Zhang Tao, while not exceptionally sharp, was far from foolish.
To curry favor with this Senior Su, he poured out everything he knew without the slightest reservation, much to the silent regret of Gongyang Hao beside him.
The female menace had a past grievance with the Formation Heavenly Alliance, and her appearance in Fei City at this particular juncture made her intentions easy to guess.
She was here to cause trouble.
And Zhang Tao’s actions had undeniably tied their fates to the female menace’s ship.
If the female menace managed to disrupt the Formation Heavenly Alliance’s grand assembly, they would be unable to escape the consequences.
Even if the female menace failed, they would still be branded as spies by the Formation Heavenly Alliance.
Either way, there was no good outcome for them.
Gongyang Hao looked dejected, as if he had already foreseen his own tragic end.
Xu Yi, however, wasn't thinking that far ahead. She was currently pondering the details of the assembly process that Zhang Tao had described.
Although the Formation Heavenly Alliance had named this event the Formation Cultivator Exchange Convention, giving the impression that any formation cultivator could participate, it actually had very high entry requirements.
For instance, the minimum level to attend the convention was Level Four Formation Cultivator. It was important to note that Level Four Formation Cultivator here referred to those who possessed a formation cultivator insignia or certification from major sects.
Formation cultivators without a sect or who had not joined the Formation Heavenly Alliance were not even eligible to participate.
In addition to this, each attending formation cultivator was required to pay a conference fee of three high-grade spirit stones.
Xu Yi was accustomed to this.
She wondered how short of money the Formation Heavenly Alliance truly was, as they could find a reason to charge for any activity.
The exchange convention was scheduled to last eighteen days. The first day would feature a speech by the Alliance Master of the Formation Heavenly Alliance, Qiu Yuanfeng, who would share his experiences and insights.
From the second to the fifteenth day would be the question-and-answer session. The speakers for this session were also restricted; only Level Six or higher formation cultivators could speak, while others could only listen.
Xu Yi could understand this. With at least a thousand formation cultivators attending the convention from the Nine Continents, if everyone had a chance to ask questions, a year would likely not be enough.
The last three days would be dedicated to discussing the future development of the Formation Heavenly Alliance and setting unified requirements for formation cultivators. The main events were typically held at the end.
Despite the questionable purpose behind this exchange convention, Xu Yi was very interested in the exchange and discussion process in the middle.
She had never witnessed a debate among formation cultivators, and it should offer her significant inspiration.
However, she wondered under what identity she should attend this convention.
As a disciple of the Xuanji Sect? Or a disciple of the Kunlun Academy?
Xu Yi quickly dismissed both ideas.
Ever since the last sect competition, Qiu Yuanfeng should have become suspicious of her identity. If she attended with her real identity, she would likely be targeted by him beforehand, hindering her actions.
Therefore, she had to conceal her identity and infiltrate the assembly from the beginning.
With one path blocked, there was only another: to impersonate someone from the Formation Heavenly Alliance to participate in the convention.
The Formation Heavenly Alliance recognized insignia rather than people. As long as she could obtain a formation cultivator insignia, she could conceal her identity and enter the assembly without anyone noticing.
But where could she get a formation cultivator insignia?
Xu Yi’s gaze flickered for a moment before settling on Gongyang Hao, a smile playing on her lips.
How could she have forgotten? Wasn't there a ready-made formation cultivator insignia right here?
Gongyang Hao felt a chill run through his body, and he trembled.
An hour later.
Zhang Tao, who had been waiting outside, eagerly greeted Gongyang Hao as he emerged from the room with heavy steps.
“What did Senior Su say to you just now?”
Gongyang Hao waved his hand wearily, “Nothing much.”
Zhang Tao’s face immediately fell. “Gongyang Hao, you’re too selfish! I helped you so much before, and this is how you repay your brother? That’s not righteous at all!”
Gongyang Hao looked at the indignant Zhang Tao and felt even more exhausted.
However, he forced himself to explain, “Really, it was nothing. We just chatted about recent events. Oh, Senior Su also asked me to tell you that she will conceal her identity and go with you on the day of the exchange convention. You should perform well.”
He couldn’t manage anything else now.
His formation cultivator insignia had already been handed over, and he was irrevocably involved. Since that was the case, his good brother Zhang Tao shouldn’t expect to remain untouched.
Furthermore, Zhang Tao had come forward willingly, and he had tried to dissuade him.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Tao’s face lit up with surprise.
He clapped Gongyang Hao firmly on the shoulder. “Good brother, I knew I wasn’t wrong about you. From now on, what’s mine is yours. Don’t be polite.”
Gongyang Hao endured the sharp pain in his shoulder and forced a perfunctory smile.
Having failed in their first attempt to pick on someone weak, Zhang Tao and Gongyang Hao spent the next day staking out the inn. They confirmed that the young lad staying next to Xu Yi was neither a formation cultivator with an insignia nor a disciple of a powerful sect. Only then did they, along with the innkeeper’s assistant, once again forcefully knock on the door and successfully drive the young man away.
Formation Heavenly Alliance.
Qiu Tianying strode proudly into the Alliance Master’s hall. “Father, the venue for the convention is all set. I guarantee it will be foolproof.”
Qiu Tianying knew that after the formation cultivator exchange convention concluded, the Formation Heavenly Alliance’s prestige on the Nine Continents would reach new heights. As the only son of the Alliance Master of the Formation Heavenly Alliance, his status would naturally soar.
The disciples of the Xuanji Sect, who he had previously feared, now seemed insignificant.
Qiu Tianying cast aside his past gloom, radiating an air of arrogant disdain from within and without.
However, to his surprise, when his father, Qiu Yuanfeng, heard his report, he merely responded with a nonchalant hum. His face showed little joy, and the upward curve of his lips slowly diminished.
“Father, have I done something incorrectly?”
Qiu Yuanfeng shook his head. “No, my son has performed admirably. Several Vice Alliance Masters have praised you highly in front of me.”
In truth, both Qiu Yuanfeng and Qiu Tianying knew that these praises might not have been entirely genuine, but this did not prevent them from deriving pleasure from it.
“Then why are you not in high spirits, Father?”
Qiu Tianying felt that if their roles were reversed, he would definitely be brimming with fighting spirit and excitement at this moment.
“I have a feeling that something unfortunate will happen at this convention.”
As cultivators’ cultivation and comprehension deepen, they develop a subtle sense regarding matters that are closely related to them.
This sense is untraceable and subtle, but it can often indicate future events.
The fact that Qiu Yuanfeng had such a premonition so close to the exchange convention explained his low spirits.
His words also made Qiu Tianying somewhat uneasy.
His father was a serious and stern man who would not speak without reason. If it were only a minor premonition, his father would not have reacted so noticeably. This matter was likely more serious than he imagined.
Qiu Tianying’s face was filled with determination. This exchange convention was crucial to the Formation Heavenly Alliance’s future standing, and he would not accept or allow anyone to disrupt it.
“Father, we cannot just wait for disaster to strike!”