The rain of arrows had passed, and Mei Qing’s heart steadied. The warrior in the Five Elements Formation across from him had nearly been shattered by the previous strike of the demon-subduing mallet. Seeing the mallet raise again, he had braced himself for another blow—only to find the mallet suddenly veer toward the rain of arrows instead. This time, the counterattack had come to naught.
Mei Qing rejoiced inwardly, as the talismans he had secretly deployed were now in position. Silently reciting incantations and forming magical seals with his fingers, he suddenly shouted, “Ji—Swiftly!” Instantly, a blazing rain of fire, crackling and roaring, erupted around the five warriors.
Already gravely wounded, the five generals had been momentarily startled by the feint of the demon-subduing mallet. Now caught off guard by the sudden firestorm, they failed to react in time. Before they could act, vivid red flames erupted across their bodies, and each let out a startled cry. Alas, these five generals were made of paper, possessing only limited sentience, and could only act under the commands of Xi Nu. With the First Xi Nu, Yin Ping, unable to return in time, there was no one to coordinate their defense. Their already weakened forms, composed of paper, were quickly engulfed in flames, turning to ash in an instant. The five beautiful figures disintegrated into drifting embers, scattering like autumn leaves in the wind, vanishing into oblivion.
Witnessing her five generals reduced to ashes in an instant, the First Xi Nu was seized by fury. She summoned Yin Ping into her hand, her movements swift and fluid like blooming flowers, and shouted, “Ganlu Qiong Jiang, Five Earths and Three Talents, Chi—Command!”
The sweet dew from the bottle poured forth as if money were no object. Around her, it seemed as though storms arose with clouds swirling, swords and blades sang, and warhorses thundered across the battlefield. A howling chill swept through the air, and several battalions, accompanied by charging iron cavalry, surrounded Mei Qing in the center.
Mei Qing dared not be careless. He scanned the battlefield with his eyes and sent out his spiritual awareness, noting that this time, three squads had advanced together, integrating the Five Elements internally and aligning with the Three Talents externally, forming a grand Three Talents and Five Elements Formation.
This formation was far more complex than the last. Within it, the Three Talents interwove fluidly, the Five Elements cycled endlessly, and the variations were manifold. Breaking through this formation would require much more effort. Mei Qing took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and first released a Vajra talisman around himself. Then, he continuously extended his spiritual awareness, seeking the formation’s core nodes and calculating his next move.
However, his opponent did not allow him such leisure. With a gust of golden wind, a general from the Heaven Formation of the Three Talents suddenly charged forward, drawing a longbow that released three black-feathered arrows in a triangular formation.
Mei Qing sighed inwardly but steeled himself, focusing first on self-defense. As he dodged and maneuvered, he continued his calculations in the background.
The Three Talents and Five Elements Formation was not particularly formidable in itself. But when formed by magical artifacts, it could be analyzed step by step, its changes observed and calculated. However, the First Xi Nu had constructed it using paper soldiers and steeds, all under her sole command. The formation moved as one, its movements coordinated and relentless, allowing no moment to breathe or observe. Compared to a rigid magical formation, it was a level more dangerous, and it gave Mei Qing a new appreciation for the application of formations.
Though he could not break through immediately, Mei Qing had a solid understanding of formations. Earlier, he had broken a Five Elements Formation, giving him some strategic advantage and preventing him from becoming overwhelmed.
Now, half of his spiritual awareness controlled the “Shadow Switch,” continuously shifting his position, while the other half quietly deployed several talismans in a reverse Five Elements formation. The opponent’s Three Talents and Five Elements Formation moved seamlessly, leaving no room for surprise attacks like before. Thus, Mei Qing could only counter formation with formation, seeking to disrupt their order and seize an opportunity to strike.
As his formation neared completion and the enemy continued their relentless assault without noticing his hidden moves, Mei Qing inwardly rejoiced. He shifted his spiritual awareness to the formation’s core node, ready to activate the formation with an incantation—when suddenly, without warning, his spirit jolted in alarm. Without hesitation, he activated “Shadow Switch” at full power, his figure flashing three times across the Bagua positions.
Though Mei Qing reacted swiftly, he was still slightly too slow. A piercing whistle suddenly rang in his ears, followed by dozens of sea-bowl-sized flowers bursting forth in layers of radiant color around him. Accompanied by the sharp whistle, they exploded simultaneously.
Petals flew like a storm, striking Mei Qing’s protective Vajra talisman and sending out rippling waves. Though Mei Qing had managed to evade the largest explosion, the impact from the petals still sent his inner essence into chaos, his vision darkening as he nearly fainted.
Mei Qing was deeply alarmed. As a cultivator newly ascended to the Qi Refinement stage, his greatest fear was damage to his Golden Core. His Golden Core had already begun to show signs of forming an Embryo, making it extremely fragile. Any injury would require immense effort to recover from.
With no time to think, Mei Qing formed hand seals with both hands—manifesting the “Commoner Form” inwardly and the “Destroyer Form” outwardly, completing the Four Realms of Huayan. He shouted, “Dou—Halt!”
With this transformation, he not only stabilized his chaotic inner essence but also used the Destroyer Form to momentarily suppress the enemy’s formation assault. Fortunately, after the Sixth Xi Nu’s initial attack, she had failed to follow up, allowing Mei Qing to catch his breath. He quickly focused his spiritual awareness, calming the dual essences of sun and moon within him, stabilizing the Golden Core and adjusting his energy flow.
This incident revealed Mei Qing’s lack of combat experience.
Previously, he had focused solely on battling the First Xi Nu’s formation, neglecting the lurking Sixth Xi Nu. The First Xi Nu clearly commanded the battlefield, while the Sixth Xi Nu, wielding a long flute, controlled a sea of blooming flowers, acting as a guardian deity specializing in direct magical attacks. Seeing Mei Qing maneuvering effortlessly within the Three Talents and Five Elements Formation, though unable to discern his hidden moves, she had sensed his counterattack brewing. Seizing the momentary gap as Mei Qing completed his formation and prepared to retaliate, she launched a surprise attack, successfully injuring him.
However, the Sixth Xi Nu hadn’t expected Mei Qing to still manage evasion under such circumstances. She failed to press the advantage immediately, giving Mei Qing a brief respite.
But only for an instant. Realizing she had missed her chance, the Sixth Xi Nu swiftly raised her flute to her lips, unleashing a piercing note directly at Mei Qing.
At the same time, the warriors within the Three Talents and Five Elements Formation raised their weapons once more, surging forward with killing intent.
Mei Qing knew the situation was dire, but retreating now felt too hasty. With a sudden thought, he raised his hand and summoned three talismans.
The three talismans floated outward, each landing precisely on one of the Three Talents positions in the enemy formation.
Both Xi Nus, having witnessed Mei Qing’s earlier power, now grew wary. Seeing him unleash three talismans at once, they suspected he might be desperate after being injured, so they refrained from pressing too hard, instead attempting to trap him within the formation while planning their next move.
But as the talismans activated, they summoned a surge of earth-elemental energy, stirring up a chaotic wind that rushed toward the formation’s core nodes in the Three Talents and Five Elements Formation.
This surprised both Xi Nus. The formation’s core nodes were precisely the positions of the earth element. Mei Qing attacking with earth talismans—wasn’t that like carrying firewood to put out a fire? Could he have lost his mind after being struck?
Yet Mei Qing hovered in midair, calm and composed, his hands outstretched—one palm facing upward, the other downward—his clear voice chanting, “Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, the palm commands the Five Elements.”
“Thunder in the Palm (Zhang Xin Lei)!” Both Xi Nus cried out in disbelief. Their previously calm expressions now carried hints of alarm.
The incantation Mei Qing recited was indeed from the fragmentary scroll he had seen. However, what he had learned was incomplete. He was merely using it as a cover for his real technique.
The two Xi Nus, however, did not think so. Mei Qing’s every move, from his tactics to his magic, had been unexpected and seemingly illogical, yet each strike had been effective. Even after the Sixth Xi Nu’s surprise attack, he had managed to escape unscathed, his methods both strange and innovative, earning their utmost caution.
Thus, upon hearing the Zhang Xin Lei incantation, both Xi Nus heightened their vigilance, carefully observing, fearing a misstep would lead to their downfall.
Yet Mei Qing’s chanting grew softer, and just as the two Xi Nus, fully focused, advanced steadily, he suddenly roared, “Dun—Vanish!” In an instant, his figure flickered and vanished without a trace.
Both Xi Nus were stunned. Mei Qing had been loudly chanting the Thunder Palm incantation, only to suddenly vanish with a teleportation spell. Had this fellow been merely pretending, planning to flee all along?
As they fumed, they suddenly noticed the earth-elemental energy around them. After Mei Qing’s three earth talismans, the energy had been intensifying, especially with the formation’s core nodes amplifying it. But now, with Mei Qing’s Earth遁 spell, the entire surrounding earth-elemental energy had been drained in an instant.
Then, a terrifying surge of spiritual energy rippled outward.
“Reverse Five Elements? Severing the Earth Element? No good!” The two Xi Nus finally realized the truth. Despite their caution, they had still been outmaneuvered by Mei Qing.
The Three Talents and Five Elements Formation was extremely stable, defensive in nature and difficult to break, making it ideal for containment.
But Mei Qing had played by no rules. Knowing a direct assault would be difficult, he had devised a clever trap. Earlier, his three earth talismans were not meant to disrupt the enemy but to strengthen the earth-elemental energy within the formation. Logically, the denser the earth energy, the more stable the formation would be. Thus, the two Xi Nus had not anticipated Mei Qing’s next move, leading to their downfall.
While trapped in the formation, Mei Qing had not merely been evading. Each of his movements had subtly laid the groundwork for a Reverse Five Elements Formation. When he silently activated his teleportation spell, he unleashed the hidden formation, instantly draining all the earth-elemental energy from the enemy’s Three Talents and Five Elements Formation. Though he had escaped, the Reverse Five Elements Formation now erupted into chaos behind him.
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