The overwhelming sword energy instantly vanished, and the killing formation was broken.
A relieved smile crossed Elder Du's face.
Truth be told, Zi Linling's talent in formations was no less than her talent in cultivation and alchemy.
If she were to dedicate more time to formations, her becoming a formation master would be within reach.
Elder Du even had no doubt that Zi Linling's attainments in formations would surpass his own.
At this moment, although Zi Linling was staring intently at the sword in her hand, her consciousness had entered a state of miraculous enlightenment.
In that state, Zi Linling could feel that all things in heaven and earth were intimately close to her. From a mountain to a blade of grass, each carried a peculiar halo.
Living or lifeless; intelligent or unintelligent; tangible or intangible; even a tiny spiritual energy element could be manipulated by her to set up formations.
Furthermore, in her mind, numerous formation data appeared directly, eliminating the need for calculation and deduction. The formations came to her effortlessly.
Slowly, formation fluctuations appeared on Zi Linling's body. She seemed to have become a part of the formations, integrating into heaven and earth.
The smile on Elder Du's face froze, replaced by an expression of shock.
He murmured, "Unity of Man and Formation! It's actually the state of Unity of Man and Formation!"
What is a genius? This is it!
Elder Du's feelings could only be described as envy, jealousy, and hatred.
It should be known that formation masters also had levels.
Just like alchemists, formation masters ranged from Junior Formation Master, Intermediate Formation Master, Senior Formation Master, Master Formation Master, Emperor Formation Master, to the legendary God-level Formation Master.
Elder Du himself had reached the ranks of an Emperor Formation Master a thousand years ago.
However, he had only had the good fortune to touch upon this enlightened state of Unity of Man and Formation once when he advanced to become an Emperor Formation Master.
But Zi Linling?
She was merely a novice Junior Formation Master, yet she directly entered the enlightened state of Unity of Man and Formation. How could Elder Du bear this?
He even suspected if Zi Linling was an illegitimate daughter of the Heavenly Dao!
Otherwise, why would achievements that others could not attain even by risking their lives come so easily to Zi Linling, as if she were cheating?
Consider Zi Linling's current age, barely fourteen, yet the halo surrounding her was enough to stun a crowd.
A fourteen-year-old Emperor Realm powerhouse, and one whose combat power rivaled that of an early-stage Great God Realm expert!
A fourteen-year-old Emperor Realm alchemist, and one capable of refining the peak Heavenly-grade Nine Revolutions Great Elixir!
A fourteen-year-old Junior Formation Master, and one who had entered the enlightened state of Unity of Man and Formation!
At this moment, Elder Du finally seemed to understand why the Nine Spirit Ring had inexplicably recognized Zi Linling as its master.
It was because a genius like Zi Linling was destined to stand at the very pinnacle.
As for perishing halfway?
Elder Du had never even considered it.
In these past two years, Zi Linling had embodied the phrase "heaven-defying luck" to its fullest.
Others sought treasures; she had treasures delivered to her door!
Others worried about contracted beasts; divine beasts flocked to her!
If you told him Zi Linling wasn't an illegitimate daughter of the Heavenly Dao, Elder Du wouldn't believe you even if you beat him to death!
Zi Linling's enlightenment lasted for six full hours.
From noon until the hour of Zi at midnight, she only awoke from her enlightenment.
"You're finally awake!"
Elder Du's jaw, which had been slack with astonishment, finally returned to its place. He said, with a hint of sourness, "You're finally awake!"
Zi Linling asked blankly, "What happened? As far as I remember, not much time has passed. Why is it already dark?"
If it were anyone else, Elder Du would have snatched a scalpel from Zi Linling and dissected her on the spot.
But who could he do that to, if not Zi Linling?
Elder Du retorted indignantly, "You truly are the one who gets the benefits and then acts like a spoiled brat! Do you know that the enlightened state of Unity of Man and Formation is something others may not even experience in a lifetime? And you, without hesitation, were in enlightenment for half a day, and you dare to say not much time has passed? Who are you mocking? Who are you mocking?"
"Unity of Man and Formation? Enlightenment?"
Zi Linling then remembered how her mastery of formations had rapidly grown in that strange state. The foundational formation knowledge that had previously been unclear to her was now perfectly integrated and without any obstruction.
"What a beautiful feeling!" Zi Linling couldn't help but exclaim. "Elder Du, how long was I in enlightenment?"
If they weren't so familiar with each other, Elder Du would have suspected Zi Linling was showing off.
"Six hours!" Elder Du finally said through gritted teeth.
"Six hours?!"
Even Zi Linling herself was astonished.
She finally understood why Elder Du had previously worn an expression as if he wanted to dissect her.
An enlightenment that lasted six hours!
Let alone Elder Du, Zi Linling herself wanted to dissect herself and study what kind of monster she was.
"Alright, alright! You've gained immense benefits, so stop being so smug! Rest here for a bit, and tomorrow, we need to speed up the process of breaking through the formations!" Elder Du said, exasperated.
Who was he angry at?
Naturally, he was angry at Zi Linling's unassuming yet incredibly ostentatious, unpretentious yet supremely showy, non-boastful yet utterly smug demeanor.
"Speed up the process of breaking through formations? Why? I haven't had a chance to properly verify some of the things I just comprehended!" Zi Linling asked, confused.
Elder Du glared at her and said, "Firstly, as I said before, there are no less than a thousand formations on this path. If you dawdle like this, when will we ever reach the Joyful Union Sect?
Secondly, speeding up the breakthrough and verifying your formation insights are not conflicting.
Practice makes perfect. Those insights will naturally be verified during the process of breaking through formations.
Thirdly, all the formations here are likely under the surveillance of the Joyful Union Sect.
You spent the entire day today breaking only four formations, giving them the impression that you don't have much skill and are relying solely on luck. This serves to lull them into a false sense of security.
However, you now are worlds apart from who you were before entering the state of Unity of Man and Formation. You will feel this difference when you break through formations tomorrow.
By then, they will quickly realize that you are not relying on luck, and your identity as a formation master will be exposed, naturally drawing the attention of the higher-ups of the Joyful Union Sect.
You must understand that formation masters are said to be able to destroy tens of thousands of people single-handedly. Do you think they will foolishly wait around, or foolishly give you time to set up formations and destroy them?"
Zi Linling shook her head and said, "The higher-ups of the Joyful Union Sect aren't fools, so how could they directly confront me? And how could they give me time to set up formations?"