“There's no one controlling this formation; it operates entirely on its own defensive mechanisms,” Elder Jin explained to Bai Feng as he stood before the Hundred Swords Formation. “To break through, you either need to rely on your own formidable strength or find a flaw in the formation.”

“But the first option shouldn’t count for points, right?”

Elder Jin paused for a moment at Bai Feng's question, then nodded in understanding. “Exactly. Since this is a test of the formation, using brute force to break through would actually mean failing the assessment.”

“I understand, Senior. Please activate the formation.”

“Alright, but if you can’t hold on, make sure to let me know. I’ll stop immediately.”

After being reminded of a few precautions, Bai Feng began to feel a bit impatient, and only then did Elder Jin allow him to enter the formation.

Why does this elder have to be so long-winded?

‘Shouldn’t this kind of thing be something the disciple figures out on their own? Isn’t giving so many hints a bit excessive?’

Bai Feng muttered to himself.

As the formation activated, he quickly set aside his distractions and focused on figuring out how to break it.

Though he possessed the strength of a master in formations, seeing over a hundred gleaming swords suspended above him still made his heart race a little.

At that moment, a sword above him swooped down. Instead of countering with his own sword, he took a step back.

Then a second sword followed suit, and Bai Feng once again retreated to avoid the strike.

Outside the formation, Bai Yu Mo nervously clutched her skirt, her heart racing—why was Bai Feng just dodging?

With so many swords swinging, it wouldn’t be long before he had nowhere left to hide!

In contrast to Bai Yu Mo’s anxiety, her master, Chu Ning Yan, merely raised an eyebrow.

Although Bai Feng appeared to be struggling as he darted around the formation, he wasn’t just aimlessly evading; each of his steps landed precisely on the formation’s nodes.

Yet she couldn’t quite grasp what Bai Feng was trying to achieve. If he wanted to leave the Hundred Swords Formation, he certainly didn’t need to make it so complicated.

Meanwhile, disciples of the Tian Jian Sect, having heard that Bai Feng was about to begin his assessment, sneaked over.

Some came to see him make a fool of himself, others were tired of the rumors swirling around and wanted to see for themselves what Bai Yu Mo’s brother was like, and some simply came to join the excitement.

Chu Ning Yan quickly noticed these hidden disciples but didn’t chase them away; instead, she allowed them to watch.

Though she was the peak master of the Tian Jian Sect, she had heard the rumors circulating among the ordinary disciples, and she intended to take this opportunity to clarify the misconceptions.

“Ha! I told you Bai Feng was useless. He’s struggling to dodge even a simple Hundred Swords Formation. And he thinks he can join the Tian Jian Sect? Pfft!”

“Why isn’t he drawing his sword?”

“Maybe he’s afraid of exposing his pathetic strength, haha!”

“No, he’s not just dodging; he’s…”

Ding~

A disciple well-versed in formations suddenly realized something, but before he could finish, a loud clang of metal clashing echoed from within the formation.

Everyone quickly turned their attention back to the Hundred Swords Formation, but Bai Feng still hadn’t drawn his sword. At that moment, he had stopped dodging altogether, allowing the swords to fall upon him.

Bai Yu Mo had already placed her hand on her sword, and if it weren’t for Chu Ning Yan’s hand resting on her shoulder, she might have rushed in.

Just as a sword was about to strike him, one of the swords within the formation suddenly collided with it, deflecting the blow.

The sound of that collision was like a match igniting a fuse; in the next moment, a multitude of swords began to lose control, turning to strike at their ‘allies.’

“Damn! He’s not dodging; he’s reconstructing the formation! Is this guy a monster or what?”

The disciple skilled in formations cursed, feeling as if he had wasted half his life studying.

In an instant, the disciples who had been jeering fell silent, their faces turning pale.

This scene undoubtedly made them look like clueless fools.

“No wonder he’s Bai Shimei’s brother; his talent is nearly on par with hers!”

“Looks like the rumors were wrong; the Bai family is hiding their true abilities!”

Meanwhile, Bai Feng was nearing the end of his task. Out of the 333 swords in the Hundred Swords Formation, he had already gained control over 300, and it was only a matter of time before he managed the remaining 33.

This was his first time reverse-engineering a formation, and he was quite pleased with the outcome. He should score high on this assessment, right?

He also realized that the Divine Forging Technique was far more than it seemed; it was thanks to this technique that he could easily locate the nodes of the formation. With the aid of the Divine Forging Technique, he could quickly pinpoint their locations with just a sweep of his consciousness.

Without the Divine Forging Technique, he would have had to settle for finding the main critical nodes to shut down the formation.

Soon, he had taken control of the last sword, and the Hundred Swords Formation had transformed into his own shape, the command now firmly in his grasp.

“Senior, I must have passed, right?”

Bai Feng arranged the swords in a line and turned to look at Elder Jin, who was staring blankly.

Elder Jin felt as if he were dreaming—was this even something a person could do?

While there had been instances of people reverse-controlling formations to counterattack, those had been accomplished by renowned masters. But Bai Feng was just at the Foundation Establishment stage! The Hundred Swords Formation wasn’t some low-level formation; how could he do this?

Elder Jin didn’t respond; instead, he turned to Chu Ning Yan. “Elder Chu, I don’t think we need to continue the assessment.”

Chu Ning Yan nodded in agreement. Even though she hadn’t studied formations, she could see how outrageous Bai Feng’s actions were.

Didn’t they just see three formation disciples being carried away, while two others stood there, dazed, muttering, “Impossible, absolutely impossible! Everything is fake, fake!”

“I’ll report this to the Sect Master. For now, let him…” Chu Ning Yan glanced at Bai Yu Mo, who couldn’t help but smile, “Let him stay at my Qing Zhu Peak for now, and we’ll see how the Sect Master arranges things later.”

“Understood.”

Elder Jin nodded and took his leave; this matter was beyond the scope of a regular elder like him.

Chu Ning Yan walked over to Bai Feng and smiled. “Congratulations on passing the assessment. From now on, you’re a disciple of the Tian Jian Sect.”

“Aren’t there three assessments?” Bai Feng blinked, then glanced at Bai Yu Mo and quickly waved his hand. “No, I have to go through all of them. Even if you’re Bai Yu Mo’s master, you can’t break the rules.”

Chu Ning Yan found it amusing and flicked his finger against Bai Feng’s forehead. “Don’t be greedy. You’ve already reconstructed the formation; do the next two assessments even matter?”

“Ah, I didn’t think of that…”

Bai Feng hadn’t considered this point. So, did that mean he didn’t have to continue with the next two assessments?

“Let’s go. You’ll stay at my Qing Zhu Peak for now, and the Sect Master will make arrangements for you later.”

---

**Chapter 22: Hand Over the Control of Bai Shijie**

Bai Feng followed Chu Ning Yan to Qing Zhu Peak. The first thing he did upon arriving was to activate the system for a scan.

“Not bad; aside from Bai Yu Mo, I don’t see too many other favored children of fortune around.”

But he couldn’t rule out the possibility of them being out.

At the same time, Bai Feng quietly surveyed his surroundings. True to its name, Qing Zhu Peak was abundant with lush green bamboo.

“Your situation is quite special, so I need to consult the Sect Master. For now, you’ll stay at Qing Zhu Peak.”

As she spoke, Chu Ning Yan glanced at Bai Yu Mo, who was trying hard to maintain a serious expression. “You can stay in the room next to Yu Mo’s. It’s a good chance for you two siblings to catch up.”

Bai Feng paused. Upon learning he would be staying at Qing Zhu Peak for a few days, he had anticipated this.

But it wasn’t a bad thing; in a dangerous and unfamiliar environment, having a close connection with a favored child of fortune could be a great help.

“Thank you, Elder Chu.”

“Alright, I’ll go report to the Sect Master and won’t disturb you any longer.” Chu Ning Yan nodded in satisfaction and gave Bai Yu Mo a few reminders. “Yu Mo, make sure to show Bai Feng around the Tian Jian Sect and help him get acquainted with the various areas.”

She wanted Bai Yu Mo to guide Bai Feng not only because she was his sister but also to help dispel the rumors.

After all, Bai Feng had joined the Tian Jian Sect, and with his extraordinary talent in formations, it was best if those baseless rumors disappeared.

Bai Yu Mo understood her master’s intentions and quickly nodded in agreement. “Yes, Master.”

Once Chu Ning Yan left, Bai Feng turned to Bai Yu Mo, only to find her looking back at him.

“First, take me to where I’ll be staying.”

Bai Feng sighed inwardly; he no longer found Bai Yu Mo as bothersome as before.