Chapter 2303: Bait

Five figures quietly appeared high in the sky, gazing forward as clouds flowed beneath their feet.

Moonlight, like water, illuminated the continuous mountain shadows.

In the deep gloom, the cultivators followed the direction pointed by Nine Exterminations, activating their spiritual eyes to detect the faint spiritual aura hidden beneath the night.

"There lies Frost Valley, four fellow Daoists, please proceed!"

Nine Exterminations chuckled strangely twice, then leaped towards the ground, like a bat, vanishing into the deep mountains.

Master Huixing and the other two turned to look at Qin Sang.

Qin Sang held an object in his hand: a wooden disc with several intersecting lines drawn on it. A needle was inserted into each line. Upon closer inspection, one could see delicate carvings on the needle ends, as fine as ox hair.

Frost Valley was their target for this expedition. The object was a formation artifact specially crafted to counter Frost Valley's grand formation.

With his superior cultivation, Qin Sang naturally became their leader.

"I will lead the main assault from the front," Qin Sang said, "while the three of you each choose a direction, and we all attack fiercely together..."

Qin Sang's plan was simple and direct. He tossed the wooden disc forward, and his figure shot out.

Master Huixing and the other two exchanged glances, their expressions showing surprise. Leading the main assault would undoubtedly bear greater pressure; upon the arrival of enemy reinforcements, they would certainly face the first wave of attacks head-on.

Since Qin Sang had taken on this most dangerous role himself, what objections could they possibly have?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The three of them moved simultaneously.

In an instant, four streaks of light descended from the sky, heading straight for Frost Valley.

Inside Frost Valley.

Though named 'Valley,' it actually contained a vast flat expanse filled with lush forests, slender bamboo, birdsong, and fragrant flowers.

Even at night, a shimmering, dreamlike aura of treasure light enveloped Frost Valley.

Beneath the beautiful scenery, countless imperceptible subtle sounds were hidden. Innumerable spiritual insects were nurtured here.

According to their different natural dispositions, the spiritual insects were reared in various zones, meticulously cared for by young Witch Clan cultivators.

Deep in the night was precisely when many spiritual insects were active.

A young Witch Clan maiden, with a small bamboo basket slung at her waist, strolled through the sea of flowers. Bees and butterflies circled around her as her gaze swept across the blossoms.

Suddenly, the maiden smiled and quickly walked to a flowering tree. She stooped down, gently parted the petals, revealing a silkworm cocoon within the flower bud.

The cocoon trembled slightly, and moments later, a small opening tore through it. Two long antennae emerged first.

A spiritual butterfly flew out of the cocoon, gripping a petal. Initially, its body wavered, then it gradually unfurled itself, preparing to spread its wings and fly.

The maiden summoned the spiritual butterfly to her palm, activated a secret art, and then showed a look of pity. "What a pity! But this way, you can remain in Frost Valley and live out your life in peace. Go now..."

Upon birth, each spiritual insect underwent a talent assessment to determine if it was worth cultivating by the clan members. Not every spiritual insect was qualified to become a clan's Gu worm.

She released her fingers, watching the spiritual butterfly joyfully fly towards the sea of flowers, a serene smile on her face. She then plucked the cocoon and placed it into her bamboo basket.

Just as the maiden stood up, she suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet tremble violently, nearly causing her to fall.

Looking up, she saw the sky enveloped by a white light barrier. At the center of the barrier, a sword mark, like a river of stars, conspicuously appeared, almost piercing through the entire light barrier.

Centered around the sword mark, ripples continuously surged outwards, causing the light barrier to shake incessantly, as if it were about to be torn open by the sword mark.

"This is..."

The maiden recalled the origin of the light barrier and instantly her face turned pale with fright.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Sounds of rushing air echoed throughout Frost Valley. Several streaks of escaping light flew out from a few splendid halls, their faces ashen as they looked up at the light barrier and the sword mark in the sky.

"Quickly, go invite Elder Wen..."

Before the words finished, a chilling voice came from behind them.

"No need to invite me," the voice said. "With such a commotion outside, do you take this old man for deaf?"

Only then did the crowd realize that an old man in green robes had appeared behind them unnoticed. They hastily bowed in greeting.

"Has the message been sent out?" Elder Wen asked.

"We warned Elder Yun immediately..." someone reported.

Elder Wen inquired about a few more details, confirming that the warning had not been obstructed. He felt a slight relief, but it was just that.

The enemy had appeared suddenly, without any warning. From this single sword strike alone, it was evident that the sword wielder was incredibly powerful. Perhaps they were unaware of Frost Valley's warning mechanisms, or perhaps they simply disregarded them!

"All of you, exert your full strength to control the formation and assist this old man in fending off the enemy!"

Before Elder Wen's words had even faded, three more loud thuds came from other directions.

He swept his gaze around, seeing no enemy figures, only three spiritual treasures fiercely assaulting the grand formation. Their aura clearly indicated they did not belong to the same master.

"At least four Void Refinement cultivators, with the sword wielder being the strongest. Who knows how many more are hidden in the shadows? And why aren't they using Gu worms? Are they trying to conceal their identities?"

Elder Wen's mind raced, filled with growing doubts.

Seeing the trembling juniors, he couldn't help but inwardly rage, "Why are you still standing there!"

With one sword strike, Frost Valley trembled.

Qin Sang's sword strike, imbued with the power of the Western White Tiger Sword Formation, created immense prestige even without the aid of the formation artifact.

The Gray Oriole Sword flew back.

Qin Sang sheathed his sword and stood, looking towards Master Huixing and the other two. He saw only a treasured canopy, a string of prayer beads, and a phoenix hairpin.

That phoenix hairpin should be Immortal Huajing's spiritual treasure. Its power was surprisingly no less than the treasured canopy and prayer beads; no wonder Nine Exterminations and his companion chose her.

This thought was merely a fleeting one. Qin Sang's gaze returned to Frost Valley. Under the impact of his sword, Frost Valley revealed more of its secrets.

Nine Exterminations had revealed some key points of Frost Valley, but he wasn't entirely familiar with the formation either. The wooden disc only served as an auxiliary tool; they still needed to attack the grand formation while simultaneously deciphering its weaknesses to break it.

In fact, Nine Exterminations and Wu Yan's original plan was not like this; it had changed because of the Celestial Eye Butterfly.

"Excellent swordsmanship!"

Nine Exterminations' cheer echoed in Qin Sang's ears.

Nine Exterminations wasn't just idly watching. As an observer, he had a clearer perspective and would help them find weaknesses in the grand formation.

The information Nine Exterminations sent flowed into Qin Sang's mind, confirming the sights seen by the Celestial Eye Butterfly. Qin Sang quickly posed several questions, each of which was answered.

The Celestial Eye Butterfly could discern some hidden mysteries, but this grand formation, set up by Witch Clan cultivators, incorporated Witch Clan heritage. Many elements were utterly unfamiliar to Qin Sang, only becoming clear after Nine Exterminations' explanations.

At this moment, in the eyes of Qin Sang and the Celestial Eye Butterfly, the thick layers of mist shrouding Frost Valley's grand formation dissipated somewhat.

His gaze flickered, looking towards a certain spot in Frost Valley. Within his Qi Sea, the Celestial Eye Butterfly gently flapped its wings, its celestial eye fixed on the same direction. There seemed to be something inside Frost Valley that interested it.

Originally, he had intended to use Frost Valley for practice, seizing the opportunity to understand the methods of Witch Clan cultivators. Whether the formation was broken or not was secondary. Now, it seemed he would need to add a bit more power!

Thinking of this, Qin Sang's spiritual sense suddenly extended, enveloping the area above Frost Valley.

Master Huixing and the other two felt a surge of trepidation, and their attacks subconsciously slowed down.

Boom!

The ground around Frost Valley was torn open as if by a plow. Earth and stone flew, and countless gray serpents writhed in waves of mud, transforming the area into a serpent's nest.

These gray serpents were originally tree roots. Their immense power could easily tear mountains apart, instantly disfiguring the surroundings of Frost Valley.

Amidst the chaos, green specks of light suddenly floated out. The light was ethereal, and wherever it landed on a tree root, a tender sprout emerged, which then began to grow wildly, swiftly developing into towering colossal trees.

Their massive canopies intertwined continuously, branches bristling with thorns, incredibly tough, fiercely striking Frost Valley's grand formation, strikingly forming a tree array outside Frost Valley!

Simultaneously, the Gray Oriole Sword let out a sword cry and suddenly shot towards the firmament. The moonlight seemed to be veiled, dimming, while the stars, conversely, grew brighter and brighter, overshadowing the moonlight.

"Something's wrong! These starlight..."

Immortal Huajing's delicate body trembled slightly. The smile on her charming face abruptly vanished, replaced by an impulse to immediately recall her phoenix hairpin and flee for her life.

"Fellow Daoists, please calm yourselves and focus on attacking Frost Valley," Qin Sang's voice resonated in everyone's ears, including Nine Exterminations. "This is a sword formation unleashed by this humble Daoist; it will not harm any of you in the slightest..."

Nine Exterminations swallowed hard. What kind of person had he invited, after all?

The pervasive sword intent made his heart pound, but it also perfectly concealed his presence.

Beyond the tree array, another layer of sword formation had been added!

The starlight above Frost Valley was more brilliant than ever before, as if those stars shone solely upon this valley.

Within the sea of stars, there was only one discordant spot, located in the north.

Among the countless stars, there were also a few nebulas that appeared dim and indistinct. The Northern Black Tortoise Sword Formation still needed some refinement.

"When the enemy's reinforcements arrive, they'll be perfect for testing my sword..."

Qin Sang thought to himself.

After the initial chaos, Frost Valley became incredibly quiet, the atmosphere grim and solemn.

The young Witch Clan cultivators gathered the spiritual insects from Frost Valley and retreated into the halls. Frost Valley's guards obeyed Elder Wen's commands, each performing their duties, leaving only Elder Wen alone in the sky.

"May I ask which fellow Daoist has graced us with your presence? If my Yao clan has offended you in any way..."

Elder Wen's voice boomed like thunder, carrying beyond the formation, as he attempted to stall for time with words.

When he saw the sword-stars suspended in the sky, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he cried out inwardly that something was wrong. He opened his mouth and spat out a stream of pink spiritual light.

The spiritual light enveloped a spiritual insect, which resembled a plump, fleshy column with smooth, pink skin and a thousand legs—it was a centipede.

As if just awakening, the spiritual insect stretched, and its body rapidly grew, instantly transforming into a giant ten-zhang insect.

Its previously tender pink skin turned into incomparably hard armor, and it opened its mouth to reveal jagged fangs, looking utterly ferocious!

Swish!

Elder Wen's body flickered, and he actually plunged into the spiritual insect's mouth, being swallowed into its belly.

Then the spiritual insect shook its head and burrowed into the ground, leaving a massive void.

A rumbling sound emanated from underground.

Boom!

With a loud boom, earth and stone fractured, and a massive fleshy pillar shot out, like a tentacle of the earth. The spiritual insect's tail connected to the ground, its body wildly swaying, seemingly intending to burst out of the formation and devour the enemies outside.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The loud booms continued without cease. In the blink of an eye, dozens of spiritual insects burst forth, with new ones continuously being born.

This one spiritual insect multiplied into a hundred, transforming Frost Valley into a forest of spiritual insects.

The Frost Valley guards, entrusted with the grand formation, received Elder Wen's command and fully activated the array. Immediately, countless mysterious patterns appeared above Frost Valley, curving and intertwining to form complex designs, emitting a mystical aura.

Suddenly, a section of the pattern peeled off and floated towards one of the spiritual insects, merging into its armor. The armor's surface flashed with light, not only gaining some decorative motifs but also subtly becoming somewhat thicker and heavier.

Soon, all the spiritual insects received the blessing of the patterns and merged with the grand formation through the patterns on their bodies. Then, eager to charge, they burst out of the formation, utterly fearless of the fierce sword intent outside, displaying extreme ferocity.

"This is the power of divine runes?"

Qin Sang, from his vantage point high above, observed this scene.

The Witch Clan cultivators in the Storm Realm had a broken divine rune inheritance, but naturally, the Witch Clan of the Great Thousand Worlds knew how to utilize the gifts of the gods. This was a power granted to them after the fusion of divine bloodlines and human bloodlines, one of their mediums for communicating with heaven and earth, and like witch curses, it contained magical power beyond ordinary comprehension.

These patterns formed by divine runes were called 'totems' by the contemporary Witch Clan, regarded as vessels carrying deities. It was an extremely complex system, with each clan possessing different divine runes and totems.

It was said that this power of 'totems' also existed among the Barbarian race.

In ancient times, there were no 'alien races' as such. Humanoid races like the Barbarians, Ink People, and Nightwalkers were collectively called 'outsiders,' and they were once ostracized and resented for resembling humans. Sadly, after humanity became the masters of the Spirit Realm, they showed no mercy for their plight, instead driving them out of the Great Zhou territory.

Some races had long since perished, others were enslaved. Most of the surviving races reportedly lived in the northern parts of Great Zhou, around Duizhou and Qianzhou. Further north lay the endless wilderness, the territory of the demon race. Trapped between humanity and the demon race, the predicament of these races was easily imagined.

The Barbarian totems were used to ignite the powerful vital energy within their bodies, a concept different from Witch Clan totems.

The totems seen now clearly possessed a defensive power, allowing these insect bodies to dare to burst out of the grand formation and confront the sword array.

"But I wonder how many of this humble Daoist's sword strikes they can withstand?"

Qin Sang was keen to test the power of the Witch Clan totems. With a thought, nearly a hundred sword-stars simultaneously vibrated, transforming into meteors that descended from the sky.

Just as Frost Valley came under attack, the warning was transmitted to a distant Witch Clan city.

Outside the city stood a towering, wondrous peak, revered as a holy mountain by the Witch Clan people within the city.

At this moment, two figures, an old man and a young one, were drinking together on the mountaintop beneath the moon.

Suddenly, the tranquil moon-gazing atmosphere was broken. The old man's expression slightly darkened, and he heavily set down his wine cup. "Frost Valley is under attack! The enemy's identity is unknown!"

With every word he uttered, the old man's figure faded a little.

The young man exclaimed, "Elder Yun, wait! Our dwelling is near Frost Valley; the enemy would know this with just a brief investigation. Since they dared to attack Frost Valley, they must have already accounted for us. We absolutely cannot disperse our strength and give the enemy a chance to defeat us one by one! Elder Wen is stationed in Frost Valley, so it should hold for a while. We should first contact Third Brother and then proceed together after meeting him."

"My young friend, your foresight is impeccable!"

The old man's body solidified once more.

Outside the city.

A person stood in the forest, their figure overlapping with the tree shadows, their aura as still as withered wood, devoid of any fluctuations. It was Wu Yan.

His cold gaze remained fixed on the mountaintop.

Gradually, Wu Yan frowned. His targets had not been immediately lured away as he had expected.

A moment later.

Wu Yan's frown relaxed, and he sneered inwardly, "After all, they cannot simply watch Frost Valley be broken!"

His objective achieved, it now depended on how long Frost Valley could hold out.

His figure completely merged into the tree shadows, and then the tree shadows slowly elongated under the moonlight, connecting with adjacent shadows. Silently and swiftly, he moved, infiltrating the city.