[After hearing this, Elder Li took you there directly.]
[This time, Elder Li did not doubt you at all.]
[After taking you there, he turned and left.]
[You have lived here for five years. Your character and contributions to the Backbone Mountain have long surpassed countless others.]
[There is no reason for Elder Li to doubt you at all.]
[Of course, this was also part of your plan. If Elder Li doubted you and kept following you, even if you managed to repair the formation left by Lu Wuya, you would probably be stopped by him.]
[After all, this formation was left behind by Senior Lu Wuya, and it serves as the lifeline for all practitioners in Backbone Mountain when facing the thunder.]
[How could Elder Li let you easily tamper with such an important formation?]
[Now that Elder Li trusts you completely and is not following you, you can study the formation freely, attempt repairs, and delay its collapse.]
[In the nineteenth year, you spent a year studying the formation left by Lu Wuya.]
[Although this formation is vastly different from the Great Forbidden Formation that sealed off the Southern Region, you suspect it may also be an immortal-grade formation.]
[You studied it for a year and still failed to grasp much.]
[Even though you are a seventh-grade formation master, your theoretical knowledge should rival that of an eighth-grade formation master.]
[A formation that eludes your understanding to such a degree must indeed be of immortal-grade.]
[A seventh-grade formation master may not be able to arrange an eighth-grade formation, but they can certainly comprehend most ninth-grade formations.]
[After all, the formation is right in front of you—like having an answer to a question. If you still cannot comprehend it, the disparity in levels is simply too vast.]
[You begin to think that everyone, including Elder Li, may have underestimated Senior Lu Wuya.]
[They claim Senior Lu Wuya's strength was limited, but could someone capable of arranging an immortal-grade formation truly be weak?]
[At the very least, you believe that arranging such a formation requires not only profound understanding but also spiritual strength of a corresponding caliber.]
[You set aside further speculation.]
[Though much of the formation remains a mystery to you, it is sufficient to understand its guiding routes.]
[From your last simulation, you already know the purpose of this formation: guiding the thunder to the depths of Backbone Mountain. The resulting turmoil underground contributes to the formation's eventual collapse.]
[Your goal is to decipher the guiding routes and identify the locations of the thunder sealed beneath Backbone Mountain.]
[You plan to set up a small thunder-guiding formation near those locations to gradually siphon the underground thunder and disperse it over time.]
[By doing this, you aim to delay the collapse of the formation.]
[In the twenty-second year, after three years of effort, you successfully pinpointed the location of the underground thunder by tracing the formation's guiding lines.]
[In the twenty-third year, you arranged an inverted seventh-grade thunder formation at the specified location.]
[To outsiders unaware of the situation, your formation would appear laughable—after all, who arranges a thunder formation facing the ground? How could thunder come from underground?]
[As your formation activated, a green thunderbolt surged upward from the ground through the formation.]
[With a loud "boom," the thunder exploded, striking you directly.]
[Your flesh was instantly torn apart, leaving you severely injured.]
[However, this was within your expectations.]
[Since you had designed the formation, you had already calculated the strength of the thunder that would emerge.]
[Soon, your injuries began to heal rapidly.]
[As your body regenerated, your martial arts cultivation gradually improved.]
[Seeing this, a satisfied smile appeared on your face. Indeed, the combination of the Yimu Divine Body and martial arts cultivation proved to be perfect.]
[In the following days, you underwent daily thunder baptisms.]
[The process was both agonizing and exhilarating. The pain came from enduring the thunder strikes, which were incredibly unpleasant. The excitement stemmed from your rapid advancement in martial arts cultivation.]
[You felt your plan was flawless.]
[Not only did it delay the collapse of Senior Lu Wuya's formation, but it also extended your simulation time and significantly enhanced your martial arts cultivation.]
[In the twenty-fourth year, your martial arts broke through to the fourth level of the Qidong Realm.]
[In the twenty-fifth year, you reached the fifth level of the Qidong Realm.]
[In the twenty-sixth year, you advanced to the sixth level of the Qidong Realm.]
[Improving one minor realm each year far exceeded your expectations.]
[However, after reaching the sixth level, your progress noticeably slowed.]
[The thunder you had drawn earlier could no longer cause severe injuries, only minor ones.]
[In the twenty-seventh year, you adjusted the thunder formation to increase the intensity of the lightning.]
[In the twenty-eighth year, your martial arts advanced to the seventh level of the Qidong Realm.]
[The adjustments revitalized your progress.]
[By the thirty-first year, you had reached the peak of the Qidong Realm.]
[However, a significant problem emerged at this point.]
[As a twelfth-grade golden core cultivator who follows the divine path, you are required to simultaneously reach the peak of both the Immortal and Martial Paths to advance to the next great realm.]
[Although your martial arts have peaked in the Qidong Realm, your Immortal cultivation remains at the first level of the Jindan stage.]
[Reluctantly, you dismantled the thunder formation and ceased your martial arts training.]
[However, without the formation, the thunder beneath Backbone Mountain would no longer be siphoned, and the lifespan of Senior Lu Wuya's formation would shorten.]
[While your efforts had depleted some of the thunder underground, you doubted it would suffice.]
[You approached Elder Li and informed him of the issue with Senior Lu Wuya's formation.]
[Elder Li's expression shifted slightly. He knew the formation was on the brink of collapse but lacked an understanding of the underlying cause.]
[Soon, Elder Li convened a meeting with several elders from Backbone Mountain.]
[Several days passed as the meeting dragged on.]
[When it finally concluded, Elder Li found you and explained that, while your formation expertise was commendable, you were still only a seventh-grade formation master. Your observations might not be entirely accurate.]
[He warned you that tampering with Senior Lu Wuya's formation might invite unforeseen dangers.]
[You understood that Elder Li's remarks reflected the meeting's outcome.]
[The elders either doubted your findings or feared the risks involved.]
[You empathized with Elder Li and the others. After all, this formation was the sole refuge for Backbone Mountain's practitioners against the thunder. They would not gamble with it unless left with no other choice.]
[But would waiting until the last moment prove too late?]