Free Web NovelGazing Star Cliff.
This remote cliff, located at the back mountain of Formation Peak and perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist, remained as cold and desolate as ever.
Su Ming walked along the moss-covered stone path to the entrance of his cave dwelling. He formed a complex hand seal with both hands, and a faint blue ripple of water energy spread from his fingertips before lightly imprinting onto the heavy stone gate.
With a low, rumbling sound, the stone gate slid open to both sides.
Everything inside the cave dwelling was exactly as he had left it. The spotless greenstone floor, the neatly arranged blank formation plates in the corner, and the faint scent of sandalwood still lingering in the air.
Su Ming paid no attention to the reward supplies. He walked straight to the deepest chamber of the cave dwelling.
At the center of the chamber, a Minor Heavenly Cycle Star Power Gathering Formation, constructed from seventy-two mid-grade spirit stones, was operating steadily. At the very heart of the formation rested the mysterious Profound Shadow Egg.
Su Ming crouched down and observed it closely.
After this period of uninterrupted star power nourishment, the surface color of the Profound Shadow Egg had undergone a noticeable change. The originally dark black eggshell was now covered in an incredibly intricate pattern of dark golden lines. Like breathing, these lines pulsed rhythmically in sync with the star power flowing in and out of the formation.
Su Ming reached out and gently pressed his palm against the eggshell.
A faint but tenaciously strong life pulse transmitted through his palm into his Consciousness Sea. It was a throbbing sensation, full of yearning to break free from the shell.
“It seems... it won't be long now.”
Su Ming withdrew his hand, a hint of a smile curling at the corner of his mouth. This egg had a mysterious origin. If it successfully hatched, it would undoubtedly become a powerful asset for him in the future.
“BAM!”
Just then, a deafening explosion erupted from outside the cave dwelling. The entire Gazing Star Cliff seemed to tremble from the shockwave.
Su Ming raised an eyebrow and let out a helpless sigh.
On Formation Peak, there was only one person who could make such a racket and act so recklessly on Gazing Star Cliff.
He left the chamber and walked into the main hall of the cave dwelling.
Outside the stone gate, a broken formation board, scorched black around the edges and still emitting wisps of green smoke, lay crookedly on the ground. Third Senior Brother Luo Feng, his hair a messy bird's nest and several smudges of black soot on his face, charged excitedly through the stone gate and strode in with big steps.
“Little Junior Brother! You're finally back!”
Luo Feng grabbed Su Ming's arm, his bloodshot eyes blazing with fanatical light, completely ignoring the pungent smell of gunpowder on his own body.
“I heard you went to the mortal world? How was it? Was the capital of Great Xing fun? Did you encounter any earth-shattering formations? Any ancient ruins where you just press a button and blow up an entire city?”
Luo Feng's rapid-fire questions gave Su Ming a headache.
“Third Senior Brother, the mortal world isn't full of things that can destroy heaven and earth.” Su Ming casually pulled his arm free from Luo Feng's grasp and handed him a clean cloth. “The peace talks went smoothly. It was all just mortal schemes and power plays. Nothing special about formations. The sugar-coated hawthorn sticks there were pretty tasty, though. Pity I couldn't bring you any.”
“Tsk, boring.” Luo Feng took the cloth and wiped his face haphazardly, only smearing the soot more evenly, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
But it was clear he hadn't come to gossip about the mortal world. He reached into his tattered Daoist robe, pulled out a roll of parchment covered in densely packed lines, and abruptly spread it out on the stone table in front of Su Ming.
“Forget all that useless stuff! Little Junior Brother, come take a look at my new idea!”
Luo Feng pointed at a round object on the parchment that was covered in protrusions like a hedgehog, spitting saliva as he explained.
“This is my latest creation: the Eighteen-Linked Suicide Puppet! I've deeply superimposed the 'Burst' rune and the 'Fierce' rune, and added extremely unstable Thunder Fire Sand at the core! As long as it's hit by spiritual energy impact exceeding the peak of Qi Refining, it will...”
Luo Feng suddenly threw his arms wide and made an exaggerated exploding gesture: “BOOM! This is the pinnacle of explosive art!”
Su Ming stared at the blueprint, the corner of his mouth twitching.
This wasn't a puppet. This was clearly an uncontrollable bomb.
He rubbed his temples and, from the perspective of the Way of Survival, calmly pointed out the fatal flaw.
“Third Senior Brother, your idea is very radical. But this Thunder Fire Sand is already extremely unstable. If you place it at the core, what happens if you accidentally hit it with a flying stone while setting up the formation or carrying it? Or if the surrounding spiritual energy fluctuates even a little? Wouldn't it just explode prematurely?”
Luo Feng froze, scratching his messy hair. “Uh... theoretically, that's possible. Just now, outside the cave dwelling, I accidentally bumped into the core...”
“You'll harm yourself before you harm the enemy. That's suicide.”
Su Ming picked up the Wolf Hair Brush from the stone table, dipped it in cinnabar, and drew a few circles on several key nodes of the blueprint.
“Cut down on the extras. Remove those flashy external protrusions. Completely wrap the core Thunder Fire Sand with the 'Seal' rune to create a spiritual energy vacuum isolation zone. Then, carve a layer of the 'Concealment' rune on the outside. Explosions don't need to be flashy. They just need to be detonated beneath the enemy's feet, in the most stable way, at the moment they least expect it.”
Luo Feng stared at the modifications Su Ming had made, his eyes growing wider and wider, his breathing becoming rapid.
“Genius... an isolation zone... covert detonation... Right! Why didn't I think of that! Ambushing people is the true pinnacle of explosion art!”
Luo Feng snatched up the parchment, shot out of the cave dwelling like a gust of wind, forgetting even the smoking formation board he had left behind.
“Little Junior Brother, wait for me! I'm going back to remake it right now! This time, I'm definitely going to blow a Golden Core cultivator into a mess!”
Su Ming watched Luo Feng's disappearing back and shook his head helplessly.
No one in his master's sect was really normal.
Before he could even clean up the table, a crisp crane call came from outside the cave dwelling.
Second Senior Brother Qin Yi, wearing a pale, washed-out long robe, walked in with a gentle smile. Behind him followed an enormous Mutated Spirit Crane, which was holding two heavy cloth pouches in its beak.
“Little Junior Brother, I heard you returned to the sect. I came to see you.”
Qin Yi's temperament was the complete opposite of Luo Feng's, as warm as a spring breeze. He patted the spirit crane's neck, and the crane obediently placed the pouches on the ground.
“These are high-grade spirit beast rations prepared for that egg, made from hundred-year spirit herbs and crushed demon core fragments. And these two jars of Hundred Flowers Nectar. You've just returned from the mortal world and are bound to be stained with mundane filth. This nectar is the best for calming the mind and settling the spirit.”
A warmth spread through Su Ming's heart. He quickly clasped his hands in gratitude. “Thank you for your concern, Second Senior Brother. I'm sorry to put you to such expense.”
“We're brothers of the same master. No need for formalities.” Qin Yi waved his hand and looked toward the deepest part of the cave dwelling. “How is that egg doing?”
“Senior Brother, please follow me.”
Su Ming led Qin Yi into the secret chamber. Qin Yi crouched before the formation, carefully sensing the fluctuations from the Profound Shadow Egg. After a moment, he stood up, a look of surprise in his eyes.
“This life force is even stronger than I expected. Judging by the concentration of the lines on the eggshell, it will hatch within three months at most. Little Junior Brother, you need to prepare the spiritual materials for the binding contract in advance. For a beast like this, the first glance of recognition is crucial.”
“I'll remember that, Senior Brother.”
After seeing Qin Yi off, Su Ming decided to pay a visit to the outer sect.
