Qin Renhuang just became an immortal, and you told me this is the prehistoric time

Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings, her temperament was gentle and graceful, and her clear eyes held a shy shyness, yet could not hide her natural beauty and charm.

She lowered her head to straighten her dress, then took light steps toward the wooden house.

Ying Xuan's divine sense had already taken in everything outside the house.

Looking at Lianxiang, who had transformed into a human woman and was even more pure and ethereal, he was filled with admiration for the perfection of the spiritual beings in this world in shaping "form".

Her physique was pure, almost comparable to a first-level life form in the Great Qin world, but there was only a very weak, almost negligible flow of magical power within her body, and her body was also somewhat thin and weak, obviously due to long-term malnutrition.

"This woman... should be my maid."

Ying Xuan's resolve grew stronger.

Such a pure spiritual constitution, if brought back to the Great Qin Dynasty and nurtured, would have limitless potential.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

A soft knock sounded, tinged with a cautious, tentative approach.

Ying Xuan put down the book in his hand, a gentle smile on his face, and got up to walk towards the door.

With a creak, the wooden door was pulled open from the inside by Ying Xuan. Standing outside was a young girl in a plain white dress.

She had a slender figure, an exceptionally beautiful face, skin as white as snow, and eyebrows and eyes as exquisite as a painting. Her gentle temperament was like a rare orchid in a secluded valley.

When she raised her clear, shy eyes to look at Ying Xuan, her words carried a bluntness and... worldliness that were completely out of character.

“Young master, I am Lianxiang. I saw that you live alone here and study hard, so I came to serve you.”

She gave a slight curtsy, her movements carrying a deliberate attempt to imitate a gentle charm, her voice deliberately soft and sweet, yet her eyes remained pure, even carrying a hint of innocent naiveté, like a little animal trying to learn human mannerisms.

Ying Xuan's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The contrast was too strange.

This woman was perfectly transformed, with a pure physique and innate spirituality. She should have been born from the essence of heaven and earth, yet her words and actions clearly carried the frivolous habits of a brothel like Honghuabu.

It seems that although she lived a secluded life, she probably spent a lot of time observing the prostitutes on the outskirts of Honghuabu in order to borrow books, and ended up learning a strange and incoherent style.

"come in."

Ying Xuan stepped aside, his tone flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

With joy in her eyes, Lianxiang quickly stepped into the house.

She seemed to want to appear "skilled," imitating the women in her memory, and tried to pour tea for Ying Xuan, only to find the room empty and devoid of tea.

She wanted to get closer, but when she met Ying Xuan's deep, calm eyes that seemed to see through everything, she suddenly felt flustered and stood there, twisting the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting around.

The deliberately imitated coquettish manner intertwined with her inherent innocence, making it seem particularly awkward.

Ying Xuan saw it all and understood.

This woman is kind-hearted by nature, but due to her circumstances, she has picked up some bad habits.

He walked behind the desk and sat down, his gaze falling on Lianxiang with scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible pity.

"Can you read?"

Ying Xuan asked in a clear voice.

Lianxiang was taken aback for a moment, seemingly not expecting the other party to ask this, then nodded vigorously, her clear eyes instantly sparkling with bright light.

“I know! I know! I… I recognize many words! It’s just… it’s just that books are so hard to borrow…”

As she spoke, her voice lowered, filled with grievance and longing, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the brand-new books on the desk, her eyes burning with eagerness.

The pure longing in those eyes dispelled Ying Xuan's last doubts.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Since you are literate and enjoy reading, you do have a desire to learn. This place is quiet and lacks someone to sweep, clean, and serve your writing materials."

Would you be willing to stay here as my maid? Your daily tasks will be to sweep the courtyard, organize the books, and attend to my reading. In return, you may freely peruse the books in my study.”

Lianxiang suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open, almost unable to believe her ears!

Could she stay here? Could she freely browse through the books she had always dreamed of?
Overwhelmed by immense joy, she forgot all the postures she had imitated, and her voice trembled with excitement.

"I'm willing! I... Lianxiang is willing! Thank you, young master! Thank you for your great kindness!"

Overwhelmed with emotion, she tried to imitate the women's manner of bowing, but her movements appeared clumsy and stiff.

"Wait a minute."

Ying Xuan's voice carried an air of authority.

"Since you are my maid, you must abide by my rules. First, unless you are alone in a private place, you must not act coy and pretentious as before. Your words and actions must be dignified, proper, and in accordance with etiquette."

If I ever see you deliberately imitating the mannerisms of a prostitute again, I will immediately banish you from this place and never let you return. Can you do that?

Lianxiang was startled by Yingxuan's sudden serious tone. She quickly stood up straight, trying her best to suppress all the coquettishness she had learned. Her face was tense as she nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Lianxiang can do it! Young master, rest assured, Lianxiang will never dare to do it again!"

She felt both apprehensive and relieved. As long as she could read, she would do anything, let alone just change those movements that she herself found awkward.

"very good."

Ying Xuan's expression softened slightly, and he pointed to the Analects on his desk.

“In that case, let’s begin today. Take that copy of the Analects, stand aside, and read it to me.”

"Yes! Son!"

Lianxiang quickly stepped forward and carefully picked up the Analects, which was extremely precious to her, as if she were holding a rare treasure.

She opened the book, cleared her throat, and began to read aloud earnestly.

Confucius said: "Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar? Is it not the mark of a gentleman to remain unperturbed when others do not recognize his merits?"

Her voice was clear and melodious, with the purity unique to young girls. Although her recitation was slightly awkward and the rhythm was a bit fast, her focused and serious attitude made people feel good about her.

Ying Xuan leaned back in his chair, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, his mind had already sunk deep into his sea of ​​consciousness, establishing a connection with the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Formation far away in the deep mountains.

The moment the connection was established, Ying Xuan's mind was jolted!
It had only been a little over a month since he left the deep mountains, but the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Formation that covered the valley had undergone earth-shattering changes!

The massive array light screen that originally covered a radius of hundreds of miles has now shrunk to only a few meters in diameter!

From a distance, it looks like a transparent crystal ball floating above the valley, radiating a hazy starlight!
When Ying Xuan's divine sense probed into it, he felt a vast and boundless space!

Inside the formation, space is stretched and expanded infinitely!
As far as the eye can see, there are thousands of miles to go! High mountains and flowing water, plains and hills, and even a miniature starry sky!

A rich spiritual energy, mixed with the thin spiritual energy purified by the grand formation, permeated the entire space.

The hundreds of thousands of spiritual roots and herbs that were transplanted here have long since transformed from seedlings into a vast, undulating primeval forest on this fertile spiritual land! Towering ancient trees rise from the ground, and exotic flowers and rare herbs bloom everywhere. The extremely rich essence of the plants is almost liquid, nourishing every inch of the land!
What shocked Ying Xuan even more was the change in the formation itself!
The 108 illusory stars that make up the core of the great formation are no longer just simple light and shadow!

They became incredibly solid, slowly rotating and radiating a vast and diverse stellar power!

The surface of every star is covered with dense, mysterious golden runes!

These runes are not inanimate objects, but rather constantly flowing, exuding an ancient and majestic aura of rules!

That is the embodiment of the rules of the stars! It is the imprint of the laws that constitute the origin of the stars!
Deep within the core of those 108 stars, Ying Xuan clearly sensed faint yet real life force, each carrying its own independent will!
That's the aura of the Star God!
Although it is still very immature, like an embryo, it is indeed developing!
They reside at the core of the stars, absorbing and exhaling massive amounts of spiritual energy and stellar power. With each breath, they make the starlight even more dazzling and the runes on the surface flow even more dynamically!

"The array space is a world unto itself... Star runes imprint rules... nurturing the embryo of a star god..."

Ying Xuan's mind was in turmoil.

"This...this is clearly a characteristic of legendary immortal artifact-level formations!"

He originally thought that those spiritual roots and herbs would be the biggest beneficiaries, nourished by the immense spiritual energy of this world.

But to everyone's surprise, the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Formation itself was the most amazing thing to gain in this transformation!

This formation already possesses the rudiments of a celestial artifact! Although its specific power in attack and defense still needs to be tested in actual combat, its self-contained space characteristics, the imprinted star rules, and the nascent star god embryo already indicate that its potential and value far exceed that of ordinary magical treasures!
"If we return to the Qin Dynasty in this state..."

A surge of barely suppressed excitement welled up in Ying Xuan's heart.

"As long as the energy of heaven and earth of the Great Qin world, especially the imperial dragon energy and the power of incense and prayers, is injected into it, this formation will be able to completely transform and be promoted to a true immortal artifact-level formation in one fell swoop!"

With this formation in hand, even if I were to face a true immortal or god descending, I might not be without a fighting chance!

With a slight thought, he tried to control the formation to shrink further.

The several-meter-high ball of light suspended above the valley began to shrink slowly at a visible speed, and the starlight became more condensed and restrained.

When it shrinks to the size of a fist, the internal spatial pressure seems to reach a critical point, and the contraction speed becomes extremely slow.

"not enough……"

Ying Xuan thought to himself.

"If we could compress it to the finest dust, completely conceal its brilliance, merge it into the void, and carry it with us, that would be truly foolproof! At the current speed and with the nourishment of this world's spiritual energy, it might take several more months..."

Just as Ying Xuan was immersed in the shock and planning brought about by the amazing changes of the great formation, Lian Xiang's clear recitation still echoed in the wooden house.

She seemed to be completely immersed in the world of the book, her voice becoming more and more fluent, and that scholarly calmness was quietly replacing the last traces of deliberate imitation on her.

"...Zengzi said: I examine myself thrice daily: Have I been disloyal in serving others? Have I been untrustworthy in dealing with friends? Have I neglected to practice what I have been taught?"

Ying Xuan slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the girl who was holding a book and looking focused.

She stood straight, her plain white dress making her figure resemble a newly sprouted bamboo shoot, elegant and upright.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting soft shadows on her long eyelashes. Her profile, focused on her reading, was pure and untouched by worldly dust.

"The spirituality of this world is wondrous."

Ying Xuan sighed inwardly.

"It can turn decay into magic, and it can also turn stubborn stone into beautiful jade."

The lotus fragrance is like this, and so is this grand formation. It seems my gains on this trip will far exceed my expectations.”

He closed his eyes again, listening to the girl's clear and melodious reading voice, while continuing to guide the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Array, which was undergoing an astonishing transformation in the distant deep mountains, with his divine sense, slowly moving towards its ultimate form, which was "as fine as dust and had all its brilliance concealed."

The official road winds its way through the undulating mountains.

Ying Xuan, dressed in a blue robe, rode an ordinary chestnut horse with a leisurely demeanor, like an ordinary scholar traveling for study.

Lianxiang changed into a clean blue cloth dress, styled her hair in a simple bun, and rode behind on another packhorse, carefully carrying several books wrapped in cloth in her arms.

Four Imperial Guards dressed as servants, wearing gray short jackets, stood silently guarding the front, back, left, and right sides, their sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

They concealed all their presence, appearing no different from ordinary servants.

Ying Xuan's choice to travel as an ordinary person was out of sheer necessity.

The Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Formation deep in the mountains is in the final critical stage of its transformation. Its core is being compressed to the size of a speck of dust. Once completed, it will be a true embryo of a celestial artifact.

Meanwhile, the imperial concubines and palace maids who were in seclusion within the formation were also at a critical juncture in their hundred-day foundation-building process, and could not tolerate the slightest disturbance.

At this moment, apart from his peak primordial spirit realm, his exquisite control over power, and the great array that was undergoing transformation, he had no other powerful magic treasures or immortal artifacts on him.

We came to a relatively open flat area, and in the distance we could see wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, which suggested it was a small town.

Ying Xuan reined in his horse.

"Let's rest here for a while."

Everyone dismounted.

Lianxiang quickly took out a water pouch and dry rations from her bag and handed them to Yingxuan. Then, as usual, she took out a book from her bosom, which was the Analects of Confucius, and asked softly.

"Young master, would you like Lianxiang to continue reciting?"

Ying Xuan nodded slightly and sat down on a clean stone.

Lianxiang stood to the side, turned the pages of her book, and her clear voice rang out in the open space.

Confucius said: "A gentleman does not seek to be full when eating, nor comfortable when dwelling; he is diligent in his work and cautious in his speech..."

Her recitation became much smoother, carrying a focused immersion.

Just as she was reading halfway through, her voice suddenly stopped, her hands holding the book trembled slightly, and her clear eyes were instantly filled with terror as she stared intently into the depths of the mountains and forests to the northwest.

"Young...Young Master!"

Lianxiang's voice was filled with barely suppressed fear.

"Hurry! Let's hurry! To the town ahead!"

Ying Xuan followed her gaze and saw a thick, visibly billowing black mist rising into the sky above the distant mountains and forests!

The black aura carried a nauseating, fishy smell and a strong, violent, and malevolent energy that made people feel uneasy even from a distance.

"That...that's the aura of a tiger demon!"

Lianxiang's face turned deathly pale, and her voice trembled.

"And it's a ferocious demon that has devoured many people! It...it has discovered us! Run, young master!"

She was so anxious she was almost in tears, and instinctively reached out to tug at Ying Xuan's sleeve. (End of Chapter)