“Of course I understand this principle! When we take action to break the formation later, we should make a grand spectacle. Even if Qing Yuanzi can resist using his hidden cards, he won’t be able to focus on dealing with the heavenly tribulation. Fellow Daoist Sanquan, we’ll be relying on you later.” Huang Yuanzi chuckled darkly.
“Rest assured, leave the task of breaking the formation to me,” Sanquan Daoist replied proudly.
With that, the young Daoist formed a single-handed seal, and white clouds surged beneath his feet, lifting him as he drifted toward the valley.
Huang Yuanzi and the giant man didn’t dare delay, immediately following him with their own escape lights.
The trio had flown no more than a hundred miles when suddenly, a rumbling sound erupted around them. The nearby space blurred, and the scenery shifted abruptly, trapping them in a towering black forest.
The trees in this forest stood hundreds of feet tall, their trunks pitch-black as if cast from black iron.
The moment the three appeared, the surrounding trees shook violently like an earthquake, tilting and crashing down toward them. Even before they struck, fierce winds rolled in like a tidal wave.
“Such a crude formation dares to trap me? How laughable!” Sanquan Daoist burst into laughter at the sight.
Without using any treasures, he simply let out a loud shout and flicked his sleeves forward, unleashing a surge of yellow qi that swept outward in all directions.
A shocking scene unfolded.
The black trees, caught in the yellow wind, were flung away like straw. With dull thuds, they dissolved into dust and vanished.
The surrounding space twisted before returning to its original scenery.
Sanquan Daoist didn’t pause, continuing forward at high speed.
Huang Yuanzi and the giant man exchanged pleased glances before following.
This time, after flying only a dozen miles, several hills below suddenly lit up. Three massive talisman formations, each covering an acre, flashed into existence atop the hills. With a sharp whistling sound, dense clusters of fireballs emerged, raining down on the trio like a storm.
Sanquan Daoist curled his lips and flicked a finger from his sleeve. Three emerald threads shot out, transforming with a thunderous boom into three thick beams of light that struck downward.
Three earth-shaking explosions followed.
The beams twisted like serpents through the fireballs, slamming into the three talisman formations and reducing them—along with the hills beneath—to flat ground in an instant.
Sanquan Daoist didn’t slow down, his escape light sweeping over the ruins without pause.
Huang Yuanzi and the giant man exchanged glances before following with smirks.
Clearly, while Qing Yuanzi had laid many restrictions, those on the periphery were ordinary, meant only to deter low-level cultivators.
Only the formations near the valley were the true core, designed to counter fellow Great Ascension cultivators.
Inside the valley, Yan Li, seated at the entrance, suddenly heard Qing Yuanzi’s solemn voice in her ear:
“Yan’er, be cautious. A formidable enemy of mine is breaking through the formations outside. Take the treasures I gave you earlier and activate the Eighteen Heavenly Fiend Formation.”
“Yes, Master. I’ll go at once.” Yan Li’s expression turned solemn as she rose and bowed toward the sky.
By now, all the formations in the valley had been fully activated.
Layers of multicolored light and raging black winds obscured the valley’s center, making it impossible to see anything clearly. Apart from the occasional thunderclap or clear chime, Yan Li could no longer sense any movement from the grand platform.
“Don’t worry. With someone controlling it, the Eighteen Heavenly Fiend Formation’s power will increase by at least twenty percent, enough to hold off the intruders for several days. Once I overcome this tribulation, I’ll deal with them personally.” Qing Yuanzi seemed to sense his disciple’s unease and offered reassurance.
Yan Li relaxed slightly at his words.
If her master still had the leisure to speak to her, he must still have strength to spare against the tribulation.
Without hesitation, she summoned her escape light, transforming into a streak of yellow light as she left the valley entrance.
Moments later, Yan Li stood atop a mountain peak, floating on a massive disc-shaped artifact studded with rows of small flags of various colors.
Her expression was grave as she studied a bronze mirror in her hand.
The mirror’s flickering images showed Sanquan Daoist wielding a white flying saber, its movements serpentine as it effortlessly dismantled a golden formation on the periphery.
With another flash, Sanquan Daoist vanished from the mirror’s view.
Yan Li inhaled sharply, her brows furrowing.
Though she knew anyone Qing Yuanzi considered a formidable enemy would be a Great Ascension cultivator, she hadn’t expected such mastery in formations.
The outer restrictions, numerous as they were, wouldn’t hold them for long. If she wanted to buy time for her master, she’d have to rely on the Eighteen Heavenly Fiend Formation.
With that thought, she wasted no time. With a wave of her hand, several flags vanished in puffs of green smoke.
Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, fierce winds howled around the valley, whipping up sand and stones. The ground split open, spewing forth billowing crimson mist that swiftly enveloped the entire valley.
Ear-piercing shrieks followed as ghostly wails and roars erupted from the mist. Shadowy figures loomed within, and waves of baleful energy surged skyward, dispersing a portion of the dark clouds above.
In mere moments, Yan Li had activated all eighteen of the valley’s profound formations.
A single formation might be insignificant to a Great Ascension cultivator, but these eighteen were ingeniously interlinked. Facing one meant confronting all eighteen simultaneously.
Unless all eighteen were broken at once, intruders would have to dismantle them one by one—a time-consuming task.
This was why Qing Yuanzi remained calm despite knowing enemies were approaching his tribulation site.
Sure enough, after most of the day, when Sanquan Daoist, Huang Yuanzi, and the giant man reached the valley and saw the Eighteen Heavenly Fiend Formation, their expressions darkened.
When Huang Yuanzi learned the formations’ intricacies from Sanquan Daoist, his face turned even grimmer.
“So, we must dismantle all eighteen formations one by one to enter the valley?” Huang Yuanzi asked through gritted teeth.
“Afraid so. But the first formation is the hardest. Once one falls, the rest become easier as the overlapping power diminishes. However, the first formation’s strength equals all eighteen combined, making it a true challenge.” Sanquan Daoist replied after a moment’s thought.
“Hmph, Qing Yuanzi is cunning, but he’s mistaken if he thinks this will stop me. Fellow Daoist Sanquan, how long will it take to break these formations?” Huang Yuanzi snorted.
“If you lend me the Nine Illusion Ruyi Gate, about four days.”
“Four days is too long—Qing Yuanzi might finish his tribulation by then. I’ll assist you with the Mother-Child Corpse Yin Thunder at critical moments. We must clear the formations in three days.” Huang Yuanzi said fiercely.
“Mother-Child Corpse Yin Thunder! I didn’t expect you to have such a treasure. With it, three days will suffice.” Sanquan Daoist’s expression flickered briefly before returning to normal.
“Good. Fellow Daoist Bumie, conserve your strength. You’ll be needed when we face Qing Yuanzi.” Huang Yuanzi nodded at the giant man.
“No need to remind me. My techniques are uniquely suited to counter Qing Yuanzi’s.” Bumie Tianzun grinned, unconcerned.
Huang Yuanzi smirked and flipped his hand, summoning a miniature crystalline archway. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed it into the air.
Thunder roared as a blinding white light erupted, and a towering archway descended from the sky.
Huang Yuanzi blurred, reappearing atop the archway, where he lightly tapped it with his foot.
With a deafening boom, the archway surged forward, wreathed in lightning, toward the formation.
Sanquan Daoist chuckled, forming a seal before following closely.
The giant man stroked one of his curved horns, smirking as he leisurely brought up the rear.
—
Elsewhere in the abyss, above a swamp, space suddenly twisted unnaturally. A piercing shriek rang out as a hundred-foot-long dark green sword light slashed down, splitting the sky with a green scar.
With a thunderous crash, a thousand-foot-long black warship forced its way through the rift and entered the space.
On the ship’s broad deck stood a green-robed man, hands clasped behind his back, his expression serene.
“Senior Han, is this where your friend resides?” A black-robed woman behind him scanned the surroundings before asking.
“Indeed. Does it surprise you, Fellow Daoist Xuepo?” The man—Han Li—smiled faintly.
The two had just arrived from the Flying Spirit Race.
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