Chapter 132 : Transmission
Chapter 132: Transmission
Inside the sect, second-tier formations that were both labyrinth and killing arrays were exceedingly rare.
Among them, the most renowned and most lethal was the Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation, a second-tier superior-grade formation that only formation masters of that level could barely control.
Indeed, unlike the castrated version used by the Formation Hall to test cultivators’ formation attainments—one stripped of killing power—this formation was a true weapon.
The Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation was terrifyingly powerful. Even a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment would be forced to flee in serious injury upon entering it.
However, what surprised Yu Pan was that although the Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation enveloped the entire Drunken Fragrance Pavilion, the aura it emitted was far less frightening than what was recorded in the texts.
‘Should I escape, or should I betray them and make merit?’ Yu Pan’s thoughts turned rapidly.
“Caw.” The Heaven-Eye Blackhawk suddenly looked behind her.
Yu Pan’s heart skipped a beat as she discovered that Master Lu had appeared behind her at some unknown moment, his face darkened.
“Formation Master Yu, are you willing to join me in breaking the formation and rescuing the Patrolling Formation Envoy and Inspector Xiao?” Lu Lei said calmly.
Clearly, the sudden turn of events had soured Master Lu’s mood. His words now were an invitation to take sides.
If she refused, it was likely that she and Little Ash would perish here, condemned as sect parasites who committed suicide out of guilt.
At that thought, Yu Pan circulated her spiritual power and acted without hesitation to break the formation.
…
On the other side, Chen Beiwu stood within the grand formation, beginning to channel the power of the Gate of Ten Directions, preparing to teleport away from this place.
“When water is too clear, no fish can live in it.”
The Foundation Establishment cultivators of Qingsu Island were stationed long-term in various regions. Even if greed arose, he could understand it—but the problem was that their appetite was far too large.
If it had only been the case that the three Gathered-Seas Return-Island Formations malfunctioned, Chen Beiwu would not have had any interest in reporting it to the sect.
After all, for Master Lu and the others to dare such a thing, they must surely have had a powerful backer.
But for Master Lu to agree to his sky-high demand and take out twenty-five thousand spirit stones as bargaining chips meant that the compromised formations likely numbered into the double digits.
What did that mean?
The Gathered-Seas Return-Island Formation was a third-tier superior-grade formation. Even with a conservative estimate, the cost of laying down thirty-six such formations by the sect could have raised several Golden Core True Persons.
Once the Qingsu Island scandal was exposed, the sect would undoubtedly be enraged. Chen Beiwu had no intention of becoming the scapegoat for mere spirit stones and beauty.
But if he refused, it was unlikely he could leave the private chamber alive and return to the sect.
Thus he had demanded an exorbitant price, creating an opportunity to isolate himself, so that he wouldn’t be besieged by three Foundation Establishment cultivators at once—unable even to release the Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation to escape.
Now, before fully teleporting away, Chen Beiwu wanted to test the gap between a Tenth Level Qi Refining cultivator and a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Heaven gives birth to water, Three Talents lock the abyss, Fivefold lock of fate—formation, rise!”
Chen Beiwu circulated his spiritual power, tracing nine Kan-hexagram formation patterns in the air with his fingers.
In the next instant, the Fivefold Water-Locking Disk in his hand shot out twenty-four streaks of black light that sank into the earth veins.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
As the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged, twenty-four pitch-black water pillars surged skyward, centered around Chen Beiwu.
These water pillars stirred the frigid qi of the earth veins, transforming into a ghostly blue cold mist that pervaded the formation, ultimately condensing into five illusory Fate-Locking Abyss Pythons that encircled Xiao Qing, who had lost her senses.
‘Petty tricks!’
Xiao Qing lifted her palm, eyes filled with disdain. With a point of her finger, five beams of icy light crushed the five Fate-Locking Abyss Pythons instantly.
Such methods could deal with Qi Refining cultivators, but she was a cultivator at the peak of mid-Foundation Establishment, only a single step away from late-Foundation Establishment.
“Crack!”
At the same time, the Fivefold Water-Locking Disk in Chen Beiwu’s hand cracked slightly, emitting a faint sound of imminent collapse.
“Got you.”
Xiao Qing’s figure flashed, her five fingers aiming at Chen Zi’ang’s meridian nodes.
“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!”
As five icy beams fell, Chen Zi’ang’s aura instantly plummeted to early-stage Qi Refining, his face showing fear.
“Patrolling Envoy, why are you suddenly attacking me? That’s not very obedient of you.” Xiao Qing’s eyes were like silk, her tongue licking her lips as she shed her clothes, circulating her cultivation method, intending to continue what she had just failed to complete.
But the next moment, the figure of Chen Zi’ang before her suddenly vanished, dissolving into a hazy mist.
‘Damn it, this lady has actually been fooled by a Qi Refining cultivator!’ Xiao Qing froze slightly, quickly realizing she had fallen into an illusion.
Watching the distant, unclothed Xiao Qing, Chen Beiwu was also rather surprised.
He hadn’t expected the gap between himself and a Foundation Establishment cultivator to be this vast.
Even when using the Fivefold Water-Locking Formation together with the Mist of Phantoms, he could only confuse Xiao Qing for a single breath’s time.
One must know, his divine sense coverage was comparable to that of a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. Normally, a fully unleashed Mist of Phantoms should have been able to trap a Foundation Establishment cultivator within an illusion for ten breaths.
“Crack!”
Hearing the faint sound from the formation disk, realizing the Eight-Gate Mind Maze Formation was about to be broken, Chen Beiwu abandoned further probing. As the Gate of Ten Directions opened, his figure turned into a streak of golden light and vanished.
Three quarters of an hour later, the grand formation collapsed with a thunderous crash, and the three Foundation Establishment cultivators gathered together.
“Where is the Patrolling Envoy?” Lu Lei and Yu Pan looked at Xiao Qing.
“He escaped.” Xiao Qing’s face was pale, a bitter smile on her lips.
“You…!” Lu Lei clenched his fist, then quickly released it, his expression dark.
“Should we run?” Xiao Qing murmured.
“Where could we run to? You know the sect’s strength as well as I do.” Lu Lei turned his head to glance at the market’s cultivator guard troops surging in from behind, waving his hand to dismiss them.
…
In a crude cave dwelling filled with dust, a figure suddenly appeared.
“Whew, the Southern Wastes are truly chaotic!” Chen Beiwu exhaled a heavy breath.
He had only wanted to complete his sect mission, gather enough contribution points to exchange for cultivation resources, and smoothly advance to Foundation Establishment.
Who could have thought that what seemed like a lucrative, cushy job hid such deadly danger?
‘Am I being used as a chess piece?’
Chen Beiwu’s thoughts spun rapidly, when suddenly he recalled that Hall Master Lin, who fancied playing matchmaker.
But upon further thought, he discarded that guess.
If Hall Master Lin had anticipated such danger, he would not have sent him—a mere Qi Refining cultivator—to his death.
“Buzz!”
As the Transmission Talisman turned into a streak of rainbow light and vanished, Chen Beiwu sat cross-legged. While studying Moon Dew and Withered Thunder Branch, he waited calmly for his senior sister’s reply.
…
The moon climbed high.
Mirror Moon Sect, Formation Hall, within the Hall Master’s cave dwelling.
Yun Yishu set down her formation brush, her eyes showing satisfaction as she looked at the freshly inscribed third-tier formation disk before her.
Just then, a Transmission Talisman appeared quietly outside the cave, drawing her attention.
“Gathered-Seas Return-Island Formation… Lu Lei… bribery… no time to investigate evidence… if possible, leave the blackhawk alive…”
After reading the message transmitted by her junior brother Chen, Yun Yishu’s brows arched. She was both surprised and helplessly amused.
What surprised her was that her junior brother had managed to escape from the hands of three Foundation Establishment cultivators, and that the higher-ups of Qingsu Island had such daring greed.
What amused her was that even at such a time, her junior brother still thought about Yu Pan’s spirit beast, asking her to spare it.
“If this matter proves true, then Junior Brother Chen has indeed earned a great merit for the sect.” Yun Yishu put away the Transmission Talisman, her eyes flashing with killing intent.