Chapter 1943: 造孽啊

The dark green stone disk was merely the prototype of a formation plate. The core of a formation plate lay in its spiritual patterns; without them, it was utterly useless.

After the chief blacksmith forged this prototype, Lu Ye immediately stepped forward to take over.

A group of people watched curiously from the side. No one knew what Lu Ye intended to forge, nor did he appear to be experienced in such a craft.

With a 'ding,' where the hammer struck, spiritual power was activated, and a tiny, almost imperceptible base element immediately appeared on the disk.

Clang, clang... Lu Ye moved incredibly fast, his iron hammer striking almost continuously, blow after blow without pause. Each strike landed with perfect precision, and with every hammerfall, a base element was formed.

Spiritual patterns required absolute continuity; even the slightest error during the process would render all previous efforts futile.

Previously, Lu Ye could craft these effortlessly, relying on his vast and pure spiritual power. However, now he could only resort to this cumbersome method of forging.

Initially, Zhou Ping and the others couldn't discern what was happening because the Yin-Yang base elements were too minuscule. The only thing they perceived was Lu Ye's effortless control, and the constant clanging sounded like a unique musical instrument.

But as time passed, everyone's expressions turned to astonishment.

As the individual Yin-Yang elements gradually interlocked and spread out, the true form of the formation pattern slowly began to emerge.

It was breathtaking. Had they not witnessed it firsthand, it would have been hard to imagine anyone crafting such an intricate and complex design on a circular disk.

No one knew what the design represented. The world's cultivation level was too low; cultivators only had a rudimentary understanding of cultivation methods and had no concept of spiritual patterns.

At this moment, Lu Ye was multitasking: forging the spiritual patterns, monitoring his own spiritual power consumption, and simultaneously activating the power of his Talent Tree to replenish himself from the inferior spirit stones beneath his feet.

After a full hour, Lu Ye delivered his final hammer blow.

The onlookers faintly perceived a flash of light emanating from the disk, but it vanished too quickly for them to clearly see, leading them all to believe it was merely an illusion.

One formation plate, one hour... Lu Ye was somewhat speechless. He used to be able to craft these effortlessly.

Nevertheless, the result was quite good. Fortunately, his Talent Tree absorbed spirit stones to replenish his depleted spiritual energy; otherwise, with his current cultivation level alone, he wouldn't have been able to succeed in crafting this.

Placing the newly crafted formation plate aside, Lu Ye began working on the second one.

Time passed, and one formation plate after another was completed.

Apart from Zhou Ping, the other two patriarchs showed expressions of distress. The reason was simple: Lu Ye's consumption was enormous. Basket after basket of inferior spirit stones were brought over and swiftly depleted. No one saw how he refined them, but without exception, the spirit stones carried away were completely devoid of spiritual energy.

It was worth noting that a large portion of these spirit stones had been provided by their two families. They had assumed the stones would be used against enemies, never imagining they would be utilized in this manner.

"City Lord, what exactly is this item Master Lu is crafting?" one of the patriarchs finally couldn't hold back and asked.

Zhou Ping shook his head, indicating he didn't know. He glanced at Lu Ye, who was busy working, and decided to pick up one of the plates for examination.

This object was clearly not a weapon; it couldn't be used to attack enemies or be thrown at people. However, given the immense effort Master Lu expended to craft it, it surely wasn't useless.

With that thought, Zhou Ping activated a small amount of spiritual power and channeled it into the plate. Soon, he let out a soft exclamation of surprise and turned to look at one of the patriarchs beside him.

"What's wrong?" the patriarch asked, perplexed.

Zhou Ping continued to look at him. The next moment, the patriarch also displayed a look of astonishment, as he keenly sensed that Zhou Ping's spiritual aura was attempting to merge with his own. With a thought, he immediately responded, allowing the interaction.

"Ah?" Zhou Ping and the patriarch exclaimed simultaneously. Their spiritual auras had merged without any hindrance. While that alone was remarkable, the crucial point was that both clearly perceived they could borrow each other's spiritual power!

"What's happening?" another patriarch asked, looking puzzled.

Zhou Ping composed himself and guided the already merged spiritual aura to extend towards the third patriarch. Soon, the third patriarch also showed a look of stunned surprise.

Time continued to pass, and more formation plates were crafted.

Two days later, a total of twenty formation plates were finished.

There was no need to craft any more, as the number of cultivators in Ding'an City was limited, totaling fewer than three hundred. Half of them had only opened one or two cultivation apertures, while the other half had opened three or more.

Therefore, twenty formation plates were more than sufficient.

In the square, all cultivators in Ding'an with three or more cultivation apertures gathered. Following Lu Ye's instructions, they formed twenty groups, with seven individuals in each.

Each group had at least one cultivator with five or more cultivation apertures, holding a formation plate.

Zhou Ping already had a general understanding of the immense value of these formation plates. After a brief demonstration, the cultivators immediately grasped their function and eagerly began practicing their formations.

They had never encountered anything so miraculous before.

As Lu Ye approached, Zhou Ping immediately stepped forward, eagerly cupping his hands in greeting. "Master Lu," he said.

The cultivators who were practicing also stopped and looked towards him.

Lu Ye nodded and gestured towards the cultivators below. Immediately, a cultivator holding a formation plate stepped forward and handed it to him.

Lu Ye held up the formation plate. "This is the 'One Spirit, Linked Branches' Formation Plate. I believe you've probably understood its wonderful uses by now. With this plate as the core, seven individuals can connect their spiritual auras, and the power they can unleash is far greater than if seven simply joined forces."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Lu Ye then changed his tone. "Connecting spiritual auras is merely the simplest use of this formation plate. Its true purpose is to assist in forming a battle formation!"

"Forming a battle formation?" Zhou Ping looked puzzled.

"Like so..." As Lu Ye spoke, he took a few steps forward with the formation plate in hand, approaching several cultivators. He activated his spiritual power, and the formation plate lit up.

Guided by spiritual energy, six individuals were enveloped within the formation. Their spiritual auras interconnected, and their spiritual power converged.

The next instant, a faint, ethereal figure suddenly appeared, encompassing all seven individuals, including Lu Ye.

"...Like this!"

"This is..." Zhou Ping's eyes widened in disbelief. Before today, he had never witnessed such an extraordinary sight. Although the figure was indistinct, a careful look still revealed some discernible features.

It was unmistakably a giant tortoise!

How was this created?

Not only was Zhou Ping stunned, but numerous cultivators also showed expressions of disbelief; it was nothing short of a miracle.

Lu Ye, however, was quite dissatisfied, as the phantom of the Black Tortoise was too indistinct. This was mainly due to his current low cultivation level, which limited the manifestation of his spiritual power to this extent. Yet, even so, it deeply shocked everyone present.

"This is the Black Tortoise Formation," Lu Ye's voice rang out again. "When formed, it greatly enhances defense, making it ideal for charging into battle and slaying enemies! Next, I will teach you how to form this array!"

Everyone's faces were filled with anticipation.

With the assistance of the formation plates, forming an array would not be difficult, as long as they understood the key points of activation.

Three days later, the gates of Ding'an City opened wide, and Lu Ye led a hundred riders out.

He had likely figured out his main mission for this training expedition: to deal with the Black Scarf Army. Although waiting would surely lead to another Black Scarf invasion, Lu Ye preferred not to be passive; he favored taking the initiative.

Moreover, slaying members of the Black Scarf Army would yield a large number of Asura Marks, making him even more eager.

In an unknown location, a mirrored surface reflected the scene of the cavalry advancing, with Lu Ye's figure at the center of the image.

"Oh, what a mess, what a mess!" the old patriarch exclaimed, pounding his chest and stomping his feet, his eyes filled with worry.

Because, according to the normal course of events, the Black Scarf Army would indeed invade Ding'an City again, but that would be in about ten days. By then, the Black Scarf forces would have been bogged down assaulting another city, their troops and horses weary. While it might still be somewhat challenging for Lu Ye with his current cultivation, it wouldn't be overly difficult.

That was the expected training process.

But now, Lu Ye had actually launched a preemptive strike!

This young man... why couldn't he just be a bit more steady?

"Patriarch, actually, his proactive strike at this moment might be more advantageous for him," the woman who had been accompanying the old patriarch consoled him.

"How so?" the old patriarch asked.

The woman explained, "The Black Scarf Army is currently fully engaged in attacking Qianliu City. If he brings people there now, he can form a pincer attack with Qianliu City's defenders. As long as he achieves some combat success, Qianliu City will surely see an opportunity. They can then sally forth and engage in battle, possibly annihilating the Black Scarf Army in one go and completing the training expedition ahead of schedule."

The worried old patriarch considered her words for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed, that makes sense!"

The woman added, "I've had interactions with this Senior Brother. He isn't reckless. Look, before he set off, he even prepared formation plates. Such small teams can play a significant role in a major battle. He would absolutely not act this way if he wasn't confident."

Only then did the old patriarch slowly relax. "After this, when he undergoes his next training expedition, make sure to guide him here immediately!"

No more unexpected complications, please; his old body couldn't handle too much strain.

The cavalry advanced, with Lu Ye leading the way. Behind him, twenty small teams followed closely. Three days of drills had allowed the Ding'an cultivators to skillfully master the use of the formation plates. This ensured that even if casualties occurred during battle, the teams could promptly adjust their formations.

Zhou Ping did not accompany them. He wished he could, but as the City Lord, he had to remain in Ding'an under all circumstances.

Lu Ye's objective this time was Qianliu City, located three hundred li away. According to reliable intelligence received in Ding'an, the Black Scarf Army was currently launching an all-out assault on Qianliu. The exact situation there remained unknown.

However, Qianliu's overall strength was much greater than Ding'an's, so it could certainly hold out for a while.

The horses had the bloodline of exotic beasts, giving them greater endurance than ordinary horses. Lu Ye and his group covered the three hundred li distance in just three days.

They did not immediately engage in battle but instead rested fifty li outside Qianliu, while simultaneously gathering intelligence on the situation there.

Aside from him, the rest of the team had limited sustained combat capability; their spiritual power diminished with every use. Therefore, this surprise attack had to yield decisive results. Otherwise, once the Black Scarf Army recovered, a force of just over a hundred men would not be enough to face them.