141: The Great Five Elements Celestial Array

Over the next month, Linjiang City completely transformed into a massive, bustling construction site.

Countless artisans, led by Shen Family Cultivators, worked tirelessly day and night.

The massive quantity of Spirit Stones taken from the Li Family Treasury flowed out like water, exchanged for carts full of rare building Materials.

The most eye-catching of these was the entirely dark "Profound Heavy Rock."

Each block weighed over ten thousand catties, requiring the combined effort of several Late Stage Qi Refining Cultivators to lift with specialized Magical Artifacts before being carefully embedded into the city wall's Foundation by Formation Hall Clan Members.

When the heavy rocks landed, the entire ground would emit a muffled thud.

A brand new colossal city rose from the ground at an astonishing speed, three full circles larger than the previous one.

The city walls were towering and thick, like an ancient Vicious Beast choosing to slumber here, exuding a reassuring sense of oppression.

Above the city walls, Shen Yuanmo personally led the Formation Hall elites, meticulously inscribing reinforcement runes stroke by stroke.

The spiritual carving knife sliced across the hard rock, making a faint sizzling sound and leaving behind profound silver patterns.

Under the sunlight, those runes shimmered, as if the city walls were breathing on their own.

The city interior was meticulously planned, with wide streets spacious enough for eight carriages to travel side-by-side.

Markets, residences, and Cultivation areas were clearly demarcated, and even the underground drainage System was reinforced using Spells.

But this was merely the surface visible to Mortal eyes.

The true transformation was the great city-guarding Formation about to envelop everything.

The Great Five Elements Cycle Array.

This was a top-tier fourth-rank Formation that Shen Yuanmo had derived after expending countless efforts, combining the Formation Dao Legacy of the Five Elements True Lord with his own supreme understanding of the Five Elements Dao.

On this day, in the central plaza of Linjiang City, even the wind stood still.

Shen Yuanmo hovered in mid-air, his blue robes moving without wind.

Five palm-sized small banners floated quietly before him.

The Geng Metal Banner, dazzlingly white, emitted a sharp aura that made the skin of the Cultivators below feel slightly prickly.

The Yi Wood Banner, lushly green, simply looking at it made one feel as if they could smell the fresh air of a rain-soaked forest.

The Kui Water Banner, dark as ink, resembled a miniature vortex threatening to suck in one's mind and Soul.

The Bing Fire Banner, blood-red, caused the surrounding air to distort because of it.

The Wu Earth Banner, heavy as a mountain, appeared profound yellow and exuded an ancient, boundless aura.

These five items, the fourth-rank spirit treasures he personally refined during several days of closed-door Cultivation, were the irreplaceable core nodes of the great Formation.

In the plaza below, Old Ancestor Shen Zongdao, Father Shen Qiming, Shen Qifa Shen Qifa, and dozens of elite Clan Members carefully selected from the Formation Hall sat cross-legged.

They wore matching blue robes, their faces a mix of nervousness, excitement, and fanaticism.

They were about to witness, and even personally participate in, the birth of a top-tier fourth-rank great Formation! This honor was enough for them to boast about for a lifetime.

“Old Ancestor, Father, Shen Qifa, all Clan Members.”

Shen Yuanmo's voice wasn't loud, but he used a Divine Sense technique, transmitting it clearly into everyone's ears.

“The great Formation uses the Five Elements Spirit Treasures as its core, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth to form a cyclical rotation.”

“Your mission is to guard your respective Formation Base nodes and, according to the techniques I have taught you, accurately inject your magical power into them.”

His gaze swept over the crowd, noticing a young Clan Member whose forehead was already beaded with sweat due to excessive nervousness.

“There is no need to panic. Steady your minds. I can perceive every output of magical power you make. Just act according to my command.”

“Do you understand?”

“Yes! Grand Elder!”

Dozens of people responded in unison, their voices slightly trembling with excitement, but the previous trace of panic had vanished without a trace.

“Good.”

Shen Yuanmo nodded, a brilliant light flashing in his eyes.

“Great Formation, rise!”

His hands rapidly shifted before his chest, forming a complex Spell seal that was almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

Buzz—!

The five small banners before him suddenly burst into brilliant light, shining like five miniature suns.

Five energy pillars of different colors shot into the sky, each over ten zhang in diameter, soaring straight into the clouds with a sharp whistling sound.

The light pillars circled in mid-air, transforming into five massive swirling cloud masses—gold, cyan, black, red, and yellow—obscuring the sun.

Linjiang City instantly plunged from daylight into twilight.

The five cloud masses intertwined, promoting and restraining each other, rotating ceaselessly.

They finally formed a gigantic, slowly rotating Five Elements wheel covering the sky above the city.

A heavy pressure descended from the sky; the air seemed to solidify into glue.

This caused the Mid Stage Qi Refining Clan Members, who had the lowest cultivation base in the plaza, to turn pale, making breathing difficult, as if a huge stone was pressing on their hearts.

“Now! Inject your magical power sequentially according to the direction! East Jia Yi Wood, rise!”

Shen Yuanmo's voice exploded in everyone's minds like a clap of thunder.

“Yes!”

Responsible for the Eastern Formation Node, Shen Qifa Shen Qifa was the first to respond.

He formed a hand seal and poured his Foundation Establishment magical power unreservedly into the stone Formation Base before him!

He could feel waves of low rumbling coming from the earth beneath his feet, as if a sleeping giant beast was awakening.

“South Bing Ding Fire, rise!”

“West Geng Xin Metal, rise!”

...Following Shen Yuanmo's successive commands, Shen Zongdao and the others dared not show the slightest delay.

They all poured their magical power into the various Formation Bases scattered throughout the city, like streams converging into a river or sea!

Rumble—!

The entire Linjiang City trembled violently, as if hit by a magnitude ten earthquake.

In the five directions of the city—east, south, west, north, and center—five even thicker light pillars simultaneously lit up, echoing the Five Elements wheel in the sky!

The next moment, a gigantic net of light woven from countless five-colored Law threads appeared out of thin air from the city center.

The net of light rapidly expanded outwards at a visible speed, sweeping over the newly built city walls, the towering buildings, and over the heads of every Shen Family Clan Member.

They could clearly feel the vast power contained within that net, a power that made their Souls tremble with awe.

The net of light finally closed in at the city's edge, transforming into a massive light screen shimmering with five-colored glazed treasure light, perfectly enveloping the entire brand new Linjiang City.

Upon the light screen, illusory images of the sun, moon, and stars circulated, and phantoms of mountains, rivers, and vegetation appeared and vanished—profound beyond measure.

The Great Five Elements Cycle Array was complete!

Buzz—!

The instant the Formation fully materialized, an indescribable Dao rhythm spread out like ripples across the entire Baiyue Prefecture.

All Cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage, whether they were in closed-door Cultivation, performing Alchemy, or haggling in the markets.

All stopped whatever they were doing simultaneously, staring in horror toward Linjiang City.

On a steep mountaintop bordering Baiyue Prefecture and Qingzhou, the Black Wind Stockade Master, a burly Early Golden Core Stage man with a face full of rough flesh.

Was holding a huge fine iron wine bowl, laughing coarsely at the One-Eyed Strategist beside him.

"That Shen Family really got lucky. So what if they destroyed the Li Family? A Ninth-Rank Family has a pitifully shallow Foundation, and they won't be able to hold onto such immense wealth; they'll be swallowed whole sooner or later. Look at them engaging in massive construction—it's just children playing in the sand, utterly ridiculous!"

Before his voice faded.

He suddenly felt a strong palpitation, as if he had been targeted by a Vicious Beast from the primordial era.

He abruptly raised his head and looked toward Linjiang City.

In the sky there, an incomparably massive five-colored wheel silently hung, slowly rotating, like the indifferent eye of the Heavenly Dao, coldly watching this land.

A terrifying pressure that made his Divine Soul tremble, crossed thousands of miles and landed precisely upon him.

"Crack!"

The wine bowl in his hand, crafted from third-rank fine iron, was actually due to his distraction...

Unconsciously crushed into an irregular iron disc! Cold wine flowed down his fingers, but he didn't notice.

“Sto... Stockade Master... Wh-what kind of divine technique is that?!”

The One-Eyed Strategist was already terrified and slumped on the ground, his teeth chattering, pointing at the distant sky, unable to complete a single sentence.

The Black Wind Stockade Master did not reply; the muscles on his face were twitching violently.

The arrogance and disdain from moments ago had vanished without a trace, leaving only endless, bone-deep fear in his eyes.

That was no miracle.

That was a Formation!

A terrifying Formation he didn't even have the qualifications to look up to!

A peerless great Formation that could make him, a Golden Core Cultivator, unable to even conjure the thought of resistance!

The Shen Family... what kind of monsters are the Shen Family?!

A chill rose in his heart, and he was grateful that he had only boasted a few words and hadn't actually sent anyone to probe... Linjiang City, central plaza.

Shen Yuanmo looked at the brand new city below, shrouded by the five-colored light screen. This great Formation had consumed countless efforts and massive resources.

But looking at it now, everything was worth it.

Its power was three parts stronger than anticipated.

With this Formation in place, the Shen Family truly possessed the Foundation necessary to establish itself and survive in this troubled era.

“It succeeded... we really succeeded!”

Below, Shen Zongdao looked at his hands, then at the light screen in the sky.

This Foundation Establishment Cultivator, who had lived for nearly two hundred years, was now weeping tears of joy like a child.

He had personally participated in setting up a top-tier fourth-rank great Formation, one worthy of being recorded in the annals of Qingzhou history!

Shen Yuanmo slowly descended, arriving before the crowd.

“Grand Elder!” Shen Zongdao quickly stepped forward, his voice hoarse with excitement, “With this Formation, our Shen Family...”

“This is just the beginning.” Shen Yuanmo patted his shoulder, his tone gentle. “Next, the daily operation and development of the Family will be entrusted to all of you.”

“Grand Elder, rest assured! We will certainly not fail our mission!” Everyone bowed together, their eyes filled with unconcealed fanaticism and worship.

Shen Yuanmo nodded, saying nothing more.

He knew that everything he could do for the Family was now complete.

The rest was up to them.

He turned and walked step by step toward the depths of the Family Forbidden Ground, to the secret chamber specifically opened for his closed-door Cultivation.

The final piece of the puzzle for protecting the Family was complete; next, it was time to enhance his own power.