Chapter Nine: Breaking Through the Deadly Formation

After dispelling the formation on the night beast, Wu Shu prepared to lead Li Jianfeng deeper into the Giant Elephant Mountain Range. After all, the depths of the range were more suitable for cultivation. At the same time, Wu Shu intended to confront the invading demon clan descendants. Most importantly, in Wu Shu’s eyes, the demon clan disciples who had entered the formation were undoubtedly powerful and came from influential backgrounds.

Wu Shu was in urgent need of increasing his strength, yet cultivation resources were scarce. Seizing cultivation resources from the demon clan seemed to satisfy Wu Shu's sense of gratification even more.

In short, he would keep up the act and push forward.

Li Jianfeng, standing nearby, saw Wu Shu preparing to leave and glanced at the demon servants who had mistakenly entered the formation while pursuing him. He felt conflicted. These demon servants were all talented young disciples from the Kun Kingdom, controlled by the demon clan. Had it not been for the calamity of today, they would surely have achieved great things in Kun Kingdom someday.

“Brother Shu Wu, could you take these few with us as well?” Li Jianfeng asked.

Wu Shu was quite surprised by the request. He thought to himself, what’s going on here? Didn’t carrying you all already push me to my limit? Otherwise, wouldn’t it consume spirit stones?

Without much explanation, Wu Shu cast a doubtful glance at Li Jianfeng.

Li Jianfeng quickly explained, “Brother Shu Wu, you may not know, but these are all talented juniors from Kun Kingdom. If not for today’s misfortune, they would surely become prominent figures in Kun Kingdom in the future.”

Wu Shu, being experienced, understood the sentiment.

Thinking of their potential, Wu Shu felt he should help save them.

After some thought, Wu Shu said, “Brother Li, saving them is not difficult, but it will consume some lower-grade spirit stones. To be honest…”

If a problem can be solved with spirit stones, it's hardly a problem at all.

Moreover, only a few lower-grade spirit stones are needed to save them. How could such a small amount compare to their lives? Of course, if the number of spirit stones required is too great, Li Jianfeng might not be able to provide them, as his supply was limited.

Worried that saving them might cost an excessive amount of spirit stones, Li Jianfeng cautiously inquired, “Brother Shu Wu, how many lower-grade spirit stones will it take to save them?”

…?

No matter how he looked at it, Li Jianfeng seemed like a fat sheep waiting to be sheared. He must have a considerable number of spirit stones on him.

Wu Shu remained silent, merely extending his palm toward Li Jianfeng. Upon seeing this, Li Jianfeng felt suffocated, his mind racing: Could it really cost that many spirit stones to save them?

Fifty thousand?

Half a million?

Or even more?

Startled, Li Jianfeng sincerely asked, “Brother Shu Wu, what do you mean by this?”

Wu Shu, adopting a condescending tone, replied, “Brother Li, if those peerless formation masters were here, perhaps not a single spirit stone would be consumed. But I am not one of them. If I am to save these few, with good fortune, six or seven spirit stones might suffice to carve the sacred runes on the formation. But if luck is poor, without thirty to fifty lower-grade spirit stones, it would be difficult to save them.”

Li Jianfeng could hardly believe his ears.

***

What nonsense?

Only thirty to fifty spirit stones? Brother, could you just say it all at once?

In an instant, dozens of spirit stones appeared in Li Jianfeng’s hand. He sincerely asked, “Brother Shu Wu, do these spirit stones suffice?”

Among them were dozens of lower-grade spirit stones and several medium-grade ones. Truly, Li Jianfeng was indeed a fat sheep.

Wu Shu sighed inwardly.

Taking the spirit stones, Wu Shu said thoughtfully, “Give me the time of one incense stick.”

Then, the three of them—man, tiger, and horse—proceeded. Wu Shu sat cross-legged and began cultivation, while mentally communicating with Wu Zuo and Wu You, saying, “Wu Zuo, Wu You, this is your chance to redeem yourselves. Within the time of one incense stick, you must carve the sacred runes on twenty spirit stones.”

Wu Zuo and Wu You had expected Wu Shu to ask them to carve a formation like the Nine Oxen Heart Formation, but never imagined he would demand so many spirit stones to be inscribed within such a short time.

Wasn’t this trying to tire them to death?

Wu Zuo asked, “Then what are you going to do?”

Wu Shu coldly retorted, “Is this any of your concern?” Suddenly, Wu Zuo and Wu You felt as if tens of thousands of divine beasts were trampling over their hearts.

Wu Shu then sat down and began cultivating the profound formula.

The incense stick’s time passed quickly, and Wu Shu didn’t seem to do much. After finishing, he tossed a spirit stone to Li Jianfeng. “Brother Li, keep this spirit stone for protection. Then take those few over here and have them sit for cultivation. We will return soon.”

Without a word, Li Jianfeng went to arrange the few demon servants as instructed. For the first time, the usually hot-tempered Li Jianfeng admired someone. No matter how he looked at it, Wu Shu was only at the third stage of body refinement. No, if he cultivated like this, Wu Shu would soon reach the fourth stage. This man was truly mysterious and powerful.

After witnessing Wu Shu’s prowess in formations, Li Jianfeng felt immensely confident. Even the night beast and Little White walked with an imposing air, as if saying, “Who else dares challenge us?”

Of course, during this process, Little White had truly accepted its fate as a dog, and the night beast as a donkey. Both secretly hoped to encounter fellow spiritual beasts here, to show what it meant to rely on strength to cling to a powerful ally.

The Giant Elephant Mountain Range was vast. After traveling nearly a hundred miles, they had yet to encounter a single demon. Soon, they would enter the illusion formation area.

Looking up, it was already the dead of night.

Unknowingly, a whole day had passed, and Wu Shu was still only at the third stage of body refinement. At this rate, if the clan contest came in a few days and relied solely on physical combat, Wu Shu would likely become a human target for his opponents.

He took out two spirit stones and carved the Nine Oxen Heart Formation on them, tossing one each to Little White and the night beast.

Wu Shu said calmly, “With these two spirit stones protecting you, you can move inside the Nine-turn Illusion Formation as freely as outside.”

He then looked firmly at Li Jianfeng. “Brother Li, if we cannot stop the chaos in the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, the surrounding cities of Kun Kingdom will surely be affected. In my opinion, we should go straight into the tiger’s den.”

Even cultivators, after days of unrest, had not rested well. Li Jianfeng had hoped to use the protection of the mountain range’s formations to rest well for a night and recover. But unexpectedly, Wu Shu planned to press on under cover of darkness straight into the heart of danger.

Suddenly, Li Jianfeng became fully alert.

***

Li Jianfeng had no intention of stopping Wu Shu, for his words made perfect sense. Seeing the night beast and Little White eagerly accept the spirit stones, Li Jianfeng resolutely said, “Brother Shu Wu, I will follow your lead in all things.”

Wu Shu immediately leapt onto the night beast’s back, excitedly saying, “No one objects? Night beast, let’s go! Let’s storm the demon ancestor’s lair and divide all the treasures we can carry!”

With a whoosh, the night beast and Wu Shu disappeared without a trace.

Only Li Jianfeng was left standing there, unable to believe his ears. Had someone just said they were heading to the core area to seize treasures from the demon ancestor’s lair?

Woof woof woof...

Little White barked anxiously at Li Jianfeng after Wu Shu and the night beast left.

Li Jianfeng could only lower his head and sigh, “Fine, let’s grit our teeth and go. If even Little White has become a dog, what is impossible in this world?”

With a swift motion, Little White transformed into a white streak of light chasing after the night beast. Li Jianfeng had never known Little White could move so fast.

After Wu Shu and the others left, several powerful battle beasts hidden in the dense forest a few hundred meters away emerged, unable to believe their eyes.

A lion-shaped battle beast said, “Was that little donkey really the night beast? And that white tiger—no matter how you look at it, it’s a spiritual beast. Why does it only know how to bark like a dog...?”

The others nodded in agreement, expressing their doubts. The tiger-shaped battle beast, the leader, said sternly, “The tiger clan will not tolerate such insults.”

A leopard-shaped battle beast asked, “Leader, could that have been an intelligent little white dog just now?”

The tiger-shaped beast angrily snapped, “Don’t talk nonsense! The one just now was of such high status that even the fierce tiger lords within the Giant Elephant Mountain Range cannot compare. And you pups, don’t try to fool me. If it weren’t for the fact that the Giant Elephant Mountain Range’s battle beasts have bloodlines naturally compatible with the great formation, standing before that young man, you’d probably be on your knees even more thoroughly.”

A feline battle beast retorted, “In the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, the weak are prey to the strong. That young man, so young yet with such formation power—if it weren’t us, even the leader would kneel thoroughly before him.”

The tiger-shaped beast said nothing in reply. “You all know the reason, so why the hell are you still babbling? Trying to mock our tiger clan?”

A dog-shaped battle beast said, “No, no, no... Leader, you misunderstand. We were just trying to lighten the mood about the night beast.”

The tiger-shaped beast’s anger flared more. “All of you shut up and continue patrolling obediently.”

Freed and empowered by their enhanced speed, the night beast and Little White moved faster than ever before. Their speed breakthrough made both spiritual beasts lose themselves, dashing straight through the outer Nine-turn Formation and the central Illusion Formation, carrying Wu Shu and Li Jianfeng to the Absolute Formation zone.

Their reckless speed stunned everyone.

According to the tearful recollection of an unknown demon clan disciple, “That night, to rescue the ancestor, I cast aside life and death, guarding the Illusion Formation in the Giant Elephant Mountain Range. But I only saw two streaks of light rush past before no living beings ever passed through again. At that moment, I thought this was a sign of our demon clan’s imminent rise.”