I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 560 Yuanshi Tianzun in Seclusion

Just then, the figure of the Tongtian Sect Leader appeared on the altar.

The noise in the square immediately quieted down, and all the disciples knelt down and bowed respectfully.

"Today's sermon will discuss the art of 'arrays'..." The Tongtian Sect Leader's voice was deep and majestic, resounding throughout the entire Golden Turtle Island.

Chu Yang quickly averted his gaze and knelt down to pay his respects along with the others.

The sermon lasted for three days and three nights. The Tongtian Sect Leader explained the mysteries of the formation in a simple and easy-to-understand way, covering everything from the basic Five Elements and Eight Trigrams to complex space-time transformations.

Chu Yang listened with rapt attention, feeling as if he had been enlightened and his mind had suddenly been cleared.

Chu Yang already knew much of the content by heart, but after the Tongtian Sect Leader's sermon, he gained a new understanding.

He was already quite talented in formations, and now, with the guidance of a sage, his progress has been even more rapid.

The Chu Yangs from other worlds also absorbed this precious knowledge through soul sharing, and their array formation skills advanced by leaps and bounds.

After three days and three nights of preaching, Chu Yang felt that he had been elevated.

The explanation from the Tongtian Sect Leader was like a sudden enlightenment, elevating his understanding of formations to a whole new level.

He even vaguely sensed that he had touched upon a higher realm of formation techniques.

In the square, the disciples all stood up, whispering among themselves and discussing the content of the sage's sermon.

Qiongxiao and Bixiao were even more excited, chattering away nonstop.

"Junior brother, how much did you understand?" Qiongxiao nudged Chu Yang's shoulder and asked with a curious look.

Chu Yang smiled slightly, feigning profundity, and said, "I've gained some insights."

"Tch, stop pretending!" Bixiao curled her lip. "You seemed to be listening more attentively than anyone else; you must have learned a lot!"

Chu Yang didn't explain, he just smiled mysteriously.

At this moment, Daoist Duobao walked over and said with a smile, "Junior brother, how was your experience with this sermon?"

Chu Yang cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. I have benefited greatly from your help."

Daoist Duobao nodded and said meaningfully, "Junior brother is exceptionally intelligent. Given time, he will surely achieve great things."

Chu Yang smiled modestly, but secretly he was pleased with himself.

His current mastery of formations, even if not as good as Daoist Duobao's, is probably not far off.

How many years did Duobao Daoist serve under Tongtian Shengren? And how many years did Chu Yang serve?

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out in the square.

"What's going on?" Golden Spirit Mother frowned.

"It sounds like they're having a magical duel!" Qiongxiao exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go take a look!"

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw two disciples locked in a fierce battle in a corner of the square. One of them was dressed in the robes of the Chan Sect, while the other was a disciple of the Jie Sect.

"It's Guang Chengzi of the Chan Sect and our Guiling Holy Mother, our junior sister!" Bixiao exclaimed in surprise.

"Why are they fighting?" Yunxiao asked with a worried expression.

"I guess it's just another case of prejudice."

Daoist Duobao sighed and said, "The conflict between our Chan and Jie sects has a long history, and it seems that it is only getting worse now."

"Senior Brother Guangchengzi, today I will set up this Four Symbols Bewildering Array. If you are capable, then come and break it!"

The voice of the Holy Mother Tortoise Spirit was slightly shrill, carrying a hint of annoyance and exasperation.

She quickly formed hand seals and chanted incantations, and a huge array slowly unfolded beneath her feet.

Within the formation, the sun, moon, and stars revolve, seemingly containing the mysteries of the universe.

Chu Yang watched this scene and felt a chill run down his spine.

During the later Investiture of the Gods, the Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit was forced back to her original form by Guang Chengzi's Heaven-Turning Seal. She was then ambushed by Zhunti and revealed her original form again. In the end, she was sucked dry by the Mosquito Taoist, leaving only an empty shell.

Their fate was utterly tragic!

"Could this be the enmity I've now formed with Guang Chengzi?" Chu Yang couldn't help but wonder to himself.

Guang Chengzi's expression turned solemn. He waved his whisk and snorted coldly, "A mere trifled formation, yet you dare to show off your limited skills before an expert!"

Having said that, he stepped into the formation.

Chu Yang also came closer with the others and watched the battle with great interest.

He discovered that although the formation of the Turtle Spirit Mother appeared imposing, it was actually full of loopholes and flaws.

It seems that although the Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit is somewhat famous in the Jie Sect, she is still far inferior to a true master of formations like Daoist Duobao.

"This Holy Mother Guiling is far too arrogant, actually using such a crude formation to challenge Guang Chengzi."

Bixiao curled her lip in disdain.

"You can't say that!"

Qiongxiao retorted, "Although this Four Symbols Illusion Formation is not very profound, it is not entirely useless. If it were someone else, they might not be able to break it easily."

"I'm not so sure!" Chu Yang suddenly said. "This formation looks fancy, but it's full of flaws and easily defeated."

Upon hearing this, both Qiongxiao and Bixiao looked at Chu Yang with some surprise.

"Junior Brother, what do you mean by that?" Qiongxiao asked.

Chu Yang smiled and pointed to a certain spot in the formation, saying, "Look there, where the sun and moon meet, the yin and yang are out of balance, which is the weak point of the formation."

Following the direction Chu Yang pointed, Qiongxiao and Bixiao indeed discovered a flaw in the formation.

"Junior brother, I never knew you had such insights into formations," Qiongxiao said with admiration.

Bixiao, however, looked unconvinced: "Hmph, you talk like it's the truth. If you're so capable, go and break this formation yourself!"

Chu Yang smiled slightly and was about to speak when he saw Guang Chengzi in the formation suddenly let out a muffled groan and stagger back a few steps.

"What's going on?" Everyone was shocked.

Guang Chengzi's face was pale, and a trace of blood oozed from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he was injured.

"Haha, Guang Chengzi, you're nothing special!" Guiling Shengmu laughed triumphantly.

Chu Yang's heart stirred. It seemed that although this formation had many flaws, it also contained hidden secrets. If one was not careful, one would fall into its trap.

Guang Chengzi took a deep breath, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and a flash of anger appeared in his eyes.

"Junior Sister Guiling, don't be so smug, I'll break your formation right now!"

Having said that, he once again summoned his whisk and attacked the weak point in the formation.

Seeing this, Chu Yang thought to himself, "Guang Chengzi is planning a head-on confrontation; he'll probably suffer a loss!"

With Chu Yang's understanding of formations, he naturally saw the 'trap' in this formation.

Guang Chengzi's attack missed its mark, and he was instead struck back by the formation. He spat out another mouthful of blood, his body flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, the Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit became even more smug and burst into laughter: "Guang Chengzi, you're doomed to lose today!"

She had always disliked the people of the Chan Sect, which was closely related to her personality. While others maintained a certain degree of restraint, she, with her fiery temper, stood up directly.

She had hidden her magic weapon inside this formation. Although it was an illusion formation, one could still suffer greatly if one was not careful.

Chu Yang shook his head. Guang Chengzi was too impulsive. He knew the formation had a flaw, but he still insisted on confronting it head-on. Wasn't he just courting death?

Logically speaking, Guang Chengzi's understanding of formations shouldn't be this bad, right?

He couldn't even see through such a simple illusion array disguised as a killing array?

Chu Yang's brows were furrowed, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

At this moment, Daoist Duobao suddenly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Junior Sister Guiling, that's enough."

Upon hearing this, the Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit's expression changed slightly, and she coldly snorted, "Senior Brother, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to interfere in the matter between me and Guang Chengzi?"

Daoist Duobao said calmly, "It's not that simple. It's just that it's rather impolite for the two of you to be fighting here. The three religions are one family. Besides, Junior Brother Guangchengzi is already injured. Why do you have to press him so hard?"

A hint of resentment flashed in the eyes of the Holy Mother Turtle Spirit, but she ultimately withdrew the formation.

"Hmph, you're lucky today!" She glared at Guang Chengzi and turned to leave.

A barely perceptible look of resentment flashed in Guang Chengzi's eyes.

His fellow disciples rushed over to help him up, and without saying a word, they helped Guang Chengzi away.

Chu Yang didn't believe a word of what Daoist Duobao tried to say to smooth things over.

The three religions are one family? During the Investiture of the Gods, the Chan and Jie sects fought to the death, wishing they could grind each other to dust.

Chu Yang remained expressionless, but instead showed some concern: "How is Senior Brother Guang Chengzi's injury? Is it serious? I still have a few pills that my Grand Master Uncle gave me, should I...?"

As soon as he said this, several disciples of the Chan Sect around him cast grateful glances at him.

After all, the disciples of the two sects were constantly at odds, and the disciples of the Jie Sect were more than happy to see the disciples of the Chan Sect suffer, so why would they care about their injuries?

Chu Yang's actions undoubtedly demonstrated the "friendship" of the disciples of the Jie Sect.

Yu Ding Zhenren cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, Junior Brother Xiao Lei. Senior Brother Guang Chengzi is fine; he only suffered some minor injuries."

Chu Yang nodded, but he was thinking about something else.

Guang Chengzi's two injuries both seemed rather strange.

With his Golden Immortal cultivation, he shouldn't be unable to break even the flawed formation of the Turtle Spirit Mother.

Could it be... that he did it on purpose?

Once the thought popped into Chu Yang's head, he couldn't shake it off.

Why did Guang Chengzi deliberately feign weakness?

As he was pondering this, Bixiao leaned over and asked with a gossipy look, "Junior Brother, do you really think Senior Sister Guiling's formation is so easily defeated?"

Chu Yang glanced at her sideways and asked, "What do you think, Senior Sister?"

Bi Xiao curled her lip: "I don't think so. Although Guang Chengzi is annoying, he is still quite strong. The fact that Senior Sister Gui Ling was able to beat him like this shows that this formation is quite effective."

Chu Yang smiled noncommittally, but in his heart he became even more certain of his guess.

Guang Chengzi did it on purpose!

"Junior brother, what are you laughing at?" Qiongxiao came over and asked curiously.

"It's nothing," Chu Yang waved his hand. "I just found this battle quite interesting."

Interesting? Qiongxiao and Bixiao exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes.

What's so interesting about this? It's just a regular duel.

Something like this happens almost every now and then.

Of course, most of the time, the disciples of the Jie Sect had the upper hand.

Chu Yang didn't explain, but just gave Guang Chengzi a meaningful look as he walked away.

Over the next few days, Chu Yang kept a close eye on Guang Chengzi's every move.

He noticed that Guang Chengzi seemed to have become much more low-key, no longer as sharp and confrontational as before, and no longer constantly clashing with the disciples of the Jie Sect.

Could it be that he is biding his time, preparing to avenge today's humiliation later?

In the Jade Void Palace, all twelve disciples of the Chan Sect knelt on prayer mats, before whom stood the Sage Jade Purity Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

"Master, those disciples of the Jie Sect are going too far! Relying on their formations, they have humiliated us several times. Senior Brother Guang Chengzi has been injured by their disciples multiple times. We beg you, Master, to uphold justice for us!"

Chi Jingzi, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals, cried out.

"Please, Master, uphold justice!"

Even Huanglong Zhenren, who had only recently joined the Chan Sect, looked sorrowful, as if others had bullied him too much.

Guang Chengzi was among the earliest disciples to join the Chan Sect. He knew very well that his master had long disliked the second-generation disciples of the Jie Sect, who were born from moisture and eggs and had fur and horns, but he just couldn't find a better reason to expel them.

After listening to Chi Jingzi's tearful pleas, Yuanshi Tianzun's calm and composed face showed no emotion whatsoever.

He glanced indifferently at the twelve Golden Immortals kneeling below and slowly said, "Guang Chengzi, you speak."

Guang Chengzi immediately stepped forward and described the battle with Guiling Shengmu. He did not embellish the story at all. With the sage's ability to deduce, he could easily tell the truth from the falsehood.

After hearing what Guang Chengzi said, Yuanshi Tianzun's eyes flashed with a cold light, but he did not say anything more. He simply waved his hand, signaling his disciples to step back.

Although the Golden Immortals were indignant, they could only bow and leave Jade Void Palace.

In the spacious Jade Void Palace, the Primordial Celestial Venerable paced back and forth, his robes fluttering like flowing clouds.

Guang Chengzi's repeated defeats at the hands of the Jie Sect disciples were no accident; there must be some hidden secret behind it.

Yuanshi Tianzun sneered inwardly. Kunlun Mountain had been a peaceful and tranquil place since Pangu created the world.

Nowadays, the disciples of the Jie Sect are a mixed bag, creating chaos and turning this once peaceful place into a mess.

Birds and beasts, creatures covered in fur and armor, are all allowed to join the Jie Sect. What kind of order is this!

"Guang Chengzi, could it be that you intend to use this opportunity to drive these disciples of the Jie Sect out of Kunlun?"

Yuanshi Tianzun's heart stirred; this explanation seemed to make sense.

Guang Chengzi's repeated defeats, seemingly a loss of face for the Chan sect, were actually escalating the conflict between the Chan and Jie sects step by step.

If the conflict escalates to an irreconcilable point, he can then justifiably expel the disciples of the Jie Sect and restore peace to Kunlun Mountain.

Thinking of this, the Primordial Celestial Venerable couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. Guang Chengzi was indeed worthy of being his eldest disciple, with a meticulous mind and decisive actions.

Yuanshi Tianzun stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, having already made up his mind.

He summoned the White Crane Boy and ordered, "Go and gather all the disciples of Jade Void Palace in the main hall."

The boy accepted the order and left. Before long, the twelve Golden Immortals of the Chan Sect, along with their nominal disciple Huanglong Zhenren and others, had all gathered in the main hall of the Jade Void Palace.

Seeing the solemn expression on Yuanshi Tianzun's face, everyone felt uneasy, wondering what had happened.

Yuanshi Tianzun said calmly, "I have recently had some thoughts and will be going into seclusion for cultivation. Guangchengzi will be in full charge of the affairs of the sect."

Guang Chengzi was overjoyed and quickly kowtowed, saying, "This disciple will certainly live up to Master's high expectations!"

Yuanshi Tianzun nodded slightly, then waved his sleeve, and a beam of mysterious light entered Guangchengzi's body.

"Remember, do not rush things; proceed gradually."

Guang Chengzi felt a warm current flow through his body, and his cultivation level subtly improved. He was extremely excited and quickly kowtowed again to express his gratitude.

He was already a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and was considered one of the best among the disciples. Now that his cultivation had advanced further, and his master seemed to have seen through his intentions, how could he not be excited!

Guang Chengzi quickly bowed and said, "Disciple will obey Master's orders!" (End of this chapter)