Chapter 678: Vast Gift

By the time they reached this point, the cultivators of the Ninth Stage had originally worried they might be too late and Lu Ye would have escaped. However, on their way, they heard that something seemed amiss with the Hundred Formation Pagoda; continuous resonance emanated from it, immediately easing their minds.

The resonance of the Hundred Formation Pagoda held immense allure for all array masters. As an array master, Lu Ye would undoubtedly find it hard to resist such a temptation, so he was almost certainly still outside the Pagoda. Since there was only one safe passage leading into and out of Hundred Formation City and the Hundred Formation Pagoda, if Lu Ye was still there, he would be trapped.

The Wanmoling cultivators chasing him were not limited to just these few Ninth Stage experts; others had either already arrived or were on their way. Following the safe passage, Xia Liang and his companions headed toward the Hundred Formation Pagoda. From a distance, they saw a massive crowd gathered there, causing them all to frown. Although they had anticipated a large crowd, its sheer size still exceeded their expectations. Finding Lu Yiye in such a place would be quite challenging.

As they proceeded, Tan Sheng silently retrieved a mask from his storage bag and put it on, then handed another to Xia Liang. Xia Liang understood implicitly, took the mask, and put it on. The large crowd made searching difficult, but it also offered them a degree of concealment. Searching while masked would make it harder to alert their target. Chu Yun and Zhou Pei exchanged glances nearby, remaining silent. They did not have the habit of carrying masks.

Soon, they arrived at the Hundred Formation Pagoda. The group split up, weaving through the crowd, searching for Lu Ye, but found no trace of him. After a short while, Xia Liang and Tan Sheng reunited, looking at each other and shaking their heads.

"How could he not be here?" Xia Liang was utterly perplexed. The Hundred Formation Pagoda's resonance held an enormous attraction for array masters. Since Lu Yiye was an array master, why wouldn't he be here? The intelligence couldn't be wrong; although it wasn't first-hand, the person who relayed it was trustworthy. The only explanation was that Lu Yiye had sensed danger and left long ago. This left Xia Liang feeling rather powerless. In an environment like the Cloud River Battlefield, tracking someone's whereabouts without a rare treasure like a tracking disk was almost impossible. He had already wasted several months pursuing Lu Ye. By rights, he should be diligently cultivating to advance to the True Lake Realm, but the obsession in his heart was too strong to relinquish. His primary objective was actually to kill Li Baixian and avenge Yan Xing, but without dealing with Lu Ye first, he dared not act recklessly against the Heaven Reversal Valley. Otherwise, the Mad Blade Sect's stronghold in the Spirit Stream Battlefield would surely suffer.

"Brother Xia, do you think Lu Yiye might be inside the Hundred Formation Pagoda?" Tan Sheng looked up at the half-finished pagoda before them.

Xia Liang frowned. "Are you saying he triggered the Pagoda's resonance?"

Tan Sheng shook his head. "Not necessarily. While Lu Yiye's array mastery is commendable, it couldn't possibly be so exaggerated. The Hundred Formation Pagoda is likely experiencing some issues, but perhaps he's currently challenging its levels inside?" This possibility couldn't be ruled out. If Lu Ye was currently inside the Hundred Formation Pagoda, they naturally wouldn't find him outside.

"Then we wait," Xia Liang nodded. If Lu Ye was indeed challenging the Pagoda, that would be ideal. They only needed to keep an eye on the Pagoda's exit, and they would immediately spot him as soon as he appeared. Having made their decision, the two promptly found a spot near the Hundred Formation Pagoda's entrance and waited patiently. On the other side, Chu Yun and Zhou Pei evidently had the same idea, making the identical choice as Xia Liang and his group.

Suddenly, the crowd stirred again. The Hundred Formation Pagoda had resonated once more, precisely on schedule, exactly three hours after the last time. After the initial commotion, the noise instantly subsided. Even cultivators who were not array masters dared not breathe or speak loudly. At such a critical moment, disturbing the array masters' comprehension would undoubtedly provoke widespread anger, and seven or eight tenths of the cultivators gathered there were array masters.

Inside the Hundred Formation Pagoda, Lu Ye was full of vigor, passing one trial after another. The higher the level, the more difficult the trial, but commensurately, the greater the benefits. Lu Ye realized he had underestimated the challenge. He had previously thought that with ample Soul Cleansing Water, even if the Hundred Formation Pagoda was truly complete with a hundred levels, he could finish all the trials in one go. But gradually, he realized things were not as he had imagined.

Passing the Hundred Formation Pagoda's trials was not overly difficult for him, as he received immense gifts from the Pagoda at each level, enhancing his array mastery. The problem lay with these gifts. Each gift involved a vast amount of array knowledge and information pouring into his mind like an epiphany. Although Lu Ye could use Soul Cleansing Water to alleviate the mental pressure and impact of this information, after numerous repetitions, he was ultimately receiving an almost unbearable amount of data. The Hundred Formation Pagoda's gifts were like someone stuffing many things into Lu Ye's stomach; while the Soul Cleansing Water could relieve the discomfort, even before he could fully digest it, more was being crammed in. This cycle repeated, and even the most resilient stomach could not endure it. This was no longer a problem that Soul Cleansing Water alone could solve.

Lu Ye felt exactly this way now. His entire head seemed to have become heavy, as if thousands of pounds were pressing down on it. A vast amount of information churned constantly in his mind, and the three-hour rest and adjustment periods were utterly insufficient for him to digest and absorb the gifts he received. It was only thanks to his soul, comparable to that of a True Lake Realm cultivator, that he could barely keep going; any other Cloud River Realm cultivator would have long since collapsed. His previous experience challenging the Hundred Formation Pagoda at the Tianyan Sect had not been like this, primarily because that was only the first part of the Pagoda, and the benefits received after passing trials were far less substantial than this time.

At this moment, Lu Ye had no spare mental energy to think about other issues. He didn't even know how many levels he had cleared. During his rest and adjustment periods, he exerted his utmost effort to digest the information in his mind and alleviate the burden on his soul. However, the situation grew increasingly severe. His eyes were bloodshot, and his temples bulged and pulsed, looking like worms wriggling beneath the skin, an alarming sight. Yi Yi noticed his abnormal state and vaguely guessed the reason, but dared not disturb him.

Lu Ye had considered retreating and returning to challenge the Pagoda another time. Given enough time to fully digest and internalize his current gains, his array mastery would undoubtedly improve to an unimaginable degree, making future attempts much easier. However, he was uncertain whether doing so would affect his overall gains. In any case, he hadn't reached his absolute limit yet; he could still push on a bit longer. And limits, after all, were meant to be broken. He had Soul Cleansing Water, so he didn't need to worry about his soul encountering any problems. With these thoughts in mind, Lu Ye gritted his teeth and persevered. One level, then another...

The sensation of fullness in his mind made him feel as if his head was about to explode. Whenever he neared his limit, he would tell himself he could hold on a little longer. But now, it wasn't just the feeling of thousands of pounds pressing on his head; the immense, undigested array information was causing his thoughts to become somewhat sluggish. There was even one instance where, after passing a trial, he instinctively accepted the Hundred Formation Pagoda's gift, forgetting to release Amber and Yi Yi beforehand. Without the timely nourishment of Soul Cleansing Water, Lu Ye experienced excruciating torment that time. Fortunately, the severe pain reminded him of Yi Yi, and he quickly released Amber from his spirit beast bag, then received Soul Cleansing Water to calm his soul, finally finding relief.

Although the process was arduous, the unbearable pain brought a measure of clarity back to his bloodshot eyes. He would adjust, quickly comprehend and absorb the vast information in his mind, and then begin the next trial. Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Lu Ye didn't know how long had passed. When he passed another trial, he habitually released Amber. Yi Yi took out the Soul Cleansing Water for him to drink, and her gentle voice rang in his ears: "Lu Ye, you succeeded! You've reached the thirty-third level."

"What?" Lu Ye's lips moved. He instinctively felt that the number thirty-three was a goal, but for a moment, he couldn't remember what kind of goal it was. The next instant, he became aware. "I succeeded?"

"Yes!" Yi Yi nodded her small head repeatedly. "You succeeded! There are no more levels."

Lu Ye looked up and saw a glowing orb beside him. Every time he passed a trial in the Hundred Formation Pagoda, such a glow would appear, containing the array knowledge gifted by the Pagoda. This was the same experience he had when he challenged the Pagoda at the Tianyan Sect. There was only one exception: when he cleared the thirty-third level, two glowing orbs appeared. One contained array knowledge gifted by the Pagoda, and the other contained thirty-two basic formation flags. No one had ever received such a reward in the Hundred Formation Pagoda. The quality of these formation flags surpassed all others Lu Ye had ever seen; when used to set up formations, they could increase the formation's power by several degrees. Lu Ye still kept those thirty-two basic formation flags, rarely using them, because most of the formations he set up were consumable, and the flags would not be recovered. The flags rewarded by the Hundred Formation Pagoda were certainly not ordinary items, and he naturally couldn't waste them like that.

Gazing at the glowing orb before him, Lu Ye vaguely guessed that this was probably another reward of formation flags. He reached out and touched it. As expected, it was another thirty-two formation flags. A quick inspection revealed that their quality was identical to the previous set he received. However, the last set were basic formation flags, while these were more advanced, considered upgraded flags beyond the basic ones.