Chapter 129: The Canon of the Universe Formation (Bonus Chapter)

Two days later.

Cao Chengyu had swept through all the formations in the area. Not only had he failed to find any palace-like structures, but he also couldn't track down where Lin Yuan and Ning Ruolian had gone. It seemed the inheritance really was rigged from the start—how absurd.

He scratched the head of the little spirit cat in his arms. Cao Chengyu felt a bit helpless; since its last evolution, the little creature had reached the second rank, equivalent to the Dao Body realm of a cultivator. However, all its strength was focused on utility. It was likely that even a Spirit Refining acolyte could overpower it in a fight. Aside from its treasure-hunting range expanding from one mile to fifteen, its spirit-gathering effect had become increasingly remarkable. It was akin to carrying a mobile spirit-gathering formation, increasing Cao Chengyu’s mana accumulation rate by twenty percent.

In addition to the Void-Breaking Hammer, he had also obtained a Yin-Yang Hairpin from breaking the formations of the Yin-Yang Master. It was a hair accessory used to secure one's bun, capable of breaking formations and dispelling restrictions. Rated as a Tier 3 mid-grade artifact, it was quite useful. He had also gathered over a dozen other Tier 2 and Tier 3 medicinal herbs and mineral materials. The haul was satisfactory.

With no more formations left to break, Cao Chengyu could only wait at the exit. There was a hidden teleportation array here as well, but it required not only a "password" but also a jade pendant for verification to activate. It was incredibly frustrating.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Around the afternoon, Lin Yuan and Ning Ruolian returned together. The latter looked full of excitement, while Lin Yuan remained composed. Upon seeing Cao Chengyu, they quickly bowed.

"Senior Hua, this junior has fulfilled your request."

"Rise. Tell me, what is it that you need?"

"Uh..." Lin Yuan hesitated for a moment, glanced at Ning Ruolian, then gritted his teeth and spoke. "Senior, do you have any cultivation techniques or shortcuts that can help one advance quickly?"

Cao Chengyu gazed at him for a moment and shook his head. "Lin Yuan, the path of cultivation requires steady progress. The more solid your foundation is now, the less likely you are to be blocked by bottlenecks in the future. The higher your potential ceiling will be. Once you resort to evil arts, you risk losing your sanity and becoming demonized at best, or suffering a mental collapse and falling into a murderous rampage at worst. How about I recommend a few techniques and secret arts instead?"

"I see. Please, Senior, tell me."

Lin Yuan had a certain degree of trust in Cao Chengyu for the time being. Senior Hua conducted himself with integrity and was not greedy for treasures; naturally, Lin Yuan did not want to disappoint him.

"I see you are practicing body tempering. I have a 'Void Tiger Technique' here, which cultivates both internally and externally and includes some close-combat methods. Also, 'Tiger-Leopard Thunder Sound,' a divine art for strengthening the internal organs. Both are mid-grade, nearing high-grade, sufficient to carry you until the Purple Mansion realm. Furthermore, this is the flesh and blood of a Spirit-Transcending (Purple Mansion) fierce beast; I shall give you this piece of the tail."

Looking at the massive snake tail Cao Chengyu produced, along with the two manuals, Lin Yuan quickly stowed them away. A rough glance at the manuals confirmed they were indeed superior to the Grinding Mill Technique he had been practicing.

"Besides these, I have some remaining Yellow Bud Pills from my Spirit Refining days and Profound Origin Pills from my Dao Body days. There aren't many—about three or four bottles—but they are yours."

"As for techniques, there is the mid-grade 'Azure Dragon Sleeve' and the mid-grade 'Yellow Cloud Art.' One is for offense, the other for flight. They should be enough for your needs."

"Many thanks, Senior!"

Lin Yuan happily accepted everything. As Cao Chengyu had said, giving him anything too high-level would be useless; only the appropriate items could accelerate his progress. Due to the limitations of the leaderboard, Cao Chengyu couldn't actually give him anything too powerful. The Azure Dragon Sleeve was originally mid-grade, which he had completed himself, and the Yellow Cloud Art was obtained through a moment of enlightenment. Anything higher-grade would be a divine ability derived from his own deductions, which he could not teach to others.

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan brought out the core formation codex of the Yin-Yang Master: the *Heaven and Earth Formation Codex*!

"Heaven and Earth" represented the cosmos, but could also denote the Yin and Yang. The codex was named this because the Yin-Yang Master’s expertise in the Yin-Yang formations formed by heaven and earth was unparalleled. It contained a general outline of formation theory—the principles required to set up formations and the problems one might encounter—combining the momentum of heaven and earth with human formations, mountain and river veins, and the flow of terrestrial energy. It had the flavor of "mysterious gate" formations, yet it was different. The highest-level formations within reached the fourth tier, corresponding to the peak of the Golden Core realm.

To Cao Chengyu, this was immensely useful. After a cursory look, he tucked it into his storage bag, feeling quite pleased.

"Let’s go. Time to leave."

"Very well."

"Right, once we are out, I will hold back the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus. Lin Yuan, run as soon as you can. Do not linger here."

"This junior understands."

"Hey? What are you two talking about? My mother wouldn't do anything to Brother Yuan. With me here, don't worry."

Lin Yuan and Cao Chengyu exchanged a glance as they looked at the confident, chest-puffed Ning Ruolian. Was she naive or just dim-witted? After entering the secret mansion, how could the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus let anyone leave without handing over everything? Lin Yuan had already resigned himself to avoiding this area for the next few years, at least until he broke through to the Dao Body realm.

As for his childhood sweetheart, there was nothing he could do. Unless Senior Hua could go toe-to-toe with the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus—but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shook his head with doubt. Senior Hua was only at the mid-Purple Mansion stage; how could he possibly defeat a Golden Core cultivator?

"Get ready, we're going out."

He immediately mobilized all his mana; as soon as the fighting started, he would bolt.

A familiar white light flashed, and the group appeared in the outer chamber of the cave. Before they could say a word, a cold snort echoed.

"Hmph! A mere Purple Mansion cultivator dares to abduct my daughter? And you, Lin Yuan, you actually dare to return and harass my daughter? Today, you shall all die here!"

She spoke fiercely, but in reality, she was after what they had obtained. Having guarded the place for two days, only to see them suddenly appear, it wasn't hard for the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus to deduce the existence of a hidden cave.

Cao Chengyu transformed into a streak of sword light and appeared outside the cave. The Holy Mother was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit styled like a black lotus, wearing a cloak that left large patches of fair skin exposed, and she possessed a rather impressive figure. Her legs were long and slender, adorned with a tattoo of a beauty admiring a lotus. His first impression was: *How sultry. I like it.*

Upon seeing Cao Chengyu, the Holy Mother of the Black Lotus appraised him as well. He had a stubbly beard, an air of world-weariness, melancholic eyes that held stories, and a sharp, well-defined facial profile with a masculine, rugged edge. His features were regular, carrying a hint of arrogance. He was, in fact, quite handsome.

"So you are that Purple Mansion cultivator. Where are you from? Why did you approach my daughter, and what is your relationship with Lin Yuan?"

Cao Chengyu gave a disdainful smile. To deal with arrogant people, you must be even more arrogant; only by crushing them beneath you could you hope to conquer them. He had intended to take the "soulmate" route, but after unexpectedly obtaining the *Heaven and Earth Formation Codex*, a conflict was inevitable. So, he would take the path of pure arrogance.

Fight them to the end! Bring it on!

"Heh, I am Hua Wuque, an Elder of the Heavenly Star Sect from the Mountain Ridge Domain. A mere Black Emperor Sect dares to act insolently before me?"

The Holy Mother of the Black Lotus’s face darkened. Little did she know that while Cao Chengyu’s words were biting, his methods were just as ruthless.

Giant...