Chapter 129 The First Round of the Dao Inquiry Competition: The Four Symbols Formation Displays its Power

"Exactly." Lin Yue nodded, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "Moreover, do you remember that provocative guard captain from earlier today? His final mutterings seemed like a complaint, but they were actually a probe to test the extent of Master Liu's injuries. If we had reacted fiercely, it would have shown that her injuries might not be severe, and the person behind him would have adjusted their strategy. If we swallowed our pride, as we are doing now, they would conclude that Master Liu's injuries are heavy, and their subsequent plots will become even more brazen."

A He looked at Liu Qingyan with concern. "Then aren't we very passive right now? Revered Master's injuries..."

Liu Qingyan waved her hand, indicating it was fine. "Although my injuries haven't fully healed, they have stabilized quite a bit after some meditation and Lin Yue's spiritual power assistance. The more they believe I am weak, the more likely they are to reveal a flaw." She looked at Lin Yue. "The priority right now is to find that 'eye' hidden within the city."

Lin Yue pondered for a moment and said, "Since they've set up surveillance, we might as well beat them at their own game." He picked up the dismantled Formation Plate. "Ling Wei, can you reverse-track the resonance signal of this Formation Plate? Or perhaps create a fake image signal to deceive the other party?"

Ling Wei's eyes lit up. "Reverse-tracking takes time and could easily alert the enemy. But creating a fake signal isn't hard! I can simulate a scene where Master Liu's injuries worsen and we are discussing things in a panic to make the opponent misjudge. At the same time, I can embed a faint tracking seal within the fake signal. As long as the other party activates their receiving Magical Artifact to check it again, it's possible to locate their general position!"

"Good!" Lin Yue decided. "Let's do that! Ling Wei will be responsible for creating the fake signal and attempting the tracking. Qingyuan, Ning Shuang, you two will go out with me normally tomorrow to familiarize yourselves with the environment inside and outside the city; keep an eye out for any suspicious characters following or approaching us. A He, you take care of Master Liu. At the same time, use the poison-cleansing spirit sprouts to carefully check all our personal belongings and anything we might come into contact with next to prevent any hidden toxins."

The plan was set, and everyone moved to action. Ling Wei immediately began working on the Formation Plate, her fingertips flickering with spiritual light as she started weaving the fake image information.

Lin Yue walked to the window, gazing at the brilliant but peril-laden night view of Tianyan City. His Divine Sense quietly sank into the Hongmeng Space within his Sea of Consciousness. Inside the space, the purple-gold poison-cleansing spirit sprouts were full of vitality, and theevil spirits-clearing grass had also taken root and sprouted.

"Wu Tianli... no matter how cunning you are, I'll make sure you go for wool and come home shorn this time!" Lin Yue thought coldly. He sensed that this Dao-Seeking Great Competition was already far more than just a contest between Sects; it was a life-and-death death trap targeting him and Liu Qingyan. The key to breaking the trap lay in whether they could more quickly drag the chess player hidden in the darkness into the light.

The night grew deep, and the bustle of Tianyan City gradually fell silent, but the lights in the second-floor guest room of the Wangyue Inn remained lit for a very long time.

A hidden contest had only just begun.

Three days later in Tianyan City, before the morning mist had fully dissipated, the Central Martial Arts Arena was already bustling with people and surging with Spiritual Qi.

This giant martial arts arena, capable of holding a hundred thousand people, was currently divided into dozens of areas by the formations of the seven great Sects. A banner of a Sect team stood in each area.

The goshawk banner of the Yujian Sect flapped loudly. Disciples in azure-gold martial attire had swords hanging at their waists, the goshawk emblems on their sword tassels glinting coldly in the morning light. The spiritual power of the leading Disciple was as solid as an abyss at the Foundation Establishment Peak; even with intentional restraint, it caused the surrounding air to ripple with slight spiritual fluctuations. The Qingxuan Sect team held azure profound spirit pens, their robes flowing with pill patterns; several Elders were gathered, whispering in discussion, their eyes occasionally sweeping toward the Qingyun Sect. The Xuanyue Sect camp was the most eerie; Disciples were wrapped in black robes, surrounded by faint clouds of poison mist, and even the stone slabs beneath their feet showed faint blackish-brown signs of erosion.

Twenty teams gathered here, each carrying a Sect treasure—the Azure Profound Spirit Sword of the Yujian Sect, the Sect-protecting spirit pen of the Qingxuan Sect, and the Soul-Eroding Poison Banner of the Xuanyue Sect. The spiritual lights of these treasures intertwined, dyeing the sky above the arena into a kaleidoscope of colors. Even the city-protecting formation of Tianyan City trembled slightly under this majestic Aura.

At the third quarter of the Hour of the Dragon, a world-shaking roar suddenly erupted from the center of the arena. A hundred-zhang-wide black fissure tore through the Void Realm, with chaotic currents surging within. These currents were mixed with the primordial Aura of an ancient Secret Realm; that was the entrance to the Secret Realm of the Dao-Seeking Great Competition.

"First round: Sect Melee. Groups of ten teams will enter a small Secret Realm to seize Spiritual Vein stones. Those who succeed within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn will advance!" The Elder Judge's voice spread throughout the venue via an amplification formation. Immediately after, ten streaks of spiritual light enveloped the teams, which then plunged into the black fissure one after another.

The moment Lin Yue and his group stepped into the Secret Realm, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi suddenly became sluggish, as if an invisible giant hand had choked the flow of spiritual power.

The sky of the Secret Realm was a leaden gray that wouldn't clear, with clouds so low they seemed reachable. The ground was covered with jagged, strange rocks, their surfaces coated in a layer of dark brown moss. The patterns beneath the moss were actually remnants of ancient Restrictions; stepping on them sent a bone-chilling cold through the body.

In the center of the Secret Realm, a half-zhang-tall Spiritual Vein stone floated in mid-air. A pale blue spiritual light poured down like moonlight, coating the surrounding jagged rocks in a lustrous glow. The Spiritual Qi concentration around the Spiritual Vein stone far exceeded other areas of the Secret Realm, making it clearly the prize every team would fight for.

"Watch out!" Su Qingyuan's voice suddenly rang out. The crimson flame crystal on the shoulder guard of her Sword Intent Robe suddenly grew hot, and a sharp Killing Intent came from a pile of rocks to the left. Before her voice had even faded, the crimson flame skyfall sword at her waist unsheathed itself. Her Green Fire Sword Intent surged, and a zhang-long green-red sword wind, carrying the force of a world-burning fire, slashed fiercely toward the rocks.

Boom! The pile of rocks exploded. Amidst the flying debris, over a dozen figures charged out. Leading them were the Body Cultivators of Black Wind Mountain; they were bare-chested, their bronze muscles knotted like boulders, every inch of their skin glowing with powerful spiritual power. The Black Iron Hammers in their hands were forged from thousand-year dark iron, their heads carved with the patterns of the Vicious Beast Taotie. The gale generated by their swings actually distorted the surrounding air. On the other side, the Sword Cultivators of the Tianyue Sect were the complete opposite; they were thin but moved with eerie agility. The Cold Moon Swords in their hands glinted with a ghostly cold light, the Cold Moon patterns on the blades flickering as spiritual power flowed. The sword light was as cunning as a lurking venomous snake; as soon as they appeared, they spread out in a fan shape, forming a pincer attack with the Black Wind Mountain Body Cultivators, instantly trapping the five people from the Qingyun Sect in the center.

"The Black Wind Mountain Body Cultivators have powerful physical bodies that can tank Foundation Establishment Stage spells. The Tianyue Sect Sword Cultivators have cunning Sword Intent specifically for breaking spiritual power barriers. Block their first wave of attacks first!" Liu Qingyan's voice was steady. The pure spirit immortal flute in her hand instantly glowed with a crystalline white light. The flute's sound was clear and high, and countless crystalline spirit leaves surged from the flute, layering together to form a Spirit Leaf Shield. The surface of the shield pulsed with pure spirit qi, perfectly blocking the Black Iron Hammers of the Black Wind Mountain Body Cultivators.

Clang! The Black Iron Hammers and the Spirit Leaf Shield collided violently. Pure spirit qi and brute earth-attribute spiritual power exploded, the shockwave causing the surrounding jagged rocks to tremble. The Spirit Leaf Shield only shook slightly, neutralizing most of the force from the strike.