542: Chapter 542 Begins Setting Up the Formation, Before the Powerful Enemy Arrives

Xiao Nianyin stood in the hall, watching Xu Ruyu's back disappear at the doorway.

The Grand Elder walked to her side and whispered, "La—Lady Xu, what should we do?"

Xiao Nianyin's face flushed, a rare sight, and she turned her head to glance at him.

Her gaze was calm, and so was her voice: "Do not address me like that. He and I are not at that stage yet.

As for what you asked, as long as we guard the mountain gate and do not allow anyone to enter or leave, it will suffice.

If anyone dares to force their way in, just kill them."

After saying this, she also walked out.

The Grand Elder stood in the hall, shook his head as he watched her back, and gave a bitter smile.

The ancestral grounds of the Hehuan Sect covered a vast area; from the mountain gate to the back mountain, it was at least forty to fifty li in circumference.

Xu Ruyu walked in the front, Chen Ping followed half a step behind, and the others walked in a line.

They walked for a full hour, from the mountain gate to the main hall, from the main hall to the back mountain, from the back mountain to the herb garden in the east, and from the herb garden to the western martial arts arena.

Wherever Xu Ruyu went, he would squat down and draw a few lines on the ground with his finger.

After drawing, he would stand up and continue walking forward.

In his mind, the formation diagrams of the Taihu Clan's Forbidden Array and the Illusory Moon Well's illusion array were repeatedly overlapping and undergoing Fusion.

The Taihu Clan's Forbidden Array focused on defense; its Array Pattern were heavy, and its Qi flowed slowly but stably, like a city wall built of stone—sturdy and durable, but lacking flexibility.

The Illusory Moon Well's illusion array was something he had comprehended himself; it focused on illusions and trapping enemies. Its Array Pattern were agile, and its Qi flowed rapidly but was not stable enough, like a net woven from silk threads—it could trap enemies, but it was also easily torn apart with force.

He needed to find a balance point between these two completely different formations, allowing them to complement rather than cancel each other out.

He squatted down and drew a few strokes on the ground.

After thinking for a moment, he wiped it away with his sleeve and redrew it.

This time, he drew slowly, stroke by stroke, without haste or impatience.

After finishing, he stood up, looked at it for a long time, then squatted down again to add two more strokes.

Chen Ping stood to the side, not daring to even breathe loudly.

He saw that the lines Xu Ruyu drew were crooked and not as neat and pretty as those drawn by ordinary Formation Masters, but he knew these lines were not meant to look good; they were meant to be used.

Xu Ruyu finished the last stroke, straightened his waist, and patted the dust off his hands.

He turned around and said to Chen Ping, "Come here, I will tell you how to carve the Array Pattern."

Chen Ping hurriedly walked over and squatted down at the spot Xu Ruyu pointed to.

Xu Ruyu pointed at the lines on the ground and began to explain.

His voice was not loud, but it was clear, unhurried, and he used his finger to trace along the lines as he spoke.

"This is the first Array Pattern. Start here, wrap around the mountain gate, and return to the starting point.

When carving, apply force evenly, and keep the depth consistent.

It cannot be broken, and it cannot be crooked.

This Array Pattern is the main trunk of the formation; Qi flows through here and branches out to other branch lines.

If the depth is inconsistent, the Qi will not flow through, which is a waste of effort."

He pressed his finger on the stone surface: "There should be a node every three feet, and a Spirit Stone must be embedded at each node.

There cannot be too many nodes, or Spirit Stones will be wasted; there cannot be too few, or there will not be enough Qi.

Three feet apart is just right.

When embedding the Spirit Stone, it must be packed tightly; do not let the Spirit Stone wobble.

If it wobbles, Qi will leak, and no amount of Spirit Stones will be of any use."

Chen Ping nodded as he listened, his eyes fixed on the lines, like a primary school student copying a calligraphy book.

Xu Ruyu pointed to another line: "This is the second Array Pattern, extending from the mountain gate to the main hall, and then to the back mountain.

This Array Pattern is the core that connects the Taihu illusion array; it needs to be carved shallower, but it must not be broken.

There is a node every five feet. Do not embed Spirit Stones at the nodes, but activate them with Qi.

When activating, pay attention to the force applied; too light and there will be no reaction, too heavy and it will destroy the Array Pattern."

He paused and added, "The hardest part of this Array Pattern is not the carving, but the activation.

You all just focus on carving first; I will handle the activation."

Chen Ping nodded: "Understood."

After Xu Ruyu finished speaking, he stood up and patted Chen Ping's shoulder: "Do you understand now?"

Chen Ping stood up, thought for a moment, squatted down again to look at the lines for a few moments, then stood up and nodded: "Understood."

"Good." Xu Ruyu looked at the others, "Divide yourselves into three groups.

The first group will follow Chen Ping and be responsible for the first Array Pattern.

The second group will be responsible for the second Array Pattern.

The third group will follow me and be responsible for the third Array Pattern.

Each group should select a leader; if there are any issues, the leader should ask me."

The fifteen people quickly divided into groups.

The first group had six people and followed Chen Ping.

The second group had five people and chose a middle-aged female cultivator as their leader.

The third group had four people and followed Xu Ruyu.

No one fought over it, no one declined, and after dividing up, they each took their tools and left.

The work of setting up the formation officially began after lunch.

Chen Ping led the first group and began to carve the first Array Pattern along the mountain gate.

They squatted on the ground, using their fingers to concentrate Qi, and slowly traced it across the bluestone floor.

The Qi transformed into silver-white lines, deeply carved into the stone, emitting a faint hissing sound, like a snake moving through the grass.

The lines were thin but deep, and the carved grooves were neat and uniform.

Every time Chen Ping carved a foot, he would stop, use his finger to check the depth, carve again if it was not deep enough, or smooth it out with his finger if he went too far.

His movements were slow, but every step was steady.

The second group was responsible for the second Array Pattern, starting from the mountain gate and carving towards the main hall.

Their speed was faster than the first group because this Array Pattern did not need to be as deep, as long as it was not broken.

But speed did not mean they were not attentive; everyone was very serious, stepping back a few paces after carving each section to see if the lines were crooked.

The third group followed Xu Ruyu and was responsible for the third Array Pattern.

This Array Pattern was the most complex; it needed to wrap from the main hall to the back mountain, then back to the mountain gate, forming a closed loop.

Xu Ruyu walked in the front, drawing lines on the ground as he went.

Four people followed behind him, and as soon as he finished drawing a section, they would squat down to carve.

They also carved very seriously, but whenever they encountered an uncertain spot, they would stop to ask Xu Ruyu, and only continue after they had clarified it.