Chapter 273

Chapter 273: Green Bamboo Formation

When the Seven Dragon True Immortal heard this, his heart sank, realizing that their enemy’s support had arrived. The location was very close to the Man-Eating Demon Monk’s lair, only a few thousand miles away. When they chose this spot, everyone had assessed that the powerful aura emitted by the Seven Star Soul Lock Formation would definitely alarm the people on the island, and they would likely come to investigate.

However, according to their initial plans, they never expected that Wind Tribulation Immortal-level combat power would appear so quickly. They thought they would first send out some lower-ranked individuals to clarify the situation. Once they learned that the Man-Eating Demon Monk was surrounded, they would return for reinforcements. By then, it would take at least two or three hours for help to arrive, giving Fang Lie plenty of time to revive and join the fight.

But plans always change more quickly than expected. None of them anticipated that two passing Wind Tribulation Immortals, both affiliated with Chongming Ancient Temple, would show up at this critical moment. Upon seeing the Man-Eating Demon Monk trapped, they rushed over to help and sent out distress signals to the temple. It wouldn’t be long before a significant number of reinforcements from Chongming Ancient Temple would appear.

If the enemy reinforcements arrived before Fang Lie, the Seven Dragon True Immortal and Mr. Suan Mei would be in serious trouble. Not only would they fail their mission, but they might also end up in peril themselves.

At this point, the best course of action would be to retreat quickly, at least to ensure their own safety. However, they had worked hard to trap the Man-Eating Demon Monk in the Formation; if they let him go, they might never get such an opportunity again. This guy would certainly become extremely cautious. Moreover, the most critical point was that one should not leave a snake alive, as it could turn back and bite.

The Man-Eating Demon Monk, fierce in nature, would definitely not be willing to suffer losses. He would most likely lead his followers to counterattack Fang Lie’s Qingyu Island. Although Fang Lie would not be afraid, the Seven Dragon True Immortal and Mr. Suan Mei could very well find themselves in serious trouble.

Thinking of this grave consequence, the Immortal Wind Dragon gritted his teeth and said, "Mr. Suan Mei, do you have any assurance that you can hold on until the island lord returns? If we let this guy go, he surely won’t rest until he takes revenge. Rather than dying helplessly at his hands, it would be better to fight him to the bitter end here!"

Mr. Suan Mei, being extremely astute, understood the stakes involved. Strictly speaking, he was the most vulnerable. Fang Lie had an undying nature, and the Seven Dragon True Immortal was always by his side, making it difficult for them to perish. The only easy target was him. It goes without saying that if the wrathful Man-Eating Demon Monk escaped, he would become the target of harsh revenge.

Realizing the serious implications, Mr. Suan Mei bit his teeth and declared, "Even if it costs me my life, I will hold out until the island lord arrives!"

With that, Mr. Suan Mei pulled out a large handful of bamboo rods, totaling thirty-six, each one fresh and green as if just cut from the bamboo. However, the aura contained within them was incredibly powerful, comparable to fifth-rank treasures!

Mr. Suan Mei then tossed all the bamboo rods into the air and began to manipulate the secret technique, chanting softly.

In the next moment, under Mr. Suan Mei’s guidance, the thirty-six bamboo rods suddenly vanished, and an enormous bamboo forest appeared over the sea, covering more than ten thousand acres.

Dense and towering, with each stalk standing over ten zhang high, the bamboos were clearly a special breed. Their roots were highly developed, entwining like tentacles, connecting to form a thick layer that resembled solid ground, where all the sturdy bamboos grew.

This vast bamboo forest enveloped the entire Seven Star Soul Lock Formation, making it impossible to see the fierce battle between the Seven Dragon True Immortal and the Man-Eating Demon Monk from the outside.

This was, in fact, Mr. Suan Mei’s trump card, the Green Bamboo Formation, composed of thirty-six fifth-rank treasure bamboo rods. As a master skilled in formations, Mr. Suan Mei took great pride in his formations.

This Green Bamboo Formation had taken him three hundred years of time and countless resources to refine, based on ancient secrets. It could be said that most of Mr. Suan Mei’s wealth and energy had been invested in this formation. Although the bamboo rods were fifth-rank, the combined Formation was extremely powerful. Besides, with Mr. Suan Mei, a master of formations assisting, its strength could barely match that of the weakest Fire Tribulation Immortal.

The Green Bamboo Formation was easily recognizable due to its unique appearance, so it was soon identified by the two arriving Wind Tribulation Immortals.

One elderly man with white brows could not help but curse, "Damn it! It’s that old man Suan Mei’s Green Bamboo Formation. This is trouble; we cannot break it!"

Next to him, a robust middle-aged man in colorful attire grumbled, "What now? We can’t just sit by and watch him get killed, can we?"

"Uh…" The white-browed elder hesitated. Unable to fight against it and not wanting to retreat, he truly found himself in a difficult position. Finally, he frowned and suggested, "How about we wait for more support? Once everyone is here, we can break the Formation together!"

Just then, inside the Formation, the Man-Eating Demon Monk yelled in frustration, "Are you two idiots? Can’t you see I’m being attacked and am about to collapse? Hurry up and come save me! Don’t you want to die?"

When these two heard this, their faces instantly darkened, nearly overwhelmed by frustration.

You should know that these two did not willingly become guest elders at Chongming Ancient Temple. After all, the Man-Eating Demon Monk has a terrible reputation; any cultivator with a sense of humanity would never eat people, yet once they entered here, they had no choice but to obey, or else they would be dealt with by the Man-Eating Demon Monk.

So, apart from monsters, there were hardly any cultivators who would willingly follow such a leader. In reality, they were both captured by the Man-Eating Demon Monk. To avoid being eaten, they were forced to join Chongming Ancient Temple.

They were not good people either; simply put, eating people is better than being eaten!

Of course, these two would not gain the Man-Eating Demon Monk’s trust, so they were compelled to consume a special poison, requiring the antidote every year. If they failed to take it, their magic would go wild, leading to their demise.

It was precisely through this special method that the Man-Eating Demon Monk managed to have dozens of Wind Tribulation Immortal subordinates and over three hundred Purple Palace level followers.

These individuals formed the core power of Chongming Ancient Temple, becoming the Man-Eating Demon Monk’s sharpest claws. On regular days, they searched for food for the Man-Eating Demon Monk, plundering wealth and serving him a luxurious life like that of an immortal.

Though these people were forced to submit to the Man-Eating Demon Monk due to the threat of poison, their loyalty was almost zero and even negative. Many of them wished they could kill him.

The two Wind Tribulation cultivators who came today did not expect such a formidable opponent; they had only thought about showing off and rashly charged in.

They soon found themselves facing a huge tiger they could not fight, and at that moment, the Man-Eating Demon Monk forced them to attack to save themselves. They regretted it immensely, realizing that if they had known the situation, they would have pretended not to see anything. Now, knowing they could not win, they still had to enter the Formation and face punishment. What a tragic situation!

Even though they knew their odds were slim, these two Wind Tribulation Immortals dared not stay outside. Entering might mean death, but not entering would mean the Man-Eating Demon Monk would certainly execute them in the cruelest way afterward.

With no other choice, they steeled themselves and dashed into the Bamboo Forest.

Once inside, they felt as if they had entered an endless sea of trees, unable to reach the end or see any threats.

In this situation, they should have taken measures to counterattack, at least to stir a change in the Formation. But they had their own intentions, all tacitly avoiding the topic, pretending to know nothing, and continuing to wander aimlessly within.

They understood that Mr. Suan Mei clearly just wanted to trap them; without provoking a change in the Formation, they would not face an attack. Once they acted, they would be besieged by the Formation.

They did not want to fight for the Man-Eating Demon Monk, so they avoided seeking trouble.

However, their cunning thoughts could not escape the notice of the Man-Eating Demon Monk.

Although, within the Seven Star Soul Lock Formation, the surrounding starlight made it impossible for him to see events outside, it did not hinder his hearing or perception.

Not hearing intense battle sounds and feeling no Spiritual Pressure from a fight, the Man-Eating Demon Monk concluded that his subordinates were being lazy.

In his moment of crisis, having such lackadaisical subordinates naturally ignited the Man-Eating Demon Monk’s wrath. He couldn’t help but shout, "You two fools! Why don’t you show your skills? Do you really want me to force the poison inside you to act right now?"

The poison administered by the Man-Eating Demon Monk was very peculiar, so much so that he could control it with a secret technique; with just a thought, he could cause the two to die from the poison, meaning he held their lives entirely in his hands.

The two Wind Tribulation Immortals pale with shock upon hearing this; realizing they could not escape, they no longer hesitated and both shouted, "Old man Suan Mei, prepare to die!"

With that, they launched their attacks.

The old man with white brows revealed a Sixth-rank treasure, a whisk, and with a wave, thousands of golden divine swords shot out, directly destroying large areas of bamboo forest.

Meanwhile, the armored man shook his sleeves, unleashing countless black insects. As soon as the insects appeared, they audibly began to munch on the green bamboos, as if a swarm of locusts had passed through, devouring vast areas of bamboo in the blink of an eye!

However, their actions, although they destroyed the bamboo, triggered a fierce counterattack from the Formation.

First, the vanished bamboo grew back rapidly, almost instantaneously restoring all that was lost, as if what had just happened had been an illusion.

Then, many green bamboo snakes appeared in the bamboo forest, only two to three feet long. They seemed unremarkable, yet they were incredibly fierce.

Their bodies were exceedingly resilient, and when they sprang from the bamboo, they could emit sharp sounds like arrows piercing the air.