Chapter 117: Three Strategies to Break the Formation

Listening to Zhang Shisan’s explanation of the Two-Yi Four-Xiang array and the Hunyuan Taiji Formation, Mei Qing asked curiously, “If that’s the case, according to what Master said, there’s no way to completely calculate the Two-Yi Four-Xiang array?”

Zhang Shisan shook his head and replied, “Not necessarily. Although they are all Two-Yi Four-Xiang arrays, there are still differences within them depending on the skill of the array master and the quality of the array’s core. Major sects’ grand arrays are usually passed down from elders and often stabilized with powerful magical treasures, making them naturally difficult to unravel. However, arrays set by so-called experts nowadays usually have techniques that leave traces, and their array cores may not be particularly formidable, so there are indeed ways to break them. Moreover, unraveling an array and breaking an array are not the same thing. If you want to completely calculate the entire grand formation, it’s extremely difficult. But if you only calculate one gate or one palace at a time, it’s not that hard. By calculating step by step and advancing cautiously, eventually you will find your way out. In fact, many people in the world break arrays in exactly this way.”

“Oh? So breaking an array can only be done this way?” Mei Qing looked at the Reversed Seven-Yang Formation before him. Although it was reversed, based on what Zhang Shisan had explained about arrays, he could roughly understand its structure. However, he still didn’t know how to begin breaking it.

“Breaking an array isn’t limited to just this method. Generally speaking, there are three main strategies.” Zhang Shisan mused, “The first is to break it by sheer force. No matter what formation it is, it’s always powered by spiritual energy and refined through true essence. If your cultivation is high enough, you can simply ignore everything else and attack directly, causing the formation to collapse. However, this method requires your cultivation to be significantly higher than the formation’s strength to be effective. Take this Reversed Seven-Yang Formation before us, although it’s not a particularly sophisticated formation, even I would find it quite strenuous to break it purely by force.”

Mei Qing nodded in understanding. Formations were originally designed to harness the power of heaven and earth, so the energy they could mobilize far exceeded the strength of the array master. Therefore, to break a formation by brute force would require far more spiritual power than what was used to create it.

“The second method is to break it with skill. Every formation has its core and weak points, all connected to the balance of yin and yang, the flow of spiritual energy, and the application of true essence. If your insight is sharp enough, you don’t need to calculate everything. Just identify the key points, and even with a single finger’s strength, you can collapse the entire array. Alternatively, find the gaps and flaws—no matter how complex the formation, there are always holes you can exploit. However, this method requires you to have an extremely deep understanding of formations and exceptional insight to achieve such a level.”

Listening to Zhang Shisan’s description, Mei Qing felt a strong sense of admiration. Although formations might seem to rely on the strength of spiritual energy and the power of the array’s core, their true foundation lay in the wisdom and skill of the array master. If someone truly mastered formations to an extraordinary degree, they could effortlessly perceive the entire formation at a glance, breaking arrays and defeating enemies as effortlessly as a skilled butcher dissects an ox—requiring no brute force, using only subtle precision to achieve effortless mastery.

“However, human ability and intelligence have their limits. Although these two methods are well known, not everyone can execute them. That brings us to the third method—breaking an array through calculation. This involves analyzing each move as it comes, step by step, gradually dismantling the formation. As for the specific techniques and methods involved, they all follow this fundamental principle.” As he spoke, Zhang Shisan began explaining how to break the Reversed Seven-Yang Formation before them.

As mentioned earlier, any formation relies on its core to transform spiritual energy to sustain its function. The most common way is to draw in the essence of the sun and moon, just as cultivators refine their energy, channeling the essence of heaven and earth to support the formation’s operation. This particular formation, however, was a Seven-Yang array, not drawing from the sun and moon, but instead relying on the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper to gather stellar essence and channel spiritual energy to sustain the grand formation. Unlike the pure yang essence of the sun, the Northern Dipper was the embodiment of yin energy. By reversing the balance of yin and yang, and harmonizing with the royal yang energy of this palace, it was designed to suppress yin and evil forces in the area, embodying the principle of using poison to counter poison.

It is said that the Southern Dipper governs life while the Northern Dipper governs death. The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper are filled with killing intent, indicating that the evil force the formation was meant to suppress must be something born of death energy or heavily imbued with it. Furthermore, to transform yin into yang, the formation’s core must be a powerful yang artifact capable of harmonizing with the palace’s inherent yang energy. Considering that the formation was based on the Seven-Yang principle and aligned with the Seven Stars, the core artifact was likely something like a Seven-Yang Ruler, or something with seven openings or otherwise attuned to the principle of seven yang energies.

After listening to Zhang Shisan explain the Two Forms, Four Symbols, and the Primordial Tai Chi Formation, Mei Qing asked, “So, according to Master, is the Two Forms and Four Symbols Formation impossible to fully comprehend?”

Zhang Shisan shook his head, “Not necessarily. Firstly, even within the Two Forms and Four Symbols, there are differences depending on the skill of the person setting up the formation and the strength of the formation’s core. If it’s a major sect’s mountain gate formation, often passed down by predecessors with powerful artifacts as the core, it’s naturally difficult to unravel. However, if it’s set up by so-called masters of today, their methods often leave traces, and the formation’s core isn’t necessarily formidable, making it possible to find a way to break it. Moreover, understanding a formation and breaking it are not the same. Calculating the entire formation is extremely challenging, but focusing on a single gate or palace at a specific moment isn’t as difficult. By moving step by step and calculating carefully, one can eventually exit the formation. In fact, many people in the world break formations this way.”

“Oh? So, is calculating the only way to break a formation?” Mei Qing was currently facing the Seven Suns Formation, which was reversed, but based on Zhang Shisan’s explanation, he could roughly understand it. However, he was still unsure how to proceed with breaking it.

“Breaking a formation isn’t limited to just one method. Generally, there are three strategies,” Zhang Shisan pondered. “The first is to break it with force. No matter what formation it is, it relies on spiritual energy and true essence. If your cultivation is high enough, you can simply attack it head-on, and the formation will collapse. However, this method requires your cultivation to be far superior to the formation’s strength. For example, even though this reversed Seven Suns Formation isn’t particularly advanced, if I were to break it with force, it would still require considerable effort.”

Mei Qing nodded in understanding. Formations draw on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so the energy they mobilize far exceeds the strength of the person who set them up. To break a formation with brute force, one’s spiritual power must far surpass that of the formation’s creator.

“The second method is to break it with skill. Every formation has a core and key points, which rely on the interplay of yin and yang, the five elements, and the flow of spiritual energy. If your insight is sharp enough, you don’t need to calculate. Just pinpoint the critical points, and even a single finger’s force can disrupt the entire formation. Alternatively, you can find its loopholes or weak spots, as formations often have many gaps that you can exploit. However, this method requires you to be extremely proficient in formations and have exceptional insight to achieve this level.”

As Mei Qing listened to Zhang Shisan describe this level of skill, he felt a deep yearning. Although formations appear to be about the thickness of spiritual energy and the strength of the core, the most fundamental aspect is the knowledge and ability of the person who set it up. If one truly masters formations, they can see through them effortlessly, breaking them and defeating enemies with ease, like a skilled butcher dissecting an ox. It requires no brute force, just a light touch to move a thousand pounds, achieving everything with grace.

“However, human strength and wisdom have their limits. While the first two methods are understood by everyone, not everyone can achieve them. The third method is to break the formation through calculation. You respond to each move, calculating step by step, gradually breaking the formation. As for the various techniques involved, they all revolve around the same principles.” As he spoke, Zhang Shisan began to explain to Mei Qing how to break the reversed Seven Suns Formation they were currently facing.

As mentioned earlier, formations rely on the core to convert spiritual energy to power the formation. The most common method is to transform the essence of the sun and moon, much like how cultivators refine their energy, drawing the essence of the sun and moon to sustain the formation. However, this formation is based on the Seven Suns, not the sun and moon, but the Big Dipper, which serves as the source of spiritual energy. It draws the essence of the stars to infuse spiritual energy and sustain the formation. The Big Dipper, unlike the sun’s true essence, represents the extreme of yin energy. By reversing yin and yang, it uses the royal yang energy of this place to suppress the yin and evil energy here, embodying the idea of fighting poison with poison.

The saying goes, “The Southern Dipper governs life, the Northern Dipper governs death.” The Big Dipper’s killing intent is strong, indicating that the formation’s creator intended to suppress the evil energy here, which must be derived from death or something heavily tainted by death. Additionally, by transforming yin into yang, the formation’s core must be a yang-heavy artifact that harmonizes with the true yang energy of this palace. Considering that the formation is based on the Seven Suns and aligns with the Big Dipper, the artifact is likely something like a Seven Suns Ruler or an object with seven orifices, symbolizing the Seven Suns.

Since the formation combines the Seven Suns and the Big Dipper, breaking it requires addressing both aspects. The Seven Suns refer to the Eight Yang Gates minus the first yang, while the Big Dipper consists of the stars Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang, Yaoguang, and Tianshu. Thus, the formation has forty-nine variations, making it not an overly formidable formation.

“Even so, this formation has many clever aspects worth learning from. Additionally, this isn’t a killing or trapping formation; it’s not designed to deal with people. Therefore, I’ll just explain the method to break it, and you can figure it out yourself. Today, we won’t disturb the snake in the grass, so let’s not actually break the formation.” Zhang Shisan pointed out the positions of the Seven Stars and Seven Suns to Mei Qing, explaining each one in detail.

Originally, the Seven Stars and Seven Suns are used together, but they have different weights. The Seven Stars form the body, while the Seven Suns are the function, hence the name Seven Suns Formation. However, when breaking the formation, the Seven Stars take precedence, with the Seven Suns playing a supporting role. The rotation of the Seven Stars, with the handle of the Dipper as the key, is crucial. To break the formation, one enters through Tianshu, passes through Yuheng to Tianxuan, and reverses the Seven Stars, opening the Seven Yang Gates in reverse, thus breaking the formation.

While it sounds simple, Zhang Shisan spent over half an hour explaining the various changes involved. Mei Qing listened attentively, asking questions from time to time, and finally grasped the method thoroughly. He let out a long breath, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

“Besides this reversed Seven Suns Formation, there’s also a Three Lights Formation here. However, this formation is entirely based on artifacts and is essentially an illusion formation, so there’s not much to say about it. I’ll take you around, and without much explanation, you’ll understand it yourself.” With that, Zhang Shisan lazily put away his wine gourd, shouted “Rise!”, and led the group towards the main hall.

As they entered the hall, Mei Qing suddenly felt the scene before him distort. He quickly focused his mind to observe carefully. Zhang Shisan, intentionally allowing Mei Qing to see clearly, flew around while pointing out the intricacies. Mei Qing then realized that the Three Lights Formation didn’t refer to the sun, moon, and stars, but to the harmony of three lights, creating an illusionary formation designed to deceive others.

No wonder, when they entered the courtyard, all they saw was a scene of decay. The inner images had been obscured by this formation. The core of the Three Lights Formation was likely a mirror-like artifact, capable of altering light to create various illusions and deceive others.

The applications of this formation were vastly different from the reversed Seven Suns Formation. After circling around several times, Mei Qing finally felt he had grasped the essence of the formation. He nodded to Zhang Shisan, stepped away from his side, and began to walk in a peculiar, seemingly erratic pattern.

To an ordinary observer, these steps would appear random, moving left and right, forward and backward, with no discernible order. However, Zhang Shisan watched with a smile, stroking his beard. When Mei Qing suddenly disappeared, Zhang Shisan, with a light shout of “Swift!”, also vanished with Hou Shen.

In the next moment, the three of them suddenly appeared in the palace’s backyard.

Behind the main hall of the palace was the area where the emperor resided during his travels, separated by a wall. Earlier, due to the Three Lights Formation, both distant and close views showed only desolation. However, upon passing through the formation, the scene that greeted them was astonishing. In the backyard, seven tall flagpoles stood around, each inscribed with symbols. On the ground lay dozens of black coffins, arranged haphazardly.

The coffins were peculiar, their surfaces worn and dull, as if frequently handled.

Scattered around the coffins were various strange bones. Some were over ten feet long, with four legs and two wings; others were as small as a fist, with eight legs and two claws. Most of the bones were dark in color, appearing extremely hard.

These bones weren’t simply scattered on the ground as usual but maintained their forms, standing proudly beside the coffins like lifelike specimens.

“What is this?” Mei Qing was shocked and immediately asked Zhang Shisan.

Hou Shen, equally puzzled, despite his extensive experience in the martial world, had never seen such a scene and also looked to Zhang Shisan for answers.

“This is… this is… a Nightmare Spirit? By the Three Pure Ones, what are they trying to do?” Zhang Shisan, usually composed, now appeared somewhat frightened.

“What is a Nightmare Spirit? Master, you…” Mei Qing was about to ask Zhang Shisan for more details about the Nightmare Spirit when he noticed Zhang Shisan’s tense expression and a gesture signaling him to stop talking.

Zhang Shisan didn’t dare delay, chanting a spell and throwing out a small piece of cloth, signaling Mei Qing and Hou Shen to follow his movements.

When they first entered the formation, Zhang Shisan hadn’t paid much attention, simply using an invisibility spell to move the three of them together. However, upon seeing the scene before them, he no longer dared to be careless. As soon as he activated the artifact, Mei Qing felt a thick layer of true essence enveloping him, preventing any external energy from leaking out. Clearly, this small piece of cloth was an artifact designed to conceal their presence.

Mei Qing stared at the cloth, examining it closely. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t figure out what this cloth-like object was or what secrets it held. However, his eyes gradually grew more intense with curiosity.

“Although so, this formation contains many clever and intricate elements. It’s worth studying. Also, this is not a killing or trapping formation meant to harm people. Therefore, I will only explain the method of breaking it to you. If you can understand it yourself, that will suffice. Today, we shouldn’t make our presence known, so we won’t completely dismantle the formation yet.” As he spoke, Zhang Shisan pointed out the positions of the Seven Stars and Seven-Yang nodes one by one.

Although both the Seven Stars and Seven-Yang were used, they were not equally weighted. The Seven Stars formed the foundation while the Seven-Yang served as the function, hence the name Seven-Yang Formation. However, when breaking the formation, the focus was on the Seven Stars, with the Seven-Yang as auxiliary. By following the movement of the Big Dipper, one would enter the array from Tianshu, pass through Yuheng to Tianxuan, and reverse the Seven Stars’ sequence, thereby activating the Seven-Yang Trigrams and breaking the formation naturally.

It sounded simple, but Zhang Shisan explained every variation in detail, taking nearly half an hour. Mei Qing listened attentively, occasionally asking questions, and finally gained a deep understanding of the method. He exhaled deeply, feeling a great sense of accomplishment.

“Besides this Reversed Seven-Yang Formation, there is also a Three-Light Formation here. However, this formation is entirely dependent on magical artifacts and is essentially an illusion array, not worth much explanation. I’ll just guide you through it once, and you’ll understand without further words.” Having said that, Zhang Shisan lazily put away his wine gourd and shouted, “Let’s go!” and led them flying straight toward the main hall.

As they entered the main hall, Mei Qing suddenly felt the scenery before him distort. He quickly focused his mind and examined carefully. Zhang Shisan intentionally allowed Mei Qing to observe clearly, explaining the formation’s subtleties as they flew. Mei Qing finally understood that this Three-Light Formation did not refer to the sun, moon, and stars, but rather the merging of three lights into one—an illusionary formation meant to deceive the senses.

No wonder when they first entered the courtyard, everything seemed desolate and ruined. In reality, the true scene had been hidden by this formation. The core of the Three-Light Formation was likely a mirror-like magical artifact, capable of altering light and creating illusions to deceive observers.

The application of this formation was quite different from the previous Reversed Seven-Yang Formation. After circling around several times, Mei Qing finally grasped its secrets, nodded to Zhang Shisan, and stepped away from him. Following his calculations, he began walking in a seemingly strange pattern.

To an ordinary observer, his steps would appear chaotic and random, moving left and right, forward and backward without any discernible pattern. However, Zhang Shisan watched with a smile, stroking his beard. When Mei Qing’s body suddenly vanished, Zhang Shisan gestured to Hou Shen, shouted “Quickly!” and they too disappeared in an instant.

In the next moment, the three of them suddenly appeared in the rear courtyard of the palace.

Behind the main hall of the palace was where the emperor resided during his travels, separated by a courtyard wall. Earlier, due to the Three-Light Formation’s concealment, the area appeared desolate and empty from both near and far. But as Mei Qing and the others passed through the formation, the scene before them was shocking. In the courtyard stood seven tall flagpoles, each adorned with talismanic symbols. On the ground were scattered dozens of black coffins, their lids worn and dull, as if frequently handled.

Around the coffins lay various strange bones. Some were over a meter long, with four legs and two wings; others were as small as fists, with eight legs and two claws. Most of them were dark and dense, appearing extremely hard.

These bones were not randomly scattered like ordinary remains but maintained their original shapes, like lifelike specimens proudly standing beside the coffins.

“What is this?” Mei Qing was greatly startled and immediately turned to Zhang Shisan in alarm.

Hou Shen, standing beside him, was equally puzzled. Despite his extensive experience traveling the martial world, he had never seen anything like this and also turned to Zhang Shisan for answers.

“This… this… these are Nightmare Spirits? By the Three Pure Ones, what are they trying to do here?” Zhang Shisan, usually composed, now looked visibly shaken and frightened.

“What are Nightmare Spirits, Master?” Mei Qing was about to ask Zhang Shisan for more details when he suddenly noticed Zhang’s expression tighten. Zhang made a gesture signaling him to stay silent, and Mei Qing immediately held his tongue.

Zhang Shisan wasted no time. Chanting an incantation, he threw out a small piece of cloth resembling a corner of a robe, signaling Mei Qing and Hou Shen to follow his movements.

When they first entered the formation, Zhang had not taken it too seriously, merely using an invisibility spell to conceal the three of them. But seeing the scene before him now, he could no longer afford to be complacent. As soon as he deployed the magical artifact, Mei Qing felt a thick surge of true essence envelop him completely, sealing off any trace of his spiritual presence. Clearly, this small piece of cloth was a magical artifact meant for concealment.

Mei Qing stared intently at the cloth fragment, examining it closely. No matter how hard he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t determine what it was or what secrets it held. Yet, his gaze gradually grew more and more intense.