Chapter 153: 15: Not Allowed

[Location Three: Penglai Immortal Island, Yuqing View.]

[Character Identity: Luo Yan.]

[Mirror Flower Water Moon Template overlay, currently in time-space travel.]

Having returned to the Yuqing View of Penglai, Luo Yan once again reviewed the timeline of this character.

Compared to the Western Queen’s secret realm in Kunlun and the trial of the Demon Locking Tower in Shushan, nothing much had happened in Penglai since the journey from the Pavilion.

If any incident were to be mentioned, it was the conversation Luo Yan and Miss Shi overheard from passing cultivators about “the attack of a hundred thousand gods and demons on Penglai.”

Initially, he had thought to inform his sect of the news, but later felt it better to keep silent, fearing it might expose himself.

Now, having assumed the identity of Wei Dongliu at Mount Wutai and having received hints from Jiang the Witch, Luo Yan guessed that the Demon Cult’s Six Paths were indeed plotting against the Three Pure Orthodox Sect, with the overall strategy likely being “a frontal assault on Shushan with a stealth attack on Penglai.”

The Dragon Clan was in upheaval, the Demon Locking Tower was damaged, until the Long Eyebrow Immortal had to deploy the Taiji Micro Dust Formation to rescue the Shushan Shangqing Faction from the demonic might of Ying Long.

The current Shushan Shangqing Faction was like a wounded hedgehog bristling with spikes, warily watching for any rustle of grass or wind… As for the distant East Sea Penglai, there probably wasn’t any spare attention to give.

If Penglai were suddenly attacked, the only external support available would likely be from Kunlun.

But nestled within the far reaches of the Extreme West, by the time the cultivators traversed the Divine Land Continent and made their arduous journey to the East Sea, the battle for Penglai could very well be over…

No, he still needed to observe whether there was any forewarning within the View.

Cleaning up his room, Luo Yan had just stepped out when he saw Miss Shi rush out with her head in her hands, wailing,

“I won’t listen, I won’t listen, I won’t listen! Father is just annoyed by me and wants to send me away!”

She dashed into her room like a streak of smoke, slamming the door shut with a loud bang and locking herself inside.

Elder Shi Ding walked into the courtyard, looking at Shi Liuli’s door. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then sighed deeply after a moment of silence.

Then, he turned his gaze toward Luo Yan, involuntarily adopting a stern expression, and asked,

“Luo Yan, how have your studies been going recently?”

Luo Yan, knowing his master needed to change the subject, hurriedly asked several questions regarding formations with utmost respect.

“That question is quite interesting,” Elder Shi Ding stroked his beard and turned to leave, “Come with me.”

Luo Yan quickly followed his master’s steps, keeping entirely silent on the way, without inquiring about what happened with Miss Shi.

Arriving at the back hall of the Heavenly Craft Workshop, Elder Shi Ding pointed to the ground and said,

“Complete this formation.”

Luo Yan looked intently and saw an incomplete formation drawn on the ground, about ten meters in diameter.

In the center of the formation was a cauldron vessel approximately half the height of a person, surrounded by a myriad of densely packed curse scripts, seemingly numbering over ten thousand. There were more than a dozen flags alone maintaining the formation’s eyes.

As he stared intently, Elder Shi Ding asked with a smile,

“Do you know where to start in order to complete it?”

“Here,” Luo Yan pointed directly beneath the cauldron’s feet.

“Why?” Elder Shi Ding asked.

“The outer structure is intact, no connection with the cauldron in the inner layer. It must be Fu Yan’s layout,” Luo Yan extended a finger, circulating his True Yuan to inscribe a runic script in the air, then sent it into the cauldron.

The moment the runic script entered the cauldron, it immediately appeared beneath its feet. The multitude of curse scripts that surrounded the central cauldron made room for it by expanding outward by the space of one character, like tightly interlocking gears moving by one tooth.

“Very good,” Elder Shi Ding said, satisfied, “In the way of formations, with your comprehension, you are capable of surpassing me.”

Being acknowledged to outdo his master signified a very high praise, so much so that Luo Yan promptly bowed his head, fearfully saying,

“How did this disciple earn such honor…”

“There’s no need for false modesty,” Elder Shi Ding waved his hand, unaware of Luo Yan’s attempt to align his exterior show of Falsehood, simply finding his modesty extremely gratifying, “To understand a thousand things from one hearing, that is your talent, but it may also be your burden. After all, in the Cultivation Realm, one still has to make their case with strength.”

As he spoke, there was a brief pause in his voice, suddenly tinged with a hint of melancholy,

“Apart from the knowledge of formations, my own cultivation level must not fall behind. There might not be much time left for you…”

Luo Yan: ???????????

Though he appeared to be puzzled on the surface, alarms were sounding off in his heart!!!

What does “there might not be much time left for you” mean?

Thoughts clashed like lightning in his mind, rapidly whirling, and a sudden realization dawned on him, shocking Luo Yan into lifting his head halfway as he tentatively asked,

“Master, what exactly is happening in the pavilion right now? Could it be that even us Foundation Establishment disciples are not spared?”

Upon hearing this, Elder Shi Ding was stunned for a good while before he realized that his disciple must have misunderstood, and he explained with an embarrassed smile,

“That’s not it. It’s just that the pavilion master came to me the day before yesterday, wanting to establish a good connection between his son and Liuli.”

The so-called “establishing a good connection” was essentially socializing with a hint of matchmaking.

The two would spend some time together, and if they got along, they might become Daoist companions; if not… at least they would get to know each other better.

For the master of Xuandu Pavilion, the Heavenly Craft Workshop under Elder Shi Ding’s control was the main source of income for the pavilion. Shi Liuli was his only beloved daughter, so it was only natural for him to express such a wish to connect.

Elder Shi Ding had no objections. In the end, it all depended on whom Shi Liuli liked.

Unexpectedly, when he brought this up to Shi Liuli, the miss immediately took it the wrong way, thinking that her father was trying to ingratiate himself with the master of Xuandu Pavilion by promising her to someone else… Hence, the scene that had unfolded earlier.

After listening to Elder Shi Ding express his frustrations, Luo Yan also looked somewhat dumbfounded.

He had seen for himself just how strong Miss Shi’s imagination was—especially when it came to matters of the heart.

Based on Luo Yan’s long-term observations and in-depth analysis, Miss Shi was a typical case of fear of intimacy:

On one hand, she harbored excessive fantasies and idealism about love, such as forming the Zhang Tian Society and concocting various excellent traits for Qiu Changtian.

On the other hand, she recoiled from and feared “genuine emotional involvement.” Whether it was Elder Shi Ding or other fellow disciples, whenever she was asked similar questions, she would always change the subject and avoid answering.

Elder Shi Ding even asked her if she liked that Qiu Changtian from Kunlun, which was also flatly denied by Miss Shi.

As a bystander, Luo Yan could see it all very clearly:

The current Miss Shi was enamored with an ideal male that she had conjured up with her vivid imagination; a man who did not exist in reality.

It was the classic “Mary Sue mate selection” that many girls have during their childhood.

Out of fear and ignorance of love, she crafted an ideal partner, then desperately piled on various positive buffs on that person, to ease her own worries and anxiety… It could only be said that such a Miss Shi was not fully mature in terms of personality, and was not suited for arranged matchmaking.

Of course, this was not something suitable to say to Elder Shi Ding, so Luo Yan could only gently remind him,

“The reason sister is so sensitive about this matter may be because she is not mentally prepared for it. It would be good for Master to be more patient with her.”

“Hmm, of course, I understand,” Elder Shi Ding nodded as he stroked his beard, his gaze toward his disciple becoming more genial, “Luo Yan.”

“Disciple is here.”

“If it were up to me to choose,” Elder Shi Ding said with significance, “I would still hope for a younger disciple with a trustworthy character who can tolerate her temper and take good care of her in the future to be Liuli’s Daoist companion.”

You might as well just give my sect number outright. Luo Yan internally grumbled, bowing his head and replying,

“Indeed, but it still depends on what Sister Liuli wants.”

“Of course,” Elder Shi Ding continued leisurely, “but right now she is only at the Marrow Cleansing Rank, with a lowly realm, which is why she has to stay in the Heavenly Craft Workshop.”

“When she progresses to the Refining Mansion and Core Formation, I won’t be able to keep her in the pavilion anymore. Then, she will go out into the world and meet all kinds of cultivators, among whom she might even encounter bad people…”

“Luo Yan, you may be pure and loyal by nature, but you’re not foolish, so you should understand what I mean.”

After a brief silence, Luo Yan assumed a thoughtful expression that was just right and lowered his head to say,

“Disciple understands.”

The master wants me to win over Miss Shi’s heart before she forms her core. How could I not understand that?

But isn’t Miss Shi, with her psychological age in this aspect still not of age… Wouldn’t this be considered forcing things?