Chapter 464: Formation Art Skill!
Chapter 464: Formation Art Skill!
Jiang Chen sent his Divine Sense into the jade pendant Lu Ping had given him, sweeping through the foundational knowledge regarding Formations within.
The contents were neither vast nor complex.
First: The transition from mortal geomancy to cultivator formation arrangement.
Second: The Qi, Form, and Layout of geomantic formations.
Third: The three-step terrain surveying method of Formation Masters.
Fourth: The fundamental taboos of geomantic formations.
Progressing from the shallow to the profound, it was exceptionally easy to understand.
By the time he finished, he had not only gained a preliminary understanding, but with his Earth Spirit Root and vast reserves of knowledge, his attribute panel quickly reacted.
Formation Art Skill: NoviceEffect 1: Clarifies the connection between mortal geomancy and cultivator formation arrangement.
Effect 2: Accurately identifies the basic forms of Qi, Form, and Layout.
Consume 220 years of Lifespan to raise the Formation Art Skill to the Miracle Hands tier?
Jiang Chen was not surprised. “Acceptable.”
Raising his Rune Art Skill to the Miracle Hands tier had cost him thirty years.
Upgrading his Artifact Refining Skill to the same tier had required a hundred and seventy-four years.
For the even rarer Formation Art Skill, a cost exceeding two hundred years was perfectly understandable.
He had always suspected that his Rune Art Skill took less time because the runes he studied were simplified versions. While their effects were potent, the actual carving process was not overly complex.
If he were to study ancient runes from a thousand or even ten thousand years ago, the required time would undoubtedly be much longer.
The Artifact Refining Skill was the exact opposite. Although it was also evolving, only the refining process itself had been simplified. The structural designs of Spirit Weapons and Magical Artifacts were growing increasingly intricate, and their materials far more diverse.
In simple terms, understanding one rune paved the way to understanding a hundred more, whereas artifact refining required learning how to forge each distinct item from scratch.
The Rune Art Skill simplified the core concepts and lowered the barrier to entry.
The Artifact Refining Skill expanded possibilities and raised the absolute ceiling.
As for Formation Masters, the profession itself was exceedingly rare. It was not like the Rune Art or Artifact Refining skills, which anyone with a water, metal, or fire Spirit Root could learn and slowly master through daily practice and accumulated experience.
Geomancy and formations required a specific, innate talent.
In particular, the demand for natural comprehension reached a frankly outrageous level.
A narrow range of compatible Spirit Roots, paired with stringent comprehension requirements, made Formation Masters terrifyingly scarce.
Those without the proper Spirit Root could not learn it.
Those with the right Spirit Root but lacking comprehension could never truly master it.
Therefore, Jiang Chen made his decision without hesitation. “Hold nothing back.”
Instantly, his entire being slipped into a profoundly mysterious state of Epiphany.
Starting as a mere formation apprentice with an earth Spirit Root, he carefully imitated and studied, gradually creating formations of his own design. His experience and techniques grew ever richer until he finally reached the absolute pinnacle.
Remaining Lifespan: 19,545 years
Formation Art Skill: Miracle Hands
Effect 1: Understands the connection between mortal geomancy and cultivator formation arrangement.
Effect 2: Perfectly identifies the forms of Qi, Form, and Layout.
Effect 3: Completely masters observing Qi forms, surveying Earth Qi, and burying formation cores.
Effect 4: Discerns the repairability of damaged formations.
Effect 5: Low-grade formation success rate +90%
Effect 6: High-grade formation success rate +80%
Effect 7: Earth-grade formation success rate +70%
Effect 8: Heaven-grade formation success rate +60%
Effect 9: Top-grade formation success rate +49%
Special Effect 1: Perfectly integrates high-grade and Earth-grade formations with local geomancy, terrain, and environments.
Special Effect 2: Earth-grade and Heaven-grade formations can naturally form internal Spiritual Qi circulation loops upon completion.
Special Effect 3: Briefly pulls upon local Earth Veins during formation setup to micro-adjust the geomantic layout.
Special Effect 4: Greatly increases the repair success rate of damaged formations based on mastery of Qi, Form, and Layout.
Special Effect 5: Nests formations with different functions together, allowing their Spiritual Qi to link and resonate.
Special Effect 6: Reverses the functions of high-grade and Earth-grade formations, inverting the layout to transform harmful energy into usable power.
Special Effect 7: Eliminates reliance on fixed formation blueprints; requires only the surveying of Earth Veins and environmental characteristics.
(Note: Success rates will fluctuate due to factors such as realm, materials, and environment!)
After reviewing all the effects, Jiang Chen was tempted to break into enthusiastic applause.
Truth be told, those two hundred-plus years of Lifespan had been incredibly well spent.
He had gone from a complete novice to a Grandmaster of geomancy in less than a quarter of an hour.
With this, only his alchemy and spirit cuisine skills remained at the uninitiated stage.
However, Jiang Chen was more than satisfied for now. For him, mastering the rest was only a matter of time anyway.
…
…
Time flew by in a flash. Jiang Chen had already been loitering in the Fragrance Pavilion for two days.
Yesterday, it was Hong Chang.
Today, it was Lu Luo.
He had gained a thorough understanding of their brand-new underground amusements.
Fundamentally, it merely utilized the malleability and versatility of earth energy to spice things up.
It had been quite a novel experience at first. But after Jiang Chen mastered his Formation Art Skill, he could easily spot the hidden dangers and structural flaws of the underground space at a single glance, utterly killing his desire to go down there again.
Fortunately, the Shen Clan did not make him wait much longer.
Qiao Baiyang, who had been missing for nearly seven days, finally showed his face again.
He had returned this time specifically to take away Sun Shangxiang, coveting her unique Spirit Root and special physique.
Jiang Chen remained hidden in a dark corner, his expression utterly blank as he observed this old man who claimed to be the current Sect Leader of the Spirit Grain Sect.
He looked to be around seventy years old, his appearance weathered with age.
His skin was a dark brown, and the bulging veins on the backs of his hands twisted together like old tree roots.
He wore a light cyan robe with three parallel grain seedlings embroidered over the chest.
A cyan cloth sash was tied around his waist, with a palm-sized wooden plaque dangling from the end. Carved into its surface were the words: ‘Spirit Grain Sect Leader’.
At a glance, he truly looked the part of a wood Spirit Root cultivator from the Spirit Grain Sect.
The problem was, what kind of Sect Leader casually hung his identity token on his waist, as if desperately afraid someone might fail to recognize him?
It was a little too obvious!
The harder the man tried to play the part, the more Jiang Chen doubted his true identity. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this old man was not as simple as he appeared.
Therefore, he did not strike immediately. Instead, he remained hidden and continued to observe.
Standing beside the old man was a youth who looked no older than fourteen or fifteen.
His build was slender, yet far from frail.
His hair was cut somewhat short, only just reaching his ears.
His sword-like eyebrows were straight, their tips angled slightly upward.
A small brown mole rested just beneath his right eye.
His hands were long and elegant, his knuckles distinct and pronounced.
He wore a short outer jacket over a simple, sleeveless undershirt.
He wore coarse cloth trousers, secured at the waist by a black cloth sash.
On his feet was a pair of ordinary black cloth boots, the toes already beginning to fray.
He occasionally reached down to touch a conspicuous bulge at his waist, as though keeping an eye on whatever was hidden inside.
He looked like nothing more than an ordinary mortal youth.
But since Qiao Baiyang kept the boy constantly by his side, there had to be something extraordinary about him.
“Just hand Shangxiang over to me. She is a natural-born spirit farmer!”
“But the child is simply too young, and we cannot bear to part with her.”
“It is precisely because she is young that she will be easy to mold. Once she grows older, she may lose the patience for such work.”
“Couldn’t you wait just a few more years?”
“I cannot wait. I will not be returning here again after today.”
In the back garden, Qiao Baiyang argued with Shen Peng, Lei Yunna, and the others.
He was a Golden Core cultivator. Even if he only possessed a Human-Grade Golden Core, and an elderly one at that, he remained a Perfected Master.
When facing two much younger Foundation Establishment cultivators, he naturally projected absolute confidence, carrying himself with a heavy, overbearing arrogance.
It was clear he fully intended to take Sun Shangxiang away today, no matter the cost.
Had they not already spoken with Jiang Chen, Shen Peng and Lei Yunna might have relented.
But now, knowing that the Spirit Grain Sect had long been destroyed and that the man standing before them was highly suspicious, they did not dare to give in so easily.
Right at that moment, Jiang Chen’s voice suddenly echoed directly into Shen Peng’s ear. “A Golden Core Perfected Master from an Immortal Sect is already nearby, and you still hold the protective talisman I gave you. Let him take Shangxiang away for now. Do not alert the enemy!”