Chapter 594: Heavenly Derivation Sect (II)
Time passed quietly, and more than ten days passed.
"Hahaha! Finally, I've done it!"
A burst of delighted laughter echoed through the hall. Lin Zheyu stared intently at the formation floating in the air, its surface radiating a dim purple-black glow. Excitement flashed through his eyes. After spending so much time on the task, he had finally succeeded in recreating the Immortal Dao rune foundation of the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation through demonic patterns with near-perfect accuracy. It had been anything but easy.
The number of demonic patterns he had encountered was still far too limited. Replacing most of the Immortal Dao runes within a formation with demonic patterns while preserving their functions was an extremely difficult undertaking.
Fortunately, he possessed the golden Heavenly Eye, which allowed him to perceive the Dao resonance patterns and energy pathways hidden within formations. By relying on those insights, he had been able to conduct countless experiments and continuously refine the design.
After extensive testing and optimization, Lin Zheyu finally succeeded in translating the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation into a form resembling the mysterious formation hidden deep within the crimson-purple magma. Compared to the original, however, his version was still crude and immature. Even so, he was more than satisfied with the result.
Next, I can begin translating it into Martial Divine Patterns and integrating it into the Primordial Golden Body, Lin Zheyu thought to himself.
Countless flashes of inspiration converged in his mind, gradually taking shape as a new technique, the Heaven-Deceiving Art.
The thought was transmitted outward. The data within his consciousness blurred for an instant before reappearing. Lin Zheyu glanced at it, only to find that no corresponding data for the Heaven-Deceiving Art had appeared. Yet he felt no disappointment.
The process of creating a technique was much like conducting experiments in a laboratory from his previous life. One began by forming a hypothesis based on existing knowledge, then tested whether the technique was actually viable. The results would then be used to refine and further improve it.
The difference was that Lin Zheyu possessed Origin Force. With a single glance, he could determine whether a newly created technique was truly workable, sparing himself the immense time and effort normally required for cultivation and verification.
Sparks of inspiration flashed through his mind without end. One version of the Heaven-Deceiving Art after another was created, only to be judged a failure by Origin Force.
Yet Lin Zheyu continued trying again and again. Through integrating demonic patterns into the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation, his understanding of the formation had reached an astonishing level. He had thoroughly grasped how demonic patterns could be combined with, and even replace, Immortal Dao runes while still reproducing the effects of the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation.
With such a vast accumulation of knowledge, experience, and insight, creating the Heaven-Deceiving Art itself was not particularly difficult. All he needed to do was find a single viable path among countless possibilities and then refine it through continuous iteration.
Time passed quietly. Even Lin Zheyu had long since lost count of how many attempts he had made. More than two days later, a smile finally appeared on his usually expressionless face. He had succeeded.
[Heaven Rewards the Diligent]
[Name: Lin Zheyu]
[Origin Force: 52]
[Techniques: Earth Shrinking Technique (Perfection), Seven Absolute Sabers (Fifth Stage: 3%), Heaven-Deceiving Art (Dormancy), Primordial Golden Body (Third Stage: 100%)]
Lin Zheyu looked at the data within his consciousness and thought to himself, I finally succeeded, though there's not much Origin Force left.
To comprehend the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation, Lin Zheyu had maintained the operation of the golden Heavenly Eye almost without pause during this period. Even though he periodically pushed past his limits every few days to obtain more Origin Force, the gains still could not keep up with the Heavenly Eye's consumption.
Lin Zheyu slowly rose to his feet and murmured softly, "It's time to leave."
The Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation here no longer served any purpose for him. More importantly, he needed to find a space-time node and use its energy to cultivate the Heaven-Deceiving Art to Perfection. Using spirit stones as the energy source would be far too extravagant. Lin Zheyu was unwilling to waste such valuable resources in that manner.
With a thought from Lin Zheyu, the formation surrounding the hall instantly opened. Outside, Wu Di was already waiting respectfully.
"May I ask what instructions you have for me?" Wu Di asked respectfully.
The moment Lin Zheyu decided to leave, he summoned Wu Di with his spiritual sense.
Lin Zheyu said calmly, "I'm leaving."
Noticing the mixture of relief and reluctance on Wu Di's face, he continued, "Keep gathering formations for me, regardless of their type. If you can obtain any manuals related to restrictions, those will do as well."
"Yes, Senior," Wu Di replied.
A trace of hesitation appeared on his face. After a brief pause, he added, "Senior, why not join the Heavenly Derivation Sect? It is a powerful sect that specializes in the Dao of formations."
Wu Di carefully watched Lin Zheyu's reaction. When he noticed a hint of curiosity in the latter's eyes, he quietly relaxed.
"It is an extremely powerful sect with very strict requirements for its disciples. They only accept those with extraordinary talent in the Dao of formations. Given the aptitude you have displayed, joining the Heavenly Derivation Sect should pose no problem at all," Wu Di suggested cautiously.
"Oh?" Lin Zheyu asked with interest, "The Heavenly Derivation Sect isn't a sect of Great Wei, is it?"
After joining the Martial Alliance, he had made a thorough study of all the major powers and families within Great Wei. The Heavenly Derivation Sect had not been among them.
A look of yearning appeared in Wu Di's eyes. "Of course not. Great Wei may dominate this continent, but across the entire world, it ranks at best among the middle tier. The Heavenly Derivation Sect, however, is a powerhouse capable of placing among the top ten forces in existence."
The Heavenly Derivation Sect, also known as the Heaven-Deriving Sect, derived its name from its philosophy. They sought to use the Heavenly Dao to deduce the Dao of formations, then use formations to emulate the Heavenly Dao itself, ultimately replacing it. That was the sect's ultimate ambition.
"Do you know where the Heavenly Derivation Sect is located? And how one might join it?" Lin Zheyu asked, now genuinely interested.
If he wished to use the Primordial Golden Body as the foundation for forging a new path in martial cultivation, he would need a far deeper understanding of formations. His original plan had been to leverage his status within the Martial Alliance and gain access to the Heavenly Works Pavilion of Great Wei to acquire knowledge related to formations. Now, however, it seemed he might have found a better option.
"Uh... this junior doesn't know," Wu Di admitted awkwardly.
Afraid that Lin Zheyu might be displeased, he quickly added, "But I can make inquiries on your behalf."
Wu Di knew many cultivators involved in the Dao of formations and possessed his own information network. Gathering news related to the Heavenly Derivation Sect would be far easier for him than for Lin Zheyu, starting from scratch.
"Good." Lin Zheyu nodded and said, "Take this. If you encounter danger, use this transmission jade talisman to contact me. If fortune favors you and I happen to be nearby, I can intervene on your behalf once. Only against Golden Core realm cultivators."
That single intervention could mean saving Wu Di's life or helping him kill an enemy, depending on the opponent's strength. With a thought from Lin Zheyu, a jade talisman flew out from his storage pouch and landed in Wu Di's hand.
The transmission jade talisman was a single-use item, an upgraded version of a transmission talisman. Its communication capabilities surpassed those of the Spirit Resonance Sphere, and once bound to an owner, it could not be used by anyone else. Even if stolen, it would be useless to the thief. Lin Zheyu had purchased it specifically as a reserve item.
"Yes! Thank you, Senior!" Wu Di exclaimed in delight as he caught the jade talisman. "Please rest assured. I'll gather information about the Heavenly Derivation Sect as quickly as possible."
Lin Zheyu's guidance alone had already been an enormous blessing. Had he relied solely on his own cultivation, he might have spent centuries without achieving the same results. Wu Di had never expected such an additional reward. The promise came with conditions, of course. The senior would have to be nearby. But if the senior would not come to him, he could always flee to wherever the senior was. With this promise in hand, should he ever provoke a powerful enemy, he would at least have somewhere to seek refuge.
"Sit down cross-legged, circulate your technique, and do not resist. Before I leave, I'll give you one final round of guidance," Lin Zheyu said calmly.
Wu Di had conducted himself well throughout their dealings, and Lin Zheyu had formed a favorable impression of him. Helping him a little more cost nothing. After all, a casually planted seed of goodwill might one day grow into a towering tree and yield unexpected rewards.
"Yes! Thank you, Senior!"
Wu Di was overjoyed. When he had first learned that this mysterious senior was a demon cultivator, his opinion of Lin Zheyu had plummeted and been replaced by fear. Yet as time passed, he discovered that this senior was little more than a devoted ascetic.
Aside from cultivation, all he ever seemed to do was cultivate more. Not once had he displayed the brutality or bloodlust commonly associated with demon cultivators. Gradually, Wu Di began to feel that perhaps demon cultivators were not quite as terrifying as the stories claimed.