I Can See Through Everything

"Old doctor, what should we do now?" Mago asked.

The old doctor thought for a moment and finally said, "We should turn back. Let's return to Yunzhou and choose another route."

If it were just him and Lu Qing, the old doctor might have chosen to abandon the cart and proceed on foot. After all, they were no ordinary martial artists, and they could travel faster on their own than by carriage. However, considering Xiao Yan and Wei Zian's presence, they couldn't do that.

"So we have to turn back and find another route."

"Alright, I understand."

Mago nodded and prepared to lift the carriage and turn it around.

"Master, wait a moment. Let me see if I can find another solution," Lu Qing suddenly said.

"Ah Qing, do you have a way?" the old doctor asked in surprise.

"I just have a thought. Let's find a place nearby and stay for a day. I want to test if my idea works. If it does, we might be able to increase our speed significantly, regardless of whether we proceed or return."

Lu Qing didn't make any grand promises, but the old doctor, knowing his disciple's character, was confident that he had a good chance of success.

"Alright, let's do as you say. We'll stay here for a day," the old doctor agreed. It was already afternoon, and it would be dark in a little over an hour. They could rest early for the night.

Lu Qing and the others lifted the carriage out of the stone pit and found a relatively spacious place nearby to set up camp.

Lu Qing asked Mago to disassemble the carriage and then paced around it, deep in thought.

"Ah Qing, what solution did you come up with?" the old doctor asked.

"Master, I was thinking that if we could inscribe a few simple formations on the carriage, we wouldn't have to worry about the uneven ground," Lu Qing replied.

"Inscribing formations?" The old doctor was genuinely surprised. "Ah Qing, can you do that?"

"I'm not sure yet. Let me figure it out first," Lu Qing replied uncertainly.

As for Mago and Wei Zian, they were utterly bewildered. They had never imagined that Lu Qing knew about such mysterious and powerful things as formations. Moreover, weren't those only supposed to exist in fantastical stories?

Especially Wei Zian, who recalled the discussions between Lu Qing and the old doctor about breathing and qi consumption techniques. Were those also legendary immortal techniques?

Unaware of their astonishment, Lu Qing continued to pace around the carriage, observing it closely. The idea of inscribing formations came to him partly because of Wei Zian's remarks and because he had seen the Flowing Cloud Sect set up two large formations, both operational. It dawned on him that with the revival of spiritual energy, some previously unusable immortal techniques were becoming feasible again. If so, he could experiment with some of his ideas.

After memorizing the carriage's structure, Lu Qing sat down cross-legged.

"Master, Mago, I need to calculate a bit. I won't have time to prepare dinner, so please take care of it."

"No problem. You focus on your work, and I'll handle dinner," Mago responded quickly. His cooking skills were rough, but edible. Whenever Lu Qing was busy, Mago usually took over the cooking.

Lu Qing nodded and closed his eyes, immersing his mind into the brow acupoint, entering a meditative state.

In this state, Lu Qing's mind was tranquil as he began his calculations. He pondered over what type of formations to inscribe on the carriage. With the inheritance from both the Divine Rune Sect and the Li Huo Cauldron, Lu Qing knew many formations, even though he couldn't set up the grand formations from the Divine Rune Sect, which required the power of the world. However, the Li Huo Sect's techniques, particularly in formation inscription, were extensive and varied.

Given his current abilities, he focused on the most basic formations from the Li Huo Sect's inheritance. After selecting three initial formations—Lightness Formation, Breeze Formation, and Reinforcement Formation—he aimed to make the carriage lighter, faster, and sturdier.

Entering a near-enlightenment state, Lu Qing quickly comprehended these formations. Visualizing the carriage's structure in his mind, he calculated the best way to inscribe the formations.

After finalizing the perfect inscription plan, Lu Qing exited his meditative state and opened his eyes. The sky outside was darkening, and his master and companions were eating by a fire.

"Ah Qing, you're awake? Come over and eat something," the old doctor called out.

"Thank you."

Lu Qing accepted the roasted bread Mago handed him.

"So, did you figure something out?" the old doctor asked.

"Almost. I can start inscribing the formations tomorrow morning," Lu Qing nodded.

Hearing this, Mago and Wei Zian were filled with anticipation. They were eager to see Lu Qing's legendary formation techniques. Even the old doctor was curious to see how Lu Qing would inscribe the formations. He hoped to gain some understanding of the profound art of formations.

That night, Mago and Wei Zian were too excited to sleep well. Wei Zian even had a dream about becoming an immortal who could summon wind and rain with a wave of his hand.

The next morning, Lu Qing woke up to find Mago and Wei Zian's eager eyes following his every move.

"Alright, I'll start inscribing the formations after I finish this bowl of porridge," Lu Qing sighed.

"No rush, finish your meal first," Mago and Wei Zian said in unison, though their eyes still burned with anticipation.

After quickly finishing his porridge, Lu Qing stood up and walked to the carriage, followed closely by Mago and Wei Zian, whose curiosity made the old doctor chuckle.

At the carriage, Lu Qing took out a carving knife and a bottle of red ink. For the most basic formations, the materials required were not particularly high; spiritual ink would suffice. The red ink he had was prepared earlier using materials collected by Wei Shanhai.

Gazing at the ink bottle, Lu Qing had a sudden thought. He had planned to set up a small Gathering Spirit Formation in the medicinal field at the halfway house, but their sudden departure for Zhongzhou meant it wasn't used. He wondered how the millennium ginseng in the medicinal field was faring now.

Shaking off these thoughts, Lu Qing opened the ink bottle and picked up the carving knife. Calming his mind, he began inscribing the formations on the carriage with the help of his spiritual power.

With yesterday's observations and mental calculations, Lu Qing was already familiar with the carriage's structure, allowing him to inscribe the formations quickly. Mago and Wei Zian watched in awe as Lu Qing's hand moved, carving mystical runes into the carriage. Each rune glowed briefly before sinking into the carriage.

After more than an hour, Lu Qing finished the last rune, connecting it with the first. The carriage glowed with a red aura, with intricate lines floating in the air before disappearing into the carriage. The vehicle seemed unchanged, but it now exuded a mysterious aura.

"Brother Lu Qing, is it done?" Mago asked.

"Yes, I inscribed three formations on the carriage. If everything goes well, we should reach Zhongzhou much faster," Lu Qing nodded. He couldn't inscribe more formations due to the carriage's material limitations and the need to conserve his remaining spiritual ink.

Feeling satisfied with the formation inscriptions, Lu Qing was pleased with his first successful attempt. The Divine Rune Sect's inheritance was indeed powerful. The flawless inscription wasn't due to luck but to the control granted by the Divine Rune.

Inscribing formations required not just carving runes but also connecting them with spiritual power. Through the Divine Rune, Lu Qing felt a mystical control over the runes, like a master guiding them effortlessly.

"Divine Rune truly enhances control over runes and talismans more than I expected," Lu Qing thought, realizing he needed to explore its potential further.

Accepting the challenge of uncovering the Divine Rune's full capabilities, Lu Qing embraced the surprises that came with cultivation.

"Brother Lu Qing, since the formations are ready, shall we test them now?" Mago asked eagerly.

"Sure, although the formations are inscribed, we need to test their effectiveness," Lu Qing agreed.

"I'll get the horse ready!" Mago exclaimed, running off to prepare the carriage.

Table of content