Chapter 901: Breaking the Formation

During the battle to encircle and kill the Kuilon that night, the mysterious figures, desperate to save the Kuilon, unleashed thunder magic from afar. The furious lightning almost drove them to despair.

Qin Sang first survived the lightning attack, then, with his identity exposed, he was ambushed by cultivators from Black Snake Mountain. With one unforeseen event after another, he could only focus on escaping, unable to reach the mysterious figures or see their true faces.

He now wondered if the cultivators who wielded the lightning were indeed the Dou Niu Peak disciples expelled by Landou Gate. Otherwise, why would they be so mysterious and hidden from public knowledge?

Back then, the mysterious cultivators were tricked into revealing their thunder magic by the youth surnamed Fang. They were then trapped and attacked by the Beast King Banner of Black Snake Mountain. Their fate couldn't have been good; it was possible their entire group was wiped out, or even that a few were captured alive.

Qin Sang's thoughts raced as he connected all the events he had experienced recently. However, these were merely speculations. Only by seeing the true faces of those involved could he confirm his theories.

If Black Snake Mountain was indeed involved, what was their objective?

Qin Sang felt doubtful, recalling the pond his Heavenly Eye Butterfly had found while tracking the gu-worm.

Also concerned about the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's plight, he concealed himself and silently infiltrated the Dark Thunderwood Forest.

As Qin Sang was making his way there, the flag formation set up by Zhao Songqiao was steadily eroding the Dongming Island grand formation.

Within the strange black smoke, a gu-worm's form flickered into view, plunging into the white mist to open a passage.

Meanwhile, outside Dongming Island.

On the other side of the entrance, the sea appeared calm, with only gentle ripples disturbing its surface.

However, any cultivator with sufficient cultivation approaching this spot would realize that the scene was not real; it was a disguise created by an illusion.

Inside the illusion, several strangely dressed cultivators were present.

A mirror hovered above their heads, the source of the illusion. However, this group was clearly not focused on perfecting the disguise, so the illusion was crude, merely sufficient to conceal their presence and prevent discovery.

They wielded black flags, forming a flag formation identical to Zhao Songqiao's inside, yet significantly more powerful. They were now launching a full-scale assault on the Dongming Island grand formation.

These black flag formations seemed to possess a mutual connection, coordinating from both inside and out with remarkable efficiency and extraordinary power.

Within the black smoke, grotesque beasts bared their fangs, charging fearlessly into the white mist.

The surrounding space was tainted by the black smoke, which flowed relentlessly, transforming into razor-sharp weapons that tore through the white mist and shattered the intricate runes within the grand formation.

"Faster!"

The black-robed man, their Second Senior Brother, looked anxious and urged them repeatedly.

The others remained silent, not daring to slacken their efforts in the slightest.

Their Eldest Senior Brother, accompanied by only two blood-jiao dragons, faced numerous Core Formation cultivators alone. No one knew how long he could hold out. If Chief Lu broke free, all their schemes would fail.

A sizzling sound echoed...

The black smoke condensed further, its power intensifying. It shifted constantly, manifesting as sabers, spears, swords, and halberds that ceaselessly hammered the white mist.

Finally, the white mist thinned further, runes shattered, and a passage began to form.

Inside the grand formation, Zhao Songqiao watched, his hands tightly clasped, his expression deeply complex. He seemed to be wrestling with hesitation and worry, his internal struggle clearly etched on his face.

Ultimately, he chose to remain.

Having come this far, there was no turning back.

Boom!

A dull thud startled Zhao Songqiao, causing him to suddenly look up.

The white mist was finally pierced by the black smoke, and immediately, several figures streamed out, landing swiftly before him.

Zhao Songqiao's heart jumped; the terrifying aura radiating from these individuals filled him with dread.

At that moment, he finally saw the familiar figure, and hope flickered in his eyes. Without daring to glance at anyone else, he quickly approached the person, knelt, and said, "This junior greets Senior Xue and all other esteemed seniors."

This person was none other than the shopkeeper named Xue from Tianxing City.

He looked at the black-robed man, who surveyed his surroundings, then nodded and said, "This is indeed the Dark Thunderwood Forest, and the Thunder Cave lies beneath. You've done well, junior."

Shopkeeper Xue smiled faintly and said, "Rise. It seems you truly put in your best effort. Here are these items for you; go wait outside for now. Cultivate diligently in the future. Your ancestor and I were like brothers, and I wouldn't want him to be without an heir."

As he spoke, Shopkeeper Xue tossed a jade bottle containing several pills to Zhao Songqiao.

Zhao Songqiao's eyes shone brightly, his face alight with excitement. He clutched the jade bottle tightly, his hands trembling.

"Alright, hurry to the Thunder Cave. Tenth Junior Brother can't maintain the flag formation for much longer. Although we acquired the jade talisman from the renegade disciples of Dou Niu Peak, no one knows if Landou Gate has altered the Thunder Cave's restrictions. We might still have to put in some effort..."

At the black-robed man's urging, the group followed the gu-worm directly to the pond.

Shopkeeper Xue looked back and saw Zhao Songqiao departing through the black smoke passage.

The black-robed man noticed his gesture and said calmly, "Junior Brother Xue, rest assured. I've already instructed Tenth Junior Brother that Zhao Songqiao, having rendered great service, will merely have his memories of this period erased; his life will not be harmed. After all, Master once mentioned that this item is exceptionally important, perhaps a rare treasure of the Witch Tribe. Should news of it spread, it could bring calamity upon our Black Snake Mountain. Junior Brother Xue, I trust you understand."

Shopkeeper Xue's heart tightened, and he hastily explained, "Junior Brother understands. I merely felt a pang of sentimentality remembering the years when his ancestor and I supported each other."

The black-robed man offered no comment, continuing, "Clear rewards and punishments are rules established by Master. This applies not only to Zhao Songqiao but also to you, Junior Brother. Although Fourth Junior Brother unfortunately met with an accident, I am fully aware of the contributions Junior Brother Xue has made to the sect, and I have already reported them to Master. Upon our return to the mountain, Master will reward you."

"Thank you, Second Senior Brother!"

The worry in the depths of Shopkeeper Xue's eyes lessened somewhat.

Although the Dark Thunderwood Forest was vast, its size was negligible given the Core Formation cultivators' speed. As the two spoke, they had already reached the vicinity of the pond.

The gu-worm emitted a buzz and flew into the black-robed man's embrace.

The black-robed man flashed to the pond's edge, his eyes blazing with divine light as he gazed into its depths.

Then, a small jade talisman appeared in his palm. His lips moved silently in a chant, and he raised his hand, casting the talisman into the pond.

As the jade talisman entered the water, a vortex suddenly materialized in the pond.

A gurgling sound followed!

The vortex grew steadily larger. Just as a look of delight appeared on the black-robed man's face, it froze.

The stone steps that should have been at the bottom of the pond were nowhere to be seen.

"It has indeed been altered!"

The black-robed man's gaze darkened.

The others gathered, staring at the pond. Someone remarked, "The jade talisman is still effective, indicating the previous restriction hasn't changed. They've simply added a new layer of restriction."

The black-robed man nodded. "It seems we can no longer avoid alerting those people. We'll have to break the restriction by brute force. Retrieve the Beast King Banners, form the array, and make it quick!"

"Understood!"

Obeying the command, everyone promptly retrieved their respective Beast King Banners.

Their cultivation levels varied, as did the number of Beast King Banners each controlled. Though collectively they didn't possess a full eighty-one banners, their combined power was still considerable.