飘零影音

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 269: Break the Formation

Because this forest was so similar to the real thing, the cultivators couldn’t find any flaws even with their various methods. They were momentarily powerless.

Yun Lie did not stay with them; he quietly waited for the others to finish their tests before saying, “Return.”

Xu Ziqing was taken aback. “Does Shixiong mean…”

Yun Lie said, “Check the entrance.”

Xu Ziqing immediately understood.

This situation was different from before. Initially, they entered the forest to investigate, but now they knew there was something strange about it. They had only two options: continue forward or retreat.

If it were just him and his Senior Brother, continuing might be an option, but with these fellow disciples, they couldn’t just stand by… It was better to lead them out of the forest first before making any decisions.

Thinking of this, Xu Ziqing informed Shen Yinglan and the others about the three demons they had seen leave the forest previously. He wanted them to understand that although the formation was formidable, it did not necessarily mean it was life-threatening. This was to reassure them.

Shen Yinglan’s face brightened. “In that case, why don’t we follow Da Shixiong’s suggestion and return to check?”

Indeed, they had entered the forest directly, feeling anxious and unsure about the entrances and exits. However, Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie had entered from the proper end of the forest. If nothing had changed, they could simply retreat without having to search for flaws in the forest’s formation.

…Although this realistic illusion formation likely hid some treasure, it was important to remember that treasures are only valuable if one is alive to enjoy them. It was better not to be too greedy for something that was still unclear.

The others had no objections, so Xu Ziqing led the way, and everyone flew back through the air.

Cultivators generally have excellent memories, but when they truly returned to the place where they entered, they couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

As expected… The situation was not easily resolved.

At the place where Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie had entered, it was no longer a forest path but blocked by several towering trees, as if it had always been this way. When they extended their spiritual senses forward, what they saw was still endless trees. Not only was there no visible exit, but even a clear path was nowhere to be found.

At this point, they all understood.

Unless they broke this illusion formation, they would never be able to leave the forest!

Xu Ziqing sighed and asked, “Do any of you have expertise in breaking formations?”

Geng Zheng and the others looked helpless. “Our talents are limited. We barely have enough time for our own cultivation, let alone studying such complex skills…”

Moreover, formations can only be broken with years of dedicated study. Even if one knows about formations, it’s not easy to dismantle them!

Yun Lie only knows the sword path and does not know formations. Xu Ziqing, who has only practiced for a short time, has seen some but only has a rudimentary understanding, let alone mastery.

In this situation, everyone was left at a loss.

After thinking for a while, Shen Yinglan gritted her teeth and said, “I’ve heard that the art of formations is extremely intricate, but when it comes down to it, there are only two ways to break them. The first is to understand the formation and then dismantle it, and the second is to use brute force to break through it. Since we don’t understand the formation, we can’t use the first method. So we might as well stop hesitating and start causing some destruction… then, whatever changes happen, we can adapt and respond accordingly.”

This method is indeed risky, but when it’s impossible to detect flaws or find the formation’s core, it’s the only option worth trying.

With Shen Yinglan’s suggestion, Geng Zheng and the others had no objections and looked towards Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing.

Having seen their journey, they understood that whatever Xu Ziqing said was rarely opposed by the senior brother, and Yun Lie, though taciturn, had a deep rapport with Xu Ziqing. Many things were explained through Xu Ziqing.

Such close camaraderie between senior and junior brothers, despite their vast experiences, was rare to see, and it led them to admire and value Xu Ziqing more.

Xu Ziqing, indeed in sync with Yun Lie, glanced at his senior brother and said, “What Shen Shijie1Senior Sister said is quite right. Let’s proceed with forcefully breaking the formation.”

He finished speaking, and a blue light flashed from his forehead as he took the first action.

In an instant, a beam of blue light shot out, directly striking a large tree.

With a thunderous explosion, the tree shattered violently, its branches and wood splintering everywhere!

Seeing this, Shen Yinglan and the others also took action.

The woman was quite impressive; she opened her mouth, and a red light burst forth, swirling fiercely around the tree.

A red thread-like rope flew quickly, and soon, more than ten trees fell, their cut surfaces smooth, clearly sliced by the red thread.

Geng Zheng released a set of “Eighteen Rings Chain,” which appeared to be made of bright bronze, dazzlingly yellow. They struck in all directions, toppling large numbers of trees and creating countless holes in the ground as if a storm had swept through.

Bu Luo and Mu Yuanjun unleashed their flying swords, which either froze the trees or shattered them. In short, the forest was almost completely destroyed.

Yet despite all this, there was no sign of any change in the formation, as if they were merely causing chaos in an ordinary forest, which was truly discouraging.

Fortunately, the group was composed of resolute individuals. They believed that since the forest was so realistic, it must be part of the formation. Their actions seemed to provoke no reaction, indicating they were not doing enough. If more was needed, they would continue to escalate their efforts.

Thus, Shen Yinglan and the others exerted themselves even more vigorously, no longer worrying about their physical strength or energy, and unleashed their most powerful techniques, going all out.

Xu Ziqing scattered several hundred Qingyun Needles while carefully observing.

Given the scale of the disturbance, the fierce beasts in the forest should have sensed it. Even if the lower-level beasts did not dare to approach, those above the sixth order should have come to investigate.

However, no beasts appeared… This led him to believe that brute force alone wouldn’t suffice and that more caution was necessary.

As for Yun Lie, despite his higher cultivation and greater destructive power, he had not made a move. Xu Ziqing understood that his senior brother likely shared the same thoughts.

Soon, Yun Lie began to float off the ground, gradually rising into the air.

Upon seeing this, Xu Ziqing immediately realized that his senior brother must have discovered something and did not dare to delay, promptly following suit. He understood Yun Lie well, and this action of his seemed to give him a premonition.

Therefore, when the other four tried to lift off into the air, Xu Ziqing stopped them.

Xu Ziqing said, “Shixiong and Shijie, please continue your efforts!”

Shen Yinglan and the others were momentarily surprised but felt a hint of joy, and they indeed worked even harder.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziqing flew up into the air with his senior brother. Looking down, he immediately saw something different.

After the numerous trees below were destroyed, either shattered or toppled, the scene should have been chaotic. However, it was clear that this was not the case…

In the forest, all the destroyed trees, vines, and land had naturally formed a formation.

This formation was the Bagua Formation2Bagua Formation (八卦陣): A traditional formation based on the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams, from Chinese philosophy. It is a common formation used in wuxia to trap or challenge individuals. This formation symbolizes fundamental concepts such as balance and the interaction between Yin and Yang..

Xu Ziqing recognized the Bagua Formation at a glance. This was not due to sudden expertise in formations, but because the Bagua Formation was simple enough that even an ordinary person could deduce it. It was not even a basic introductory formation.

Seeing the Bagua Formation, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but smile wryly. He looked at Yun Lie and said, “Shixiong, are we trapped by this formation?”

Yun Lie remained expressionless and replied, “Although the Bagua Formation is simple, it contains the principles of heaven and earth and is the origin of all formations. The formation here is far more complex. However, if we want to break the formation, there must be a way to do so.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Ziqing thought carefully and looked down again. He observed that the destroyed trees once cut down, seemed to solidify the Bagua Formation. Although the formation had not fully taken shape, the fundamental Yin and Yang principles were already present. He knew that the core of the Bagua Formation involved the interaction of Yin and Yang.

If this was indeed an opportunity, the person who set up the formation probably did not intend for it to fully form the Bagua Formation but rather to quickly destroy the formation’s core.

Seeing the Bagua Formation becoming clearer, Xu Ziqing feared that further complications might arise once the formation was completed, so he quickly called out to the four, “Shixiong and Shijie, stop immediately and come to where my senior brother and I are!”

Shen Yinglan and the others did not delay and quickly ascended.

Xu Ziqing then said, “My senior brother and I will strike the Yang Eye. Please, senior brothers and sisters, strike the Yin Eye.”3Yang Eye (陽眼) and Yin Eye (陰眼): Refers to the critical points or nodes within a formation. In this context, the Yang Eye is often associated with positive energy or active forces, while the Yin Eye relates to negative energy or passive forces.

The others immediately agreed.

Then, everyone took action together.

Several beams of spiritual light shot out and struck the Yin Yang Eye violently—

The next moment, everyone felt an immense force suddenly rise, pulling them uncontrollably.

Xu Ziqing was prepared; as he emitted the spiritual light, he had already grasped Yun Lie’s hand.

Then, as the world spun around them, after a moment of darkness, he found himself back on solid ground.

Xu Ziqing suddenly opened his eyes. The place where he landed was an extremely spacious stone chamber!

The formation was indeed a teleportation formation?

Because he had prepared in advance, Yun Lie was still with him. However, what he had not expected was that the stone chamber where they stood was not occupied by just the two of them.

Against the wall in the stone chamber, several dozen people were sitting cross-legged, each with a different demeanor: some were self-assured and aloof, some held themselves with dignity, some were prideful and haughty, while others were simple and unadorned… their expressions and attitudes varied widely.

Most of these people were at the Core Formation Stage or Golden Core Stage of cultivation.

Looking carefully, Xu Ziqing noticed that there was not a single Nascent Soul Stage present. At most, the highest level was that of a peak Golden Core Stage cultivator.

Upon seeing these people, Xu Ziqing felt somewhat relieved.

Soon, a flash of white light appeared in the room, and Geng Zheng and the others arrived as well. After seeing the two senior brothers, they immediately walked over and stood with them.

At this moment, someone lazily spoke up, “Finally, all forty-nine are here. It took quite a while!”

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

Support me on ko-fi if you like what I do^^