Chapter 316: Runes and Formations!
Spanning thousands of miles of hills and rivers, countless gigantic beams of sword light converged. Like a heavenly cloud of ten thousand swords, they crisscrossed and intertwined, weaving a dense net of sword aura that carpeted the sky of the Sword Ruins.
In an instant, this realm transformed into a fortress of swords!
"I can't believe it. The Ruination Sword Array has been activated. Did the Sword Warden really do this to protect Exile Yun?"
Suddenly, a million Sword Cultivators in the Sword Ruins felt a tremor in their hearts.
"Those unaware would think the Nine Hells were gearing up for war..."
The Ruination Sword Array, designed for warfare, was to be activated only in times of dire peril, as instructed by the ancestors.
With the array now active, many Sword Cultivators pondered its deeper implications.
"Is the Sword Warden afraid of the other eight hells, or the return of Exile Ling?"
Whispers and murmurs spread among the Sword Judges and disciples in the Sword Ruins.
The activation of this array signaled impending turmoil, unsettling them.
"Overseer Sikong." Dozens of Peak Masters and several Supreme Adjudicators gathered at Overseer Sikong's residence.
Overseer Sikong stood with his hands behind his back on a cloud platform, his gaze coldly fixed on the myriad swords in the sky.
"The Sword Warden is afraid." Overseer Sikong chuckled, an unexpected smile breaking his stern demeanor. "Who would've thought? Exile Ling, you've hidden your cards well."
"Feigning weakness to serve as a sword slave, seeking an opportunity to turn defeat into victory. After enduring hardship, he emerges a model for us all," the Supreme Adjudicators and Peak Masters complimented.
"Overseer Sikong, we all support Exile Ling. When he rises to power, please speak well of us on our behalf."
Their intentions were clear.
"Have you all heard?" Overseer Sikong asked with a smile.
"Yes! We've heard Exile Ling has taken control of the Heavenly Land, using it as his Life Sigil. Now, he's a master of both sword and sigil; he's destined to be the light of humanity in the Nine Hells," they said with trembling voices.
The concept of using the Heavenly Land as a Life Sigil was astounding.
"Indeed, only he can unite the ways of sword and sigil, rallying the human forces to dominate this world," Overseer Sikong's eyes gleamed with a hint of warmth.
"Now, we hope Exile Ling can withstand the onslaught from the other eight hells and return to the Sword Ruins. Then, with the Heavenly Land Life Sigil, he can rise against all odds..."
"Yun Xiao managed to return. So, with such a heaven-defying Life Sigil, Exile Ling must have prepared a path to victory."
"Indeed, I long to see that life-defining sigil."
Their voices mingled, each word laced with anticipation.
Overseer Sikong raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "You're quick on the uptake, a bunch of sharp cookies knowing which side to butter."
"Yes," they agreed, with sheepish grins.
"What should we do, Overseer Sikong?"
"Head to the array's focal point. Once Exile Ling and the former Sword Warden return, activate it to receive them!" Overseer Sikong instructed coolly.
In the Valley of Ruins, Yun Xiao lounged in the Golden Springs. Shedding his upper garment, his chest adorned with golden droplets, bore the perfection of a sculpted masterpiece.
With his long hair cascading down, his handsome face appeared ethereal, almost dreamlike. The nine-dragon mark on his forehead added an untouchable aura of mystery.
"I wonder if they've realized that the so-called Heavenly Land has been whisked away by you, and Ling Chen is no more?" Blue Star jeered. He always found Yun Xiao's scheming quite intriguing.
For instance, Qingzan, who kept insisting she wasn't interested in the Heavenly Land, stayed back when she heard Ling Chen had taken it.
"Even if they've realized the truth, it's futile. They lost the moment they hesitated and got tempted by the Heavenly Land," Yun Xiao said, eyes closed in tranquility. He knew there were suspicions. But with the activation of the Ruination Sword Array, suspicions were irrelevant.
"In fact, their willingness to believe Du Zhongyuan's words mainly stems from the notion that two Exiled Sword Immortals of similar caliber couldn't possibly have one playing the other so ruthlessly." Yun Xiao chuckled.
In his presence, Ling Chen was nothing but a pebble on the roadside from start to finish.
"Next, they'll have all the time in the world to truly grasp what transpired in the Demon Continent." Yun Xiao stood up from the Golden Springs. "Another breakthrough. Now, I'm in the Late Dao Heart Realm."
While not yet ready to confront the peak powerhouses of the Nine Hells, it would be impossible for anyone in the Fate Ocean Realm to kill him.
Without a stitch on him, the water from the Golden Springs cascaded down his muscular contours.
"Fae..." Mu Xiaolong accidentally stumbled in, catching this scene. She shrieked, hastily covering her eyes... though her fingers were parted wide.
"What a frightening sight!" Mu Xiaolong blushed profoundly, her worldview shaken to its core.
"What's the matter?" Yun Xiao nonchalantly donned a new white robe. Only he could make such simple and humble attire exude the elegance of a celestial robe.
"Err Uhm Oh! Du Zhongyuan requests an audience!" Mu Xiaolong stammered.
"Let him in."
"Yes, yes, yes..." Mu Xiaolong stuck out her tongue and darted out, her face flushed with excitement. Inwardly, she whispered, "Mom, I've made it! I've seen Fae in all his glory!"
Yun Xiao adjusted his attire and settled down in the pavilion.
Shortly after, Du Zhongyuan arrived with respectful reverence, his expression slightly bemused.
"What's on your mind?" asked Yun Xiao.
"Some unteachable folks in the Sword Ruins are hyping up a dead man again." Du Zhongyuan chuckled.
Yun Xiao smiled wryly. He didn't dwell on the matter, instead gesturing for Du Zhongyuan to sit and said, "Bring it out."
"Yes." Du Zhongyuan reached into his robe and brought out over thirty Bags of Holding, laying them before Yun Xiao. With a pang of loss, he said, "I've brought you all the suitable herbs and spiritual medicines from the Sword Ruins to be Rune Spirit Ink."
"Mhm." Yun Xiao nodded. He picked up a Bag of Holding and peeked inside. A fragrant aroma wafted out, revealing numerous flowers, trees, and fruits infused with celestial energyrenowned spiritual items of the Nine Hells.
"These herbs and spiritual medicines are softer and can be ground into spiritual liquids," Du Zhongyuan explained.
"Will taking all these materials affect your alchemists in concocting pills?" Yun Xiao inquired.
These herbs were also primary ingredients for pills.
"Well... there will definitely be an impact. After all, this is most of the Sword Ruins' stock. Many Sword Judges and disciples rely heavily on these pills..."
After Du Zhongyuan finished speaking, a hint of relief crossed his mind. He had half expected Yun Xiao to return some of the spiritual herbs to him. Instead, Yun Xiao simply took the Bags of Holding, saying, "No worries, I'll repay you more in the future."
With that, Yun Xiao summoned the Prison Warden Sigil, holding it in his hand.
"Rune Pen, please." Yun Xiao extended his hand.
Du Zhongyuan promptly placed a small, exquisitely crafted white pen in Yun Xiao's hand, clearly a sophisticated magical instrument.
"Inscription manual," Yun Xiao requested next.
"Oh?" Du Zhongyuan was slightly surprised as he took out a few thick books, explaining, "We in the Sword Ruins have limited material on inscription manuals, but it should suffice for now. Take your time with them... We don't have Inscription Cultivators in the Sword Ruins, so I'm not sure how to get you started..."
While Du Zhongyuan was still speaking, Yun Xiao had already begun flipping through the manual, his eyes intently scanning the pages. His flipping speed increased rapidly, eventually matching the speed of a gambler blowing through their money.
"It goes like this..." Du Zhongyuan recalled the basics of inscription cultivation. "The Runes on a Life Sigil are essentially drawn by an Inscription Cultivator using the Rune Pen dipped in Rune Spirit Ink, ground from spiritual herbs and medicines, following various methods outlined in an inscription manual. The more Runes, the stronger and more functional the Life Sigil."
As Du Zhongyuan explained this, Yun Xiao placed a Bag of Holding before him, instructing, "Then help me grind this into Rune Spirit Ink."
"I'll do it!" Mu Xiaolong volunteered, eagerly stepping forward.
"Fine." Yun Xiao nodded, continuing to read.
Grinding the Rune Spirit Ink also required magical tools, namely a pestle and a mortar, which Du Zhongyuan had occasionally used in his alchemy.
So there was Mu Xiaolong, her little hands gripping the golden pestle, her cheeks flushed as she pounded away, her mind likely wandering through a world of its own.
Du Zhongyuan, having a moment of leisure, continued, "These inscription manuals are the culmination of the trials and experiments of Inscription Cultivator ancestors, detailing miniature inscription formation, each with a specific function. Take the Heavenly Fire Formation, for instance. It consists of 18 Runes. If drawn on a Life Sigil, it greatly enhances the sigil's affinity with fire spells... And now, with the evolution of Inscription Cultivation, there are hundreds of millions of these miniature formations, some consisting of just a few Runes, and others thousands!"
"So, the inscription Runes on a Life Sigil aren't just about quantity, but also about content?" Yun Xiao asked, flipping through the manual.
"Exactly! The content is crucial! It's different from our Sword Soul and Sword Aura. Their Runes are more akin to a blend of Sword Aura and Sword Ring, with more variations. Since each Inscription Cultivator can only inscribe their own Life Sigil, it really tests their talent in formations," Du Zhongyuan said earnestly.
"Formation talent?"
"Yes. Inscription Cultivators excel at drawing formations because Life Sigils and formations are one and the same. Like our Ruination Sword Array, it's formed by countless miniature runic formations etched on mountains, sword peaks, and rivers.
"In essence, inscription Runes form miniature formations, which can either make a Life Sigil for personal battle or set up a grand immovable formation. The former is for combat, the latter for monumental undertakings... That's why we Sword Cultivators may not understand Life Sigils, but we can't afford to be ignorant of formations," Du Zhongyuan explained.
"Can all these miniature formations be inscribed on a Life Sigil?" Yun Xiao looked up.
"Of course not, every Life Sigil has its innate attribute. For instance, carving water attributes on a fire-attributed sigil is a death wish," Du Zhongyuan grinned. "Remember Fu Longxiang's Myriad Manifestations Sigil? Its power lies in its versatility, capable of inscribing any miniature formation, offering immense growth potential!"
"Mhm." Yun Xiao nodded, just as he finished reading the last manual on miniature formations.
"Mu Xiaolong, hand me the Rune Spirit Ink," Yun Xiao said.
"Yes!" Mu Xiaolong carefully brought the mortar to Yun Xiao.
With the Prison Warden Sigil in one hand and the Rune Pen dipped in Rune Spirit Ink in the other, Yun Xiao began to draw.
"W-wait, wait! What are you doing!?" Du Zhongyuan asked in bewilderment.
"Drawing Runes," Yun Xiao replied.
"But you're just starting out. I doubt you understand the basic principles, don't mess up... Ah?" Before Du Zhongyuan could finish, Yun Xiao's pen flowed like a dragon and snake. A miniature formation with 99 Runes had already taken shape on the Prison Warden Sigil.
"Mu Xiaolong, grind all of these herbs," Yun Xiao directed, pushing the herbs toward her.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Mu Xiaolong nodded excitedly.
Du Zhongyuan, feeling a twitch in his gut, looked to the heavens and muttered, "What in the world is this..."
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