131: Four Symbols Battle Formation

For the next month, Qin Feng lived in seclusion, pouring almost all his energy into cultivation.

He used up the remaining earth core jade marrow, meticulously polishing every inch of his Meridians and bones. With the support of his Advanced Sword Heart and Sword Bone, the energy of the earth milk was perfectly absorbed. Not only did it solidify his Peak Grand Martial Master cultivation, making it as firm as a rock, but his aura also became increasingly restrained and profound. In his every movement, there was a faint, unified flow of Daoist charm; the sharp edge was sheathed, making it even more terrifying.

During the day, he mainly cultivated the newly acquired first volume of the 'Daoist Primordial Chaos Art'. This ancient Cultivation Technique was extremely profound. Even with his Advanced Sword Heart's Comprehension Ability, comprehending it was quite challenging. However, with each bit of understanding, his control and application of Internal Energy improved, making his Internal Energy increasingly pure and condensed, carrying a unique quality that was all-encompassing yet secretly sharp. At the same time, he did not neglect his offensive methods, devoting more effort to the 'Finger Sword Among Flowers', striving to Cultivate this Earth Rank Advanced finger technique to a higher Realm, making his finger wind and Sword Qi increasingly condensed and tricky.

At night, he immersed himself in Alchemy. Relying on his previously laid foundation and extraordinary perception, his Alchemy skills steadily improved. The quality of the various common Medicinal Pills he refined was quite good. Apart from satisfying his own and his companions' needs, the excess portions were sold through the Hundred Flowers Pavilion's channels, slowly accumulating a considerable sum of money to make up for the huge loss he suffered previously at the Ghost Market.

Not only that, he did not completely rely on the king breaking pill gifted by Su Yuetang. Utilizing the advantage of his System's intelligence, he cleverly 'encountered' several minor opportunities within this month. Sometimes he found small batches of wealth left by predecessors, sometimes he picked a few rare medicinal herbs from the market, exchanging them for a considerable amount of gold coins. Finally, he gathered enough funds and the main ingredient, the 'Five Spirit Herb', and personally went to West Lake City to visit that eccentric but highly skilled alchemist, Great Master Sun Simiao. With a stroke of luck, he successfully exchanged for a second high-quality king breaking pill!

With two pills in hand, Qin Feng's confidence in charging towards the Martial King Realm was unprecedentedly strong.

Time flew by, and it was once again the day for the monthly System intelligence refresh. In the dead of night, Qin Feng concentrated and waited.

[Ding! The zi hour has arrived! Daily intelligence has been refreshed!]

[Today's Intelligence:]

[Yellow Intelligence: Inside the ventilation duct of Warehouse No. 3 of the 'Great Wealth Chamber of Commerce' in West Lake City, there resides a 'Treasure-Seeking Squirrel' that gained intelligence after mistakenly consuming a certain spirit-awakening herb. This squirrel has a natural fondness for collecting shiny or spirit-containing items. Its nest contains a small amount of gold coins lost by the chamber of commerce and a Profound Rank low-grade Magical Artifact, the 'Shadow-Hiding Cloak'. Attempts can be made to capture it, and its treasure-seeking abilities might be cultivated.]

[Green Intelligence: At the bottom of the third abandoned earthen jar in the back alley of the 'Yuelai Inn' in the east of the city, there is a package of 'Rain Emperor Lotus' seeds sealed in oiled paper. This lotus has mild medicinal properties, with effects of calming the mind, focusing the spirit, and nourishing the Divine Soul. It can be used to refine Medicinal Pills that assist in Breakthroughs.]

[Blue Intelligence: Beside the abandoned altar on the back mountain of 'Niu Family Village' on the outskirts of West Lake City, there is a broken stone tablet half-buried in the soil. It records a remnant of a Secret Manual for a former dynasty Formation technique named the 'Four Symbols Battle Array'. This stone tablet requires infusion with Internal Energy from a Daoist Earth Rank or higher Cultivation Technique to activate and reveal its hidden content.]

'Treasure-Seeking Squirrel? Interesting,' Qin Feng smiled slightly, thinking this little creature might be a good companion for Xiaochun, adding some fun. 'Formation?' His gaze fell on the last blue piece of intelligence, and his heart stirred. His previous exposure was mostly to personal cultivation and combat; he knew very little about Formations. But this 'Four Symbols Battle Array' didn't sound like an ordinary trapping or defensive Formation; it seemed more like a joint attack battle array? And it actually required a Daoist Earth Rank technique to activate?

This piqued his great interest. He immediately set out, taking advantage of the night and relying on his extraordinary movement skills, he silently infiltrated the Great Wealth Chamber of Commerce warehouse. Sure enough, deep inside the ventilation duct, he found an exquisite little nest built with scraps of cloth and dry grass. A furry squirrel with exceptionally lively eyes was sleeping while hugging a gold coin. A few scattered gold coins and a dusty cloak that almost blended into the darkness lay nearby. Qin Feng moved gently, swiftly subduing the startled little creature with clever techniques. He packed it up along with its 'Treasure Trove', preparing to take it back for Xiaochun.

Next, he conveniently took the package of 'Rain Emperor Lotus' seeds from the inn's back alley.

Finally, he arrived at Niu Family Village on the city outskirts. Beside the long-abandoned altar behind the village, he indeed found a broken, moss-covered stone tablet half-buried in the soil, seemingly unremarkable. He attempted to infuse it with ordinary Internal Energy, but the tablet showed no reaction. Then, he circulated the 'Daoist Primordial Chaos Art', slowly injecting a pure, balanced Internal Energy carrying the Primordial Chaos Daoist charm into the tablet.

*Hum!*

The seemingly chaotic patterns on the tablet's surface suddenly emitted a faint light. The originally blurred areas became clear, revealing densely packed ancient characters and profound Formation diagrams!

Qin Feng's heart shook. He carefully studied them. The more he read, the brighter his eyes became, and the more shocked he felt!

This remnant of the 'Four Symbols Battle Array' was not the large-scale Formation requiring many people and rare Materials that he had imagined. Instead, it was an extremely sophisticated four-person joint attack technique! It originated from a mysterious Sect of the former dynasty named the 'Quan Dao Temple'.

The core of the Formation lies in drawing upon the power of the four directional constellations, integrating it into the attacks of the four individuals.

· Azure Dragon Position: Governs vitality and eruption, with continuous, unending attacks and long-lasting energy.

· White Tiger Position: Governs slaughter and sharpness, possessing the strongest attack power, aiming for a single, fatal strike.

· Vermilion Bird Position: Governs agility and speed, with unpredictable movement techniques, disturbing and supporting.

· xuanwu position: Governs defense and stability, as firm as a rock, protecting the entire Formation.

The Secret Manual detailed how the four individuals, through specific footwork, Qi circulation, and coordinated Moves, could link their powers into one, invoking the power of the Four Symbols constellations. Once the Formation is established, their energies connect, offense and defense unite, and its power is far beyond a simple sum of four individuals!

And what most stirred Qin Feng's heart was the concluding statement at the end of the manual:

'The Four Symbols Battle Array is infinitely profound. If presided over by four individuals who share a deep connection and whose cultivation has reached the Late-stage Grand Martial Master Realm, the Formation operates smoothly, allowing them to fight above their Realm, capable of rivaling a Martial King! If presided over by four Late Stage Martial King powerhouses, relying on the Formation's power, they can even contend with an Early Stage Martial Emperor!'

'Rival a Martial King! Even... contend with a Martial Emperor!' Qin Feng took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement and ecstasy in his heart. The value of this Formation technique was simply immeasurable!

For now, he set aside the thought of finding suitable candidates. He quickly took out special paper and ink, meticulously copying down all the content revealed on the stone tablet without the slightest error. After confirming it was accurate, he once again circulated his Internal Energy, shattering the tablet's internal structure, completely destroying its spiritual properties and turning it into a true, ordinary stone.

Carrying the copied Secret Manual of the 'Four Symbols Battle Array' and the bewildered Treasure-Seeking Squirrel, Qin Feng quietly returned to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. His future plans became increasingly clear in his mind—break through to Martial King, comprehend the battle array! Only by possessing sufficient power could he protect everything he wanted to protect in this perilous world and face any challenge with composure.