Flowing Water on the Fingertip
If Mu Yu’s anger erupted, the forest would’ve been scorched earth.
“Eternally Youthful Ku Mu was right to withhold information on slave pill from you because Third Heaven Palace’s formation guardian covets it. They’ll use it to control a group of suicide soldiers to eliminate all those who oppose them.
“Slave pill may be more effective than Divine Soul Talisman as a means to an end; however, the divine soul wood will corrode the target’s body over time, drastically slashing off their lifespan. If consumers are fortunate, they’ll have another decade to live after consuming it. If they’re unfortunate, they’ll only have a year of two. That’s not what Third Heaven Palace wants. Divine soul wood is used to hunt prey via controlling their mind and feasting on them to sustain itself, so you can see the resemblance… Divine Soul Formation, on the other hand, doesn’t have such a limitation. I assume you understand what this means.”
Luckily for Daoist Qing Song, Feng Haochen already found a way to extract the slave pill.
“Knowing Third Heaven Palace, I would presume they have started coveting Divine Soul Formation?”
“Just as how I acquired some of Third Heaven Palace’s leader’s memories, he also learnt that Sword Shadow Dust Gale and I invented Divine Soul Formation. Originally, the formation suffered the same flaw as Divine Soul Talisman, but I’ve furtively fixed it. I never told anyone, but I know their formation guardian is aware that I perfected it. That’s why he wants to silence me and acquire the knowledge for it from me.”
“What is the plan, then?”
“I won’t share all the information on it with him, but I’ll teach it to you. Their formation guardian is also adept in the art of formations. I don’t know how much he’s learnt from me. If he can use my memories to cast it, nevertheless, everyone will be at his mercy. I’m praying you can thwart their plan and defuse the formation.”
“You have my word. I will not let their scheme bear fruit.”
“Your cultivation is too low, so you are limited to controlling only those on your level or below. You, at least, need a Greater Heaven caster’s assistance. I shall have Zhuge Xiaosheng help you.”
“I only need Greater Heaven Caster Lu’s help. I trust him.”
“I don’t have any objections. I’ll teach you how to cast Divine Soul Formation. You will need to learn how to wield Formation Palace, though. Since it is the accumulation of all formation techniques out there, it will take you a year, at the very least, to learn to wield it.”
“We have less than thirty days until the tournament, though. I do not know if I can even learn a smidge of your knowledge by then.”
“Time isn’t the issue. I’ll personally mentor you for a year. How much you learn will be on you.”
“One year? If I spent one year learning, I think Talisman Sect would have overrun Formation Sect already.”
“Do you know why this formation is called Fingertip Flowing Water?”
“Why?”
“The name implies that time in this area is comparable to water, in that it has a form and can be controlled. There are still twenty-five days until the tournament. At most, I can manipulate the twenty-five days to become one year using Fingertip Flowing Water Formation.”
“You mean you can manipulate time beyond the formation from the formation?”
The corner of Chen Tiandao’s lips rose ever so slightly. “Cultivators find a way or two of attaining immortality. Possessing a perfectly-balanced-five-elements body is one way. The other way is to forcibly manipulate time using one’s cultivation. It took me my entire lifetime to figure out a formation that could achieve that. Defying the abstract concept of time comes at a price. I’m not suffering from old age, but I can no longer move. Should I leave this place, I will instantly wither because I’m supposed to be dead. When you saw me at Celestial Swords Hill, you were just seeing an apparition I left there.
“Fingertip Flowing Water Formation is the formation that I’ve used to last until now. There’s nothing to be envious about for there’s nothing to envy about prolonging the moment of your last breath and hopelessly watching events unfold as a spectator.
“Zhuge Xiaosheng and company can’t save Formation Sect. Make sure to utilise this extra year I’m giving you wisely.”
Mu Yu pinched his chin for a brief moment. “Since you are the formation core, the time manipulation only affects you. If you spend the time on me, what happens to you?”
“Death.”
Mu Yu flinched subtly and questioned, “You created the formation to avoid death, so why are you surrendering to it now?”
“I only remained here to wait for you in order to pass on my knowledge to save Formation Sect. I don’t need to cheat death once Formation Sect gets through this crisis,” Chen Tiandao explained with a smile.
“I can help; however, can you help me dismantle Nine Heaven Demon Sealing Formation? How will I achieve my goal if you pass on?”
“It’s better to teach a man to fish than it is to give him a fish. I’ll impart all of my knowledge on formations to you. If you can learn it, you’ll be able to undo it yourself. I can only move my torso at the moment, so I can’t help you anyway.”
“Mm… I will do my best, then.”
Chen Tiandao smiled.
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