Chapter 349 : Soul-Refining Banner
Chapter 349: Soul-Refining Banner
Celestial Spring Peak.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, please.”
Today, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt had rarely changed her attire. The usual ethereal blue-white long dress had been replaced by a black combat outfit, and she wore a bamboo hat with a black veil.
“Fellow Daoist of Rainbow Skirt, you truly came well prepared.”
Seeing Fairy of Rainbow Skirt dressed in such professional battle robes, Lin Chang’an realized he might have underestimated this Palace Master of Xuanyin Pavilion.
It seemed that in the past she had often used the excuse of closed-door cultivation while secretly taking action outside.
Faced with Lin Chang’an’s teasing, the usually gentle Fairy of Rainbow Skirt gave a rare capable smile.
“Fellow Daoist Lin jests. If cultivators like us who have reached this level were not cautious, we would have long since become resources on someone else’s cultivation path.”
That was indeed true.
Lin Chang’an chuckled lightly and patted the Azure-Horned Ox. Immediately, a deep and resonant moo echoed.
The Azure-Horned Ox stamped its hooves in the air, its body swelling with the wind until it transformed into a gigantic beast three zhang tall before stopping.
“Let’s go.”
At Lin Chang’an’s quiet command, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt smiled lightly and stepped onto the back of the Azure-Horned Ox, while the Sword Attendant stood behind Lin Chang’an as usual.
Wind gathered around the four hooves of the Azure-Horned Ox as it transformed into a streak of yellow light, racing toward the agreed meeting location.
At such high speed, the three of them—being Core Formation Cultivators—were not affected in the slightest.
“It seems Fellow Daoist Lin’s spirit pet will break through again in just a few years. Truly something worth celebrating.”
Standing atop the Azure-Horned Ox, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt rarely showed an expression of enjoying the wind of heaven and earth. It seemed that being confined within the sect for so long made this fleeting freedom feel especially refreshing.
Meanwhile, the Sword Attendant remained respectfully behind Lin Chang’an as always, appearing like a servant-guard.
“Fellow Daoist of Rainbow Skirt flatters me. Under your leadership, Xuanyin Pavilion has already become the number one sect within the Seven Kingdoms Alliance. My little achievements are nothing.”
Lin Chang’an clearly knew that within Xuanyin Pavilion there were several Green Feather Condors being raised. One of them had already broken through to the Third Rank and even produced offspring.
Flying demon beasts were extremely powerful among creatures of the same rank and were notoriously difficult to deal with.
It could be said that Xuanyin Pavilion already possessed a Guardian Spirit Beast.
Combined with Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, a late Core Formation Cultivator, the sect could now be considered a first-class sect below the Nascent Soul Realm.
As the two chatted and laughed, they spoke of many strange tales from the World of Cultivation. After years of friendship, neither of them asked whether those stories were merely heard from others or personally experienced.
After all, everyone had their own secrets.
However, when they were still some distance away from the destination, Lin Chang’an gave a subtle signal with his eyes to the Sword Attendant behind him.
“Master, be careful!”
Without the slightest hesitation, the Sword Attendant transformed into a streak of escape light and jumped down from the back of the Azure-Horned Ox mid-journey.
Seeing this scene, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt could not help showing a trace of curiosity.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, what is this for?”
“One must guard against others. If something unexpected happens, it’s best to leave ourselves a retreat.”
The Sword Attendant carried a formation set. If any trouble arose, she could either reinforce them or ambush the enemy midway. Either way, it served as a backup plan.
Seeing this, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s eyes flickered slightly. She already knew Lin Chang’an was cautious, but she hadn’t expected him to be cautious to this extent.
…
Half a day later, the Azure-Horned Ox descended onto a barren mountain on an unnamed island.
“Fellow Daoist of Rainbow Skirt, Fellow Daoist Lin, you’ve finally arrived.”
At the mountain summit dozens of zhang wide, the Core Formation Cultivators from the Liang and Zhu clans of the Four Seas Merchant Guild smiled upon seeing Lin Chang’an and Fairy of Rainbow Skirt.
After all, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt was a genuine late Core Formation Cultivator.
As for Lin Chang’an, he was crucial for breaking the formation. Being a mid Core Formation Cultivator himself and possessing the Azure-Horned Ox, his combat strength was not weak either.
“Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin / Senior Lin.”
“Greetings, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt.”
As the two arrived, cultivators who had been meditating or conversing quietly around the mountaintop all came forward to salute.
Lin Chang’an nodded with a smile. There were quite a lot of people here this time.
The Long Clan had even sent a female cultivator this time. She had a silent and reserved personality and kept an extremely low profile.
There were also the two Core Formation Cultivators who had abandoned the merchant ship during the robbery. Now they awkwardly hid behind the crowd. Both were early Core Formation Cultivators.
Apart from them, there were five False Core Cultivators and more than thirty Foundation Establishment Cultivators.
All things considered, their side’s strength was not weak.
After everyone had gathered, the two Core Formation Cultivators from the Four Seas Merchant Guild cupped their fists toward the crowd.
“Everyone, the cultivator robbers who attacked us consist of six Core Formation Cultivators. After extensive investigation, the strongest among them has not reached late Core Formation.
Although their numbers are large, the World of Cultivation does not operate purely on numbers. As long as Fellow Daoist Lin breaks the formation, we can easily wipe out this group of robbers and reclaim the stolen goods!”
The two spoke in turns, stabilizing everyone’s morale.
Meanwhile, Lin Chang’an and Fairy of Rainbow Skirt secretly communicated via voice transmission.
“If the enemy truly has no late Core Formation Cultivators, having Fairy of Rainbow Skirt here indeed gives us great peace of mind.”
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt smiled calmly.
“Fellow Daoist Lin jests. If the formation is not broken, I would not dare take such risks lightly.”
This was also the reason the Four Seas Merchant Guild invited the two of them.
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s late Core Formation cultivation acted as the stabilizing pillar.
Lin Chang’an, as a Formation Master, was the key to breaking the formation.
“Move out!”
With a wave of the hand from the two cultivators of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, the group immediately surged forward toward the hiding place of the robber cultivators.
“In recent years the Outer Sea Regions have been increasingly turbulent. These robber cultivators have become more and more daring. They actually occupy territory near the edge of the Fog Sea of Tongtian, clearly intending to monitor merchant ships at all times.”
Lin Chang’an nodded inwardly after hearing this. If their base was truly on the outskirts, the chances of falling into an ambush would be far lower.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, did Fellow Daoist Qiu not come this time?”
While flying in escape light, Fellow Daoist Zhu from the Four Seas Merchant Guild transmitted his voice, sounding puzzled.
Lin Chang’an calmly nodded.
“The Sword Attendant is only an early Core Formation Cultivator. Recently she has gained some insight in cultivation and is currently in closed-door cultivation within the Cave Abode.”
The Four Seas Merchant Guild did not mind his answer. What they truly cared about was whether Lin Chang’an could easily break the formation.
As they continued flying toward the destination, Lin Chang’an secretly sent a Voice-Transmission Talisman to the Sword Attendant, instructing her to prepare support nearby.
…
Several days later, the group finally reached a region shrouded in sinister mist. In order to accommodate the Foundation Establishment Cultivators and preserve sufficient mana, the journey had taken a full seven days.
“Fellow Daoists, we’ve arrived. The island ahead is the robbers’ nest!”
Seeing the destination, the cultivators of the Four Seas Merchant Guild showed anger.
This time their various families had invested heavily.
Even if they reclaimed the goods, the losses alone would be painful.
The sky was dim and gray, and through the hazy mist one could vaguely see a dark island below filled with pits and craters.
At the center stood jagged peaks and grotesque rock formations.
However, after reaching the destination, it was the usually silent Core Formation female cultivator of the Long Clan who spoke.
“There is no mistake. My spirit insects followed the scent here.”
With a raise of her hand, several tiny black mosquitoes flew out from the mist.
“Spirit insects!”
Everyone present was shocked. They had not expected this Long Clan female cultivator’s spirit pets to be such rare spirit insects.
“These mosquitoes have been lurking nearby. After looting the merchant ships, the robbers transported the goods here.”
Once confirmation was made, everyone’s gaze turned toward the only Third-rank Formation Master present.
Lin Chang’an looked at the island with a solemn expression before frowning slightly.
“There is indeed a formation on this island—the Soul-Illusion Formation. However, it is only quasi-third rank. Breaking it will not be difficult.”
“Soul-Illusion Formation?”
Many people looked at each other in confusion, especially the Foundation Establishment Cultivators who were completely lost.
Lin Chang’an was not in a hurry. While observing the formation, he explained to everyone.
“This formation was originally an ordinary Yin-attribute illusion formation. However, after many formations from the Sinister Soul Sect spread from the Ghost Domain, this formation was improved.
Aside from its illusion effects, the added ‘soul’ aspect means that many sinister spirits are imprisoned within the formation. If we force our way in, the first thing we must face are these sinister spirits.”
Hearing the explanation from this Third-rank Formation Grandmaster, everyone suddenly understood.
Lin Chang’an secretly frowned. Everything he said was true. In fact, he had learned of this formation long ago from the Sinister Soul Sect inheritance he had obtained.
Later it had even appeared at the Five Dragon Island Trading Gathering, and it was also recorded in the formation inheritance of the Sixth Elder of Bihai Palace.
So revealing this information did not concern him.
However, what troubled him was that the situation seemed too simple.
“Six Core Formation Cultivators leading dozens of Foundation Establishment Cultivators… yet their base only has a quasi-third rank formation?”
While he was pondering this, the cultivator surnamed Zhu from the Four Seas Merchant Guild spoke solemnly.
“Fellow Daoist Lin, can this formation be broken?”
Facing a professional matter, Lin Chang’an calmly nodded.
“Leave the formation to me.”
Seeing Lin Chang’an’s confident expression, everyone exchanged glances and nodded.
“Be careful.”
Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s voice sounded in his ear.
Lin Chang’an nodded and rode the Azure-Horned Ox into the air above the island. After confirming there were no other issues, he raised his hand and took out a formation set from his Storage Pouch.
Using formation to break formation.
If he didn’t demonstrate some of his formation skills, he would feel embarrassed accepting the reward from the Four Seas Merchant Guild.
More importantly, with so many people here today, displaying his formation mastery might attract customers later.
“Break!”
Nine fire-attribute formation flags combined with a formation plate suddenly created a terrifying cloud of fire in the sky.
The fire cloud expanded massively, nearly covering the entire island.
“How astonishing!”
The spectacle shocked the surrounding cultivators.
Then the fire cloud descended, enveloping the island.
Thunderous explosions rang out below, and lightning sparks flickered within the clouds.
“The formation is broken!”
Lin Chang’an shouted coldly. As he raised his hand and retrieved the formation, the true appearance of the island was revealed.
Many surviving sinister spirits fled in terror.
At the same time, sixty to seventy streaks of light shot out from caves on the island—the robber cultivators rushing out.
At the front stood six Core Formation Cultivators. Seeing the island surrounded and the formation destroyed, they froze momentarily.
“It’s these robbers who attacked our merchant ship!”
Before they could react, the two Core Formation Cultivators who had previously escaped shouted angrily.
“Kill!”
The cultivators who had prepared in advance did not hesitate and immediately attacked.
The robber cultivators, hardened by lives of bloodshed, were equally fearless and launched their counterattack.
In an instant, the sky filled with flashing spells and magical artifacts as sharp whistling sounds erupted everywhere.
…
“Fellow Daoist Lin, continue checking whether there are other trap formations. Leave these people to us!”
The Core Formation Cultivator surnamed Liang from the Four Seas Merchant Guild shouted loudly while releasing a flying magical artifact. At the same time, he reminded Lin Chang’an.
As a Formation Master, Lin Chang’an readily accepted.
This was the advantage of being a technical specialist.
When it came to risking one’s life, others would always go first.
“A late Core Formation Cultivator!”
However, when the robber cultivators saw Fairy of Rainbow Skirt, their expressions changed drastically.
Two of them immediately roared and flew toward her.
“We brothers will hold off this late Core Formation Cultivator!”
The two joined forces and unleashed a joint strike technique, which surprised Fairy of Rainbow Skirt. She had not expected to encounter cultivators capable of joint techniques so coincidentally.
Amid the chaotic battle, the Azure-Horned Ox roared deeply. Its hooves stomped in the air, creating an earth-yellow mana shield that blocked the surrounding spells.
“There are no other trap formations on the island! Could I really be overthinking?”
As the battle raged, Lin Chang’an scanned the surroundings suspiciously.
Just as he relaxed and prepared to join the battlefield—so that the Four Seas Merchant Guild would not complain about him taking too large a reward—
He suddenly saw the six Core Formation robber cultivators take out several dense, long banner-type magical artifacts.
His expression instantly changed.
“Not good! Everyone be careful of their magical artifacts!”
The reaction speed of Core Formation Cultivators was extremely fast. Upon hearing Lin Chang’an’s shout, everyone reacted instantly.
Even the Foundation Establishment Cultivators instinctively raised defensive shields.
“Roar!”
At that moment, the six long banners were engulfed in sinister energy. Within the ghostly mist, each banner transformed into a terrifying Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King.
“How is that possible?!”
The enemy had suddenly gained six Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast Kings.
Everyone was shocked.
“These are magical artifacts from the Sinister Soul Sect. Each banner imprisons a Third-rank Sinister Spirit Beast King for the wielder’s use.”
Before Lin Chang’an could explain, Fairy of Rainbow Skirt spoke coldly, revealing the origin of the magical artifacts.
At the same time, her expression turned serious.
Without giving the two Sinister Spirit Beast Kings before her any chance to react, the Magical Artifact · Silver Chain Golden Bell wrapped around her jade hand emitted a soul-capturing sound.
Having fought side by side with her before, Lin Chang’an naturally knew the power of Fairy of Rainbow Skirt’s magical artifact.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and shot out six Sword Gleams.
The others quickly reacted as well and began counterattacking.
“Roar!”
The Magical Artifact · Silver Chain Golden Bell was a rare soul-type magical artifact. Under its wide-area attack, the two Sinister Spirit Beast Kings staggered and howled in pain.
Second chapter will be updated in about half an hour.