435: Chapter 439 Formation!

"So damn poor!"

Walking through the Pu Family's treasury, Lu Ming curled his lips in disdain.

The battle with Pu Yuanqing didn't cause any ripples at all.

Oh, that's not right; this couldn't even be considered a battle!

With his current cultivation at the Golden Core Perfection, handling a mere Late Golden Core Stage was as easy as flipping his hand.

That Pu Yuanqing was easily suppressed without putting up even a decent fight.

However, Lu Ming did not kill Pu Yuanqing directly.

After all, the opponent was at least a Late Golden Core Stage; killing him just like that would be too wasteful.

It would be better to wait for the dharma body to return with the human emperor banner, take him into the banner, and refine him into a Banner Spirit; it would, more or less, contribute to the Underworld space.

Although his family business was large now, and there were already two Banner Spirits at the Golden Core Perfection in the human emperor banner, adding another Late Golden Core Stage was indeed nothing rare.

But Lu Ming had always upheld one principle.

Be diligent and thrifty, and make the best use of everything!

Only by squeezing dry the flesh, blood, soul, and bones of every Cultivator could he ensure nothing was wasted!

Holding this belief, he scoured the entire Pu Family.

Then, he fell silent.

The massive Pu Family was, after all, one of the three great Golden Core clans in Liuyun Immortal City, yet the things in this treasury...

Was this it?

Inside a few warehouses, there were only scattered bottles and jars of Medicinal Pills, Spiritual Materials, and Ore.

Most of the Medicinal Pills were Tier 2 pills for the Foundation Establishment Stage, and most of the Spiritual Materials were Tier 2 items; only a few Magic Treasures were barely worth a look, but that was all.

Lu Ming scanned with his Divine Sense, but there really wasn't anything that could pique his interest.

The only thing that could be considered a gain was the batch of Spirit Stones in Pu Yuanqing's Storage Ring.

A rough estimate was about 300,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, plus a few thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.

For an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, this was definitely a huge fortune.

But for Lu Ming...

He really had no concept of Spirit Stones anymore.

Ever since he started Cultivating the Demonic Technique, he had already moved away from the stereotypical cultivation mode of swallowing Medicinal Pills and absorbing Qi into his body.

To him, Spirit Stones were no different from dirt.

He didn't care at all, and he basically didn't need them.

However, even a mosquito's leg is meat; even if he couldn't use it, he wouldn't just abandon these things.

Lu Ming shook his head and casually tucked the Storage Ring into his robes.

Just then, a sudden intuition arose in Lu Ming's heart, and he glanced toward the entrance of the treasury.

There, a figure was rushing over in a hurry.

The person who arrived was his dharma body!

Lu Ming smiled knowingly; without waiting for the other party to approach, he raised his hand and beckoned.

Immediately, the Storage Pouch and Storage Ring on the dharma body all flew into his hands.

Then the dharma body turned into a streak of light and merged into his Dantian.

The dharma body had been seriously injured on this trip.

In particular, the soul fragment technique of self-mutilation caused extremely severe damage to the Divine Soul, which required his personal nourishment to fully recover.

However, Lu Ming did not intend to waste time waiting.

After he entered the Xuanling Secret Realm, he needed to leave a trump card for himself.

He didn't plan to take the dharma body in; it was better to leave it outside. In case something happened to him inside, he could use the dharma body to achieve Nirvana and Rebirth.

Therefore, the urgent priority was to heal the dharma body's injuries as quickly as possible.

So, with a thought, Lu Ming immediately activated the "Return to Truth and Trace Origin Method," transferring all of the dharma body's injuries onto himself.

Immediately after, through the karma golden book, he randomly selected a name on the book and transferred this backlash force away.

It took less than the time to brew a cup of tea for the entire process.

The dharma body's injuries had actually fully recovered to their Peak state!

"Go, go and scout outside the Xuanling Secret Realm first."

Lu Ming had no intention of letting the dharma body rest for a moment; he waved his hand and sent it away.

The dharma body didn't say anything after receiving the order; it just flashed and quickly disappeared into the night.

As for Lu Ming himself, he turned and walked toward the core of the Pu Family's Spiritual Vein.

That was the place where the Spiritual Qi of the Pu Family was most abundant, and also the most suitable place for secluded cultivation.

He was ready to start digesting the supplies brought back by the dharma body.

...

At the core of the Spiritual Vein, in a secret chamber carved deep underground.

Lu Ming sat cross-legged, surrounded by dense Spiritual Qi.

He was not in a hurry to Cultivate the second volume of "The Mi Luo Heavenly Demon Luo Dharma Idol" he had just obtained; instead, he took out an ancient Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

"Spirit Nurturing and Wisdom Cultivation Array"

This Formation Legacy, looted from the Li Family treasury, was one of his biggest gains on this trip.

This Formation was quite special; it was not engraved on external objects but constructed directly within the Divine Soul Origin of the Cultivator.

Once successfully set up and activated, it could continuously nourish the Divine Soul, significantly improving Comprehension Ability and enhancing deduction capabilities.

It had an incredible auxiliary effect for comprehending Cultivation Techniques and even Laws.

Lu Ming thought of the pain and difficulty he experienced when comprehending the "Heavenly Mandate Compilation and Fortune Diagram Record" earlier.

If he had had this Formation to assist him back then, it would have been much easier to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

He shook his head to dispel his thoughts and became immersed in the contents of the Jade Slip.

It recorded the complete Formation Legacy, including the construction principles of the Formation patterns, the steps and techniques for engraving, the required Materials, etc., as well as a profound incantation:

"The root of the Great Void, the foundation of the Primordial Spirit, the wisdom light shines inward, the spiritual platform remains clear.

Concentrate the mind as the base, gather Qi as the guide, use the soul as the furnace, and use thoughts as firewood.

Nine cycles of the heavenly circuit, seven returns to the mysterious truth; once nourished, wisdom is born naturally."

Looking at the content in the Jade Slip, a satisfied smile appeared on Lu Ming's face.

"So this is the 'Spirit Nurturing and Wisdom Cultivation Array'; I finally got my hands on it..."

He could finally experience what it felt like to be a Genius with high Comprehension Ability, hehehe...

Lu Ming raised his hand, and the human emperor banner behind him floated out, flapping in the air.

Immediately, a faint figure gradually emerged.

The person who arrived was the Wonderful Brush Scholar!

This Foundation Establishment Stage Banner Spirit, whom he had once subdued, had already been promoted to the Late Golden Core Stage after his cost-free cultivation.

What was even more rare was that, under Lu Ming's constant provision of various Legacy Cultivation Techniques and unsparing exploitation, the Wonderful Brush Scholar was now a genuine Tier 3 top-level Formation Master.

This time, setting up the Formation required engraving Formation patterns within the Divine Soul, a process that was extremely complex and dangerous.

Lu Ming needed a trusted helper to assist him in constructing the Formation so that he could check for omissions and deal with unexpected situations at any time.

And the Wonderful Brush Scholar, whose Divine Soul had been thoroughly cleansed by the human emperor banner, had no loyalty issues, so he was naturally his first choice.

"Study this Jade Slip and master it as soon as possible."

Lu Ming handed the Jade Slip to the Wonderful Brush Scholar and instructed him casually.

"Yes, Master!"

The Wonderful Brush Scholar took it, bowed respectfully, then sat cross-legged, sank his Divine Sense into it, and began to observe.

Lu Ming turned around and began to select the Materials needed for the Formation from the massive amount of resources brought back by the dharma body.

The Li Family's accumulation of thousands of years was indeed rich.

He scanned with his Divine Sense and quickly picked out the required Materials one by one.

First were three drops of the heart blood essence of a "Dream Illusion Spirit Ape."

The "Dream Illusion Spirit Ape" was a Tier 3 Yao Beast; it was naturally proficient in illusion techniques, and its blood could connect the Divine Soul with dreams, making it the best "ink" for engraving Formation patterns.

Next was a thousand-year-old "Soul Nourishing Grass." This grass contained pure Divine Soul power; after being ground into powder and sprinkled into the Sea of Consciousness, it could nourish the Divine Soul and prevent it from drying up during the engraving process.

"Hmm, I probably won't need this... but I can leave it for the Wonderful Brush Scholar to use, after all, he doesn't have a constant supply of Soul Power."

Putting down the Soul Nourishing Grass, Lu Ming picked out a piece of "Void Profound Jade."

This jade had a warm texture, could carry the power of the Formation patterns, and after transformation, could become the core object for constructing the Formation base.

"And this!"

Lu Ming took out another jade box.

Opening the lid, he saw a round Medicinal Pill inside, emitting a fresh medicinal fragrance.

This was the "Calm Spirit Pill," a Tier 3 top-grade Medicinal Pill, which could stabilize the Divine Soul, prevent the mind from losing focus during the engraving process, and could to a certain extent improve the success rate of setting up the Formation.

This thing was extremely precious; there were only these three in the Li Family treasury, which were left by Li Daoxuan for himself to use when crossing the "Heart Demon Tribulation."

But now they were all his.

Lu Ming smiled faintly, closed the jade box, and set it aside.

Then he picked and chose, taking out some auxiliary Spiritual Materials, such as Tier 2 "Focus Incense," Tier 3 "Soul Calming Talisman Paper," and specially made "Formation Pattern Cinnabar"...

All sorts of things were laid out on the ground in front of him.

Some were for his own use, and some were for the Wonderful Brush Scholar.

And just as he was prepared, the Wonderful Brush Scholar had also finished studying, opened his eyes, and nodded to Lu Ming.

"Then let's start."

Lu Ming did not hesitate any longer, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes slightly, and sank his mind into his Sea of Consciousness.

...

At this moment, the Sea of Consciousness was vast.

This was the dwelling place of the Cultivator's Divine Soul, the source of consciousness.

Lu Ming's Sea of Consciousness, after this period of tempering, had become much broader than it was before.

Looking out, it was vast, and one could vaguely see a golden, ancient heavenly book floating in the center.

It was the karma golden book!

However, Lu Ming was not here to check the golden book this time.

At this moment, his Divine Soul Incarnation sat in the center of the Sea of Consciousness, waiting for the engraving of the Formation, while the Wonderful Brush Scholar's Divine Soul Incarnation appeared on the side.

"Master, we can begin."

The Wonderful Brush Scholar said in a deep voice.

Lu Ming nodded, took a deep breath, and raised his hand to beckon.

Outside, that drop of "Dream Illusion Spirit Ape" blood essence was pulled by magic power, turned into a thin stream, and entered his Sea of Consciousness from between his eyebrows.

Immediately after, a series of Materials such as "Void Profound Jade," "Calm Spirit Pill," "Formation Pattern Cinnabar," etc., were also sent into his Sea of Consciousness one after another.

The moment these things entered Lu Ming's Sea of Consciousness, they turned into dots of spiritual light, floating around the Divine Soul Incarnation.

Lu Ming raised his hand, and according to the Formation diagram given in the Jade Slip, he began to use his Divine Thought as a pen and the ball of spiritual light as ink, outlining the first Formation pattern in the void of the Sea of Consciousness.

Hum—

A mysterious ripple suddenly spread through the Sea of Consciousness.

The first Formation pattern then slowly took shape.

However, just as he was preparing to outline the second Formation pattern, a sudden change occurred!

The first Formation pattern that had just taken shape suddenly trembled violently and then collapsed with a bang!

A violent backlash force, like a raging wave in the Sea of Consciousness, slammed directly toward Lu Ming's Divine Soul!

Oh no!

Lu Ming's heart tightened.

The difficulty of this Formation was a bit beyond his expectations!

He had only made a slight mistake, and the Dao pattern collapsed directly, causing the first Formation pattern to collapse as well!

However, the most serious part was this backlash force.

That monstrous wave was enough to severely injure or even destroy the Divine Soul of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator!

But Lu Ming was not flustered by all this at all.

With a thought, the karma golden book in the center flashed slightly.

The violent backlash force was easily smoothed out as if by an invisible hand, and in an instant, it was calm, as if nothing had happened.

However, this was a superficial illusion, and in some unknown corner outside, a Cultivator silently bore everything for Lu Ming, bleeding from seven orifices on the spot, returning the Dao to Heaven.

Lu Ming didn't care about these things; anyone who was on the golden book was his consumable.

He wouldn't bother to be sentimental for a consumable.

"Continue!"

Lu Ming's expression remained unchanged, and he raised his hand to outline again.

With the experience of the first time, he was more careful, and the use of his Divine Thought was more precise.

The second Formation pattern was successfully outlined.

Then the third, fourth, fifth...

One by one, the Formation patterns slowly took shape under his Divine Thought, like a precise spider web, intertwining, wrapping, and fusing in the void of the Sea of Consciousness.

The Wonderful Brush Scholar watched from the side at all times, occasionally helping to build the Formation base and adjusting the angle, depth, and direction of the Formation patterns, allowing Lu Ming to focus on his work without distractions.

Time passed bit by bit like this.

Lu Ming's Divine Soul Incarnation was already trembling slightly; this extremely precise Divine Soul operation consumed a great deal of mental energy.

If it weren't for the constant supply of Soul Power from the golden book, he would probably have been unable to hold on long ago.

However, he could endure it, but the Wonderful Brush Scholar was becoming increasingly strained.

At this time, Lu Ming checked the progress of the Formation setup and found that it was more than half complete.

It was just a little bit away from completion.

To prevent any further accidents that would cause previous efforts to be wasted.

Lu Ming directly crushed the thousand-year-old Soul Nourishing Grass and poured this pure Soul Nourishing power into the Wonderful Brush Scholar's body.

In an instant, the Wonderful Brush Scholar's whole body trembled slightly, and his entire Divine Soul Incarnation solidified a bit more.

His hand movements did not stop, and he became methodical again.

Lu Ming felt relieved, and without further delay, he hurriedly finished outlining the subsequent Dao patterns.

Finally...

Hum!!!

A brilliant light bloomed in the center of the Sea of Consciousness!

The huge Formation, interwoven by countless Formation patterns, finally took complete shape in the void!

Immediately after, the spiritual light floating around, as if pulled, poured into the Formation patterns one after another.

As the light became brighter and brighter, the Formation patterns became brighter and brighter!

Finally—

Boom!!!

All the Formation patterns flashed at the same time, then slowly sank, merged into the depths of the Sea of Consciousness, and fused with Lu Ming's Divine Soul Origin!

And those Formation Materials did not turn into physical entities embedded in the Sea of Consciousness; instead, during the Fusion process, they completely dissolved, turning into the purest energy, becoming part of the Formation patterns, and becoming part of his Divine Soul.

There were no foreign objects, and no burden.

There was only a profound Formation, quietly lying dormant in the depths of his Divine Soul.

The Spirit Nurturing and Wisdom Cultivation Array was complete!