Chapter 407

Chapter 407: Entering the Sword Formation

In the crowd, Zhou Shixin gazed at her parents, her small fists clenched tightly, bright eyes shining with worry.

The young girl had believed she was about to face a vast world, only to discover upon entering it that this world was far more treacherous than the darkest shadows she had imagined.

The road ahead was shrouded in thick mist, and all the girl could hold onto was her father’s words echoing in her ears.

She stood beneath a large tree, her beautiful eyes unblinking as she stared fixedly at them.

Some in the crowd wondered who this young girl, pure-faced and lovely with skin like white jade and pink satin, could be, and a few bold cultivators even attempted to approach her.

Yet they found themselves confronting an iceberg, sensing only the bone-chilling cold emanating from her.

Today, Zhou Luo stood tall, garbed in a green robe, hands clasped behind his back. His deep, starry eyes betrayed no hint of panic; his heart was like still waters.

Beside him, Yao Wu felt a flicker of inner tension, finding only a measure of calm when she occasionally glanced towards her husband.

Before Lieyang Mountain, the environment grew increasingly silent, the atmosphere thick and strangely serious.

The ancient mountain path lay quiet, rough-hewn and uneven, winding tortuously into the unknown.

A gentle breeze carried a hint of coolness, yet the lush green trees of Lieyang Mountain stood unnaturally still, unreachable by the wind—an unreachable shore.

Zhou Luo’s gaze was profound. As a formation master, he clearly understood why: the entire mountain was enveloped within a magic formation.

He had heard that Master Lieyang was not only a Third Level Gu Master but had also tread far along the Sword Dao path.

It was upon his sword that he had originally proven his Dao, possessing remarkable talent.

Now, this Master Lieyang had fused Sword Dao with formations, creating this very sword formation.

The purpose of this sword formation was not to harm intruders, but to sever—to cut their connection with the heaven and earth, sealing them away.

The contents of Master Lieyang’s cave residence and what legacy he might have left for his heir remained a mystery. Out of respect for the deceased, the sect leader had refrained from forcing entry.

They had learned of his passing only through the sect’s life-imprint sigils.

Likely, this was also Master Lieyang’s final trial for his chosen heir.

The sect leader had entrusted this trial to Yao Wu, and mindful of her pregnancy, had permitted Zhou Luo to accompany her.

Viewed this way, it seemed the sect leader had no true intention of pushing them towards death.

Yet breaching this sword formation was no simple feat.

Zhou Luo, a formation master, acutely sensed that the myriad streams of sword intent radiating from this formation were like curtains of gossamer silk, slicing the mountainside into countless unknown segments.

Stepping within instantly invited an assault from this sword intent.

Moreover, the man had been a Third Level Gu Master. Who could guarantee that high-level Gu insects wouldn’t lurk within this lethal formation?

Zhou Luo’s expression remained impassive. A faint blue light shimmered around his form as the Water Spirit Heart Method soothed his spirit.

High amidst the mountain mists, several Golden Core masters stood impassive, their gazes directed downwards.

Faced with this trial, the couple chose to confront it. But how would they overcome the trial, ascend the peak, and claim Master Lieyang’s legacy?

For these Golden Core masters, this question likely occupied their thoughts above all.

Shrouded in swirling mist, numerous Golden Core masters gathered, their expressions inscrutable, revealing neither gladness nor sorrow.

Unseen by most, the factional strife within the sect churned beneath the surface.

The competition for Master Lieyang’s lineage had never changed because of Yao Wu’s appearance.

Because she was too weak; now even reaching the summit was difficult.

Countless eyes were watching him.

The sun was gradually setting, and a night wind swept up a withered leaf on the mountain path, silently drifting into the mountain peak.

Soundlessly, that withered leaf was severed into strands, then slowly fell to the ground.

That scene made Yao Wu’s heart chill, making her somewhat nervous inside.

Zhou Luo, however, remained unchanged without the slightest sign; he simply watched the mountain path before him quietly, waiting for the sun to set in the west, waiting for the silver moon to rise in the sky, as if he wished to see through the entire sword formation.

Everyone held their breath; time had passed halfway, so what was the opponent planning to do?

At that moment, Zhou Luo took a step forward, his body moving towards one of the mountain paths.

He walked very slowly, his green robe fluttering with the wind, and stepped into the mountain peak’s area.

Ssss—

Accompanied by the sound of a sharp weapon snapping, the sleeve of his magic robe surprisingly gained a tear, as if injured by a sharp flying sword.

Stepping into the mountain peak instantly meant encountering an attack.

Zhou Luo’s expression was unchanged, and he did not retreat; he just looked back at Yao Wu. "Follow me closely."

His rich and gentle voice, like the warm sun in winter, eased the tense and anxious Yao Wu’s mind; she nodded emphatically.

Then, with his left foot also stepping out, he moved four steps to the left, retreated two steps back, shifted his feet slightly, and walked eight steps forward.

Only a corner of his sleeve was seen falling off, without making any sound, while his person was already on that mountain path, having entered the sword formation.

Seeing this, Yao Wu also followed closely behind, entering the mountain peak by mimicking his movements.

"What’s this all about?" asked a disciple of the Wan Gu Sect.

Many around him were not formation masters, so naturally they couldn’t understand what the purpose of that person’s strange movements was.

But there were also clever disciples who immediately grasped that the opponent must have studied formations, which was why he acted that way.

However, didn’t ordinary formation masters usually require a formation disk?

Could it be that the opponent didn’t need to deduce and could still avoid this sword formation’s attacks?

What they didn’t know was that Zhou Luo, as a top-level First Level formation master, indeed required a formation disk.

But at the initial stage of breaking the formation, he could rely on his powerful mental strength to capture the flowing energy within the formation.

After all, the sword formation before him was still an offensive formation, not a prohibition formation in the traditional sense.

Since it was an offensive formation, its attacks were naturally traceable.

Zhou Luo, relying on his mental strength, observed the paths of those attacks while silently deducing and calculating in his mind.

That process did not necessarily require a formation disk to be completed.

Because this was still the periphery; everything wasn’t as difficult as imagined, and moreover, the sword formation had been weakened.

His movements weren’t fast, but every step he took was extremely precise, essentially capturing the sword formation’s attack routes with great accuracy; except after facing its resistance at the start, he wasn’t attacked again later.

Yao Wu followed silently behind him, even safer than him, as the anxiety in her heart gradually faded away.

Pioneers bear heavier pressure than followers, and often pioneers possess more comprehensive abilities.

Zhou Luo, with the fact that he was unscathed, proved his ability to those disciples of the Wan Gu Sect.

At that moment, those who had been gossiping and looking disdainful wisely shut their mouths.

"Father, you must succeed,"

Zhou Shixin stood under a tree, her gaze firm, murmuring to herself.