Translator: Reverie_ Editor: Kurisu
Although Ling Han wrote several hundred books on arts and techniques, he had no intention of giving out them all. The three formation basics and on top of that one branch of formation was enough to study intensively for a while.
So, he decided to leave and head to the Dark Demon Forest.
Bringing Hu Niu, he hired a carriage since the journey would take over ten days; it was better to hire a carriage to serve as transport.
Inside the carriage, Hu Niu relished and nibbled on the dried meat while Ling Han took out the formation basics and began flipping through it.
Very soon, he revealed an awed expression.
Martial arts were a process of cultivating oneself, viewing the human body as a large treasure and excavating the endless potential within. There was a saying in the martial arts world: one man, one world. It meant that when martial arts were cultivated to the extreme, a martial artist oneself could become an enormous world, possessing supreme power.
Formations were exactly the opposite.
This path revered the natural power of heaven and earth. It purported to be borrowing the power of heaven and earth and changing it for personal use. Therefore, the key was of it was how to borrow the power of heaven and earth.
A medium was needed to borrow the power of heaven and earth, called the formation's eye.
A formation's eye could appear in all shapes and forms, such as a sword, a saber, or a flag. However, not just any sword, rock, or flag could serve as the formation's eye; there were still very strict requirements. First, the material's quality, and second, the formation patterns carved on it.
The one who compiled this book on formations liked to use flags as the formation's eye, and called them formation flags. Formation flags were like martial arts, separated into ten tiers, and formations arrayed by different tiers of formation flags had differing powers.
High-tier formation flags could be used to array low-tier formations, but not the other way around. High-level formations had to be set by high tier formation flags; otherwise, the formation flags couldn't possibly endure the power of heaven and earth drawn in, instantly exploding.
Thus, effective tools were necessary for the successful execution of a job. Only by finding the suitable materials and making them into formation flags or using other formation's eye could one begin to discuss how to array the formation.
Ling Han was eager to give it a try. When they passed by a large city, he spent thirty thousand Origin Crystals and bought a chunk of Purple-Veined Gold, which was an extremely high cost for about one pound.
This was a fifth tier cast metal, which could be forged into Spiritual Ocean Tier level spirit tools; of course it would be expensive. Thankfully, it was only a little over one pound, not enough to be formed into a sword, saber, or other weapons, or else thirty thousand Origin Crystals wouldn't be enough.
Ling Han immediately entered the Black Tower. Inside, he could summon raging flames and easily melt the chunk of precious gold into seven small metal poles. Since he lacked the materials, he didn't make it into a formation flag; it was more important to carve the formation patterns, and as for what form the formation's eye had, it made no difference.
This was the first step; the second step was to carve formation patterns on the metal poles. This was the most crucial step—formation patterns drew in the power of heaven and earth, so the effects were completely different based on the element of the formation pattern and the type of formation arrayed.
Ling Han forged seven metal rods fastidiously based on Small Heavenly Origin Spirit Snake Formation; once he carved the formation patterns onto it, it could become a true formation's eye. He would then be able to spread it beside him and the formation would become complete by itself, having both defensive and offensive effects.
The problem was how would he carve the formation patterns onto the poles.
This wasn't drawing, completed just by following the design. Formations could draw in the power of heaven and earth because it was a sort of understanding, like martial intent—you either understood it or you didn't. There was no third option.
If he wanted to brand the formation patterns onto metal, he first had to understand the formation. Therefore, the people who understood it deeply were high-level formation masters, and the people who understood it superficially were low-level formation masters.
Ling Han studied all sorts of formations in his previous life. Of course, he studied how to overcome them—in other words, the loopholes in the formations. This could be referenced, not to mention that he possessed the divine sense and martial arts comprehension of the Heaven Tier. Turning around to study low-level formations was truly too easy.
He kept exclaiming from realizations, advancing fiercely on formations.
Five days later, he threw aside the three formation basics introduction books and picked up a rock, carving formation patterns on it.
Every formation pattern had to be carved in one go, completed without a pause. If it weren't smooth, it would effect the activation of heaven and earth's power. One could make at most three pauses in drawing the formation's eye, or else it would be worthless.
For a fourth tier formation's eye, the minimum of formation patterns carved was nine and the maximum was fifteen—all of which had to be squeezed onto a small metal rod. Small Heavenly Origin Spirit Snake Formation needed to use seven formation's eyes to arrange, each limited to fifteen formation patterns; amongst fourth level formations it could be considered of high quality, and speaking from this point, Yin Hong was quite fair.
Ling Han began to carve formation patterns. After he carved fifteen formation patterns on a rock, he carefully examined it, finding that at least eight were wrong; moreover, those that weren't wrong had several pauses.
It was all right, he didn't count on becoming a formation master all of a sudden; he'd progress slowly.
On the eleventh day since departing from the Extreme Yang City, Ling Han finally arrived at the outskirts of the Dark Demon Forest. The coachman was unwilling to go further, and after Ling Han came off the carriage, the former immediately whipped the horse and left in a hurry.
This was an extremely chaotic place. No single force occupied it; but of all places, this place was rich in spirit grass, attracting large amounts of forces to enter and harvest medicine. Under the massive profitability, conflicts broke out often—spilling blood and killing were more than ordinary occurrences.
The Dark Demon Forest had no hegemon, but there were four relatively strong forces. Since they developed from within the Dark Demon Forest, they were like the local tyrants, and even large forces like the Winter Moon Sect and the Beast Emperor Sect wouldn't provoke them.
These four forces were Blood Light House, Heavenly Silkworm Court, Devour Bone Court, and Gust Demon Clan, all of which were said to have Flower Blossom Tier elites backing them up. Other than the large forces, there were many medium- and small-scale forces that sought survival in the crevices, even desiring to replace the four large forces.
It was rumored that many medium-scale forces even received the support of a grand sect like Winter Moon Sect, but whether it was real or fake, no one could say clearly.
The four large forces had many campsites open to the public within the Dark Demon Forest. These sites were equivalent to ramparts, providing protection for martial artists that gathered medicine. However, they were definitely not philanthropists. Those who wanted to enter the campsite had to pay money— which of course meant Origin Crystals, which could also be replaced with spirit grasses and tool refining materials.
In the campsite, no one was to use force; this was the most basic rule. Once outside, you could fight till heads flew wildly and it wouldn't matter.
Ling Han walked arbitrarily as all his thoughts were on formations. After studying for ten days, he had a strong interest in formations, which, when combined with martial arts, could unleash an incredible effect.
In reality, formations were closely tied with every martial artist. The simplest example would be spirit tools, which actually belonged to the area of formations—branding one's martial intent on it was the most coarse formation pattern.
However, if actual formations patterns were branded on a spirit tool, combining the two, the power unleashed was naturally stronger.
"Fellow brother, if you're alone, why not join us?" He walked slowly and was soon passed by a team when one of the members offered him an olive branch.