216: Chapter 216 Qin Wuyan's Cage

Deep in Mang Mountain, at the bottom of a desolate valley.

Several Formation Flags inscribed with runes were driven deep into the earth, forcibly severing the underground river that had originally surged and roared.

Countless vines and branches spread wildly, forming an incredibly thick plant barrier, sealing the hundred-zhang valley into an impregnable prison.

"Moo—!"

A heaven-shaking beast roar, filled with endless sorrow and ferocity, exploded from the deepest part of the prison.

It was a giant beast with blue fur, over two zhang in length. It had nowhere to retreat, its back firmly pressed against the corner of the cliff.

This was the young Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox that the army of the Beast Taming Sect had been hunting so bitterly.

At this moment, its tough blue fur was covered in deep, bone-visible lacerations, and hot Yao Beast blood flowed down its single leg, staining the rock layer beneath its feet a dark red.

On the surrounding cliffs and in mid-air, hundreds of elite Disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, dressed in star robes and holding Magical Artifacts, formed the strictly disciplined Nine Stars Spirit Binding Array.

The azure Protective Aura of the Formation wove into an inescapable net, constantly shrinking and squeezing inward.

Every time the net pressed down, the young Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox would let out a wild roar, and its thick single leg would stomp heavily on the ground with the force of ten thousand jun.

"Boom!"

The earth shook violently, and the Spiritual Qi of the earth veins was forcibly mobilized by its innate Divine Ability.

Thick earth and stone barriers rose from the ground like shields, firmly resisting the star light net pressing down from above.

However, the young beast was, after all, young and severely injured; under the continuous crushing force of the Formation, the earth and stone barriers gradually crumbled into dust.

Above the Formation, Core Disciple Qin Wuyan stood in the air, his white robes as pristine as snow, stepping on a crystal-clear jade Flying Sword.

He looked down at the young Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox struggling like a trapped beast, a cruel smile appearing on his gentle, jade-like face.

"As expected of a rare species containing the Bloodline of an ancient Yao Beast. After being hunted for seven days and seven nights and losing so much blood, it can still trigger such pure earth vein tremors."

Core Disciple Qin Wuyan's tone was calm, as if he were critiquing an excellent collection piece he was about to acquire.

"With such tenacious bones, if brought back to the Sect and trained well for a hundred years, it will definitely become a guardian Spirit Beast for our Beast Taming Sect."

The several Inner Sect deacons who were leading the Formation looked weary.

One of them respectfully suggested, "Senior Brother Qin, this beast is stubborn. We are forcing the Nine Stars Spirit Binding Array, and the consumption of magic power is immense. Why not just kill it and take its Yao Beast core and main spirit-severing bone? That would also be a great achievement."

"Stupid."

Core Disciple Qin Wuyan's expression turned cold, and he scolded coldly, "A living guardian Divine Beast versus a pile of dead Materials—do I need to teach you which is more important? Immediately tighten the Formation and cut off its last connection to the earth veins. I will personally crush its consciousness!"

The deacons murmured their agreement, all biting their fingertips and forcing their essence blood into the Formation Flags.

The star light net suddenly shone brightly, and hundreds of azure chains emerged from the Void Realm, like poisonous snakes leaving their den, tightly wrapping around the young beast's thick single leg and body.

The young beast struggled violently, its single leg stomping the ground frantically.

But the earth-type Spiritual Qi in this world had been forcibly suppressed by the Formation, and it could no longer summon its impregnable earth and stone barriers.

The chains tightened, trapping its massive body in place, unable to move an inch.

Seeing that the time was right, Core Disciple Qin Wuyan tapped the Storage Pouch at his waist.

Golden light erupted, and a strangely shaped Magical Artifact, exuding a heart-palpitating pressure, floated before him.

It was an octagonal cage cast entirely from ten-thousand-year cold iron mixed with magic-suppressing meteorite sand, engraved with one hundred and eight crimson soul-suppressing runes, known as the Soul-Locking Cage.

This treasure was specifically designed to counter high-level Yao Beasts.

Once covered by it, the soul-suppressing power contained within would instantly sever the Yao Beast's intelligence and blood circulation, causing it to fall into a deep state of unconsciousness.

"Beast, accept your fate!"

Core Disciple Qin Wuyan formed seals with one hand, and vast true essence poured into the Soul-Locking Cage.

The octagonal cage expanded rapidly in the wind, turning into the size of a small mountain, and with the force of Mount Tai pressing down, it smashed towards the young Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox bound by the Formation chains.

One hundred and eight crimson runes detached from the cage, turning into rings of blood-colored light, pressing directly towards the young beast's Sea of Consciousness.

The young beast let out a shrill cry to the sky, its vertical pupils filled with unwillingness and despair.

Above the desolate valley, on a cliff a hundred zhang high.

Gu Shen, in a grey robe, pressed his body tightly against the thick trunk of an ancient pine.

His aura had been completely internalized, and the Cold Jade Bone emitted a faint chill beneath his skin, merging him completely with the surrounding ancient pine.

The Spiritual Qi agitation and heaven-shaking roars in the valley below were all seen by him.

His right hand was firmly gripped on the hilt of the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade, and the deep cyan poisonous evil true essence in his meridians was like a full dam, waiting for the moment to open the floodgates.

"Core Disciple Qin Wuyan's actions this time are truly watertight."

Gu Shen calmly analyzed the situation in his heart.

"Outside, there are hundreds of Disciples forming a Formation to block the retreat, and inside, there is the Soul-Locking Cage bestowed by a Golden Core Stage elder to suppress its consciousness. If an ordinary Cultivator dared to rashly break into such a kill zone, they would be shredded into slag by that star light net in an instant."

But he was no ordinary Cultivator.

No matter how tight a Cultivator's Formation was, it had to follow the laws of energy conservation and circulation.

As long as it was a Formation, there were nodes and troughs of spiritual power alternation.

"Master, the global physical construction map of the high-energy field below has been generated."

Crab's bone-conduction electronic voice broadcasted rapidly in Gu Shen's ears.

"The energy conduction of that blue light net constructed by hundreds of people is not absolutely uniform. When the target person in mid-air injects a large amount of magic power into that octagonal cage Magical Artifact, the Spiritual Qi extraction load in the core area of the Formation below will reach its peak."

Gu Shen narrowed his eyes slightly, and with the wave spectrum map provided by Crab, he saw the Formation veins below, which were difficult to distinguish with the naked eye, clearly.

"Continue the deduction." Gu Shen replied with his heart-voice.

"Calculation results show that when the octagonal cage descends to ten zhang above the ground, the energy supply of the twelve main Formation Flags around it will have a short lag period of 3.5 breaths. During this period, the spatial curvature within thirty zhang of the target person will be the weakest, and the physical defense will drop by 80%."

Crab provided the most fatal opportunity to break the Formation.

3.5 breaths.

In a battle between Cultivators, this was a long interval sufficient to decide life and death countless times.

Gu Shen slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as deep as an abyss.

Within his Dantian Qi Sea, the [Nirvana Star Core] began to accelerate its rotation.

That terrifying gravitational field unique to the extreme Foundation Establishment was compressed tightly within three feet of his body, without leaking a single bit.

In the valley below, Core Disciple Qin Wuyan's wild laughter echoed through the valley.

"Receive!"

With a sharp shout from Core Disciple Qin Wuyan, the mountain-sized Soul-Locking Cage accelerated, bringing with it a whistling gale, and smashed heavily towards the young Mountain-Quaking Kui Ox.

Fifty zhang.

Thirty zhang.

Twenty zhang.

"This is the moment."

The extreme true essence that had been suppressed for a long time, like a wild Dragon breaking free from its shackles, erupted from his entire body.