Chapter 164: Alliance Assembly

Crafting a Formation Diagram was not an easy task. The materials used for the Formation Diagram itself needed to be excellent too; otherwise, it wouldn’t withstand the powerful attack Sword Qi of flying swords, and the impact of forces. The sword formation itself might remain intact, yet the Formation Diagram could get destroyed first!

Thinking about the Formation Diagram materials made Mu Yuan feel troubled.

He didn’t craft artifacts, nor did he refine pills. Only when faced with the problem now did he feel a headache.

Digging through the Black Water Gourd, Mu Yuan actually found a large pile of Jiaoxiao (mermaid silk) inside.

Jiaoxiao was a type of silk woven by the Jiaoren (mermaid) tribe of the South Sea, impervious to water and fire. In the Cultivation World, it was an exceptional material for crafting robes and garments. It was more than suitable for crafting the Formation Diagram! The Black Water Gourd indeed held various valuable items, all left behind by past successors of the Tidal Flow lineage, which Mu Yuan hadn’t thoroughly examined before.

Finding himself with so much Jiaoxiao unexpectedly, besides crafting the Formation Diagram, he could also make himself a Daoist robe if he found the time later.

However, that was a matter for the distant future. The urgent task now was to finish crafting the Formation Diagram, so that matter would be settled.

The Great Reincarnation Sword Formation of the Heavens was not fundamentally complicated. What Mu Yuan needed to do was establish an obscure connection between the Formation Diagram and the Flying Swords. Then, he needed to engrave the operational methods of the formation’s evolutions into it – including its transformations, attacks, entrapment techniques, methods of activating and deactivating the formation, and many other aspects of its operation.

The talismanic seals required for these operational methods were as numerous and complex as the stars. Mu Yuan spent a large part of the night just to etch the activation array for the formation onto the Jiaoxiao. As the sky began to lighten at dawn, Mu Yuan let out a long breath, looking at the densely packed talismanic seals and inscription characters covering the bright white, pure surface of the Jiaoxiao, his head throbbing slightly.

He needed to go to the Imperial Palace soon. Accompanying Emperor Jianming, the princes, and ministers, he would meet with the visiting envoys from various nations. After that, he might have to follow the army heading south to eliminate the chaos-causing evil beings. With such activities ahead, finding the peace and focus needed for his crafting work would likely be impossible. Mu Yuan decided he should go regardless. After all, his current Magical Power (Fa Li) was profound, and the accumulation of his True Qi (Zhen Qi) had already reached a peak. To achieve the Elixir Formation (Dan Cheng) stage, mere arduous cultivation wouldn’t be sufficient. Experiencing human society, understanding the changes of the heavens, the earth, and people’s hearts, and accruing merit (External Merit/External Work) were all essential.

Rubbing his slightly aching temples, the Longevity True Qi stirred gently once more within his Dantian. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he last circulated his Longevity True Qi. To avoid attracting unwanted attention, he had always relied solely on his Clear Water True Qi externally, occasionally shifting to Tide True Qi. The others, like the Refining Furnace True Qi and Great Sun True Qi, had remained hidden. Later, after achieving the perfection of the Five Elements(Wu Xing), he no longer needed to use the Great Art of Yin-Yang Soul Shackling and Qi Sealing(封锁Qi) to conceal his True Qi; however, he still consistently manifested all his Five Elements True Qi externally as the Eternal True Qi and Clear Water True Qi. Now, revisiting his old practice felt indescribably familiar. The sun had just risen, a time of vibrant vitality. The plants and trees within the mansion garden absorbed and released vital energy. Stirred by Mu Yuan’s intent, they swayed gently, leaves rustling, flowers trembling faintly. Fine threads of green wood spirit converged into small streams, swarming into Mu Yuan’s body. Washed through by the Longevity True Qi and then released back out, it returned to nourish the plants themselves, making them appear even more lively and spirited.

The Longevity True Qi wasn’t particularly strong in terms of combat power, but it was unparalleled for nurturing the body, revitalizing life force, managing one’s dwelling place, and even refining alchemical pills. Mu Yuan hadn’t yet formed the Golden Core (Jin Dan). Once he stepped into that realm, the effects of any precious spiritual pill or miraculous elixir wouldn’t match the pure and profound essence of the Longevity True Qi itself. Moreover, relying on pills to boost cultivation ultimately depended on external aids, which had many drawbacks, far less ideal than cultivating the Longevity True Qi, which relied solely on refining oneself to deepen one’s Dao attainment.

“The rest can be handled by the Mountain Elf. Conveniently, he has nothing to do right now!” Mu Yuan communicated with the Mountain Elf using his Divine Sense, giving him the tasks and simultaneously transmitting the methods for the Great Reincarnation Sword Formation of the Heavens(Zhu Tian Da Lun Hui) directly to its mind via Divine Shennian. Immediately after, he waved his hands, transforming the Jiaoxiao into a stream of Liuguang, which shot straight towards the Mountain Elf’s dwelling. “The Jiaoxiao alone, though soft and resilient, is still a single material. Thankfully, there’s so much other stuff inside this gourd!” After rummaging through the gourd last night, Mu Yuan had also found plenty of Mystic Gold, Crystal Stones, Spirit Jade, Gold Essence Yuan Embryo, Cold Iron Stone, Profound Water Wood… He threw all these over to the Mountain Elf too, instructing him to refine them and fuse them into the Jiaoxiao using formation-crafting techniques.

Stepping outside, a servant invited him for breakfast. Mu Yuan was happy to enjoy the ready-made meal. He called Yun Xi to join him. They hadn’t been eating long when an envoy from the Imperial Palace arrived to summon Mu Yuan. “Brother Mu is quite the popular figure in Fanming City now! Not like me, not even a single invitation comes. Probably, I’ll just end up a hard laborer on the front lines eliminating demons!” Yun Xi joked, though his tone held a hint of envy.

Mu Yuan laughed heartily. “Fame and fortune are like fleeting clouds to us cultivators. Why care about such things? Ultimately, what matters to cultivation is eliminating evil beings, protecting the Dao, and accumulating External Merit. What use are these troublesome things?” He then mounted the carriage and horses provided by the envoy to enter the palace.

Today was the Alliance Assembly of the various nations. It didn’t require many cultivators. Emperor Jianming had only summoned the four who emerged victorious the day before, undoubtedly to demonstrate his nation’s strength and intimidate the visitors. The other cultivators were all housed in grand mansions within the city. They were provided with meals made from copious amounts of Spirit Herbs and supplied with Profound Crystals mined from the kingdom’s mineral veins. It was a substantial investment on the Emperor’s part.

Mu Yuan entered the palace leisurely and took a seat in the “Brilliance Palace,” the palace hall designated specifically for receiving distinguished guest envoys, quietly waiting for the event to start.

When Mu Yuan arrived, the monk was already present, expressionless. However, a faint layer of translucent, lustrous colored light still haloed the back of his head. On his Jade Pillow acupoint, a point of pure white light flickered, with a faint trace of black Qi coiling around it. This indicated that the monk was arduously refining his Buddha Relic, striving to purge the lingering Demonic Energy from it and absorb it for his own use.

Shortly after, Mo Huan and Su Yun arrived one after the other. Mo Huan wasn’t carrying the Shadow-Bearing Sword. But both the monk and Mu Yuan sensed a vast surge of Metal Essence Qi pulsating faintly within Mo Huan’s right arm. His internal True Qi was also concentrated around the arm, seemingly gradually devouring that Metal Essence Qi. Closer inspection revealed that the powerful Metal Essence Qi indeed took the shape of the Shadow-Bearing Sword. Su Yun wore the Sun-Moon-Five-Star Starlight Bracelet around his right wrist. He hadn’t fully refined it yet, but its shimmering light complemented his jade-white wrist, creating an exquisitely beautiful sight.

The four took their seats. Inside the grand hall, delicate melodies from string and wind instruments rang out, pleasing to the ear. Long sleeves fluttered in dance, trailing skirts swept the floor, gracefully rising and falling. Fine wines and exquisite delicacies were served – the ultimate pleasures life could offer.

The Tianlong Kingdom’s envoy had arrived the previous day and came quite early today. The envoy himself was a portly middle-aged man dressed in luxurious official robes, accompanied by an ornate entourage. Besides servants and officials, five cultivators of uncertain strength followed him – three men and two women. Among them were unmistakably Tian He, whom Mu Yuan had just met last night, and the man who had cultivated his Life-Seal Talisman. Seeing Mu Yuan, a flash of intense light appeared in Tian He’s eyes. An eager, warlike aura radiated instinctively from his entire body, transforming him instantly from a refined, scholarly figure into a passion-fueled warrior. Mu Yuan offered no reaction, simply turning away to speak with Mo Huan beside him. The white-robed man accompanying Tian He whispered something, his lips moving slightly. Whatever he said made Tian He suppress his battle intent with effort. Only after the obese man paid his respects to Emperor Jianming and took his seat did Tian He relax somewhat.

The cultivators from Tianlong Kingdom generally looked somewhat pale and frail. This applied to both the women and the men. Of course, this frailty was relative to physical cultivators like Mu Yuan who tempered their bodies. Compared to ordinary people, they were still vastly stronger! This wasn’t surprising. Tianlong Kingdom was located in the northern territories. Most cultivators there practiced Spirit Power or Deity Power cultivation – techniques like spirit possession, talisman arts, or puppet arts. They didn’t follow the orthodox system of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining found in the Tiandu and Tianyu Kingdoms, which focuses on tempering the physical body.

As the sun wheel climbed higher, bathing the scene in bright sunlight, a deafening fanfare of drums and music erupted from outside. The enthusiastic clamor of the people beyond the Imperial City walls even pierced through the layers of palaces and ramparts. The envoys from the Tiandu Kingdom had arrived! Following them were representatives from Tianfeng Kingdom, Tianya Kingdom, Tiancheng Kingdom, Tianwu Kingdom… A dozen or so kingdoms, large and small – some whose names Mu Yuan recognized, others he’d never heard of – creating a scene of bustling excitement.

They all went out to welcome them. As Mu Yuan looked over the assembled groups, his heart gave a sudden lurch. Amidst the Tiandu Kingdom’s entourage, he spotted Chen Huayi! He didn’t recognize You Longfei, so that was fine, but Chen Huayi was the senior disciple (Dashixiong) of his own lineage! He often acted in the master’s stead, carrying significant authority. Mu Yuan had always revered and feared him. Seeing him here filled Mu Yuan with panic! ‘Oh no! How did Senior Martial Brother Chen Huayi come here? Is he looking for me? Impossible. Master once received an official decree from Tiandu; Brother Chen must be here on behalf of Master. That’s terribly awkward. Am I supposed to oppose my Senior Martial Brother? How could I possibly be his match? And even if I could, how could I ever raise a hand against him?!’ Mu Yuan felt extremely flustered, thoughts tumbling through his mind one after another.

Chen Huayi also sensed Mu Yuan’s gaze. He acknowledged him with a slight nod and a smile, then disregarded him after that.

‘His reaction seems like he knew I’d be here all along! This is serious trouble!’ Mu Yuan felt uneasy, his confidence noticeably diminishing.

He still vividly remembered when he returned from his travels that time. Chen Taiyi, the Senior Martial Brother from Flying Dragon Peak (Feilong Feng), captured him easily, subduing him without the slightest effort! He understood now that back then, despite possessing the Longevity Sword, all the techniques he knew were thoroughly familiar to his opponents. Moreover, Chen Taiyi was of a higher cultivation level, so dealing with him had been effortless. If he had used a different set of cultivation techniques back then, he probably wouldn’t have been subdued so easily, completely unable to resist. Still, even knowing this, Mu Yuan couldn’t shake a deep-seated fear of those established, senior martial brothers within his sect. Seeing Chen Huayi’s benign reaction, however, did calm him down a little.

Among the envoys from the various nations, there were indeed several impressive individuals, possessing deep and potent auras – some feeling heavy and immovable, others light and ethereal.

Mu Yuan also understood that genuinely top-tier experts wouldn’t come here purely for such ceremonial displays. They were likely focused on the actual work of eliminating demons, protecting the Dao path, and accumulating External Merit (External Work/Wai Gong). Cultivators around his own level were usually either training hard to impact the Golden Core (Jin Dan) stage, dispatched here by their masters, or else those who had given up hope of achieving immortality and thus sought worldly riches and status here.