Great Derivation Heavenly Mystery

"One hundred and twenty spirit stones?" Li Xuanfeng patted the storage bag at his waist, feeling rather embarrassed. The spirit stones he had brought from home fell a bit short of this sum. Constrained by his tight pockets, he hesitated to speak, only to see Liu Changdie smile: "That is merely the market price. Since Changdie is taking the job personally, one hundred spirit stones will suffice." "Can this be true?" Delight immediately broke across Li Xuanfeng's face, mingled with surprise and suspicion. Watching Liu Changdie make the promise with such earnest conviction, he marveled inwardly: *Twenty spirit stones is no small sum. It's three to five years of income for my family, and the entirety of a common Qi Refinement cultivator's liquid assets. While formation masters are mostly wealthy, he shouldn't be lavish to such an extent! This man is currying favor with my family...* *It seems my fourth uncle truly is sought-after in the sect. That Moon Lake Peak disciple came down from the vessel personally just to befriend me, and now this Liu Changdie is also in an eager rush to win over my family.* With that, he understood. The family urgently needed this mountain-protecting grand formation, and this man was young yet already a master of formations. The Li family would inevitably invite him to construct arrays in the future, so forging a good relationship would benefit both sides. Seeing Liu Changdie nodding repeatedly, Li Xuanfeng knew what the man sought, and smiled: "My Li family will remember this kindness. Once this matter is concluded, whenever you travel to or from Lake Wangyue in the future, sir, you are always welcome to stay with my Li family! Allow our family to fulfill our duties as hosts." Liu Changdie had been waiting for precisely these words from Li Xuanfeng. Overjoyed at once, he nodded repeatedly and made a lavish boast with a beaming smile: "Naturally! In the future, if your noble clan has any array-laying needs, feel free to seek me out! In the entire Lixia Commandery, there will be no price lower than mine." Each holding his own intentions, both were quite satisfied. One had secured a low-cost formation master for his clan with mere empty promises, while the other had successfully placed his bet while the Li clan was still weak. In their mutual delight, each looked upon the other with growing approval. Off to the side, Xiao Yongling had become a mere background figure, still smiling as he sipped his tea. "I shall go prepare the materials now. Brother Xuanfeng, please wait a short while; I shall return shortly!" With those words, Liu Changdie cupped his hands to the two men and flew away on the wind. The remaining two drank together on the peak for a time. Xiao Yongling looked at the pensive Li Xuanfeng with a smile and spoke up: "This man knows a great deal about your noble clan!" "Indeed... junior is also perplexed." Li Xuanfeng nodded and replied: "The elders in my family are not gossips. By all reason, my fourth uncle wouldn't spread such matters abroad. Though this Liu Changdie's attainment in formations is astonishing, his conduct and speech are merely of average caliber. Still, when I was born, my fourth uncle had already returned to the sect, so I am not very familiar with the specifics and find it hard to judge." Having heard Li Xuanfeng's words, Xiao Yongling pondered for a few breaths, set down his teacup, and chuckled: "Yet one can see this man genuinely wishes to forge good ties, and your Li family happens to have use for him. Both sides need only take what they require." "Junior thinks so as well." Li Xuanfeng nodded in agreement. The two chatted about other matters as the sky gradually darkened. Finally, Liu Changdie landed back on the peak, cupped his hands to them, and said with high spirits: "No time to lose, let us set off at once!" Li Xuanfeng also rose to take his leave. Xiao Yongling looked at him with a smile and reminded: "Do not forget the jade slip I asked you to take back to Brother Tongya, Xuanfeng!" Li Xuanfeng repeatedly voiced his assent. Bidding farewell to Xiao Yongling, the two took flight upon the wind, heading west. They flew beneath the night sky for several hours, chatting and laughing as they passed across the territories of various clans, before descending onto Mount Lijing. Upon landing, Liu Changdie curiously surveyed the surroundings for a moment, looking somewhat excited as he mused inwardly: *Right now, that Moon Crescent Sword Li Tongya shouldn't have reached Foundation Establishment yet either. I wonder if he's on the mountain. It would be best if I could meet him!* Looking up, he saw a young man in his twenties emerge from the doorway ahead with a rather surprised expression. The young man looked at the two of them and cupped his hands: "I am Li Xuanxuan of the Li clan. Greetings, Fellow Daoist." "You are too polite. Liu Changdie of Lixia Commandery greets you, Fellow Daoist!" Liu Changdie cupped his hands in return and peered closely at the man before him, finding that he bore quite a resemblance to the Li Yuanjiao of his memories. "This is Master Liu Changdie, a formation master of the commandery. He has come this time to construct a formation for us," Li Xuanfeng explained, and Li Xuanxuan immediately came to an understanding. He courteously invited him into the courtyard, served tea, and said repeatedly: "I'll go invite Second Uncle!" *** "Huh?" The moment Liu Changdie reached the rear mountain, Lu Jiangxian let out a soft exclamation. Setting down the amorphous clump of Taiyin moon essence in his hand, he dissolved his form and manifested as formless, signless divine sense from within the mirror, lingering about Liu Changdie's body for a moment. "There is... the scent of talisman qi." With a sweep of his divine sense, Liu Changdie's six wheels and three apertures lay completely undefended before his eyes, clearly revealed from the Xuanjing Wheel to the Lingchu Wheel, yet nowhere was there any abnormality. "How very strange!" Lu Jiangxian frowned slightly and made a sharp pointing gesture toward Liu Changdie. His divine sense instantly surged into the Shengyang Mansion, which governed the human soul. Before his eyes, fleeting lights and passing shadows immediately flickered, and an illusory silver shape emerged. "The Great Derivation Heavenly Mystery Talisman." Lu Jiangxian sensed it for a moment, gazing at those seal characters that shone completely in bright silver, and slowly murmured: "Derives the future, calculates heavenly mystery, divines past origins and subsequent fates, governs unsettled affairs..." This Great Derivation Heavenly Mystery Talisman was not inside Liu Changdie's body; rather, Liu Changdie had likely come into contact with it and been influenced by it. Lu Jiangxian mobilized the residual power of talisman qi within him, and scenes immediately surfaced before his eyes. Among them, the common people wept; great calamities and locust plagues struck; immortal clans were exterminated; demonic disasters ran rampant. Many things were entirely reasonable and consistent, as if Liu Changdie had truly experienced them before suddenly awakening from a grand dream and returning to when he was in his twenties or thirties. *This Great Derivation Heavenly Mystery Talisman fabricated over seventy years of memories for him. Everything within them was derived by the Great Derivation Heavenly Mystery Talisman based on present affairs, rather than Liu Changdie truly traveling back through tangled time and space. If it involved the power of time and space, that is likely beyond what talisman qi could achieve!* Even the Lu Jiangxian from several centuries ago might not have been able to distort time and space, let alone a wisp of talisman qi. Lu Jiangxian gently gathered this residual power and pinched it in his hand, leaving behind only a layer of fleeting lights and shadows within Liu Changdie's Shengyang Mansion. "These memories can count as your serendipity. As for this derivation power, it was originally mine, so I shall take it." Although Lu Jiangxian possessed powerful divine sense, he lacked sufficient techniques, to say nothing of modifying another person's memories. Were it not for the residual talisman qi in the Shengyang Mansion, he wouldn't even have been able to inspect another person's memories, so naturally he had no way to interfere with Liu Changdie. Since there was no trace of himself in those memories either, he let it be. *Still, there isn't the slightest trace of talisman qi in this person's memory, so who knows where he came into contact with it. Such wondrous talisman qi must be at least of the Golden Core realm or above. It would be best if I could obtain it.* Lu Jiangxian withdrew his divine sense. Liu Changdie suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if a cold wind had brushed against his face. The teacup in his hand shook, yet he could not pinpoint what was amiss. Beside him, Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanfeng abruptly stood up together, bowing their heads respectfully. Liu Changdie looked up and saw a middle-aged man walking in from outside the courtyard. The middle-aged man was simply clad in a capable grey robe. His eyebrows were gentle and long, his cheeks lean, his shoulders broad. Between his brows was the mature poise and dignity of a middle-aged man, with a lofty, grand bearing. At his waist hung a sword, concealed within its scabbard so its shape could not be seen. Liu Changdie hurried to his feet and bowed respectfully with cupped hands: "Liu Changdie of Lixia Commandery greets Senior!" Li Tongya raised his brows to look at him, nodded slightly, and smiled: "You are too polite, sir!" Li Tongya walked to the seat of honor and sat down. Only then did Li Xuanxuan and Li Xuanfeng take their seats, sitting upright and not daring to slacken. Liu Changdie, on the other hand, was both excited and restrained upon meeting an illustrious figure from his past life's memories. Li Tongya evaluated him for a breath. Seeing that this man's cultivation was only at the second stage of Qi Refinement, appearing in his late twenties, yet his manner was rather old-fashioned and he addressed him as Senior right from the start, he mused inwardly: *Xuanfeng is not one to act carelessly. Since this person is so young, he must have some talent in setting up formations. He seems quite restrained, completely lacking the arrogance of youth. Could he be someone mature beyond his years?* With a gentle smile, Li Tongya asked warmly: "Regarding our family's formation, how does sir plan to arrange it?"