7: Eye of the Formation

At Lin Tianhong's command, the three Guest Elders at the ninth layer of Qi Refining behind him grinned sinisterly and took the lead in attacking.

Three rays of light in different colors soared into the sky, carrying powerful fluctuations of magical power as they heavily bombarded the pale green barrier surrounding the Shen Family mansion.

Boom!

With a dull, thunderous roar, the entire light screen shook violently, ripples spreading across its surface as its radiance instantly dimmed by thirty percent.

The Shen Family clansmen on the watchtower felt a violent tremor beneath their feet; several disciples with low cultivation bases couldn't keep their balance and fell straight to the ground.

"Hold steady! Everyone, hold steady!"

Lin Tianhong Shen Qiming's eyes were nearly splitting from rage. He rushed to the Formation control console behind the watchtower, pressing his hands firmly onto it as he frantically poured his magical power inside.

"All clan members at the fourth layer of Qi Refining or above, help me maintain the Formation!"

Several clan elders and core members also snapped back to their senses, stepping forward to press their palms against the control console, collectively channeling their magical power.

With everyone's magical support, the pale green light screen stabilized slightly.

But seeing this, the Lin Family's group intensified their offensive.

Dozens of Magical Artifacts—sabers, spears, swords, and halberds—shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors, turning into a torrent of Spells that pelted the barrier like raindrops.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dense sequence of roars merged into one, the barrier's light flickering erratically. Every flicker caused the Shen Family's hearts to sink further.

"Lin Tianhong! It's no use! This Formation... the consumption of this Formation is too high!"

Manager Shen Qiwu's face was deathly pale. He had only been channeling magical power for a short while, yet thirty percent of the Qi in his Dantian was already depleted.

How could Shen Qiming not know?

He felt that out of every ten parts of magical power he poured in, seven or eight were dissipated for nothing. Very little was actually used to operate the Formation.

This Protective Courtyard Formation handed down from their ancestors was already in tatters, its core obscured and difficult to use.

Atop the watchtower, a gloomy atmosphere of despair hung over everyone.

Just as everyone was at a loss, watching helplessly as more and more cracks appeared on the barrier, Shen Yuanmo moved.

He pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward the Formation Hub.

It was an inconspicuous stone platform covered in dust, located behind the control console.

"Yuan Mo, you..."

Just as Shen Qiming was about to ask, he saw Shen Yuanmo gently press his palm onto the stone platform.

[Insight into Origin]

In an instant, the entire world changed within Shen Yuanmo's mind.

The ground beneath his feet was no longer solid, but a web of countless interwoven Spiritual Qi meridians.

The barrier overhead was no longer a screen of light, but a giant net composed of countless energy nodes.

The energy flow, structural nodes, and operational trajectories of the entire Shen Family Protective Courtyard Formation were crystal clear in his eyes.

Three hundred and seventy-two defects.

One hundred and nine hidden damages.

And, most critically, three erroneous repairs that caused the entire Formation structure to twist, leaving it with less than ten percent of its original power.

So that's how it is.

Shen Yuanmo understood clearly.

This broken Formation, passed down through generations and claimed to be a "Second-Tier Low Grade" Formation, actually had the Foundation of a complete Second-Tier High Grade Formation: the Mystic Water Tortoise Shell Array!

However, the core of this High Grade Formation had been intentionally destroyed. Later Shen Family ancestors, lacking sufficient skill in the Dao of Formations, had resorted to crude methods for haphazard repairs, resulting in the current leaky mess.

What shocked him even more was that at the moment he activated [Insight into Origin], he sensed a completely different presence.

Beneath the stone platform, deep within the earth's meridians, there was a node locked away by layers of Restrictions.

That node was dark and silent, yet it vaguely emitted an aura far more pure and profound than the entire Formation.

That was the true... Formation Eye!

Someone had intentionally sealed the true Formation Eye and sabotaged the Formation's structure, forcing the Shen Family to use this severely weakened, castrated version!

His thoughts racing, Shen Yuanmo immediately diverted a portion of his mind to activate [Perfect Deduction].

Using the broken structure of the Mystic Water Tortoise Shell Array as a base, he began rapidly simulating repair and optimization plans in his mind.

Outside, the Lin Family launched another round of fierce attacks.

Crack!

A clear crack appeared on the barrier.

"It's over!"

"It's going to break!"

The Shen Family crowd cried out in alarm; several timid women and children had already burst into tears.

"Lin Tianhong!"

While maintaining the high-speed deduction in his mind, Shen Yuanmo channeled his magical power and shouted to those outside the mansion.

"Head of the Lin Family! Everything can be discussed! My Shen Family... my Shen Family is willing to hand over half of our assets, only asking that you show mercy and grant the Shen Family a way to live!"

As soon as these words were spoken, not only were the Shen Family members stunned, but even Lin Tianhong stopped his movements.

He waved to signal his subordinates to pause the attack, a thick look of mockery appearing on his face.

"Oh? Now you know to beg for mercy?"

"It's too late!"

"However..." Lin Tianhong changed his tone, stroking his chin with the air of a cat playing with a mouse.

"Seeing how sincere you are, this Lin Tianhong is not an unreasonable person."

"Half the assets? Too little."

"I want all of the Shen Family's shops, control over the Second-Tier Spiritual Vein on the east side of the city, and you, Shen Yuanmo, to cripple your own cultivation and serve as a slave in my Lin Family for a hundred years! Agree to these, and I will withdraw my troops today!"

He wanted to trample the Shen Family's dignity into the dust before all the Cultivators in Linjiang City.

On the watchtower, the Shen Family clansmen were all fuming with rage.

"This is too much!"

"Let's fight him to the end!"

"Father! You can't agree to his terms!" Shen Yuanmo's younger sister, Shen Yuanqi, cried out, her eyes red with anxiety.

Shen Qiming clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms, remaining silent.

Shen Yuanmo, however, seemed to be seriously considering it. He remained silent for a moment before continuing to "struggle" with the bargaining.

"Head of the Lin Family, these conditions are too harsh... The Spiritual Vein can be given, but crippling my cultivation... could there be another way? My Shen Family is willing to offer another three thousand Spirit Stones!"

Lin Tianhong burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha! Three thousand Spirit Stones? Do you think you're dealing with a beggar?"

"It seems your Shen Family is truly at the end of its rope."

He enjoyed this feeling of controlling others' lives and deaths, so he wasn't in a hurry to act, instead wearing down the Shen Family's will word by word.

The surrounding Loose Cultivators and scouts from other families were also buzzing with discussion.

"The Shen Family has completely yielded."

"What a pity, Linjiang City is about to lose another Ninth-Rank Family."

"The Lin Family is going to become the sole dominant power now."

No one believed the Shen Family had any chance of turning the tables.

And during this precious respite, the deduction in Shen Yuanmo's mind was completed.

[Deduction Completed]

[Obtained New Formation: Crimson Sun Profound Water Formation]

[Plan: Using the Mystic Water Tortoise Shell Array as a base, integrate the magical power characteristics of the Crimson Sun Glazed Scripture. Yin and Yang will complement each other, providing both offense and defense. All three hundred and seventy-two defects have been rectified, increasing power tenfold.]

"It's done!"

Shen Yuanmo's heart steadied.

He wasted no more words and suddenly pulled an object out of his Storage Pouch.

It was exactly that head-sized piece of Profound Iron Ore he had traded for in Ghost Willow Alley!

"Yuan Mo, what are you doing?" Shen Qiming was puzzled.

Shen Yuanmo didn't explain. He spotted an inconspicuous groove on the side of the stone platform at the Formation Hub and slammed the Profound Iron Ore into it!

"The size was a perfect fit!"

This was precisely a key Formation base node overlooked by the Shen Family ancestors!

Buzz!

The moment the Profound Iron Ore was embedded, the entire stone platform trembled slightly, and the previously obscured Formation patterns began to glow with a faint light.

But it wasn't enough!

"Lin Tianhong, the game is over."

Shen Yuanmo spoke coldly.

Lin Tianhong was taken aback, then flew into a rage: "Little Beast, you dare play me? Smash it to pieces!"

However, it was already too late.

The Crimson Sun Glazed Scripture magical power within Shen Yuanmo surged, and a stream of pure, overbearing Crimson Sun power flowed through his arm into the stone platform.

Simultaneously, his other hand rapidly performed hand Seals in front of him.

Those hand Seals were ancient and profound, belonging to none of the legacies within the Shen Family.

As the final Seal fell, he pointed sharply at the hidden Formation Eye sealed beneath the stone platform.

"Open!"

The Crimson Sun power transformed into a sharp cone, ruthlessly piercing through the layers of ancient Restrictions with an invincible momentum.

The moment the magical power was injected into the hidden Formation Eye—

Rumble—

The entire Shen Family mansion, along with the earth's meridians beneath it, suddenly erupted with a violent roar.

A massive surge of spiritual power, far exceeding Shen Yuanmo's expectations and even the normal scope of a Second-Tier Spiritual Vein, surged upward through the newly opened Formation Eye!

That power was violent and ancient, as if a prehistoric beast that had slumbered for a thousand years was suddenly awakened!

It ignored the stone platform and the Formation, following Shen Yuanmo's Crimson Sun power as a conduit and pouring directly into his body.