Farmer Girl Reborn: I Play the Pig and Eat the Tiger in the World of Immortal Cultivation

Yan Yue's gaze was fixed on the core node of the "Nine Heavens Mysterious Stars Locking Dragon Formation." The intricate patterns swirled and intertwined before her eyes, like a vast mystery. She tried to search her memories of her past life for information about the formation, but found her memories of this area hazy, as if shrouded in a thin mist. A wave of anxiety spread through her, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

The surrounding disciples held their breath, not daring to utter a single sound, fearing to disturb Yan Yue's thoughts. Most of them had never heard of the "Nine Heavens Mysterious Stars Locking Dragon Formation," let alone how to answer the difficult question posed by Elder Su. In their view, Elder Su's question was clearly a deliberate attempt to embarrass Yan Yue and embarrass her.

Elder Su's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, closely following Yan Yue's every move. Seeing Yan Yue's frown and her hesitation to speak, a smug smile appeared on his lips. He thought to himself, "Even if you have some talent, you are still just a peasant girl of humble origins. How can you possibly solve such an ancient puzzle?"

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere in the examination hall grew almost suffocatingly solemn. Yan Yue's breathing quickened as she struggled to recall every detail of her past life, trying to grasp that elusive inspiration. She knew that if she couldn't solve this problem quickly, not only would she lose face, but Elder Su would also look down on her even more.

"What? You can't figure it out?" Elder Su's voice, tinged with sarcasm, broke the silence in the hall. "It seems your attainments in formations are just this good."

Yan Yue bit her lip, forcing herself to calm down. She took a deep breath and cast her gaze back at the formation diagram. She knew she couldn't give up; she had to find a breakthrough. She deduced the changes in the formation over and over again, trying to find the pattern.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance. It was Nong Jin, standing outside the crowd, seemingly nonchalantly watching the assessment. However, at that moment, Nong Jin made an extremely subtle gesture, almost imperceptible.

It was a seemingly ordinary finger-gripping movement, but it was like a flash of lightning that cut through the fog in Yan Yue's mind. She instantly recalled the key information about the "Nine Heavens Mysterious Stars Locking Dragon Formation" from her past life, as well as several related ancient formations.

Her eyes suddenly lit up, and a barely perceptible smile played at the corners of her mouth. She spoke slowly, her voice clear and firm: "Elder Su, I believe..." Yan Yue's gaze refocused on the complex formation diagram, a confident smile playing on her lips. "Elder Su, I believe that this Nine Heavens Mysterious Star Locking Dragon Formation is not as simple as it appears. It implies the principles of 'Three Elements Returning to One' and 'Five Elements Reversal', and its core nodes are not just one, but three."

Her slender fingers pointed at three inconspicuous points on the formation diagram. "These three points correspond to the three stars of Tianshu, Tianxuan, and Tianji. They resonate with each other, forming a stable triangular energy field. By manipulating these three points, we can control the operation of the entire formation."

Yan Yue's explanation was clear and fluent, analyzing every point and every pattern with meticulous detail. She even cited texts from the "Ancient Formation Records" and the "Star Mystery Diagram" to support her views. The surrounding disciples listened with rapt attention, their initial disdain for Yan Yue gradually turning into admiration.

Elder Su's expression grew increasingly grim. He had initially thought this difficult question would stump Yan Yue, making her look foolish in front of everyone, but he hadn't expected her to actually grasp the underlying principle. He tried to interrupt Yan Yue, "Wait! Perhaps there's something wrong with your thinking. The Nine Heavens Mysterious Stars Dragon Locking Formation has only one core node; that's a well-known fact..."

Yan Yue ignored Elder Su's interruption and continued to speak: "Elder Su, what you said about there being only one core node refers to the surface. The real core is hidden in these three seemingly ordinary points. They restrict and depend on each other, and together they constitute the core energy source of the formation. The key to controlling these three points lies in..."

She paused, her eyes sweeping across the crowd, finally landing on Nong Jin in the distance. Nong Jin gave her an encouraging look, as if to say, "Keep going, I believe in you."

Yan Yue took a deep breath and continued, "The key lies in guiding the 'power of the constellations.' By using specific hand gestures to guide the power of the constellations and inject it into these three points, the entire formation can be activated and its true power can be unleashed."

As she spoke, she formed seals with her hands and muttered something. As she moved, the spiritual energy within the examination hall began to fluctuate, faintly forming a massive vortex. The three points she pointed out also emitted a dazzling light, as if three stars were twinkling.

Elder Su's face turned pale. He hadn't expected Yan Yue to actually be able to control the power of the stars. He knew that if he allowed Yan Yue to continue, she would completely prove her point, and he would lose face. He tried to interrupt Yan Yue again, "Enough! Your explanation is too ridiculous. I..."

However, Yan Yue didn't give him this opportunity. Her eyes were firm, her tone unwavering, "Elder Su, I haven't finished yet. The guidance of this 'power of the stars' requires a specific mental formula to achieve optimal results. And this mental formula is precisely..." Yan Yue stared directly at Elder Su and spoke word for word, "It is the long-lost 'Star River Formula'!"

As Yan Yue finished speaking, the entire examination hall fell silent. Everyone was shocked by her mention of the "Galaxy Sutra." How could she possibly have mastered this long-lost mental technique? Everyone looked at Yan Yue with awe and curiosity.

Elder Su's face turned from livid to pale, his lips trembling, yet he couldn't utter a single word. He had intended to use this opportunity to embarrass Yan Yue, to discourage her, but he'd shot himself in the foot. Yan Yue's answer was not only flawless, it even exceeded his expectations. He had to admit that Yan Yue's mastery of formations far surpassed that of his peers, even surpassing some of the elders.

Yan Yue calmly observed Elder Su's reaction, a subtle smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She knew she had won this theoretical battle. She glanced gratefully at Nong Jin, noticing he was looking back at her tenderly, his eyes filled with admiration and encouragement. As their eyes met, Yan Yue's heartbeat quickened, a warmth welling up within her. She sensed Nong Jin's deep affection for her, and it only solidified her resolve to carve a niche in the world of immortal cultivation and protect herself and those around her.

"Elder Su, I have finished answering." Yan Yue's voice was clear and firm, breaking the silence in the hall.

Elder Su took a deep breath, tried to suppress the anger in his heart, and forced a smile. "Yes, your answer is very insightful. It seems that you have quite some experience in studying formations."

He paused, then said, "Since you mentioned the Galaxy Technique, how about a live demonstration?"

As soon as Elder Su finished speaking, the surrounding disciples gasped. They hadn't expected Elder Su to make such a request. After all, the "Galaxy Art" had long been lost, and even if someone obtained a fragment, it would be difficult to successfully practice it. Furthermore, demonstrating it in public could easily lead to obsession.

Yan Yue smiled slightly and accepted the challenge without fear. "Since Elder Su wants to see it, I will show my ugliness."

She walked to the center of the hall, formed hand seals, and silently recited the mantra of the "Star River Sutra." As she moved, the spiritual energy within the hall surged again, even more intense than before. Dots of starlight fell from the sky, surrounding Yan Yue, making her look like a celestial being.

Elder Su and all the disciples held their breath, staring intently at Yan Yue. They all knew they were about to witness a miracle.

Yan Yue's movements became faster and faster, and her spiritual energy became more and more dense. Suddenly, she clasped her hands together and shouted softly, "Galaxies are vast, obey my command!"

A dazzling light burst out from her, illuminating the entire hall. After the light dissipated, everyone saw a brilliant galaxy appear behind Yan Yue, with countless stars twinkling in it, as if they were in the vast universe.

Elder Su's eyes flashed with shock. He didn't expect Yan Yue to actually be able to perform the "Galaxy Art". He knew that Yan Yue's strength had far exceeded his imagination.

After the theoretical assessment, Yan Yue passed with near-perfect results, becoming an inner disciple of the Lingyun Immortal Cultivation Sect. She left the assessment hall and prepared to head to the martial arts arena for the next practical assessment.

Arriving at the entrance to the martial arts arena, Yan Yue saw many disciples gathered around. Their expressions varied: curiosity, envy, jealousy, and even a hint of... hostility. An unusual atmosphere permeated the air. Yan Yue paused, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, finally resting on a man in black. The man was looking back at her, a sinister smile playing at the corner of his mouth... "Are you Yan Yue?"