After transmigrating into a cultivation novel as a random passerby, Ji Yunling immediately gave herself a thorough checkup.
The good news: She was alive and hadn't become a furnace vessel or cannon fodder.
The bad news: She had a useless spirit root containing all five elements. It took her three years to draw qi into her body, and she was still stuck at the first level of Qi Refining, as immovable as a mountain. People called her the sect's old ox: diligent and hardworking, but making no progress at all.
While her fellow disciples flew on swords and popped pills like candy, Ji Yunling sat in a corner of the Scripture Pavilion, poring over an introductory book on formations.
The senior brother from the Sword Cultivation Hall asked, "Junior Sister Ji, what's the use of studying formations? Ever heard of one sword breaking ten thousand arts?"
The senior sister from the Alchemy Hall said, "Xiaoling, why not come learn alchemy instead? At least you could support yourself."
Everyone thought she was on the wrong path, the cultivation world's equivalent of someone with more stationery than skill.
But they didn't know that while everyone else was fighting tooth and nail over a single Foundation Establishment Pill, Ji Yunling had already worked out version 1.0 of a Spirit-Gathering Formation on her dormitory floor. Its spiritual energy was as dense as that of a second-grade immortal's cave abode.
While they were trapped in an ancient killing formation in a secret realm, waiting in despair for death, Ji Yunling strolled around the formation's core, compass in one hand and carving knife in the other, hopping back and forth as she muttered, "This energy circuit could use some optimization. The structure has too much redundancy..."
Later, a formation craze swept the cultivation world.
The sword genius who had once looked down on her begged her for a sword formation blueprint, offering spirit stones in exchange.
The lofty Grandmaster of Alchemy made three visits to her cottage, begging her to set up a mountain-protecting formation.
Ji Yunling: Thanks for asking. I'm in the immortal realm, and I just set up a Great Formation of the Heavenly Stars as a barrier. Do not disturb. You used to ignore me, but now... My formation consultations are booked three hundred years out.
