Chapter 172

Chapter 172: True and False Formation Bases

Zhou Luo’s words caught Lu Ming off guard.

His expression froze, with a trace of astonishment in his eyes.

Formation base?

Was there one over there?

But judging by the other party’s demeanor and the earlier explosion, it didn’t seem like he was lying.

Could it be that there was another formation base he hadn’t discovered, and this guy accidentally found it?

"Are you sure you found the formation base?" Lu Chou stepped forward to interrogate, wearing an expression of distrust.

He relied on the formation disk to clearly sense that there was no formation base in that direction; although the fog obstructed mental strength detection, how could another formation base appear out of thin air?

Zhou Luo looked somewhat disheveled at this moment, with white spots on the green magic robe, as if he had suffered a fierce attack.

He put on an innocent look and said, "Didn’t you say there was a formation base over there?"

Lu Chou was momentarily speechless.

Lu Ming smiled and said, "Brother Xu, we just saw that the formation’s operation wasn’t affected, so we thought there might be a problem."

"But I did destroy the formation base; after all, I am a formation master and should be able to tell," Zhou Luo said sternly.

"Brother Xu, that makes sense, but this formation is profound, and I estimate it has more than one formation base," Lu Ming did not deny his words.

After all, he couldn’t figure out whether the other party had genuinely found a formation base.

Perhaps he was saying this deliberately?

If that were truly the case, then this person was somewhat terrifying.

"Hey, are all of you really capable?" Not too far away, the burly man called out again.

To get here, more than a dozen people had already paid with their lives; if there was still no progress, they would genuinely show disregard.

Lu Ming’s expression shifted, and with a confident smile, he said, "Don’t worry, I estimate this formation has multiple formation bases; leave it to us from now on."

After speaking, he gave Lu Chou a meaningful glance.

Understanding the signal, Lu Chou stepped forward and walked towards the real formation base.

Seeing this, a glimmer of light flashed in the depths of Zhou Luo’s eyes, while on the surface, he pretended to have a sudden realization.

"I never expected this formation to have multiple formation bases; my knowledge is shallow."

Lu Ming smiled slightly, "Brother Xu, you’re just a middle-tier formation master; it’s normal not to know."

"The higher the grade of the formation, the more formation bases it generally needs."

"And typically, powerful formation masters not only arrange multiple formation bases but also blur truth with falsehood, using false formation bases to lure those breaking the formation."

Zhou Luo pondered thoughtfully, looking eager to learn, "So, did I destroy a false formation base?"

"Not necessarily; although the formation base serves as the formation’s power source, and once destroyed, the entire formation’s operation is affected."

"But if there are sufficient formation bases, destroying just one is far from enough."

"Hmm, according to what Brother Lu says, no wonder I sensed something was off when I destroyed the formation base; perhaps there’s another formation base there," Zhou Luo recalled.

Upon hearing this, a glint flickered in Lu Ming’s eyes, and he immediately asked, "Brother Xu, are you truly certain of this?"

"Indeed, but at the time, I was unaware of concepts like false formation bases or multiple formation bases, so I paid it no mind," Zhou Luo replied, his face full of regret.

Lu Ming sank into deep thought.

Bang—

At that very moment, a thunderous explosion erupted.

The ground shook violently as the thick mist ahead surged wildly. A figure shot out.

Lu Chou, gripping a long sword, appeared before the group. He was covered in wounds, his face deathly pale.

His clothes were soaked with blood, appearing quite disturbing, clearly indicating he had sustained serious injuries.

Lu Ming hurried forward. "What happened?"

Gasping for breath, Lu Chou answered, "I destroyed the formation base, but it seemed futile. On the contrary, the power of the formation grew stronger."

He had sensed the anomaly in the formation the moment he entered the mist.

But he hadn’t given it much thought then; his only focus was on destroying the formation base as quickly as possible.

Logically, once a formation base is destroyed, the formation’s power should be significantly weakened.

Yet, there was no change at all. Instead, the formation’s attacks seemed even fiercer than before. Had he lingered, he most likely would have faced even heavier assaults, forcing him to fight his way out.

"Sounds like Brother Lu Chou probably found a false formation base," Zhou Luo chimed in from the side.

"What do you mean by that?" Lu Chou frowned, his brow furrowed.

Zhou Luo replied calmly, "Just moments ago, Brother Lu Ming informed me that formation bases can be genuine or false. Since the formation’s power hasn’t diminished, it’s highly likely you destroyed a false one."

"How can that be?!" Lu Chou’s voice rose sharply.

He distinctly remembered using his formation disk to divine its location—it couldn’t possibly have been false.

Beside him, Lu Ming steadied his companion while his mind raced.

Generally, each formation base governs a specific zone. Destroying one should weaken the power within that area.

Yet, according to Lu Chou, the power had intensified instead.

Could it truly be a false formation base?

But then, where was the real one?

Suddenly, Lu Ming recalled Zhou Luo’s earlier words and asked, "Brother Zhou, are you absolutely certain about that other formation base you mentioned discovering?"

"Absolutely certain. Its energy signature came from the same source as the one I destroyed. I simply didn’t realize such things existed and thus overlooked it," Zhou Luo stated resolutely.

"Impossible. Why didn’t we find it then?" Lu Chou remained unconvinced.

Zhou Luo merely shrugged, offering no further explanation.

Lu Ming turned his gaze toward the dense, swirling white mist, a hint of frustration creasing his brow.

He retrieved his white jade formation disk, channeled his mental strength into it, and began to calculate and divine.

Flecks of radiant light burst forth from the white jade formation disk, soaring toward the fog-covered area.

The principle behind breaking formations is actually quite similar to setting them up.

Both rely on the formation disk to comprehend the entire area’s structure, map it out, calculate the location of the formation bases, and destroy them to weaken or dismantle the formation.

The motes of light, intertwined with Lu Ming’s mental strength, pulsed and gradually sketched the rough outline of the area onto the Bagua diagram inscribed on the disk.

However, obscured by the mist and the influence of the active formation, this emerging outline was blurry and indistinct, allowing only its vague shape to be discerned.

Lu Ming frowned deeply.

It hadn’t been like this when he performed the divination just moments earlier.

Could the destruction of the formation base have altered the entire formation?

Lu Ming couldn’t fathom it. But the immediate priority was still to break the formation as soon as possible.

Because, according to his formation disk, the safe area they had calculated would soon be overwhelmed by the formation’s power.

If that happened, they’d be forced back into their desperate struggle for survival.

"So, what do we do now?"

"Exactly, we can’t just stand around helplessly."

"If there’s no other way… could you at least get us out?"

The cultivators who had gradually recovered began to voice their concerns anxiously.

Clearly, for them, staying alive was more important than reaching the valley.

Hearing their pleas, Lu Ming gritted his teeth, his voice filled with resolve. "Give me a little more time. I’ll go and destroy that formation base."

He then looked toward Zhou Luo. "Brother Xu, please tell me the precise location of that formation base."

Zhou Luo provided the coordinates.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Lu Ming strode into the billowing mist.

The instant he disappeared from sight, Zhou Luo’s lips curved into an arc.

Since you want to test me, don’t blame me if I return the favor!