On this day, Li Fan received a message from Zhang Zhiliang, asking him to come to the Formation Hall.
After obtaining the position of Formation Repairer, Li Fan had not been engaged in any official tasks. Presumably, Zhang Zhiliang had been busy researching the Mountain and River Formation on that recently emerged island, and that was why he hadn’t contacted Li Fan.
With the sudden summons, Li Fan did not delay. He changed into a black and yellow robe and proceeded to the Formation Hall.
With his new status within the system, the Seven-Colored Immortal-Felling Formation above his head ignored Li Fan as he entered the central core area.
Walking into the oblique cube-shaped building, the small cube body seemed to recognize Li Fan’s identity, automatically activating.
After a moment, Li Fan was brought into the space where Zhang Zhiliang was.
This place was extremely familiar to Li Fan. In the eleventh life, he had spent several years here, tirelessly researching formations day and night, which led him to officially step into the path of formations.
Looking ahead, Zhang Zhiliang stood with his back to him, motionless.
“Greetings, Senior.” Li Fan spoke and bowed.
Zhang Zhiliang seemed as if he hadn’t heard, remaining unmoved.
Seeing this, Li Fan repeated his greeting.
As if there was a long delay, after a considerable amount of time, Zhang Zhiliang finally turned around.
“Oh… you… are here.”
Li Fan immediately discerned that the figure before him should be some kind of clone or projection.
However, he still inquired, “Senior, has the research on the Mountain and River Formation concluded?”
After a while, Zhang Zhiliang’s intermittent voice sounded.
“Not yet. The research on the Mountain and River Formation is at a critical juncture… It’s even more complicated than imagined… It’s estimated to take another year or two to finish.”
“Brother Li seems to have something urgent, so you left in haste…”
“I also… suddenly remembered that since you joined, I haven’t taught you any formations.”
“Now, in this situation, I can’t spare the time.”
“But if I postpone it for another one or two years, it wouldn’t be justifiable.”
“So, I will provide you with relevant formation information first. You can study on your own.”
“If you have any doubts, I’ll answer them one by one when I return.”
He spoke in a disjointed manner, and it took quite a while to finish this sentence.
After saying this, Zhang Zhiliang handed over a storage ring.
Li Fan took the storage ring, and with a sweep of his divine sense, he was not unfamiliar with the contents inside.
Encrypted jade slips and Heart Monkey Bones.
“Previously, you managed to grasp the basics of formations through self-study. Your talent should be… not bad. The encrypted jade slip inside this storage ring is a carefully compiled summary of the basics of formation. Study it attentively and cross-reference it with what you’ve learned. After reading it thoroughly, your proficiency in formations should see a significant improvement.”
After giving this last piece of advice, Zhang Zhiliang’s figure vanished without a sound.
Li Fan stored the ring and returned to the Tianxuan Mirror.
Taking out the encrypted jade slip, he carefully read it. He found that it was similar to what Zhang Zhiliang had taught him in the previous life but with many additional examples of formations.
For instance, the current guardian formation of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance: the “Heavenly Origin Vitality Formation.”
Unlike the defensive Mountains and Rivers Formation from three thousand years ago, the present Heavenly Origin Vitality Formation emphasized both offense and defense. It also had the effect of absorbing the vitality of ordinary people within the formation to enhance the concentration of spiritual energy.
Although the core structural data of the Heavenly Origin Vitality Formation was not included in the jade slip, there were still diagrams of some nodes of the formation. From these details, Li Fan could glimpse the vastness and intricacy of the Heavenly Origin Vitality Formation.
In the jade slip, Zhang Zhiliang also left some reminders.
The content of this grand formation was an absolute secret of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance and must not be leaked.
Apart from the Heavenly Origin Vitality Formation, the jade slip also analyzed many other formations that Li Fan had never seen before, such as the “Green Wood Spirit Gathering Formation” and the “Soaring Immortal Five Thunder Formation,” broadening Li Fan’s horizons.
However, these formations were profound and extremely intricate. Li Fan merely skimmed through them briefly without delving too deep.
Because now, he had something else to do.
Putting down the jade slip, Li Fan checked the price of the Spirit Mist Grass.
Previously, Zhang Zhiliang mentioned that He Zhenghao, who was engrossed in researching the Mountain and River Formation, hastily left without caring for anything else. Li Fan speculated that something might have happened, likely the attack of the dragonwhale on the island cultivating Spirit Mist Grass.
Considering the time, it should be about right.
Sure enough, the price of Spirit Mist Grass had recently experienced a slight increase. It went up from 18 contribution points per plant to 19 points.
Li Fan currently had a stock of 2,700 plants on hand, so there was no rush to sell them now. After all, it would take some time for the news to spread, the incident to escalate, and the price of Spirit Mist Grass to skyrocket to 25 points.
“A price of 25 points is still too low. Perhaps I can stir the pot a bit…”
“However, it’s not appropriate for the main body to intervene. It’s time to use the clone.”
Li Fan’s eyes flickered.
The clone, who had been quietly running errands on Ten Thousand Immortals Island and barely maintaining what he needed to survive, activated a Concealing Form Talisman to hide its cultivation and appearance. It arrived at the Thousand Mile Hall.
The entrance to the shop was deserted, with no customers in sight. Jiao Xiuyuan lay lazily behind the counter, resting with closed eyes.
As soon as Li Fan entered, Jiao Xiuyuan bounced up, wearing a respectful expression, “Finally, a customer! What would you like?”
“Formations, talismans, spiritual weapons, and elixirs, we have it all, and discounts are available for bulk purchases!”
Li Fan chuckled, “I heard that Senior Jiao has quite a few flawed Concealing Form Talismans eliminated from the Talisman Hall?”
Jiao Xiuyuan playfully smiled, “There are indeed many Concealing Form Talismans, but where I got them from is a secret. How many do you want, fellow Daoist?”
“How many do I want? I actually want to buy all the Concealing Form Talismans fellow Daoist has…” Li Fan was halfway through his sentence before Jiao Xiuyuan’s face lit up with excitement.
“But I’m short on contribution points!” he sighed, changing the topic.
Jiao Xiuyuan’s face turned black, and he spoke in an unfriendly tone, “You scoundrel, are you trying to mock me?”
But then he furrowed his brows, somewhat puzzled, “Why do you need so many Concealing Form Talismans? One person should only need to have a few on hand.”
Li Fan smiled faintly, “This is the reason I came to fellow Daoist Jiao.”
Seeing that Jiao Xiuyuan was interested, Li Fan temporarily kept him in suspense, remaining silent.
Jiao Xiuyuan sneered, “Are you trying to whet my appetite? Who knows if what you’re saying is true or false?”
“If you don’t want to say it, forget it!”
Li Fan didn’t get angry but smiled, then turned and walked away without any hesitation.
As he walked, he sighed, “They say Jiao Xiuyuan of Thousand Mile Hall never engages in losing deals. I thought his business acumen was extraordinary, but it seems to be nothing special.”
Shaking his head, Li Fan, with one foot already out of the Thousand Mile Hall’s main door, thought, “Wait!”
“Wait!”
At this moment, Jiao Xiuyuan shouted, stopping him.
Enthusiastically pulling Li Fan back, he closed the shop’s door.
Jiao Xiuyuan rubbed his hands, “Although I know you are using provocative tactics, I am willingly falling for it.”
He looked greedy, “Because I smell the scent of a business opportunity.”