Chapter 780: Undercurrents (II)

The Formation Hall covered an enormous area. Lin Zheyu encountered few cultivators along the way, and most of them hurried about with their heads lowered in thought. However, when they sensed Lin Zheyu, they all looked up at him in mild surprise.

Seeing a martial artist suddenly appear at the Formation Hall headquarters was something almost unheard of. Still, after their brief surprise, they paid him no further attention and returned to pondering whatever had occupied their thoughts before. To them, Lin Zheyu's appearance was certainly surprising, but that was all it was. The mysteries and wonders of the Formation Dao interested them far more.

The resource exchange was located at the center of the Formation Hall's small town. After entering, he saw quite a few cultivators browsing the items available for exchange. Peng Ge was among them. Lin Zheyu gave Peng Ge a nod in greeting but had no intention of striking up a conversation.

The first floor of the resource exchange was specifically for inquiries. Once one found the location of the desired item and the number of contribution points required, one could simply head to the corresponding floor to exchange for it.

Arriving at a corner, Lin Zheyu inserted his identity token into a diamond-shaped recess. At once, an invisible surge of energy enveloped him, and a massive screen appeared within his field of vision. Every item displayed on the screen was something his current level of authority allowed him to exchange for. Anything beyond his authority would not appear at all.

"Dharma treasures... medicinal pills... talismans... techniques... secret arts... formations... spirit beasts... They really do have everything!" Lin Zheyu exclaimed as he looked through the exchange catalog.

If the Formation Hall's exchange catalog was a library, then the Martial Alliance's collection could at most be called a little classroom reading corner. The difference between the two was simply immense. Lin Zheyu began browsing through it with great interest. He had only just joined the Formation Hall and had relatively low authority, yet the resources available to him were already extraordinarily abundant. The only real limitation was how many contribution points he possessed.

Talismans have some research value too, but they're merely another branch that developed from restriction runes. There's no need to spend too much energy on them. As for Immortal Dao techniques, some of the soul secret arts among them are quite good. Unfortunately, their exchange prices are simply too high... Lin Zheyu thought as he browsed the exchange catalog.

He had little need for medicinal pills, and the same was true of talismans, techniques, and similar items. Lin Zheyu focused primarily on resources related to formations and secret arts. Secret arts were expensive, absurdly so. Soul-related secret arts in particular cost more than five thousand contribution points even at the lowest end. There were cheaper secret arts, but none of them were soul secret arts.

As a martial artist, among the many secret arts of the Immortal Dao, only soul secret arts were barely suitable for Lin Zheyu to cultivate. After seeing such exorbitant prices, he immediately lost interest in secret arts as well and shifted his attention to formation-related resources.

Formations were likewise divided into many different categories. Some were classified according to attributes such as metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, while others were divided by function, such as attack, defense, and teleportation. They were also categorized according to how complete they were, including a separate category for incomplete formations.

As expected, the Formation Hall also has an incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation, and it's even more complete than the fragment I obtained from Wu Di back then.

With a slight thought, more information concerning the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation appeared. The incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation was forty-eight percent complete. Other formations that cultivators had developed and refined from it included the Minor Heaven-Deceiving Formation, Ninefold Heaven-Deceiving Formation, Heaven-Deceiving Mystic Gates Formation, and many others.

"What an incredible wealth of formation resources. It's a pity they're not cheap!" Lin Zheyu exclaimed as he browsed the exchange catalog for formation-related resources.

Exchanging for the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation required one thousand contribution points. As for formations derived from the incomplete Heaven-Deceiving Formation and further refined by other cultivators, most cost more than one thousand contribution points. The prices of other formations varied as well.

First-tier formations ranged from ten to one hundred contribution points, while second-tier formations ranged from fifty to three hundred. Third-tier formations had an even wider price range, from three hundred all the way up to three thousand contribution points. As for fourth-tier formations and above, their prices were even more outrageous.

"Ordinary cultivators without any background really have it rough. Even after stepping onto the path of the Immortal Dao, they're still nothing more than wage slaves who happen to cultivate immortality," Lin Zheyu remarked ruefully after browsing through the exchange catalog.

Even joining the Formation Hall merely gave one an additional channel through which to exchange for resources. Yet even such a channel was something many cultivators could only dream of obtaining. Only cultivators with powerful natural talent in the Formation Dao were qualified to join the Directorate of Celestial Observation. Those whose aptitude failed to meet the requirements could only pay a much greater price to obtain resources through merchant associations or other channels.

To obtain the same resources, the price they had to pay or the risks they had to bear were at least ten times greater than those faced by cultivators who had joined the Directorate of Celestial Observation. Such was the cruelty of the cultivation world.

I need to find a way to raise my Formation Dao proficiency rating to the third tier as soon as possible. Once I reach third-tier proficiency, I can take on a large number of assignments, accumulate enough contribution points, and then exchange them for access to the Path to Heaven, Lin Zheyu thought.

For cultivators of the Formation Hall, the cost of entering the Path to Heaven trial varied depending on the tier of the formation region they wished to enter. One month in the first-tier formation region cost one thousand contribution points. One month in the second-tier formation region cost two thousand contribution points. One month in the third-tier formation region cost five thousand contribution points.

The higher the tier of the formation region, the more contribution points it required. However, if one could break and unravel formations quickly enough, paying to enter the Path to Heaven for comprehension was still more cost-effective than directly exchanging for individual formations to study and learn. When cultivators of the Formation Hall wanted to learn large numbers of low-tier formations, most chose to enter the Path to Heaven and comprehend them there themselves.

***

Time flew by, and more than another month passed. Lin Zheyu had only registered with the Formation Hall for now and had not officially begun his duties. He would not formally take up his post until after the Ascension Assembly. Thus, after spending a few days at Forbidden Mountain familiarizing himself with the various affairs of the Formation Hall, he returned to Black Tortoise City.

In Black Tortoise City, in the inn's rear courtyard plaza set aside for cultivators to train, Lin Zheyu panted like an ox, his body drenched in sweat and nearly all his strength exhausted. About fifteen minutes later, the instant he broke through his limit, he felt his essence, qi, and spirit suddenly twist together into a single force. In contrast, his spirit and soul began to undergo a sublime transformation.

A few breaths later, he let out a long breath. The energy stored within his divine repositories poured forth, and his weakened body rapidly recovered to its peak at an astonishing speed. After putting away the formations arranged around him, Lin Zheyu walked out with his expression as calm as ever.

"What brings you here?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously when he saw Ji Haozhong waiting nearby.

"The closing ceremony of the Ascension Assembly starts tomorrow. I was afraid you'd get so absorbed in cultivation that you'd accidentally forget about it," Ji Haozhong said irritably.

Other people attended the Ascension Assembly to make friends with other cultivators, broaden their horizons, find Dao companions, and so on. Xiao Yu, on the other hand, had spent over three months attending Dao discussions and taking part in the Forbidden Mountain trial, then frequently entered seclusion after returning and rarely stepped outside. He had basically just changed locations to cultivate.

"Don't worry, I won't forget," Lin Zheyu said with a smile.

It was finally coming to an end. Ever since completing the Path to Heaven trial and successfully joining the Formation Hall, Lin Zheyu had lost interest in the Ascension Assembly. The Ascension Assembly was originally meant for young and talented cultivators.

With Lin Zheyu's current strength, there was little point in participating. Apart from Forbidden Mountain and the War God Hall, the other venues and activities could hardly pique his interest anymore.

"The Ascension Assembly ends tomorrow. How about we go have a meal at the most luxurious restaurant here?" Ji Haozhong said with a chuckle. "You successfully passed the Formation Hall trial this time and even joined them as a martial artist. Surely this meal should be on you?"

"Sure, no problem," Lin Zheyu agreed readily.

He was still quite well-off at the moment. Back in the Chaotic Star Sea, he had squeezed a fair amount out of Cao Hongchang and taken control of the Evilheart Sect. He couldn't afford high-grade cultivation resources like techniques, dharma treasures, and formations, but paying for a meal was no problem at all.

"Haha, that's more like it! I've attended the Ascension Assembly several times and have been eyeing the fine food and wine at that restaurant for ages, but I could never afford it. Hehe, this time I'm really going to splurge, so get ready for your purse to take a beating!" Ji Haozhong said with a hearty laugh.

The two left the inn side by side and headed toward the most luxurious restaurant in the central district of Black Tortoise City.

"I'd really like to see Fellow Bai Lin and the others' expressions with my own eyes. Once they hear that you passed the Path to Heaven trial as a martial artist and became a cultivator of the Formation Hall, their jaws will probably hit the floor. Fellow Xiao, what you've accomplished could be called a first in Martial Dao!" Ji Haozhong said with a smile.

"Calling me the first in Martial Dao is a bit of an exaggeration. Over the past ten thousand years, plenty of astonishingly talented Martial Dao seniors have emerged. Still, I didn't expect to pass either. I only gave it a try on a whim back then. Who would've thought I'd unexpectedly discover that the Formation Dao is actually pretty easy?" Lin Zheyu said casually with a shrug.

Ji Haozhong rolled his eyes speechlessly and immediately lost all desire to continue the conversation. He quickened his pace and headed toward the restaurant's second floor.