assistirfilmes Chapter 288: The News
Chapter 288: The News
“Hey...”“Friend, I’m heading to the Eastern Sea to explore an island. Heard it’s crawling with spiritual herbs and who-knows-what else. Fancy coming along? Of course, only if your cultivation is at the ninth layer or higher.”
“Heard anything about where to get a Foundation Establishment Pill? If you have a lead, I’ll gladly join you and won’t ask for any reward.”
“If I had a Foundation Establishment Pill, I wouldn’t even bother going to the Eastern Sea.”
“Goodbye.”
“Please think it over, friend.”
“Do you have any news about Foundation Establishment Pills?”
"Hey, have you heard anything about where I can find a Foundation Establishment Pill?”
“Foundation Establishment Pills? Sure.”
“Oh? Would you be willing to share it with me? I’m willing to—”
“The Chicheng Sect is making two Foundation Establishment Pills this year... same as last year. But they’ve already been reserved for their own disciples, so outsiders can forget about it. That tip is on the house. No charge.”
“Alright, thanks anyway. I’ll be on my way.”
“Wait, friend, don’t go. I’ve also got news on the Foundation Establishment Pills made by the Jinting Sect, the Qingyu Sect, and the Western Xuan Dragon Pavilion.”
“Do you have any Foundation Establishment Pill leads or not?”
“No. Do you have any high-grade talismans?”
“No. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
After wandering around in circles, he ended up going through that “Yu”-shaped stone cave again and again. By the time he was done, his mouth was dry from all the talking, and he still hadn’t gotten a single useful clue. Along the way, he ran into two shady characters who claimed they had news about Foundation Establishment Pills, hoping to trick Liu Xiaolou into doing favors for them. Liu Xiaolou saw right through their scam.
Disappointed, he stepped back out and wandered around the outer cave hall for quite a while. He looked at the underground-market tunnels marked “Artifacts,” “Formations,” “Talismans,” and so on. He wanted to leave, yet he felt unwilling to give up, so he grit his teeth and went in anyway.
He first entered the “Artifacts” hall. At the moment he had no interest in anything except Foundation Establishment Pills. After a quick lap and a couple of casual questions, he walked out feeling even less enthusiastic.
As soon as he entered the “Formations” hall, he noticed it was quite different from the others. Many of the people there were formation masters, and some were even discussing and exchanging insights about formation techniques. Since Liu Xiaolou was skilled in crafting formations, he felt at home in this place. His thoughts gradually settled, and much of his earlier disappointment and frustration faded.
“.... Your formation disk looks a bit different from the Three Qi of the Vermilion Cinnabar, doesn’t it?”
“Are you referring to the Three Qi mentioned in the Five Talisman Scripture?”
“That’s right.”
“You’ve studied the Five Talisman Scripture to a very deep level. I’m impressed.”
“You flatter me.”
“But you should know that aside from the Scripture, there is also the .”
“Oh? I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’ve never heard of the Nine Mystic Spirits Chapter.”
“Like , it’s one of the eight classics of the Pingdu Eight Formations Gate. But while is listed as the Left Mystic Classic, this one holds the Right Mystic Classic spot.”
“What’s the difference between the two?”
“I’ve heard that, with the Five Elements and Eight Gates, it’s the other way around.”
“Wait... do you have the Nine Mystic Spirits Chapter? Would you consider parting with it? I’m ready to pay handsomely.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t.”
“That’s a shame.”
“It really is.”
“Alright. By the way, do you have any news about Foundation Establishment Pills?”
“Sorry.”
“Your illusion formation really is fascinating. From what I can tell, there’s still plenty of room to dig deeper into it.”
“What do you mean? How would you go about that?”
“For example, adding a few things. Something that could make the illusion feel completely real.”
“You have a technique like that? Would you teach it to me? Just name your price in spirit stones.”
“Forget the spirit stones. Do you have any Foundation Establishment Pills?”
“This…”
He walked and asked questions along the way. He still hadn’t heard a thing about a Foundation Establishment Pill. And he hadn’t bought a single formation disk. But he knew his stuff. Just from asking around and chatting with people, he picked up plenty about formations, learned a lot, and even managed to lift some of his frustrations.
He had just finished talking with someone about the difference between killing formations and trapping formation when another person suddenly blocked his path. “Fellow cultivator, wait a moment.”
Liu Xiaolou paused for a second. “What can I do for you?”
The man led him into a darker corner. Once he made sure no one else was around, he said, “Please forgive me. By coincidence, I overheard your thoughts on formation work earlier. I was honestly impressed.”
Liu Xiaolou cupped his hands. “You’re too kind. Really, you give me far too much credit.”
The man went on, “I may be overstepping, but... from what you were saying, are you perhaps a formation master from Siming Mountain?”
Liu Xiaolou’s formation studies were a mess of influences. He started by learning to refine array disks from Lord Xingde, so his foundation leaned toward artifact refining. Later, Green Bamboo pushed him far beyond that, enough that he could barely pass as a formation master.
His first real, systematic training came when he served under Tang Song at Fangle Peak, and he rounded it out by exchanging ideas with formation masters like Diao Daoyi and Liu Daoran.
Green Bamboo herself had been heavily influenced by the Siming Sect, and Diao Daoyi was one of that sect’s most renowned formation masters. With teachers like that, it was no surprise that Liu Xiaolou’s understanding of formations carried a clear Siming flavor. The fact that this man picked up on it wasn’t surprising at all.
Liu Xiaolou wasn’t actually a formation master of the Siming Sect, but there was no real need to explain that. He simply smiled and said nothing.
The man thought for a moment. “About six or seven years ago, your sect…” He pointed upward, toward the mountain. “Your sect sold a whole batch of array diks here in Chicheng Market. They were all custom-made in one go for the Pingdu Eight Formations Gate. Do you remember that?”
He might not have been from the Siming Sect, but this... this he remembered far too well. Back then, Diao Daoyi had dragged him into that job, and he’d worked day and night for nearly a month. And afterward, because of that job, he’d smashed into Baiye Manor and made a huge fortune.
So he answered vaguely, “What exactly are you getting at? Please speak plainly.”
But the man pressed him, insisting on a clear answer. “Do you remember or not?”
Liu Xiaolou thought it over, then gave him something. “Are you talking about those seven formation disks?”
That did it. The man finally confirmed it, and his voice grew a bit excited, even anxious. “Since you’ve come to the black market, there’s no need for us to dance around it. Those seven formation disks… at the time, did they come with formation diagrams? Even rough sketches would do. If you can produce them, I’ll pay fifty spirit stones for a single sketch.”
Liu Xiaolou’s mind spun. “That high a price? What do you need them for?”
“I’ve got my own special use,” the man said. “Not something I can explain to you. Well? Will you sell them or not?”
Liu Xiaolou replied, “If you can’t tell me what you need them for, then I can’t sell them to you. You should know that those of us from formation sects can’t just hand out formation diagrams at random. If they leak, it destroys the very foundation our sects rely on. And if it damages the reputation of Siming Mountain… I’d be guilty beyond forgiveness.”
The man thought for a moment and said, “Sixty spirit stones for each formation diagram. That’s my offer.”
Liu Xiaolou shook his head. “Our sect has its own principles when it comes to formations. Spirit stones won’t sway us.”
“Seventy, then!”
Liu Xiaolou only chuckled.
“Eighty!”
“If you won’t tell me the truth, there’s no way I can sell to you.”
“One hundred!”
“Still not selling.”
One refused to reveal anything, and the other only grew more suspicious. In the end, the deal fell through, and they left with a bit of regret on both sides.
Liu Xiaolou kept glancing back at the man’s fading figure, but he held himself back. Then he hurried out of her and went back into the “Miscellaneous” cavern hall.