Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 172 Second-Tier Array Master [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

What is Yun Qianzai's personality like?

He likes to show off in front of others... This one trait alone overshadows all his other personality traits.

Therefore, if you're going to give a gift, you definitely need to give something that will make you stand out in front of others.

Ji Yuan racked his brains but couldn't come up with anything that could help others manifest their divine power. Just as he was about to try a different approach and give away some ordinary spirit stones or something,

A scene suddenly appeared in his mind.

That was the first time Ji Yuan met Yun Qianzai. At that time, he appeared out of thin air on a boulder at the edge of a cliff and recited a poem with his back to everyone.

It's called "The Celestial Pivot treads the Dipper to cut the star's trajectory, and with a single thought, it seals the abyss and suppresses the sea tide."

It did sound powerful, but it seemed to lack something. Ji Yuan felt that if he were to recite it, he could recite an even more powerful poem.

So, giving him a few lines of poetry for his entrance, plus some spirit stones, should be enough.

Ideally, if we could kill Hu Li and give his Thirty-Six Smoke Formations to Yun Qianzai, that would be the best outcome. As for other formations... we definitely can't give out these three from Ji Yuan Society.

"Damn it, it's one thing for other people to copy poems when they transmigrate to ancient times, but why do I have to copy poems even when I transmigrate to a fantasy world?"

Ji Yuan grumbled, "What should we copy?"

Whether it's poetry or not doesn't really matter; the main thing is that the show has to be sophisticated enough.

After much thought, Ji Yuan selected a few lines.

"At the end of the immortal path, who stands at the peak? Upon seeing the Heavenly Pivot, the Dao becomes empty."

He called himself the Master of Tian Shu Island, which could be used with slight modifications.

As Ji Yuan thought of this sentence, he also thought of another equally domineering sentence.

"At the pinnacle of immortality, reigning supreme over the world, the Celestial Pivot existed before Heaven itself!"

These two sentences were too domineering, and Ji Yuan didn't know if Yun Qianzai could handle them, so after thinking it over, he prepared a slightly more ordinary sentence for him.

"Why should I explain my actions, which have been carried out for a thousand years, to others?!"

Looking at the three lines of poetry written in his hand, Ji Yuan knew without much thought that they must perfectly capture Yun Qianzai's thoughts.

After the gift was prepared, Ji Yuan spent a few more days relaxing on Misty Island.

Before he could even set off, he received a message from Master Xuan Shui, the leader of the Water Dragon Sect, asking him to go to Water Dragon Island to receive his salary.

That is, the wages for guarding Linshui City in the previous two years.

Ji Yuan thought it was a good opportunity to find Yun Qianzai, so he packed his things, said a few words to Tu Yue and the big toad, summoned his flying boat, and headed straight north.

……

West of the Water Dragon Sect, in an ordinary small town, in a secluded courtyard.

Feng Xiuxiu, who had narrowly escaped death, Hu Li, and a man named Tu Lin gathered here, all of them looking somewhat pale.

At first, Feng Xiuxiu and the others fled together as a trio, but during their escape, they unexpectedly encountered several righteous cultivators.

After a fierce battle, another person died.

She and Tulin were able to escape to this place; it was truly through their own abilities.

The three of them sat there for a long time, unable to utter a word, remaining silent.

After a long while, Hu Li said with a bitter smile, "Sister Feng, if there's nothing else, I'll go back and heal my injuries."

Feng Xiuxiu raised her head upon hearing this. "We have to admit that we lost. We lost several brothers, and even Brother Qinghan couldn't come back."

Tulin also raised his head. "I received news about Brother Qinghan yesterday. It's not his fault. Wu Nanchun is just too strong. And after realizing it was a diversionary tactic, she became reckless. I guess she knew that if she couldn't kill Brother Qinghan, it would be even more troublesome for her to go back, so she decided to fight to the death."

"She didn't care about her life, but Brother Qinghan did, so... Brother Qinghan died."

Feng Xiuxiu hummed in agreement.

"And that Ji Yuan..."

When Feng Xiuxiu said this, she looked at Hu Li.

The latter shook his head directly, "If I see him again, I'll run as far away as possible."

"He can set up two second-tier formations in an instant. Even with the assistance of formation plates, his understanding of formations must be extremely profound. Moreover, there are countless spiritual artifacts and numerous spells. I can't beat him. I can't beat him at all. I even suspect that he could withstand a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator."

"He is indeed excessively strong, and he is also very low-key. He is probably a disciple of some Golden Core cultivator."

As Feng Xiuxiu spoke, she let out a long sigh.

"That's not the main point. The point is that we've lost so many people and haven't found a single clue. How are we going to explain this to our seniors?"

"Explain?"

Huli looked as if he had heard a joke.

"Sister Feng, we are demonic cultivators. If we fail to strike, we should flee far away. Senior... I'll call him senior again when he can find me again."

"Huli is right."

Turin nodded.

Feng Xiuxiu then asked, "If there are other options, do you two fellow Daoists have any suggestions for a better place to go?"

Tulin and Huli exchanged a glance, and finally Tulin spoke:

"I'm planning to find a place to bury myself and come out when something big is about to happen. These past few years... although the environment has improved, it's easier for something to go wrong the closer something big is to happen."

"It would be better to keep it hidden for now and wait until we gain momentum before making a move."

"Brother Hu, what about you?"

Feng Xiuxiu then looked at Hu Li.

The latter seemed hesitant, but ultimately said, "I have a route to the north..."

"What kind of approach?"

Feng Xiuxiu immediately asked.

She knew Hu Li fairly well. Hu Li didn't have many connections; this path was mostly the path of his late-stage Foundation Establishment Daoist partner, which was why she cared so much.

Turin looked over as well.

Huli then said, "I heard that a great man has come from the west and has now settled in the north. I want to go and seek refuge with him."

How big?

Tulin hesitated before asking.

If this important person is big enough, he might be able to follow them.

"It is said that the father of that important figure was an ancestor."

"What?"

Feng Xiuxiu exclaimed in surprise.

What is an ancestor?

Although Foundation Establishment cultivators can also be called Ancestors, the Ancestor that Hu Li is referring to in this way is most likely a Nascent Soul Ancestor.

After a moment's thought, Tu Lin asked, "Such a person, having infiltrated our Shangdong, must be escorted by a Golden Core cultivator, right? Wouldn't the Shangshan sect have noticed if a Golden Core cultivator entered the territory?"

"I don't know about that. I've just heard that there's such a way, and I'm planning to give it a try. As for you two, it's up to you."

Hu Li shook his head and said.

"Do you think it's possible that this golden core... is actually Shang Dong's own golden core?"

Feng Xiuxiu slowly revealed her thoughts.

"hiss……"

Tulin looked surprised. "Sister Feng, what do you think?"

"If that's the way it is, I'm planning to go check it out with Brother Hu first. What about you?"

"I... fine, since you're all going, I won't go. I'll just stay hidden for now and wait until things get going."

Tulin's sudden reversal left Feng Xiuxiu completely caught off guard.

"That's fine too."

"Then Sister Feng and I will head over first. Brother Tu, if you have any ideas later, you can also send me a message."

"it is good."

"..."

Ji Yuan weighed the storage bag in his hand and walked out of Water Dragon Island with Liu Yuan.

In just a few days, Liu Yuan, who had appeared to be severely injured, was now completely unharmed... At this point, Ji Yuan realized that this guy was a cunning old fox.

"Brother Liu, are we paying the market price?"

Ji Yuan transmitted his voice to Liu Yuan and asked.

The reason was simple: the salary Ji Yuan received on this trip to Shuilong Island... exceeded his expectations.

To put it bluntly, there's a lot.

Wu Nanchun had previously revealed that there were over 200 to 300 mid-grade spirit stones. Ji Yuan originally thought that was about the same, but what was the actual amount?

Master Xuanshui gave Ji Yuan a full 400 mid-grade spirit stones.

This is still before the three-year period has been completed.

"No, we receive more, so Brother Ji, please don't easily reveal our salaries to others."

Liu Yuan explained something telepathically.

"it is good."

Ji Yuan nodded, then asked another question, "Do we get more every time, or just the first time?"

"There will always be more than enough, so if you ever need spirit stones, Brother Ji, you can come here and tell the sect leader. He will arrange more work for you. And overall, it's quite safe, much safer than hunting monsters."

"Understood, thank you, Brother Liu."

Ji Yuan finally understood why so many Foundation Establishment cultivators wanted to become Golden Core cultivators' disciples.

It turns out that besides the obvious benefits, the sect has so many hidden perks... How wonderful!

"Brother Ji, why are you heading north? I remember your island is in the south."

"I'm planning to visit my second senior brother, so I'll stop by on the way."

"Oh, the Lord of Tian Shu Island, right?" Liu Yuan's expression didn't change at all when he mentioned this person.

"Exactly."

Half a day later, Ji Yuan arrived outside Yun Qianzai's Tian Shu Island for the first time.

As for how he found Tian Shu Island, he had sent a message to Yun Qianzai beforehand, but Yun Qianzai only told him a general location. When Ji Yuan asked him which island it was, he told him.

"You'll know which island I am as soon as you arrive."

Now that Ji Yuan has arrived, he can tell at a glance which island is Tian Shu Island.

There was no way around it; it was just too conspicuous.

When Ji Yuan arrived, it was already night, and in the darkness, there was an island that was shining brightly.

That island... is very high, or more accurately, there is a very high mountain, as if a pillar supporting the sky stands out in the middle of a flat plain.

Besides, at the top of that mountain, there was a high platform. The platform was made of some kind of formation, and it was radiating a dazzling light.

Ji Yuan's flying boat stopped on the water. Looking up, he felt as if there was a big lamp on the mountaintop, which cast some light.

But most of the light shines out into the heavens.

"No way, senior brother, are you sending coordinates to the Trisolarans? This is... "

Ji Yuan watched this scene, truly unaware of Yun Qianzai's intentions. Of course, perhaps he had no intentions at all.

Ji Yuan stopped there, took out Yun Qianzai's communication talisman, and sent another message.

"Junior brother, please come in."

Instead of using telepathy, Yun Qianzai shouted loudly, his voice booming as if he wanted everyone to know that his junior brother had come to find him.

"You son of a bitch..." Ji Yuan saw a crack open in the formation and immediately slipped inside.

The formation closed again, and Ji Yuan entered... inside the formation.

"No, senior brother, you?"

Ji Yuan sensed everything around him. This formation was naturally a second-order formation. As soon as he landed, the surrounding mist immediately dissipated, revealing eight paths.

Yun Qianzai's cheerful voice rang in his ears.

"Junior Brother, since you've come to exchange experiences on array formations, let's begin now. How about we try out these four eight-eight arrays I created?"

Yun Qianzai emphasized the word "self-created" very heavily.

It was as if they were afraid Ji Yuan wouldn't understand.

In an instant, Ji Yuan understood why Yun Qianzai had been inviting him over – it was to show off his array formation.

Ji Yuan didn't have time to watch him show off.

I just want to ask how to become a second-tier array master.

But given Yun Qianzai's personality, he probably wouldn't let me out without seeing me suffer a setback, unless, of course, I could actually break through the formation.

But Ji Yuan doesn't want to suffer a setback, so what should he do?

He then smiled and took out a piece of white paper from his storage bag, and said loudly, "I recently came across a poem that I think is very suitable for Second Senior Brother, so I came to present it to you."

Before Ji Yuan could finish speaking, Yun Qianzai had already appeared in front of him and snatched the blank paper from his hand.

He gently shook the white paper in his hand; before he even started reading, his body was already trembling with excitement.

"I say, 'A once-in-a-millennium event... Why should I explain my actions to others?!'"

"Wonderful, wonderful! This is simply a reflection of my entire life, Yun Qianzai! This phrase was made for me!"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly turned to look at Ji Yuan, his eyes blazing with fervor, "Junior Brother, you've really put your heart into this!"

Ji Yuan smiled and thoughtfully explained, "After I thought of this sentence, I immediately sent it to my second senior brother. I have never told anyone else about it."

"really?!"

Yun Qianzai's eyes lit up.

"Of course it is true," Ji Yuan said with a smile and a nod.

"Junior brother, please come in quickly."

Yun Qianzai immediately forgot all about breaking the formation and hurriedly pulled Ji Yuan into Tian Shu Island.

Upon entering Tian Shu Island, Ji Yuan gained a clearer understanding of Yun Qianzai's miraculous abilities... The small Tian Shu Island had set up four or five second-order formations.

Just maintaining the operation of these formations would probably consume a lot of spirit stones.

Apart from that, everywhere you look, there are either precious spiritual plants or beautiful landscapes carved from precious minerals.

The abundance of spiritual energy goes without saying.

It is even more spiritually rich than that of Jiyuan Misty Island.

Damn it, cultivators are so rich. No wonder even a Foundation Establishment stage demon cultivator like Hu Li can afford talisman treasures... Ji Yuan thought to himself.

Yun Qianzai had already brought him tea.

"Ahem, junior brother, look at that sentence..."

When Yun Qianzai said this, he felt his face getting hot.

Fortunately, Ji Yuan immediately added, "That sentence was thought up by my senior brother."

"this……"

Yun Qianzai seemed a little embarrassed.

"Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know," Ji Yuan said considerately.

"Junior brother, no matter what happens in the future, feel free to come to your second senior brother!"

Yun Qianzai waved his hand.

Ji Yuan felt that it might still be a little lacking, so he took out another piece of blank paper. "Actually, I jotted down two lines on the spot. Here's another one that I think is also very suitable for Second Senior Brother."

Yun Qianzai glanced at it and was immediately stunned.

Soon even his breathing became a little rapid.

Because it was clearly written on the white paper: "At the end of the immortal path, who stands at the peak? Upon seeing the Heavenly Pivot, the Dao becomes empty."

"this……"

Yun Qianzai was at a loss for words. All he could think about was a scene: under the watchful eyes of everyone, on the plaza where the Nascent Soul cultivator had taken his seat.

He appeared out of thin air on the high platform, his back to the group of Nascent Soul cultivators.

He murmured those words softly.

Then the group of Nascent Soul cultivators bowed in submission, shouting, "Greetings, Venerable Tian Shu!"

"Of course, if you think it's inappropriate, then forget it." Ji Yuan pretended to put the paper away.

"Wait!"

Yun Qianzai reached out to stop him, then said very seriously, "From now on, Junior Brother's affairs are my affairs!"

Ji Yuan handed over the blank paper with satisfaction.

"Actually, Junior Brother also came up with a sentence... but since I haven't made much progress in the art of formations, I seem to have forgotten it."

Yun Qianzai was just fond of showing off in front of others, but he wasn't stupid. Hearing Ji Yuan's words, he immediately understood.

"Don't worry, junior brother, it's just a formation, simple!"

Yun Qianzai flicked his sleeves, "Come with your senior brother, I'll make sure you have a great time!"

Ji Yuan finished his tea in one gulp, then noticed that the cup was nice, carved from a mid-grade spirit stone, so he casually put it into his storage bag and followed.

After leaving the hall, Ji Yuan followed Yun Qianzai to the top of the high mountain. He looked up at the summit and asked, "Senior brother, what's the purpose of this mountaintop?"

"That's the Star-Picking Platform, which I use to observe celestial phenomena and comprehend formations."

Yun Qianzai's words were so profound that Ji Yuan didn't know whether they were true or false.

He was simply curious whether Yun Qianzai's Star-Picking Platform was as useful as his [Array Formation Room], or rather... as useful as his [Enlightenment Room]?

Since it was an exchange of formations, Yun Qianzai did not bring Ji Yuan to the Star-Picking Platform.

Instead, they led him to a cave in the center of the mountain. Once there, Yun Qianzai sat on a futon, dressed in white robes. The cave was surrounded by spiritual energy, with various exotic flowers and herbs growing everywhere.

Ji Yuan felt as if he were in a fairyland.

"Junior brother, you've come to discuss advancing from the first rank to the second rank, right?"

Ji Yuan sat down opposite Yun Qianzai, and this second senior brother seemed to have become a different person. He was no longer as arrogant as before, but instead became very serious.

"Indeed, please enlighten me, senior brother."

Ji Yuan adopted a very proper attitude.

"Actually, it's not difficult to become a second-tier array master, especially with your talent, Junior Brother. You only need to understand a few array nodes, as well as the methods of setting up and breaking arrays. In that case, ordinary second-tier arrays will naturally not be able to trap you. Of course, if it's an array I set up, it can still trap you, Junior Brother."

Ji Yuan: "...What Senior Brother says is very true."

So Ji Yuan then settled down on Tian Shu Island, which had been in Yun Qianzai for thousands of years.

Yun Qianzai taught him carefully.

Strangely enough, when Yun Qianzai first thought that Ji Yuan seemed to be struggling a bit when he was studying the formation with him, his progress was rapid when he returned to his cave to study it alone.

In just one month, Ji Yuan had already advanced from a first-level array master to a second-level array master.

"Not bad, just a little bit less comprehension than mine."

Yun Qianzai stood on the Star-Picking Platform, hands behind his back, and spoke calmly.

After spending a month together, Ji Yuan had become basically immune to his mental attacks.

"Ahem, I wonder if you remember the last part of that sentence, Junior Brother?"

For the past month, Yun Qianzai has not forgotten for a moment what Ji Yuan said that day. Not only that, whenever he has free time, he will think carefully about whether he can write a few words that surpass the two words Ji Yuan gave him.

No matter how he thought about it, those two sentences seemed to stand like a mountain in his heart.

This prevented him from ever crossing over.

So today, as soon as Ji Yuan understood the wonders of the second-order formation, he couldn't wait to ask about it.

Ji Yuan naturally did not disappoint him, taking out the white paper that had been prepared in advance.

With just one glance, Yun Qianzai felt as if a star had exploded in his mind.

"boom--"

What was that sentence?

"At the pinnacle of immortality, reigning supreme over the world, the Celestial Pivot existed before Heaven itself!"

(End of this chapter)