Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 645 Thirteen Grandmasters, the Xiao Family's Ambition (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"My lord, should we... run away?"

Zhao Qi asked cautiously.

Li Yunjing shook his head: "Leaving now is tantamount to courting death."

His divine sense extended outwards, exploring the area outside the manor, where several seemingly casual merchants and passersby were observed. "These people have been following us ever since we left the city lord's mansion. Not to mention..."

"How can you so easily get rid of the methods of a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

He raised his hand and made a sweeping motion in the air, and a water mirror appeared, showing an inconspicuous purple butterfly above the roof.

The patterns on the butterfly's wings bore a striking resemblance, to the purple markings between Xiao Yuntian's eyebrows.

"Now we have no choice but to serve Xiao Yuntian obediently. Hopefully, he'll let us leave after he's used us up!"

Li Yunjing sighed.

This time, we've really run into trouble.

He hadn't expected that the title of a Grandmaster of Array Formation would catch the eye of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator at the Great Perfection stage. This was unusual!

From Xiao Yuntian's words, Li Yunjing realized that he had more than a dozen experts at the level of Grandmaster of Array Dao under his command!

With so many array masters, it's still not enough. What exactly is Xiao Yuntian plotting?
Does a city lord on the frontier really need such a powerful force?
Is this normal?

It should be noted that the relationship between the "Xuanbing Palace" and this side is peaceful, and there is no war between the two sides. Why would a border city lord be so meticulous in increasing his strength? Does he intend to rebel?

When this thought popped into Li Yunjing's mind, his back was soaked with cold sweat.

"Wouldn't that leave us at their mercy?"

Su Muqing's voice trembled, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.

Li Yunjing raised his hand to stop her from continuing, gesturing with his eyes to the corner of the room.

The place seemed empty, but he keenly sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy.

Besides the purple butterfly, there are other surveillance methods in this room!

"Since the city lord thinks highly of me, I should naturally do my best."

Li Yunjing deliberately raised his voice and, while dipping his finger in tea, quickly wrote the four characters "The walls have ears" on the table.

"It is our blessing that our husband has gained the city lord's favor."

Zhao Qi reacted quickly, immediately replying, "I wonder what we need to prepare? I'll go pack."

"No rush, the city lord has given us three days."

Li Yunjing gave her a satisfied look and continued acting: "You guys go and rest first, I need to meditate on the key points of the formation."

After the two women left, Li Yunjing sat cross-legged on the couch, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. He appeared to be cultivating, but in reality, his mind was filled with countless thoughts.

If Xiao Yuntian truly harbored rebellious intentions, then everything makes sense.

The grand formation that requires the combined efforts of more than a dozen array masters is likely a city-protecting formation used to resist the dynasty's suppression, or even some kind of forbidden attack formation.

Meanwhile, strange noises, blood-red stairs, and inhuman roars emanated from the city lord's mansion's underground area...

All of this points to a terrible truth!

Xiao Yuntian is preparing some kind of extraordinary power!
This kind of power must be a skill possessed only by cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage!

"We must find a way to send it..."

Li Yunjing pondered to himself.

However, given that he is currently under full surveillance, any unusual action could lead to his death.

For three consecutive days, Li Yunjing stayed at home, focusing solely on repairing his array formations!
Nowadays, individual combat power is too weak, and only formations can be relied upon. At least if Xiao Yuntian turns against him, he can rely on formations to kill one or two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators!
Even if I die, I won't lose money!
As for revealing the title of "Deputy Sect Leader of Shenxiao Dao Sect"?
That was the final step!
In the "Southern Heaven Continent," the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" has a bad reputation and will definitely hunt down anyone from the same continent. As for this "Luofu Continent"?
Li Yunjing couldn't say for sure either!
I wonder if Xiao Yuntian would be willing to give me face!

If others give you face, you'll naturally have no worries; if they don't, the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" is too far away to help you in your immediate needs!

Early on the third day, Li Yunjing had just repaired half of the great formation when someone knocked on the door.

His divine sense swept outside and he saw Xiao Han's figure appear outside the gate.

"Crench!"

Li Yunjing dared not delay, quickly went out of the room, arrived at the gate, and opened the courtyard gate.

"Fellow Daoist Xiao, you're here."

Li Yunjing nodded slightly in greeting.

As for being polite?

no need!

Xiao Han obeys Xiao Yuntian's orders; he will do whatever Xiao Yuntian tells him to do!
With this kind of relationship, Li Yunjing naturally didn't need to be too polite.

Even if she gets along well with Xiao Han, so what?

Li Yunjing had long been aware of this relationship!

"Master Li has a refined taste. He secluded himself for three days. His skill in formations must have improved again."

Xiao Han's gaze swept past Li Yunjing's shoulder and landed on the faintly visible array patterns in the courtyard.

"Something gained."

Li Yunjing stepped aside to block the view and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, did the city lord summon you here?"

Xiao Han withdrew his gaze and took out a purple-gold invitation from his sleeve: "The City Lord has hosted a banquet at the 'Star Gazing Tower' and has specially invited Master Li to attend."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "All the other array masters have arrived, except for Master Li."

Li Yunjing accepted the invitation, a slight stinging sensation spreading through his fingertips.

The three characters "Guanxinglou" on the invitation actually contained a hint of sword intent, clearly a show of force.

He calmly channeled his spiritual energy to neutralize the attack, but a chill ran through him.

Xiao Yuntian's subordinates are indeed full of hidden talents; the person who wrote the invitation alone must have a sword cultivation level no lower than the third or fourth level of the Nascent Soul stage.

No wonder Xiao Yuntian is so ambitious. With such strength, the emperor of the "Chang'an Dynasty" probably can't sleep at night.
"Let me change my clothes, and I will leave immediately."

Just as Li Yunjing was about to turn around, he suddenly felt a divine sense sweep over his entire body.

That divine sense was as cold and sinister as a snake, and it was definitely not something Xiao Han possessed.

Xiao Han seemed to sense something and frowned slightly: "Master Li, please hurry, the city lord does not like waiting."

After speaking, he retreated to the outside of the courtyard gate to wait.

Li Yunjing closed the door and quickly returned to the inner room.

Zhao Qi and Su Muqing emerged from the shadows, their expressions grim.

"My husband, that invitation..."

Zhao Qi stared at the purple-gold invitation in his hand, her voice tense.

Li Yunjing unfolded the invitation, his pupils suddenly contracting.

In addition to the text, the post also included a simple drawing.

It was he who repaired the core structure of the formation in these three days!
Although they only look 70-80% similar, it is enough to prove that their every move is under surveillance.

"It seems we have already..."

Su Muqing bit her lip and said.

The word "surveillance" was left unsaid, but all three understood!
"It's alright, let's go take a look!"

Li Yunjing sneered: "When the time comes, you two don't need to say anything, just eat and drink as much as you want!"

"Ok!"

The two women's eyes lit up.

Outside the courtyard gate, Xiao Han was already showing signs of impatience.

Seeing that Li Yunjing and the other two had arrived late, he frowned and said, "It's getting late, let's hurry up and go!"

"Thank you for keeping Fellow Daoist Xiao waiting!"

Li Yun nodded at the scenic spot without saying anything more.

Xiao Han remained noncommittal and turned to lead the way.

Not long after they left, two blurry figures climbed over the back wall and, taking advantage of the morning mist, hurried towards the city lord's mansion...

The "Star-Gazing Tower" soars into the clouds and is the tallest building in "Purple Cloud City".

The rooftop has no roof, only a dazzling starry sky.

It was a dome inlaid with countless luminous pearls, arranged according to the stars in the sky, which was itself a mysterious array.

When Li Yunjing and the other two followed Xiao Han to the rooftop, thirteen jade tables were already arranged in a circle, with a deep-seated figure sitting behind each table.

In the main seat, Xiao Yuntian wore a purple robe and a jade crown, and the vertical lines between his eyebrows gleamed with a faint purple light.

"Master Li has arrived."

Xiao Yuntian smiled and raised his hand, "Please take a seat."

Li Yunjing bowed respectfully and walked towards the only empty jade table.

As he walked, he keenly noticed that among the thirteen array masters present, five possessed powerful auras and were actually Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, while the rest were at the same realm as Li Yunjing, all being Golden Core Realm cultivators.

"I have invited you all here today to discuss the final details of the 'Nine Heavens Cloud Movement Wind and Thunder Formation'."

Xiao Yuntian looked around at everyone and said, "Once this formation is completed, it can draw upon the wind and thunder of the heavens, and all of you will be remembered in history."

"Why does Lord Xiao need to speak in such high-sounding terms?"

An elderly man in a red robe suddenly sneered: "You want to use this formation to fight against the 'Chang'an Dynasty'? Do you think we don't know?"

The atmosphere on the rooftop froze instantly.

Xiao Yuntian's smile remained unchanged, but a purple glint flashed in his eyes: "What makes you say such a thing, Grandmaster Crimson Flame?" "Stop pretending to be confused!"

The red-robed elder slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "You control us to refine such a heaven-defying killing formation, aren't you afraid of being annihilated by the 'Tai Xu Sword Sect'?"

"Grandmaster Crimson Flame, what formation I set up is none of your business."

Xiao Yuntian gently shook his head, looked at the remaining people, and asked gently, "As long as you succeed in your research, you can take your reward and leave. Does anyone have any objections?"

No one answered.

"very good."

Xiao Yuntian nodded in satisfaction, "As for Grandmaster Chi Yan, I know you have a fiery temper and some connection with the 'Tai Xu Sword Sect,' but so what?"

The chilling gaze sent a shiver down the spine of the Crimson Flame Grandmaster.

Under Xiao Yuntian's gaze, the Crimson Flame Grandmaster's body trembled slightly. He opened his mouth, but ultimately did not dare to continue to contradict this important figure.

Even within the "Tai Xu Sword Sect," Xiao Yuntian's cultivation level was among the top few!
The reason why Grandmaster Crimson Flame was making such a fuss was because he had his own purpose!
Thirteen grandmasters of array formations gathered, each with their own background. Some were Xiao Yuntian's men, some were specially invited, and others came by invitation, with exchanges of benefits involved...

In short, Xiao Yuntian paid a huge price to get help from others.

It satisfied almost everyone.

Of course, not all of these approaches are gentle!
Coercion and bribery were also common tactics.

He experienced both soft and hard things; in short, he went through almost everything. Li Yunjing's experience was not unique to him.

Seeing this scene, Li Yunjing relaxed a little.

As it turned out, Li Yunjing's judgment was correct; not all thirteen array masters came from "Zixiao City," but were all invited by Xiao Yuntian through various means.

Seeing that the situation had eased slightly, Xiao Yuntian clapped his hands lightly, and a group of maids dressed in purple gauze filed in, carrying jade platters of delicacies, which were placed in front of each grandmaster's table in turn.

"Gentlemen, you have come from afar. Let me first offer you a toast."

Xiao Yuntian raised his cup in greeting, the spirit wine inside glowing with a pale purple light. "This is 'Purple Cloud Brew,' brewed from the purple aura of the rising sun, which can nourish the soul."

"It's indeed a good thing!"

Li Yunjing picked up the wine glass and saw what appeared to be swirling clouds in the liquid. He took a small sip and immediately felt refreshed and invigorated.

"Let me introduce you all."

Xiao Yuntian put down his wine cup and pointed to the first white-bearded old man on his left, "This is Fellow Daoist Xuanjizi of the 'Heavenly Mystery Pavilion,' who is proficient in the 'Five Elements and Eight Trigrams Grand Array.'"

Greetings, everyone.

Xuanjizi nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd like lightning.

Li Yunjing's heart skipped a beat.

This seemingly kind old man was actually at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage!

Could Xiao Yuntian have such an ally?

Does Xiao Yuntian have a Nascent Soul Realm True Monarch as his backer?

Li Yunjing thought to himself, and even suspected that Xiao Yuntian might actually be able to usurp the throne and become a hegemon of the "Luofu Continent"!
"This is Grandmaster Crimson Flame from the Southern Frontier, whom you have all already seen."

Xiao Yuntian introduced it with a half-smile.

Grandmaster Crimson Flame snorted coldly, but refrained from further disrespectful remarks.

It's clear that the relationship between the two is not good!
As Xiao Yuntian introduced them one by one, Li Yunjing secretly noted down the origins of everyone present.

There is the "Five Spirits Hermit" who is skilled in the Five Elements Formation, the "Bewitching Granny" who is proficient in illusion formations, and even a Tibetan monk from the "Buddha's Light Continent" named "Master Moro".

All five of them are Nascent Soul Realm cultivators!
The others are all from different countries on the "Luofu Continent," and are quite famous in a certain field.

"Although this Grandmaster Li Yunjing is the youngest, he has profound expertise in the restoration of ancient formations."

When it was Li Yunjing's turn, Xiao Yuntian smiled and said, "The methods used to destroy the Wang family some time ago are still fresh in my mind. Even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator could not escape the formation's annihilation. He is a rare talent."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked on in surprise.

Everyone knew a little about the destruction of the Wang family.

However, the fact that the person in question was present still piqued everyone's interest.

Li Yunjing quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Xiao, you flatter me. I was just lucky."

"Master Li, there's no need for such modesty."

A scholar in a blue robe suddenly spoke up; he was none other than the "Mr. Qingming" who had just been introduced. "I have heard about the methods used to wipe out the Wang family. I even went to the Wang family and observed for myself. Master Li's methods are indeed extraordinary."

"Mr. Qingming, you're too kind!"

Li Yunjing smiled, raised his glass, and toasted the other person, saying, "From now on, we are colleagues, and we can exchange ideas with each other."

It was indeed a grand scene to see so many masters of array formations gathered together.

Among the many forces that Li Yunjing had come into contact with, apart from the "Seven Star Peak" of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect", it seemed that none of them could gather so many people at once.

Of course, these are the experts Li Yunjing has encountered. There must be many more experts he hasn't encountered!
For example, "Tianluo Dao Sect", "Youming Gui Sect", "Xuanbing Palace", "Yuanyang Dao Sect", "Mingxin Temple"... these powerful forces have not only Grandmasters of Array Dao, but also Great Grandmasters of Array Dao!
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually warmed up.

The maids cleared away the leftover food and replaced it with fragrant tea and spirit fruits.

Xiao Yuntian gently tapped the jade table, and thirteen jade slips appeared out of thin air, landing in front of everyone.

"This is the initial draft of the 'Nine Heavens Cloud Movement Wind and Thunder Formation'. Please take a look."

Xiao Yuntian said solemnly, "We will officially begin the deduction in three days. I hope everyone will cooperate fully."

Li Yunjing unfolded the jade slip, and saw countless runes flowing and combining to form a vast star map.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, he suddenly noticed a slight distortion in a certain part of the star chart.

This is clearly a flaw left by someone!
Looking up and around, he noticed that Xuanjizi, Qingming, and the others also had their brows furrowed, clearly having discovered the same problem.

"It seems that you have all noticed."

Xiao Yuntian took in everyone's reactions and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Indeed, this array diagram has flaws, which are precisely the areas that require everyone's cooperation to improve."

"Xiao Yuntian!"

Grandmaster Crimson Flame suddenly slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Are you testing us?"

"Why must Fellow Daoist Chi Yan be angry?"

Xiao Yuntian remained calm and composed. "With such a grand formation, I naturally need to confirm whether you all live up to your reputation."

Li Yunjing's gaze darted back and forth between Xiao Yuntian and the Crimson Flame Grandmaster, his hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the jade slip.

He noticed that several Nascent Soul cultivators, including "Xuanjizi," "Wuling Sanren," "Mixin Laolao," and "Moro Shangshi," remained silent despite their displeased expressions, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

"Lord Xiao."

Li Yunjing suddenly spoke, his voice neither humble nor arrogant, "There is something I don't understand."

Xiao Yuntian raised an eyebrow: "Master Li, please speak freely."

"If this 'Nine Heavens Cloud Movement Wind and Thunder Formation' is truly as shown in the formation diagram, it would require at least thirty-six or thirty-five formation eyes."

Li Yunjing pointed to a node on the jade slip, "But 'Purple Cloud City' is only a thousand miles in circumference, how can it contain such a large formation?"

The building fell silent instantly.

The masters all looked down at the jade slip and then suddenly realized what was going on.

"Excellent! As expected of Master Li, who was able to break the Wang family's grand formation!"

Xiao Yuntian clapped his hands and laughed. With a wave of his sleeve, the luminous pearls on the dome of the "Star Gazing Tower" suddenly changed their arrangement, transforming into a three-dimensional image.

"Everyone, please take a look."

Xiao Yuntian pointed to the 3D diagram, "'Purple Cloud City' is only one of the key points of the formation. The real 'Nine Heavens Cloud Movement Wind and Thunder Formation' will cover the entire southeastern part of the 'Chang'an Dynasty'!"

On the 3D map, with "Zixiao City" as the center, there are thirty-six huge cities and three hundred and twenty-nine small cities scattered like stars, connected by spiritual veins, forming a huge array network.

"hiss……"

Li Yunjing gasped.

This is no mere city-protecting formation; it's a world-shaking plan designed to change the very fabric of the world!

This instantly tore off half of the territory of the "Chang'an Dynasty"!

"Lord Xiao, what a grand gesture!"

Xuanjizi finally spoke, his white eyebrows trembling slightly, "But such a grand formation would require a lot of resources..."

"Resources are not a problem."

Xiao Yuntian interrupted, "As long as you all help me perfect the array diagram, I, Xiao, will take care of the rest."

"Lord Xiao, if this succeeds, what will we gain?"

Mr. Qingming gently shook his folding fan and asked in a deep voice.

"On the day the formation is completed, each of you may enter a city and enjoy a thousand years of worship."

Xiao Yuntian's gaze swept over everyone, and he said, word by word, "In addition..."

He paused, then said, "I, Xiao, am willing to open the 'Purple Cloud Secret Realm' and allow each of you to choose three treasures."

"hiss……"

Upon hearing this, even the usually cold-faced Grandmaster Crimson Flame changed color.

The "Purple Cloud Secret Realm" is the Xiao family's accumulation over ten thousand years, and it is said that even Nascent Soul cultivators are tempted by it.

That was also the biggest reason why the Xiao family became a powerful regional lord.

Unexpectedly, there was such a huge benefit in addition to the agreed conditions.

(End of this chapter)