Please call me Huanxian

Chapter 388: Meeting Friends and Seeking Opportunities

Changle Villa is the property of Wuji Temple in Qiaojiao City, covering an area of ​​about ten miles and surrounded by three small hills. It has palaces, terraces, pavilions, exotic flowers and trees, and a hanging waterfall. Below it is a blue lake, which is dotted like a pearl, and the water spirit is particularly abundant and active.

The "Dharma Discussion Meeting" convened by He Qizhi was held on the picturesque lakeside.

At dusk, Xu Yuanchang stepped onto the green jade steps as promised. A gatekeeper monk came forward to greet him respectfully. A maid in a green skirt led the guest into the villa, flew around the mountain top that was like a screen, and arrived at the lakeside from the valley entrance.

"Friend Xu, please come to Lake Island. I will introduce some friends to you."

He Qizhi called out from the misty island.

Along the lakeside, along the promenade, and on the observation deck at the top of the mountain, many eyes were looking at the unfamiliar guests.

There are not too many rules and regulations for the Dharma Assembly. If three or five guests arrive early, the conversation will begin as long as they get along well.

Xu Yuanchang clasped his fists, smiled, looked around and signaled to everyone that he had arrived at the agreed time. There were already more than fifty guests attending the meeting at the villa, no, there were also seven or eight demon cultivators who had transformed into human form.

It was rare for Qiaojiao City to have cultivators of the same level coming from foreign lands, so when everyone heard the news, they all rushed here from their places of cultivation.

There were also a few who came from Qianzhang City, 30,000 miles away, all wanting to see the novelty.

Discuss the law and the truth, learn from each other's strengths and make up for each other's weaknesses.

Perhaps we can get inspiration from monks from foreign countries.

Normally, before holding a Dharma meeting, the host will release the news one year in advance.

It is convenient for fellow travelers who are traveling outside to rush back, or for monks who want to go into seclusion for a short period of time to reserve time to attend the meeting.

This impromptu Dharma meeting was convened very hastily. If it weren't for the gimmick of having foreign monks attend the meeting, it would have been very deserted and few people would have been willing to come. Everyone is very busy.

Xu Yuanchang stepped lightly on the lake, like a dragonfly skimming the water, with each step covering several feet, leaving behind slight ripples.

When he walked onto the lake island, the surface of the lake was left with water splashes that looked like blooming and intertwining lotus flowers.

Under the reflection of the sky's rosy clouds, the color of the ripples on the water slowly changes.

"Fellow Daoist Xu is actually a master of formations. He is so good at 'smoothing the differences and breaking illusions with a single drop of water' that I really admire him!"

A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion and a burly figure, with a slightly enlarged left eye, was amazed and bowed to Xu Yuanchang who was walking on the jade path: "Wuliu Shanyan Hanlin, hello to fellow Daoist Xu, please move over and have a chat."

He invited me directly without any hesitation.

Everyone present here knows that the Pearl Lake in Changle Villa is decorated with a sophisticated water magic array, which is between virtuality and reality.

It is very difficult to cross the island by water. If you are not an expert in formations, you'd better fly from above. Otherwise, you will easily make a fool of yourself.

As a first-time guest, if you want to be respected, you should try your best to demonstrate your corresponding strength.

Xu Yuanchang spent more than a day to learn about the relevant situation of the Dharma Conference.

Even if you only know it superficially, it is enough.

Shi Qiyuan smiled and interrupted Yan Hanlin's impatience, saying, "Old Yan, that's too much. You are not the only master of formation attending our meeting. Let Brother He introduce the guests first, and then you can grab someone else."

He Qizhi also laughed and scolded: "Old Goose is just impatient."

Then he solemnly introduced Xu Yuanchang to everyone, and introduced several people nearby to the new guests.

Several people flew down from the mountain and exchanged pleasantries with the guests.

Someone smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Xu, besides the art of formation, can you demonstrate a magical spell for us? Let us see some secret techniques from foreign lands, broaden our horizons, and learn more."

Some of them had traveled to the Fangcun Mountain Realm and knew that they had to pass through two realms along the way, the teleportation cost was huge, and there were all kinds of unpredictable risks on the road at any time. If they were not masters, no one would be willing to travel across the realm with the sixth level of cultivation.

Another female demon cultivator joined in the conversation and said, "If Brother Xu feels that demonstrating magic alone is a bit boring, Brother Jiang is kind-hearted and can be a supporting role."

"Fairy Qiuli, please don't hurt anyone. How dare Jiang, with his country tricks, show off in front of the Fang family?"

The man quickly declined and the competition was for nothing.

They are all old guys who have been practicing for at least 700 to 800 years, or even more than a thousand years. They are not worthy of being the first to stand out.

Others, however, began to bully the demon cultivator woman, shouting, "Fairy Qiuli, your performance with Fellow Daoist Xu will surely be spectacular."

"Haha, Fairy Qiuli, let's perform one and leave a good story for this Dharma Conference."

Someone echoed and laughed.

More monks came to attend the meeting one after another, and the atmosphere became lively.

He Qizhi, the host, saw that the guests were at ease, so he invited them with a smile: "Xu Daoyou, why don't you show off your skills in dealing with them? It doesn't matter who you are, just for fun."

Xu Yuanchang smiled and agreed, "Obedience is worse than respect. I will demonstrate a fire technique. Please give me some advice."

He waved his sleeves towards the lake more than ten feet away.

Wisps of red flames rose from the gradually dissipating ripples on the water, and instantly connected into waves of sparks. "Fire in the water, and the patterns in the formation are like fish." What's more magical is that it did not disturb the water illusion formation on the lake, creating a very harmonious scene.

Yan Hanlin, who was obsessed with formations, flew up to the sky to watch. His eyes became more and more different, and he exclaimed repeatedly: "It's so easy to do it, waving fire to form a formation, it's an incredible fusion of magic and formation!"

He could see that the foreign guest used fire magic to demonstrate an illusion array that switched between reality and illusion.

Just by walking on the water, Brother Xu merged the magical array into the water array on the lake, making the two coexist harmoniously without interfering with each other. His attainment in array and improvisational creativity are incredibly strong.

He was even more looking forward to the upcoming hand-to-hand combat.

What he needs is the creative ideas brought to him by outsiders, and he will be thankful if he can touch the string that has been silent for a long time.

There were monks who were proficient in fire arts. They could see the hidden meanings of Yin Fire and thunder and lightning in the pure Yang Fire. There were countless variations. Once it erupted, the power would be incredible. They discussed this in a low voice with the monks around them.

Xu Yuanchang stopped after trying a little, and when he saw that he was doing well, he waved his hand to eliminate his magical power, clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Xu is showing off his ugliness, and I hope to have the honor of witnessing your wonderful performance."

It was also the first time for him to control fire into a formation. He was proficient in "Entering the Microcosm of Heaven and Earth", using his illusory mind to control the changes between reality and illusion. Unexpectedly, he completed the attempt very easily. He coordinated the reality and illusion with the large formation on the lake, without distracting the attention of the audience. Therefore, he was able to display his magical powers briefly, but it would be hard to say what would happen if the magic power lasted for a long time.

He was taking a shortcut, but it worked out pretty well.

He currently needs a sect identity to prepare for a breakthrough to the seventh level in the near future.

In the future, when I go out, I must have an identity that can support me.

Since he has been given the opportunity to perform, he must seize it and take the lead when it is time to be high-profile.

"With such a good example before me, I dare not show off my weakness. Haha, Fellow Daoist Xu, please go sit in the pavilion. I think Old Goose is getting impatient waiting."

He Qizhi saw the superb magical power of the foreign cultivator and was secretly amazed. He was able to integrate formation, magic and illusion to such an extent, which showed that the other party was proficient in more than just formation. He knew that no one present would come forward, and even if someone wanted to suppress the foreigner, they would be powerless.

Forget about demonstrating a spell alone. I can't afford to lose face.

It is really amazing, both in terms of scheming and ability.

Although he was not proficient in formations, he controlled part of the formations in Mingzhu Lake. Just now, he did not notice that the fire formation and the water illusion formation demonstrated by Brother Xu had any conflict. Instead, they gave him a feeling of complementing each other.

Yan Hanlin landed on the ground, smiled and extended his hand to invite people, then shouted to other acquaintances: "Old He, you guys should do what you need to do. Don't all gather in the pavilion. The place is small and you can't turn around. You can't understand the formation diagram to discuss."

Others laughed and cursed.

"This guy is a dog. He changes his face at any time and bites people randomly."

"Old Goose really deserves a beating. Fellow Daoist Xu, please teach him a lesson and let him know that there are always people better than you."

"Let's show our support to Brother Xu."

"Who said we don't understand the formation? We can just watch the fun."

Cultivators who are able to cultivate to their level, even if they are alchemy cultivators, talisman cultivators, body cultivators, etc., will take time out to study formations, if for no other reason than that if they are trapped in a dangerous formation, they at least know which direction to attack.

You don't have to be proficient in formations, but you must understand something about them. Unlike other cultivation skills such as elixirs, talismans, and instruments, formations are essential skills for survival.

Yan Hanlin's two fists were no match for the crowd, so he laughed and let others scold him. He walked into the pavilion and sat across the table from Xu Yuanchang. He said, "Friend Xu, you are the guest. Please choose the type of formation and the form of battle to discuss with each other."

Xu Yuanchang pondered and asked, "Is a double-door compound formation okay?"

Several formation masters who were watching outside suddenly murmured, and their faces showed joy, thinking that there was going to be a good show to watch.

Even if other people were on the top of the mountain or on the opposite side of the lake, they could still see and hear clearly.

They knew the difficulty of cracking the different types of sixth-order compound arrays of the double doors. Every intersection of nodes would produce complex changes. Hundreds or thousands of nodes were intertwined, making it intricate and ever-changing like a tangled mess.

Is this such an advanced level of play?

Yan Hanlin's expression became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "Okay!"

Xu Yuanchang asked, "I wonder what methods Fellow Daoist Yan usually uses to spar with others in battle formations?"

He needs to understand the ground rules of this place.

Yan Hanlin replied: "It takes too much time to set up and break the formation on the spot. Usually, we use the formation diagram to deduce and use our spiritual consciousness to form a virtual formation to break the formation."

Xu Yuanchang was a pure array breaker. How could he use his spiritual consciousness to visualize an imaginary array? He smiled and said, "Let's keep it simple. Let's play with the array diagram. I'll use the water gathering and star-fighting composite array diagram and ask Daoist Yan for advice."

Yan Hanlin was still worried that the other party would choose the fire or illusion formation diagrams. He had previously seen with a glimpse how powerful the other party's fire and illusion formation was, and he did not have a good understanding of illusion formations. Fellow Daoist Xu chose the water gathering and star fighting formations, two widely circulated formations, obviously to save his face and show his sincerity in the battle.

"Okay, Yan also chooses the water gathering and star fighting compound formation diagram. Please give me some advice, Fellow Daoist Xu!"

The two of them each took out a stack of paper, wrote and drew, and completed the complex compound array diagram question in about two quarters of an hour.

Outside, people gathered in groups of three or five, whispering about topics of interest. They were all paying attention to the questions posed by the two. The formation masters had already spread out papers in the air, copied the formation diagrams of the two, and had begun to calculate using various methods.

After Xu Yuanchang exchanged formation diagrams with Yan Hanlin, he spread out the three drawings and sorted out the key points of the sequence. He had been calculating formation diagrams for nearly fifty years and often cracked various actual formation changes. He was familiar with the principles of the three ancient formations of Tiangang, Jushui and Xingdou.

After sorting out the key points, he immediately took up a pen and started calculating on a piece of white paper, occasionally drawing some simple symbols and graphics.

Half an hour later, Xu Yuanchang, who was immersed in it, suddenly turned his head and glanced at several people outside the pavilion. Just now, someone released an imperceptible mark on him, and he noticed it.

The seven people outside were either busy with calculations, or using their spiritual consciousness to deduce a virtual array, or stopping to pay attention to the calculation results on his desk. Only a man in black with a slightly raised forehead was looking around, and when his eyes met Xu Yuanchang's, he smiled and nodded.

Xu Yuanchang responded and continued to calculate, with a little confusion in his mind.

The man in black was a demon cultivator who came from behind. He had never seen him before, and he sensed subtle hostility in the man in black's eyes.

It was incomprehensible. He had just arrived, so how could he offend a demon cultivator with whom he had no connection?

And use such despicable means to leave a mark.

Another hour passed, two moons rose into the sky, the bright lights by the lake were reflected on the water, and the rippling water created a beautiful effect.

Xu Yuanchang placed the cracked formation diagram on the table, put away his pen, ink, paper and inkstone, and prepared to get up and leave.

Yan Hanlin on the other side had only calculated less than 30%. He took a quick glance and took in the results of Fellow Daoist Xu's calculations. He put down his brush and sighed, "Fellow Daoist Xu's calculations to break the formation are so fast that I have to admit I am better than him. Today I have seen a master. I admire him!"

Xu Yuanchang said modestly: "Thank you for the compliment. Daoist Yan provided a battle formation diagram that I happened to have made similar to."

Yan Hanlin naturally didn't believe it, because there were no two identical compound formation diagrams in the world. As long as there was a slight change, the whole body would be affected, and he had to deduce it from the previous one. However, the other party gave him face, which made him feel very happy. He laughed and said, "I have made a friend of yours. Let's drink together and discuss the art of formation later."

He picked up the unsolved formation diagrams on the table. There were many tricky and difficult parts in them, so he had to study them carefully.

Xu Yuanchang agreed with a smile and sent a message to tell the address of his inn.

Someone outside called out, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I am ignorant of the algorithm you used, and I have never seen it before. Do you know what it is called?"

Xu Yuanchang smiled and replied: "I have traveled for hundreds of years, and what I have learned is quite complicated, which may be different from yours."

He is worldly-wise and well-versed in human nature, so he is unwilling to reveal the truth.

He glanced around and found that the man in black who was hostile to him had left.

Several monks who were proficient in fire magic flew over and discussed fire magic with Xu Yuanchang. For a moment, flames of various colors rose in the night sky like dragons, colliding and counteracting each other in various ways, and the atmosphere became lively again.

Later, some monks exchanged ideas on wood techniques, water techniques, etc., each showing their strengths and gaining something from each other. The discussion lasted for three days.

Xu Yuanchang found out the name and sect of the black-clothed demon cultivator from his host He Qizhizi.

In the following six months, he had close contacts with Yan Hanlin, He Qizhi and Shi Qiyuan.

We often drink tea together and discuss things.

Xu Yuanchang explained the reason why he had been traveling for a hundred years without returning to Fangcun Mountain. An expert had predicted for him that if he wanted to advance, he must leave Fangcun Mountain in order to find an opportunity to break through.

He also tactfully expressed his desire to find a sect in the Qiaojiao Mountain area to practice in seclusion.

Yan Hanlin naturally tried his best to invite Fellow Daoist Xu to serve as a guest elder of Wuliu Mountain, but the sect's uncle-master made a request that a remnant formation must be broken on the spot.

……

(End of this chapter)