11. Spirit-Gathering Formation Banner

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Such a colossal flying sword was large enough for a cultivator to ride upon and soar through the skies, yet as soon as the transformation was complete, Chen Fengyun felt his spiritual energy drain by more than half, forcing him to cease channeling it; the flying sword quickly shrank back to its original form.
“It seems that, to truly ride a flying sword, I’ll need to reach at least the seventh level of Qi Refining. Otherwise, I simply don’t have enough spiritual energy to fuel its extravagance,” Chen Fengyun shook his head ruefully.
However, when he used his immense spiritual power to control the flying sword, he discovered he could keep it in its transformed state, flying rapidly around him, entirely responsive to his will.
“Though I can’t ride the sword yet, I can freely command its movements—at the very least, it’s as if I’ve gained another weapon. I suppose I can finally call myself a true cultivator.”
A thunderous crash resounded.
Chen Fengyun, eager to test the sword’s might, directed it to smash forcefully into a corner of the stone chamber. With a booming impact, the floor erupted into a massive pit nearly two meters deep.
“What astonishing power! I daresay even a tank would be utterly wrecked by this sword.” Both shocked and delighted, Chen Fengyun mused to himself.
Next, he refined the three formation flags as well. This set of Spirit Gathering formation flags could concentrate spiritual energy from the surrounding heavens and earth into a small area, providing cultivators with a tool for cultivation.
“What a treasure! No wonder Master Yuanhua managed to cultivate up to the seventh level of Qi Refining even in the Age of Declining Law—it was thanks to possessing a set of Spirit Gathering flags.” Chen Fengyun was overjoyed; with the Spirit Gathering formation, perhaps he could now harness the world’s spiritual energy for his own cultivation.
“Honored Master, I have received great fortune from you, and though I cannot repay you, I will lay you to rest in peace.” With a wave of his hand, Chen Fengyun used his spiritual energy to gently lift Master Yuanhua’s skeletal remains into the nearby pit, then covered them with earth, thus settling the karmic bond between them.
At last, Chen Fengyun wielded the flying sword to collapse the entire stone chamber, ensuring no one would disturb Master Yuanhua in the future, nor discover the advantages he had gained here.
Leaving Jade Balance Peak, Chen Fengyun could only run home. Yet now his speed reached twenty meters per second—twelve hundred meters per minute—comparable to a small car at seventy kilometers per hour.
Fortunately, there were almost no vehicles on this road, so he needn’t worry about being discovered and causing a sensation. At this point, his cultivation system panel displayed:
Spiritual Root: Mortal grade, level ten
Spirit: Mortal grade, level ten
Cultivation: Qi Refining, fourth level
Techniques: Heaven and Earth Scorching Star Formula (Mortal grade, level seven), Golden Bell Shield (Mortal grade, level seven)
Skills: Formation (Mortal grade, level six)
Artifacts: Flying Sword (Mortal grade, level five), Spirit Gathering formation flags (Mortal grade, level seven)
Attribute Points: None
What delighted Chen Fengyun most was that the refined flying sword and formation flags had automatically entered his system space; he didn’t need to find a place to store them, nor worry about them being discovered.
As such, the only items he carried were the few pieces of colored metal and stone, which, according to the jade slip left by Master Yuanhua, were materials used for artifact refinement—so he kept them.
Chen Fengyun felt that this trip to his grandmother’s house had been well worth it. Not only had he gained so many attribute points and greatly enhanced his strength, but he had also elevated his cultivation techniques to mortal grade level seven, meaning he could now cultivate up to the seventh level of Qi Refining at least.
When he returned to his grandmother’s house, dusk was falling. Asked by his parents, Chen Fengyun replied that he had met a classmate in town, who was also visiting relatives, so they spent the afternoon together. His parents didn’t ask further; so long as he returned safely, they were content.
Chen Fengyun stayed two more days at his grandmother’s home. Each day he spent half the time running up the back mountain, searching for centuries-old trees and opportunities to practice controlling the flying sword.
Because his spiritual power was immense, he could sense life forms within a six square kilometer radius, enabling him to avoid others on the mountain and keep his abilities hidden.
Moreover, he sensed an area rich in spiritual energy on the mountainside opposite the back mountain and went there to set up the Spirit Gathering formation, cultivating for half a day until he had drained the surrounding spiritual energy dry.
Yet, even half a day’s cultivation caused his internal spiritual energy to grow ever so slightly. While not as effective as directly using attribute points to boost cultivation, it proved that even in the Age of Declining Law, true cultivation was still possible.
In fact, Chen Fengyun’s cultivation had always been advanced by attribute points, never through actual practice. This time, having truly cultivated, he became convinced that—even in this era—cultivation was indeed possible.
“If I can cultivate, I wonder whether those legendary blessed lands and caves still exist? Were there ancient cultivators whose legacies remain in this world? If there are still cultivators out there, where might they be?”
A host of questions welled up in Chen Fengyun’s heart. He believed that, if cultivators still existed, they surely wouldn’t dare to remain in the mundane world like himself, nor waste spiritual energy carelessly. Most likely, they were hidden deep within remote mountains, far from others.
Moreover, relying solely on the residual spiritual energy of ancient blessed lands would hardly allow for powerful cultivators to emerge. He already knew that after the tenth level of Qi Refining came the Foundation Establishment realm, but estimated that even if Foundation Establishment cultivators existed in this world, they would be exceedingly rare.
During these two nights, whenever he had time, Chen Fengyun took out the jade slip containing formation knowledge and delved into it, learning much about formations and causing his skills to undergo a qualitative leap. Without using any attribute points, his formation knowledge reached mortal grade level seven.
On the sixth day of the lunar new year, Chen Fengyun returned to his home in Rongcheng. In just two days, the final semester of his senior year would begin—and in a little over four months, he would sit for the college entrance examination.
Though Chen Fengyun was now a cultivator and not as invested in his studies, his parents hoped he would attend a good university, so he resolved to take the exam seriously and fulfill their wish.
After his spiritual power reached mortal grade level ten, Chen Fengyun found that both his memory and comprehension had transformed. Before school started, he spent a single day reviewing all the knowledge from junior high through senior year, grasping it deeply and remembering it thoroughly.
Chen Fengyun attended Rongcheng No. 5 High School, a second-tier school in the capital city of Sichuan Province. The elite schools were the 479 group, with second-tier schools including the 2568 group.
Previously, his academic performance ranked among the top dozen students in the twelve liberal arts classes of the 2019 cohort at Rongcheng No. 5, and within his own class he was consistently in the top three, earning the nickname “scholar” from his classmates.
But after his day of review before school began, Chen Fengyun was confident he could now claim first place in the entire school, and perhaps even achieve a good ranking among all senior students in Rongcheng.
“Madman, I heard there’s a diagnostic exam right at the start of the semester, and you’ll be tested alongside those geniuses from the 479 group. You’d better show some grit—our reputation depends on you!”