Chapter 566: Illusionary Great Formation

Wei Que’s words brought a measure of calm to Tan Sheng and Xia Liang. Seeing such a large number of monster wolves just now had startled them and thrown their minds into disarray, causing them to momentarily forget something crucial.

Now, it appeared these monster wolves truly couldn't fly, which significantly reduced the threat they posed. Even if the wolves had some aerial capabilities, as long as the three of them remained airborne, they wouldn't face significant danger. On the contrary, their agile movements and the power of Cloud River Realm cultivators would allow them to gradually wear down the monster wolves.

Their primary objective, of course, remained Lu Yiye. If they could just kill him, the monster wolves could be completely ignored.

Just as these thoughts crossed their minds, Lu Ye suddenly waved the formation flag in his hand again and softly uttered words that sent shivers down their spines:

"Flight Restriction!"

As his words faded, the formation covering the spiritual ground abruptly shifted. A little over a month ago, Lu Ye wouldn't have been able to set up a flight restriction formation. However, he had recently acquired four new spirit patterns from the Talent Tree, all related to array formations, and one of them was the flight restriction pattern itself. For the wolf pack to unleash its full strength, a flight restriction formation was undoubtedly essential.

As the formation shifted, Tan Sheng and his two companions, suspended in mid-air, suddenly felt an invisible mountain press down on them. Caught completely off guard, all three plummeted downward, flailing their limbs in utter disarray.

Wolf howls erupted, and numerous monster wolves opened their jaws, spewing forth countless pale blue wind blades that swirled densely toward the three. While monster wolves indeed lacked the ability to fly, they possessed a certain aerial combat capability. The wind blades they could spit from their mouths were an innate demonic art, a natural talent. Not just these monster wolves, but most demonic beasts possessed similar abilities. Without them, survival in the perilous Tai Mang Mountain would be impossible. Naturally, compared to their sharp claws and fangs, these wind blade attacks were considerably weaker and less agile. However, they made up for it in sheer numbers.

The dense barrage of wind blades enveloped Tan Sheng and his companions, causing the spiritual light protecting their bodies to flicker wildly. True to their Cloud River Ninth Realm cultivation, even when faced with such a sudden turn of events, they defended themselves rigorously. Despite appearing disheveled under the onslaught of countless wind blades, they still managed to keep themselves safe.

As the three continued to fall, the pressure they endured rapidly diminished. Such was the nature of the flight restriction formation: within its effective range, the higher one ascended, the greater the pressure. Conversely, if one stood on solid ground, no pressure would be felt at all.

They only managed to steady themselves three *zhang* above the ground. At this height, the pressure from the flight restriction formation became negligible. Ultimately, this was due to Lu Ye's still-developing mastery of array techniques. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to fly even three *chi*, let alone three *zhang*.

Although they had escaped the humiliating fall, no trace of joy was visible on their faces. Instead, their expressions grew grimmer, for monster wolves had already encircled them from all directions. As the wolf howls rose and fell, the monster wolves initiated their attack. One by one, massive figures agilely leaped, pouncing towards the three. From a distance, the wolves' relentless assault was like a raging storm, overwhelming Tan Sheng and his companions.

The three formed a defensive triangle, each summoning their spiritual artifacts to block and repel the attacking monster wolves. Occasionally, a wolf would be injured, sending blood spattering. While the monster wolves were indeed thick-skinned and resilient, Tan Sheng and his companions' strength was undeniable. Had it not been for the sheer numerical advantage overwhelming them, a single monster wolf—even the alpha—would have been no match for any of them. Ultimately, the techniques cultivators could employ were far superior to those of demonic beasts.

As the battle raged, Lu Ye remained calm and composed in the distance, observing quietly. Occasionally, he would raise a hand to launch a spirit artifact or cast a spell, further distracting Tan Sheng and his companions.

Tan Sheng and his companions were so frustrated they almost spat blood! They had endured days of hardship deep within Tai Mang Mountain, sleeping rough and facing numerous adversities, all to finally track down Lu Yiye. They never could have anticipated such a reception. A massive wolf pack relentlessly attacked them, yet the very person they sought merely stood by, watching the spectacle. It was utterly outrageous! They simply couldn't fathom how Lu Yiye could possess such incredible luck, enabling him to directly subdue an entire wolf pack for his own purposes. Without the obstruction of the wolf pack, any one of them could have easily slain him.

Amidst the fierce battle, the three noticed something amiss. When some monster wolves lunged to bite, a faint glint of light shimmered on their muzzles. Furthermore, when other wolves were attacked, a defensive spirit pattern would suddenly materialize on their backs. Upon closer inspection, they indeed spotted golden arrowhead-shaped marks on the muzzles of many monster wolves!

"Lu Yiye tattooed these beasts with spirit patterns!" Xia Liang exclaimed in a low voice.

Tan Sheng and Wei Que were both startled. While they had long been aware of Lu Ye's considerable skill in array formations, they had no idea he also possessed such profound mastery in the art of spirit tattooing. The ability to apply spirit tattoos to demonic beasts undoubtedly spoke volumes. This guy was practically defying the heavens! How could he know so much?

The stalemate continued, the three cultivators proving difficult to overcome. The alpha wolf, seemingly irritated, stood outside the fray and let out a prolonged howl towards the sky. The very next instant, the wolf pack's assault abruptly intensified. Tan Sheng and his companions felt a bitter taste in their mouths, worse than chewing on coptis root. They increasingly sensed the gravity of their situation. If this trend continued, not only would killing Lu Yiye be out of the question, but their own safe retreat couldn't be guaranteed.

They couldn't afford to delay any longer. Engaging in a fight to the death with the wolf pack was undoubtedly unwise, as their objective had always been singular.

"Wei Que, kill Lu Yiye!" Xia Liang roared, his long saber blazing with dazzling light as his spiritual energy surged throughout his body. Tan Sheng, perceiving his intent, hastily activated his own power to assist. A torrent of violent spiritual energy erupted. With their combined might, they forcibly tore a gap in the wolf pack's encirclement. Through this opening, a streak of saber light, like a bolt of silk, shot straight towards Lu Yiye.

His Pan Shan Saber roared from its sheath as qi and blood converged in his right arm. A brilliant flash of light erupted as he unleashed a slash, sending Lu Ye flying backward. A Fourth Realm cultivator taking a direct saber strike from a Ninth Realm cultivator was still somewhat outmatched. The impact caused his qi and blood to churn in his chest, and his saber-wielding right arm felt somewhat numb.

The incoming saber strike shattered, and immediately behind it, Wei Que lunged forward, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace. Spiritual energy surged around him, revealing his undisguised killing intent. Tan Sheng and Xia Liang had jointly created this opportunity for him; he absolutely could not let them down!

Seeing Lu Ye flying backward, he immediately launched a spell towards him. Simultaneously, his own figure followed like a shadow, his large hand spread open, spiritual energy surging in his palm, clearly intending to utterly destroy Lu Yiye. A defensive barrier materialized before Lu Ye, barely deflecting the spell's attack. The barrier shattered, and the force of the impact sent him flying even further.

Then, under Wei Que's watchful gaze, Lu Ye's body seemed to collide with a transparent film. As a ripple spread, he bizarrely vanished.

Another formation? Wei Que was startled. However, as wolf howls echoed from behind him, he gritted his teeth and swiftly gave chase. Although he wasn't sure what new formation Lu Ye had set up ahead, he had just narrowly escaped the wolf pack's encirclement. If he failed to apprehend Lu Yiye quickly, all his previous efforts would be for naught. Moreover, without Tan Sheng and Xia Liang to support him, his predicament would be even dire. Thus, despite knowing pursuit was ill-advised, Wei Que had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue the chase.

As his body seemed to break through an invisible barrier, Wei Que felt himself enveloped by a formation. He looked around but saw no trace of Lu Yiye. Instead, thick fog suddenly materialized all around him. The thick fog spread with astonishing speed, rendering everything invisible within a blink of an eye. What alarmed Wei Que even more was the constant shimmer of colorful lights moving within the dense mist. As these lights shifted and danced, strange, indistinct shadows occasionally flickered across his vision.

"Illusion Formation!" Wei Que instantly realized which array he was trapped in. A chill ran from his head to his toes, and he inwardly cursed his misfortune. What in the world was Lu Yiye? Had his mastery of array techniques truly reached such a profound level? Since they had intruded upon the spiritual ground, they had already encountered defensive formations, entrapment formations, flight restriction formations, and now, an illusion formation. And these were just the ones he had encountered; there were undoubtedly many more he hadn't seen!

Could a mere Cloud River Realm cultivator genuinely set up so many profound formations? But then again, that fellow could even set up teleportation arrays, so what *couldn't* he set up?

Realizing this, Wei Que dared not linger. He immediately propelled himself forward, aiming to break out of the formation's range. This was undoubtedly the most sensible course of action. The formation's range was, after all, finite; as long as he continued to sprint in one direction, he would eventually break free. A Ninth Realm cultivator's speed was exceptionally fast, and with Wei Que exerting his full power, describing his movement as lightning-fast would be no exaggeration.

However, as time elapsed, a despair-inducing realization dawned upon him: no matter how fast or how hard he ran, he remained perpetually enveloped by the mist, utterly unable to escape the formation's grasp.

Elsewhere within the grand formation, Lu Ye was continuously adjusting the array in response to Wei Que's movements. This was his first opportunity to observe someone trapped within an illusion formation, so he naturally sought to gather experience and assess the array's effectiveness. For now, the results were excellent. The illusion formation, constructed with the Mist and Mirage spirit patterns at its core, seemed to possess the ability to deceive an opponent's senses. Thus, while Wei Que believed he was escaping in a single direction, Lu Ye's adjustments had actually kept him circling within the array, a fact he remained entirely oblivious to.

Inside the grand formation, sweat beaded on Wei Que's forehead, and his expression was grim. He had also begun to notice some subtle anomalies. Logically, within such a formation, all visual perception should be illusory; what was seen might not be real, but one's senses should never deceive. Yet, it now appeared his own senses were compromised, for otherwise, there was no logical reason why he couldn't escape.