Chapter 26: The Grand Polar Magnetic Array

“It is the fortune of my Sima family that the Sect Master is staying here,” Sima Changfeng said, bowing respectfully. After offering this compliment, he finally revealed the true purpose of his visit.

Chen Yang was far too intimidating; though Sima Changfeng wished to curry favor, he felt uneasy about facing him directly.

“This time, at the Nascent Soul Exchange Gathering, a fellow cultivator will offer up a stalk of Dragonblood Grass. However, this cultivator won’t accept spirit stones, pills, or magical treasures in exchange. Instead, he wishes for a fellow adept in the art of formations to break the array guarding a secret realm for him.”

Dragonblood Grass is inherently yang in nature and grows under extremely harsh conditions, only in places of utter yin where yang is born from the extreme yin. Moreover, it must sprout from the corpse of a dragon-type demon beast that contains true dragon blood. It is exceedingly rare and serves as the primary ingredient in Pure Yang Pills.

“Well done,” Chen Yang nodded in approval, then asked, “Does your Four Seas Trading Guild not have any formation masters?”

His response was swift. If the Four Seas Trading Guild could have handled it themselves, knowing Sima Changfeng’s character, he would have secured the Dragonblood Grass first and then brought it to Chen Yang as a gesture, rather than leaking the news in advance.

After all, he knew exactly what the cultivator wanted in exchange for the Dragonblood Grass. Chen Yang didn’t believe Sima Changfeng would be so scrupulous as to wait for complications to arise at the exchange gathering.

If the auction weren’t jointly hosted by several trading guilds, with the five major sects sending people to oversee it, Chen Yang wouldn’t even need to attend in person. He could simply remain in his courtyard, and Sima Yan would arrive early with a list for him to review.

“It is my honor to serve the Sect Master,” Sima Changfeng replied, bowing again before continuing with a wry smile. “Formation mastery is difficult to attain, and to achieve true skill is harder still. Ultimately, our Four Seas Trading Guild is focused on commerce and has no mountain gates needing grand arrays for protection. Though we have trained a few formation adepts, they are merely average.

The array this fellow cultivator needs broken is exceptionally formidable; judging from his words, it may be a superior-grade fifth-tier formation. Not only in Four Seas Trading Guild, but across all of Baohua Continent, there are perhaps only three individuals capable of such expertise. Yet, one vanished sixty years ago after venturing overseas, never to be seen again.

Another is nearing the end of his lifespan, having secluded himself to attempt a breakthrough to the late Nascent Soul stage, and has been unheard from for three years.

As for the last...”

Sima Changfeng paused, glancing at Zhong Shenxiu, who was refining the Five Poison Immortal Brew to strengthen his internal vitality, before lowering his voice:

“The last is a late-stage great cultivator, Sect Master Cao of the Taiyi Sect.”

It was not that Sima Changfeng was unwilling to approach Cao because of Zhong Shenxiu, but rather that he could not persuade him.

Chen Yang nodded and simply replied, “I understand.”

Shushan cultivators differ from these immortal practitioners; they must dabble in medicine, divination, alchemy, formations, and so on, the only distinction lying in the depth of their study.

Take alchemy, for instance—aside from kin and seniors of their own sect, who would dare to ingest someone else’s pills in Shushan? A slight tampering may lead to lifelong enslavement, with one’s fate entirely out of their own hands, a misery beyond words.

Such simple and trusting exchanges of cultivation methods and pills among immortal practitioners are impossible in Shushan. Even if someone were to sell, none would dare to buy.

Chen Yang remained silent, and the two Sima family members dared not disturb him. They accompanied him quietly as they stood there. After roughly half an hour, Zhong Shenxiu finished refining the Five Poison Immortal Brew and exhaled a deep breath.

“Stop practicing that Longevity Technique of yours. I may need to leave for several days. In the meantime, focus on your sword training here. If you require anything, simply call out; someone will assist you.”

“Very well,” Zhong Shenxiu replied, rising silently and bowing to Chen Yang.

“Sect Master, rest assured. I will give strict instructions so that no one dares disrespect Fellow Daoist Zhong,” Sima Changfeng promised.

The more he interacted with Chen Yang, the more unfathomable he found him—mercurial in temperament, not only referring to himself as a subordinate but now, lowering himself a generation and addressing Zhong Shenxiu, a mere junior in cultivation, as ‘Fellow Daoist.’

Sima Yan, standing nearby, could only smile bitterly. Her ancestor lowering his own status was one thing, but she herself suddenly became insignificant.

Chen Yang nodded and walked out of the courtyard with his hands behind his back, Sima Changfeng following closely. Sima Yan had intended to accompany them but was waved off, instructed to stay with Zhong Shenxiu and prevent any trouble from those lacking discernment.

Left with no choice, Sima Yan bowed to see them off. When she turned back and saw Zhong Shenxiu, sword in hand, earnestly pondering his sword techniques, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her mind.

“Senior Chen is inscrutable—even my ancestor treats him with utmost respect, cautiously avoiding any slight. If I want to rely directly on this senior, it’s likely impossible. But since he values this youth so highly, perhaps…”

The Nascent Soul Exchange Gathering had already commenced. By the time Chen Yang and Sima Changfeng arrived, a small number of Nascent Soul cultivators had already traded for the items they desired and left satisfied.

“This way, Sect Master,”

In a corner, Shangguan Yun was pulling a gaunt, robed elder, engaging him in conversation. Upon seeing Chen Yang and Sima Changfeng, he let out a long breath, first bowing to Chen Yang and then quietly complained to Sima Changfeng:

“You’re finally here. Any later and Fellow Daoist Liuyun would have left.”

Dragonblood Grass is undoubtedly precious, serving as a main ingredient for pills used in the Nascent Soul stage. But a superior-grade fifth-tier formation is no trivial matter—even a late-stage great cultivator, if unfamiliar with formations, could easily be trapped and perish. Without the right skills, no one would dare take on such dangerous work, regardless of the reward.

After all, no matter how valuable, one must survive to use it.

“Fellow Daoist Liuyun, this is Sect Master Chen…” Sima Changfeng introduced them. Chen Yang did not act aloof, but greeted Liuyun Daoist with a Daoist salute and exchanged courtesies.

“Sect Master Chen, it isn’t that I distrust you, but I must speak plainly. This formation is no ordinary array—it closely resembles the Polar Yuan Magnetic Grand Array recorded in ancient texts. Its power is tremendous. If you are not confident, please do not risk your life needlessly.”

Unable to discern Chen Yang’s cultivation level, Liuyun Daoist was nonetheless impressed by the deferential attitudes of Sima Changfeng and Shangguan Yun, and Chen Yang’s Daoist attire. He grew more favorable and directly revealed the origin of the formation.

Upon hearing it was the Polar Yuan Magnetic Grand Array, before Chen Yang could respond, Shangguan Yun exclaimed, “Liuyun, you said it was a superior-grade fifth-tier formation! The Polar Yuan Magnetic Grand Array is a genuine sixth-tier formation. Are you trying to trick us?”

Liuyun Daoist waved his hand, “Don’t be hasty, Daoist Shangguan. It is indeed the Polar Yuan Magnetic Grand Array, but the formation has existed for an unknown length of time. With the shifting terrain, one of the Yuan Magnetic Sacred Mountains has moved away from its core, greatly diminishing the array’s power. It no longer possesses the strength of a sixth tier.”

Sima Changfeng glanced at Chen Yang, saw him still smiling without any displeasure, and immediately understood that this Polar Yuan Magnetic Grand Array was not worth much in this senior’s eyes.

He stepped forward and interjected, “Even greatly diminished, the Polar Yuan Magnetic Grand Array is not comparable to ordinary fifth-tier formations. Fellow Daoist, your Dragonblood Grass may not be sufficient.”