9: Chapter 9 The Remnant Formation

When Old Mo pushed open the door, he brought in a gust of cold wind and snow spray.

The candle flames in the ancestral hall flickered, making the wrinkles on his face appear even deeper. He wore a tattered cotton robe, and snow had accumulated on his shoulders and the top of his head, as if he had been standing outside for a long time.

In his hand, he carried that tattered cloth bag that never left his side; its mouth was tied with hemp rope, and it was bulging.

Everyone's eyes fell upon him.

This wandering craftsman rarely showed his face, spending most of his time huddled in his own earthen hut tinkering with strange and eccentric gadgets. During tonight's bloody battle, he had not appeared, but now he had suddenly arrived.

Old Mo didn't look at anyone else, his eyes fixed only on Lu Zhao. He walked to the center of the ancestral hall, placed the cloth bag on the ground, crouched down, and untied the hemp rope.

Several items tumbled out of the bag.

They weren't the rusted metal fragments from before, but something else: three palm-sized bronze discs with fine serrations along the edges, seven or eight irregularly shaped black stones with surfaces as smooth as mirrors, and a roll of yellowed old beast hide tied with a thin string.

Old Mo picked up one of the bronze discs and handed it to Lu Zhao.

"Take a look."

Lu Zhao took it. The disc felt icy to the touch and heavy, much heavier than it looked. The surface was engraved with fine patterns—not words or pictures, but more like some kind of regular geometric design. Deep within the lines were dark stains that looked like dried blood.

As his fingertips lightly brushed the patterns, that wisp of purple Qi in his Dantian suddenly twitched slightly.

There was a resonance.

It was stronger than with the previous fragments.

"What is this?" he asked.

"A Formation Plate," Old Mo's voice was raspy. "A broken one."

He picked up another disc and held the two together; the patterns actually aligned. However, the middle section was missing, making it impossible to complete.

"Years ago, I wandered to the Southern Border and scavenged these from the ruins of an ancient battlefield." Old Mo stroked the surface of the plate. "There were five discs in total back then. I took three, and the remaining two were snatched by the local tribesmen, who claimed they were sacred objects for rituals."

"A Formation Plate... what is it used for?"

"To set up a Formation." Old Mo looked up. "The methods of the Immortals. Using a Formation Plate as a Foundation to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, one can achieve various effects like trapping enemies, killing, or protection. But these are broken, lacking the core formation core and the activation method; they're no different from scrap iron."

The crowd gathered around, looking at the discs and black stones with curiosity. He Shan picked up one of the black stones and held it up to the candlelight; faint silver threads actually flowed inside the stone like living things.

"This stone..."

"A Formation Base," Old Mo said. "Buried underground to resonate with the Formation Plate, it can define the range of the Formation's domain. But these are also broken; the Spiritual Qi has dissipated, leaving only empty shells."

Lu Zhao pieced the three discs together on the ground. Although incomplete, one could roughly see that they originally formed a complete disc about a foot in diameter. There should have been a hole in the center, which was now missing.

He concentrated on the direction of the patterns. Those geometric designs seemed chaotic, but if observed from a certain direction, one would find the lines connected end-to-end, forming closed circuits. However, they were broken in many places, preventing energy from flowing through.

Suddenly, he thought of the description of the True Qi circulation in the first volume of the Nine Yang Divine Skill: 'Qi flows through the Ren and Du Meridians like a rotating wheel; the cycle repeats, endless and unceasing.'

Rotation.

The patterns on this Formation Plate actually bore some resemblance to the circulation diagrams of human Meridians!

His heart skipped a beat as he looked up at Old Mo: "Have you ever tried to activate this Formation Plate?"

Old Mo shook his head. "I've tried. It requires infusing spiritual power into the core formation core to start. I have no Spiritual Root, so I cannot."

"What if spiritual power isn't used?"

Old Mo was stunned.

Lu Zhao pointed at the assembled Formation Plate on the ground: "Look at these patterns, what do they look like to you?"

Old Mo crouched down, squinting his eyes to look closely. After a long time, his brow gradually furrowed.

"Like... Meridians?"

"Exactly." Lu Zhao traced the air. "This part is like the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, starting from the middle burner and descending to link with the large intestine. This part is like the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming, traveling from the head to the feet. Although the paths are different, the principle is the same—they are all channels for energy flow."

A flash of astonishment crossed Old Mo's eyes: "Are you saying..."

"Since Spiritual Qi can flow through them, why can't blood and Qi?" Lu Zhao said slowly. "Martial Artists refine essence into Qi; their blood and Qi contain life energy. Although it's not as pure as Spiritual Qi, the quantity is sufficient. If we substitute spiritual power with blood and Qi to infuse the Formation Plate, we might be able to activate the broken Formation."

The ancestral hall fell into a dead silence.

Everyone was processing these words. Using a Martial Artist's blood and Qi to drive an Immortal's Formation? It was unheard of.

Yan Meng was the first to speak: "Mr. Lu, is this... feasible?"

"I don't know," Lu Zhao told the truth. "But it's worth a try."

He Shan pondered: "If it works, perhaps we can stop the Funiu Gang's next attack."

Zhong Tiegu rubbed his hands together: "How do we do it? Just say the word, and we'll do it."

Lu Zhao looked at Old Mo: "Since you've collected these, you must have some research on Formations. What was the original name of this broken Formation? What does it do?"

Old Mo unrolled the beast hide. A simple diagram was drawn on the skin with ancient, crude lines, accompanied by worm-like ancient characters.

He pointed to a spot in the diagram: "According to the records on the hide scroll, this Formation was originally called 'Earth-Surging Thorns.' It requires burying Formation Bases at ley line nodes and using a Formation Plate to drive it. It can cause stone spikes to protrude from the ground within a thirty-meter radius to trap and kill enemies."

He paused.

"But it requires the spiritual power of a Cultivator at the Qi Refinement Stage to drive it. When the Formation is complete, the stone spikes can be three feet high and as hard as refined iron. Now that the Formation Plate is broken and the Spiritual Qi in the Formation Bases has dissipated, even if we can really drive it with blood and Qi, its power won't even be a tenth of what it was."

"As long as it can trap enemies, that's enough," Lu Zhao said. "We don't need it to kill, just to delay. When the Funiu Gang comes again, it will surely be with a large force; we can't win in a head-on fight. If there's a Formation to hinder them, we can buy time."

Wen Qian interjected: "Where should the Formation be set up?"

Lu Zhao walked to the entrance of the ancestral hall and looked toward the village entrance: "The only path they can take, under the old locust tree at the village entrance. The terrain there is open and suitable for setting up a Formation. Moreover, the locust tree's roots go deep; perhaps we can borrow the Earthly Qi."

Old Mo thought for a moment and slowly nodded: "It's worth a try. But we need to prepare a few things."

"Name them."

"First, we need fresh blood to outline the Formation runes. The broken parts of the Formation Plate's patterns must be connected with human blood to form a temporary circuit." Old Mo looked at the crowd. "Blood contains the essence of blood and Qi; it is the best medium."

"Use mine." He Shan took a step forward.

"I can do it too." Yan Meng followed suit.

Lu Zhao waved them off: "Use mine. I practice Internal Skills, my blood and Qi are vigorous, so the effect will be better."

Old Mo continued: "Second, we need to bury a 'primer' at the Formation Base positions. Originally, we should use Spirit Stones, but we don't have any. We can substitute them with living creatures—preferably beasts with strong blood and Qi."

"I have one," Zhong Tiegu said. "There's an old dog tied up behind the shop that's been with me for seven years; its blood and Qi are still okay."

"No." Lu Zhao shook his head. "Dogs are sentient; we can't use it."

He thought of something and asked He Shan: "Are there still any wild beasts on the back mountain?"

He Shan thought for a bit: "The snow is heavy, and the beasts are all hiding. However... there's a wolf den over by Eagle Beak Cliff; we might be able to catch some wolf cubs."

"That takes too long." Lu Zhao pondered. "How about using chickens? The village still has a few laying hens."

Old Mo shook his head: "A chicken's blood and Qi are too weak; they won't hold up."

While they were in a bind, footsteps came from outside the ancestral hall. Qin Wan entered supporting Granny Xue, carrying a small bamboo cage in her hand.

Inside the cage was a black snake, about two feet long and as thick as a thumb, with a triangular head, currently coiled in a ball.

"Granny raised it," Qin Wan said. "She says it's for medicine. It's been raised for three years, and its blood and Qi are more vigorous than a dog's."

Granny Xue nodded: "This snake has been fed many medicinal herbs; its blood has medicinal properties. It might be useful."

Old Mo took the bamboo cage and looked at the snake carefully, a look of satisfaction appearing in his eyes: "This will do. Snakes are of the Yin attribute, which is perfect for tempering the Yang dryness in blood and Qi."

"And the third?" Lu Zhao asked.

"Third, someone needs to man the formation core." Old Mo's expression was grave. "Once the Formation is activated, blood and Qi must be continuously infused to maintain it. The higher the guardian's cultivation, the more stable the Formation and the longer it will last. But the consumption is also great—at best, it will deplete one's blood and Qi; at worst, it will damage one's Foundation."

The crowd fell silent.

This was equivalent to one person bearing the consumption of the entire Formation.

"I'll do it," Lu Zhao said without hesitation.

"You just had a fierce battle, and your True Qi depletion is not small." He Shan frowned. "To then man the formation core, I'm afraid..."

"Only I can do it," Lu Zhao said. "The rest of you haven't started practicing martial arts yet. Although your blood and Qi are sufficient, you don't know how to guide them, and they would easily be wasted during infusion. I practice the Nine Yang Divine Skill; my True Qi is extremely Yang, which is perfect for driving this Formation."

Old Mo looked at him; under the dim candlelight, the young man's eyes were calm and firm. He suddenly remembered many years ago, on the ancient battlefield of the Southern Border, he had also seen such eyes.

They were eyes that refused to accept fate when facing a desperate situation.

"Good." Old Mo stopped trying to dissuade him. "Since it's decided, let's begin. The Formation must be set before the hour of the Rat ends, otherwise, as the Yang Qi gradually rises, the Formation runes outlined with Yin blood will lose their effect."

Everyone immediately went into action.

Old Mo was responsible for directing the setup. He had Zhong Tiegu lead some people to clear the snow under the locust tree at the village entrance and dig nine shallow pits, arranged according to the Nine Palaces positions. Each pit was one foot deep and half a foot wide.

He Shan and Yan Meng buried those black Formation Base stones into the pits respectively. As the stones entered the soil, they actually became slightly warm, and a very faint ghostly light flickered on their surfaces.

Qin Wan and Granny Xue prepared the blood bowl. Granny Xue used a silver needle to pierce the black snake's seven-inch mark and collected half a bowl of blood. The snake blood was dark red and viscous, with a faint fishy-sweet scent.

Lu Zhao sat cross-legged in the ancestral hall to regulate his breathing and recover his True Qi. After running the Nine Yang Divine Skill for nine cycles, the purple Qi in his Dantian had recovered by more than half and was even a bit more condensed than before.

As expected, combat was the best form of cultivation.

As the hour of the Rat approached, the snow paused, and the moon emerged from a gap in the clouds.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, the nine Formation Base stones had been buried. Old Mo pieced the three bronze Formation Plates together and placed them in a natural hollow at the base of the locust tree. The moment the plates touched the tree roots, the locust tree actually trembled slightly, and the snow on the withered branches rustled down.

"The old locust is sentient," Old Mo murmured. "Perhaps we really can borrow the Earthly Qi."

He took the blood bowl and, using a balding old brush dipped in blood, began to outline the broken parts of the Formation Plate's patterns.

The blood lines were as thin as hair, yet they steadily connected the broken patterns. With each connection made, the Formation Plate gave a slight jolt, and a dark red glow flickered on its surface.

When the last broken line was connected, the three plates hummed in unison, and the light flared brightly!

It wasn't golden light, nor was it blood-red light, but a thick, earthy yellow halo, like the natural color of the earth. The halo flowed along the patterns, gradually spreading out and connecting with the nine Formation Base stones.

The ground vibrated slightly.

At the nine shallow pits where the Formation Bases were buried, the soil arched up, forming nine tiny mounds. Fine patterns emerged on the surfaces of the mounds, resonating with the patterns on the Formation Plate.

Sweat beaded on Old Mo's forehead, but he didn't dare stop. He bit his own index finger and dripped three drops of blood onto the missing center of the Formation Plate.

"With blood as the guide, and the ley lines as proof," he chanted raspily, "Thorns shall spring from the earth, trapping and locking the coming enemies."

As his voice fell, the light of the Formation Plate suddenly withdrew, all of it sinking into the ground.

The ground returned to tranquility.

It was as if nothing had happened.

But Lu Zhao could feel it—in the area under the locust tree, there was an indescribable 'momentum.' Like an invisible large net, quietly spread out, waiting for its prey.

"The Formation is complete." Old Mo straightened up, his face pale, clearly exhausted. "But it's only a temporary activation; it can last twelve hours at most. And its power... I'm afraid it's only a tenth of the complete Formation."

Lu Zhao walked under the locust tree and crouched to touch the ground. The soil was cold, but his fingertips could feel a very subtle vibration, like the heartbeat of the earth.

He focused his senses, and his mind suddenly cleared.

A piece of information surfaced:

[Broken Formation · Earth-Surging Thorns (Temporary)]

[Substitute spiritual power with blood and Qi, using the residual energy of the ley lines to activate.]

[Effect: Within the range of the Formation, stone spikes can protrude from the ground, three to five inches high, as hard as ordinary rock. Triggering requires guidance from the guardian; each activation lasts thirty breaths, with an interval of a hundred breaths before it can be triggered again.]

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

[Consumption: Each trigger requires the person presiding to infuse 30% of their Qi and blood.]

Lu Zhao calculated in his mind. Given his current amount of Qi and blood, he could trigger it at most three times. After three times, he would definitely collapse from exhaustion.

But it was enough.

Three opportunities, thirty breaths each, would be enough to disrupt the Funiu Gang's charging Formation.

He stood up and bowed to Elder Mo: "Thank you, Senior."

Elder Mo waved his hand: "Don't thank me too soon. This Formation is too incomplete; I merely reconnected the broken lines. What truly brought it to life was your idea of 'using Qi and blood to replace Spiritual Qi'."

He paused, looking at Lu Zhao with a complex expression in his eyes.

"Kid, your idea... is very dangerous."

"Why?"

"Immortals and mortals are distinct; this has been true since ancient times," Elder Mo said slowly. "Spiritual Qi is bestowed by Heaven and Earth, while Qi and blood are produced by the human body. Using a mortal body to drive an immortal Formation is equivalent to acting in a Heaven-Defying manner. If you succeeded by Luck today, it is because this Formation was incomplete to the extreme and borrowed the Earth Qi of the old locust tree. If it were a complete Formation, the moment you infused your Qi and blood, you would have been killed by the backlash."

Lu Zhao was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."

"You don't understand," Elder Mo shook his head. "If you can drive a remnant Formation with Qi and blood today, others will think tomorrow: Since Qi and blood can replace Spiritual Qi, can the Martial Dao replace the immortal Dao? If this path is truly walked to the end, it will shake the very Foundation of this world."

"So what?" He Shan suddenly interjected. "The Foundation of this world is inherently unjust."

Elder Mo glanced at him, did not refute, and just sighed.

"Perhaps. These old bones of mine won't live for many more years. If you want to stir things up, go ahead."

After saying this, he picked up his tattered cloth bag and turned to walk toward his earthen hut. His hunched back soon disappeared into the night.

Lu Zhao watched the direction he left in, deep in thought.

Wen Qian walked over and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Lu, Elder Mo's words..."

"They make sense, but they cannot be heeded." Lu Zhao withdrew his gaze. "If the Martial Dao is to rise, it must break the old rules. If one fears backlash, one will never be able to stand up."

He looked at everyone.

"The Formation is complete, but it still needs practice. Brother He, you take three people to simulate the bandits' charge and test the Formation's effect. Yan Meng, you take the spear Formation and prepare behind the Formation; once the stone spikes protrude, immediately charge forward and kill. Brother Zhong, you take two people with staves to support the flanks, specifically smashing those who fall from their horses."

Everyone agreed and quickly scattered to practice.

Lu Zhao walked to the locust tree and sat cross-legged at the formation core. He closed his eyes, focused his mind, and sank a wisp of his consciousness into the Formation Plate.

In an instant, he "saw" it.

With the locust tree as the center, beneath the ground within a radius of ten zhang, nine subtle energy veins extended, tangled like tree roots. Pale yellow Earth Qi flowed within the veins, slow and heavy.

And covering these Earth veins was a very thin blood-colored network—that was the temporary Formation pattern he had outlined with fresh blood. At this moment, it was slightly hot, faintly resonating with his Qi and blood.

With a slight movement of his mind, he attempted to guide a wisp of Qi and blood into the Formation pattern.

The Formation pattern suddenly lit up!

The ground vibrated accordingly. At the nine Formation Base locations, the soil arched, and nine earth-yellow stone spikes slowly protruded; although only three inches high, they were sharp and distinct, as hard as stone.

He Shan and the others who were practicing the charge hurriedly stopped, looking in astonishment at the stone spikes that had suddenly appeared under their feet.

"It's done!" Zhong Tiegu shouted excitedly.

Lu Zhao, however, frowned.

Too slow.

From the mental guidance to the protrusion of the stone spikes, it took nearly three breaths. In actual combat, three breaths were enough for cavalry to charge across a distance of ten zhang.

And the consumption... was even greater than he had estimated. That one instance had consumed nearly 40% of his Qi and blood.

He withdrew the guidance, and the stone spikes slowly retracted into the ground.

"Again," he said in a deep voice.

On the second attempt, he changed his method. Instead of infusing Qi and blood evenly, he first activated the Formation Plate core and then let it spread rapidly along the patterns. This time it was a bit faster, two and a half breaths.

On the third time, he tried to activate only the front fan-shaped area. This time it was faster, two breaths, and the consumption was also reduced to 30%.

But it was still not enough.

He needed to complete the trigger within one breath to effectively block the enemy.

During the fourth attempt, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him.

Since the Formation borrowed Earth vein energy, why not go with the flow? Just like rivers have waterways, one only needs to open the sluice gate at the key point, and the water will naturally rush forth.

He condensed his Qi and blood into a line, not injecting it into the entire Formation pattern, but pointing it only at a specific node on the Formation Plate core.

Boom!

The ground shook violently. Within a range of five zhang in front, dozens of stone spikes suddenly erupted, over a foot high, dense like a forest of thorns!

This time, it only took one breath.

But Lu Zhao's face turned pale; 50% of his Qi and blood were instantly drained.

He hurriedly withdrew the guidance, and the stone spikes slowly retracted. He closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and it took quite a while before he recovered.

"Brother Lu!" He Shan hurriedly stepped forward.

"It's nothing," Lu Zhao waved his hand. "I found the method. But the consumption is too great; I can trigger it at most twice. After twice, someone else must take over presiding."

"Replace with whom?"

Lu Zhao's gaze swept over everyone. He Shan had abundant Qi and blood, but couldn't guide it. Yan Meng was the same. Zhong Tiegu had great strength, but lacked fine control.

Finally, he looked at Wen Qian.

"Master Wen, come here."

Wen Qian was stunned, then walked forward.

Lu Zhao had him sit at the formation core and placed his hand on his back.

"Close your eyes, focus, and feel the path of my Qi and blood circulation."

A wisp of gentle True Qi was transferred into Wen Qian's body. Wen Qian only felt a warm current rising along his spine, passing through the back of his neck, entering his brain, and then descending to his Dantian, circulating back and forth.

"Remember this route," Lu Zhao withdrew his hand. "When I am exhausted, you take over presiding. You don't need to actively guide it; just circulate your Qi and blood along this route, and the Formation Plate will naturally draw it."

Wen Qian nodded earnestly: "I will do my best."

When everything was ready, the east was already tinged with the white of a fish belly.

The snow began to fall again, fine and dense, gradually covering the bloodstains and traces of battle from last night.

Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, Lu Zhao sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, like an old monk in meditation. He Shan led people to guard the perimeter, while Yan Meng and Zhong Tiegu led their teams to rest in turns.

Inside the ancestral hall, the wounded had been properly bandaged. Granny Xue boiled a large pot of medicinal soup and distributed it to everyone to ward off the cold.

Qin Wan, along with a few women, turned the remaining food into dry cakes and distributed them to everyone.

A-Fei sat on the threshold of the ancestral hall, wiping that bamboo crossbow. His face still carried childishness, but his eyes were no longer panicked.

This night, no one in Yangjiao Ravine slept.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for the next slaughter.

Waiting for life and death.

When the morning light was faint, a large flock of birds was suddenly startled in the distant mountain forest.

The flapping of wings was exceptionally clear on the silent snowy plain.

He Shan climbed up the old locust tree and shaded his eyes with his hand to look into the distance.

A moment later, he slid down the tree with a grave expression.

"They're here."

"How many people?" Yan Meng asked.

"I can't see clearly, but there is a lot of dust." He Shan gripped his longbow tightly. "More than last night, at least a hundred. There are cavalry, infantry, and they are even dragging... a battering ram?"

Everyone's hearts sank.

A battering ram. That was for breaking down gates.

The Funiu Gang, this time, was determined to flatten Yangjiao Ravine.

Lu Zhao opened his eyes.

He stood up, brushed the accumulated snow off his body, walked under the locust tree, and sat cross-legged again.

"Everyone, take your positions."

His voice was calm, yet it made everyone's heart tremble.

He Shan led the archers onto the roof. Yan Meng led the spear Formation to guard thirty paces behind the locust tree. Zhong Tiegu held a staff and laid an ambush behind the low wall on the flank. Wen Qian sat three feet beside Lu Zhao, closing his eyes and focusing his mind.

Qin Wan and Granny Xue moved the wounded to the deepest part of the ancestral hall. A-Fei gripped the bamboo crossbow, lying in ambush on the roof of the ancestral hall.

The snow was still falling.

The sound of hooves approached from afar.

Like muffled thunder rolling across the ground.

This time, there was no clamor, no torches.

Only killing intent.

A hundred paces away, a dark mass of figures surged out from the forest.

Riding in front was a one-eyed, burly man, his left eye covered by a black leather patch, his right eye gleaming with wolf-like ferocity. He reined in his horse and raised his hand.

The hundred or so people behind him stopped in unison.

The one-eyed man scanned the village entrance, his gaze landing on Lu Zhao, who was sitting cross-legged under the locust tree, and he grinned.

"Kid, you're the one who hurt my brothers last night?"

Lu Zhao did not reply.

The one-eyed man was not annoyed, pointing with his horse whip: "I'll give you a chance. Kneel and kowtow three times, hand over all the food and women, cut off one of your own arms, and I'll leave your corpses intact."

Lu Zhao slowly raised his eyes.

"Too much talk."

The one-eyed man's expression darkened.

"You're courting death!"

He waved his horse whip.

"First team, charge!"

More than thirty riders responded and rushed out, their hooves trampling the snow, like arrows off a string, charging straight at the village entrance.

Lu Zhao closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into the Formation Plate.

Qi and blood, infusing.

One breath.

The cavalry charging at the front were less than twenty zhang away from the locust tree.

Two breaths.

Ten zhang.

Three breaths—

Lu Zhao opened his eyes, his right hand pressing into the air above the ground.

"Rise."

Rumble!!!

Five zhang in front of the locust tree, dozens of earth-yellow stone spikes suddenly erupted, dense and packed, like an earth dragon turning over!

The seven or eight riders charging at the front were caught off guard, crashing into the stone spikes along with their horses. The horses screamed in agony, the riders fell, and they were pierced by the subsequent stone spikes, blood spraying everywhere.

The cavalry behind hurriedly reined in, their Formation in chaos.

Just at this moment, arrows pierced the air from the roof.

He Shan fired three arrows in succession, shooting down three cavalrymen attempting to bypass.

Yan Meng led the spear Formation to charge out from behind the locust tree, thrusting their spears forward, turning the fallen bandits into hedgehogs.

Zhong Tiegu leaped out from the flank, his iron staff sweeping horizontally, smashing the horses' legs.

The first wave of the charge, routed.

The one-eyed man saw it clearly from the rear, a flash of astonishment in his single eye.

"A Formation? In this poor mountain gully, where did a Formation Master come from?!"

He gritted his teeth and waved his horse whip again.

"Infantry, move forward, clear the stone spikes! Archers, provide cover!"

Dozens of foot bandits moved forward with axes, starting to hack at the stone spikes. Although the stone spikes were hard, they were just ordinary stone after all, and they gradually cracked under the axes.

Arrows were fired from the roof again, shooting down two foot bandits. But the bandit archers also retaliated, a rain of arrows pouring down, suppressing He Shan and the others so they couldn't lift their heads.

Lu Zhao's face was slightly pale.

The first trigger had consumed 40% of his Qi and blood.

He looked at Wen Qian.

Wen Qian understood and took over presiding at the formation core.

Lu Zhao stood up, grabbed his short blade, and joined the battle.

By this time, the stone spikes had been mostly cleared, and the bandit infantry were advancing again.

Yan Meng led the spear Formation, fighting as they retreated to the open space in front of the ancestral hall.

The one-eyed man saw this and grinned hideously: "At the end of your rope! All forces, press on!"

The remaining seventy-plus people surged forward like a tide.

Lu Zhao looked back at the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall door was open, and the candlelight inside was flickering.

He took a deep breath.

Today, perhaps there would truly be a fight to the death.

Just at this moment, A-Fei's exclamation suddenly came from the roof of the ancestral hall:

"Sir! Look at the east!"

Lu Zhao turned his head.

On the eastern mountain road, snow dust was flying.

A troop of horses and men was galloping over.

About twenty riders, in black clothes and black armor, their horses' hooves wrapped in cotton, treading on the snow without a sound.

The leader had a broad-bladed saber at his waist, his triangular eyes as cold as ice.

Liu Three-Knives.

He reined in his horse and stopped a hundred paces outside the village entrance, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield, finally landing on the one-eyed man.

"Boss Wu," Liu Three-Knives spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears. "The three hundred miles of Black Mountain is the territory of my Liu Family."

"You want to cross the line?"

Boss Wu's expression changed suddenly, and the twenty-plus riders behind Liu Three-Knives had already slowly unfolded their Formation—just at this moment of stalemate between the three parties, Lu Zhao suddenly felt the few Formation Plate fragments in his bosom heating up for no reason, and a rapid warning suddenly sounded in his spiritual mind: [Warning! Earth vein anomaly! The core of the remnant Formation is being forcibly drained of energy by an unknown force!]