The battle of formations, setting up positions in the void

Old Man Gui Zhen's hoarse voice echoed in the hall like the cry of a night owl, instantly drawing all attention to Nightmare.

Among the demonic Cultivators of the Northern Region, relatively few delve into the Dao of Formations, focusing more on their own cultivation and offensive Divine Abilities. However, no one dares to underestimate the power of Formations. A powerful Formation Master can often challenge those of a higher Realm and even trap and kill strong enemies with Formations. Old Man Gui Zhen is a prime example of such a talent.

His sudden challenge, directly asking Nightmare about taking control of the Nine Heavens Star Locking Grand Array, clearly showed he didn't believe the rumors, or more precisely, he didn't believe such a young Cultivator could have such high attainments in Formations. He suspected there was a trick, perhaps involving some exotic treasure.

Everyone looked at Nightmare, wondering how he would respond. If he admitted to being proficient in Formations, he would likely be challenged and embarrassed by Old Man Gui Zhen. If he denied or evaded, he would be criticized for being timid.

Ice Soul Fairy sat in the main seat, her eyes downcast, gently swirling the ice jade wine cup in her hand. She seemed indifferent to the confrontation below, but in reality, everything was under her control.

Nightmare put down his wine cup, calmly looked at Old Man Gui Zhen, and indifferently said, "I know a little, but I wouldn't call myself proficient. The Sky Patrol Alliance's Formations are crude and full of flaws; they can be broken with a flick of the hand, which is no great skill."

His tone was calm, as if speaking of a trivial matter, but its content was utterly arrogant!

The Sky Patrol Alliance was founded on Formations and is renowned throughout the world. Its protective grand Formation, the Nine Heavens Star Locking Grand Array, is even more famous. Although it's a simplified version, it's by no means ordinary. Yet, in Nightmare's mouth, it became "crude," "full of flaws," and "breakable with a flick of the hand"?

This kid is too arrogant!

Immediately, a few sneers sounded in the hall, and many demonic Cultivators showed mocking expressions, believing Nightmare was boasting.

A trace of anger flashed in Old Man Gui Zhen's cloudy eyes. He had dedicated his life to the Dao of Formations and hated nothing more than people belittling Formations. His withered fingers gently tapped the ice jade table, making a 'thump-thump' sound, and he sneered, "Oh? Young man, your tone is quite bold. Since the Palace Master is so confident, this old man is itching to ask the Palace Master for some pointers on Formation Dao's unique skills. I wonder if the Palace Master is willing to teach?"

The true intention was revealed; he directly issued a challenge!

Everyone's eyes lit up, full of anticipation. Old Man Gui Zhen's attainments in Formations were unfathomable; to witness him in action would undoubtedly be an eye-opening Opportunity. As for this arrogant Nightmare Palace Master, whether he was a mule or a horse, they would know once he was paraded out!

Blood Butcher grinned, revealing a cruel smile, seemingly eager to see Nightmare make a fool of himself. Most of the other Deity Transformation Cultivators also wore expressions of watching a good show.

Nightmare looked at Old Man Gui Zhen, the corner of his mouth curving into an almost imperceptible arc: "How do you wish to spar?"

A sharp glint flashed in Old Man Gui Zhen's eyes: "Simple! You and I will set up Formations in this hall, in the Void Realm, without external objects, engaging in a battle of Divine Thought Formation patterns. Whoever's Formation is broken first by the other will lose, how about it?"

Setting up Formations in the Void Realm and clashing with Divine Thought! This was an extremely high-level and dangerous competition between Formation Masters. Once a Formation was broken, the Divine Sense would inevitably suffer backlash; at best, dizziness, at worst, damage to the Divine Soul!

"Okay." Nightmare agreed without any hesitation.

"Good!" Old Man Gui Zhen let out a low shout, no longer wasting words, and clapped his withered hands together sharply in front of him!

Buzz!

An invisible yet vast wave of Divine Thought instantly spread out! In the Void Realm before him, countless profound runes, condensed from pure Divine Thought, appeared out of thin air, rapidly intertwining and connecting, forming a complex Formation diagram covering several zhang in an instant!

As soon as the Formation diagram was complete, it immediately emitted strange black light. Within it, countless vengeful spirits seemed to be howling and struggling, emitting mind-disturbing demonic sounds, and a powerful suction force emanated, attempting to devour the Divine Soul of anyone caught within the Formation!

"It's Old Gui's 'Myriad Soul Devouring Divine Formation'!" A knowledgeable demonic Cultivator exclaimed in a low voice, a look of apprehension on his face. This Formation specialized in attacking the Divine Soul, being insidious and extremely difficult to guard against.

Old Man Gui Zhen's face showed a hint of smugness. This Formation was his proud creation, with which he had once severely injured the Divine Soul of Cultivators of the same Realm.

However, facing this fierce Formation, Nightmare's eyes remained calm, even carrying a hint of... boredom?

He simply raised his right hand, his index finger pointing into the air.

His movement was light and effortless, without any flourish.

But at the moment his fingertip pointed out, the power of the rule fragment silently flowed!

At the core of the newly formed "Myriad Soul Devouring Divine Formation," which was emanating a malevolent Qi, the spatial structure suddenly underwent an extremely subtle yet fatal distortion! A Formation node that should have been perfectly connected suddenly misaligned!

It was like a tiny grain of sand being dropped into a high-speed, precision instrument.

Clack... crack... A subtle, teeth-grinding sound, as if energy was breaking, echoed.

The smug expression on Old Man Gui Zhen's face instantly froze, replaced by immense horror!

Before his disbelieving eyes, his proud creation, the "Myriad Soul Devouring Divine Formation," before it could even fully unleash its power, its core Divine Thought runes suddenly collapsed and broke on their own! Immediately after, the collapse spread like a chain reaction throughout the entire Formation!

Pfft!

The backlash of the Formation struck fiercely, and Old Man Gui Zhen grunted, as if hit by a heavy blow. His face instantly turned pale, and his body swayed, almost falling from his meditation mat. Clearly, his Divine Sense had suffered no small injury!

And that fierce Formation, like a pricked bubble before him, flickered a few times before completely dissipating into nothingness.

From Old Man Gui Zhen setting up the Formation, to Nightmare making his move, and then to the Formation's collapse, the entire process took but a blink of an eye!

Many Cultivators with lower cultivation levels didn't even see what happened, only seeing Old Gui set up a grand Formation, and then... the Formation shattered by itself? And Old Gui seemed to be injured?

Inside the grand hall, there was dead silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

Those demonic Cultivators who had initially worn mocking expressions now had their mouths wide open, their eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.

What happened? Old Man Gui Zhen's Formation... how did it break? What did that Nightmare do? He seemed to have just... pointed casually?

Blood Butcher's ferocious grin solidified, his eyes becoming uncertain and surprised.

Even Ice Soul Fairy, in the seat of honor, paused slightly in her hand as she swirled her wine cup, a trace of deep astonishment flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Old Man Gui Zhen finally managed to stabilize his churning Qi and blood, raised his head, and stared intently at Nightmare, his voice becoming even hoarser from shock, anger, and disbelief: "You... what did you do?! What demonic art did you use?!"

He simply couldn't comprehend it! The other party didn't break the Formation normally! He didn't search for the Formation's core, didn't deduce the life gate, and didn't even use much Divine Thought power! It was as if... as if a casual flick of a finger had landed on the most fatal, most impossible-to-discover weak point of his Formation, triggering the collapse of the entire Formation!

This completely subverted his understanding of the Dao of Formations!

Nightmare slowly withdrew his finger, his tone still calm: "As I said, your Formation is full of flaws."

He used the rule fragment to directly see through the essence of the opponent's Formation structure and energy flow, finding the most subtle, even imperceptible, disharmony that even the Formation setter himself might not have noticed, and then, with the smallest amount of force, triggered the most complete collapse.

This was no longer a competition at the Formation Dao level, but a dimension-reducing strike.

Old Man Gui Zhen's face alternated between green and white, his chest heaving violently. Another mouthful of stagnant blood welled up in his throat, but he swallowed it down forcefully. He knew he had lost, completely and inexplicably! The other party's attainments in the Dao of Formations had reached a Realm he could not comprehend!

To continue arguing would only bring further humiliation.

He stared fixedly at Nightmare, as if to engrave his image in his heart, then finally lowered his head dejectedly, saying no more, his entire being seeming to have aged several years.

The atmosphere in the grand hall became even more eerie and oppressive.

Nightmare picked up his wine cup again, as if he had just casually shooed away a buzzing fly.

After this scene, no one dared to doubt the authenticity of his control over the Nine Heavens Star Locking Grand Array, nor did anyone dare to provoke him easily.

Ice Soul Fairy gave Nightmare a deep look, then suddenly clapped her hands gently, breaking the silence: "Wonderful! Truly wonderful! I didn't expect Palace Master Nightmare to not only possess extraordinary Divine Abilities but also such astonishing attainments in the Dao of Formations. You have truly opened This Sovereign's eyes."

Her words of praise seemed much more sincere.

"Today's Dharma Assembly has truly been full of surprises." She changed the topic, her gaze sweeping over everyone, "Simply discussing the Dao and drinking wine can be a bit dull. Coincidentally, This Sovereign recently acquired a small trinket that might add some excitement."

She gently waved her jade hand, and an ancient, slightly damaged bronze mirror-like object floated in the center of the hall.

The bronze mirror appeared ordinary, yet it exuded an extremely ancient and vicissitudes (cāngsāng) aura. Light shimmered on its surface, vaguely reflecting some blurry, rapidly flashing fragments of images, seemingly connected to a distant place.

"This mirror was obtained by This Sovereign by chance. It seems to vaguely reflect scenes from certain areas deep within the Nirvana Cold Abyss, but it's inconsistent and hard to control," Ice Soul Fairy said casually. "Perhaps we can see something interesting from it, or perhaps nothing at all. Let's just try our luck."

Everyone's gaze was immediately drawn to the ancient mirror.

And the moment Nightmare saw the ancient mirror, his pupils slightly contracted!

The rule fragment once again transmitted a clear sensation!

This damaged ancient mirror was definitely not simple! What it reflected was probably the place full of extreme cold Evil Qi that Ice Soul Fairy had mentioned before!

And almost simultaneously, through the blurry, flashing image fragments in the ancient mirror, he saw a familiar verdant glow flash and disappear deep within that extremely cold place!

That light... was extremely similar to his damaged map of star palace and the sensation he received from the star source core!

Could it be that place not only contained the extreme cold Evil Qi related to his Nirvana Star Evil but was also connected to the Star Palace?!

Was Ice Soul Fairy's action a deliberate lure? Or was it truly a coincidence?

Countless thoughts flashed through Nightmare's mind instantly.

And at this moment, the light on the ancient mirror's surface suddenly stabilized, and a relatively clear image appeared:

It was a deep cave covered in extreme ice. In the center of the cave, a peculiar lotus flower, entirely sculpted from ice crystals and emitting a seven-colored halo, was growing! Around the lotus, an extremely pure, extreme cold Evil Qi permeated, and dots of starlight shimmered!

"seven-colored ice soul lotus!" A knowledgeable old devil exclaimed in surprise, "It's actually such a legendary sacred item! It can not only greatly enhance cultivation but also nourish the Divine Soul, temper the Physical Body, and has incredible uses for comprehending the Law of extreme cold!"

No sooner had the exclamation faded than the scene in the mirror changed again. Next to the ice lotus, a section of the ice wall, due to a change in angle, vaguely revealed the entrance to a passage blocked by ice, seemingly artificially excavated. The edge of the entrance was embedded with several ancient runes, extremely similar in style to those of the Star Palace!

Although it was just a fleeting glimpse, Nightmare clearly captured it!

Star Palace Ruins! That place was indeed related to the Star Palace!

The atmosphere in the entire hall instantly became fervent! Countless greedy gazes were fixed on the ancient mirror!

Ice Soul Fairy seemed to have just discovered it herself, showing a perfectly timed

Her words were like igniting the last fire.

In an instant, Nightmare could clearly feel at least ten powerful Divine Senses once again locking onto him! They were filled with undisguised greed, killing intent, and determination to obtain it!

Blood Butcher's breathing grew heavy, Old Man Gui Zhen raised his head, his eyes flashing with calculation, and several other previously silent Deity Transformation Cultivators also bared their fangs.

Ice Soul Fairy's move was an overt scheme!

She brazenly displayed that heaven-shaking Opportunity to everyone, and even pointed out its compatibility with Nightmare's Dao and the dangers within!

Thus, whether Nightmare went or not, he would become the target of all!

If he went, he would face the dangers of the Nirvana Cold Abyss itself and these greedy coveters, allowing her to reap the benefits.

If he didn't go, he would appear cowardly, his Dao Heart would be hindered, and it would also make others think he might be undeserving of his reputation, leading to continuous trouble.

What a Ice Soul Fairy! What a Nirvana Cold Abyss!

Nightmare sneered inwardly, but his face remained calm.

He slowly stood up.

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

He merely nodded slightly towards Ice Soul Fairy, his tone calm and unruffled:

"Thank you, Sect Master, for the guidance. This ice lotus, and whatever else is there, This Sovereign... wants it."

After speaking, without waiting for anyone to react, his figure flickered, and he vanished from the grand hall like a phantom, directly fleeing towards the bottomless Nirvana Cold Abyss outside the Cold Abyss Palace!

He actually chose to delve into the dangerous place without hesitation!

The grand hall was first silent, then instantly erupted!

"Arrogant!"

"Chase!"

"We absolutely cannot let him get there first!"

Blood Butcher was the first to roar and rush out! Old Man Gui Zhen and three or four other Deity Transformation Cultivators also transformed into streaks of light and pursued almost simultaneously! Even some Nascent Soul Perfection Cultivators, confident in their profound cultivation, couldn't suppress their greed and gritted their teeth to follow!

A struggle over the seven-colored ice soul lotus and the Star Palace Ruins instantly erupted by the side of this Nirvana Cold Abyss!

Ice Soul Fairy looked at the now much emptier hall, and a cold, triumphant smile finally curved her lips.

She gently raised her wine cup and drained it.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. Nightmare... I hope you don't disappoint This Sovereign."