Chapter 590: Undercurrent (II).
The wind howled as waves of scorching heat rushed toward him. Lin Zheyu strode through the void as casually as if strolling through a garden, each step carrying him hundreds of kilometers.
"Again? This makes three times already. Is it the Woo Family? The Ning Family? That old fox Fan Hongwei? Or perhaps Sun Zhenzhi?" Lin Zheyu frowned slightly as he looked at the azure glazed bracelet on his wrist, its faint light flickering softly.
Since returning from the demon cave, the bracelet had warned him three separate times. The first had come more than half a month ago. The other two occurred during his journey from Yanwu City to the Eastern Sea. As far as he knew, the only people who truly bore grudges against him were Woo Yixuan, Ning Ji'an, Sun Zhenzhi, and Fan Hongwei. After careful thought, he could not think of anyone else he had seriously offended.
"These people really are impossible to shake off... What a nuisance." Lin Zheyu shook his head helplessly while studying the bracelet.
The golden Heavenly Eye within his sea of consciousness suddenly opened. It carefully inspected both his body and every item he carried. After several thorough examinations, he finally confirmed that no tracking marks had been planted on him and let out a slight sigh of relief.
It seems they're using some special tracking technique. A divination art for deducing heavenly secrets, perhaps? Techniques like that usually come with a heavy cost and can't be used nearly as frequently as tracking marks. As long as they can't monitor me in real time, it shouldn't be much of a problem, Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
He had no idea that Ning Ji'an's father, Ning Wenyuan, had already set his sights on him and was plotting to seize his opportunities. After all, Lin Zheyu had never publicly displayed overwhelming strength. The only exception had been during the competition for the position of vice hall master of the Martial Hall, where he had revealed a portion of his abilities. Even so, it should not have been enough to attract such covetous attention.
As for the people he had killed inside the demon cave, Lin Zheyu had handled everything flawlessly and left no traces behind. At most, the Woo Family and Ning Family might suspect that a powerful expert had secretly been protecting him, or that some unforeseen accident had occurred and the people they sent had simply met with misfortune. They would never suspect Lin Zheyu himself.
Hall Master Lin Xian's assignment isn't urgent. I'll make a trip to Wu Di first. I need to integrate that incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation into my divine patterns as soon as possible. Once that's done, I won't have to worry about all these troublesome divination techniques anymore, Lin Zheyu thought.
Among the many cultivation systems in this world, there were all kinds of strange and mysterious arts. The secret Lin Zheyu held was incredibly profound. The existence of Origin Force enabled him to transform from an ordinary mortal into a martial artist comparable to a Golden Core realm cultivator within only a few years. If this secret were ever revealed, even powerful experts from the Void Cavern realm would likely find it deeply fascinating.
Lin Zheyu had no desire to attract the attention of such beings. Yet as his strength continued to grow, it would become increasingly difficult to stay out of their sight. The stronger he became, the more resources, cultivation techniques, and energy he would require. Acquiring those things inevitably meant dealing with increasingly powerful cultivators.
As a result, the likelihood of attracting the attention of those great powers would only continue to increase. Finding a way to conceal himself beneath the noses of such experts, preventing their notice and curiosity from falling upon him, was of vital importance. That was precisely why he had made the fourth stage of the Primordial Golden Body revolve around integrating various concealment formations.
The incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation, the Minor Myriad Void Locking Formation, the Concealing Spirit Formation, and others like them were all part of that plan. Better still would be finding barbarian totem warriors or yaos with exceptionally powerful concealment abilities and incorporating their strengths as well.
A cool sea breeze swept across the waters, carrying a strong salty scent. After entering the Chaotic Star Sea, Lin Zheyu spread out his powerful perception, covering a radius of more than fifty kilometers. Whoever was trying to track his location and scheme against him would be detected the moment they entered that fifty-kilometer radius. Even if he proved weaker than his opponent, his astonishing speed would allow him to withdraw long before danger reached him.
Sensing Lin Zheyu's aura, Wu Di hurried over and greeted him respectfully. "Senior, you've finally arrived. Please, come inside."
Wu Di harbored little resentment toward Lin Zheyu. The cultivation world had always been governed by the law of the strong devouring the weak. Even if Lin Zheyu had killed him back then, it would have been entirely normal. Yet not only had Lin Zheyu spared his life, he had not even taken the precious Thousand-Year Purple Infant Fruit. For that reason, Wu Di felt nothing but gratitude toward him.
"Has the Heaven-Deceiving Formation been set up?" Lin Zheyu asked calmly.
When he had left earlier, he had dug up the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation outside the hall and taken it back to Yanwu City for study. However, once removed, the formation had completely lost its function, making it far less effective for comprehension than an intact formation. The reason he had come to see Wu Di this time was precisely to use the golden Heavenly Eye to study a functioning Heaven-Deceiving Formation.
No, calling it a complete Heaven-Deceiving Formation would not be accurate. This formation had been reconstructed by Wu Di based on his understanding of the incomplete version. It was nowhere near comparable to the genuine formation. At best, it could only be called the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation.
Wu Di respectfully produced a jade slip and presented it with both hands. "Senior, it has already been completed. Recently, I gained a few new insights and further refined the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation, or rather, the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation. This contains the improved formation, along with my understanding of its principles, the operational logic behind the revised Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation, and various related observations."
Lin Zheyu accepted the jade slip with some surprise. Wu Di was as tactful as ever, almost unbelievably cooperative.
Lin Zheyu swept his golden Heavenly Eye over Wu Di and said calmly, "Thank you. You've already advanced to the False Core realm, haven't you? Although you successfully used the Thousand-Year Purple Infant Fruit to break through, there's a problem with the cultivation technique you're practicing. You failed to fully absorb the fruit's medicinal power, leaving behind several hidden flaws. If you have time during this period, come find me. I can help you reach a perfect False Core realm."
With his current cultivation and the power of the Heavenly Eye, he could immediately identify the irregularities within Wu Di's body.
"Uh..." Wu Di froze briefly before delight spread across his face. "Yes, Senior! Thank you very much!"
"You've earned it. Compile a copy of all the formations you know for me. While you're at it, acquire as many powerful concealment formations as possible. If you happen to come across another powerful formation like the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation, that would be even better. Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly," Lin Zheyu said in an even tone.
With that, he took a step forward. His figure vanished from where he stood and reappeared a thousand meters away in the blink of an eye.
Watching Lin Zheyu's departing figure, Wu Di could not help but sigh in admiration. "As expected of this senior. His mastery of spatial laws has actually reached such a level."
Spatial laws were among the most difficult Dao resonances to comprehend. Only truly extraordinary cultivators could attain such mastery while still in the Golden Core realm.
"Ah, I forgot to mention it. Some enemies may soon come seeking revenge. Perhaps I can ask this senior to kill them for me," Wu Di muttered softly, a trace of killing intent flashing through his eyes.
The Chaotic Star Sea was nothing like the peaceful and stable grotto heaven of Great Wei. Over the past few months, while purchasing resources, gathering breakthrough pills, and preparing treasures for his advancement to the False Core realm, Wu Di had made quite a few enemies. Had he not heard that Lin Zheyu was coming, he would have already begun making preparations to leave after his successful breakthrough. He had poured tremendous effort into developing this island. If possible, he truly did not want to abandon it.
Wu Di rose into the air on a streak of light and headed back toward the island. By the time he arrived at the hall housing the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation, Lin Zheyu was already seated cross-legged on the floor, his eyes closed as he immersed himself in comprehension. Resting across his knees was the piece of parchment that recorded the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation. Though his eyes remained shut, an indescribable aura emanated from him. Seeing this, Wu Di quietly withdrew from the hall, not daring to disturb his insights.
Standing outside the hall, Wu Di muttered in astonishment. "Is this senior really only in the Golden Core realm? Even my upgraded formation can't detect the slightest fluctuation of spiritual sense from him!"