Chapter 156: Fire Crow Formation

Wu Yuesheng's face was so pale it was almost bloodless, clearly indicating significant damage to his primordial spirit. He clasped his hands in greeting to everyone, but without time to say a word, he hastily sat cross-legged on the ground to meditate and recover.

The Liu brothers, on the other hand, were in slightly better condition, though they also needed to recover.

Once the three of them had recovered, everyone gathered by the pool.

"The water in this pool is a manifestation of array restrictions," Qing Ting explained gravely. "Layer upon layer of restrictions stack up to form a sturdy grand array. Previously, Junior Martial Brother Yu and I tried many times, exhausting all our methods to collaboratively break open the upper layers, but we couldn't proceed any further. Fortunately, I have some mastery in array formations and was able to deduce the pattern of the array's core restrictions, which led me to consider using the Fire Crow Medallion to break it. Once we stop, the pool quickly restores itself. Therefore, we must break through the restrictions in one swift go, otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain. And there's only one chance: if the fire crow spirit on the Fire Crow Medallion is exhausted before we break the array, we would have to return to replenish the fire spirit within it, which would delay us by several years."

Knowing the difficulty of the restrictions, no one dared to be careless. Following Qing Ting's instructions, they each chose a position and stood ready, taking out their favored magical artifacts.

Shaohua Mountain possessed the most sword cultivation techniques, many of which were exquisite, so most disciples within the sect were sword cultivators. Apart from Qing Ting, the other four indeed used swords.

Baiyun Shanren did not summon his cloth pouch; instead, he took out a wooden staff. With a light tap, a peculiar jungle scene shimmered into existence and then vanished before the staff.

The Liu brothers joined forces to wield a lotus flower. Its petals were constructed from refined iron, with edges gleaming with a cold, sharp light. Devoid of any delicate beauty, it was clearly a weapon of destruction.

When Qing Ting saw Qin Sang take out the Five Elements Breaking Sword, she immediately decided that he would be the primary one leading the array breach. Since this was a moment that required concerted effort, Qin Sang had no objection. He flew into the air above the restrictions and positioned himself in the very center.

"Everyone, pay attention to where my finger points," Qing Ting instructed. "Immediately activate your magical artifacts to strike that exact spot. Once the pool water begins to churn with large waves, Junior Martial Brother Qin will then activate the Five Elements Breaking Sword to shatter the restrictions in one decisive blow." Qing Ting looked at each person's face, confirmed they were ready, then gave a slight nod. Lowering her gaze to the pool, she simultaneously waved her hand, sending out several streams of spiritual energy that touched the water, immediately causing ripples to spread across its surface.

Qin Sang also looked around curiously, but unfortunately, his mastery of array formations and restrictions was truly subpar; he couldn't quickly identify the weak points of the restrictions as Qing Ting could.

"There!" Qing Ting suddenly pointed. With that single command, everyone moved in unison, and several magical artifacts shone brightly. Though it appeared chaotic, everyone was experienced, and their attacks followed one another in quick succession, landing precisely where Qing Ting had pointed.

*Splash...* The pool suddenly surged with waves, and spray crashed against the banks.

Qin Sang took a deep breath and secretly activated the Five Elements Breaking Sword, drawing in the surrounding Five Elements spiritual energy. The spiritual sword transformed into five azure dragons. As soon as he heard Qing Ting call out, "Junior Martial Brother Qin," he unhesitatingly commanded the Five Elements Breaking Sword to shoot forth.

*Boom!* After the loud bang, water splashed everywhere but vanished without a trace the moment it flew out of the pool's range. Looking at the pool water again, it was as if a layer had disappeared into thin air compared to before.

"Good!" Yu Daiyue exclaimed, his face showing delight. "If everyone keeps this up, we'll definitely break the array this time."

With eight people working together, breaking the restrictions was much faster and significantly easier than when only Qing Ting and Yu Daiyue had attempted it.

As time went on, everyone became highly proficient, and their coordination grew seamless. Qin Sang, without needing a reminder from Qing Ting, could accurately grasp the opportune moment to breach the restrictions.

Layer after layer of restrictions were broken, and the water in the pool slowly receded.

However, their pressure mounted significantly. Before the grand array could be completely broken, the pool's restrictions surprisingly began to restore themselves. This meant they not only had to break the array as quickly as possible but also had to divert their attention to suppress the regenerating restrictions.

After several consecutive hours of relentless effort, with almost no rest, only a thin layer of water finally remained in the pool. Everyone instantly felt invigorated, their fatigue swept away.

"Two more layers, and then it's the core restrictions of the grand array!" Qing Ting's voice couldn't conceal her excitement, yet she remained calm enough to make a crucial decision. "Everyone, temporarily cease breaking the array; just focus on preventing the pool water from recovering. Take this time to quickly recuperate. Soon, we'll directly use the Fire Crow Formation to breach the remaining restrictions!"

After a series of adjustments, everyone repositioned themselves under Qing Ting's guidance.

Qing Ting, Yu Daiyue, and Baiyun Shanren, the three strongest individuals, positioned themselves in the central "Three Talents" formation. Qin Sang and the other five occupied the peripheral "Four Cardinal Directions," with the Liu brothers standing close together.

The eight individuals occupied seven positions, encircling the pool in the center. Everyone retracted their magical artifacts and took out their Fire Crow Medallions.

Qin Sang looked down at the pool. The water had receded to the bottom, but the depths within remained impossibly dark and profound, revealing nothing. The stones surrounding the pool were as black as ink, just like those outside, and emanated a chilling coldness.

He didn't know what lay beneath, but he felt it was better to be on the periphery. If some evil entity was indeed sealed within, he would have more time to react.

Qin Sang subtly scanned his surroundings, identifying potential escape routes, and secretly prepared his Profound Yin Thunder, ensuring he had a contingency plan.

"Activate the medallions!" Qing Ting roared. Qin Sang hastily reined in his thoughts, his mind sinking into the Fire Crow Medallion. A series of harsh "caw" cries immediately sounded in his ears, as the fire crow spirit still attempted to break free from the artifact's restraints.

However, after ten days of refining, Qin Sang had long since tamed the fire crow spirit. Once he activated the Fire Crow Medallion, the spirit immediately became very obedient.

The Fire Crow Medallion spun once and automatically flew from Qin Sang's palm to hover above the pool. Simultaneously, the other six Fire Crow Medallions also lifted into the air.

The seven Fire Crow Medallions revolved around the pool, and then raging flames burst forth from them.

The flames varied in color—dark green, fiery red, pink, black, and more—but without exception, all were exceptionally hot, completely dispelling the lingering coldness in the air.

"Caw, caw, caw..." The incessant cawing of the fire crows was irritating. After emerging from the medallions, these flames astonishingly transformed into palm-sized fire crows, instantly covering the space above the pool in a dense swarm.

At this point, Qin Sang and the others only needed to fully activate their Fire Crow Medallions; the task of controlling the Fire Crow Formation was left to Qing Ting and the other two.

Swarms of fire crows collided above the pool; some devoured each other, while others danced gracefully. The once spacious area now seemed crowded.

What appeared to be a chaotic spectacle slowly coalesced into a colossal Fire Crow Grand Formation as time passed. This formation, permeated with raging flames, unabashedly emanated a wild and violent aura, starkly different from the restrictions within the pool.

"Break!" Qing Ting uttered in a low voice. A deafening roar erupted from within the Fire Crow Formation, as a large swarm of fire crows from the eastern position swooped down. Halfway to the pool, they converged, forming a fiery arrow that brazenly plunged into the water!