Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 646 Secretly Testing, Poisoning in Front of the Person (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"He's someone who's destined for great things!"

Li Yunjing was secretly shocked. Xiao Yuntian had grand ambitions and was willing to spend so much.

He caught a glimpse of Xuanjizi and the others exchanging glances, clearly having been persuaded.

"This old man is willing to lend Lord Xiao a hand."

Xuanjizi was the first to express his opinion.

As for whether this person's words were pre-arranged or a last-minute decision, that's a matter of opinion.

The four people, "Xuanjizi", "Wuling Sanren", "Mixin Laolao", and "Moro Shangshi", paused slightly and nodded in agreement, indicating that they would do their best.

"Qing is also willing to help."

Since even Nascent Soul Realm cultivators agreed, Golden Core Realm cultivators were naturally no exception. Mr. Qingming closed his folding fan and said with a smile.

With these experts taking the lead, the other grandmasters readily agreed.

"That's it!"

The Crimson Flame Grandmaster's expression shifted between light and dark, before he finally let out a heavy snort: "I'll see what tricks you can pull!"

Li Yunjing was the last to stand up, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and saying, "I am willing to do my part."

"Good! Good! Good!"

Xiao Yuntian said "good" three times in a row, raised his glass and invited, "With everyone's help, great things can be accomplished!"

After the banquet, Li Yunjing, Zhao Qi, and Su Muqing left their rented place and returned to the villa arranged by Xiao Han.

He had just closed the door when he heard a soft "click" from outside.

"Who?"

Li Yunjing raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Master Li is very vigilant."

Mr. Qingming's voice came from outside the door, "May I have a word with you in private?"

Li Yunjing frowned slightly, but still opened the door.

Mr. Qingming arrived under the moonlight, gently waving his folding fan, showing no sign of drunkenness whatsoever.

"Mr. Qingming's visit late at night, I wonder..."

Li Yunjing asked.

Why should Master Li pretend to be confused?

Mr. Qingming interrupted directly, "Isn't it all because of today's events?"

Li Yunjing's gaze sharpened, and he stepped aside to let Mr. Qingming into the house.

With a flick of his fingertips, three "isolation talismans" were silently affixed to the doors and windows.

"Please speak frankly, sir."

Li Yunjing lowered his voice and gestured for Zhao Qi and Su Muqing to go to another room to rest.

Mr. Qingming unfolded his folding fan with a "whoosh," revealing a faintly glowing array diagram on its surface: "Master Li, have you noticed that the array diagram given by Xiao Yuntian is missing the most crucial link?"

"This is."

Li Yunjing looked closely and saw that a blood-red rune had appeared in the center of the miniature version of the "Nine Heavens Cloud Movement Wind and Thunder Array" on the fan.

"The core of the formation."

Mr. Qingming sneered, "The biggest secret is missing here!"

"Oh?"

Li Yunjing smiled calmly and said, "What does this have to do with us? Everyone has repaired the part that Lord Xiao needed, received the benefits, and can leave now."

Upon hearing this, Master Qingming snapped his folding fan shut, his eyes gleaming: "Is Master Li truly so naive?"

"This array diagram is full of hidden secrets. If we really help him complete the array diagram, we may not be able to survive in the future!"

He stepped forward and lowered his voice.

"Sir, do you have any evidence to support your claim?"

Li Yunjing's pupils contracted slightly, but a faint smile remained on his face: "I still don't believe it. I still don't think a tyrant like City Lord Xiao would break his promise to us!"

"I have no evidence!"

Mr. Qingming said in a low voice, "But we are all masters of array formations. Don't we even have our own judgment?"

"Why did you specifically seek out Mr. Li, sir?"

Li Yunjing pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked.

"because……"

A strange light flashed in Mr. Qingming's eyes, "I see the key to breaking the deadlock in you."

He unfolded his folding fan, and a star chart appeared on its surface: "I observed the celestial phenomena and discovered that an unusual star suddenly appeared next to the Ziwei star, which corresponds to the time you entered the city. This is the will of Heaven!"

"laugh……"

Li Yunjing sneered inwardly, never expecting that this Mr. Qingming was so proficient in astrology.

He probed subtly, "Then, in your opinion, how should we respond?"

At this moment, Li Yunjing had calmed down.

At first, he might have wavered, but now Li Yunjing could assure him that Mr. Qingming was no good; he was either harboring malicious intentions or was one of Xiao Yuntian's men, who had come specifically to test him!
This little scheme, trying to outmaneuver me?
Simply ridiculous!
Besides being a master of array formations, Li Yunjing is also a master of celestial secrets!

To Li Yunjing, Mr. Qingming's nonsense was full of holes; there was no special astrological sign at all.
If that were true, Li Yunjing would have seen it himself long ago.

How could he not know?
In the past few days, Li Yunjing has also used the tortoise shell to divination some heavenly secrets and predict his own fortune. Basically, he will be safe but not in danger, and may even make a fortune.

"If Grandmaster Li has any intention of making further contact, I can organize a few people so that we can stick together and guard against City Lord Xiao!"

Mr. Qingming pressed for an answer.

"never mind!"

Li Yunjing shook his head and said, "I still have great confidence in City Lord Xiao. I will do my best to help complete the formation."

Seeing that Li Yunjing was completely impeccable, a shadow of gloom flashed in Mr. Qingming's eyes.

He lightly waved his folding fan and said with feigned nonchalance, "Since Master Li trusts City Lord Xiao so much, it seems I was overthinking things."

He stood up and bowed, saying, "I'm sorry to have bothered you tonight, I'll take my leave."

“I appreciate your kind offer, sir.”

Li Yunjing stood up to see him off, his face bearing just the right amount of apology: "It's just..."

"understand."

Mr. Qingming waved his hand, "Everyone has their own ambitions."

As soon as Mr. Qingming's figure disappeared into the night, the smile on Li Yunjing's face vanished.

He gently closed the door and coldly stared at the front door!

"Husband, this man..."

Zhao Qi walked out of the inner room, her brows furrowed.

"Shh!"

Li Yunjing made a shushing gesture and pointed outside the door.

The three stood still for a moment, and sure enough, they heard a very faint rustling sound of clothes passing by on the roof.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Li Yunjing finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Let's go."

Su Muqing's face turned pale: "Just who exactly is this Mr. Qingming...?"

"Xiao Yuntian's spy."

Li Yunjing sneered, "What absurd celestial phenomena? That's all nonsense. I've been using tortoise shell divination these past few days, and the Ziwei Palace is perfectly calm."

He took out three copper coins from his sleeve and tossed them onto the table.

The copper coins spun around a few times and then strangely piled up together.

"really."

Li Yunjing's eyes sharpened. "With the world at peace, our fortunes and misfortunes are not a problem!"

"Husband, you pretended not to believe me just now because you wanted to..."

Zhao Qi asked thoughtfully.

"Put them in the dark."

Li Yunjing put away the copper coins. "Mr. Qingming's test has actually confirmed one thing for me. Xiao Yuntian is indeed plotting something nefarious, and not all of these array masters have been bribed by Xiao Yuntian. Things may have some twists and turns."

He walked to the window and looked at the majestic "Star Gazing Tower" in the distance: "However, we don't need to worry about it. The most important thing is to finish repairing the formation as soon as possible and get away from this place of trouble!"

While Li Yunjing, Zhao Qi, and Su Muqing were discussing things, Mr. Qingming had already arrived at the "City Lord's Mansion" and met with Xiao Yuntian.

Mr. Qingming passed through numerous restrictions and arrived at a secret room deep within the city lord's mansion.

Xiao Yuntian stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the giant array diagram hanging on the wall. The cloud patterns on his purple robe gleamed faintly under the light of the luminous pearl.

"City Lord."

Mr. Qingming bowed respectfully and lightly tapped his palm with his folding fan. "I have already tested Li Yunjing and the others."

"how?"

Xiao Yuntian didn't turn his head and asked coldly.

"Li Yunjing is a very cunning man."

Mr. Qingming frowned. "He pretends to have complete faith in the city lord, but in reality, he is wary of him at every turn. When his subordinates tested him with astrological theories, he didn't point it out, but a mocking look flashed in his eyes."

"Oh?"

Xiao Yuntian turned around, the purple mark between his eyebrows glowing slightly. "It seems that this Master Li is more difficult to deal with than we imagined."

"What's even stranger is that during the few days I secretly observed him, I discovered that he would set up a soundproofing array in his room every day."

Mr. Qingming stepped forward: "Today, I deliberately lingered outside his courtyard for a while. It seems he is very wary, constantly using 'insulating talismans' to prevent others from spying on him."

"A cautious person."

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Yuntian's eyes, "What about the other grandmasters?"

“That old fox Chi Yan has long been suspicious,” Mr. Qingming sneered. “Besides him, there’s also that Feilong County official, Zhuang Rui! He’s a double agent too. I suspect he’s a lackey of the imperial court!”

"It doesn't matter."

Xiao Yuntian sneered, "I will not mistreat those who are loyal to me! But those who want to betray me will have a miserable end waiting for them."

"I'm afraid they'll cause trouble."

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Qingming forced himself to voice his concerns.

Just then, the bronze mirror in the corner of the secret room suddenly rippled.

"No problem! This humble monk will keep an eye on Grandmaster Crimson Flame!"

A hoarse voice came: "As long as Lord Xiao doesn't forget our agreement."

Mr. Qingming was startled!
The voice clearly came from Master Moro of the "Buddha's Light Continent"!

"rest assured."

Xiao Yuntian said calmly to the bronze mirror, "Once the great formation is completed and my Xiao clan establishes a nation, I will allow you to establish a Buddhist lineage on the 'Luofu Continent'."

"very good……"

After the bronze mirror returned to its calm state, cold sweat beaded on Mr. Qingming's forehead: "City Lord, this person, Moro..."

"Everyone takes what he needs."

Xiao Yuntian gave him a meaningful look. "Qingming, you've followed me for so many years, you should understand that those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles."

Mr. Qingming bowed quickly: "Your subordinate understands."

"Go."

Xiao Yuntian waved his hand, "Proceed according to plan tomorrow. You keep an eye on Zhuang Rui."

"Yes!"

After Mr. Qingming withdrew, Xiao Yuntian took out a blood-red jade pendant from his pocket and murmured to himself, "Li Yunjing, Li Yunjing! I never expected that you would actually be the deputy sect leader of the Shenxiao Dao Sect in the Southern Heaven Continent! What an extraordinary young man!"

……

The next morning, Li Yunjing, along with Zhao Qi and Su Muqing, arrived at the "Star Gazing Tower" on time.

Pushing open the heavy sandalwood door, one sees thirteen jade tables arranged in a circle, and the other twelve array masters have all arrived.

"Master Li has arrived at just the right time."

Xiao Yuntian sat upright in the main seat, the cloud patterns on his purple robe flowing in the morning light. "Today we will begin to deduce the core of the 'Tian Shu' formation."

Li Yunjing's gaze swept over the crowd, and he noticed that Mr. Qingming was looking at him with a half-smile.

He bowed respectfully without making a sound, then sat down at his jade table.

"Everyone, please take a look."

With a flick of his sleeve, Xiao Yuntian caused thirteen jade slips to light up simultaneously, weaving together in the air to form a three-dimensional array.

At the center of the array diagram, 365 stars slowly rotated, each representing a key point in the array.

"Since Tian Shu is the head of the formation, it must be based on the 'Big Dipper Seven Stars Formation.' This old man suggests..."

Xuanjizi stroked his white beard and slowly began to speak.

"inappropriate."

The Five Spirits Hermit suddenly interrupted, “The Big Dipper is too fierce; it should be harmonized using the principle of the Five Elements generating each other.”

……

A heated debate immediately erupted in the meeting room.

Li Yunjing observed coldly and noticed that although Xiao Yuntian had a smile on his face, a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Mr. Qingming would glance at him from time to time, as if waiting for something.

What are Master Li's insights?

Xiao Yuntian suddenly called out names.

"In my opinion, we should take the 'Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams' as the bone, the 'Celestial Spheres' as the flesh, and the 'Five Elements' as the blood."

Li Yunjing was prepared and calmly stood up: "Only when the three are united can the Great Dao be achieved..."

As he spoke, he gathered a point of golden light at his fingertips, outlining a brand new array pattern in the air.

This technique may seem ordinary, but it actually contains hidden secrets.

It was the solution he had figured out last night.

Li Yunjing did not intend to display his expertise in thunder magic, but only revealed the Five Elements Dao, which could be considered a way of concealing his true abilities.

For a moment, the entire hall was filled with Li Yunjing's voice. Everyone looked at Li Yunjing in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.

There are people who want to refute, but they don't seem to know how.

Li Yunjing's statement was well-reasoned and supported by evidence. He used the principles of One Yuan, Two Forms, Three Powers, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Harmonies, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, and Nine Palaces as the foundation of the great formation, making it solid and every sentence reasonable.

Such a theory of formations cannot be refuted!

Surely we can't say that all the principles that the Daoist ancestor deduced were wrong?
This is a fundamental truth of the universe!
Undeniable!

"wonderful!"

After a long while, Li Yunjing fell silent. Suddenly, Master Moro slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "This arrangement is simply ingenious and highly feasible!"

"Great!"

"Xuanjizi", "Wuling Sanren", "Mixin Laolao", and "Chiyan Zongshi" all nodded, their gazes towards Li Yunjing filled with surprise, as if they wanted to understand this young man.

A glint flashed in Xiao Yuntian's eyes: "Master Li is indeed a great talent!"

He turned to the crowd and said, "Following this method, we must complete the Heavenly Pivot Formation Eye within three days!"

In the days that followed, Li Yunjing attended the meeting on time every day.

He appeared to actively participate in the discussion, but in reality, he was secretly observing everyone's actions.

Xuanjizi was always the first to agree with Xiao Yuntian's suggestions; Wuling Sanren was always at odds with Qingming Xiansheng; and although Chiyan Zongshi had a fiery temper, he was indeed exceptional in his mastery of formations...

Apart from Li Yunjing, the twelve array masters were not just empty names; they were all genuine experts!

Discussing with these people was also very beneficial for Li Yunjing.

He clearly felt that his array formation cultivation had almost reached the peak of the Grandmaster level, and he had one foot in the ranks of the Great Grandmaster.

If Li Yunjing were to use fourth-tier materials, requiring more materials than a typical Grandmaster, he could set up a low-grade fourth-tier formation on his own!

This greatly pleased Li Yunjing, who became even more enthusiastic about participating in the research.

On the evening of the third day, when the last array pattern was completed, the entire "Star Gazing Tower" suddenly shook violently.

The Big Dipper shines brightly at the same time, forming a perfect cycle in the sky.

"It's done!"

Xiao Yuntian was overjoyed, "You all have lived up to expectations! You've completed the first step in such a short time!"

Everyone offered their congratulations, but only Li Yunjing noticed that Mr. Qingming quietly retreated to the edge of the crowd, a strange blue light flashing from his folding fan.

"To express my gratitude, I will give everyone three days of rest. Tonight, I, Xiao, will host a banquet at the Zixiao Palace. I would be honored if you would grace me with your presence."

Xiao Yuntian cupped his hands in greeting.

On the way back to the villa, Zhao Qi whispered, "Husband, what about tonight's banquet?"

"Go, of course."

Li Yunjing's lips curled up slightly, "The real show has only just begun."

As night fell, the Zixiao Palace was brightly lit.

The thirteen masters took their seats in turn, and the maids served them delicacies.

"You have all made great contributions to 'Purple Cloud City', and I, Xiao, have prepared a small gift to present to you."

After a few rounds of drinks, Xiao Yuntian suddenly clapped his hands three times.

Twelve purple-robed cultivators entered in single file, each carrying a jade platter.

Each jade plate held a pill that shimmered with purple light.

"This is the 'Nascent Soul Pill,' which can help Golden Core cultivators break through bottlenecks."

Xiao Yuntian smiled and said, "One for each of you, just to express my feelings."

Li Yunjing stared at the pill in front of him, his pupils slightly contracting.

This is no "Nascent Soul Pill" at all; it's clearly a "Heart-Eating Gu" that controls the mind!
With his cultivation as a Grandmaster of Alchemy, approaching the level of a Great Grandmaster, he immediately saw that there was something fishy about the pill!

What intrigued Li Yunjing was why only two of the thirteen pills had a problem.
What does this mean?

"Come on! One for each person, everyone gets one!"

Xiao Yuntian laughed and waved his hand, and his subordinates presented each "Nascent Soul Pill" to the various array masters.

Li Yunjing reached out and took one of his own, carefully storing it in his "storage ring".

Immediately, he glanced at the others without making a sound, and saw that the two pills containing the "Heart-Eating Gu" had been given to Grandmaster Chi Yan and a Golden Core Grandmaster named Zhuang Rui.

"Could there be something wrong with these two?"

The thought popped into Li Yunjing's mind.

As for Zhuang Rui, he wasn't affected much. During the past few days of cooperation, he remained quiet and unremarkable.

As for the Crimson Flame Grandmaster?

On the very first day they met, he argued with Xiao Yuntian, and he continued to act emotionally. It seemed reasonable that Xiao Yuntian wanted to harm him.
"Forget it! This has nothing to do with me! I have no interest in who lives or dies!"

After a moment's thought, Li Yunjing relaxed and thanked Xiao Yuntian.

Seeing this, the others happily accepted the pills and bowed to express their gratitude to Xiao Yuntian.

Even the Crimson Flame Grandmaster and Zhuang Rui were no exception!
Although the two experts are quite accomplished in the art of array formation, each has their own area of ​​expertise, and it is clear that they are far less skilled in the art of alchemy.

They had no idea that something was fishy going on!
"I will always remember your hard work over the past three days."

Xiao Yuntian raised his cup and looked around at everyone, the cloud patterns on his purple robe swirling in the candlelight: "When the great formation is completed, I will surely reward you handsomely!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "generous thanks," his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Master Chi Yan and Zhuang Rui.

(End of this chapter)