"What a complete bandit…"
Tossed out of the great hall, Song Changsheng adjusted his rumpled robes and grumbled in frustration.
He was secretly annoyed at himself he had gotten a little too carried away. Knowing full well that his Fifth Uncle was stingier than a plucked chicken, he still went and provoked him. Now he had paid the price…
After returning to his courtyard, Song Changsheng immediately got back to weaving formation flags.
In the art of formations, there are four essential components: the formation core, formation flags, formation patterns, and spirit veins. If one wants to set up a permanent formation like a clan-protecting grand array, all of these are necessary.
Among them, formation patterns and formation flags can also be used independently. For instance, when formation patterns are inscribed into magical artifacts, they can grant special functions and improve their quality.
However, the more common method is using both formation flags and patterns together. This creates what's called a temporary formation cheap to set up and quick to deploy.
What Song Changsheng needed to do now was to weave a new set of first-grade formation flags.
Setting up a first-grade formation requires twelve flags. Depending on the formation master's level, the resulting formation can be classified as Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, or Supreme matching the stages of a cultivator's realm.
Song Changsheng had always been the cautious type. Though he already had a set of flags, he wanted a backup better safe than sorry.
Weaving formation flags was a meticulous job, one that tested both patience and mental focus. And so, time slipped quietly away…
......
"Brother Changsheng, time to head out!"
At dawn, just as Song Changsheng finished his morning cultivation, a slightly youthful voice rang out by his ear.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw four people approaching two elders and two youngsters. One of the boys was waving at him enthusiastically.
Song Changsheng quickly walked over and respectfully cupped his hands toward the two elders in front. "Greetings, uncles."
The two men, one tall and one short, returned the gesture. The tall one was Song Luding, over seventy years old, at the peak of the Qi Refining realm, and a steward of the clan's Spirit Testing Hall.
The shorter man was Song Luzi, in his early sixties, at the ninth level of Qi Refining, and also a steward of the Spirit Testing Hall.
"No need for such formality, dear nephew. These two are Changjiu and Changying descendants of your Fourth Granduncle. They're coming with us to broaden their horizons," Song Luding said cheerfully, pointing to the young man and woman beside him.
"Greetings, Brother Changsheng," the two juniors said with cupped hands. Song Changying was poised and composed, graceful in demeanor, while Song Changjiu kept sneaking curious glances at him from the corner of his eye.
While returning the greeting, Song Changsheng also gave the two a once-over. Both appeared to be about fifteen years old Song Changying was at the fourth level of Qi Refining, and Song Changjiu at the fifth.
Though not quite on his level, their cultivation was impressive for their age.
"It's getting late. We should head out," Song Luzi said bluntly.
"Indeed. The quick trip there and back," Song Luding nodded. With a wave of his sleeve, a large paper kite appeared in front of them.
Since Qi Refining cultivators couldn't fly on swords yet, they often relied on flying magical artifacts like flying shuttles or paper kites as transportation.
However, such artifacts were difficult to craft and required mid-grade spirit stones as their energy source.
One mid-grade spirit stone could be exchanged for a hundred low-grade ones well beyond what most could afford.
"Whoa! So this is a paper kite? This is my first time seeing one!" Song Changjiu darted around the artifact like a monkey examining it here, poking it there, and making strange exclamations from time to time.
Song Changying immediately turned her face away with a look that seemed to say, "Don't look at me I don't know him."
Watching the excited antics of Song Changjiu, Song Changsheng couldn't help but recall the first time he saw his father use magic he had been just as wide-eyed and excitable.
The five of them stepped onto the paper kite. As Song Luding channeled his spiritual energy, the kite's wings flapped, lifting off the ground and soaring toward the vast stretch of forest far in the distance...
The cultivation world of Great Qi was located in the southern part of the human-controlled territory. Officially, it was known as Southern Chuan Wildlands, or more commonly, the Southern Continent. Among the five major human continents, it had the shortest history.
It earned its name due to its abundance of mountains and hills, and its lack of cultivation resources.
Within this already barren region, places like Great Qi which sat on the borderlands were the most remote. Endless mountains and hills stretched in all directions, yet spiritual veins were pitifully rare.
At first, the Song clan had few members, and Cangmang Peak was spacious enough to accommodate them. But in less than two hundred years, the clan's mortal population had grown to several hundred thousand far beyond what Cangmang Peak could support.
Besides, having mortals and cultivators live side-by-side caused many inconveniences.
As a result, the clan's third patriarch, Song Yungui a cultivator of the Purple Mansion Realm oversaw the establishment of a new settlement area for the clan's mortal members.
After careful consideration, they chose a small plain about 400 li (approx. 200 km) from Cangmang Peak. It took the entire clan over a decade to transform it into a habitable place.
However, human flesh was always coveted by demonic cultivators and spirit beasts. To ensure the clan's safety, Song Yungui supervised the construction of seven fortified cities.
These seven cities were arranged to mirror the Big Dipper constellation. Beneath each city flowed multiple first-grade spiritual veins, and at the center was even one second-grade spiritual vein.
A third-grade geomancer and formation master were then invited to link these veins together and turn them into a massive third-grade lower-tier formation known as the Seven Star Mountain-Locking Formation.
Though it lacked a third-grade spiritual vein to power it, the formation could still hold off a Purple Mansion cultivator for several hours.
That was more than enough time for the clan to send reinforcements.
Later on, when the clan no longer had any Purple Mansion experts, the current patriarch, Song Xianming, further strengthened the defense by integrating an inherited lower-tier magic treasure Black Tortoise Mountain-Sealing Seal left behind by Ancestor Song Yungui into the formation as its core.
With a skilled formation master at the helm, the formation could go toe-to-toe with Purple Mansion cultivators, becoming a symbol of the Song clan's hidden strength.
......
The paper kite flew swiftly through the air, and fortunately, they didn't encounter any reckless spirit beasts along the way. The 400-li journey took just half an hour.
"Wow, Brother Changsheng! Is that the Mirror of Demon Revelation? I heard even Purple Mansion demons can't hide from it!" Song Changjiu exclaimed, wide-eyed like a country bumpkin in the imperial palace, finding everything new and wondrous.
They were flying mid-air, with a bird's-eye view of the seven cities laid out beneath them. At the center point of the cities hovered a massive, glowing crystal mirror the very Mirror of Demon Revelation that Song Changjiu had pointed out.
"That's right. If not for it, who knows how many demons would've snuck in by now," Song Changsheng replied with a nod.
"So awesome…" Song Changjiu's eyes sparkled as he stared at the floating mirror, practically seeing stars.
He was the talkative and excitable type. By now, the rest of the group was well used to his antics.
Song Luding steered the paper kite directly into the city, descending into a large estate at its center.
The city's governor was already waiting there with his top officials. Before the paper kite even touched the ground, they had already dropped to their knees in unison, shouting, "Greetings, Immortal Masters!"
It was Song Changsheng's first time witnessing a scene like this, and he felt a bit awkward. The way those people looked at them made him somewhat uncomfortable.
"There's no need for such formality," Song Luding said gently. "We are all of the same clan no need for this. I am Song Luding, the one in charge of this Ascension Ceremony."
The middle-aged city lord cautiously stood up and asked, "Immortal Master, may I ask when the ceremony will begin?"
Glancing briefly at Song Changsheng, Song Luding replied, "In three days. Go and make the necessary preparations."
The city lord accepted the order and quickly led the others away. Though he had wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries, he understood the importance of knowing when to stop. Completing his duties well would leave a better impression than idle talk.
Once the group had left, Song Luding turned to the others and said, "We still have time. Go find yourselves a room to settle in for now. But I'll need to trouble Nephew Changsheng to pay a visit to Elder Five on our behalf."
Delighted by the task, Song Changsheng responded cheerfully, "Understood, Uncle!"