Chapter 231

Chapter 231

Bai Yi, feeling humiliated, hurriedly departed.

He Jingyue followed behind Ye Shi, watching his diligent work. After a moment of hesitation, she advised, "Ye Shi, don't take Bai Jinle's words to heart. She often speaks nonsense."

Ye Shi carefully dismantled the formation array, casually remarking, "It's fine. She's right. I am indeed too poor."

The people of Zhongzhou have a strong sense of exclusivity. Compared to Zhongzhou, the outer regions are indeed barren. No wonder those from Zhongzhou feel so superior.

He Jingyue looked at Ye Shi and said, "You're already a Level 7 Formation Master. In the future, you'll become even wealthier. Bai Jinle only has status because of her foster father."

Ye Shi paused, somewhat puzzled, "Why did Bai Chenxing take Bai Jinle as his foster daughter?"

He Jingyue sneered, "Bai Jinle imposed herself on him. Ever since Bai Chenxing was spurned by Xia Ruoxue over twenty years ago, he has distanced himself from both men and women. To forge a bond with Bai Chenxing, the Bai family forced Bai Jinle upon him as a foster daughter. I've heard that he wasn’t keen on the idea."

However, now that Bai Jinle carries the title of Bai Chenxing's foster daughter, she's considered his. To mess with her is equivalent to slapping Bai Chenxing in the face.

"I don't recall having any beef with her," Ye Shi furrowed his brow.

"Probably because of Bai Yi. Bai Jinle likes Bai Yi, and you humiliated him. By targeting you, she's trying to win Bai Yi's favor," He Jingyue suggested.

Ye Shi nodded, indicating his understanding.

"Zhuang Yu has poor taste, and so does Bai Jinle. It's just Bai Yi, after all. What's so special about him? The men around Zhuang Yu change frequently, and they're all worthless. Even serving shoes to Mu Chen is beyond them," Ye Shi remarked sarcastically.

He Jingyue: "…” Every time Ye Shi mentions Mu Chen, he seems particularly excited. Just who exactly is Mu Chen?

Ye Shi shook his head, "Bai Yi, on a mission, relies on two sidekicks, surrounded by luxury. No wonder his mastery of formations is lacking. For someone like him to be the foremost of the Bai family's younger generation… The Bai family can't be that great."

He Jingyue: "…” If Bai Yi is deemed inadequate, where does that leave her? She's probably even less than worthless.

…

"Elder Wei, Ye Shi and He Jingyue have departed. The external formations have been fully dismantled by Ye Shi," a female cultivator informed Wei Dong.

"The formation was of no use to us. Let it be if he dismantled it. However, I didn't expect him to do it so quickly," Wei Dong commented.

"I thought all the talented formation masters were scooped up by the Bai family. Who would've thought that the Formation Tower had hidden such a gem," the previously disdainful female cultivator admitted.

"That Ye Shi is even younger than Bai Yi! Yet, his formation skills surpass Bai Yi's."

"Ye Shi is quite formidable. I've heard he grew up in the resource-scarce outer regions. If he can reach this level at such a young age there, his potential here is boundless."

"Brother Wei, a bet is a bet. You'll get an extra 20% of the benefits this time," Gu Xian approached and offered.

Wei Dong gave a slight bow, "Thank you, Brother Gu."

Gu Xian gazed at Wei Dong with a complicated expression. Wei Dong had struck gold this time. Gu Xian had spent a fortune to engage Bai Yi.

But Wei Dong? He only spent one million mid-grade spirit stones. Such an amount to engage a cultivator as skilled as Ye Shi was undoubtedly a steal.

The Formation Tower's cultivators are indeed cheaper than the Bai family's.

Gu Xian sighed lightly. Even though Bai Yi couldn't help much, he still needed to present him with a generous gift, as per custom.

Bai Yi's reputation is vast, yet it's surprising that he was bested by such an underdog.

…

"You're back already? So soon? Couldn’t handle it?" He Xian, upon seeing the returning He Jingyue, frowned with a hint of gloom.

"It's been taken care of," He Jingyue replied with a smile.

He Xian, in surprise, responded, "Handled?"

He Jingyue nodded, not overly shocked, "I suspected as much. Without the Spirit Pattern Eye in the outer regions, it's unlikely for formation mastery to reach this level."

"His Spirit Pattern Eye must be of a high grade," He Jingyue surmised.

He Jingyue excitedly recounted the details of breaking the formation to He Xian.

"Ye Shi's formation skills surpass even Bai Yi's?" He Xian exclaimed in astonishment.

He Jingyue nodded, "Indeed! I was also surprised. While Bai Yi said it would take two months, Ye Shi accomplished it in less than an hour."

"He's from the Formation Tower and has had conflicts with Bai Yi. The Bai family has given up on recruiting him. The stronger he becomes, the better," He Xian observed.

He Jingyue agreed. For a long time, the Formation Tower had declined. Formation masters from the tower, when they ventured out, were always looked down upon compared to the Bai family's members. This time, Ye Shi certainly reclaimed some of the tower's lost prestige.

"He lacks understanding in many foundational aspects of cultivation. Yet, he knows the unconventional formation-breaking technique. I wonder where he learned it," He Xian pondered.

He Jingyue responded nonchalantly, "There might be formation master lineages in the outer regions as well."

He Xian nodded, "Indeed."

…

Inside the room, Ye Shi was surrounded by a swarm of Sky-Devouring Worms buzzing and flying chaotically. The elemental stones by his side were rapidly diminishing in size.

Ye Shi looked at the room full of Sky-Devouring Worms with a hint of a headache, "Conserve your consumption! At this rate, when will I ever gather enough elemental stones to find Mu Chen?"

"Eat, eat, eat..." The intention of the Sky-Devouring Worms poured into Ye Shi's consciousness.

"All you know is to eat," Ye Shi sighed in exasperation.

Among the Sky-Devouring Worms, a few that had eaten their fill were cocooning. Once they emerged, they should evolve into level six mystical bugs.

"Eat more, earn more." A vague intention entered Ye Shi's consciousness, and he smiled faintly, reminded of Mu Chen's frequent saying, "Spend more to earn more."

Ye Shi observed the room full of Sky-Devouring Worms, a glint of brilliance flashing in his eyes.

"Feast on. Once you're full, it's time to work," Ye Shi thought. In this unfamiliar land, the only beings he could truly rely on were these worms.

Seeing the decreasing number of crystal stones, Ye Shi bit his lip.

Ye Shi took out a box from his space ring. Inside it lay a token, resting silently.

Fondling the token, determination gleamed in Ye Shi's eyes.

...

Ye Shi exited the Array Tower, skillfully evading his pursuers. Draped in a robe that shielded him from detection, he entered the Xian Inquiry Pavilion.

The Xian Inquiry Pavilion served as the information hub in the Central Continent, offering various insights for cultivators.

Ye Shi was led into a dimly lit room by a woman of exquisite beauty. Inside, a nondescript elder sat.

"What do you wish to inquire?" the elder asked indifferently.

Ye Shi hesitated momentarily, then took out a token from his space ring, pushing it forward. "I'd like to know the owner of this token."

The elder took the token from Ye Shi, caressed it and said, "The Bai family's 236th generation. These are their standard identity badges. About a hundred members from the main line of the Bai family should possess them."

Ye Shi frowned. He hadn't expected so many members. The Bai family indeed was an influential clan!

"How many might have left the Central Continent approximately twenty years ago?" Ye Shi queried.

The elder gave Ye Shi a surprised look, answering, "Six, I believe."

Nodding, Ye Shi asked, "Can you provide me with a list and brief profiles of these individuals?"

"Certainly. A hundred thousand mid-grade elemental stones," the elder stated blandly.

Ye Shi nodded in agreement, producing an elemental stone card. Without a change in expression, the elder withdrew the required amount.

After receiving the list and retrieving his identity badge, Ye Shi took his leave.

...

"Ye Shi, where did you go?" He Jingyue sighed in relief upon seeing him.

"Just a short walk around," Ye Shi replied.

He Jingyue nodded, suggesting, "When you head out, it's better to have someone accompany you. You've offended Bai Yi. Who knows if the Bai family might target you?"

Ye Shi raised an eyebrow, asking perplexedly, "Why would the Bai family come after me?"

"In such a vast world, you'll find all kinds. Bai Yi is the new rising star of the Bai family. By offending him, there's no telling how many would want to teach you a lesson to curry favor with him," He Jingyue said with a sense of resignation.

Ye Shi took a deep breath, responding, "I understand. I'll be cautious."

As He Jingyue watched Ye Shi's retreating figure, worry flitted across her eyes.

Her grandfather had assigned guards to protect Ye Shi, but he managed to elude them every time he went out. Observing his silhouette, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he was hiding some secret.

Shaking her head, He Jingyue thought, every cultivator has their secrets, and being overly intrusive wasn't wise.

Inside his room, Ye Shi unfolded the list. Six names were on it, the most prominent being Bai Chenxing, a name he knew all too well.

Frowning, Ye Shi noted that Bai Chenxing was Bai Yi's younger uncle, who had assisted Zhuang Yu in enhancing his cultivation and looked down on Bai Jinle, his adopted father. After some hesitation, Ye Shi crossed out Bai Chenxing's name.

The second person on the list was a Bai family member over two hundred years old. Ye Shi frowned and crossed out the name. The person who had captivated his mother's heart couldn't be an old man, older even than his grandfather. Even if he bore a youthful appearance, appearances could be deceiving.

The third person was only thirty years old - too young. His mother wouldn't have been attracted to someone that age.

Ye Shi went down the list, crossing out names. To his dismay, none seemed a match.

Ye Shi pensively chewed on his pen, none of them matched. Could it be that a hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones have gone to waste just like that?

Looking at the list, a thought struck Ye Shi. In the past, he wasn't known as Ye Shi. His birth name was Ye Yanxing. Bai Chenxing, Ye Yanxing, could there be a connection?

"Ye Shi, are you there?" He Jingyue's voice echoed in Ye Shi's ears.

Quickly tucking the paper in hand into his spatial ring, Ye Shi replied, "I'm here. What's up?"