Li Mu had elevated all his hundred arts skills to level seven—Symbol Making Art, Alchemy, and Puppet Art—reaping immense rewards, and continued his deep study of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array, persisting in deciphering the Restriction on this side of the passage.
Just then, Qian Wantong and Wan Shaoming arrived in a hurry, their faces grim.
“Great Master Li!” Qian Wantong walked up to Li Mu, his face full of worry, saying, “We’ve encountered an urgent matter.”
Li Mu turned around, looking at the two and asking curiously, “What is it?”
If it weren't for an urgent matter, the two wouldn't have come to disturb his deciphering of the Restriction.
Wan Shaoming took a deep breath and said in a low voice, “The news of our exploration of this Secret Realm ruin has leaked. Now, a group of Cultivators is attacking the protective Formation we set up in the passage. If nothing unexpected happens, it probably won’t last for a few days.”
Hearing this, Li Mu’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed across his face. This was indeed not good news. He had invested enormous energy and time into deciphering the Restriction, but now it might all be in vain due to external interference.
“What is the strength of the attackers? Which force are they from?”
Wan Shaoming pondered for a moment and replied, “It’s mainly the Tianji Building’s treasure hunting team, led by Bian Chongzong. They’ve also gathered Cultivators from other forces. Their overall strength is only stronger than ours, not weaker.”
“How much longer can our protective Formation hold?” Li Mu inquired.
“Three days at most,” Qian Wantong interjected, “and if the other side intensifies their offensive or a higher cultivation enemy appears, it might not even last three days.”
Li Mu fell silent for a moment, quickly calculating countermeasures in his mind.
Li Mu turned to look at the Restriction sealing the passage. He had just found a clue to Breakthrough this Restriction without affecting the entire Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array and was about to forcefully break it, estimating it would take about half a month.
“Great Master Li, how much longer do you need to decipher this Restriction? If they break in…” Wan Shaoming paused, looking at Li Mu gravely and asking, “I’m afraid we will all be in danger.”
“I still need at least fifteen days to fully decipher this Restriction,” Li Mu said in a deep voice.
Qian Wantong and Wan Shaoming’s expressions both turned very grim upon hearing this. Fifteen days was simply too long for their current situation. Their protective Formation probably couldn’t even last three days, let alone fifteen.
“What should we do? There might not be enough time!” Qian Wantong said anxiously, his brows tightly furrowed.
Wan Shaoming also looked worriedly at Li Mu, as if expecting him to have some brilliant plan.
Li Mu took a deep breath, knowing that the decision at this moment was crucial, not only concerning the lives of the few of them but also the secret of the entire ruin.
“I have a plan, but the risk is extremely high,” Li Mu said slowly, having thought of a strategy.
Li Mu’s words immediately attracted the attention of Qian Wantong and Wan Shaoming.
“Please speak, Great Master Li. We have no other choice now,” Qian Wantong said eagerly.
“We can use the power of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array to temporarily enhance the defensive power of the protective Formation. This way, we might be able to buy enough time,” Li Mu explained, gazing at the passage Restriction before him.
“Great Master Li, borrowing the power of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array? Are you confident?” Qian Wantong’s spirits lifted, and he looked at Li Mu, asking with concern.
“After these days of research, I have some understanding of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array. Using its external power to set up a protective Formation should not be a problem. If possible, we might even be able to use their power to help us decipher this Restriction!” Li Mu replied, his gaze full of profound meaning.
“This… Is this safe? After all, the power of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array is no small matter. One misstep, and we might all perish within it!” Wan Shaoming looked at Li Mu worriedly and asked.
“There is indeed a certain risk, but we have no other choice now. Only this way can we buy ourselves some time,” Li Mu said firmly.
Qian Wantong and Wan Shaoming exchanged glances, both seeing the determination in each other’s eyes. They now had no better option.
“We trust you!” Qian Wantong said in a deep voice, “Great Master Li, just do what you need to do. We will fully cooperate.”
Wan Shaoming also nodded, indicating his support.
“Have your people withdraw to this side. I will go to the passage entrance to set up the Formation,” Li Mu instructed, then turned and walked towards the passage entrance.
Qian Wantong and Wan Shaoming immediately took action, notifying everyone to evacuate to a safe area.
Although the crowd was nervous and uneasy about the Cultivators’ attack outside the passage, they all chose to trust Li Mu, executing his orders quickly and orderly, retreating into the passage.
Li Mu arrived at the passage entrance, took a deep breath, concentrated his mind, and began to set up the Formation.
Golden Spiritual Artifact swords flew out from the nine storage spiritual pearl, encircling Li Mu like guardian deities. He quickly formed hand seals, precisely controlling these Spiritual Artifact swords, and began to carve Formation patterns on the ground.
Lines of Formation patterns moved across the ground like spiritual snakes, emitting a faint spiritual light, gradually forming a complex Formation diagram. This Formation not only utilized the Yin Qi of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array but also incorporated Li Mu’s unique understanding of Formation, making its defensive power even stronger.
Soon, powerful spiritual energy flew from Li Mu’s fingertips, quickly merging into the ground and integrating with the surrounding environment. As time passed, a complex Formation gradually formed at the passage entrance. Soon, a powerful Yin Qi quickly gathered, emitting a chilling, deadly aura.
Inside the passage, the Cultivators watching Li Mu set up the Formation felt the immense power of this Yin Qi, and their expressions all changed.
“This power is almost identical to the Restriction power outside the Secret Realm!”
“Haha! Excellent! This Great Array will definitely stump those guys outside!”
“Great Master Li is amazing! Truly a Great Master of Formations!”
“Uh! It seems we’re also trapped. How will we get out later?!”
“This Formation was personally set up by Great Master Li. He naturally knows how to break it!”
…
Observing Li Mu setting up the Formation, the Cultivators discussed animatedly, full of praise for his Formation mastery. At the same time, some also expressed concern about how to leave in the future. But most people still had full confidence in Li Mu.
Li Mu focused entirely on controlling the Formation of the Formation, oblivious to the discussions behind him, constantly adjusting the Formation’s structure and power distribution to ensure it could maximize the use of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array’s power to enhance defense.
Finally, when the last wisp of spiritual energy merged into the ground, the entire Formation was completely activated. An even more powerful Yin Qi rose from the Formation, spilling out of the passage. This power made the Cultivators attacking the protective Formation outside the passage feel an unprecedented sense of oppression. They all stopped their attacks, looking in shock at the powerful aura emanating from inside the passage.
At this time, the Ice Nether Spirit Valley, the temporary outpost of Wanbao Pavilion, outside the passage, had been occupied by a group of high-level Cultivators.
This group of Cultivators seemed to be a temporary hodgepodge of forces. Some were solitary, others in groups of three to five, dressed in various ways: some in flowing Daoist robes, some in exquisite armor, and some in simple cloth robes. Their backgrounds were diverse, and their goals varied, but at this moment, they gathered for a common objective, forming a formidable force.
At this moment, a group of Void Refining Cultivators were fully attacking the protective Formation outside the passage. Their magical power surged, and various Spells and Spiritual Artifacts intertwined into a spectacular scene. However, the defensive power of the protective Formation was unexpectedly strong, making it difficult for this group of Void Refining Cultivators.
Just then, a strong Yin Qi suddenly overflowed from inside the passage, causing all the Cultivators present to change their expressions. They felt the terrifying power contained within this energy, as if it could destroy everything.
“What’s going on! Could it be that Qian Wantong has deciphered the Restriction in the Secret Realm! We can’t let them succeed, everyone speed up breaking the Formation!”
Bian Chongzong, the leader of the Tianji Building’s treasure hunting team, said in shock.
Following Bian Chongzong’s call, the Cultivators present were invigorated, their faces showing anxiety. Their attack frequency and magical power output instantly increased, and brilliant Spells and Spiritual Artifacts bombarded the protective Formation in front of the passage even more frantically.
“A bunch of useless people, you can’t even take down a mere seventh-order Eight Trigrams Five Elements Protective Formation.”
Among the crowd, ‘Hongshan,’ disguised as a Nascent Soul cultivator, a hint of bloodlust flashed in his eyes, wishing he could immediately act and kill all the Cultivators before him.
“Demon Ancestor, please endure. Now is not the time to act. The Formation power that just erupted from the Restriction is extraordinary. We have not yet confirmed if the area below is the Sealed Land. It’s good to let this group of people scout the way,” Wu Tian Demon Ancestor quickly advised through Divine Thought, sensing the killing intent on ‘Hongshan.’
Hearing this, “Hongshan” took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the killing intent in his heart. Now was indeed not the time to act. He could not yet confirm the location of the Sealed Land, and he could not expose his identity now.
“Have your people act, concentrate power to attack the East—Zhen position!” ‘Hongshan’ instructed Wu Tian Demon Ancestor through Divine Thought.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor nodded and immediately conveyed ‘Hongshan’s’ order through Divine Thought to the Nine Demon Sect Cultivators hidden among the crowd. Upon receiving the order, those Cultivators began to secretly incite the surrounding Cultivators, urging them to concentrate their power to attack the East—Zhen position of the Eight Trigrams Formation.
“Fellow Daoists, Seniors, I am slightly proficient in Formations. I just observed that the East—Zhen position of the protective Formation seems to be somewhat loose. If we concentrate our power to attack there, we will surely break this Formation!” The Soul Transformation Cultivator disguised as a Nine Demon Sect member shouted loudly, trying to guide the Cultivators.
The Cultivators were roused by his words and all turned their attack targets to the East—Zhen position. For a moment, various Spells and Spiritual Artifacts flew uniformly towards the Zhen position of the Formation, erupting in powerful energy fluctuations.
With a loud “boom!”, a dazzling light burst forth from the East—Zhen position. The entire Eight Trigrams Five Elements Formation trembled, its operation instantly halted, and it collapsed with a crash!
“It’s broken, the protective Formation is broken!”
“Everyone charge!”
…
With the collapse of the protective Formation, the Cultivators erupted in enthusiastic cheers, and figures flew in.
“Profound Yin Spiritual Plant!”
“That’s Yin Sha Stone, such high quality!”
…
Inside the passage, the Cultivators were like locusts passing through, frantically scrambling for the various rare spiritual materials that appeared before them. These spiritual materials were rarely seen in the outside world, but now they were laid out before them as if they were free for the taking.
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor, with the Cultivators of the Nine Demon Sect, gathered around ‘Hongshan,’ ignoring the high-level Spiritual Plant and various high-level spiritual ores growing in the passage, closely following a group of Void Refining Cultivators, flying towards the end of the passage. What lay inside was their true objective.
…
At the other end of the passage, Qian Wantong and the others also felt the intense attack from outside and soon perceived that the protective Formation had been broken.
“Great Master Li, our Eight Trigrams Five Elements Formation was broken so quickly. Can the Great Array you set up now hold?” Qian Wantong looked at Li Mu, asking worriedly.
“Yes! The Eight Trigrams Five Elements Formation was broken so quickly; there must be an expert among them!” Wan Shaoming said eagerly, looking at the Formation Li Mu was setting up, his brows full of worry.
At this time, as Li Mu’s Formation gradually completed, a powerful Yin Qi permeated the passage entrance, becoming increasingly dense. The entire passage entrance was immediately enveloped by a powerful energy shield, like an invisible wall, completely sealing off the passage entrance.
However, if the other side could break the Eight Trigrams Five Elements Formation so quickly, it probably wouldn’t take much time to break this Formation either.
“Don’t worry, this Great Array incorporates the power of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array; its defensive power is far superior to the Eight Trigrams Five Elements Formation. It will be by no means easy for them to break it,” Li Mu said with a slight smile, full of confidence.
The Formation Li Mu was currently setting up was the Yin Yan Formation, one of the twelve sub-Formations of the Yin Yang Heavenly Evolution Formation. It also incorporated partial adaptations from the Nine Dragons Immortal Slaughtering Formation and used the overflowing Formation power of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array as its source, making its power astonishing. It could be said that this Formation at the passage entrance combined the essence of Li Mu’s level seven Formation Art and was the result of his many years of research and practice.
Although Qian Wantong, Wan Shaoming, and the others did not fully understand Formations, seeing Li Mu’s confident expression and feeling the powerful aura emanating from the Formation, their doubts gradually dissipated.
“This Formation will consume some of the Di Sha Ju Yin Great Array’s power. If they attack the Formation, it will assist us in deciphering the Restriction ahead,” Li Mu continued to explain, looking at the Cultivators.
“It actually has such a miraculous effect?” Qian Wantong exclaimed, becoming increasingly impressed by Li Mu’s Formation mastery.
“Then won’t we be able to reap the benefits without effort?” Wan Shaoming’s eyes lit up, seemingly seeing the dawn of successfully entering the Secret Realm.
Li Mu nodded, but then shook his head, saying, “Theoretically, yes, but the other side isn’t foolish. If they find their attacks fruitless, they might change their strategy. Moreover, while this Formation is powerful, it also has its limits; we cannot entirely rely on it.”
Hearing this, everyone nodded in understanding, their mood slightly heavy.
At this time, the Void Refining Cultivators outside the passage gathered, frowning and discussing countermeasures. They felt the power and strangeness of the Formation Restriction ahead, knowing that breaking it would not be easy, but they did not intend to give up.
“Demon Ancestor, what kind of Formation is this? Is it the Restriction of the Sealed Land?”
Wu Tian Demon Ancestor looked at the vast Yin Qi Formation shield blocking their way, his gaze turning to ‘Hongshan,’ conveying a Divine Thought to ask for a plan.
‘Hongshan’ frowned tightly, his face grim. As a Body Integration Realm Cultivator, he clearly felt the unusualness of the Great Array ahead, filled with murderous intent. (End of Chapter)
