“That was the artifact I used to set up formations. Without it, my formation efficiency takes a huge hit. It would take at least several years to reforge a formation flag as handy as this one. That means I lose years of cultivation time compared to others, and my potential in the Dao of Formations plummets!”
Almost all formation cultivators use formation flags to set up arrays. They rarely use other artifacts. This originates from an Infant Soul Lord who mastered the Dao of Formations; his lifebound artifact was the Innate Formation Diagram.
Lin Huanhuan tilted her head in confusion and asked, “If that formation flag is so important to you, why did you use it to bet with someone? Shouldn’t something like that be kept safe? You don’t seem to treasure it.”
“Ah, you don’t understand. There’s a reason.” Huyan Yazhi sighed and explained, “Last time, because my progress ranked last in the entire Formation Peak, I was humiliated by everyone there for days. After days and nights of nonstop cultivation, I finally climbed back to the middle ranks and escaped the bottom of the food chain.”
“But who would have thought? Even after all that, my old nemesis still said I was just a fraud with no talent, that I was wasting air by living, and told me to go find a place to hang myself. How could I tolerate that? I immediately challenged her to a duel, and she proposed a bet: use our formation flags as stakes to see who could break the other’s formation first. I agreed without a second thought.”
“But for some reason, her formation cultivation had surged. She broke my formation a full breath faster than I broke hers. Not only did she take my formation flag despite my desperate pleas, she also humiliated me harshly. It’s truly despairing.”
After hearing this, Lin Huanhuan’s eyelid twitched. So he lost his most important possession because his anger clouded his judgment. She resolved not to let that happen to herself—she must not be controlled by her emotions.
After speaking, Huyan Yazhi, as if struck by an idea, looked at Lin Huanhuan with hopeful eyes, pressed her palms together, and flattered, “Lin Huanhuan, we’ve known each other for so long. I’ve never asked you for anything. Can you, in the name of our deep friendship, do me a favor?”
Lin Huanhuan suddenly had a bad feeling. “You’re not planning to ask me to win back that formation flag, are you?”
Huyan Yazhi’s eyes lit up immediately, and she smiled fawningly. “Yes, yes! You’re so smart. Please, this is my only request. If you don’t agree, I might die.”
“Isn’t this emotional blackmail a bit too cheap? And when did we ever have a deep friendship? If you’re going to try to curry favor, at least think it through.” Lin Huanhuan rolled her pretty eyes and retorted.
“Uh, hehe, but still, I want to ask for your help. If you can win back my formation flag for me, I’ll agree to any condition—even becoming your servant or slave. I won’t complain at all.”
Huyan Yazhi spoke awkwardly, but inside she sneered coldly:
‘Hehehe, even though making me a servant to be ordered around seems like the best deal for her, I’m not losing anything either. Once I become her servant, I’ll have to work for her. In that case, she can’t refuse to teach me her precious formation knowledge, right? After all, my improved strength would let me serve her better. When I’ve drained all her knowledge and surpassed her in formation cultivation, I can kick her away—or even enslave her in return. Truly, I am a once-in-a-century genius!’
Lin Huanhuan glanced at her, feeling that this girl wasn’t being entirely honest. After careful thought, she nodded and agreed. “Alright, I’ll reluctantly help you out. As for payment, I don’t need you to be my servant—that’s too much. Just work for me for free for a while.”
‘After all, I was going to do something soon anyway. This is a good reason to get involved, and afterward I’ll have free labor. Why not?’
Hearing this, Huyan Yazhi was momentarily stunned, then nodded vigorously. “That works too. I’ll pester Lin Huanhuan about formation knowledge. If she won’t teach me, I won’t work. She definitely won’t be able to stand it, and then I can extract all her hidden knowledge. Perfect!”
Suddenly, Lin Huanhuan’s sharp eyes caught a strange sight ahead. A family disciple dressed in luxurious clothes was begging a Formation Peak disciple.
“Please, help me set up a powerful formation. I’ll do anything!”
“Shut up, you waste! A guy who doesn’t understand even a fraction of the Dao of Formations isn’t worthy of speaking to me. Get lost, you air polluter. If you don’t leave now, I’ll be rude to you.”
As she passed them, Lin Huanhuan’s eyes widened. This scene looked just like a simp pursuing a goddess. When their figures disappeared, she recalled the earlier behavior of the Formation Peak disciple and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Huyan Yazhi, are all Formation Peak disciples this arrogant? Completely looking down on everyone else? Aren’t you afraid of getting beaten to death?”
“Who would dare?” Huyan Yazhi puffed out her chest. At the mention of this, she perked up. “People who don’t understand even a bit of the Dao of Formations—are they even worthy of speaking to us? If we deign to set up a formation for them, they should kneel and weep with gratitude. How could they dare to have any complaints?”
Lin Huanhuan shot her a cold glance and simply said, “Just answer honestly. If you keep spouting nonsense, I might not help you anymore. It’s not like I have anything to lose.”
Huyan Yazhi instantly caved. She rubbed her hands and said, “I’ll confess immediately.”
“Actually, this is related to the cultivation technique practiced in Formation Peak. All disciples who join Formation Peak cultivate a technique called ‘Heaven and Earth as Formation.’ This technique greatly enhances the cultivator’s comprehension of the Dao of Formations.”
“As for the drawback, it makes them regard the Dao of Formations as extremely important—even as everything in life. They are single-mindedly devoted to formations, willing to do anything to improve their cultivation, and they look down equally on any mortal who doesn’t understand formations. Of course, this isn’t without benefits. The advantages and disadvantages complement each other, allowing for faster cultivation.”
“The only bad thing is that they often get beaten to death outside the Lingyun Sect. No idea why.”
“I see. That explains it.” Lin Huanhuan nodded in realization. “So that’s why I haven’t seen formation cultivators outside being this arrogant. Now I understand.”