Chapter 434: The Great Yan Five Elements Formation

On the stage, the eight remaining contestants had already split into two groups, standing aside and watching the outcome of Zhang Xiaohua’s battle with the four others. Seeing Zhang Xiaohua’s effortless victory, all of their eyes revealed expressions of shock and astonishment.

Earlier, the more than twenty people on the stage had split into several groups, fighting in pairs, exhausting endless effort and racking their brains just to barely win. Yet here was this man, all alone, who dispatched four opponents with a single encounter. The difference in strength was glaringly obvious.

Thus, the four in one group exchanged glances, nodded simultaneously, and brandished their long swords, attacking the other four. Clearly, they intended to defeat those four first, then free up their hands to deal with Zhang Xiaohua.

The other four, seeing this, also came to a tacit understanding. With a loud shout, they scattered, each picking an opponent to engage in combat.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua was a bit surprised. He had thought these eight would join forces to deal with him, but unexpectedly, they fought among themselves first. This was truly beyond his expectations and looked rather strange. However, their actions only benefited him, so Zhang Xiaohua continued to stand aside, watching the fight with great interest.

After observing for a while, Zhang Xiaohua gradually discerned some clues. The four who struck first were clearly a cut above the other four in martial skill. Moreover, it seemed these four had practiced joint attack techniques—sometimes two would cooperate, sometimes three, always handling the situation with ease. “Could these four have been sent by that same faction?” Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but wonder.

If that were the case, it would make perfect sense. That faction had failed to rob Nie Qianyu and seize the treasure in her possession. Now, with Spring Rebirth Valley holding a martial arts contest for marriage, they conveniently sent suitable disciples. If successful, not only would they achieve their original goal, but they would also gain the vast foundation of Spring Rebirth Valley.

“What a calculation, what a good plan.” Zhang Xiaohua propped his chin and secretly praised: “Valley Master Nie’s strategy of openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing Chencang is really starting to stink.”

Indeed, Valley Master Nie, blinded by love for his daughter, had acted hastily without thorough consideration. If not for Zhang Xiaohua’s unexpected appearance, this farce might truly have destroyed the entire Spring Rebirth Valley.

As Zhang Xiaohua pondered, the situation on the stage became clear. One man’s long sword tapped several acupoints on his opponent with its tip, securing victory. The other three, seeing the tide had turned, had no choice but to abandon their swords and admit defeat, jumping off the stage.

After a brief rest, the four picked up their long swords and began to surround Zhang Xiaohua.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaohua also stepped forward, walking out from the semicircle he had drawn earlier, slowly making his way to the center of the stage, his expression as calm as ever.

The four men all glared fiercely at Zhang Xiaohua, watching for the right moment. Suddenly, they swung their swords in unison and charged at him. At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua had no longsword in hand, and it was inconvenient to take out his short sword, so he could only face the enemy barehanded. 

The joint attack technique of these four was truly formidable; for a while, Zhang Xiaohua could not find any obvious flaws. He had no choice but to use the Big Dipper Divine Fist to meet their attacks while employing the Piaomiao Steps to dodge. The five of them fought together on the stage in a dazzling display.

Under the siege of the four, Zhang Xiaohua twisted and turned to the utmost, displaying the excellence of his lightness skill in every inch of movement. As soon as Zhang Xiaohua spotted an opening, he struck out with a punch, aiming right at one of their faces. 

However, that man’s longsword had already been thrust out and it was too late to pull back and defend. Yet the man was not flustered; he simply retreated a few steps, and the remaining three immediately pressed forward. Their longswords, after changing moves, stabbed directly at the vital spot Zhang Xiaohua had to defend, forcing him to either block or dodge. 

There were even several times when Zhang Xiaohua clearly used his lightness skill to escape from the encirclement, but somehow, through a few rolls and changes, two of the four would instantly trap him again within their midst, completely disrupting Zhang Xiaohua’s plan to defeat them one by one.

Such a formidable joint attack technique was already somewhat different from the method they had used against the previous four. Zhang Xiaohua couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart and immediately put away his earlier sense of underestimation.

Releasing his divine sense, Zhang Xiaohua continued to move and fight while carefully observing the footwork and changes in the four’s joint attack technique. As time passed, a sudden realization struck him. The coordination and shifting positions of these four looked very familiar. Thinking carefully, Zhang Xiaohua was greatly shocked—what joint attack technique was this? This was clearly a basic formation from the Immortal Dao—the Great Yan Five Elements Formation.

The Five Elements Great Formation of the Immortal Path is composed of five talismans, each of which can coordinate with the others, generating endless variations and trapping anything within the formation. These four people had merely replaced the talismans with themselves; the changes in their coordination were fundamentally the transformations of the Five Elements Great Formation. However, Zhang Xiaohua wondered, why were there only four people here, instead of the five required by the Five Elements Great Formation?

The Three Talents Banner Gate Formation and the Great Yan Five Elements Formation are both basic Immortal formations. They were also recorded in the jade slip of Fire Dragon True Person. Zhang Xiaohua had already studied them thoroughly back on the deserted island. 

Now, after further insights into the rabbit talisman in his Niwan Palace, Zhang Xiaohua had achieved considerable mastery over Immortal formations. Previously, he could not see through it and was naturally constrained, not knowing how to break it. Now that he understood, and since this Five Elements Great Formation was a flawed formation missing one person, it would certainly no longer be able to trouble Zhang Xiaohua.

With a brief thought, Zhang Xiaohua spotted a flaw in the formation. In a flash, he darted between two of them. The two were not flustered and merely moved slightly apart, opening up the space. The other two’s longswords stabbed toward him at the same time, but Zhang Xiaohua leapt high, dodging the thrusting swords. 

While in midair, without any visible leverage, his body shifted sideways by the width of a person. Then, doing nothing else, he rapidly fell. At that moment, as the four adjusted their steps, a space was left exactly where Zhang Xiaohua was about to land, just enough for one person to stand. When Zhang Xiaohua landed, the five of them formed a perfect circle—a complete Five Elements Great Formation!

The two beside Zhang Xiaohua were shocked when they saw him land, and quickly moved their feet to change the formation. But Zhang Xiaohua stood firm, blocking the spot where one of them needed to move. That man, helpless, raised his sword to stab, but this thrust did not follow the formation’s changes. Since the other three were each in their positions, they could not coordinate their attacks according to the formation’s transformations.

This resulted in a situation where Zhang Xiaohua stood alone, facing just one opponent.

Seeing his strategy succeed, Zhang Xiaohua burst into loud laughter. As his longsword came to hand, he shot out his left hand like lightning, using his thumb and forefinger to pinch the tip of the incoming sword. Then, with a sidestep, his right hand struck out, aiming directly at the major acupoint on the man’s chest.

Before Zhang Xiaohua’s finger could even reach, the other three could no longer hold their positions. Their bodies swayed as they thrust their swords forward. This thrust was enough to break the already incomplete Five Elements Great Formation instantly.

Without the protection of the Five Elements Great Formation, the four were no different from the four who had previously charged at Zhang Xiaohua. Zhang Xiaohua abandoned the man he had just attacked and swung his palm at the two furthest opponents rushing toward him. 

The two did not expect Zhang Xiaohua to attack them first and hurriedly redirected their longswords toward his wrist. Zhang Xiaohua pushed off with his feet, his figure flashing rapidly to appear right in front of them. Both hands shot out into the air, grabbing precisely at their wrists. The two had no time to evade and were caught by Zhang Xiaohua at their vital pulse points. Instantly, their arms went numb, and with a clang, their longswords fell to the stage. 

Zhang Xiaohua was not polite—he gave a slight flick of his arms, and the two were flung off the stage as if riding the clouds, landing only when caught by people below, able to move their bodies just slightly.

The remaining two, seeing their companions thrown off the stage, said nothing more. They simultaneously pulled out hidden weapons from their robes and, with a wave, shot them at Zhang Xiaohua’s face. Zhang Xiaohua let out a cold snort from his nose, lowered his body to dodge, and immediately charged at the two. 

But after only a few steps, his divine sense detected that the hidden weapons, having just flown past, suddenly turned in midair and came spinning back, aiming straight for the back of his neck. These were, unexpectedly, the rare returning hidden weapons of the martial world.

Zhang Xiaohua’s heart stirred, but he paid it no mind and continued punching at the two. The two exchanged a secret smile: “This young man really is lacking in experience.”

Thus, the two braced themselves and stepped forward, intending only to stall for a moment, waiting for the returning hidden weapons. As Zhang Xiaohua drew near, the hidden weapon was also about to reach the back of his neck. Suddenly, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, Zhang Xiaohua abruptly shrank his neck and lowered his body. 

The hidden weapon brushed right over the top of his head, missing its mark. The opponent in front of Zhang Xiaohua, who had been eagerly anticipating the sight of Zhang Xiaohua being struck, was completely unprepared when the hidden weapon Zhang Xiaohua dodged hit him squarely in the face.

Seeing the hidden weapon about to strike, there was no time to dodge. Terror instantly flashed in the man’s eyes and he opened his mouth to shout, but it was too late—the hidden weapon had already struck his face. In an instant, a streak of purplish-black blood oozed from his wounded face. 

First, a single black drop appeared on his skin, but it quickly spread like dark clouds, covering his entire face. Soon, the black lines writhed like venomous snakes, crawling down toward his neck.

The hidden weapon had actually been coated with a deadly poison.

Witnessing this, Zhang Xiaohua was filled with fury. These two truly intended to kill him. Knowing full well that poison was forbidden on the stage, they had still resorted to such a vicious weapon at the last moment. This was absolutely intolerable.

The last opponent, standing a bit further away, had just enough time to dodge when the poisoned hidden weapon came flying back, narrowly missing his head and shooting straight off the stage. Just as he was feeling relieved, Zhang Xiaohua’s figure flickered like a ghost, suddenly appearing in front of him. With a single grab, Zhang Xiaohua seized the major acupoint on his chest, leaving him no chance to evade.

Without the slightest pause, Zhang Xiaohua flung him away. The man shot out like a bullet, chasing after the hidden weapon that had just flown off the stage. In an instant, he overtook it and fell straight toward the ground, landing exactly where the hidden weapon had struck. With a soft “pu” sound, the poisoned weapon embedded itself precisely in the man’s neck.

In an instant, purplish-black blood flowed out, and the man collapsed to the ground with a thud, never to move again!