Chapter 682: Way Out?

The Wind Rises in the Nine Provinces

In fact, the best way to escape this perilous zone was to fly away directly using a spiritual artifact. However, Lu Ye had tried in various locations and found that a sky-prohibiting formation enveloped everything, making it impossible for him to fly. Furthermore, the sky-prohibiting formation was the most powerful he had ever encountered. With his current cultivation, he could barely manage to lift himself seven feet off the ground.

This was clearly beyond the capabilities of a Cloud River Realm formation master. Recalling the information and rumors about the Hundred Formation Tower that he had acquired from the Heavenly Mystery Merchant Alliance, Lu Ye realized this must be an incomprehensible anomaly. While dangerous zones typically contained numerous formations, including sky-prohibiting ones, their power and range were never this extreme. However, strange fluctuations frequently emanated from the Hundred Formation Tower. These mysterious ripples not only enlightened formation masters but also caused many formations within the perilous zone to undergo unpredictable changes, which explained why their power was astonishingly high. Much of what was considered common knowledge no longer applied in such a perilous zone.

Lu Ye couldn't help but suspect that his inability to escape this perilous zone was linked to this anomaly. He appeared to be constantly moving in one direction, but in reality, that might not be the case. This made things difficult. If this were true, it would be extremely challenging to escape unless he chose to dismantle every formation he encountered.

Inside a containment formation, Lu Ye paused, gazing at a skeleton before him. Along the way, he had encountered several such skeletons. These were clearly formation masters who, overconfident in their abilities, had rashly entered the perilous zone to dismantle formations, only to find it easy to enter but impossible to leave, ultimately perishing here. Judging by the remnants, they had died at different times, mostly from the immense power released during formation eruptions. However, the skeleton before him had a dent in its skull, which was completely cracked. This was clearly a self-inflicted death. It was difficult to imagine the depth of despair a Cloud River Realm cultivator must have felt to choose such a method to end their life.

Lu Ye collected the storage bag beside the skeleton. Like the previous ones he had found, its restrictive lock had long since failed. Without the continuous infusion of a cultivator's spiritual power, such locks couldn't remain effective indefinitely. A brief check revealed nothing valuable in the storage bag. Lu Ye didn't mind and didn't even consider burying the skeleton. He stepped forward, passing through the formation.

After this journey to the Hundred Formation Tower, his mastery of formations had significantly improved. As he traversed this perilous zone, he was constantly assimilating the benefits gained from the Hundred Formation Tower. In the past, if he had found himself in such a perilous zone, navigating through its numerous formations would have required considerable effort. Now, however, it was as simple as breathing. This perilous zone, which typically rendered Cloud River Realm formation masters immobile, was like flat ground to him. With a single step, he entered another formation.

At one point, as Lu Ye passed through yet another formation, he suddenly looked up ahead, his eyes showing a look of surprise. Along this path, formations appeared endlessly, one after another, with no gaps whatsoever. Yet, the space before him showed no signs of being covered by formations. This was rather odd. Moreover, what entered Lu Ye's view was an imposing platform, several zhang square. It was certainly strange that such a structure existed in the perilous zone outside the Hundred Formation Tower.

What surprised Lu Ye even more was a vaguely familiar figure pacing back and forth on the platform, scratching his head as if grappling with a difficult problem. That figure was precisely the cultivator surnamed Yu whom Lu Ye had sent flying with a single slash in the safe passage from Hundred Formation City to the Hundred Formation Tower. At that time, this person was injured by Lu Ye and fell into the perilous zone. Lu Ye hadn't pursued him, assuming he wouldn't survive. He never expected to encounter him here again. Was this guy really that lucky?

On the mysterious platform, the cultivator surnamed Yu was busy scratching his head when he suddenly sensed something. He looked up, his gaze meeting Lu Ye's playful stare, and his entire demeanor instantly crumbled.

"It's you!" The cultivator surnamed Yu simply couldn't believe his eyes. "How could this Lu Yiye have found this place?" he thought. He had been sent flying by Lu Ye's slash earlier and fell into the perilous zone, where he was incredibly lucky not to trigger any formations. He then fled in a panic and somehow ended up here. Upon seeing such a platform, he naturally intended to study it thoroughly. However, before he could make any sense of it, Lu Yiye unexpectedly appeared before him.

"My opportunity!" he wailed internally. Though reluctant to abandon the potential fortune on the platform, he knew he was utterly no match for Lu Yiye. Lu Ye's previous slash had utterly terrified him. Thus, upon recognizing Lu Ye, the man decisively fled backward, instantly crashing into a formation behind him. However, his luck seemed to run out this time. Accompanied by an intense buzzing and flashes of light, a powerful formation seemed to activate. After several miserable, continuous screams, everything fell silent.

Lu Ye watched in silence. Even if the man hadn't fled, Lu Ye would have killed him, but the cultivator Yu's decisiveness was still surprising. Well, that saved him the trouble.

Looking up at the platform, Lu Ye's interest was piqued. It was unheard of that such a platform was hidden within the perilous zone outside the Hundred Formation Tower; even the intelligence he had purchased from the Heavenly Mystery Merchant Alliance made no mention of it. It was hardly surprising; almost no one dared to trespass casually in such a perilous zone, and the skeletons Lu Ye had found along the way were testament to the fates of those who did. Furthermore, in such an environment, intruders could barely distinguish directions, making it far from easy to locate this platform.

What was this platform for? Curious, Lu Ye leaped up and landed on the platform. Although he didn't know how many years this platform had existed, it was remarkably well-preserved. The platform appeared to be carved from a single, enormous piece of jade, its entire surface as smooth as a mirror, with no textures visible on its sides. Only at the very top of the platform did intricate patterns interlock and connect, appearing remarkably chaotic at first glance.

Lu Ye concentrated his gaze, and his heart involuntarily trembled. The complex patterns on the platform surprisingly resembled a teleportation formation. However, it differed slightly in subtle details from the teleportation formations Lu Ye had studied. Formations, much like spirit patterns, are not static. Each formation and every spirit pattern is composed of countless interlocking yin and yang dualities, with endless variations. However, sometimes even a subtle change can drastically enhance or diminish its efficacy.

It was certain that the patterns carved on the platform constituted a teleportation formation, but Lu Ye was unsure of its exact function. Furthermore, his observation revealed that the teleportation formation was incomplete, with some void spirit patterns missing from its core. To understand its function, the formation would undoubtedly need to be completed. No wonder the cultivator surnamed Yu had been standing there scratching his head, looking as if he'd encountered a perplexing problem. It wasn't that Lu Ye underestimated him, but regardless of his formation mastery, repairing this teleportation formation with only a Cloud River Realm cultivation was absolutely impossible.

Perhaps... this was a way out? Lu Ye's heart stirred. He had been traversing the many formations in this perilous zone, yet he had been unable to leave. The presence of a teleportation formation here naturally led him to draw some conclusions. Perhaps he could use this teleportation formation to leave? Even if it wasn't an exit, such a formation piqued Lu Ye's considerable interest. Completing it would also be significantly beneficial to him. He immediately decided to complete the formation and then test its power, hoping it would provide a way out.

Acting on his thoughts, Lu Ye immediately set to work. Having personally set up teleportation formations and having passed trials involving them in the Hundred Formation Tower, completing this formation before him wasn't particularly difficult. The challenge, however, lay in the fact that the patterns on the jade platform were carved, seemingly impervious to time. If he were to complete the formation, would he have to carve the missing patterns with his Mountain-Slayer Saber? He drew his saber and tried, only to be astonished by the extraordinary hardness of the platform's material. No matter how much effort he exerted, he couldn't leave a single mark on it.

What kind of material was this? Although Lu Ye had reached the Cloud River Realm, his knowledge of the rare treasures and materials of the Nine Provinces was limited, and he couldn't identify the platform's material. Nevertheless, such an incredibly hard substance had to be immensely valuable, yet it had been sculpted into a large platform to bear a teleportation formation. He wondered who possessed the skill to create such a thing, and why it appeared here. After a moment of trying, Lu Ye reluctantly gave up. Even his Mountain-Slayer Saber, enhanced with twin-peak sharp spirit patterns, couldn't leave a mark on it. He couldn't think of what else he could do.

Perhaps he could directly infuse spiritual energy to complete the formation...

With this thought, Lu Ye immediately pressed his hand onto the platform and, as his spiritual power surged, channeled it into the patterns. The platform, which had been dormant for countless years, slowly began to glow. Each pattern lit up as Lu Ye's spiritual power flowed in, continuing until it reached the missing sections. Lu Ye controlled his spiritual power, meticulously completing the broken formation at the missing sections according to his understanding.

The moment the entire formation became complete, an anomaly suddenly occurred. Lu Ye felt an irresistible devouring force emanating from his palm, and his spiritual power began to drain away at an unimaginable rate, like a flood bursting through a sluice gate. This sudden turn of events greatly alarmed Lu Ye. He tried to withdraw his hand immediately but found he couldn't. In less than ten breaths, nine-tenths of his spiritual power had vanished!

"Awoo?" Crouching on Lu Ye's shoulder, Amber, who had been half-asleep, also sensed something was amiss, and its tiger eyes widened. The surrounding space began to warp, a clear sign that the teleportation formation was about to activate. Amber immediately turned and hugged Lu Ye's head. The sensation of teleportation was something it could never forget; if it had known it would undergo teleportation, it would certainly have insisted on hiding in the spirit beast pouch.