After binding with a genius, I became an immortal by exploiting loopholes.

Chapter 135 Selecting a Binding Partner

If a new technique were to be developed from scratch, the energy expenditure would likely be much greater.

Compared to the first layer, the second layer has a more sophisticated concealment effect—the first layer simply suppresses one's aura and lowers the fluctuations of one's cultivation level.

The second layer, based on the principle of convergence, simulates the characteristics of spiritual energy fluctuations at a low level of cultivation, even disguising the texture of spiritual energy to be exactly the same as that of the third level of Qi Refining.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator scanned the area with his divine sense and sensed the natural and genuine spiritual energy fluctuations that a Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator should have.

As for the second level of the Lingfu Zhenren's manual, there is a special section on how to deal with the Lingfu Zhenren's detection methods. The simulated spiritual energy fluctuations are more delicate and the concealment is deeper. Theoretically, as long as the Lingfu Zhenren does not use the power of the spiritual path to investigate deeply in person, it will not be exposed.

He circulated his spiritual power according to the incantation of the second level, and the pure energy in his dantian was collected and compressed layer by layer. The exposed aura slowly dropped from the fourth level of Qi Refining to the third level of Qi Refining.

He adjusted it several times until the aura stabilized and there was no longer any trace of deliberate concealment.

With the matter of the Hidden Spirit Technique settled, Lu Qingchen had made his plans. Soon after, he went to Zhao Demao to ask for leave, saying that he needed to return to the sect to consult some spiritual plant books and replenish some pills for cultivation.

Zhao Demao didn't ask any further questions, only reminding him to be careful on the road.

A few days later, Lu Qingchen returned to Mingfa Peak in a spirit carriage.

He didn't go anywhere else, but went to the library first.

Not long ago, Lu Qingchen was attacked at Qingmu Manor. After reflecting on his actions, he realized many of his shortcomings.

The lack of any defensive spells is a fatal weakness in combat!

Therefore, he plans to take this opportunity to exchange for a defensive spell.

The library remains unchanged—a three-story blue stone building with two piercing stone beasts at the entrance.

He went up to the second floor and headed straight for the magic area.

He stood in front of the bookshelf of wood-based magic for a long time, flipping through the pages one by one.

"Wood Spirit Shield" is a wood-elemental defensive spell that uses spiritual energy to create a shield that can absorb some of the damage.

The "Green Vine Technique" generates vines to trap enemies, with a small range but low spiritual energy consumption.

"Vitality Sensing" is a wood-element auxiliary technique that allows one to sense the distribution of vitality in the surrounding vegetation and assists in finding places rich in spiritual energy.

"Wood Release Technique" is a short-range escape technique that requires the use of forests or vegetation to perform.

After careful consideration, he finally chose "Wood Spirit Shield".

After deducting contribution points and copying the jade slip, Lu Qingchen left the Scripture Pavilion and went to the Array Dao Hall to find Li Si.

Li Si wasn't in the hall. He asked the disciples on duty, who said he was practicing formations in the open space behind the mountain.

Lu Qingchen circled around to the back of the mountain and saw a person squatting on the ground in the distance, surrounded by array flags, holding a book so thick it could be used as a brick.

He looked at the battle formation diagram and muttered incantations.

"Li Si".

Li Si looked up, paused for a moment, and then grinned.

He slammed the array diagram on the ground, strode over, and punched Lu Qingchen in the shoulder: "Why are you back? You didn't even tell me!"

"I went back to the sect to take care of some business, and I thought I'd drop by to see you."

Lu Qingchen said.

Li Si withdrew his fist and looked him up and down again: "Your aura feels a bit different than before?"

Lu Qingchen subtly reduced the Concealing Spirit Technique by one point: "There's nothing different, it's still the same as before."

Li Si glanced at it a couple more times, but couldn't see anything unusual, so he didn't take it to heart: "That's true, you farm every day, it's hard for you not to be different."

"But you've come at the perfect time."

Li Si dragged him toward the array flags, pointing to the crooked array flags stuck in the ground, "See that? A mid-grade first-level spirit gathering array. I've only set it up halfway. Pretty impressive, huh?"

Lu Qingchen glanced at it: "The third one from the left, it's off by half an inch."

Li Si squatted down, took a look, muttered "It really is," and pulled out the battle flag and put it back in place.

"You have a really sharp eye!"

Li Si praised him, and then the two of them worked for a while to calibrate the remaining flags one by one.

After finishing, Li Si sat down on the ground, took a big gulp of water from his waist, and handed it to Lu Qingchen.

"How's it going at Aoki-sou?"

Li Si wiped his mouth. "After the Soul-Eating Disease incident, nothing else has gone wrong at the manor, right?"

"It's alright, but there was another incident recently."

Lu Qingchen took the water pouch, drank a sip, and briefly recounted the attack that night.

Li Si's face changed upon hearing this: "Five people? And they used sleeping potion? Are you alright?"

"It's alright. The sect elders arrived in time. Four thieves are dead, and the last one has been captured."

Li Si breathed a sigh of relief and cursed the reckless and arrogant desperados a few more times.

He leaned against the tree trunk behind him, his tone suddenly becoming lower: "You've gotten into trouble time and time again, and I haven't been able to help you at all."

Lu Qingchen shook his head: "If you master the formation, I'll have to rely on you for the formations in my spirit field in the future."

Li Si chuckled, knowing that Lu Qingchen was trying to comfort him.

He was silent for a while, then suddenly brought up Song Wenjin himself.

"That Song Wenjin has been going too far lately."

He put the water pouch on the ground. "A few days ago, the Array Training Hall assigned me the task of drawing the core array pattern of a first-order trapping and killing array. It took me three days to draw it. When I handed it in, he said in front of more than a dozen people that my brain was more dead than the array plate when I drew the array pattern."

Lu Qingchen frowned.

"But you'll get used to it."

Li Si muttered to himself, "Anyway, he's not just targeting me; in his eyes, all the lower-level disciples of the Array Dao Hall are trash."

"However, to be fair, that guy's talent in array formation is indeed impressive. He has two mid-grade spiritual roots, and his uncle is a sect deacon, so he has far more cultivation resources than the rest of us. He can rank among the top three among the younger generation in the Array Formation Hall."

Lu Qingchen was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is he usually in the sect?"

"He's here, he's here every day! How could someone like that be willing to leave the sect? His uncle protects him here, and he has the best array diagrams and resources. It would be too dangerous for him to go out and train."

Li Si's tone was tinged with disdain and helplessness, "But he does have the talent, and his cultivation is solid. He stays in the palace all year round to maintain the formation. While other geniuses are fighting to the death outside, he is steadily increasing his cultivation."

Lu Qingchen didn't reply, but he was thinking about it in his mind.

This Song Wenjin seems to be a suitable binding target.

But he wasn't in a hurry to make a decision. He was currently living a stable life in the sect, and there was no need to rush into a second partner. He wanted to focus on developing his relationship within the sect first.

Go around to different stores a few times and compare prices before making a decision.

The two sat for a while longer.

Li Si recounted Wang Ming's recent situation in the weapon-refining hall: clumsy and inefficient, he had wasted several batches of materials before finally managing to forge a decent low-grade magic weapon.

Zhao Ming and Qian Wanliang also made steady progress in their respective skills. At the end, Li Si patted Lu Qingchen on the shoulder.