Chapter 119: Commanding a Thousand Troops Alone (3)

“What kind of alchemical formation is this?”

A group of royal alchemists watched in stunned silence as they beheld the scene unfolding before them in the sky. The image was beyond their imagination.

Previously, they had only heard rumors and seen data, but now, witnessing it firsthand, they could see one hundred eighty thousand soldiers trapped within a single formation.

They quickly scrutinized the intricate patterns etched on the ground, hoping to uncover the secret behind this spectacle, to find an explanation that fit what they were witnessing.

Yet, their alchemical knowledge failed them. If even they could not decipher it, that meant this formation had never appeared before—it was the first of its kind. The first time! Could it be that he created it himself? The thought was almost unbelievable.

The royal alchemists could only speculate that Ye Lang had discovered this formation from somewhere unknown. Otherwise, for someone his age to create such a complex alchemical array was simply inconceivable.

“Is he still inside?” the Dragon Knight Captain asked one of the knights stationed there.

“Yes, he’s still inside. Not a single person has come out yet,” the dragon knight responded.

“Not a single person has escaped…” The words reverberated among them, stirring conflicting emotions. Should they be relieved that Ye Lang had not fled, or lament that all eighteen thousand soldiers remained trapped without a single breakthrough?

Though less than a day had passed, dragons flew at incredible speeds unmatched by any other means of transport—something many found hard to believe.

“What do you make of this?” The royal alchemists began strategizing. “No matter what, we must first rescue those trapped.”

“I can’t tell,” one of them replied. “The energy emitted by this formation doesn’t seem extraordinary. Why would such a miraculous situation occur?”

While others might have blamed Ye Lang’s formation alone, these alchemists sensed something beyond mere alchemy.

“Let’s test it and see what this really is,” they decided, initiating an alchemical duel with Ye Lang.

They tried every method imaginable—some focused solely on rescuing the people, others sought to dismantle Ye Lang’s formation. The more attempts they made, the more astonished they became. They were nearly certain that Ye Lang’s formation was not purely alchemical; something else was at play.

But it was only three days later that the grim reality became clear. The eighteen thousand soldiers trapped within were nearing their breaking point, both physically and mentally exhausted. What could be done? Could they allow Ye Lang to starve them all to death?

“I think those earthen walls he conjured aren’t just simple barriers. Their arrangement seems to possess a strange significance,” a young woman spoke, her eyes studying the intricate array with a mysterious sense of awe. Over the past three days, her fascination with the ancient patterns had only deepened.

“Then let’s try destroying those earthen walls!” everyone agreed, suspecting something amiss. But how could mere earthen walls create such an overwhelming effect? It seemed impossible. If that were the case, wouldn’t people trapped in architectural complexes be similarly imprisoned?

At this point, they had no other leads. Aside from the oddity of the earthen walls, everything else appeared normal.

They had come to realize that Ye Lang’s alchemical formation was essentially an earth-based defensive array that manipulated the terrain. Historically, such formations were used to alter landscapes to defend against attacks.

Only this one was far larger, capable of controlling a vast area with astonishing complexity.

“It’s useless. We’ve already destroyed some of these walls before, but those inside remain trapped, and sometimes the situation worsens. Soon, new earthen walls reappear,” the Dragon Knight said.

“New earthen walls?” the young woman asked.

“Yes, they arise quickly,” the dragon knight nodded.

“Then destroying them isn’t wrong. If the formation wasn’t affected, he wouldn’t replace them!” the young woman pondered. “We’d better gather everyone immediately and use alchemy to disrupt his layout, to make those earthen walls vanish.”

“Agreed. Let’s try,” the royal alchemists consented, drawing their own formations on the ground. Their array was sizable—after all, they were not fighting alone.

Once the formation was complete, the royal alchemists activated it, encroaching upon Ye Lang’s alchemical territory.

Boom! Clash! The earthen walls collided with magnetic force!

At the onset, the two sides engaged in fierce battle, the collision of energies intense. Despite having maintained his formation for three days alone, Ye Lang held his ground.

It wasn’t due to sheer power but because he had occupied the space for so long that his defenses were well established, even though his initial deployment had been rushed.

In truth, if Ye Lang had had time to prepare, it would have been impossible for them to dismantle the formation in such a short span.

Now, as the royal alchemists chipped away at his array, those trapped inside were gradually freed—reborn into life!

But this was only the outer layer. The core remained impenetrable, no matter their efforts, and so they struggled for three long days and nights.

By then, no one paid attention to Ye Chengtian’s group. The focus was solely on capturing Ye Lang; he was the key.

They had surrounded him with a labyrinthine net, three layers inside and three layers outside, entrapping Ye Lang so tightly that escape seemed impossible, even if he sprouted wings.

Yet, this was exactly what Ye Lang desired. The tighter the trap, the safer his companions—Ye Lanyu and the others—would be to reach the Vermilion Bird Empire unharmed.

As for his own safety, he never considered it—not because he was ready to sacrifice himself, but because he had a way to escape, a way no one could catch him.

“Alright, time’s about up. I won’t waste any more of your time!” Ye Lang’s voice finally rang out for the first time in days. Calm, slightly weary—it seemed he was simply exhausted.