pens." Luo Feng's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "Master doesn't force him either, saying 'All things have spirits, and the Dao follows nature. His ability to communicate with beasts through his heart is his Dao.' So, Second Senior Brother spends most of his time at Beast Peak. On the rare occasions he comes back, it's to discuss whimsical ideas like 'Living Being Formations' or 'Spirit Beast Collaborative Formations' with Master."