NOVEL WEB Chapter 59: The Maze Formation
Setting up the Maze Formation in his meditation chamber was a decision He Song made after careful consideration.
Now, as both a formation master and a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refinement Realm, He Song appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary mid-stage Qi Refinement Realm cultivator with four-element roots in the eyes of others.
However, his hidden identity as a formation master was something he could not allow anyone to discover.
Even close friends like Wei Fan, Meng Guan, Zhao Lin, and Lin Cong were unaware of this secret.
Some things had to stay buried deep within.
Telling others would only multiply the risks.
As an immortal, He Song had to take responsibility for his own safety.
He couldn’t afford to be like other cultivators, flaunting their achievements at every opportunity.
He Song’s decision to set up the Maze Formation in his meditation chamber stemmed from this very caution.
The Maze Formation possessed three key functions:
1. Concealing Visibility
This feature would render the meditation chamber seemingly empty to anyone who entered. Even if He Song were sitting inside, an intruder would see nothing but an unoccupied space.
2. Hiding Auras
Similar to the Aura Concealment Technique, the Formation could hide He Song’s presence entirely, preventing others from sensing his cultivation. It could also mask the spiritual energy concentrated by his Spirit Gathering Formation. Without this protection, the dense spiritual energy inside the chamber would instantly reveal the presence of the Spirit Gathering Formation to anyone stepping in.
3. Confusing Perception
This was the Formation’s most sophisticated function. When activated, it could subtly disorient anyone approaching its range, making them instinctively avoid the area. While it couldn’t guarantee complete invisibility, it was highly effective against unsuspecting individuals.
By enabling the first two functions—concealing visibility and hiding auras—He Song could ensure his safety during cultivation or closed-door breakthroughs.
If necessary, he could also activate the perception-confusion feature for added protection.
With all three functions active, the Maze Formation could guarantee his safety, even in dangerous scenarios like the calamity he faced six years ago.
Instead of fleeing to the inner courtyard of the Immortal Market for protection, he could simply sit within the formation and remain undetected by evil cultivators.
Although the combination of the Spirit Gathering Formation and Maze Formation would allow He Song to safely cultivate spirit farmlands outside the Immortal Market, he decided to hold off on this plan.
The reason was simple: the lack of offensive and defensive measures.
At his current fifth level of the Qi Refinement Realm, venturing out without the protection of a Five Elements Formation would be too risky.
If an evil cultivator were to discover his spirit farmlands by chance, the consequences would be fatal.
Furthermore, He Song hadn’t yet mastered a quick escape technique, leaving him vulnerable to being cornered.
Without offensive or defensive measures or a means to flee, He Song couldn’t risk leaving the Immortal Market just yet.
Fortunately, formations were not permanently fixed in place.
As a formation master, He Song could dismantle the foundational components of any formation and take them with him when moving to a new location.
These components, known as formation bases, were durable and rarely damaged unless subjected to a powerful attack.
While reassembling a dismantled formation would require a brief period for the formation to regain full functionality, this was a minor inconvenience compared to the long-term benefits of mobility.
This reusability meant that setting up the Maze Formation in his meditation chamber was not a waste of resources.
With everything decided, He Song waved his hand, summoning nine formation bases in front of him.
These were the components required for the Maze Formation.
Compared to the Spirit Gathering Formation, which required only five formation bases, the Maze Formation was far more complex, both in its design and the effort required to comprehend and inscribe it.
It was precisely this complexity that had taken He Song three full years to master the formation and prepare for its deployment.
Even with his experience from setting up the Spirit Gathering Formation, the Maze Formation posed a significantly greater challenge.
He Song took a deep breath, glancing at the nine formation bases and then at the five bases of his Spirit Gathering Formation.
Shaking his head, he began to arrange the Maze Formation with practiced precision.
As he worked, he adjusted its coverage area and selected which functions to activate.
After some time, a faint glow illuminated the chamber.
“Done!”
He Song’s face lit up with satisfaction as he felt the Maze Formation envelop the entire chamber, including the Spirit Gathering Formation within it.
Now, with the Formation successfully set up, he could rest assured that his cultivation and closed-door training sessions were much safer.
He Song decided that, under normal circumstances, he would only activate the aura-hiding function to mask the presence of the Spirit Gathering Formation.
The Spirit Gathering Formation, which operated continuously to concentrate spiritual energy, had always been a potential liability.
Although the dense energy was confined to the meditation chamber, any guest stepping inside would immediately notice its presence.
To avoid exposing this secret, He Song had refrained from inviting anyone to his home since setting up the Spirit Gathering Formation three years ago.