Volume 3 Chapter 51

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Volume 3 Chapter 51: Breakthrough

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

After Zhang Hualing merged the "Fire Bird Ring" into the center of the "Nine Palaces Formation," he pointed in the direction where Zhou Huahai and the others had disappeared and spoke sternly.

The elders and disciples, who had just caught a breath from the fierce attack of the "Nine Pole Array," were all shocked upon hearing Zhang Hualing’s words. Even the most loyal and trusting disciples and elders hesitated and did not follow Zhang Hualing’s instructions.

These elders and disciples had trained on Jiuhua Mountain for decades or even centuries and were deeply aware of the power of the "Nine Pole Array." To put it bluntly, they had a great fear of it and lacked confidence in breaking the array, even with the "Fire Bird Ring."

Therefore, the idea of using the "Nine Palaces Formation" to collide with the "Nine Pole Array" seemed to them like seeking death.

However, Xu Qingfan quickly understood Zhang Hualing’s plan after hearing his words, and he greatly admired his decision. The old fox had clearly anticipated the problem Xu Qingfan had just thought of.

As Xu Qingfan had suspected earlier, Elder Hou, the mountain-guarding elder, was now controlled by the "Mind Taking Technique," making his command over the "Nine Pole Array" not as smooth and natural as before.

The other assisting elders proficient in formations were likely also controlled like Elder Hou, or they might have been killed for refusing to submit.

With this, the operation of the "Nine Pole Array" would be far from normal, meaning that although its power was great, there were flaws everywhere. The attack that was brewing now proved Xu Qingfan and Zhang Hualing’s point.

When the "Nine Pole Array" operates normally, its relentless and endless attacks leave those within the array with no time to breathe, dragging them until their Spirit Qi is exhausted and then striking them to dust with thunder and lightning.

However, the attacks released by the current "Nine Pole Array" are fierce but lack the former continuity. This can only mean one thing: the person controlling the array is ineffective, consuming too much unnecessary Spirit Qi in operation while overly focusing on the array’s attacking power, ignoring the replenishment of Spirit Qi.

Eventually, the replenishment of the "Nine Pole Array’s" Spirit Qi became much slower than its consumption, making sustained attacks impossible. There must be a period for Spirit Qi replenishment after each wave of attacks, resulting in the current situation.

However, the elders seemed too focused on resisting the "Nine Pole Array’s" attack to realize this. Although they heard Zhang Hualing’s order, they hesitated and did not move.

Seeing the golden lightning amidst the surrounding black clouds growing brighter, and the Spirit Qi fluctuations becoming more imposing, it was clear that the "Nine Pole Array’s" Spirit Qi was nearly replenished, and the next wave of attacks was imminent. But noticing the hesitation in the elders’ eyes, Zhang Hualing grew anxious and shouted, "Quickly do as I say! Why would I harm you? There’s no time to explain, I have my reasons."

Hearing Zhang Hualing speak thus, the elders in charge of the array finally made up their minds. Based on their trust in working with Zhang Hualing for hundreds of years, they steered the "Nine Palaces Formation" toward the black clouds where Zhou Huahai and others had left. Their determined expressions seemed strangely pessimistic.

But reality defied their expectations.

The five-colored sphere formed by the "Nine Palaces Formation" suddenly spun rapidly, transforming into a beam of light with a long tail, smashing fiercely in the direction Zhou Huahai had left.

"Boom…"

At the moment when the colorful sphere collided with the black mist, a loud roar erupted. All the cultivators inside the sphere stumbled and fell to the ground due to the instability, including the usually dignified Elder Jiuhua. However, the anticipated scene of complete destruction did not occur. The colorful barrier formed by the "Nine Palaces Formation" remained steady, while the black mist before the cultivators dissipated significantly.

Seeing this, the elder controlling the array gained confidence. Without waiting for Zhang Hualing to speak, they guided the "Nine Palaces Formation" to crash into the black mist once more. With newfound hope, they poured even more Spirit Qi into the "Nine Palaces Formation," making its charge stronger than before.

Meanwhile, the disciples and elders within the barrier, despite their disheveled appearances, watched with hope as the colorful barrier clashed with the black mist again.

In fact, when the "Nine Pole Array" was not operating well, taking the initiative to attack with the "Nine Palaces Formation" was much safer than staying on the defensive.

It’s important to understand that if they only defended passively, they would have to endure attacks from all directions from the "Nine Pole Array." However, by attacking actively, they only faced retaliation from one direction. Moreover, since the Spirit Qi of the "Nine Pole Array" was not fully replenished, such retaliation was much weaker than its attack, significantly reducing the pressure.

Additionally, with passive defense, although the "Nine Pole Array" pauses to replenish its Spirit Qi, once replenished, it strikes again with thunderous force. Meanwhile, the amount of Spirit Qi consumed by the cultivators is even greater, and their replenishment speed is far slower than that of the formation. Ultimately, they would be worn down by the "Nine Pole Array," as countless others had before them.

Considering all these factors, if Xu Qingfan were Zhang Hualing, he would also choose to attack without hesitation.

Whether or not the controlling elders realized these reasons, with hope in sight, all the cultivators united to control the "Nine Palaces Formation," crashing into the black mist ahead repeatedly and with great force.

Under the united efforts of the elders, the black mist in front of them gradually dissipated, and its counterattacks grew weaker.

As for the attack Xu Qingfan had worried might occur halfway through by the "Nine Pole Array," it seemed delayed due to interference from the "Nine Palaces Formation."

In this way, the situation within the "Nine Pole Array" momentarily became very favorable for the cultivators.

…

The ancient and grand "Linghua Hall" still looked as imposing as ever, but Zhou Huahai had now taken over the seat that once belonged to Zhang Hualing.

Zhou Huahai sat quietly in the exclusive seat of the Masters of Jiuhua, while the more than twenty elders who had pledged allegiance sat on either side, interestedly watching a giant bronze mirror in the center of the hall.

This bronze mirror stood nearly a foot tall and five feet wide, bordered in gold and backed with white jade, with a few mysterious, colorful gems on its edges capturing attention.

Reflected in the mirror was the scene of Zhang Hualing and others breaking the formation within the "Nine Pole Array."

This very mirror was another treasured artifact of Jiuhua Mountain—the "Heavenly Mirror," a high-level heavenly instrument. When used, it allowed the viewer to see anything within a hundred-mile radius that they wished to see, a truly mystical item.

Watching as the black mist of the "Nine Pole Array" began to quickly dissipate under the continuous impacts of the "Nine Palaces Formation," it was evident that Zhang Hualing and his group would soon break through. Meanwhile, Zhou Huahai ignored the worried expressions on the elders’ faces around him and instead, a sarcastic smile spread across his face. He softly murmured, "The pride of Jiuhua Mountain, a reliance for thousands of years, the most powerful formation in the cultivation world, is being broken just like that. If the ancestor of Jiuhua were still alive, he would probably be dumbfounded and in disbelief, wouldn’t he?"

An elder who had just betrayed from within the "Nine Pole Array" watched the array teetering on the brink of collapse, a complex look flashing in his eyes. If he hadn’t betrayed them earlier, he wouldn’t feel so uneasy now, would he?

But having betrayed, there was no turning back, only the path to continue onward. Otherwise, even if Zhang Hualing spared him, he wouldn’t be able to live on Jiuhua Mountain under the disdainful gazes of his fellow disciples and junior members.

So upon seeing Zhou Huahai’s calm expression, this elder appeared far more worried than Zhou Huahai, stood up, bowed respectfully, and spoke anxiously, "Sect leader, senior brother, I never thought they could break the ‘Nine Pole Array.’ But letting them break it and then attack ‘Linghua Hall’ seems unwise. Shouldn’t we do something to stop them?"

Zhou Huahai glanced at the elder whose face was full of worry, seemingly seeing through his true thoughts in an instant. A look of disdain flashed in his eyes as he replied calmly, "What can we do now? Even Junior Brother Hou, who is familiar with the ‘Nine Pole Array,’ has no solution. Anything we do would just cause more chaos and not change the outcome."

As he said this, it seemed Zhou Huahai thought of something, a gleam flashing in his eyes, and he spoke louder, "As for the ‘Nine Pole Array,’ let it be broken. I never truly intended to trap them with it anyway. But for Zhang Hualing to find the flaw I set up so quickly, he is indeed formidable. If Zhang Hualing hadn’t broken the ‘Nine Pole Array’ today, I would have dismantled it myself eventually. They’ve actually saved me some trouble."

His words left everyone astonished.

The elders in the hall looked incredulously at the bold Zhou Huahai, momentarily even forgetting to worry about the impending collapse of the "Nine Pole Array."

Seeing the elders’ shocked expressions, Zhou Huahai seemed pleased with the impact of his words, a proud smile on his face. He slowly said, "Are you surprised? I was going to tell you these things eventually, so since there’s still time, I’ll share my thoughts with you now."

"Since the great disaster struck Jiuhua Mountain a thousand years ago, its influence in the cultivation world has gradually faded, a stark contrast to when Jiuhua Ancestor was alive. Just take this instance as an example: even though all evidence points to Jiuhua Mountain regarding the affair on Huandao Island, if it were Mercy Cloud Temple, Qingxu Gate, or Jiuhua Gate from a thousand years ago, would those sects have dared to question or criticize us over the deaths of a few disciples, let alone a few elders?"

Seeing Zhou Huahai’s faintly menacing expression, the elders, though internally disagreeing, dared not speak against him.

Zhou Huahai, however, disregarded the thoughts of the elders present and continued on his own, "Why has the might of Jiuhua Mountain fallen so much? Lack of strength is indeed one reason, but the biggest reason is Zhang Hualing’s conciliatory policy during his years of leading Jiuhua Mountain. After hundreds of years, what impression does Jiuhua Mountain leave on the cultivation world? It is seen as weak and easily bullied!"

"And there’s this ‘Nine Pole Array.’ Everyone at Jiuhua Mountain thinks that as long as the ‘Nine Pole Array’ is in place, Jiuhua Mountain is invulnerable. So, they complacently seclude themselves for cultivation within Jiuhua Mountain, becoming like frogs in a well, rarely venturing out to assert Jiuhua’s might. As a result, Jiuhua Mountain has appeared less and less in the cultivation world, and fewer people are familiar with it. Now, many in the cultivation world don’t regard Jiuhua Mountain as a Holy Land but see it as a turtle hiding in the ‘Nine Pole Array,’ afraid to show itself. There are even many new cultivators who don’t know the name of Jiuhua Mountain at all!"

"Do you see now? The ‘Nine Pole Array’ is not as unbreakable as you thought. Jiuhua Gate isn’t as foolproof as you believed. After capturing and executing Zhang Hualing and others, I will have Jiuhua’s elite disciples venture out like those from other Holy Lands to train and restore Jiuhua Mountain’s might. As long as our might reaches, or even surpasses, the level from a thousand years ago, naturally, no one will dare be arrogant with Jiuhua Mountain. By then, what use is keeping the ‘Nine Pole Array’? It’s just a waste of spirit stones."

Hearing Zhou Huahai speak so, one elder couldn’t hold back and retorted, "But sect leader brother, the reason Jiuhua Ancestor established Jiuhua Mountain and painstakingly designed the ‘Jiuhua Array’ was to allow us Jiuhua disciples to focus on cultivation away from the myriad conflicts of the cultivation world. While your actions may indeed rejuvenate Jiuhua’s might, they seem to contradict the founder’s original intentions."

Hearing someone oppose Zhou Huahai’s words, everyone was shocked, and even the elder who spoke up began to regret his impulsiveness.

But just when everyone thought Zhou Huahai would burst into a thunderous rage, he smiled and said, "Brother Li, you’re not wrong either. After all, those were just my initial thoughts, and we can discuss more in the future. Let’s not talk about this now, let’s focus on what we should do once Zhang Hualing and his group break the array."

Seeing Zhou Huahai was not angry, the elders all breathed a sigh of relief, and reminded by Zhou Huahai, they remembered that Zhang Hualing and his group were about to break the array, and soon enough, discussions broke out again, but no one noticed the fleeting murderous intent in Zhou Huahai’s eyes when looking at the elder who had just spoken against him.

Seeing that the elders had nearly finished their discussion, Zhou Huahai finally spoke up, "Actually, you all have nothing to worry about. You’ve taken the ‘Sky Spiritual Pill’ I gave you and surely felt its miraculous effects. As long as we keep taking it, our cultivation will reach a new level. Meanwhile, Zhang Hualing and his group, even if they break through the formation, will have nearly exhausted their Spirit Qi. Against such odds, wouldn’t we have a sure victory?"

Although Zhou Huahai’s words gave the elders more confidence, they were still somewhat anxious. One elder stood up and said, "But Zhang Hualing has the ‘Fire Bird Ring’. Defeating him will not be easy for us."

Zhou Huahai waved his hand and said, "You don’t need to worry about that. Do you think Zhou Huahai would not have used the ‘Fire Bird Ring’ from the start if he could? Despite its great power, it’s a treasure meant for Mahayana Stage cultivators. Zhang Hualing can barely use it, but not for long. When he breaks the formation, he’ll be at his weakest."

At this point, Zhou Huahai’s face broke into a smile, pleased with his perfect planning. He turned to the elder sitting beside him and said, "In any case, we are assured of victory this time. Right, Brother Xiao?"

Zhou Huahai was seated in the Master of Jiuhua’s position, while the seat next to him was the former position of the Jiuhua Mountain Supreme Protector.

In this seat now sat someone very familiar to Xu Qingfan, none other than Lu Huayan’s senior brother and Xu Qingfan’s martial uncle—Xiao Huazhe!

Seeing Zhou Huahai directing a question to him, Xiao Huazhe responded calmly, "Sect Leader junior brother, your plans are flawless and what you’ve said is certainly correct."

Hearing Xiao Huazhe agree with him, Zhou Huahai burst into laughter.

Just as Zhou Huahai laughed, the "Heavenly Mirror" suddenly emitted a blinding light, which gradually faded. When the elders looked again, they saw that the "Nine Pole Array" had been broken by Zhang Hualing and his group.

Although the elders had expected this scene, they couldn’t help but be surprised.

Was the "Nine Pole Array" broken just like that?

But Zhou Huahai’s expression remained unchanged as he slowly stood up and walked briskly towards the exit.

"Everyone, let’s go welcome them together."

If Zhou Huahai had felt any guilt about his actions before, his meeting with Zhang Hualing in the "Nine Pole Array" had severed all such feelings.

From that moment on, in Zhou Huahai’s mind, he was no longer a traitor but the new sect leader of Jiuhua Mountain!

…

To the south of Jiuhua Mountain, dozens of miles away, there lies a small hill called "Kylin," named after the legend of an ancient mythical beast, the kylin, once appearing there.

Other than the legend, Kylin Mountain held no notable attractions or interest, so hardly anyone visited, unaware of what the kylin found significant to have landed there.

At this moment, Kylin Mountain was quite different from usual. Nearly a thousand people stood silently at the summit, making it unexpectedly lively. However, despite the crowd, not a single person made a sound, which gave the scene an extremely strange atmosphere.

If a mortal were to come upon Kylin Mountain at this time, they would surely be so terrified by the scene before them that they might faint.

The people on Kylin Mountain did not look normal; some had two fangs protruding from their mouths, some had horns on their heads, some had a third eye on their foreheads, some had a human body with a snake’s tail, and others were several meters tall. It was simply a gathering place for monsters.

Yet at this moment, these "monsters" stood in neat rows with their hands respectfully by their sides, not daring to lift their heads even slightly.

At the forefront of this monstrous crowd, over a dozen individuals stood quietly gazing into the distance toward Jiuhua Mountain, at the edge of a cliff.

Among these people, some looked as bizarre as the monsters behind them. For instance, three individuals had snake eyes, snake tongues, and their skin was covered with green scales, much like the Sethrak Zhou Huahai had encountered before. Others had the appearance of mortals but exuded an even more powerful aura than the monsters beside them. Among them were several donned in the attire of Penance Valley cultivators.

Regardless of how strange or powerful these people or monsters looked, if anyone were to see them, their attention would inevitably be captured by a certain young scholar in the middle.

This young scholar had a graceful demeanor and handsome features with a hint of delicate allure. Although he did not possess the bizarre appearance or overwhelming presence of those around him, anyone who laid eyes on him would immediately feel an intense, suffocating danger emanating from him, more powerful than all the monsters combined.

"Hiss… Master, they have started fighting among themselves. Hiss…" a Sethrak respectfully reported to the young scholar.

The young scholar didn’t say much, nor did he nod in response. He simply continued to gaze at the distant Jiuhua Mountain. Though his eyes were cold, they seemed to hold a mix of complex emotions—hatred, warmth, and nostalgia.

A cultivator dressed in Penance Valley attire said, "Master, your plan is brilliant. After their fierce battle, the only two things in Jiuhua Mountain that could threaten you have been destroyed. The ‘Nine Pole Array’ is broken, and they no longer have the strength to use the ‘Fire Bird Ring.’ Even their elders will suffer great casualties. Destroying Jiuhua Mountain will be as easy as pie for you."

The young scholar still did not respond and kept his gaze on the cloud-shrouded Jiuhua Mountain. Seeing this, those around him wisely chose to remain silent.

After a long time, the young scholar sighed softly and gently said, "The time has come for the Jiuhua Mountain lineage to become history."

The young scholar’s voice was as delicate as his appearance, yet it carried a unique melody that compelled one to listen closely, only to become unconsciously lost in it.

As he spoke, the young scholar waved his hand slightly. The monsters behind him, as if hearing a royal decree, paused not for a moment and swiftly flew towards Jiuhua Mountain on various magical flying devices.

"It’s time to reclaim what’s mine."

Watching the monsters disappear into the horizon, the young scholar spoke slowly.