Chapter 422: Breaking the Formation

A Record of a Mortal's Journey to Immortality - Volume 3, Chapter 4: Winds Rising from Overseas

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The light shield was thick and somewhat murky. While not as opaque as when obscured by the yellow mist, it still appeared rather blurry.

Besides this layer, there seemed to be several other layers within the light shield. At its center, a circular pillar, several yards tall, was faintly visible, adorned with what appeared to be ancient patterns and characters. The specifics, however, remained unclear to everyone present.

Their spiritual sense was completely repelled upon touching the light shield, unable to penetrate it in the slightest.

Even stranger, countless slender, seven-colored light ribbons darted and wavered erratically between the various light shields, appearing alive and exceptionally peculiar.

The others, having also witnessed this, couldn't help but marvel.

Han Li, however, frowned, a flicker of doubt unbidden in his eyes.

While he didn't know much about the intricacies of ancient formations, he had encountered quite a few in Xin Ruoyin's various texts.

The appearance and aura of the formation before him didn't seem to match any ancient spell formation he knew. Instead, it had a somewhat sinister feel.

With this thought, Han Li glanced sideways at Shi Die, who was not far away.

He saw her curiously examining the grand formation, with no unusual expression on her face.

This relieved Han Li, who wasn't particularly confident in his knowledge of formations, and he self-deprecatingly concluded that he must have misjudged it.

"Alright! It's getting late," Hu Yue said considerately to Han Li and the others. "Brother Han and the rest have traveled a long way, so it's better to rest more. Let's begin breaking the formation tomorrow! From its appearance, this formation can't be broken in a short while!"

Hearing this, Han Li also felt a sense of weariness from the long journey and didn't voice any objections.

The Stone Fairy, on the other hand, seemed eager to try her hand at the grand formation after seeing its true appearance. However, seeing Hu Yue's suggestion, she refrained from saying anything more.

Everyone then flew back to the stone houses.

As there weren't enough houses, Han Li and a few others casually gathered some earth to build several more mud huts. After transforming them into stone houses using petrification magic, they officially moved in. Han Li and Shi Die then went near the light shield and began various calculations and property tests.

The entire process of breaking the formation was painstakingly slow.

Especially at first, both felt at a loss on where to begin. They frequently encountered insurmountable difficulties, making no progress for several days.

But no matter what, a spell formation is static, while people are dynamic!

Given enough time for contemplation and study, even the most bizarre formation could eventually be deciphered.

With the concerted efforts of Han Li and the woman, this so-called ancient spell formation was no exception. Its intricacies were slowly unraveled by the two.

During this process, Han Li's perception of the female cultivator surnamed Shi significantly improved.

Although she was somewhat arrogant, she genuinely possessed considerable skill.

She not only had a thorough understanding of various formations, both large and small, but also demonstrated an incredibly meticulous and flawless ability when calculating their layouts. This earned Han Li's considerable admiration!

In his opinion, her mastery of formation theory, while not as profound as Xin Ruoyin's, was not far behind.

Yet, amidst his admiration, Han Li also felt a bit puzzled.

Why were all the master formation experts he knew women? Could female cultivators possess some innate talent for formations?

However, compared to Xin Ruoyin, this Stone Fairy seemed somewhat prone to "armchair strategizing."

While she could articulate various formation theories eloquently, her methods for breaking formations were quite limited, essentially repeating the same few techniques. If these proved ineffective, she would simply stare blankly, helpless.

Han Li's rudimentary knowledge of formations, naturally, was far inferior to hers in terms of theoretical calculation.

Being self-aware, he didn't argue with her on this point. Instead, he simply brought out various targeted formation-breaking techniques from Xin Ruoyin's teachings, which greatly impressed her.

Thus, after developing a tacit understanding, Han Li and the Stone Fairy formed a partnership: the female cultivator would calculate and identify the formation's weaknesses, and Han Li would then devise ways to break them.

This arrangement not only significantly accelerated the progress of breaking the formation but also allowed both of them to learn much from each other, leading to great satisfaction for both.

As for Jin Qing and the others, who couldn't assist at the moment, they honestly meditated and cultivated their qi inside the stone houses, quietly awaiting for the two to dismantle the grand formation.

One day, three months later, Han Li and Shi Die called everyone to the slope.

After these busy days, the grand formation was almost entirely deciphered, having reached its final restriction.

Once this restriction was broken, the peculiar stone pillar would be fully revealed to everyone.

The light shield now looked vastly different from when Han Li first saw it.

Not only had its area shrunk by nearly half, but its color was no longer the original murky yellow; it had turned a fiery crimson. Anyone who approached even slightly could feel a scorching heat emanating from it.

Even more astonishing, the seven-colored light ribbons within the shield's walls had transformed into countless winged fire snakes, ceaselessly climbing and slithering across the barrier, continuously spitting out thin flames.

"What kind of demonic creatures are these?" Jin Qing asked, surprised by the sight.

The others also wore expressions of astonishment.

"These are winged fire fiends, a very rare type of fire-elemental demon spirit," Shi Die explained with a hint of pride. "They can only form in extremely special locations and have very short lifespans, often dissipating within a few hours. However, the demonic flames they naturally spew are no less potent than a cultivator's spiritual fire. They particularly enjoy devouring the souls of mortals and the nascent souls of cultivators, making them incredibly tricky to deal with. This final restriction clearly transformed this area into a 'Three Suns' land, allowing these fire spirits to be born endlessly. Any cultivator unaware of their true nature who attempts to forcibly break the restriction would surely fall prey to these winged fiends' deadly grasp."

After all, she was the first to realize the origin of these rarely known "winged fiends."

"Winged fiends?" Jin Qing and the others blanched upon hearing that these creatures could devour nascent souls.

"Since you've called us here, it's clear you two fellow Daoists have found a way to break it. Please, don't hesitate to give us your commands," the usually quiet cultivator surnamed Jian said unexpectedly.

The others, slightly startled, turned their gazes towards the woman and Han Li.

Han Li smiled faintly, saying nothing. Shi Die, however, beamed and said in a charming voice:

"Senior Han and I were quite troubled at first, but after several days of discussion, we've finally devised a proper method to break the restriction. However, this will require everyone's assistance."

Although her appearance was ordinary, her voice was exceptionally clear and crisp, lending her a charming grace for a moment.

"Stone Fairy, just tell us what you and Fellow Daoist Han need, and we'll do it," Hu Yue said with a chuckle.

Hearing this, Shi Die wasted no time and began issuing instructions directly.

"To break this formation, we'll need several water-attribute magic tools that counteract it. Senior Han and I have managed to gather a few. All you fellow Daoists need to do is hold these magic tools and stand in the positions we indicate. Once Senior Han breaks the shield, you should use these tools to eliminate any winged fiends that slip through."

"Fellow Daoists, under no circumstances should you use your spirit treasures to attack these demon spirits," Han Li slowly added from the side. "These are natural fire spirits, and we cultivators usually avoid them at all costs. Furthermore, do not let them get close, or you'll face significant trouble."

Seeing Han Li's solemn expression, Hu Yue and the others exchanged glances, then responded with a respectful assent.

Then, Han Li retrieved a small ruler, a small hammer, and a small trident from his person, distributing them respectively to Jin Qing, Qu Hun, and the cultivator surnamed Jian. Shi Die, from her side, took out a blue silk handkerchief and handed it to Hu Yue.

Following Shi Die's directions, the others took their respective positions nearby. Shi Die herself quickly retreated to the periphery, also retrieving a short sword magic tool, and intently watched Han Li's actions.

Han Li did not rush to act. Instead, he carefully surveyed the surroundings once more. Convinced there were no errors, he confidently waved his hands. Dozens of blue formation flags, formation plates, and other uniform water-attribute array tools flew out from his storage bag and began to hover erratically around him.

Without another word, Han Li flicked his fingers, and a rapid succession of "pffft" sounds immediately followed.

These formation flags and plates shot towards the perimeter of the red light shield in response to his movements. They then slowly descended according to a specific pattern.

The flagpoles of the formation flags plunged directly several inches into the ground. The formation plates floated steadily a few inches above the earth, together forming a formidable and imposing array.