Chapter 400: Zhen’s Deterrence (1)

Words : 1916 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

He recognized the Formation Patterns, but when put together, he couldn’t recognize them anymore. The Formation Pivot was very unfamiliar to him, beyond his understanding of formations and incomprehensible. How could this Formation Eye belong to any other formation? And this formation, clearly just a first-grade, how could it contain eleven Pattern Lines? Sun Yi, for a moment, felt a darkness before his eyes, completely baffled. Then he thought to himself: "Is this kid deceiving me?" "Did he give me a fake Formation?" Sun Yi speculated in his mind, and then he dismissed the thought himself. Impossible... Although he could not understand, he had a vague feeling that this was indeed a complete Formation, and moreover, a very profound one. More likely, it was the Formation left behind by the Old Ancestor of the Sun Family! In that case, it was normal for him not to understand. Because it was a Formation inherited from his revered ancestor. His own knowledge of formations was far inferior to that of the ancestor; it was normal for him not to learn it. But what he couldn’t accept was this. He couldn’t learn this Formation, but how could this Junior Formation Master with the surname Mo learn it? He was a Foundation Building Cultivator, whereas this kid was merely at the Qi Refinement stage. If he could draw the Formation left by the old ancestor, doesn’t it mean that this kid’s mastery of formations had reached a level comparable to that of the Sun Family’s old ancestor? РÃɴőᛒÊS̈ Great waves surged in Sun Yi’s heart, and he murmured: "Impossible..." Sun Ze, standing by his side, seeing his father become completely dumbfounded upon seeing the formation and his ever-changing expressions, softly called out: "Dad..." Sun Yi came back to his senses, but he was still shaken. Sun Ze asked, "Dad, is it this formation?" Sun Yi, frowning, nodded slowly, and then shook his head. "Dad, what do you mean?" Sun Ze did not understand. Sun Yi did not speak. He couldn’t possibly declare in front of all these people that he couldn’t understand and couldn’t learn it, thus was unsure... Sun Ze pondered for a moment, then tentatively suggested: "How about we detain this kid and interrogate him?" Sun Ze clenched his fist lightly, "No matter how tough his mouth is, it’s not as tough as a fist. Beat him up, and he’ll confess everything." Sun Yi was indecisive. Then Mo Hua’s crisp voice came from the other side: "I’ve given you the formation, now it’s time to let us through, isn’t it? People who break their word won’t end well!" "Dad..." Sun Ze urged as well. Sun Yi’s brows were tightly knit, his face struggling. He didn’t dare, but he also couldn’t bear it. If this child truly had such mastered formations to such a high degree, then he wouldn’t dare to make a move. But to let them go just like that, he was extremely reluctant. He had previously thought to deceive the formation out of Mo Hua’s hands first, then capture him and force him to marry into the Sun Family and work for them. But back then, he thought Mo Hua had just a good talent, believing that Mo’s level of formation would not exceed his own. Now that he saw this formation, he suddenly realized that he had underestimated this young cultivator. And vastly overestimated himself. He had previously scoffed, thinking this kid could never learn the Formation of the Sun Family’s old ancestor, but now it seemed, the one who truly couldn’t learn was himself... Yet with just the seventh level of Qi Refinement, could he really draw such a Formation? Sun Yi still didn’t believe it. Could this kid be deceiving me? Sun Yi frowned and asked: "Kid, have you learned this Formation?" Mo Hua nodded, "Sort of." Sun Yi’s eyelid twitched. After pondering for a moment, his face darkened, and he said with a feigned smile: "This formation is a treasured family formation of the Sun Family and is not to be taught to outsiders. Since you have learned it, you are a member of the Sun Family. You will need to join the Sun Family and work for us to pay back the grace you have received." Paying back grace was a ruse, the truth was to keep the person. Sun Yi decided to take a gamble. He had come to understand something. The Formation of the old ancestor was so profound and complex that he might never learn it for the rest of his life. He might not learn it, but this young man likely would. Even if he didn’t, it didn’t matter. Just with his talent in Formation Mastery, he wanted to make him marry into the Sun Family and father children with the blood of the Sun Family. A Formation Genius was not easy to come by. He wanted to retain this young man’s talent in formation within the Sun Family and transmit it through generations with the blood of the Sun Clan. So regardless of whether this young Formation Master had learned the Formation or not, he had to keep him today. By saying this, Sun Yi was ready to go back on his word and show his true colors. The cultivators of the Sun Family were getting restless. The Spirit Farmer gripped their polearm tightly, on alert. Ding Dachuan also cursed angrily, "The Family Head is such that his word means nothing, just like farting!" Sun Yi just sneered coldly and paid him no heed. He looked at Mo Hua and asked loudly, "Young brother, what do you think? If you join the Sun Family, we will surely treat you well." However, Mo Hua shook his head and said, "Your Sun Family is too small, I’m afraid it can’t accommodate me." Sun Yi was taken aback and said with a forced laugh, "Our Sun Family is quite large, large enough for you to live in!" Mo Hua replied with restraint, "I am also someone with status." At such a young age, what status could he have? Sun Yi sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he replied with a feigned smile, "No matter the status, our Sun Family can accommodate it." "Really?" Mo Hua gave a faint smile, took out a ring, and put it on his delicate little hand. The ring, made of white jade inlaid with gold, was simple yet luxurious. Nine star traces were engraved on it, symbolizing the nine grades of Formation. A burst of starlight above the star traces signified the acknowledgement by the Taoist Court as a true One-Rank Formation Master. Sun Yi’s smile faded, and his pupils shook violently as he exclaimed, "Heaven Shu Ring?!" Sun Ze, unaware of why his father was so shocked, asked in bewilderment, "What is the Heaven Shu Ring?" Sun Yi said with a trembling voice, "The Heaven Shu Ring... he... is a One-Rank Formation Master..." As soon as these words were spoken, all the cultivators of the Sun Family took a sharp breath, displaying expressions of disbelief. The Sun Family had a legacy of Formation knowledge, although not much, but it was present. In the clan, there were also many Formation Masters. They were well aware of the difficulty in achieving a Formation Master Grading. In the remote state boundary, a Formation Master who had passed the assessment was as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn. Even the Family Head, Sun Yi, with his Cultivation at the Foundation Establishment, had not managed to achieve One-Rank yet. But now this little cultivator in his teens was a One-Rank Formation Master?! Even if he started learning Formation from the womb, it still wouldn’t be possible... After all, he was a One-Rank Formation Master. A Formation Master without an official grading was only considered "self-proclaimed." Only those who had been assessed by the Heaven Shu Pavilion of the Taoist Court and granted a ranking were considered real Formation Masters of esteemed status. In other words, once a Formation Master received their grading, they had the backing of one of the Central Tao Court’s seven main pavilions, the Heaven Shu Pavilion. It was as if they had leapt over the dragon gate – their status and identity were no longer the same as that of ordinary cultivators. "Is that really the Heaven Shu Ring?" "How would I know?" "If the Family Head says it is, then it probably is..." The Sun Family’s cultivators whispered among themselves in hushed tones. Most of the Sun Family’s Formation Masters, let alone getting graded, didn’t even have the qualifications to be assessed, and naturally, they had never seen the Heaven Shu Ring before. Sun Ze also asked quietly, "Dad, is that really the Heaven Shu Ring?" Sun Yi still looked shocked, but he nodded slowly. Armed with his status as a Foundation Building Cultivator and a quasi-Formation Master, he had visited a few One-Rank Formation Masters and seen these white jade inlaid golden rings, the distinguishing symbol of the Heaven Shu Grading, on their hands. He felt both envious and covetous at that time, hence the memory was deeply imprinted in his mind. Sun Yi dreamt that one day he himself would pass the grading and possess a Heaven Shu Ring of his own. But to his great astonishment, he had yet to achieve his grading, and here this young cultivator in his teens already possessed a Heaven Shu Ring. "Could it be stolen?" Sun Ze asked again. Sun Yi’s brows furrowed once more. He thought it should be stolen, but something in his heart suggested it was impossible. Formation Masters regarded the Heaven Shu Ring as their life; it wouldn’t be so easy to steal. Nor was it likely that someone dared to steal the Heaven Shu Ring and brazenly flaunt it. Sun Yi looked towards Mo Hua again. Mo Hua’s fair little hand, adorned with such a solemn and luxurious ring, appeared somewhat inconceivable. But the Heaven Shu Ring, indeed, seemed to resonate with his aura. Moreover, the demeanor and temperament he displayed while wearing the ring were, indeed, that of a One-Rank Formation Master. Sun Ze’s eyes gleamed with greed, a cold light flashed, and he whispered, "Dad, let’s snatch the ring away!" This time Sun Yi couldn’t hold back and slapped him directly. "Are you ****ing looking to die?!" Sun Ze was stupefied by the slap, his gaze dazed, not understanding what taboo he had violated. Grinding his teeth, Sun Yi explained in a low voice, "You ****ing aren’t a bandit or a highwayman, you’re a Clan cultivator!" "With a name, a family, and property, and such a large mansion established in Thousand Families Town—every cultivator in our family is registered with the Taoist Court Officials." "You must have eaten the gall of a bear and the heart of a leopard to even think of robbing a One-Rank Formation Master’s Heaven Shu Ring?" "A One-Rank Formation Master is certified by the Heaven Shu Pavilion—their support comes from the Central Taoist Court!" "Robbing the Heaven Shu Ring means offending the Heaven Shu Pavilion, defying the Taoist Court." "If there’s an investigation from above, it’s possible they could decimate our entire Sun Family!" ... As Sun Yi spoke, his anger grew, and he slapped Sun Ze again. Sun Ze was petrified and dared not speak. As Sun Yi’s residual anger subsided, he sighed deeply, his expression wary, "This young cultivator... our Sun Family cannot afford to offend him..."

Chapter 400: Zhen’s Deterrence (1)

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