Ten Thousand Years in Seclusion

The Formation Hall was not located on the main peak of Qingyun Mountain, but on the left-hand peak, which stood only slightly lower than the main peak.

Guo Qing led Qi Tian, Qian Duobao, and Lin Ye toward the left-hand peak.

After roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, they finally arrived at the Formation Hall.

Not far from the Formation Hall stood a towering pagoda.

It was about nine stories tall, completely black from top to bottom, its surface covered in intricate and densely packed formation patterns.

Qi Tian gave the tower another glance.

"Senior Brother Guo, what is that tower...?"

"That’s the Cultivation Pagoda. It’s also under the Formation Hall’s control," Guo Qing explained. "Various formations have been set up inside to help accelerate cultivation."

Qi Tian’s eyes lit up.

"Can anyone go in and cultivate?"

"Yes." Guo Qing nodded. "But it costs Contribution Points."

Qi Tian understood.

The Falling Cloud Sect Handbook had explained it clearly. Contribution Points were a points-based system used by the sect. They could be earned through merit, completing various tasks, and other means. They could be exchanged for spirit stones as well as various cultivation resources.

As they talked, the group had already stepped into the Formation Hall.

The interior was fairly spacious. A long counter stood near the entrance, with two disciples stationed behind it. Along the walls stood rows of wooden racks, densely packed with all manner of formation plates, formation flags, and other formation-related items.

When the two disciples saw Guo Qing enter, they cupped their fists in greeting.

"Senior Brother Guo."

They then turned to Qi Tian, Qian Duobao, and Lin Ye and gave them each a friendly nod.

The three returned the gesture.

"I’ll introduce you to them later," Guo Qing said with a smile. "Elder Li is waiting for you upstairs on the second floor."

With that, he led the three of them to the staircase and started up.

"The ground floor of the Formation Hall mainly handles the sale and exchange of formation items," Guo Qing explained as they climbed. "You’ll have to take turns on duty here once you join the hall, helping receive visitors."

At the end of the second floor, Guo Qing stopped before a door and knocked.

"Come in."

Elder Li’s voice came from inside.

Guo Qing pushed the door open, and Qi Tian, Qian Duobao, and Lin Ye followed him in.

Elder Li was seated behind a low blackwood table, staring at a formation diagram before him with a furrowed brow, deep in thought.

Guo Qing bowed. "Master."

The three new disciples followed suit. "Elder Li."

Elder Li looked up and swept his gaze over the three new disciples before giving a slight nod.

"You’re here. From today onward, you are members of the Formation Hall. We may have few disciples, but our rules are no less strict. Once you enter this hall, you will abide by its rules, devote yourselves to studying formations, and never slack off."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Let me give you a brief introduction first."

"The formation arts are vast and profound, but for all their variations, they can be divided into nine categories."

He counted them off on his fingers.

"Augment, Attack, Defend, Bind, Illusion, Conceal, Seal, Shift, Combine."

With that, Elder Li changed tack.

"However, you won’t be learning how to set up formations just yet. You’ll start by learning how to draw talismans."

Surprise appeared on Lin Ye’s face.

"Draw talismans?"

"Correct," Elder Li said calmly. "Formations and talismans share many principles. If you wish to master formations, you must first understand talismans. Beginners start with talisman drawing to build a foundation, develop a feel for the strokes, and learn the patterns."

Elder Li turned to Guo Qing.

"Take Lin Ye around the Formation Hall and show him the place. I still have something to discuss with the other two."

"Yes, Master."

Guo Qing cupped his fists and gestured for Lin Ye to follow.

"Junior Brother Lin, come with me."

Once the two of them had left the hall, Elder Li’s gaze returned to Qi Tian and Qian Duobao.

With a casual wave of his hand, a faint halo spread across the four walls. The isolation formation activated, sealing the room off from the outside.

Qi Tian’s heart stirred slightly.

With such thorough isolation, it seemed Elder Li had something confidential to tell them—something not meant for outsiders.

Elder Li took his seat at the head of the room and looked at the two before him.

"Actually, I specifically chose the two of you to join the Formation Hall. Do you know why?"

Qi Tian and Qian Duobao exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads.

Elder Li’s expression grew more solemn.

"What I’m about to tell you isn’t exactly a great secret, but I still need you to keep it to yourselves. Can you do that?"

Qian Duobao immediately thumped his chest.

"Of course! I’m tight-lipped, Elder Li. You can count on me!"

Qi Tian nodded as well.

"No problem."

Elder Li no longer kept them in suspense.

"The formation used for the Heaven-Ascending Stairway test was originally the Myriad-Jun Formation."

Qi Tian and Qian Duobao exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.

Why had they suddenly gone back to the Heaven-Ascending Stairway test?

Elder Li’s gaze swept across their faces as he continued.

"You both know something went wrong with the Heaven-Ascending Stairway yesterday. I went up to inspect it... and discovered that the formation plate of the Myriad-Jun Formation had been damaged and could no longer be activated. With no time to spare, I replaced it with the Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation."

Qi Tian frowned slightly.

"What’s the difference?"

"A big one." Elder Li’s tone turned solemn.

"The Heaven-Ascending Ten Tribulations Formation is normally only activated during the sect’s grand competition. Its spiritual pressure is more than twice that of the Myriad-Jun Formation, and it also comes with additional tribulations, such as ’Inferno’ and ’Frostbite.’"

Qian Duobao’s eyes widened, his voice rising.

"Twice as much?"

He suddenly realized something.

"Then... reaching the three hundred and thirty-third step would be equivalent to..."

"Roughly the six hundred and sixty-sixth step under the Myriad-Jun Formation. Perhaps even higher."

Elder Li answered calmly.

Qian Duobao’s face immediately fell, his expression turning pained.

"Then... I could have become a personal disciple?"

Elder Li glanced at him.

"Don’t worry. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll report this to the Internal Affairs Hall shortly, then choose an auspicious day for the apprenticeship ceremony. After that, you’ll be my personal disciple."

The twelve disciples, including Xu Xin, had merely earned the qualification to become personal disciples through the test. That did not mean the elders could only choose their personal disciples from among those twelve.

In truth, as long as an elder took a liking to a particular disciple, they could accept that disciple as a personal disciple regardless of whether they were an Inner Sect disciple or even an Outer Sect disciple. A disciple could rise through the ranks in a single step.

Qian Duobao reacted immediately. He straightened his robes, bowed respectfully, and changed how he addressed Elder Li.

"Disciple Qian Duobao pays respects to Master!"

Elder Li looked at the chubby youth before him and nodded with a satisfied smile. The boy was quick-witted and knew how to react to the situation. He was quite to Elder Li’s liking.

Then Elder Li noticed Qi Tian silently watching him.

"As for you, you are already at the seventh layer of Qi Condensation. By the rules, you naturally qualify to become a personal disciple as well. However, your situation is special. We’ll have to wait for the Sect Master to return before making a decision."

Qi Tian merely smiled.

Elder Li had clearly misunderstood him.

He did not care about becoming a personal disciple in the slightest.

Granted, personal disciples enjoyed far greater monthly stipends and privileges than Inner Sect disciples. But he already had a master.

Although his master had long since passed away, there was no way he would bow to another and call them Master. Besides, there was no one in the Falling Cloud Sect qualified to be his master.

Qi Tian simply asked, "Elder Li, if we calculate it according to the Myriad-Jun Formation, doesn’t that mean I already reached the top of the Heaven-Ascending Stairway?"

Elder Li paused, then nodded.

"That is indeed the case."

The corners of Qi Tian’s lips curled upward slightly.

"You said earlier that reaching the top comes with a reward. So, Elder Li..."

He looked at Elder Li.

"How do you intend to compensate me?"

Elder Li’s eye twitched at that, and he couldn’t help but smile wryly. "Then what kind of compensation do you want?"

Qi Tian hesitated for a moment before finally asking boldly, "Could I trouble Elder Li to set up an isolation formation around my residence in Heaven One?"

Elder Li was taken aback, then laughed and waved a hand. "I thought you were going to ask for something worthwhile. Why would I need to set up a formation myself? There are ready-made first-tier isolation formation plates at the hall downstairs. I’ll have Guo Qing bring one to you later."

A formation plate was the foundation of a formation, with its formation patterns already inscribed upon it. Many formations could be activated with nothing more than a single formation plate, especially first-tier formations, making such plates extremely convenient to carry around. Qi Tian knew, however, that a first-tier isolation formation could, at most, block the divine sense of Qi Condensation cultivators from probing him.

"Um..." Qi Tian carefully considered his words. "Could it be... a higher-tier one?"

The smile faded slightly from Elder Li’s face, and he frowned.

"A second-tier formation plate is already quite valuable. I can only lend you one for the time being. You’ll have to return it later."

Qi Tian fell silent.

A second-tier isolation formation could, at most, block the divine sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In the end, Qi Tian still spoke, lowering his voice slightly.

"What if... it were a third-tier one?"

"What?!"

Elder Li’s eyes widened as he stared at Qi Tian.

"What do you need a third-tier isolation formation for?"

He looked Qi Tian up and down, the smile on his face gradually disappearing.

"I’m seriously starting to wonder if you’re actually a spy."

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