Chapter 44 Master, my senior brother is actually...
Here, is this really the familiar Xiao Qiongfeng that Lao Dao knows? Outside the alchemy room, Qi Yuan, the newly promoted immortal of the Du Xian Sect, looked at the three small paths in front of him in confusion, his gaze scattered, and his Daoist robe disheveled.
It's been several days, and still unable to find a way out...
He had spent many years studying formations, but his level of understanding of formations was very limited.
After all, in the past few hundred years, Qi Yuan had mostly spent his time repairing the Dao Foundation, and the method of studying formations was simply laying out the formation diagram several times, memorizing how to set it up, and considering it a partial understanding.
So, faced with this maze of formations...
"Who is the expert who laid down this formation on my Xiao Qiongfeng? What's the calculation?" Lao Dao muttered to himself, trying to recall the route he had taken before, wandering around in confusion.
In the midst of confusion, Qi Yuan found a new path.
Ahead, the woods were lush, without the common white mist of fog, and the scenery was quite ordinary.
Qi Yuan cautiously took a step forward, and soon made a new discovery.
A wooden sign hung from the treetop ahead, with three large characters written on it: [Lost your way?]
Qi Yuan subconsciously nodded, then shuddered, his eyes full of vigilance.
Why did these characters look so familiar?
Qi Yuan stared at the wooden sign for a while, then saw another wooden sign hanging on a tree behind him. He took two steps forward, and the surroundings changed slightly, but the wooden sign behind him remained.
There was another sentence written on that wooden sign... [What brings you to Xiao Qiongfeng?]
"I live here!" Qi Yuan scolded angrily, but his hands couldn't help but tremble.
Could it be... Could this be the rumored time rift?
Ancient legends spoke of primordial beings entering a canyon and walking out from the other end tens of thousands of years later, unaware of the passage of time.
Could it be that this absurdity had happened to him?
Was Xiao Qiongfeng no longer the Xiao Qiongfeng he remembered? Had it been thousands or even hundreds of years since he last saw it?
Seeing another wooden sign ahead, Qi Yuan followed it again. When he stood in front of the next wooden sign, the scenery around him changed slightly, as if shifting positions, clearly a rotating formation.
Behind each wooden sign, there was another one.
And the characters written on each wooden sign became more and more familiar to Lao Dao...
As if a shadow was following him, constantly asking faint questions in his ear, urging him to approach a certain trap, yet he dared not retreat.
[Is the esteemed guest a disciple of my Du Xian Sect?]
[This formation is only to protect the important area of the alchemy room, and conforms to the regulations of our sect]
The alchemy room? It seemed like his disciple had mentioned it vaguely before.
[Is the esteemed guest intruding Xiao Qiongfeng without permission?]
Do I need to intrude? I am the peak master of Xiao Qiongfeng!
[Please do not damage any plant or tree here. This path leads to an area without soundproof formations]
Huh? Is this the exit left by the one who set up the formation?
[This is a makeshift guide sign]
[The open space is right ahead]
[When you arrive, please take three steps forward]
Qi Yuan stopped in his tracks, subconsciously holding his breath, looking at a large tree ahead with some suspicion, and then took three steps forward hesitantly.
The scenery in front of him changed again, revealing a clearing surrounded by trees, covered with fallen leaves, with a low table and a bucket of spiritual spring water beside it.
"What... What place is this?"
Seeing another wooden sign in front of him, Qi Yuan walked over, looking at the characters written on it, which were very familiar to him but he couldn't recall where he had seen them before...
[Please wait here, esteemed guest. If I am unable to come in time, it should be during my closed-door cultivation or crucial moment of alchemy. If the esteemed guest cannot wait, you can use your immortal power here to shout for help or call for assistance. Xiao Qiongfeng sincerely welcomes the esteemed guest's visit, but please come directly next time and do not mistakenly intrude near the alchemy room. Peak Master of Xiao Qiongfeng, Qi Yuan, hereby pays his respects]
Qi Yuan's hands trembled slightly, and he took two steps back, but bumped into a tree trunk.
The retreat path had unknowingly been sealed off.
"Is this... Is this set up by myself?"
Qi Yuan stared wide-eyed, as if seeing a ghost. The slight drunkenness that was still there vanished instantly, and his gaze swept around, feeling slightly dizzy.
Could it be that I've gone astray?
No, wait, could it be because of the murky immortal energy?
Just now, when I was drinking, a senior in the sect reminded me that murky immortals are easily contaminated by earthly qi, and their Dao hearts are prone to demonic obstacles.
Could it be that I am just the heart demon of the real Qi Yuan?
Qi Yuan's hands couldn't help but tremble lightly, and he rushed to the wooden sign again, looking at the writing on it, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The characters on these wooden signs... Aren't they... Aren't they his own handwriting?
With a slip, Qi Yuan sat down on the ground covered with fallen leaves, his gaze vacant, his eyes dull, and his disheveled gray-white hair became even messier.
Time rift, murky immortal, heart demon... Time rift, murky immortal, heart demon...
"Who am I really? Am I really just my own heart demon? No, this is impossible, I am definitely not a heart demon, I am Qi Yuan. I am Qi Yuan, Qi Yuan is me, I entered the time rift, I cannot be a heart demon! No, something's not right! No, no... No——"
Qi Yuan hugged his head, suddenly raised his head and shouted, startling the birds flying around Xiao Qiongfeng, and also made a few figures passing by in the distant sky curious about the jungle of Xiao Qiongfeng.
Suddenly, a slightly surprised and doubtful voice came from the side:
"Master?"
Qi Yuan's shout abruptly stopped, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Ling E?"
"Master, are you trapped in the formation?"
"Are you really Ling E?"
"Yes, Master, could I be wrong?"
"No, no, you might be my heart demon... my heart demon..."
Outside the formation, Ling E, who had just arrived, couldn't help but hold her forehead with one hand.
It's over, Master has been messed up by Senior Brother.
She sighed softly, immediately made up her mind, and hurriedly said, "Master, don't move, there are many formations inside! And don't walk towards the direction where Ling E's voice came from. If you leave that small area, you won't hear the voices outside! It will take Ling E some time to find the path to your location inside. Only Senior Brother can unlock this formation. He set up everything here. Master, please wait patiently."
Qi Yuan Lao Dao was slightly stunned, but soon heard the distant 'ah' outside.
What did my disciple just say?
Senior Brother?
Was this arranged by Changshou?
Qi Yuan Lao Dao's eyes were full of doubts, but as he immersed himself in thought, his doubts gradually subsided.
Half an hour later, covered in grass debris and fallen leaves, with a slightly bruised face, Lan Ling E appeared in front of Master with a bitter smile, and bowed to Master.
"Master, I've come to find you."
Qi Yuan couldn't help but stare at Lan Ling E, who was calm and composed, and performed a few minor spells that Lao Dao had taught him before.
"Master, it really is Ling E..."
Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled bitterly, "What's going on?"
"Well," Ling E bit her lip, pondered for a moment, and thought about how to cover up for Senior Brother.
She quickly took out a sachet, walked quickly to the low table, took out two cushions and a teapot, and smiled, "Master, come over and rest first. Let me report slowly."
Qi Yuan's gaze still held some suspicion, but when he sat on the cushion and watched Ling E's familiar tea-making technique, his doubts diminished somewhat.
The woods were quiet, with only the sound of rustling leaves when the wind blew through the treetops; Looking up from here, because of the surrounding trees, the azure sky seemed to be reduced to just this small piece...
Suddenly, the old Dao understood something.
The old Daoist surveyed the surroundings and asked in a low voice, "All of this, was it arranged by your senior brother?"
Ling E answered, "It should be said that it was designed by Senior Brother and executed by True Immortal Jiu of the Broken Sky Peak."
"Oh, no wonder," Qi Yuan sighed, "So it was Senior Brother Jiu who helped with the arrangements."
"In fact, Senior Brother Jiu doesn't know anything about formations. It was all Senior Brother who told him step by step, placing this here and that there," Ling E paused, then continued, "Master, didn't you notice all this?"
Qi Yuan lifted his tea cup and took a sip, enjoying his favorite chrysanthemum lotus seed tea.
"Noticed what? That you like your senior brother?" he joked.
"Oh!" Ling E's face flushed instantly.
Qi Yuan furrowed his brow, "Don't you like Chang Shou?"
"It's not that, Master," Ling E adjusted a strand of hair by her ear, "It's just that Senior Brother is actually quite remarkable."
"Oh?" Qi Yuan's eyes softened with affection, "In your eyes, your senior brother is naturally remarkable."
"It's not that, Master," Ling E raised her hand to explain, "Senior Brother is actually much more capable than you think. Like the formations here, Senior Brother set up a complex array using basic techniques. Although Senior Brother had Senior Uncle Jiu's help, if he had to do it alone, it wouldn't have made much difference."
Qi Yuan was taken aback.
Ling E continued, "In the more than ten years since I started practicing, Senior Brother has taught me a lot. Many times, after you gave a lecture, I didn't understand, but Senior Brother would come and explain the essence to me. Often, with just a few words, he could reveal the true meaning. That's why I've made such progress."
Qi Yuan frowned, looking at Ling E, unsure of what to say.
Ling E softly continued, "And, Master, look at me now, what level do you think I am?"
Qi Yuan stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before answering, "Ninth stage of Qi Refinement?"
Ling E brought her hands together in a complex gesture, and suddenly her aura surged outward. "And now?"
Qi Yuan's eyes widened, "Fifth stage of Soul Returning! When did you..."
Ling E gestured for silence, then formed the seal again, quickly concealing her aura.
She whispered, "This is the Turtle Breath Calm Qi Technique that Senior Brother taught me. It can hide my cultivation level. As long as I don't let anyone at the level of a True Immortal touch my body, I can hide it and simulate the realm I want to display."
Qi Yuan's face showed only shock.
"Master, Senior Brother is really extraordinary. This is not an exaggeration," Ling E said.
Gradually, Ling E recounted everything she knew about Senior Brother. Although there were many things she had to conceal per Senior Brother's instructions, there was no exaggeration.
Qi Yuan gradually came back to his senses, letting Ling E perform the Turtle Breath Calm Qi Technique again. He looked at the various elixirs Ling E carried and sat in contemplation.
After a moment, Qi Yuan asked anxiously, "Ling E, what should I do... How should I treat him? When your senior brother comes back, should I praise him?"
"Master, it's best for you to pretend that I didn't say anything today. Pretend this never happened. Just act as you normally would," Ling E smiled, "When Senior Brother comes in later to fetch us, you can pretend to hit him with your dust whisk... but don't actually use force. Every time you've wanted to punish Senior Brother, it was actually him letting you catch him."
Qi Yuan had a few black lines on his forehead and smiled wryly, "Am I really that incompetent?"
"Uh," Ling E hurriedly exclaimed, "Master, you're wise and mighty! Your magical powers are boundless!"
Qi Yuan hesitated, "So, should I just ignore everything you said?"
"Senior Brother really doesn't like attention from others. He just wants to quietly accumulate wealth," Ling E explained, then changed the subject, listing the ways Chang Shou usually bullied her, trying to alleviate Master's feeling of being down.
Soon, Qi Yuan was laughing heartily, his spirit restored.
"You! Haha!" Qi Yuan got up and walked to the side, looking at the arrangements here that he didn't understand, not letting his disciple see the moistness in his eyes.
"I've been too selfish as a master, only thinking about transcending the tribulation, only thinking about seclusion. Sigh, bringing your senior brother into the sect, passing on techniques to him, and then always being in seclusion... After passing the tribulation this time, I wanted to guide your senior brother and you in your cultivation, but I found that I was the one who was always being looked after. Forget it, forget it, I won't care anymore. Let your senior brother and you play around at Little Qiong Peak."
Qi Yuan looked at the tea in front of him and the aging face reflected in it, shaking his head and smiling softly.
Indeed... Wonderful, beyond words.