71: Reveal your cultivation level! Invert the Five Elements Formation!

Chapter Seventy-One: Exposing Cultivation! The Inverting Five Elements Array!

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than two months had passed since Lu Qiu first arrived at the Tianxing Sect Market Town.

Inside the temporary Immortal Cave, spiritual light shimmered mistily.

Lu Qiu sat cross-legged, holding the simple, dark purple wooden box he had obtained from Ye Jin, which felt ice-cold to the touch.

The black light Restriction runes on the surface of the wooden box continued to flow incessantly, emitting a resilient aura that seemed unshakable.

Over these two months, Lu Qiu's life had been quite disciplined.

Every morning, he would check the Opportunity information, and then spend most of his time on his own cultivation and studying the Puppet Truth Sutra.

Almost every afternoon, he would head to Xin Ruyin's quiet bamboo forest courtyard to discuss the Dao of Formations with her.

Thanks to the profound yet simple guidance of the Formation Genius Xin Ruyin—who often pointed directly to the core—and her own unique insights and deductions on ancient Formations, Lu Qiu's progress in the Dao of Formations was lightning-fast.

Many obscure and difficult parts of the Heavenly Derivation Array Codex became clear to him. His understanding of Formation nesting, spiritual power flow, and the interactions between the five elements' attributes was far beyond what it had been two months ago.

He could even attempt to optimize and improve certain basic Formations.

Xin Ruyin had praised his amazing Comprehension Ability more than once, noting how he understood things instantly. Through their frequent exchanges, they developed a faint sense of mutual appreciation as fellow seekers of the Dao.

However, even with his significantly improved Formation skills, Lu Qiu remained helpless against the Restriction on the wooden box.

He had tried various methods of breaking Restrictions learned from the Heavenly Derivation Array Codex and from Xin Ruyin, but the Restriction was like the deepest pool of water, quietly swallowing and neutralizing all attempts without budging an inch.

“This Restriction... is probably not an ordinary protective or concealment Restriction.”

Lu Qiu stroked the cold surface of the wooden box, his brow furrowing slightly. “It's more like an extremely complex, interlocking 'Severing Restriction,' specifically designed to seal a particular object. If one tries to break it forcefully without the corresponding solution or a Formation attainment far exceeding the one who placed it, it might trigger an internal self-destruct or an even more troublesome mechanism.”

His current Formation level was sufficient to handle Restrictions on ordinary Foundation Establishment Stage Immortal Caves, but he felt powerless against this Severing Restriction, which was clearly the work of a master and likely placed by someone at the Core Formation Stage or even higher.

“It seems... I can only trouble Xin Ruyin,” Lu Qiu muttered to himself.

With Xin Ruyin's unfathomable Formation talent and the ancient Legacy she likely possessed, the hope of breaking this Restriction was much greater than if he were to grope in the dark himself.

He set the wooden box aside and ran his fingers over the piece of dark purple soul nurturing wood he wore close to his body.

The cool and peaceful aura continuously nourished his Divine Soul, making his cultivation of the Great Evolution Art much smoother over these two months.

The first layer was already at Perfection. His total Divine Sense and its level of condensation had significantly improved, and it seemed he was not far from breaking through to the second layer and making initial contact with the wonders of the 'Divided Soul'.

As the eastern sky lightened, the new day's information was refreshed on time.

Lu Qiu's gaze swept across the panel, but he saw only three pieces of white information, pointing to some ordinary Medicinal Pill promotions or low-tier material news in the market town; no silver or golden opportunities appeared.

“It seems the opportunities near the Tianxing Sect Market Town have been almost completely 'farmed' by me.”

Lu Qiu sighed softly, though he wasn't too disappointed.

His harvest over these two months had been quite bountiful. Besides the initial soul nurturing wood, he had obtained silver opportunities five or six more times through the information.

He had acquired several rare Spirit Medicines with ages close to a thousand years and pure medicinal power.

A magic treasure fragment with unknown attributes.

And an old map drawn on an unknown beast skin, pointing to somewhere in Lanzhou Province of the State of Yue.

He picked up the ancient map and examined it closely. The area depicted was in southern Lanzhou Province, which was within the sphere of influence of Spirit Beast Mountain.

The map marked a very hidden valley location, with several difficult-to-identify symbols written in ancient script next to it, seemingly related to some ruins or an ancient cultivator's Immortal Cave.

“Lanzhou, the territory of Spirit Beast Mountain...”

Lu Qiu put the map away, leaving it for a future Opportunity to investigate.

For now, he had more important matters.

---

Afternoon, the bamboo forest courtyard.

Several Formation diagrams drawn by Lu Qiu were spread out on the stone table, covered in marks from sketches and revisions.

Xin Ruyin, dressed in plain clothes, her pale face slightly flushed from concentration, was pointing at a key node on a diagram, her voice clear and gentle.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, your idea of using the 'Li Fire Position' to receive the 'Geng Metal Evil Qi' is quite bold, but the two attributes are inherently conflicting. Even if you use 'Earth Element Runes' to mediate in the center, the load on the node will still be too great during long-term operation. It would be better to try introducing the principle of 'Water Mirror Reflection' to deflect part of the Geng Metal Evil Qi to the 'Dui Lake Position,' using the softness of lake water to blunt its edge, and then...”

Her words were well-organized and logical, often proposing optimization plans that were refreshing to Lu Qiu.

Lu Qiu nodded repeatedly as he listened, occasionally raising his own questions or reverse deductions; the two were deeply engrossed in their discussion.

The maid Xiao Mei stood quietly to the side. Seeing their teacups nearly empty, she light-footedly refilled them with spiritual tea, her gaze toward Lu Qiu quite friendly.

Lu Qiu's frequent visits over the past two months, his humble and studious attitude, and his unique insights that occasionally made the Young Miss's eyes light up had given Xiao Mei a very good impression of him.

Most importantly, Lu Qiu was becoming increasingly generous. On days when the discussion was particularly exciting, he would hand over a dozen Spirit Stones.

For the master and servant who were currently lacking Spirit Stones, this was naturally a source of joy.

Just as the discussion was reaching its peak—

“Bang!”

The courtyard gate was roughly kicked open, shattering the peace within.

Two burly men with rough features and Qi Refining Perfection cultivation barged in, their faces full of arrogance.

“You, surnamed Xin! You must refund all the remaining Spirit Stones today! Otherwise, I'll tear down this wretched courtyard!”

The leader, a bearded man, roared in a gruff voice, his unfriendly gaze sweeping over Xin Ruyin and Lu Qiu.

Xiao Mei immediately stepped forward, shielding Xin Ruyin, her face red with anger. “It's you again! My Young Miss has already refunded half of the Spirit Stones as agreed! It's your own stupidity that you couldn't understand even the most basic Formation principles after studying for months; how can you blame my Young Miss? There is absolutely no reason to refund the rest! You are being so unreasonable and persistent, it's simply shameless!”

“Wretched girl, you're looking for death!”

The other man, with triangular eyes, was furious. He raised his hand to grab Xiao Mei, his palm wind whistling; he was actually getting serious.

Xin Ruyin's face turned pale, and she was about to stand up.

At that moment, a cold light suddenly flashed in the eyes of Lu Qiu, who had been sitting quietly without speaking.

A deep and heavy Spiritual Pressure, far exceeding the Qi Refinement Stage, was released from his body without reservation!

Like a giant rock thrown into a calm lake, or like a mountain pressing down, it instantly enveloped the entire courtyard!

The two Qi Refining Perfection men bore the brunt of it. They felt their bodies grow heavy, as if pressed down by an invisible giant hand. The magic power in their bodies instantly became sluggish, and their forward movements came to an abrupt halt.

They looked at Lu Qiu in horror, the flesh on their faces trembling. Their previous arrogance vanished without a trace, replaced only by boundless fear.

“Fou... Foundation Establishment Senior!”

Their legs went weak, and they fell to their knees with a thud, kowtowing like pounding garlic.

“Senior, spare our lives! Senior, spare our lives! We were blind and didn't know Senior was here! We won't dare to disturb Miss Xin ever again! We'll leave right now! Right now!”

Lu Qiu's face was expressionless as he coldly spat out a single word: “Scram.”

The voice wasn't loud, but it pierced into their hearts like an icicle.

As if granted a great pardon, the two scrambled out of the courtyard, not daring to look back, and instantly disappeared at the end of the path.

Quiet returned to the courtyard, but the lingering aura of the Foundation Establishment Stage Spiritual Pressure remained.

Xiao Mei patted her chest, her heart still racing, looking at Lu Qiu with eyes full of gratitude and awe.

Xin Ruyin slowly stood up and faced Lu Qiu. Her pale face held a complex expression—there was surprise, realization, and also a hint of faint distance and respect.

She performed a formal bow, her voice still calm but with an added layer of caution. “I did not know Senior Lu's true cultivation before and was negligent and offensive; I hope Senior will not take offense.”

She had long felt that Lu Qiu's aura was unusually solid, unlike an ordinary Qi Refining Perfection cultivator, but she hadn't expected him to be a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator hiding his identity and coming here for two consecutive months to study Formations—his purpose was likely far from simple.

Lu Qiu waved his hand, his aura already retracted back to Middle Stage Foundation Establishment, and spoke in a peaceful tone. “Miss Xin, there is no need for such formality. You may still address me as Fellow Daoist. This Lu indeed came to learn, and hiding my cultivation was only to avoid unnecessary trouble; I had no other intentions.”

Xin Ruyin nodded slightly and was about to speak again when her delicate brows suddenly furrowed. Her slender hand instinctively pressed against her heart, and a flash of undeniable pain crossed her eyes. Although she suppressed it instantly, that weakness and agony did not escape Lu Qiu's eyes.

Her body swayed slightly, and the maid Xiao Mei quickly stepped forward to support her, her face full of worry. “Young Miss!”

Lu Qiu looked at Xin Ruyin's paper-pale face and the persistent, stagnant sickly air between her brows, and spoke slowly. “It seems your condition is even more serious than I imagined.”

Xin Ruyin's delicate body stiffened imperceptibly. She looked up at Lu Qiu, a flash of vigilance and inquiry in her clear eyes.

Lu Qiu continued, his voice steady but pointing directly to the core. “You are so eager to accumulate Spirit Stones because you want to buy high-aged ice-attribute or water-attribute Spirit Medicines, right? You intend to use their pure, cold spiritual power to temporarily suppress the restless Yang Qi in your body and alleviate the pain of misaligned and atrophied Meridians.”

Xin Ruyin remained silent, but her slightly tightening fingers betrayed her inner shock.

Xiao Mei's eyes widened, looking at Lu Qiu in disbelief.

“This method might alleviate the pain for a while and delay the onset.”

Lu Qiu's gaze was like a torch, as if he could see through to the root of Xin Ruyin's illness. “But as long as you continue to Cultivate, as long as the magic power in your body continues to grow, that Innate 'Dragons Roar Physique' will continue to cause trouble, and the imbalance of Yin and Yang will only intensify. High-aged Spirit Medicines will eventually run out, while the damage to your Meridians is irreversible. In the end, it will still be...”

What he left unsaid was clear to all three people present—her path would end in death, and her fragrance would fade away.

The courtyard fell into a dead silence, with only the rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind.

Xin Ruyin looked at Lu Qiu quietly. The color drained even further from her face, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, carrying a calmness that had seen through fate and a glimmer of light ignited from a desperate situation.

After a long time, she gently pushed away Xiao Mei's supporting hand, stood up straight, and looked directly at Lu Qiu. Her voice was clear and calm. “Senior Lu has a Wisdom Eye; what you say is exactly right. So, what does Senior need Ruyin to do?”

She was an extremely intelligent woman.

A Foundation Establishment Senior who did not hesitate to hide his identity to get close, and who now exposed her greatest secret and predicament, could not possibly have done so just to show concern or show off his insight.

He must want something.

Lu Qiu inwardly praised this woman's exquisite mind and her composure in the face of change.

He didn't beat around the bush either. With a flip of his palm, two jade boxes emitting cold air appeared on the stone table.

The box lids opened automatically, revealing two crystal-clear Spirit Medicines shaped like ice sculptures, emitting extremely pure cold air. Their medicinal ages were both over eight hundred years!

“Ice Crystal Lotus! Profound Frost Grass!”

Xiao Mei couldn't help but exclaim softly, her eyes bursting with wild joy.

These were exactly the high-aged ice-attribute Spirit Medicines the Young Miss needed most urgently and found most difficult to find!

Either one would be enough to let the Young Miss last much longer and alleviate much more pain!

Xin Ruyin's gaze was also firmly fixed on these two Spirit Medicines, her breathing becoming slightly hurried.

With them, she wouldn't need to run herself ragged to suppress her condition for at least several years. She could have more time and energy to study the Dao of Formations, and even... look for that slim hope of a permanent cure.

Lu Qiu pushed the two jade boxes forward gently, then took out that dark purple mysterious wooden box and placed it next to the Spirit Medicines.

“My request is very simple.”

Lu Qiu looked at Xin Ruyin and said solemnly, “First, please help me break the Restriction on this wooden box. Second, I need a complete set of 'Inverting Five Elements Array' Formation tools.”

Xin Ruyin's gaze moved from the Spirit Medicines to the simple wooden box. When her eyes touched the flowing black light runes on the surface of the box, her eyes instantly burst with an expression of intense focus and interest, like a top craftsman seeing a peerless piece of uncut jade.

As for the 'Inverting Five Elements Array,' a flash of realization appeared in her eyes.

This Formation had amazing defensive power and was exactly the kind of great protective Formation for an Immortal Cave that Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators dreamed of. It was perfectly reasonable for the other party to have this requirement.

She raised her pale face, her gaze shifting between the Spirit Medicines and the wooden box for a moment before finally settling on Lu Qiu's face. The corners of her mouth even curved up slightly into an extremely faint but genuine smile.

“Ruyin accepts this deal from Senior.”