233: Any other questions about Chapter 233?

"When I took this mission, the Elder gave me something else privately." He placed a token on the stone platform.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivators present looked at each other, none of them having seen this item before.

This wasn't surprising; Tao Qianfang had been the first to accept the mission, and the backup plan the Elder had privately entrusted to him was unknown to others.

The core Formation Plate of a peak second-rank Formation.

Sixteen matching Formation Flags, along with a detailed Formation map, were all stored within the storage space attached to the token.

The Elder had made it very clear: the items were for emergencies, and they had to be returned in their original condition once used.

Tao Qianfang hadn't brought them out before because he didn't think they would be needed.

Now that the situation had changed, he could no longer keep his trump card hidden.

"This Formation is called the Ghostly Realm Delusion Kill Array. The Elder personally refined the Formation Plate and flags; we are responsible for setting them up and activating them according to the Formation map.

"Once the Formation is activated, any Cultivator below the Golden Core stage who steps inside will face a three-pronged attack: entrapment, mental confusion, and spiritual power absorption."

Tao Qianfang held up two fingers. "Once the Formation is laid out, it can operate on its own without requiring us to constantly infuse it with spiritual power.

"But there's a problem. The Ten Thousand Spirits Nurturing Origin Array at the bottom of the valley is already absorbing a massive amount of surrounding energy. The Ghostly Realm Delusion Kill Array can't compete with it; it won't last long relying solely on self-absorption, so we must feed it Spirit Stones."

"Are there enough Spirit Stones then?" Zhong Tang pressed.

The expressions of those present became subtle. If the Formation needed Spirit Stones, where would they come from? Paying out of their own pockets would be more painful than keeping company with Fire Snakes.

Tao Qianfang saw through their thoughts and didn't rush to speak, instead taking out a Storage Pouch.

"In the past two years, at least a hundred Cultivators have come here to die. The Spirit Stones scavenged from them should be enough to keep the Formation running for ten days. The Spirit Stones you've all scavenged from those people should also be handed over to be pooled for the Formation."

Several people glanced at each other, but no one moved first.

Tao Qianfang didn't rush them either, slowly adding, "Previously, most of those killed were Qi Refining Loose Cultivators; how much could they possibly have in their pockets?

"But the ones about to enter from outside are mostly at the Foundation Establishment Peak.

"The Spirit Stones, Magical Artifacts, and Medicinal Pills carried by a Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivator are worth ten or a hundred times more than those of a Qi Refining one.

"The few Spirit Stones everyone puts in now will probably be worth less than pocket change by then."

The others looked at each other again, and this time they were no longer indifferent.

The young Cultivator with the injured right shoulder was the first to pull out his share and slap it onto the stone platform. "Third Senior Brother is right. You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a kid."

With someone leading the way, it was easy. Everyone brought out their Spirit Stones, and when gathered together, the amount was indeed substantial.

Tao Qianfang nodded in satisfaction and gathered all the Spirit Stones.

He scanned the crowd. "Starting today, we will bury the sixteen Formation Flags at various nodes throughout the valley according to the Formation map. It must be completed within three days."

"Once the Fire Seed fully matures, the Elder will naturally sense it. With his cultivation level, it won't take him more than two days to rush here.

"All we have to do is hold out for these dozen or so days; don't worry about anything else.

"Regardless of what happens later, the Elder will take charge once he arrives. That will be beyond our level of concern."

His gaze swept across every face in the stone cave.

Two at the Foundation Establishment Peak—himself and Zhong Tang; the remaining three were at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and ten were at the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage, each with their own skills.

Add to that the Ghostly Realm Delusion Kill Array, as well as the hundreds or even thousands of Fire Snakes in Ten Thousand Snakes Valley driven mad by the Formation acting as a natural barrier.

So what if there are fifteen at the Foundation Establishment Peak?

"Although this mission is time-consuming, the rewards are not low, everyone. The Elder has promised each person a chance for personal guidance in cultivation, plus three thousand Sect contribution points," Tao Qianfang added out of the blue.

The atmosphere in the stone cave changed instantly after those words were spoken.

Personal guidance from a Golden Core Elder was a stroke of fortune that no amount of Spirit Stones could buy.

So many Foundation Establishment Disciples in the Sect queued up for an audience but couldn't even get through the door; for them to trade two years of waiting for one opportunity, the deal was well worth it.

Plus, three thousand contribution points were enough to exchange for several top-tier items in the Sect.

"Any other questions?" Tao Qianfang asked.

No one spoke; they all shook their heads to indicate they had none.

"Then everyone, return to your positions." Tao Qianfang returned to the stone platform and sat down, closing his eyes to circulate his Qi. "Stop whoever comes, stop them until the day the Elder arrives to collect the goods."

Everyone nodded and filed out one by one.

Silence returned to the stone cave.

What Tao Qianfang hadn't told his Junior Brothers was that the Ten Thousand Spirits Nurturing Origin Array had a special mechanism.

When the amount of flesh and spirit essence from external creatures exceeded a certain threshold, the Formation would actively release a weak pulse of spiritual power, guiding low-rank Yao Beasts within a hundred-mile radius to gather at the bottom of the valley.

This was why the Fire Snake swarms in Ten Thousand Snakes Valley, after initially shrinking, had recently shown signs of regrouping.

More Fire Snakes meant more slaughter; more slaughter meant more nourishment; more nourishment meant the Fire Seed would awaken faster.

It was a self-accelerating cycle.

Once those Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivators from the Golden Core forces fought their way in, regardless of whether they won or lost, as long as blood was shed and Yao Beasts died, the Ten Thousand Spirits Nurturing Origin Array would devour all the energy.

And the Spirit Stones and cultivation resources from their corpses would, in turn, become fuel for the Ghostly Realm Delusion Kill Array.

To Tao Qianfang, as long as a Golden Core True Person didn't come, no amount of people was too many.

...

Luoxia City.

On the third day after the five teams arrived, just as Su Chengyuan had expected, they did not set out immediately.

Fifteen Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivators and their respective Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters totaled over sixty people, belonging to five different forces. Some knew each other while others didn't; some held old grudges while others were on friendly terms.

To mold so many people into a team capable of coordinated combat, discussing the rules alone would take more than just a day or two.

Su Chengyuan sent Li Shi out every day to listen for news, while he himself did not make an appearance.

On the first day, the leaders of the five parties booked the entire top floor of the city's largest restaurant for a closed-door meeting.

There was no need to guess the content; it was nothing more than the usual: Who would command? How would the spoils be divided? How would compensation be handled if someone died? How would deserters be dealt with?

After arguing all day, the plan they settled on was joint command and rotating decision-making, which basically amounted to having no command at all.

The second day, the third day, the fourth day—they were still talking.

Su Chengyuan sat on the second floor of the shop, cultivating most of the time and occasionally sipping spiritual tea, looking so peaceful that it didn't seem like he was there for an adventure.

Seeing him like this, Li Shi couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Su, aren't you worried at all?"

"What's the rush?" Su Chengyuan smiled slightly. "The longer they talk, the more time Zhao Shan has for his journey. These people won't act until they've argued enough. Even Golden Core forces wouldn't dare to rashly stick their necks out when the situation is unclear."

Li Shi smacked his lips and withdrew.

On the eighth day, the five forces finally reached an agreement.

The news broke that afternoon: the five parties would unite, each contributing three Foundation Establishment Peak Cultivators to lead the way, along with six Mid to Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators each. A coalition of over forty people would enter Ten Thousand Snakes Valley in three days.

Their objective: clear all obstacles in the valley and uncover the secrets beneath the underground Formation.

As for how to divide the spoils, that was for them to discuss internally.

Upon hearing this news, Su Chengyuan felt slightly relieved.

Setting out in three days meant that from now on, Zhao Shan had those three days plus the time the coalition would spend fighting after entering the valley.

How long had Zhao Shan been gone? Su Chengyuan counted on his fingers—twelve days.

Flying at full speed using a tool from Tongbao City to Luoxia City would take about thirteen or fourteen days.

A difference of a day or two.

"Li Shi."

"Here."