Peach Blossom Divine Medical God Chapter 1913: 1907: Enhancing Formation Mastery

“Chen Yang, so according to what you’ve just shared, does that mean you’re now considered a member of the Taoist Sect?” Wu Kexin inquired, her ears attentive to his explanation.

Chen Yang offered a shake of his head. “Not precisely. I had a prior arrangement with Priest Liu. I am merely safeguarding the precious inheritance of the Red Cloud lineage for the time being, and I am obligated to return it to him in the future.”

“Ah, in that case, that is perfectly fine,” a smile immediately bloomed on Wu Kexin’s face.

Noticing her reaction, Chen Yang playfully questioned, “What’s this? You didn’t want me to join the Taoist Sect?”

Wu Kexin nodded with utmost sincerity. “Naturally. If you were to join the Taoist Sect, wouldn’t that make you a Taoist? Do you truly desire to become a Taoist priest?”

Pfft.

Chen Yang chuckled softly, opting to remain silent.

“Oh, right, Kexin, has anything significant transpired at home recently?” Chen Yang shifted the topic from himself to inquire about the village’s affairs.

Wu Kexin provided a brief rundown of the recent events.

Life in the village had been uneventful, with the sole exception being Director Yan’s reappearance. He had once again expressed his intention to seize control of the village school.

Even without Chen Yang’s presence, Wu Kexin understood his sentiments and, mirroring his resolve, firmly rejected Yan’s proposal.

“Furthermore, regarding the teaching staff for the school, Li Han and I have handled that matter for you. We successfully recruited over two hundred and seventy teachers. I reviewed their qualifications, and they all appeared to be quite capable, so I proceeded with their hiring. Would you like to review their profiles?” Wu Kexin added.

Chen Yang’s surprise and delight were evident upon hearing this.

He had initially anticipated that addressing the teacher shortage might pose a challenge. With the new semester looming, his first priority upon returning was to swiftly resolve this issue.

He hadn't foreseen Wu Kexin pre-empting his plans and accomplishing it for him.

“There’s no need. If you deemed them suitable, then that is sufficient,” Chen Yang stated, placing his complete trust in Wu Kexin’s judgment.

“Honestly, the credit largely goes to Li Han. Without her continuous assistance in this endeavor, it would have been impossible for me to recruit such a substantial number of teachers within a mere two months,” Wu Kexin admitted.

…

That evening, Chen Yang remained at the village office, engaged in an extended conversation with Wu Kexin, foregoing a return to his own residence.

While most of the information was general, one particular piece of news concerning Gu Xuanyu undeniably captured Chen Yang’s attention.

During her recent visit to the provincial capital, Wu Kexin had not only undergone personal growth but had also gathered considerable insider information.

According to her account, Gu Xuanyu had journeyed to the Capital City during this period.

The prevailing rumor was that he had gone to study under an exceptionally powerful and influential individual.

This alleged expert possessed formidable strength, causing unease among many established families within the provincial capital.

Considering that these families were in constant competition with the Gu Family, both openly and covertly, Gu Xuanyu’s purported training under a formidable figure in the Capital City naturally sparked apprehension.

Should he return with significantly enhanced power or forge a strong connection with this expert, it would undoubtedly bode ill for all the prominent families.

Naturally, this development was equally unfavorable for Chen Yang.

After all, the animosity between him and Gu Xuanyu was likely more profound than that shared with any other individual.

Upon hearing Wu Kexin’s account, Chen Yang began to piece things together.

It suddenly explained the Gu Family’s remarkable silence subsequent to the bomb-planting incident.

Evidently, Gu Xuanyu had departed for advanced training.

Nevertheless, Chen Yang felt no cause for worry.

He had now achieved mastery in the Spirit Gathering Realm and had recently acquired the core inheritance of the Red Cloud lineage – Formation.

In the ensuing period, his power was poised for a substantial surge.

He remained unconvinced that Gu Xuanyu could achieve a comparable rate of growth.

In the subsequent days, a sense of tranquility settled over Liuhé Village. Chen Yang occupied his time either immersed in cultivation or enjoying leisurely gatherings with Wu Kexin, Li Han, Yang Ruoxi, and the other young women, venturing out for enjoyment and recreation.

These serene interludes were incredibly fulfilling, and during this time, he also accomplished a great deal.

He facilitated the opening of a new branch for Yang Ruoxi’s restaurant, assisted Xiaocui in establishing a medical clinic within the county town, and for Yang Caiyun’s River Fish Restaurant, Chen Yang’s support enabled the launch of several nearby branches.

The mining venture he was jointly developing with Wang Jingman also exhibited exceptionally promising potential.

He had truly achieved a lifestyle of effortless prosperity, where wealth flowed in daily without demanding strenuous effort.

Naturally, his cultivation during this period also contributed to significant personal advancement.

As he had not yet fully mastered the Three-Slashes Cultivation Technique, he had deferred initiating the cultivation of the three techniques acquired from the Red Cloud Cave Mansion, contenting himself with preliminary research.

After some contemplation, he realized that only the Demon Suppression Record was truly suitable for his cultivation path.

This particular technique, a cornerstone of the Taoist Sect, could be synergistically employed with the Formation inheritance he had recently acquired.

When he activated a Formation while simultaneously circulating the Demon Suppression Record, the Formation's might experienced an amplification of at least thirty percent.

The sheer disparity in power was utterly astounding.

“I’ve obtained the Formation inheritance, but without the necessary materials for array deployment, I’ll need to make a journey to the provincial capital when the opportunity arises to procure some items,” he mused.

Formations were distinct from Cultivation Techniques.

While a Cultivation Technique merely required the flow of Qi within one's body, Formations invariably demanded material components; without these, their activation was impossible.

Of course, this limitation applied to cultivators at Chen Yang’s current level. Should his mastery of Formations reach an exceptionally high degree, the need for physical materials would vanish entirely.

He would then be able to utilize Qi as the raw material, conjuring formidable Formations with a mere gesture or a single step.

However, such a transcendent Realm remained a distant aspiration for Chen Yang at this juncture.

To be precise, he had yet to successfully erect a single Formation. His knowledge was confined to theoretical principles and accumulated wisdom regarding Formations. To truly enhance his prowess in this discipline, he would need to embark on his own journey of discovery, progressing incrementally.

During this preceding interval, Chen Yang had diligently cultivated within the confines of his home, lacking any opportunity to augment his practical experience with Formations.

In his pursuit of advancing his Formation capabilities, Chen Yang resolved to visit the Green Cloud Taoist Temple.

His initial intention was to request a few Formation manuals from Priest Liu for his perusal and then acquire some materials to commence the practical setup of a Formation.

Yet, upon his arrival, the response he received was rather discouraging: none were available.

“Young friend Chen Yang, if you seek Formation diagrams, you have truly come to the wrong person. This humble Taoist primarily specializes in geomancy. How would I possibly possess such items?” Priest Liu inquired with a gentle smile.

“You don’t even have a single Formation diagram? That seems improbable. Your Red Cloud lineage is renowned for its exceptional skill in Formations. Even if the inheritance were fragmented, it shouldn't have deteriorated to the point of having no diagrams whatsoever, right?” Chen Yang expressed his disbelief.

Priest Liu offered a rueful smile as he elaborated, “I genuinely possess none. While our lineage might indeed be distinguished in Formations, by the time the knowledge was passed down to me, there were regrettably no Formation diagrams remaining. Otherwise, would my expertise be limited solely to geomancy?”

Though Chen Yang found this difficult to accept, he knew Priest Liu would not mislead him.

If the priest stated he had none, then he truly had none.

“Then what am I to do? I’ve absorbed all this knowledge about Formations, yet I lack any actual Formation to practice with. How is this any different from having never received the inheritance at all?” Chen Yang lamented, a mixture of a smile and tears in his voice.

Upon hearing this, Priest Liu fell into a contemplative silence.

After a considerable pause, he finally spoke. “While I may not possess any myself, I am aware of a location that should contain some.”

Chen Yang eagerly inquired, “Where might that be?”

“A general store situated in the provincial capital,” Priest Liu replied.

“Pardon?” Chen Yang’s brow furrowed in surprise.

Priest Liu chuckled, offering a clarification, “The ‘general store’ I refer to is no ordinary establishment. Its proprietor is an old acquaintance of mine, and his cultivation level is quite profound!”

“Throughout his life, he has cultivated a penchant for collecting rare and esoteric items. In the current cultivation world, Formations are exceedingly scarce. Therefore, I surmise his establishment is likely the sole place where one might procure Formation diagrams.”

After receiving Priest Liu’s explanation, Chen Yang finally understood.

It transpired to be a general store managed by a cultivator.