Chapter 238: Chapter 165: Breaking the Formation_1
Translator: 549690339
“Third Elder, actually lowering our stance…”
“Thus so low!”
Seeing their own Golden Core Elder humbly inquiring about the origins of the other party, the disciples of Green Jade Sect also realized something. Their already fearful hearts became even more chaotic, unsure of what to do.
Catastrophe was imminent!
What to do?
No one knew.
Outside the formation, the Yang Yun clouds obscured the sun, and in the thick dark skies, amidst flashing lightning and roaring thunder, command flags descended one after another, planting themselves at the footholds of Purple Cloud Mountain in all directions. In the blink of an eye, a formation was established, closing off the heavens and the earth, leaving no way in or out.
The outer formation had already been laid out.
If this formation was to operate and successfully breach the Purple Cloud Formation, then the identity of the other party as a fourth-tier Formation Master would be indisputable.
Considering this, even the Great Golden Core cultivators couldn’t help but change color, “Do you truly intend to go to such lengths?”
As he shouted, the formation began to activate.
He had already lowered himself so much, yet the other party still set up a formation, evidently determined to prevail with no room for negotiation.
Since the other party was relentless, there was no reason for him to sit idly waiting for death as the formation was broken.
Regardless of whether the other party was a fourth-tier Formation Master or not, a fight was inevitable, possibly even a battle to the death.
The Third Elder spurred the formation, not hesitating to draw on the Spiritual Vein of Purple Cloud, causing the entire Purple Cloud Mountain to shimmer with Spirit Light and billow with Spiritual Energy, startling the surrounding wilderness.
“This…”
“A formidable enemy has come!”
“What a tremendous display of power!”
“It’s Old Ghost Sun!”
“Even the Golden Core has been alerted?”
In the market place, various sects and Loose Cultivators were also startled, looking at the fully energized Purple Cloud Formation and then at the terrifying sight outside the formation with dark skies and flashing lightning, their gaze involuntarily shifting towards the shops within the marketplace.
In this world, it is an era of great contention; those who have achieved advancement in their cultivation have all fought their way through blood and storm.
When weak and powerless, one can only be exploited by others, but if someone takes them for kind and goodly folk because of this, that would be a grave mistake.
If given the chance, they would not hesitate to shed their guise of weakness and transform into ruthlessly vicious Robbing Cultivators of the Demon Path.
“Lin Fengjue is here!”
“Who dares to act recklessly!”
“Those who offend Green Jade Sect—will be shown no mercy and killed!”
“Everyone is to immediately return to their Cave Mansion residences and must not linger outside, any violators will be treated as conspirators.”
“The Enforcement Team is to mobilize fully, maintain order in the marketplace, and execute any troublemakers.”
Seeing sects and Loose Cultivators showing signs of agitation, Green Jade Sect immediately sent out their law-enforcing Cultivators to suppress them.
Lin Fengjue unhesitatingly took up his sword and soared to the sky, ready to seize the opportunity to establish his reputation.
As for whether this would attract the attention of the great enemy outside the formation…
He did not believe that after the Purple Cloud Formation was breached, he and the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators would have a chance of escape.
This was a high-stakes gamble, betting that the other party could not break the Purple Cloud Formation.
If he won the bet, he would earn the credit for suppressing the unrest.
If he lost, he would not have to pay any additional price.
So, why not take the gamble?
Lin Fengjue observed keenly, and the others understood the situation well, each going about their duties.
Only a woman flew up to Lin Fengjue’s side, quietly transmitting to him, “Brother Lin, I have a Talisman Treasure capable of deploying Golden Core escaping techniques, if the formation is breached…”
“Boom!!!”
Before she could finish, they heard a thunderous roar as divine thunder descended from the heavens.
A roar of thunder, a bolt of lightning, tore through the dark sky and crashed into Purple Cloud Mountain.
“This…!!!”
The Third Elder’s pupils shrank, filled with horror.
This person was not only a grandmaster of formations but also a true practitioner of Thunder Series.
The thunderous phenomena witnessed earlier were not a result of the formation’s manipulation but were brought forth by his overwhelming Mana.
In the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, Taoism reigns supreme!
Among all the Divine Skills, Thunder Series is held in the highest esteem!
What will happen when Thunder Series combines with formations?
The Third Elder dared not think further, exerting all his strength to maintain the defense.
However…
“Boom!”
Thunder raged fiercely, a divine punishment that obliterated all in its path, striking the formation repeatedly until the protection of the Golden Core Great Array, as fragile as paper, was burst through by a flash of lightning.
Caught off guard, the Third Elder felt a wave of shock and terror as if a great disaster was upon him, a deathly tribulation had arrived. Then he saw the thunder swallowing his sight, dazzling lightning, and the tide of annihilation approach, instantly swallowing his consciousness.
“Boom!!”
With a loud bang, the heavenly thunder struck the ground, opening a deep chasm, and cracks spread like a net in every direction.
“Third Elder!!!”
“This…”
“Run!!”
Seeing their Golden Core Elder being struck by the opponent’s heavenly thunder, breaking through the formation and being completely blasted into the ground, the disciples of Green Jade Sect turned pale, and the team that had just stabilized the situation instantly collapsed into chaos.
“Dead, he’s dead!”
“Old Ghost Sun is dead!”
“Green Jade Sect is finished!”
“Kill! Loot!”
“What are you waiting for, score big on this one and you won’t have to worry for the rest of your life!”
Upon seeing this, those with malicious intent among the crowd immediately began shouting, stirring up the atmosphere.
Green Jade Sect was too preoccupied to care, and the disciples who had come to their senses were like headless flies, running around in panic.
“Damn it!”
“This person is so formidable, even the Third Elder within the formation was defeated by his single strike!”
“This man’s command of the Thunder Series is extraordinary, and he is also a grand master in Formation; his attainments in Array Formation are exceptional. Although the Third Elder is a Great Golden Core cultivator, he is not a Formation Master. His formations lack true mastery and flexibility, which allowed the opponent to exploit…”
“What’s the use of saying all this now?”
“Escape! Break out in all directions, save whoever can be saved!”
Several Foundation Establishment cultivators quickly gathered and then scattered in all directions.
“Senior Brother!”
“Quickly activate that Talisman Treasure!”
Lin Fengjue grabbed the woman beside him.
Seeing this, the woman dared not delay and immediately took out a talisman, which was vivid and lifelike, with every feature detailed.
The Talisman Treasure, or rather the sentient Spirit Talisman, is created by a Talisman Master during Talisman Making as if a cultivator has an “epiphany.” Such creation occurs by chance, and its power far exceeds that of ordinary talismans of the same tier.
This was a third-tier “Vertical Earth Golden Light Talisman.” Once drawn as a Talisman Treasure, even among the Golden Core cultivators, its escape speed was top-notch, an unparalleled life-saving tool, which the woman had obtained through serendipity during her secretive explorations.
Now, for her beloved and for herself, although she was reluctant, she decisively activated the treasure.
“Boom!”
With the Talisman Treasure activated, golden light shot upward, enveloping the two of them, turning them into an arrow loosed from a bow, shooting straight out of the mountain.
At this time, the Purple Cloud Formation had been broken, and outside the mountain, the sky was dark and the earth dim, with only the last layer of the array remaining.
This was the external array laid by the opponents.
The Vertical Earth Golden Light could also penetrate the void. Ordinary Golden Core formations, without a Formation Master in command, would likely be unable to stop it.
However, this was no ordinary array, nor was it unattended.
Just then…
“Rumble!”
Thunder struck down, shattering the golden light, and the two figures fell out, scattering like ashes.
Under the thunderbolts, within the array, all magic ceased to exist!
“This…!!!”
The two were reduced to ash in an instant, startling the others into halting their steps, no longer daring to cross the line of the thunder pond.
In the midst of this…
A figure descended from the sky, standing leisurely on a cloud, and calmly stepped into the mountain.
“All things in this place belong to me!”
“Those who cause trouble shall be killed without mercy!”
As the words were spoken, the speaker flicked his sleeve, and thunderbolts rained down into the marketplace within the mountain.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
Several roars and explosions mingled among the crowd who were agitating, intending to cause chaos, looting the market stalls, and in the Spiritual Land Cave Mansion, all the Robbing Cultivators who were named by the thunderbolts were promptly turned into charred ash.
“!!!!!”
In an instant, everyone froze, and a dead silence filled the marketplace.
Seeing this, Xu Yang said nothing further and turned back towards the Purple Cloud Cave.
“Rumble!”
Just as he was turning, thunder rolled, and the power of the great array turned like a millstone, exerting pressure on everyone.
Such an array’s pressure was crushing. Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators found it unbearable, one by one kneeling on the ground, biting their teeth tightly, as if the weight of the Five Great Mountains had all fallen upon them, with their internal mana unable to circulate.
This was a technique of Taoism, The technique to Drag Thousand Mountains, also known colloquially as the Mountain Moving Curse, a binding spell that harnesses the force of mountains to oppress and immobilize, grinding bodies to powder and crushing souls.
Xu Yang integrated this Taoist technique into the array, casting spells through the array, and invoking curses with it. Not to mention mere Foundation Establishment cultivators, even Great Golden Core cultivators in their perfection would struggle to move or use their mana under the immense pressure.
Everyone was pinned down by the technique, unable to move, and could only watch helplessly as Xu Yang went towards the Purple Cloud Cave.
Actually, where Xu Yang went was not of much concern to them, even insignificant.
The problem was…
No sooner had Xu Yang left than the array patterns lit up and shadowy figures flashed, materializing within the array.
“Come, come, come, tie them all up for me, but be gentle, don’t cause any injuries, these are all good laborers for our master to farm the land later!”
A tall and honest-looking man ordered his subordinates to capture all the powerless Green Jade Sect disciples, as well as the cultivators in the marketplace who were trying to loot.
Bai Yunzi was among them.
At that moment, his wits were scattered, lying on the ground with a look of bewilderment, not knowing what to do next.
How did things turn out like this? Just moments before, he was at the Green Jade Tower, toasting and chatting merrily with others; how did he become a prisoner so suddenly?
If only he knew the reason, he could die with understanding.
But he had no idea what happened, and to die like this would be too unjust, right?
That man… who exactly is he, and where did he offend him for him to come killing with such indiscriminate violence?
“That man…”
“Seems like… Shi Jian?”
“The Thunder Lightning Mana King, Shi Jian?”
“It’s actually him!”
“How is that possible?”
“I’ve heard of this name as well. In recent years, he’s a Loose Cultivator who roams Liang Country. While his Thunder Technique is incomparably sharp, his Cultivation is no more than mid-stage Foundation Establishment. But this man now seems beyond just late-stage Golden Core, doesn’t he?”
“Nonsense, of course he was concealing his Cultivation. No wonder for so many years, as he roamed everywhere in Liang Country, he encountered countless Robbing Cultivators and was always untouchable. It turns out he is a Golden Core!”
“A Great Golden Core cultivator disguising as a Foundation Establishment, fishing around—this is just too shameless!”
“Not just a Golden Core, not just a Thunder Cultivator, he is also a grand master in Formation, capable of breaking even the Golden Core Great Array of Purple Cloud Mountain.”
“Such a person could start his own sect. Why pretend to be a Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator? Could it be…”
The crowd was abuzz with speculations, filled with shock and disbelief.
Bai Yunzi’s brows were tightly furrowed, equally puzzled.
At that moment…
“Bring him over!”
At that command, Bai Yunzi was pushed forward in front of the honest-looking young man.
The young man glanced at him and said, “Foundation Establishment Cultivation is not bad. My master wants to send someone back to your Green Jade Sect with a message. Sixth Master thinks you’re alright, so you’re the one.”
With that said, and regardless of Bai Yunzi’s reaction, he turned to two of his underlings, “Strip him bare, don’t leave a single hair, this old guy, all plump and smooth, must have scammed quite a lot. After you’re done searching him, throw him out.”
Then, turning to the captured Green Jade Sect disciples and opportunistic cultivators, he said, “And these fellas, their possessions are all ill-gotten, strip them clean, let’s see if they have any interesting items that might please the master!”