Top-tier Unruly Master-Chapter 1645 - 1682: The Outer Space World
However, Ding Fan’s pursuit of Formation arts would definitely not stop at this point, because Ding Fan knew that the most formidable means in the Cultivation World, aside from the cultivators in the Transcendence Tribulation Stage, were those high-level formations. Even for those cultivators, some advanced formations were beyond their ability to break.
Of course, it’s rare for Transcendence Tribulation Stage cultivators to accidentally fall into the trap of such advanced formations. But once they fall into it, it’s extremely hard to escape. This was evident from the time the Wild Wolf Gang orchestrated a scheme against the Thirty-Six Caves.
At that time, although there were many Transcendence Tribulation Stage cultivators within the Thirty-Six Caves, with the weakest being in the Mid-Emergence Stage, they still found themselves completely helpless against that advanced formation, only able to desperately defend without an opportunity to counterattack, let alone decipher the formation.
If it weren’t for Ding Fan finding the formation’s weak point, those Transcendence Tribulation Stage cultivators from the Thirty-Six Caves might have eventually perished there, having exhausted all their True Qi in that advanced formation. This illustrates the formidable power of these advanced formations.
Yet, Ding Fan had not encountered any suitable teacher or opportunity regarding formations, so he could only rely on his own insights for now; as for improving his formation skills, it would depend on his fate.
Ding Fan understood that these kinds of matters could not be forced. It was all up to fate, and Ding Fan believed that even if he ultimately didn’t have that fortune or encounter an impressive teacher, his understanding of formations would still be quite substantial.
Moreover, Ding Fan believed that even without significant talent in formations, he could still dedicate himself to cultivation. As long as he reached the late Transcendence Tribulation Stage, formations wouldn’t be a problem for him.
While other cultivators of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage might find themselves helpless against advanced formations, Ding Fan was confident that his powerful Divine Sense would help him escape from within an advanced formation. From his strong Divine Sense alone, Ding Fan possessed confidence in locating the critical point of a formation, and with his cultivation at the Tribulation stage, breaking the nine-star formation’s core wasn’t impossible.
In his heart, Ding Fan felt fortunate that his earlier intuition was correct. When he saw those visions on the stone wall of the outer hall, Ding Fan knew it might be because of the formation, but only he saw them among the three, so he concluded that the Sword Washing Pool was more connected to him. Following his instincts confirmed his belief.
Even though Ah Du’s "Sword Drawing Technique" and Guo Linn’s "Sorcery" seemed superior to his randomly chosen "Basic Martial Arts," neither heard the voice of the Sword Washing Pool’s owner. Thus, Ding Fan felt that his choice of "Basic Martial Arts" was the best one, though he wasn’t sure yet. Despite the uncertainty, the old voice continually reached his ears, reaffirming that soon, everything would become clear.
"These three martial arts works are my proudest creations within my lifetime; especially the ’Sword Drawing Technique,’ which, following my comprehension, earned me a formidable reputation. The swordsmanship within has reached pinnacle levels, surpassing ordinary sword martial arts. However, those who obtain it tend to be ostentatious and proud, characteristics unaligned with my own, thus unable to hear my voice. I placed it here so this remarkable martial art wouldn’t vanish from the world; it’s available for those who wish to learn."
Hearing this, Ding Fan felt an emotional resonance; the ancient village chief indeed seemed to be a wise elder. It confirmed Ding Fan’s suspicions, reinforcing his admiration for the ancient village chief, especially considering how Ah Du’s ambitions aligned with the elder’s description.
Then, that ancient voice continued.
"As for the ’Sorcery,’ it is a rare and precious martial art, focusing on spells. While many cultivators are familiar with spells, they seldom master all forms due to their sheer number. Most cultivators only grasp a few simple, common spells. This ’Sorcery,’ however, distinguishes itself by compiling a vast array of spells. I obtained it after defeating a powerful entity outside this realm. Excited at acquiring such a treasure from an extramundane source, I left it here for future generations to study."
The old man’s voice rose and fell, not at all like mechanical words without emotion, but to Ding Fan, it felt as if a real elder was standing before him, speaking directly to him. Furthermore, Ding Fan sensed the elder’s pride when he spoke of slaying the powerful being from the outer void, which made Ding Fan deeply admire the village elder while aspiring to reach that level himself one day. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
However, Ding Fan could not help but recall the elder’s initial words—how the village elder had chosen not to pass on his lifelong martial arts experience to his descendants, to spare them the pain of thousands of years living in utter loneliness. Although the village elder had unmatched prowess back then, perhaps unrivaled by anyone, he still did not live a happy life, burdened instead with greater sorrow.
Ding Fan somewhat understood, for to cultivate to the village elder’s level, surviving nearly a millennium would not be a problem. However, the village elder watched repeatedly as his closest friends, dearest family members, and beloved lovers left one by one. The thought of this pain made Ding Fan shudder.
Moreover, the most painful aspect was watching his loved ones leave while he himself could not die. Ding Fan speculated that the village elder, by that time, was likely no longer interested in anything within the mortal world and thus chose to retreat to the forest. Ding Fan also knew that even back then, there were quite a few lonely cultivators like the village elder.
As a result, the village elder led these cultivators to establish a secluded village where they sought secular joy and lived like ordinary people. However, a millennium is a long time, and eventually, the village elder still felt deeply lonely and isolated. The village’s cultivators likely shared this sentiment, and in the end, when the village faced the incident depicted on the stone wall, all cultivators but the village elder returned to the world.
Yet Ding Fan speculated that the village elder had grown tired of the outside world and eventually chose the Sword Washing Pool to spend his final days in solitude.
At this moment, Ding Fan felt a sense of sympathy for the village elder, realizing that many cultivators spend their lives pursuing cultivation but miss out on many people and things, leading to great regret in the future. Therefore, Ding Fan understood that apart from cultivation, figures like Ningbing, Ruoran, and Gusu Qingwen were his true ties. Of course, there was also the Great Ocean Sect, which had perished to protect him. He must avenge them and rebuild the sect to fulfill the former sect master’s dying wish. Only then could Ding Fan truly be at peace with himself.
In this way, Ding Fan knew that when he slowly aged or continued living, he would not feel guilty. Of course, Ding Fan ultimately wished not to live only with himself in the end; his loved ones and friends must still be around. Therefore, Ding Fan realized the importance of improving their cultivation so that they could stay together longer.
Meanwhile, Ding Fan had gained some understanding of the "Sorcery" selected by Guo Linn. Although the "Sword Drawing Technique" was highly praised by the village elder, with few sword martial arts surpassing it, Ding Fan knew that "Sorcery" was likely more precious. After all, this "Sorcery" was not something from this world. Although Ding Fan did not know whether the world mentioned by the village elder was the Cultivation World or not, regardless, the "Sorcery" was an external world’s artifact, suggesting its immense value.
Ding Fan knew that, for spells, most cultivators knew some, just like the village elder mentioned. However, the number of spells in Cultivation World or in the village elder’s world was unknown.
Moreover, Ding Fan understood that for cultivators, ordinary spells could be quite formidable, though not as direct as martial arts. However, if one mastered all spells, their power would be evident. Ding Fan knew that if Guo Linn could thoroughly learn the "Sorcery" to perfection, his strength would definitely not be inferior to Ah Du’s.
Even though Guo Linn’s cultivation was weaker than Ah Du’s, spells did not solely rely on cultivation. Even if one was a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, by mastering some powerful spells, one could still slay Emergence Stage cultivators. Naturally, for Guo Linn, who was at the Nascent Soul Mid Stage, learning some formidable spells from the "Sorcery" could make defeating Ah Du a less challenging task.
At that time, it might be hard even for himself to be a match for the opponent, considering the sheer number and variety of spells they commanded, which could make it difficult for Ding Fan to cope. Additionally, Ding Fan understood that the village elder seemed to place more importance on the "Sorcery" than on the "Sword Drawing Technique." Therefore, Ding Fan believed the spells contained in the "Sorcery" could not be simple.
Ding Fan realized that the book likely contained many spells he had never seen before, presenting a potential threat to any cultivator.
