Chapter 145: The Secret of the Stone Tablet

Just moments ago, Mei Qing had been trapped within the formation, so naturally he was unaware of what had happened outside—how Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, and Bi Zhen had handled the remaining adversaries, or how Liu Liu and Xiao Miele had managed to sneak into this tiny fish-bone temple to ambush him. But what he hadn’t expected was that this illusion formation was far more complicated than he had imagined. In fact, even Xiao Miele himself had not detected the presence of Mei Qing or the formation.

This illusion formation seemed to completely isolate the inside from the outside. When Mei Qing suddenly appeared inside the fish-bone temple, Xiao Miele was greatly startled. At first, he even suspected that Mei Qing might have used some special technique to track him here, acting as a scout for Master Ku.

Fortunately, since he had fled here, he had naturally taken precautions beforehand, which was why Mei Qing hadn’t discovered him. Xiao Miele had secretly launched a sneak attack and finally subdued Mei Qing.

However, although Mei Qing was subdued, it might be more accurate to say he was trapped. At the last moment, Mei Qing had suddenly launched a desperate attack, actually shutting off his five senses and six perceptions, even seemingly locking away his own true energy. Although such a method had long been heard of, this was the first time he had seen someone actually dare to do something so drastic and ruthless to themselves.

This method, while indeed preventing others from attacking, also locked the practitioner inside an inescapable prison. Unless rescued by someone whose cultivation surpassed their own, there would be no way to break free.

Could it be that this young man was so confident, knowing that someone would come to rescue him, that he dared to use this method without hesitation? Thinking of this, Xiao Miele involuntarily shivered, not daring to delay. He hastily performed a technique and shouted, “!” A ripple spread through the air, and along with it, Xiao Miele, Liu Liu, and the unconscious Mei Qing on the ground gradually faded from sight, until they completely vanished.

“Not so fast!” Just as the three figures were fading away, a woman’s crisp voice suddenly rang out from outside the window. Immediately afterward, light flashed inside the temple, followed by the sound of some unknown magical technique or artifact missing its target. But the three figures had disappeared just a split second earlier, leaving no trace behind.

Just moments ago, Mei Qing was trapped within the formation, naturally unaware of what had transpired outside. He had no idea how Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, and Bi Zhen had dealt with the remaining situation, nor did he understand how Liu Liu and the Laughing Buddha had managed to sneak into this small Fishbone Temple to ambush him. What he didn’t anticipate, however, was that this illusionary formation was far more complex than he had imagined. In fact, even the Laughing Buddha himself had not detected Mei Qing’s presence within the formation.

The formation seemed to completely isolate the inside from the outside. When Mei Qing suddenly appeared in the Fishbone Temple, the Laughing Buddha was greatly startled. At first, he even thought that Mei Qing might have used some special technique to track him here, acting as a vanguard for Master Ku.

Fortunately, since the Laughing Buddha had fled for his life, he had naturally taken precautions beforehand, which prevented Mei Qing from discovering him. He managed to ambush Mei Qing in secret and finally subdued him.

However, subduing Mei Qing was more akin to trapping him. At the last moment, Mei Qing suddenly made a desperate move, sealing off his five senses and six perceptions, and even locking his true essence. Although the Laughing Buddha had heard of such a method before, this was the first time he had witnessed someone execute it with such determination, willing to be so ruthless to themselves.

This method, while making it impossible for others to act against the user, also created an inescapable prison for the user themselves. Unless a cultivator with higher cultivation intervened to rescue them, there would be no way to break free.

Could it be that this young man was confident that someone would come to his rescue, hence he didn’t hesitate to use this method? Thinking this, the Laughing Buddha couldn’t help but shiver, not daring to delay. He quickly performed a hand seal and shouted, “!” A ripple flashed, and along with the Laughing Buddha, Liu Liu, and Mei Qing on the ground, their figures gradually faded until they disappeared completely.

“Where do you think you’re going!” Just as the three figures were fading, a woman’s sharp voice rang out from outside the window. Immediately, light flashed within the temple, and the sound of some spell or magical weapon striking empty air could be heard. But the figures of the three had already vanished, just a moment too soon.

“Master!” Bi Zhen jumped into the temple, looking around anxiously, her voice filled with worry and frustration. “You were so slow! Look, A-Qing has been taken by them. What are we going to do?”

Following her, Zhang Shisan and Master Ku entered. One had a calm expression, while the other still wore his usual cheerful smile. “My dear disciple, why are you so anxious? Don’t worry, with us two old bones here, there’s no way they’ll escape… Hmm, this place seems a bit strange. I didn’t notice it last time.”

A moment before Zhang Shisan spoke, Master Ku frowned. He looked around the small temple, his expression growing serious.

“Master, what’s going on? Hurry and find them. Are they hiding somewhere?” Bi Zhen, seeing Zhang Shisan’s playful expression suddenly change, was shocked. She looked around for a while but found nothing unusual in the temple, so she grabbed Zhang Shisan and kept asking questions.

Zhang Shisan smiled bitterly. “Mei Qing and those two didn’t hide. It’s more like… they suddenly disappeared. Could it be…” He looked around for a while and suddenly said, “Outside?”

Master Ku, who had been silent, suddenly nodded and said firmly, “The stone tablet.”

The Fishbone Temple was extremely small. After entering the mountain gate, there were no bell or drum towers on either side, only a few stone tablets scattered in front of the stone steps. The bases of the tablets were buried in wild grass, making the place look quite dilapidated.

Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, and Bi Zhen walked up to the stone tablets and, after a brief glance, focused their attention on the shortest one in the middle.

This stone tablet must have been extremely old, as the inscriptions on it had long been eroded by the sea wind and salt, making them almost illegible.

Generally, temple inscriptions were mostly merit tablets, recording the names of donors and the events during the construction or renovation of the temple. But this tablet was quite different. Not only was it unusually short, but it also lacked the usual stone beasts at its base. It looked more like a stone pillar standing there.

Zhang Shisan circled the tablet several times, his frown deepening. He muttered, “This is strange. How come I never noticed this before? Could this place have some history?”

“Master, what’s going on?” Bi Zhen, seeing Zhang Shisan’s behavior, couldn’t help but feel uneasy. She tugged at his sleeve and asked nervously, “Where did A-Qing go?”

Zhang Shisan hesitated. “Master is still looking… Alright, girl, stop shaking me. Mei Qing must have been taken away… This place seems to have some mystery, like it’s the entrance to some grand formation or ancient relic.”

“What?” Bi Zhen was shocked. Seeing Master Ku sitting silently in front of the tablet, his eyes closed as if meditating, she grew even more anxious. She grabbed Zhang Shisan and said, “Master, hurry and think of something. What if we really lose A-Qing?”

“A grown man like him won’t be lost so easily,” Zhang Shisan said, though he didn’t sound very confident. Perhaps even he felt that his words couldn’t reassure Bi Zhen. He glanced at the tablet again and suddenly said in annoyance, “If he’s lost, it’s his own fault! Why didn’t he stay put and keep running around? Ouch, girl, stop pinching me. I’ve read Mei Qing’s fortune, and he’s not a short-lived one…”

Zhang Shisan’s fortune-telling skills were something only he believed in. Judging by his tone today, even he seemed to lack confidence.

As the master and disciple were arguing, Master Ku suddenly spoke up. “This stone tablet… I seem to have noticed something—”

Zhang Shisan and Bi Zhen immediately fell silent. Zhang Shisan had wanted to express some distrust and criticism of Master Ku, but considering that he had circled the tablet several times without finding anything, and now the monk had only sat for a while and claimed to have noticed something, he decided to hold his tongue.

Master Ku continued slowly, “This stone tablet… it seems… it’s not a Buddhist artifact—”

Zhang Shisan and Bi Zhen almost fainted from frustration. The Sea Goddess was not a Buddhist deity; she was generally classified as a Taoist immortal. Since this small temple was dedicated to the Sea Goddess, the tablet naturally wouldn’t be a Buddhist artifact.

“Old bald man, I already knew it’s not a Buddhist artifact. You Buddhists build temples in scenic places, preaching emptiness while indulging in luxury, wasting resources, and deceiving women and children. You wouldn’t come to this remote corner of the sea to do something so pointless,” Zhang Shisan never missed an opportunity to mock Master Ku, and now he let loose with a cold laugh.

Bi Zhen, looking anxious, was about to intervene when Master Ku shook his head and said, “I’m talking about the technique.”

“Technique?… Heh, of course, your Buddhist techniques aren’t this sophisticated… Wait, no…” Zhang Shisan blurted out a few words, then suddenly paused, his mocking tone turning to surprise. “Old bald man, something’s not right. In fact, heh, it’s not just not Buddhist. Even our Taoist techniques might not match up. Who set this up?”

After a few more words, Zhang Shisan suddenly spread his sleeves, formed a hand seal, and soared into the air, carefully inspecting the area from above. After a while, he descended, his expression grave and silent.

“Master, what’s going on? Say something,” Bi Zhen urged anxiously, unable to wait any longer.

Zhang Shisan gestured but remained silent, still deep in thought. Bi Zhen, frustrated, stamped her foot but knew better than to interrupt.

After a moment, Zhang Shisan shook his head. “Something’s not right. The layout here is grand, but the technique leaves traces. However, if we try to follow the clues one by one, we won’t have enough time. Old bald man, I think we’ll need to act together.”

Master Ku, seeing Zhang Shisan’s seriousness, was also surprised. When it came to formations and mechanisms, Zhang Shisan was far superior to him, and few in the world could claim to surpass him. Although Master Ku, with his high cultivation and spiritual sense, could feel the vast aura connected to this stone tablet, judging by Zhang Shisan’s reaction, the thing behind it must be beyond his imagination.

Zhang Shisan said gravely, “This place seems to be both a gateway and the core of a grand formation. The two combined, I can’t figure out what lies behind. As for the formation, it seems incomplete. To be honest, I can’t fully comprehend this formation. My suggestion is that we join forces to forcefully destroy it and carve out a path.”

Master Ku and Bi Zhen had no objections. Without further ado, Zhang Shisan spread his sleeves and chanted, “Boundless heaven and earth, borrow the power of the universe, by the law, quickly!”

A faint mist gradually condensed, forming a water mirror before their eyes. The mirror displayed the scene Zhang Shisan had observed from above.

The land and sea were clearly visible, with winding rivers, villages, and fields all in view. Above them, there were seven glowing dots—one large and six small.

Zhang Shisan explained, “The largest dot is where we are now. The six smaller dots are the six nodes of this formation. According to my calculations, there should be seven nodes, but for some reason, one is missing, which is why we can trace it. Since we have no other options, we’ll forcefully destroy these six nodes, then come back and destroy this stone tablet. Whatever lies behind it will surely be revealed.”

Master Ku nodded slightly, and Bi Zhen, fearless and impatient, pulled the two of them, and they set off in the direction of the first glowing dot, ready to unleash their powers.

Following her were Zhang Shisan and Master Ku, one with a calm expression and the other still smiling as usual. “My dear apprentice, why are you in such a hurry? Don’t worry, with us two old bones here, do you really think they could escape us? … Hmm, this place feels a bit strange. I don’t remember noticing this before.”

A moment before Zhang Shisan spoke, Master Ku had already furrowed his brow. He looked around the tiny temple, his expression gradually turning serious.

“Master, what’s going on? Hurry up and look! Did they hide somewhere?” Bi Zhen, seeing Zhang Shisan’s suddenly serious expression, grew greatly alarmed. Yet after examining the temple for a while, she found nothing unusual and could only keep tugging at Zhang Shisan’s sleeve, asking him questions nonstop.

Zhang Shisan sighed and said, “Mei Qing and those two others didn’t hide. It’s more like… they suddenly vanished into thin air. Could it be…?” He looked around for a while before suddenly exclaiming, “Outside?”

Master Ku had remained silent until now. At this moment, he suddenly nodded and confirmed, “The stone tablet.”

This fish-bone temple was extremely small. Upon entering the mountain gate, there were no bell or drum towers on either side. Only a few stone tablets were scattered before the stone steps, their bases buried in wild grass, appearing very dilapidated.

Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, and Bi Zhen arrived at the stone tablets and after a brief inspection, all focused their attention on the shortest one in the middle.

This stone tablet must have been extremely ancient. Its inscriptions, eroded by sea winds and alkali soil, had long since become illegible.

Just now, Mei Qing was trapped in the formation, naturally unaware of what exactly happened outside, how Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, and Bi Zhen dealt with the remaining situation, nor how Liu Liu and the Laughing Buddha managed to sneak into this small Fishbone Temple to ambush him. However, what he didn’t expect was that this illusion formation was far more complex than he imagined. In fact, even the Laughing Buddha himself was unaware of Mei Qing’s presence within the formation.

The illusion formation seemed to completely isolate the inside from the outside. When Mei Qing suddenly appeared in the Fishbone Temple, the Laughing Buddha was greatly startled. He initially thought that Mei Qing might have used some special technique to track him here, acting as a vanguard for Master Ku.

Fortunately, since he had fled for his life, he had naturally taken protective measures beforehand, which prevented Mei Qing from discovering him. He managed to ambush Mei Qing and finally subdued him.

However, subduing Mei Qing was more like trapping him. At the last moment, Mei Qing suddenly fought back with a life-or-death determination, shutting off his five senses and six consciousnesses, even locking his true essence. Although the Laughing Buddha had heard of such methods, it was the first time he had seen someone so resolute, willing to be so ruthless to themselves.

This method, while making it impossible for others to attack, also set an unbreakable cage for oneself. Unless a cultivator with higher cultivation came to rescue, there was no way to escape.

Could it be that this kid was confident, knowing someone would come to rescue him, hence he didn’t hesitate to use this method? Thinking of this, the Laughing Buddha couldn’t help but shiver, not daring to delay, he quickly performed a technique and shouted, “!” A ripple flashed, and along with the Laughing Buddha, Liu Liu, and Mei Qing on the ground, they gradually faded away until they completely disappeared.

“Where are you going!” Just as the three figures were fading, a woman’s sharp voice came from outside the window, followed by flashes of light inside the temple, and the sound of some spell or magical weapon missing its target. But the three figures had disappeared just a moment earlier.

“Master!” Bi Zhen jumped into the temple, looking around anxiously and with a hint of grievance, “You were dawdling, look, A Qing has been taken by them, what… what should we do?”

Zhang Shisan and Master Ku followed her in. One had a calm expression, while the other still wore a smile, “Good disciple, why are you in such a hurry? Don’t worry, with us two old bones here, how could they escape… Hmm, this place is a bit strange, I didn’t notice it last time.”

Slightly earlier than Zhang Shisan, Master Ku frowned, looking around the small temple, his expression becoming somewhat serious.

“Master, what’s going on? Hurry and find them. Are they hiding?” Bi Zhen was shocked to see Zhang Shisan’s playful expression suddenly change. She looked around for a while but found nothing unusual in the temple, so she kept tugging at Zhang Shisan’s sleeve, asking incessantly.

Zhang Shisan smiled wryly, “Mei Qing and those two didn’t hide. It’s more like… they suddenly disappeared. Could it be…” He looked around for a while, then suddenly said, “Outside?”

Master Ku, who had been silent, suddenly nodded, affirming, “The stone tablet.”

The Fishbone Temple was extremely small. After entering the mountain gate, there were no bell or drum towers on either side, only a few stone tablets scattered in front of the stone steps, their bases buried in wild grass, looking very dilapidated.

Zhang Shisan, Master Ku, and Bi Zhen walked up to the stone tablets, glanced around, and then focused their gaze on the shortest one in the middle.

This stone tablet must have been very old, its inscriptions already blurred by the erosion of sea wind and sand.

Generally, temple inscriptions are mostly merit tablets, recording the names of donors and the events during the construction or renovation. But this tablet was very different. Not only was it unusually short, but it also lacked the usual stone beasts at its base. It was more like a stone pillar standing here.

Zhang Shisan circled the stone tablet several times, his frown deepening. He muttered, “Strange. How come I never noticed this before? Could this place have some history?”

“Master, what’s going on?” Bi Zhen, seeing Zhang Shisan’s behavior, couldn’t help but feel uneasy. She tugged at his sleeve, nervously asking, “Where did A Qing go?”

Zhang Shisan hesitated, “Master is also looking… Oh, alright, girl, stop shaking me. Mei Qing must have been taken away… This place seems to have some mystery, like the entrance to a grand formation or some relic.”

“Ah?” Bi Zhen was shocked. Seeing Master Ku sitting silently in front of the stone tablet, eyes closed, as if meditating, she became even more anxious. She grabbed Zhang Shisan, “Master, hurry and think of something. What if we really lose A Qing?”

“Such a big person, how could he be lost so easily?” Zhang Shisan said, somewhat lacking confidence. Perhaps he himself felt this answer wouldn’t satisfy Bi Zhen, so he glanced at the stone tablet again, suddenly annoyed, “Serves him right! Who told him to wander around instead of staying put? Ouch, girl, stop pinching me. I’ve read Mei Qing’s fortune, he’s not a short-lived guy…”

Zhang Shisan’s fortune-telling skills were probably only trusted by himself. Judging from his tone today, even he seemed to lack confidence.

While the master and disciple were bickering, Master Ku suddenly spoke, “This stone tablet—I seem to have noticed something—”

Hearing this, Zhang Shisan and Bi Zhen immediately fell silent. Zhang Shisan had wanted to express some distrust and criticism towards Master Ku, but considering he had looked around several times without finding anything, and now the monk claimed to have noticed something after sitting for a while, he decided to hold his tongue.

Master Ku continued slowly, “This stone tablet—it seems—not to be a Buddhist artifact—”

Zhang Shisan and Bi Zhen almost fainted from anger. The Sea Goddess was not a Buddhist deity, generally classified as a Taoist immortal. Since this small temple was dedicated to the Sea Goddess, the inscription on the stone tablet naturally wasn’t Buddhist.

“Old bald man, I already knew it wasn’t a Buddhist artifact. You Buddhists build temples in scenic places, preaching emptiness but indulging in luxury, wasting resources, deceiving women and children. You wouldn’t come to this remote corner for such a futile task.” Zhang Shisan never missed an opportunity to criticize Master Ku, now he was in full swing, sneering.

Bi Zhen looked anxious, seeing these two old men still bickering over such trivial matters, she was about to intervene when Master Ku shook his head, “I meant the technique.”

“Technique? … Heh, of course, your Buddhism doesn’t have such a sophisticated technique… Ah, no…” Zhang Shisan blurted out a few sentences, then suddenly paused, his tone changing from sarcasm to surprise, “Old bald man, something’s not right. Actually, heh, it’s not just not Buddhist? Even our Taoism might fall short. Who set this up?”

After saying a few words, Zhang Shisan suddenly spread his sleeves, made a hand seal, and soared into the air, carefully inspecting from above. After a while, he descended, his expression grave, remaining silent.

“Master, what’s going on? Say something.” Bi Zhen was frantic with worry, urging him incessantly.

Zhang Shisan gestured but didn’t speak, still deep in thought. Bi Zhen, seeing this, stamped her foot in frustration but knew Zhang Shisan must be pondering something important, so she didn’t dare to interrupt.

After a moment, Zhang Shisan shook his head, “Something’s not right. The layout here is grand, but the technique still leaves traces. However, to trace the clues one by one would take too much time. Old bald man, I think we need to act together.”

Master Ku, seeing Zhang Shisan’s seriousness, was also surprised. In terms of formation and mechanism techniques, Zhang Shisan was far superior to him, and few in the world could claim to surpass him. Although Master Ku, with his high cultivation and spiritual sense, felt the immense aura connected to this stone tablet, judging from Zhang Shisan’s current reaction, the thing behind it might still be beyond his imagination.

Zhang Shisan said gravely, “This place seems to be both a gateway and a hub of a grand formation. Combining the two, I can’t figure out what lies behind. As for the formation, it seems incomplete. I’ll be frank, I can’t fully comprehend this formation. My suggestion is that we join forces to forcibly destroy this formation and carve out a path.”

Master Ku and Bi Zhen had no objections. Without further ado, Zhang Shisan spread his sleeves and chanted, “Boundless heaven and earth, universe lend me your power, as the law commands!”

A faint mist gradually condensed, forming a water mirror before everyone’s eyes, displaying the scene Zhang Shisan had observed from above.

The sea and land were clearly visible, rivers meandered, villages and farmhouses were all in sight. Above them, one large and six small bright spots shone brilliantly.

Zhang Shisan explained, “The largest bright spot is where we are now. The six smaller ones are the six nodes of this formation. According to my calculations, there should be seven nodes, but for some reason, one is missing, allowing us to trace the clues. Since we have no other options, we’ll forcefully destroy these six nodes, then return to destroy this stone tablet. Whatever lies behind it will surely be revealed.”

Master Ku nodded slightly, and Bi Zhen, fearless and impatient, pulled the two of them, using their powers to head towards the location of the first bright spot.

Zhang Shisan circled the stone tablet several times, his frown deepening. He muttered to himself, “How strange. I don’t remember noticing this before. Could this place have some hidden history?”

“Master, what’s going on?” Seeing Zhang Shisan acting so strangely, Bi Zhen couldn’t help feeling uneasy. She tugged at his robe sleeve nervously and asked, “Where did Mei Qing go?”

Zhang Shisan hesitated and replied, “I’m looking into it, okay… Ah, well, don’t shake me anymore, girl. Mei Qing must have been taken away by someone… This place seems to have some hidden secret—it might be the entrance to a major formation or ancient legacy.”

“What?!” Bi Zhen was shocked. Seeing Master Ku silently sitting in front of the stone tablet with his eyes closed, as if meditating, she grew even more anxious and grabbed Zhang Shisan’s arm again. “Master, you have to think of a way! What if Mei Qing is really lost forever?”

“Come on, he’s a grown man. How easily could he disappear?” Zhang Shisan replied weakly. Perhaps even he felt his words lacked conviction, so he looked at the stone tablet again and suddenly grew irritated. “Serves him right! Who told him not to stay put and keep running around? Ouch, girl, don’t pinch me! I’ve read Mei Qing’s fortune before—he’s definitely not someone destined for an early death…”

As for Zhang Shisan’s fortune-telling skills, aside from himself, probably no one else believed them. In fact, judging from his tone today, even he himself seemed to be losing confidence.

As master and apprentice were arguing and defending, Master Ku suddenly spoke up, “This stone tablet… I seem to have noticed something.”

At once, both Zhang Shisan and Bi Zhen fell silent. Originally, Zhang Shisan had wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks about Master Ku, but after thinking that he himself had circled the tablet four or five times without finding any clues, while the monk had only sat there for a while and claimed to have found something, he decided not to be too harsh and held his tongue.

Master Ku continued slowly, “This stone tablet… seems… not to be of Buddhist origin…”

Zhang Shisan and Bi Zhen nearly fainted from frustration. The Sea Goddess was originally not a Buddhist deity but usually classified among Daoist immortals. Since this was a temple dedicated to the Sea Goddess, of course the stone tablet would not be Buddhist.

“Old baldy, you don’t have to tell me that. You Buddhist monks always build temples in scenic mountains, talking about emptiness while indulging in luxury, wasting resources and deceiving women and children. Why would you come to this remote seaside corner to do something useless like this?” Zhang Shisan, never missing an opportunity to mock Master Ku, couldn’t resist a few jabs with a sneer.

Bi Zhen looked anxious. Seeing these two old men still bickering over useless matters, she was about to step forward and protest when Master Ku shook his head and said, “I meant the technique.”

“The technique? Hmph, of course your Buddhist sect doesn’t have such exquisite craftsmanship… Wait, no…” Zhang Shisan blurted out a few words before suddenly pausing, his tone shifting from mockery to surprise. “Old baldy, something’s definitely off. Actually, heh, it’s not just not Buddhist. Even our Daoist sect might not be capable of this. Who could have set this up?”

After saying a few words, Zhang Shisan suddenly flared his robe sleeve, formed a Daoist seal, and soared into the air, carefully inspecting from above. After a while, he descended, his expression heavy and silent.

“Master, what did you find? Say something!” Bi Zhen was burning with anxiety, urging him from the side.

Zhang Shisan made a gesture but remained silent, lowering his head in deep thought. Bi Zhen, seeing this, stomped her foot in frustration but knew that Zhang Shisan must be pondering something important and dared not interrupt again.

After a while, Zhang Shisan shook his head and said, “It’s really strange. The layout here is grand, but the techniques still leave traces. However, if we were to search for clues bit by bit, we would run out of time. Old baldy, I’m afraid we’ll have to work together on this.”

Seeing Zhang Shisan’s seriousness, Master Ku couldn’t help feeling surprised. When it came to formations and mechanisms, Zhang Shisan was far superior to himself. In the entire world, few could claim to surpass him. Although Master Ku, with his high cultivation and spiritual perception, could sense that the aura connected to this stone tablet was immense, judging from Zhang Shisan’s reaction, the truth behind it might even exceed his own expectations.

Zhang Shisan’s expression turned grave as he said, “This seems to be both a gateway and the pivot of a major formation. The two combined—it’s something I can’t quite figure out. But judging from the formation itself, it doesn’t seem to be fully completed. To put it plainly, I can’t calculate its full structure. So here’s the idea: Let’s just destroy this formation together and force our way through.”

Master Ku and Bi Zhen naturally had no objections. Without further ado, Zhang Shisan flared his robe sleeve and shouted, “Heaven and Earth have no limit; I borrow the power of Heaven and Earth; obey my command immediately!”

A faint mist gradually condensed in front of them, forming a water mirror that displayed exactly what Zhang Shisan had seen from above.

The mirror showed clearly the land and sea, winding rivers, villages, and houses. Superimposed on the landscape were one large and six smaller glowing spots, shining brightly.

Zhang Shisan explained, “The largest glow is our current location. These six smaller ones are the six key points of the formation. According to my calculations, this formation should originally have seven key points, but for some unknown reason, one is missing, leaving us a trace to follow. Since we have no other choice, let’s destroy these six points first, then return here to smash this stone tablet. Whatever lies beyond, it should be exposed.”

Master Ku nodded slightly, and Bi Zhen, fearless and impatient, immediately pulled the two men along, activating their divine abilities and heading straight for the first glowing point according to the directions.