Chapter 163: Please reconsider

(A/N: Join the discord, to have intellectual conversations with your fellow cultivators! We have graphs and stats on the cultivation worlds there! Plus you can actually cultivate and go to closed-door cultivation.

Link: discord.gg/SC9HNKVj5e

)

——(POV third person)——

Li Huang didn’t complain as he knew that the other formation masters were too interested in these schematics and besides that, grandmaster Huili has probably asked them to help her in checking the authenticity of the maps. Of course, Li Huang wasn’t looking down at grandmaster Huili and he knew that she could check them herself but it wouldn’t be as fast as getting help from the other formation masters.

Li Huang thought that maybe Huili is using this chance to give face to the other formation masters but he might be reading too much into it.

Luckily, Li Huang didn’t have enough time to think about this matter more as the other formation masters entered the room and all greeted grandmaster Huili.

“”Grandmaster.”” They said in unison.

“Welcome, what took you so long?” Grandmaster Huili greeted them back and then asked them a question. She wasn’t happy with the way they entered the room after the guest. How could they be called the host if they arrive after the guest?

“Forgive us, grandmaster, there was an issue with some of the formations that we had to solve.” Master Tu said as he threw a subtle glance at Li Huang. He did so so expertly that you would think that he has done so subconsciously. Although he was subtle, he didn’t forget to make it recognizable for grandmaster Huili who was looking at him.

Hearing this Li Huang tried to find out what the hell was going on in master Tu’s, head to maybe decipher the thought process that led him to utter this sentence when they were the ones who threw him in that first formation.

Grandmaster Huili turned to look at Li Huang subconsciously. Although she is really good at the art of formations, she is not yet proficient in hiding one’s inner thoughts and hence she showed what was on her mind in her face.

Li Huang could see the question in her eyes and decided to use this in his favor.

“Yes, it seems there was a problem as I was forced to enter an illusion formation and had to find my way out of it.” Li Huang said and nodded. He made it sound like that the incident that they were talking about was not the one where he was walking to the formations one after another.

At that time Li Huang didn’t know that he was creating a panic in the formation masters room, but a quick scan of his surroundings made it clear to him that his path was full of formations. First, he thought that those masters wanted to continue testing him but soon he understood that they didn’t want to do so, but he feigned ignorance and continued walking at a somewhat fast pace. He had to make it to the meeting fast so it was reasonable for him to walk faster.

The formation masters were stupefied and master Tu was stunned that Li Huang turned this back to them when he was trying to make it work against him.

He was trying to find a good answer to Li Huang’s words but Li Huang didn’t give him the chance and continued.

“Luckily the formation masters were hard at work to get me out of there as I could sense them watching my every move from outside of the formation.” Li Huang said and smiled at master Tu. Li Huang didn’t doubt that the formation master who was talking had a hand in sending him into that formation and now he was trying to make him the bad guy. As a certified paranoid person, Li Huang was thinking about the reason that master Tu would try to make him the bad guy and he didn’t like any of the things that came to his mind.

Other formation masters almost choked on air when they heard what Li Huang said. Now they couldn’t say a thing as they were the bad guy however you looked at it. They all collectively turned and looked at their colleague, master Tu and cursed him under their breath.

On the other hand, grandmaster Huili was furious. She couldn’t understand how they could do this to her guest, no matter the reason this would be an insult to her authority first and foremost.

She looked at all of the formation masters that were present in the room and said one word.

“Explain.” She didn’t have to say more to convey her message. She has been learning about her position as the formation grandmaster for the past years and she knew that this type of thing is well within her rights as the current leader of the Tianteng organization.

Tianteng organization consists of the most elite formation masters in the world and as the best formation master around, Huili is appointed as their leader. She had been learning about her responsibilities for years and this wouldn’t be the first time that someone tried to play dirty in front of her.

Seeing that no one was yet to explain the situation, formation master Xinyi walked a step forward and cupped his fists toward grandmaster Huili.

“Grandmaster Huili, it was like this…” Master Xinyi started recalling the events from the time that Li Huang entered the resident. He said how master Tu said that they had to test Li Huang before he could get to meet the grandmaster and how some of the formation masters agreed with him. He talked about how he tried to stop this but no one was on his side so he decided to wait and act when it was necessary to do so.

Other formation masters were all white as a sheet as they didn’t have anything to say in their defense but master Tu was oozing confidence as he was sure about his decision.

Grandmaster Huili frowned as master Xinyi continued retelling the events that happened when Li Huang came here for the meeting. Her frown turned to shock when she heard the rest of the story.

“…I wanted to interfere if the situation called for it but after a few minutes, I understood how wrong we were…” Master Xinyi talked about how Li Huang had created a formation in the formation and traced the secret exit. He didn’t forget to add that he also find out the location of the [Formation eye].

Master Xinyi was talking so enthusiastically that you would forget that this matter was not about Li Huang’s mysterious techniques but as formation masters, they forgot about the matter and focused on this. Even master Tu was thinking about the method that Li Huang used and decided to try and recreate that formation that Li Huang built in the formation.

‘If a brat could do it, a true master can do it with his eyes closed.’ Master Tu thought. It would be sometime before he comes to the understanding that either Li Huang is not just a brat or he is not a true master…

Master Xinyi continued and told all the events that followed Li Huang’s exit from the formation.

“That was everything, grandmaster.” Master Xinyi said while he was bowing.

Grandmaster Huili nodded and without giving a chance to master Tu, she spoke.

“Every formation master who didn’t say a thing to stop this ‘test’ as you have called it, will have to do 6 months of volunteer work.” She said. The formation masters could only bow as they see the error in their actions. Master Tu was about to speak when Huili continued.

“Formation master Tu, from this day forth, you are no longer a member of the Tianteng organization.” She said and everyone was speechless, some even thought that they heard it wrong. Even Li Huang who was looking for such a thing didn’t expect such a result right away and his mind was warning him about the potential schemes.

Master Tu who heard this felt as if the whole weight of the world just dropped on his back. Without knowing it, he was prostrating on the floor.

“Grandmaster, please reconsider!” he shouted.

“I did this to ensure your safety, please give me a lighter punishment.” He added while he was pressing his forehead to the ground.