Volume 3 Chapter 50

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Volume 3 Chapter 50: Breaking the Formation

Three steps away. That was the distance between the elder and Zhou Huahai.

At this moment, the elder’s face was calm and expressionless, while a dim look flashed in Zhang Hualing’s eyes, and Zhou Huahai looked even more smug. As for the other elders and disciples standing behind Zhang Hualing, they looked at the elder’s back with anger and disdain.

Just as everyone on the scene thought that this elder would submit to Zhou Huahai like the previous cultivators, he suddenly shouted loudly, "Traitor, die!"

As he spoke, the elder suddenly glowed with an incredibly dazzling golden light, and a small golden sword brimming with Spirit Qi appeared from his sleeve. Empowered by Spirit Qi, the one-foot sword rapidly expanded by hundreds of times, transforming into a massive greatsword that charged at Zhou Huahai.

The power of this thrust was immense, and as the sharp sound of wind-breaking occurred, the black mist around Zhou Huahai was forced back several meters. The group of elders and disciples who had betrayed Zhang Hualing, standing behind Zhou Huahai, retreated repeatedly. Some disciples with lower skills were just brushed by the sword’s force, and blood involuntarily seeped from the corners of their mouths, clearly suffering significant internal injuries.

"One!"

Watching the elder wield his weapon against him, Zhou Huahai’s eyes flashed with intense anger and disdain. Although the sword strike was unexpectedly powerful, he remained indifferent and coldly counted the last number.

Just as Zhou Huahai finished counting, the tip of the golden sword was less than a foot away from his neck.

Seeing this scene, the cultivators around couldn’t hide their excitement, and the elder who launched the sneak attack felt the same. He even began to imagine how he would calmly respond to Zhang Hualing’s gratitude after killing the culprit and then subtly mention that it’s time to replace the magical artifact he’d been using for so many years.

But these were merely fantasies in his mind.

"Brother Bai, watch out!"

Seeing that the elder was not surrendering but rather attacking Zhou Huahai, Zhang Hualing was alarmed and shouted loudly. At the same time, a three-foot-long ribbon glowing with a faint blue light flew out from his sleeve towards the elder’s position, seemingly to rescue Zhou Huahai.

Unlike the others, Zhang Hualing knew Zhou Huahai too well. He understood that if Zhou Huahai dared to come alone to see him, he must be completely confident. As the sect leader of Jiuhua Gate, Zhang Hualing was also fully aware of the immense power of the "Nine Pole Array" they were in.

Unfortunately, Zhang Hualing’s warning came too late.

An inch!

This was the distance between the tip of Elder Bai’s golden sword and Zhou Huahai’s neck, and it was also the final distance.

Just when everyone thought the situation was settled, the endless black clouds inside the "Nine Pole Array" suddenly surged violently. As they clashed, countless massive golden lightning bolts flashed from where the clouds met, then, with dazzling brilliance and immense power, they struck rapidly toward Elder Bai.

The lightning struck with incredible speed. Although Elder Bai was skilled and had anticipated possible counterattacks, preparing in secret, he still had no chance to evade the overwhelming lightning. He didn’t even have time to wield his golden giant sword to defend himself. Barely enough time to show a hint of shock on his face, he was struck by countless bolts of lightning.

At this moment, Zhang Hualing’s blue shawl had only traveled halfway, far from reaching in time to rescue. Even if it could, the hastily wielded artifact would be useless against those immensely powerful lightning bolts.

The dazzling golden light from the lightning was blinding. The moment it flashed, no one could see what was happening in front of Zhou Huahai. But as quickly as it came, the lightning vanished again, leaving nothing behind. The scene in front of everyone returned to its previous dim, endless, eerie world of black mist.

Looking at Zhou Huahai again, he still stood proudly amidst the black clouds, seemingly unchanged. The Elder Bai who had attacked him was now completely gone, leaving only his golden sword, now returned to its original state, toyed with in Zhou Huahai’s hand.

A scorched odor began to spread in the air.

Seeing this, the cultivators naturally didn’t think this elder had used the Art of Invisibility to hide. The only possibility was that he had been blown to pieces by the powerful lightning.

Witnessing this scene, Zhang Hualing showed a hint of gloominess, silently storing the blue shawl back into his sleeve. Then he looked up quietly at Zhou Huahai, his eyes now brimming with intent to kill.

"This old fool is truly stupid, just like that Ma Huaguang," Zhou Huahai said calmly, tossing the golden sword aside.

Then, he glanced at Zhang Hualing, who was staring at him, but said nothing more. His gaze shifted to the elders and disciples standing behind Zhang Hualing, lingering briefly on Li Yuhan and Sheng Yushan. A flash of deadly intent crossed his eyes before he softly spoke, "Everyone, at every moment, must face the choices life demands. Some choices can be undone, some cannot. Once a choice is made, one must take responsibility for it, even if the price is life."

Zhou Huahai paused slightly, a mocking smile on his face, then continued, "Now you have made your choices, even though I clearly told you it was the wrong one and would cost you your lives. Yet, you went ahead. Should I call you persistent or foolish?"

Zhang Hualing replied coldly, "Those are the words I want to say to you. And let me remind you, until it’s over, no one can know for sure if their choice was right or wrong."

"Is that so? Perhaps. But I know my choice is right," Zhou Huahai said with a faint smile. "I also know you surely disagree, but that’s okay. If you can get out of this ‘Nine Pole Array,’ I’ll give you a chance to argue."

After saying this, Zhou Huahai turned and walked deeper into the black mist without lingering.

The traitorous disciples and elders hurriedly followed him in the same direction, not one of them looking back at Zhang Hualing and the others, perhaps out of shame or disdain.

Watching these figures disappear into the black mist, seemingly without guard, the rift in the mist slowly closed behind them. Yet, no cultivator behind Zhang Hualing attempted to attack or escape, remembering the fate of Elder Bai vividly.

As these figures vanished, the black mist around started to churn violently, and the golden lightning flashing through the black clouds grew even brighter.

They seemed filled with regret, fury, and melancholy.

As Zhou Huahai’s determined figure walked away, Zhang Hualing’s face showed a complex expression.

But as the black clouds in the sky began to churn violently, with black lightning flickering here and there, Zhang Hualing quickly gathered his complicated emotions, turned to face the disciples who hadn’t left, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes. Yet, he didn’t say much because he knew it wasn’t the time to express gratitude. He urgently spoke to the highly skilled elders present, "Fellow brothers, quickly position yourselves in the nine palaces formation and surround the younger disciples, creating the ‘Nine Palaces Formation’ to counter the ‘Nine Pole Array.’ Disciples, quickly move to the center of the elders to remain safe."

The "Nine Palaces Formation" and "Nine Pole Array" are two famous formations at Jiuhua Mountain. The difference is, the "Nine Pole Array" is a mountain-protecting formation and unique in the world, unable to leave Jiuhua Mountain. It has been powerful after thousands of years of development and perfection.

The "Nine Palaces Formation," on the other hand, requires nine Condensed Core Stage cultivators, with fewer restrictions; as long as there are enough numbers and skills of cultivators who know how to arrange the formation, it can be formed. Once formed, it can unleash power several times stronger than just nine cultivators combined. However, compared to the "Nine Pole Array," the "Nine Palaces Formation" is still much weaker.

But at this moment, only the "Nine Palaces Formation" can barely contend with the "Nine Pole Array’s" offensive.

Upon hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, both the disciples and elders had serious expressions as they nodded silently. The eight most skilled elders stood in their designated spots, while Zhang Hualing took the central "Huan Five" position.

The lower-level disciples quickly took their places in the center of the formation, with anxiety on their faces. As for the ten or so elders not part of the formation, they mingled among the disciples, revealing their magical tools, and gathering Spirit Qi, ready for any unforeseen events.

"The nine palaces: two and four are the shoulders, six and eight are the feet, left three right seven, with nine above, one below, and five in the center."

Among formations with fewer than ten people, the "Nine Palaces Formation" is considered the strongest for defense. However, regarding just how many waves of the stronger "Nine Pole Array" it can withstand, none of the cultivators present felt assured.

At this moment, inside the "Nine Pole Array," black clouds and mist filled the sky, making everyone feel as though they were in a world of shadow, with no sky, no ground, and nothing else—just an endless expanse of dark clouds. The world was wrapped in gloom.

If not for the occasional flicker of lightning, the cultivators present might not even have been able to sense the presence of the black clouds.

But soon enough, the golden lightning gathered among the black clouds grew brighter and stronger, quickly dispelling the darkness within the "Nine Pole Array," and the world suddenly turned bright.

Everyone felt as if they had been transported in an instant from the world of black clouds to a realm full of lightning, where above and below, all around them, everything was consumed by golden lightning. The energy and Spirit Qi contained within these bolts were so overwhelming that cultivators could almost forget themselves.

It seemed that the moment when the lightning struck would coincide with the cultivators’ demise.

However, Zhang Hualing and the nine elders responsible for arranging the formation remained expressionless, their faces calm and composed. They were busy forming intricate hand seals, and soon, a thick multi-colored barrier surrounded the cultivators and began to rotate slowly.

Yet, compared to the pervasive golden lightning throughout the world, this seemingly formidable five-color barrier did not provide even the slightest sense of security to the cultivators.

In times of tension, time seems to stretch infinitely. Whether it was just a moment or an eternity, countless golden lightning bolts, wielding the power to destroy everything, began to strike relentlessly at the multi-colored barrier from above, below, and all around. Everywhere they looked, lightning seemed to be attacking them.

Compared to these lightning bolts, the people within the five-color barrier felt like a small boat tossed in a stormy sea, ever close to being overturned.

"Boom…"

Finally, the first bolt of golden lightning clashed with the multicolored barrier, followed by the second, third, and countless others. Those within the barrier, the disciples and elders, felt a violent shake of the earth and sky, with a crushing pressure in their hearts. Many were severely injured and fainted from the shockwaves at the very first moment.

As for the nine elders maintaining the formation, their faces turned extremely pale when the lightning struck the barrier. Blood unknowingly dripped from their mouths, but they ignored it and focused on channeling Spirit Qi to stabilize the barrier.

Zhang Hualing, positioned at the core and center of the formation, spat out a mouthful of blood as the lightning struck. He quickly swallowed a few elixirs and continued to control the barrier, deflecting a considerable amount of the lightning’s force.

The relentless lightning, seeming capable of destroying everything, continued to slash down from all around. Over time, the elders’ faces grew paler, and several collapsed due to the depletion of their Spirit Qi, only to be immediately replaced by others who were prepared for this moment.

Against the endless onslaught of lightning, the five-colored barrier surrounding everyone seemed on the verge of breaking, yet each time it appeared it might fail, it held on firmly.

The storm of lightning attacks lasted several cups of tea’s time before finally ceasing, giving the anxiously waiting cultivators a chance to catch their breath. During the relentless downpour, they even forgot to breathe.

Of the original eight elders, now only four remained, and they looked utterly exhausted, clearly unable to hold on for much longer.

In the sky, the dark clouds once again flickered with golden lightning, evidently gathering energy for the next assault.

Just as everyone was starting to relax, Zhang Hualing’s eyes showed a determination as he dramatically waved his sleeve. A crystal-clear, fiery red ring suddenly appeared in his hand. As soon as the ring appeared, the fire Spirit Qi in the world rushed towards it eagerly, causing the colorful barrier of the "Nine Palaces Formation" to ripple under the interference of the Spirit Qi.

Meanwhile, unlike the other cultivators who were visibly anxious, Xu Qingfan calmly observed the black clouds and flickering lightning outside the barrier, strategizing in his mind.

Zhou Huahai often said that everyone should be responsible for their own choices. Now, Xu Qingfan was taking responsibility for his choices, which meant finding a way to safely navigate the crisis.

Despite quickly thinking of countless ideas and constantly recalling various strategies that had appeared in the cultivation world to break formations, Xu Qingfan was disheartened to find that none were available for use now.

In the cultivation world, it was not unheard of for famous formations to be broken, but this was usually due to the skill of the person breaking the formation being too high, or the skill of the person setting it up being too low or inadequate. However, Xu Qingfan’s situation was different. The "Nine Pole Array," laid out by the Jiuhua Mountain lineage and perfected over thousands of years, had almost no flaws. Even if there were flaws, the immense power of the formation left everyone without a way to counter it.

The saying "great strength overcomes skill" applied here. In the face of overwhelming strength, cunning solutions were impossible.

"Unfortunately, the one controlling the formation is Elder Hou. With his expertise in this Nine Pole Array, breaking it is hopeless. If it were someone else, there might be a slim chance," Xu Qingfan thought with disappointment.

At this thought, Xu Qingfan paused, recalling something Zhou Huahai had said earlier.

Zhou Huahai had mentioned that although Elder Hou was loyal to Zhang Hualing and wouldn’t betray him, his unique cultivation method left a flaw in the "Nine Pole Array." So, Zhou Huahai used the "Mind Taking Technique" to control Elder Hou.

The "Mind Taking Technique," though mysterious and strange, allows for the control of a cultivator’s every action. However, it can never be as natural as when a cultivator controls themselves. Controlling the "Nine Pole Array" involves not only observation but also manipulation, requiring careful attention to detail. It’s easy to imagine the result if someone controlled by the "Mind Taking Technique" were to manage it.

To operate the vast "Nine Pole Array," relying on a single person is clearly impossible. Even Elder Hou needed assistance from several elders familiar with the array when he was in charge of it earlier.

From what Xu Qingfan knows, because the "Nine Pole Array" is crucial to Jiuhua Mountain, all elders allowed near it have been carefully selected by Zhang Hualing for their unwavering loyalty. It’s unlikely they would all side with Zhou Huahai. Most were probably either killed by Zhou Huahai or controlled by the "Mind Taking Technique," like Elder Hou.

Thus, under the control of these individuals, the effectiveness of the "Nine Pole Array" is easy to imagine.

This means that while the "Nine Pole Array" was fiercely aggressive just now, that was entirely due to the array’s own immense power, unrelated to those controlling it.

At this moment, the "Nine Pole Array" certainly cannot run as smoothly as before, and some flaws that should not exist may have already appeared.

Thinking this, Xu Qingfan’s heart brightened, sensing that breaking the "Nine Pole Array" might not be entirely impossible.

Just as Xu Qingfan was about to share his thoughts with Zhang Hualing, he noticed the red ring in Zhang Hualing’s hand.

As soon as the ring appeared, strange phenomena arose, and Xu Qingfan felt even the Phoenix Spirit Qi within his Wutong branch stirring restlessly.

This ring wasn’t much larger than a regular bracelet, and it glowed with a faint red light. Although not strong, it dazzled the eyes. Carved on it were images of vermilion birds playing, seemingly ordinary, yet the fire spirit energy it contained was immeasurably stronger than Xu Qingfan’s Wutong branch.

"Fire Bird Ring! That is the treasured artifact of Jiuhua Mountain, the Fire Bird Ring!"

Seeing the ring’s features and power, Xu Qingfan immediately remembered a well-documented artifact he learned about while studying Jiuhua Mountain’s history.

The "Fire Bird Ring," was a treasured artifact crafted with the lifelong efforts of Jiuhua Mountain’s founding master, Jiuhua Zhenren. Its value can be seen in that to enhance its power, Jiuhua Zhenren went deep into the Southern Wasteland and, with the help of friends, killed two Fire Spirits—vermilion birds—second only to phoenixes, sealing their souls in the Fire Bird Ring. Hence its name.

Besides being a powerful artifact, the "Fire Bird Ring" also serves as the array board for the "Nine Palaces Formation." With its support, the formation’s power increases more than tenfold.

Jiuhua Mountain holds such a high position in the cultivation world largely because of this "Fire Bird Ring."

Zhang Hualing took out the "Fire Bird Ring" and formed a series of hand seals. As he changed the seals, the red light on the "Fire Bird Ring" became even brighter and quickly flew into the air, merging with the multicolored barrier surrounding the cultivators. With the ring’s addition, the once dim barrier became vibrant again, even more dazzling than before.

Seeing the "Fire Bird Ring," the elders on the scene showed a hint of relief, as if the ring gave them immense confidence.

However, what Zhang Hualing said next shocked them all.

"Let’s join forces to control the ‘Nine Palaces Formation’ and break through the black fog in that direction!"

Zhang Hualing pointed to the direction where Zhou Huahai and the others had just vanished and said sternly.