ATG: Formation Master Prologue

When I was reborn as Imperial Prince, I expected some sort of cheat!

But no! Not only was I Eight Prince, but I had no cheats to speak of! Not only that, but my talent for cultivation was average!

Being royalty in a cultivation world was a bit terrifying because of how volatile things can become, especially when one has no talent or cheats to rely on.

‘Then on top of that, you add that I am eighth in line for the throne.’ I sighed.

I started cultivating early. Most people start early. There is no set age. Some people start at twelve, some people even begin at five.

There is no set age, but one thing is for sure: one starts when Profound Veins develop to some extent.

According to elders from Blue Wind Profound Palace if one starts early there is a chance one could damage profound veins when starting early and mess up it could cripple for life.

‘Regardless, simple cultivation doesn’t work that well for me…’ 

It took me two years to reach Nascent Profound, another three to reach True Profound.

At the age of ten, I was at True Profound. Some people call me a ‘genius,’ but honestly, it’s simply starting to cultivate early.

After all, with the profound entrances I have it will be pain in ass to progress beyond Spirit Profound simply of constant bottlenecks.

That is why…

I was in the Royal Library.

As I walked in, my eyes scanned the whole area. I could see countless books and scrolls stored in this wide room.

“Young Prince, how could I help you?” The Librarian got my attention as the old man asked respectfully.

“Point me towards formations, medicine, alchemy, any of those things.” He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Oh, interested in finer arts, My Prince?” The old man stroked his beard, hearing that.

“Precisely, I got a bit tired of the monotony of cultivation.” I nodded, looking at him, waiting for him to point me in the right direction.

“Of course, cultivation could get boring after a while.” The librarian slightly nodded as he kept stroking his beard before pointing in a direction.

“My Prince, walk forward to the fifth bookshelf from the large window. Over there, you will find elementary books on formations. Sadly, we don’t have any medical knowledge; those are kept safe by the Medical Saints of the Blue Wind Empire. Not to mention Alchemy. That mythical art, Young Prince.” 

I slightly nodded. I wasn’t expecting much. Thankfully, I already had some knowledge thanks to reading the book I was in.

‘Formations are fine.’ 

I recalled that there was a little bit about the symbols related to formations.

‘Especially, the seal of life… if one letter can grant literal immortality, there should be much more to it.’ 

As I tried to recall everything I knew about the Against the Gods book, I stumbled upon the bookshelf and began to check their contents.

I didn’t need to look for much. There is a record from the founder of Blue Wind Profound Palace, the first Emperor.

He hired a formation master, who set up a formation in the Profound Palace that helps drain Profound Energy from the Dragon Vein below the Cultivation Tower.

The record describes letters drawn in a specially prepared ink.

Below is a drawing of the said letters.

“Simple letters? No way…” I stroked my chin. Then I recalled that even the most powerful arts are literal words with meanings.

‘That Ice Phoenix art describes how to freeze things, even profound energy…

But if that is the case…

Isn’t it kind of easy? I need to look into it.’

I read through the rest of the record. The First Emperor mentioned that the material the expert used assisted in the effect given.

‘Oh, so… it means that if one can’t replicate the intent and meaning, they use materials that can.’

I realised what this means. If you can’t replicate the intent, use materials. That is why there are barely any formations anywhere.

Those are big and chunky, available in select places only.

After getting the hints I wanted, I placed the record back and left the library, that is, after giving a nod to the librarian.

~~~

I went to my usual training spot and sat down on the training mat. I began my new training by drawing a symbol with a stick on the ground.

It was a symbol for water. 

Clearly, nothing happened, but then I began to imagine all that I know about water: what it does, how it flows, and how it interacts with the world around us.

It’s shapeless and formless, and it fits any container it’s given.

Just realising that and recalling things about water made my body feel strange, like something changed in my profound energy. Clearly, studying science helps a lot here.

And then, I began to pour profound energy into the symbol.

“Ohhhh~~~”

My eyes widened as the symbol began to glow, and the area around the symbol turned moist!

“...Holy…”

I tried more, thinking about all the things I know about water. The next symbol had even more water. This made me realise the direction I need to go!

This will be my cheat! Since I don’t have the ‘love’ of the Ancestor Goddess, I will bring knowledge from modern society then!

After water, I drew symbols for lightning, wind, fire… even space… 

Space was weird as the letter disappeared.

Most likely, it was transported somewhere, as I imagined the distance. That’s all there is to it. I mean distance between objects, void of nothing… why this is considered a higher law is beyond me.

But honestly…it worked!

The next step was a bit different, as I needed to improve my talent. With my average profound entrances, I was as mediocre as it gets.

“Let’s see…” 

I began to draw comprehension. But honestly, it didn’t mean anything.

Stuff like… knowing more? Faster? It needs a bit more.

“Oh! Wait a second!” 

I realised that the surface has to change, the ground can’t learn more, I need to select who needs to know more.

Instead of drawing on the ground, I began to manipulate Profound Energy outside my body into two symbols.

‘Mind and Space.’

The mind is unique as it is formless and shapeless. It’s like a space where one consciousness is located. To find this place, I need space… infinite until it arrives at this location.

I merged them together into a two-phrase, mentally imagining a location, somewhere in the depths of one’s body.

“Ohhh…” My eyes widened as I saw something amazing!

Between my palms, two letters were floating, humming with strange, profound energy, like a world on its own.

These two letters floated leisurely, then as I brought my palms closer, they floated into me and merged with my body.

At that moment, something happened as I was transported into some strange place!

I was standing in a white world. Below me was a liquid of some sort, which reminded me of whether it was liquid mercury or more like white water. 

“What is this place?”

For a second, I wondered, but then…

My eyes expanded as I realised that it had worked. I had found my consciousness and made space in it!

“It’s my mind space!” 

Sure enough, I lifted my hand, and a symbol of fire appeared effortlessly.

The laws here work… differently? Is it because it’s my mind, or is it that I get help here? As in omnipresence and all that stuff?

“Oh, hohoho!” I chuckled! This is what I wanted! 

I swiftly created another symbol, this time writing "comprehension". However, it wasn’t a simple symbol but more like a text. To my surprise, it shrank and turned into an orb of energy with letters floating inside it.

‘Damn…’

I realised what this was… it was a formation. But with no area of effect. 

‘In other words, if I make myself that area…’

I added another word… ‘me’

At that moment, the sphere of energy simply disappeared. 

“Where?”

I didn’t need to look, as I could feel my vision getting clearer and my thoughts faster.

That moment I realised that I was standing between mind and psyche, a boundary realm.

“In that case…”

…I stood up and spread my hands… A white mist appeared in the realm, and then this mist turned into books and bookshelves. From the white liquid, a stone temple began to rise. 

It was a stone pyramid found in Central America, with a temple at the top. The books and shelves rushed into the temple and were organised by date.

One side was my previous life, the other my new life, and, lastly, one bookshelf contained all the information I had on the book I was in, Against the Gods.

With memories sorted, comprehension improved, next was…

“Time to improve my body.”

I brought my hands close, and between my palms, the letters for ‘Pure’ ‘Nature’ ‘Absorption’ began to form.

The letters turned white and green before forming into an orb. 

With the last letter becoming ‘me’, just like before, it disappeared.

But I did feel something strange; something had happened to me.

‘I feel better already, like taking a shower.’

“I forgot to add Profound Energy.” I sigh and begin to make another set of letters.

Sure enough, a blue orb appeared before disappearing.

Now… I felt that I was absorbing energy passively.

‘Not bad…’

A small smile appeared on my lips as I looked around the temple. It’s missing something…

At that moment, my eyes brightened, and I had a crazy idea! Let’s make fantasy or dreams a reality.

I began to grin as I brought my hands closer and started to create another set of runes.

With the last letter stored, the orb disappeared and appeared in the middle of the temple. Profound energy and natural energy began to flow towards it.

The orbs slowly expanded, and a silhouette of a person-like being cultivating started to emerge. This was my guardian-like existence. 

My Dharma body was created from ‘fantasy’ and ‘dreams’. It is solid yet not solid, and it can’t be destroyed easily.

Regardless! Things were set! My cheat was achieved through my own wits! 

“Now…how to leave this place?”

I scratched my chin. Oops?

~~~

I quickly noticed changes to my cultivation. My speed began to grow, and slowly, my profound entrances began to open one by one.

However, I was in no rush to cultivate; I needed to make sure my speed was within the realm of possibility and not insane.

Otherwise, people will try to eliminate me…

Like now… 

One day, when people realised that my cultivation is not slowing down, they tried to eliminate me.

I was minding my business, diligently cultivating and travelling between Blue Wind Profound Palace and the Royal Palace.

Since I was the Eighth Prince, I had no business in the Empire’s politics. I could get into it. But my mother didn’t care; all she wanted was to live in luxury, so I didn’t bother. It was good for me, as I can focus on cultivation, and it was what she wanted anyway.

Me being the best Prince, martially wise.

“Hmm?”

Black cloaked people rushed towards me from four directions.

‘Spirit Profound…’

They had daggers with a purple sheen.

‘Poison…’

“Young Prince, leave this to us!” My guards, being measly True Profound, are like paper tigers to these guys.

“Leave this to me.” 

As I said, I took a step forward away from my four guards.

“B-But your Highness! Your cultivation…” The guards tried to stop as they were pale.

“-Is more than enough.” My eyes began to glow blue as a blue solid entity surrounded me.

The black cloaked assassins tried to stab, but their knives bounced off my Dharma Body.

“Do you low lives understand that you are out of your depth?” A pair of hands manifested.

“What the hell is this? Some sort of Profound art!?” One of the assassins felt fear rise as they began to use Profound Arts.

“More than that.” One of the big hands caught a dumbfounded Assassin.

And then squeezed.

“Aghhhh!!! Save me! Save me!!!” The assassin screamed as the Dharma body caused him to explode like a balloon.

“N-No way! How can a True Profound kill someone in Late Spirit Profound!?” One of the Assassins exclaimed in disbelief!

“Isn’t it obvious? I am a Prince, and you all are low lives.” I began to mess with them. Why wouldn’t I? I am a prince in the cultivation world. Talking shit is part of the deal.

“Know your place!” The Assassins didn’t like it.

“Indeed. I couldn’t have chosen better words!” I spread my hands, and my Dharma body developed further as I summoned more of it.

Slowly, a head manifested, it looked like a Warrior Cultivator similar to Blue Wind’s Imperial Guard.

More armour pieces began to appear around the manifestation.

“Time to learn your place.” 

I looked at the next assassin, who motioned for his followers to coordinate an assault. The black-cloaked men began to throw Profound attacks at me.

‘Wind, fire, water… I can’t tell their origin, in that case.’ 

The Dharma body brought its hands closer, and symbols manifested between its palms before spreading its hands and creating a barrier.

“A formation!? How?”

The assassins looked around as they realised that the formation was becoming more solid by the moment.

“We have to run away! Now!” the black-cloaked assassin told his buddies as they dropped their mission and began to run away.

“As if!” I motioned, and the Dharma body punched one of the running assassins. The punch slammed into the assailant’s back and sent him flying into the new formation’s walls.

However…

I underestimated the punch's power, the strength of the formation's 'walls’, and the killer's fragility.

What was left was a broken mess on the ground; it was dead.

“N-No Way Seventh Brother is dead!” 

The assassins stopped for a second before attacking the formation walls.

It took me a second to realise how fragile they were.

‘Shit… I wanted to cripple him.’ 

But in the end I killed the bugger!

“Well, whatever, you guys are next. I will leave one of you alive, probably.” I wasn’t certain myself.

“Shit! Use more power!”