Chapter 1387 The Ready Made Formation
Upon hearing Jonathan’s words, even Cypress was somewhat surprised.
The efficacy and function of the Soulbinding Herb were found in a pharmacopeia of the Mallory family that was handed down through the generations.
The pharmacopeia hailed from ancient times. Although it was made from the resilient hide of an unknown beast, only half a volume was left after weathering the sands of time.
Moreover, the object has been passed down from the ancestors of the Mallory family. It was the only book left by the Great Sorcerer, and only the core cultivators of the Mallory family through the generations have been able to peruse it.
Hence, there was no way the information could possibly have leaked out.
If one knew the medicinal properties and characteristics of Soulbinding Herb, there was only one possibility.
Jonathan had definitely obtained some kind of ancient legacy.
After all, for things that had been extinct in the world for thousands of years, it was impossible for any detailed records to still exist.
“Do you recognize this plant?”
Cypress began to speak with a hearty laugh.
Jonathan slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion.
“I’m not familiar with it. I’ve only come across a mention of this herb in ancient texts. It’s said that consuming it can nourish and soothe the mind. However, that’s all there is. There isn’t even a description of what it actually looks like,” Jonathan said nonchalantly.
Cypress’s follow-up question surprised Jonathan.
For the legacy I’ve received, I still haven’t found out where my master is.
This was something that greatly intrigued the eight respectable families. After all, it was quite a feat for a mortal, who had never cultivated before, to become a powerful cultivator capable of stirring up the whole of Chanaea in just three years.
One could only imagine how precious the technique was.
“Alright, alright, enough about this herb grass nonsense.”
Gregory stepped forward, speaking in a cold voice.
“All we need to do is to wake Joshua up and get him to share the information he has. Graeme, please set up the formation quickly!”
Everyone turned their gaze towards Graeme, but at that moment, Graeme was shaking his head vehemently.
“It’s not that I don’t want to set it up, but I really can’t.”
Graeme spoke loudly while fiddling with his fingers.
“Listen to yourself saying something baseless. What sort of attitude is that? No matter how exhaustively the formations change, they still require the most fundamental principles. Without spiritual energy to hold it, wouldn’t your medicine have fallen directly to the ground?”
Graeme’s words might be blunt, but he did have a point. Only after hearing this did everyone understand just how high Cypress’ demands really were.
Gregory turned his gaze toward Cypress.
“This formation was your idea. The Mallory family should have its own solution.”
Everyone turned to look at Cypress, only to see that he too was wearing an expression of embarrassment.
“Um… My grandfather knew how to set up this formation. Back in the day, he also relied on this formation to pick the Soulbinding Herb” It’s just that the formation was simply of no use to parasite cultivators like us. Therefore, it has been lost since my father’s generation.”
When they heard Cypress’ words, the expressions of those present turned somewhat unfriendly.
“You don’t even know how to deal with it yourself, yet you expect others to do it for you?”
Graeme looked at Cypress with a displeased expression and said, “Are you messing with me?”
Cypress snorted coldly. “Mr. Blackwood, there’s no point in speaking this way. It was you who said that if there were any issues with the formation, we could come to you, but you’re accusing me of playing you now. It seems to me that you’re the one who’s been toying with us, isn’t it?”
These elders, who were accustomed to having the final say in the family, had long developed a habit of not tolerating any opposition.
Now that they’ve meet, they started arguing after just a few words.
At the rate the collaboration was going, it would certainly be set to fail.
“Respected elders!”
A few old men were pointing at each other, puffing their beards and glaring, when suddenly, a crisp and clear voice rang out nearby.
Jonathan turned his head and saw a woman approaching from behind Gregory. She had a fiery figure and was carrying a large scroll on her back.
It was none other than Eva Salladay.
As the beloved granddaughter of Gregory, Eva was his true successor who had been sent out to gain real-world experience.
People like Sirius and Xavion represented their families wherever they went. No matter how versatile and adaptable they were, they could only be the face of their respectable families.
No matter how much they achieved, it was impossible for them to become the family head.
However, Stellario and Eva were the exceptions.
Throughout their travels, they not only represented their respective families but were also preparing for their future succession as family heads.
Among the eight respectable families, only the Mallory and Salladay families dared to be so bold and were unafraid of assassination.
Just the Mallory family alone possessed techniques that were sinister and terrifying. There wasn’t a single person or party that would want to start a war against them.
Even Jonathan, despite his constant desire to eliminate Stellario, felt hesitant to actually make a move against them.
He certainly didn’t want the entire core of the Asura Hall to be swallowed by parasites. The mere thought of such a scene was enough to give anyone the creeps.
As for the Salladay family, despite being the strongest family in all of Chanaea, they still couldn’t compare to the Whitley family from ten years ago.
Yet, the power of their family far surpassed any three other families combined. Even if these respectable families truly wanted to make a move, they would never dare to target the Salladay family first.
In fact, Eva was a form of signal released by the Salladay family.
Once she encountered danger, it essentially signified that at least four respectable families had united against the Salladay family.
In that case, the Salladay family would undoubtedly carry out a swift clean-up of the remaining respectable families in an orderly manner. There was no way they would allow a repeat of what happened to the Whitley family ten years ago.
Eva’s status was extremely unique, so even when she interrupted a group of senior cultivators, not a single person protested.
After all, she was not just a God Realm cultivator but also the future head of the Salladay family.
“Eva, you shouldn’t interrupt!”
Although the other three Divine Realm cultivators didn’t say anything, Gregory reprimanded her with a scowl on his face.
Although the Salladay family was powerful, they never acted arrogantly. Gregory, in particular, valued rules and decorum above all else.
If Eva didn’t provide a satisfactory explanation, Gregory might indeed have to impose a punishment on her to set an example.
Noticing the slight change in Gregory’s expression, Cypress quickly said with a chuckle, “You old rascal, are you really going to punish your own granddaughter? Since Eva has spoken up, it must be something important. Please, go ahead and tell us what it is.”
Eva stepped forward, offering a slight bow to the elder cultivators.
“Respected sirs, please forgive me. I have spoken out of turn and broken protocol. I seek your understanding and forgiveness.”
Although she was uttering words of apology, Eva’s tone remained neither humble nor arrogant, clearly not taking this matter to heart.
The elderly few understood that her words were merely a formality.
The eight respectable families had a history that spanned nearly two thousand years. It wasn’t like they had a set schedule to have a batch of children every few decades.
Setting aside the complexity when all eight families were gathered together, the hierarchy within one’s own family was messy enough as it was. The fact that Eva was willing to consider herself as someone junior was already a sign of respect to the few of them.
Eva rose to her feet, looking in the direction of Jonathan.
“The reason I spoke up is to remind all of you that we already have a formation right in front of us, don’t we?”