“This…”
Shui Miao couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled. Where had he been restless or impetuous? This was truly a misunderstanding!
This formation indeed revealed nothing obvious at first glance—nothing but clouds and more clouds.
Wait a second…
Suddenly, Shui Miao recalled the previous Fire Holy Hall and wondered if these clouds might actually be transformed from water-element immortal energy.
The problem was, the rules only allowed observation with the eyes, forbidding the use of spiritual senses, making it impossible to identify the clouds’ nature.
No choice then—better step inside and check it out first.
As Shui Miao entered the formation, the clouds ahead immediately shifted. A figure identical to him appeared right in front.
It felt just like the clouds had turned into a mirror!
Seeing this scene, Shui Miao dared not act rashly. He stood quietly, observing the figure mirroring his every move, as if he were truly facing a mirror.
As Shui Miao turned around, mirrors also appeared on his sides, each reflecting his image perfectly.
“Break the formation quickly.”
Suddenly, Bafa’s voice echoed in Shui Miao’s mind.
Shui Miao blinked, wondering how exactly he was supposed to break this? Smash the mirrors?
He reached out and touched an invisible wall of mirror-like energy.
“Senior, can I really use any method?” Shui Miao asked hesitantly in his mind.
Bafa’s voice immediately replied, “Use whatever skills you have. Just go ahead.”
“Alright then!”
At once, Shui Miao activated his Spirit Devouring Power, spreading it outward. This power could corrode and consume anything. Soon, it devoured a large amount of immortal energy, and the mirrors began to shatter.
“This… this Spirit Devouring Power is too sinister! It doesn’t even follow the rules!” Seeing half the formation destroyed in an instant, Bafa was both shocked and anxious, hastily telling Shui Miao to stop. “You can’t break the formation like this! Although you might destroy it, you won’t learn anything. In the end, you’ll still know nothing about formations!”
Shui Miao was left speechless and quickly withdrew his Spirit Devouring Power. He felt somewhat不服气—but since Bafa had only been trying to help, he didn’t dwell on it.
Realizing his teaching methods might be too detailed and problematic, Bafa shook his head and said, “Forget it. I won’t explain everything in detail anymore. I’ll just teach you the general principles of formations. If you have any questions, just ask me directly.”
“Great! Thank you, Senior!”
This was exactly what Shui Miao wanted—the underlying principles.
With a wave of Bafa’s hand, the formation returned to its original state. “This is called the Wind-Cloud Five-Phase Formation. It may appear simple, but it’s actually extremely powerful. It integrates the profound mysteries of all formations. ‘Wind and Cloud’ represent the fusion of Yin and Yang energies, encompassing all types of spiritual energies. The ‘Five Phases’ refer to the formation’s ability to deceive humans, ghosts, immortals, spirits, and demons. In other words, everything within the Three Realms falls under its influence. This shows how profound and powerful this formation truly is. Its main function is to block intruders—keeping the weak outside while allowing only the strong to enter. The primary method it uses is creating mirror illusions. To break through, one must possess sufficient strength.”
“Senior, let me try again!”
Determined not to use the Spirit Devouring Power this time, Shui Miao wanted to experience the Wind-Cloud Five-Phase Formation properly.
“No need,” Bafa replied, shaking his head. “I’ll just transmit all the formation techniques of these four layers and some basic knowledge into your mind. You can understand it at your own pace.” With a thought, Bafa sent a stream of divine consciousness into Shui Miao’s memory. Instantly, Shui Miao’s mind quieted, deeply immersing himself in the formation’s principles.
Actually, Bafa was just getting tired of explaining everything.
Constantly lecturing was exhausting.
Teaching someone like Shui Miao, who knew absolutely nothing, was especially draining. He needed every detail explained clearly, or he wouldn’t understand. But explaining too thoroughly took up too much time. Thinking about how much more he had to teach—after living over a thousand years longer—Bafa felt a headache coming on.
So, he simply dumped all the knowledge into Shui Miao’s mind and let him figure it out on his own.
After withdrawing from Bafa’s mental transmission, Shui Miao began analyzing the formation structure with focused contemplation.
With all the formation techniques now stored in his memory, Shui Miao’s mind shifted, envisioning shifting stars and changing landscapes, eventually forming a complete Wind-Cloud Five-Phase Formation. After careful study, he was surprised to realize that these so-called profound formations weren’t that complicated after all. Before understanding, they seemed mysterious, but once grasped, they were actually quite simple.
To set up a formation, one first needed spiritual energy, immortal energy, or even some special power.
Shui Miao referred to these as “power sources.”
He thought of formations as similar to machines, where the power source was like an engine.
Of course, the way to store power in a formation was unique. Sometimes it was just a spirit stone or a talisman. But for long-term use and maximum power, it was best to use a treasure to store the energy. High-quality treasures often contained a spirit of their own, which could significantly enhance the formation’s effectiveness.
Besides the power source, there was also the foundation layout of the formation.
The foundation acted like the framework of a machine. Once the power was transmitted, the foundation would operate according to a specific arrangement. Naturally, arranging the foundation was extremely complex and difficult to understand. It contained all the wisdom of the formation’s creator. The more carefully the foundation was arranged, the more flawless the formation would be.
However, after studying the complex formation layout for a while, Shui Miao stopped and smiled slightly.
Noticing Shui Miao’s smile, Bafa quickly asked, “Shui Miao, why are you smiling? Have you already grasped the secrets of these formations?”
“Not really,” Shui Miao replied. “I just suddenly realized that although these formations are indeed profound, they’re not flawless. People usually focus too much on the formation itself and neglect its source of power. If I use my Spirit Devouring Power to directly absorb the treasure that stores the formation’s energy, the formation would collapse on its own.”
Shui Miao had full confidence in his Spirit Devouring Power.
“This…” Bafa hesitated. What Shui Miao said made sense, and with his Spirit Devouring Power, this method might actually work. After a pause, Bafa warned, “Shui Miao, you must understand—first, the location of the formation’s core treasure is extremely difficult to find, usually hidden in the most critical and heavily guarded area. Second, the core treasure is always the best treasure within the formation. Trying to absorb it won’t be easy at all!”
“As long as I find the core, my Spirit Devouring Power should be able to consume and refine it,” Shui Miao said confidently. Then, a thought struck him. “Senior, what if we use this method to break through the grand formation of the Fire Holy Hall?”
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