Chapter 1047: Witch Formation

The Mortal Realm

Heavenly Pagoda

A group from the Witch Clan navigated through the valley's forbidden zone and located the stone hall. Inside, the stone hall was shrouded in darkness. Upon entering, they discovered that, unlike the outside, there were no evident dangerous restrictions. However, they dared not unleash their spiritual sense carelessly and could only proceed with patient investigation.

Old Demon Fang continued to scout ahead. The space inside was vaster than anticipated. Seeing no immediate anomalies, the Grand Shaman instructed everyone to remain vigilant while spreading out slightly.

"There are skeletons ahead!" Old Demon Fang suddenly transmitted.

Everyone's expressions tightened, and they quickly gathered behind Old Demon Fang. Their spiritual senses swept forward, revealing numerous skeletons scattered haphazardly on the ground directly ahead. It was impossible to tell how long these bodies had lain there, as only skeletal remains were left. Old Demon Fang sent a gust of wind towards one skeleton, and it instantly crumbled into dust, utterly decayed.

The Grand Shaman's expression turned grave. He surveyed their surroundings and said, "Everyone, please be cautious."

Old Demon Fang paused briefly before flying forward once more. The others immediately summoned their protective artifacts and followed close behind.

"Friend," Old Demon Fang secretly communicated with the Grand Shaman, his tone implying dissatisfaction, "what's the likelihood of finding any Witch Clan treasures in a desolate place like this?"

The stone hall filled them with a sense of emptiness and desolation. Besides the scattered skeletons, there was nothing else. They hadn't even found any traces of restrictions or spiritual formations.

The Grand Shaman reassured him, "Friend Fang, please calm down. The stone disk is clearly a Witch Clan treasure. The fact that divine markings could activate it and open this hall isn't enough to prove its profound connection to our clan? This stone hall might have been personally built by our Witch Clan ancestors, and its placement within the secret realm of an ancient human sect must certainly have a reason."

"I hope your judgment is correct," Old Demon Fang replied flatly, then said no more. He suddenly accelerated, flying rapidly forward.

After flying for a while, Old Demon Fang suddenly halted. The Grand Shaman arrived soon after, and upon seeing what lay ahead, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes. Directly in front of them stood a gigantic stone pillar, exuding an ancient aura. Its surface was covered with intricate and complex patterns, almost completely filling the entire pillar. When their spiritual senses swept over the pillar, they detected no fluctuations whatsoever. The pillar had no restrictive seals and was not a magical artifact.

Yet, a glint of excitement appeared in the Grand Shaman's eyes. He swiftly moved to the pillar, extending a finger to lightly touch the patterns. "The essence of these patterns is identical to divine markings!" he exclaimed repeatedly. "If I'm not mistaken, this must be a unique formation of our Witch Clan, as recorded! There's definitely not just one pillar here, everyone..."

Before he finished speaking, everyone understood and dispersed to search for more pillars. Soon, all eight stone pillars in the hall were discovered. They were precisely arranged in the eight cardinal directions, forming a magnificent array. They meticulously noted the patterns on each pillar, then gathered to analyze them. However, with so little of the Witch Clan's heritage remaining, their understanding of such formations was superficial at best. After much study, they still had no insights, so they resorted to attempting to activate the pillars' power themselves. Yet, even when they employed the power of divine markings, the pillars remained unresponsive.

The Grand Shaman's brows furrowed. She hadn't anticipated such a situation and felt a sense of helplessness. Just then, Old Demon Fang circled the pillars once, as if having discovered something. "Could these pillars have lost their power due to the erosion of time?" he asked.

"The restrictions outside the stone hall are still intact," one Witch Clan elder doubted. "The pillars are hidden within the hall, untouched by anyone. How could they have been damaged earlier?"

"That depends on the purpose of this formation," Old Demon Fang replied calmly. "The outer restrictions, at their inception, likely possessed far greater power. They, too, must have significantly weakened over time, allowing us to pass through with just two Wind-Extreme Nails. The Grand Shaman just mentioned her suspicion that this formation is connected to a seal. If the demons inside haven't died and have been continuously assailing the seal, then it's entirely possible they eventually broke the formation."

"The demons have already broken the seal?" everyone exclaimed in alarm.

The Grand Shaman's expression remained calm. "Everyone, there's no need to worry," she said. "Anything powerful enough to be sealed here by the combined efforts of both the Human and Witch Clans must have been an incredible entity. The pillars lost their power a long time ago. If the demons were still alive and had broken free, the Canglang Sea would have long since become a desolate wasteland. Look at these skeletons; some have very strange forms. They might be the very demons that were sealed here, who had already turned into bones before the seal even dissipated..."

As she spoke, the Grand Shaman suddenly activated her movement technique and flew towards the center of the grand formation. She waved her hand, clearing away the skeletons and revealing the flat ground beneath. As the Grand Shaman's spiritual sense swept over it, her eyes suddenly narrowed. She then formed a hand seal and slowly pressed downwards. A rumbling sound filled the air, and a downward stone staircase suddenly appeared before them.

"There's another level below!"

Everyone was both surprised and delighted. Their surprise stemmed from the realization that the sealed demons below would undoubtedly be even more formidable; inadvertently releasing just a few could spell disaster for them. Their delight, however, was that the lower-level seal might still be intact, offering an opportunity to glimpse the Witch Clan's Great Dao.

"If there are similar seals below," the Grand Shaman instructed, "you must record them. This will greatly aid your comprehension of the Great Dao of Divine Markings. Even if we don't find our ancestors' treasures, this journey will not have been in vain."

Old Demon Fang once again volunteered to scout ahead. The second level was significantly smaller than the first. They quickly located the second seal, which differed from the pillars on the first level but was clearly also crafted by Witch Clan ancestors. Employing similar methods, they soon found the entrance to the third level.

Everyone grew even more cautious. Old Demon Fang, employing some unknown secret art, appeared ethereal, his figure flickering in and out of view. After receiving Old Demon Fang's signal, everyone cautiously entered the third level. The scene within was surprising.

The third level was the smallest, spanning only about ten zhang. In the center of the stone hall was a circular stone platform, surrounded by eight stone pillars that were less imposing than those on the first level. However, the patterns on these pillars were far more exquisite and profoundly intricate than those on the first level. The elevated platform was empty, devoid of skeletons, and unlike their expectations, there was no great demon sealed there.

Old Demon Fang, hovering beside the platform and gazing intently at one of the pillars, announced a startling piece of news: "This formation still retains some power!"

The Grand Shaman was delighted to hear this. She flashed to the platform's vicinity, observed cautiously for a moment, then began to fully concentrate on comprehending the formation. As the third level wasn't large, the rest of the group quickly searched it, confirming that no demons were hidden there. They then stepped forward to observe the pillars.

For a moment, a strange silence fell over the stone hall. Everyone stared intently at the seemingly unremarkable stone pillars, as if they were extraordinary treasures. However, eventually, everyone, including Old Demon Fang, gradually withdrew their gazes and subtly shook their heads. Only the Grand Shaman remained in deep thought.