Chapter 5: Valley of Formation masters?

A glaring character appeared on the stone crystal with a distinct "ding" sound.

"Nine?" Mu Feng's face was a mix of shock and disbelief. The stone crystal showed he had only the strength of nine stones.

He shook the crystal, suspecting a malfunction. A first soul realm cultivator with less than ten stones of strength was unheard of—even a physically robust non-cultivator might possess nine stones of strength.

In any ordinary secular family, Mu Feng's performance would have been ridiculed and scorned, making him a laughingstock.

"No need to shake it, the crystal is not mistaken," the elder said, anticipating Mu Feng's reaction and explaining with a smile,

"Your Seven Souls were shattered, and it's only thanks to the formation that they've been remolded and stabilized. Having nine stones of strength is actually quite commendable under these circumstances."

Mu Feng gave a wry smile. If he continued to cultivate like this, his strength would be less than half that of a normal person, not even a third of that possessed by geniuses. Even at the highest realms of cultivation, he feared he wouldn't be able to defeat anyone.

Was he destined to become a cultivator with rank but no battle prowess—a mere vase?

As Mu Feng was flooded with thoughts, the elder reached out and gently tapped his forehead. A soft force began to flow toward the location of his force soul.

The next moment, Mu Feng felt a jolt, and the stone crystal in his hand trembled. The numbers on it began to leap visibly before his eyes.

Nine stones of strength.

Thirteen stones of strength.

Twenty stones of strength.

...

It finally stopped at fifty stones of strength!

"This..." Mu Feng's expression turned exceedingly strange.

The elder appeared equally shocked. Although he had anticipated a change in Mu Feng's strength, he had not expected such a drastic increase. After his initial surprise, he explained somewhat emotionally, "This is the power of the Seven Soul Formations when fully unleashed."

Mu Feng felt the surging power within him; he was indeed at the first soul realm but now possessed strength comparable to the fifth soul realm.

Before Mu Feng could adjust to this new power, the elder's finger slowly withdrew from his forehead. Mu Feng then felt a sharp pain as the force soul trembled, and the mighty power quickly dissipated, returning him to his initial nine stones of strength.

The elder spoke gently, "Although you have grasped the first formation, your seven souls are fragmented and dependent on the formation to hold together. Thus, you cannot use this immense power brought about by unleashing the formation; doing so would inevitably cause the seven souls to shatter again."

Mu Feng understood the elder’s explanation. The fragmented souls required the stability of the seven formations. Unleashing any of these could grant tremendous power but at the risk of the souls shattering anew.

To ensure clarity, the elder solemnly added, "With my current strength, I can only temporarily unlock your soul formations for a moment to let you experience this power, but you cannot use it further. Once you have mastered all seven formations, you could harness their power briefly through a secret method."

"To fully integrate and utilize them, you would need to find the legendary spiritual item—Dragon's Breath Water."

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The elder tapped his fingertip, and Mu Feng's mind was flooded with intricate details about the Seven Soul Formations and their unlocking method, though it did not cover how to fully control or master them.

Mu Feng, absorbing the information, did not dwell much on the elder's latter words. At his current first soul stage, it was too early to worry about fully mastering all seven formations and seeking Dragon's Breath Water.

"Is there a way to grasp the other six formations?" Mu Feng asked expectantly.

"These seven formations are profoundly mysterious. For now, stabilize and familiarize yourself with this one. When the time is right, you will naturally come to understand the others. Do not rush or be greedy. As for breaking the formations... the essence of these formations lies in their ability to be understood intuitively. Forcing yourself to follow another's method of breaking the formations might backfire, losing the subtlety of the formations. Everything depends on you," the elder said before turning to walk toward the bamboo door.

Mu Feng looked around the empty bamboo hut, half-wondering if everything he had experienced was just a dream induced by the darkness.

...

Over the months, Mu Feng had fully adapted to life in the valley and had come to understand more about it.

He was in a place called Linglong Valley, though its exact location on the Xuantian Continent remained a mystery. Even when he had asked the white-clad elder, the man had only offered an enigmatic smile without explanation.

Including Mu Feng, there were now three people in Linglong Valley. The first was the white-clad elder he had previously met, known as Elder Bai, and the other was Elder Hei.

According to Elder Bai, Linglong Valley could be considered a 'phantasmal' sect, specializing in the art of formation. Its 'phantasmal' nature was not only due to its mysterious location but also because the true core of Linglong Valley currently consisted only of the two of them.

In its heyday centuries ago, Linglong Valley was a major sect with numerous disciples and influence spread across the continent. However, due to various changes over time and the world's shifts, it had declined.

Mu Feng had initially wanted to ask about the exact reasons for the decline, but after witnessing the daily bickering between the two old 'children', he had guessed the probable cause.

After spending months with them, Mu Feng knew that the two elders were the only remaining disciples of this hidden sect. Elder Bai specialized in setting up formations, while Elder Hei specialized in breaking them. Being opposites, it was no wonder they argued daily.

Yet, if one knew that these two had lived together for nearly a hundred years, the daily squabbles and banter could also be seen as a form of enjoyment in old age. Having such companionship was perhaps the happiest thing in their lives.

Possibly out of a competitive spirit, everything the two elders did was diametrically opposed: if one set up formations, the other broke them; if one wore white, the other wore black; if one ate meat, the other went vegetarian; if one ascended to the heavens, the other delved into the earth.

Everything they did seemed to be in contradiction to the other.

The one similarity between the two old men was their long, shoulder-length white hair and chest-length white beards.

"You old tortoise, after all these years, you're still so capable..." After a routine spat, Elder Hei shouted from the hillside to Elder Bai.

Elder Hei, dressed in a black robe that fluttered in the wind, his clothes adorned with dark green patterns that shimmered, stood there with a slightly mocking smile on his weathered face, yet there was a warmth and kindness about him.

Unlike Elder Bai, Elder Hei had a round, slightly plump belly and greasy skin that glistened under the sun, resembling a laughing Buddha, always appearing jovially like an old playful child.

"Stubborn old mule, look at yourself; you're getting more stubborn with age and still won't admit defeat!" Elder Bai retorted, dressed in a light white robe with engraved cloud patterns that also shimmered. He was visibly annoyed by Elder Hei's words, tugging at his white beard as if he wanted to pull it off.

"Admit defeat? With your meager skills, it's better to rest and save your energy. In a few years, not just me, even my disciple could defeat you," Elder Hei continued.

"Just big talk. You can't even break my formations, and you expect that boy Liusu to?" Elder Bai paused, seemingly struck by a thought, and then spoke somewhat discontentedly, "So that's your cunning plan, old mule, taking Liusu as your disciple to challenge me later. If I win, you'll say I bullied the younger; if I lose, you'll gloat for a lifetime."

"Hahaha," Elder Hei laughed heartily, his face expressing an 'you just realized' look. He stroked his white beard and laughed freely, "Liusu's talent is rare, even greater than yours and mine. Defeating you is only a matter of time."

Seeing Elder Hei's triumphant demeanor, Elder Bai was even more infuriated, stomping his foot and spinning around, muttering to himself, "This won't do, this won't do. I must also take a disciple to be fair."

"Even if you take ten, they won't match Liusu," Elder Hei continued to taunt, implying Elder Bai was welcome to try.

Elder Bai calmed down and recalled Liusu's learning in the valley. Indeed, as Elder Hei had said, the boy was a rare genius. Seeing Elder Hei's relaxed demeanor, Elder Bai felt even more anxious. "Where in this world could there be another Liusu?" he lamented inwardly.

With a creak, the bamboo door opened, and Mu Feng slowly stepped out to be met by Elder Bai's surprised yet hesitant gaze.

Mu Feng, somewhat puzzled by Elder Bai's intense scrutiny, wondered if he had done something wrong.

Elder Bai stepped closer and after another careful look, suddenly asked, "Boy, would you like to become my disciple?"

"Take you as a master?" This was unexpected. Mu Feng was somewhat unsure.

Elder Hei, equally surprised, quickly joined them, pleading, "Old tortoise, don't mess around. If it really bothers you, I won't let Liusu challenge you. If that's not enough, he can even call you master."

Elder Hei's words carried a trace of concern, contrasting with his previous mocking tone. Often, one's greatest rival or confidant understands them best.

Knowing Elder Bai's sentimental nature and aware of Mu Feng's condition with only seven years left due to his fragmented Seven Souls, Elder Hei didn't oppose Mu Feng; he was more concerned about Elder Bai, unwilling to see him invest too deeply and suffer heartache in seven years.

Previously hesitant, Elder Bai became more determined after hearing the mention of 'Liusu' and looked at Mu Feng again, asking, "Will you?"

Mu Feng faced the old man, his mind racing with thoughts of the strange proposal and the bizarre circumstances he found himself in within Linglong Valley.