Chapter 436: What do you think, Yuanfang1?
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
(Translator's Note: The name in the title of the chapter is not the same as the character in the story known as Li Yuanfang4. The Chinese character of ‘fang1’ is different from that in the aforementioned name. Due to English translation limitations of Chinese names, a number will be added at the back for differentiation purposes. For all other intents and purposes, ‘fang’ without the number will be assumed to be the same as the original Li Yuanfang.)
Lin Feng glanced at Li Yuanfang and began to ponder. "I wonder what was his relationship with his previous master like. I also wonder if he can make such a drastic change in such a short period of time. From the looks of it, he has a very stubborn and tenacious personality."
Lin Feng had been concerned about the development of his little friend Li Yuanfang.
His talent and potential values summed up to thirty-one was only a part of it. Another part of it was that all four factors of his potential values were all more than decent and not even one was lacking.
His innate ability value was seven – this was considered relatively low, but that was nothing much and could be worked with. For instance, Zhu Yi’s innate ability value was also seven.
The ‘relative’ aforementioned depended on the point of comparison. If one compared with Shi Tianhao, then the value would naturally be abysmal, but if one compared the value with the general public it could be considered outstanding.
He seemed like he was only sixteen or seventeen years old, but one could tell from his breakthroughs and his attainment of the beginner level of the foundation establishment stage that he had outstanding talent.
As for his innate ability value, it was only an important predictive factor before the formation of the nascent soul. After attaining the nascent soul, the effect of innate ability would become extremely weak. Only individuals like Shi Tianhao with a perfect value of ten could be considered exceptions.
His intelligence value of nine was an absolutely otherworldly value. There was nothing else to be said, as this character point would be useful for a lifetime.
However, with regards to this point, Lin Feng needed more time for observation. Based on his previous knowledge, Li Yuanfang’s previous master, the River Map Grandmaster was adept in the ways of magic formations. All his mantras and abhijnas were in relation to magic formations. Li Yuanfang’s progress under the River Map Grandmaster was fast like a fish in water, but the reason for that could simply be because he had an exceptionally high quotient for understanding magic formations.
If that was the case, Lin Feng hoped that it was not a one-sided thing and he had equally fast learning skills in other things.
He had a Determination value of nine. This was a little more uplifting as it ensured that he did not waste his talent.
Put more bluntly, if Lin Feng casually taught him some random things and threw him out into the wild, he would probably achieve a decent measure of success.
His Fortune value was only six. This was comparatively low, but that again depended on the target of comparison. If people compared their own Fortune values with Zhu Yi, then they would all be left in the dust.
Compared to the general average, a Fortune value of six is not too bad already. There would not a lot of great miracles or circumstances of extremely good fortune, but there would definitely be no dearth of smaller ones.
At this point, Lin Feng had a more accurate understanding of the four values of Talent and Potential. In conclusion, Li Yuanfang had a bright future ahead, as long as he did not suffocate himself or get himself killed he would attain roaring success and his position in the world would be undeniable.
Even if he did not end up bedazzling everybody, his existence would not go unnoticed.
Therefore, Lin Feng had always favoured Li Yuanfang. However, he did not directly express it yet and planned to ask Li Yuanfang for his own opinion first.
Even though Li Yuanfang had extraordinary composure and calmness for individuals his age, in the end he was only sixteen or seventeen. Inside the Secret Manual of Kun Peng, he just experienced the greatest change in his life – the passing of the River Map Grandmaster, who had always cared and guided him, greatly affected him.
He had a low emotional quotient, but that did not mean he lacked emotions or feelings. When he heard Lin Feng’s question about his plans for the future, the youth’s eyes betrayed a sense of loss and helplessness.
However, he recovered in an instant and was not overly quick in answering Lin Feng. He thought for a little while and replied solemnly, "I want to go back and try to find the rest of my seniors and juniors."
Lin Feng gradually said, "In that case, then I have a piece of bad news for you."
Li Yuanfang’s heart sank, and Lin Feng continued, "Besides you, who was saved by my disciple Zhu Yi, I’m afraid the rest of your seniors and juniors have perished from the calamitous event in the Secret Manual of Kun Peng."
Initially, when Lin Feng first retrieved and refined half of the Secret Manual of Kun Peng, all the cultivators that entered the Secret Manual were still alive and were with him. However, the Black Feather Secret Manual half contained the Polar Sea Holy Man who was swallowed.
Lin Feng’s half of the Kun Peng’s remains was forged into the Black-Green Great Hall. After the battle was over, everybody was released by Lin Feng, and except for Li Yuanfang who was with Zhu Yi, Lin Feng did not come across the River Map Grandmaster or any of his other disciples.
The missing people basically perished when the Immemorial Kun Peng came back to life previously.
When he heard this piece of news, Li Yuanfang’s eyes enlarged a little bit and after a long moment, he released a heavy and turbid sigh and lowered his head in silence.
Lin Feng was still watching him. An idea spun around in his head and he said plainly, "From what I hear, your old master, the River Map Grandmaster, entered the world of cultivation through magic formations?"
Li Yuanfang looked up and replied with respect, "Yes, indeed."
Lin Feng nodded his head slightly and said, "Do you know of the Samsara Sect’s Netherworld Form?"
"I recall hearing my master speak about them. The Samsara Sect is a renowned sect south of the Barrens, and legend has it that thousands and thousands of years ago the Giant Samsara Priest founded it. At its peak the Samsara Sect’s dominance extended across all the Three Great Holy Ground."
"However, a dozen millennium ago there was a great battle with the demon world, and the Samsara Sect suffered a massive loss. Since then, the Samsara Sect produced several branches which turned out to be the Paths of the Heaven-Born, Asura, Humanity, Beast, Hell and the Hungry Ghoul – also known as the Six Paths of the Samsara." (Translator’s Note: ‘Path’ is used to remain faithful to the original Chinese text. In this case, the meaning is more akin to faction.)
"In the olden days, the footsteps of the Samsara Sect were considered to be highly demonic. However, in recent days, their style seems to have changed and they are no longer as cruel and brutal in the way they do things."
Li Yuanfang was meticulous in explaining everything about what he understood of the Samsara Sect. "The Path of Hell is one of the Six Paths of the Samsara, and the connection to cultivation is via magic formations. The spells and abhijnas are all various kinds of magic formations, and the disciples of the Path are all adept in the aforementioned."
"Alright, since you already know then I shall say no more," Lin Feng nodded his head in approval and continued, "I have some connections with the Samsara Sect’s Path of Hell. If you wish to join the Samsara Sect, I can send in my recommendation."
Ever since Li Yuanfang began learning the art of cultivation from the River Map Grandmaster, he had only been practicing magic formations. The River Map Grandmaster himself had a reputation around the Northern Polar Sea.
After all, the River Map Grandmaster was only an independent nascent soul stage cultivator and all his cultivation and mantras were products of his own investigations. Compared to the Samsara Sect’s Path of Hell, which was full of cultivators who were adept in magic formations, and they also underwent massive expansion in the recent millennia. They had produced many prodigies and successful cultivators and the River Map Grandmaster could never compare in that aspect.
The difference was similar to that of the teachings of a family in the wilderness and that of a top-tier and legitimate school.
Now that the River Map Grandmaster was dead and the members of his sect were few and far between, Li Yuanfang was left alone with nobody else. His current level of mastery was only at the foundation establishment stage, and if he could obtain Lin Feng’s recommendation to obtain the status to join the Samsara Sect’s Path of Hell, it would be a great stroke of luck.
Li Yuanfang returned to solemnity. Reason told him that he should not let this opportunity slip between his fingers. However, on an emotional level he hoped that he could pass on the River Map Grandmaster’s teachings and continue his legacy.
His lips began to move and he wanted to say something, but Lin Feng was a step faster so he stuffed his words back from the edge of his mouth.
"I know you’re feeling upset and emotional. This isn’t urgent – you should think carefully and consider the offer. You can make the decision later."
Li Yuanfang thought for a while and realized that what Lin Feng said made a lot of sense, and returned into silence.
Lin Feng laughed a little on the inside. Even though most of his attention was still on Li Yuanfang, his gaze turned to Zhu Yi and he said, "From our journey to the Northern Polar Sea, you have personally driven the Two Elements of Creation Formation twice already. Have you learnt anything?"
Zhu Yi replied, "Broad and profound yet grand and vast at the same time."
A ray of light flew out of the middle of Lin Feng’s eyebrows and drifted in the air before transforming into a formation map the size of a disc. There were countless numbers of magic formations, glyphs and patterns intertwined together on the formation map, but they combined to form an extremely complex magic formation – the Two Elements of Creation Formation.
Lin Feng thought with his mind and took out an extract from the Two Elements of Creation Formation. The piece transformed into a hologram and drifted between Zhu Yi and him.
A small little piece like such was already the product of innumerable glyphs and patterns, and contained various types of profound theories and knowledge.
Lin Feng laughed again and said, "Let me test you. Demonstrate and deduce the changes in this magic formation."
Zhu Yi glanced at Li Yuanfang from the corner of his eye and looked back at Lin Feng with probing eyes.
Lin Feng smiled but said nothing, and Zhu Yi instantly understood his master’s intentions. He said no more, walked in front of the magic formation and began to demonstrate.
Once the Two Elements of Creation Formation came into Li Yuanfang’s line of sight, his eyes began to sparkle – but they were subsequently dulled by traces of grief.
His master, the River Map Grandmaster, was extremely open-minded and instructed his disciples right before his death not to be sad or to grieve.
However, the River Map Grandmaster did express regrets. He had never seen the Supreme Yin-Yang Void Formation of the Great Void Sect as well as the Immortal Heaven Universal Sword Formation. He was only eye-witness to the Vairocana Formation.
When the River Map Grandmaster perceived Lin Feng’s Two Elements of Creation Formation, he onced said that this magic formation rivalled the Mountain Defense Spell Formation of the Three Great Holy Ground, and was superior to the Great zhou Empire’s Almighty Celestial Destroyer Formation."
The River Map Grandmaster was obsessed about magic formations his entire life, and hoped that he would one day have the opportunity to experience and understand such exquisite magic formations like the Two Elements of Creation Formation as well as the Vairocana Formation. However, his unfortunate demise inside the Secret Manual of Kun Peng left behind great regret.
Before he departed the mortal world, the River Map Grandmaster said that he hoped Li Yuanfang and his other disciples could have the chance to witness and even investigate such superb formations. It was only through this that they would not have wasted their lives in the journey of cultivation, and it would also console his soul in heaven.
Li Yuanfang had always kept his words in mind. Initially, at the Northern Polar Sea, he personally witnessed the exhibition of the Two Elements of Creation Formation. Even though he was only an onlooker, he was still irrevocably drawn in.
Now that the Great Thunderclap Temple was no more and the Vairocana Formation had since disappeared without a trace, along with the fact that the Two Elements of Creation formation was displayed right in front of his eyes, Li Yuanfang was deeply moved.
No matter how low his emotional quotient was, Li Yuanfang still understood that stealing a peek at another sect’s abhijnas and formations was wrong. Therefore, no matter how much he desired to do so he disciplined himself and lowered his head to avoid taking another look. Lin Feng and his disciple saved his life and had since allowed him to stay on Mount Yujing – for these things alone, Li Yuanfang was already infinitely grateful.
"You should take a look as well." He suddenly heard Lin Feng’s voice in his ear. Momentarily stunned, Li Yuanfang replied hesistantly, "But Sir, I…"
Lin Feng’s smile was warm and amicable. "Your sect’s path in cultivation is through magic formations. Perhaps it’s fate that you’re on my mountain today. Do not worry."
Li Yuanfang stared at Lin Feng with mildly dazed eyes. After a long while, he took a deep breath and knelt down in front of Lin Feng. "Thank you, sir."
He gathered his emotions and arrived in front of the magic formation. He greeted Zhu Yi and with Zhu Yi’s slight nod of approval, the two of them began to discuss and investigate the changes within the magic formation.
On one hand, they were investigating and deducing and on the other hand they were pointing their hands in the air and drawing a myriad of runes and glyphs.
Lin Feng quietly observed at the side and after a while, a faint and undetectable smile appeared from the corner of his lips.
Based on speed, Zhu Yi was undoubtedly faster by leaps and bounds.
In terms of mastery, Zhu Yi was already at the intermediate level aurous core stage while Li Yuanfang was only in the foundation establishment stage. Furthermore, Zhu Yi was also one of Lin Feng’s direct disciples and the mantras that he studied were of the same origins as the Two Elements of Creation Formation. At the same time, Zhu Yi had personally directed the Two Elements of Creation Formation back on the Northern Polar Sea – not once, but twice – thus he had a real hands-on experience.
With all these advantages, if he could not roll over Li Yuanfang then it was probably better if he destroyed his own mastery and started over from square one.
Despite all this, if one were to compare the natural talent with handling magic formations, Li Yuanfang rivalled Zhu Yi’s ability, and sometimes even proved himself superior.
He became faster and faster as he derived more and more runes. Lin Feng already knew that he indeed had supernatural talent with this line of mantra. If he were to let Zhu Yi, Shi Tianhao and the rest perform the same task when they were in the foundation establishment stage, it was clear they would not possibly be as fast.
A bad joke surfaced in Lin Feng’s mind, but his expression remained plain as he asked, "So, Yuanfang1, what do you think about this formation?"
"Stunning, stellar!" Li Yuanfang replied subconsciously without even raising his head. Suddenly, he recovered and realized something was off.
"Uh, sir, it’s Yuanfang4, not Yuanfang1."