269: Chapter 269 Breaking the Formation!

Several days later, at the Liulian Hall headquarters.

Nangong Hai, with an irrepressible look of joy on his face, walked quickly into the Quiet Room where Lu Qiu was. He bowed and reported, "Master! The fish have taken the bait! All three Vice Island Masters have replied and agreed to the meeting! We have agreed to meet in secret one month from now at Black Reef Island, three thousand li away from Dengxing Island. From there, we will proceed together to the sea region where the 'Ancient Ruins' are located!"

Upon hearing this, a cold and certain curve finally curled slowly onto Lu Qiu's habitually calm and expressionless face, like a thin crack opening on a frozen lake, revealing a chilling glint.

Everything was exactly as anticipated.

The desires of the human heart are the most effective bait.

"Very good," Lu Qiu's voice betrayed little emotion.

"Proceed with the preparations according to plan. The sea charts, the precise location of the 'ruins', the 'risk' zones along the way, and the layout of that final 'Ancient Formation'... every link must be made to look extremely realistic. Especially that 'Ancient Formation'—I will personally set up the core. Your job is to ensure that while Long Yunzi feels both challenged and rewarded during the cracking process, he must not detect any traces of artificial arrangement. You must handle the nuances of this carefully."

"Your subordinate understands! I will certainly arrange it seamlessly, so that Long Yunzi will find the cracking process 'thoroughly satisfying' and never suspect a thing!" Nangong Hai said with full confidence, his eyes flashing with a mixture of excitement and cruelty.

He knew the most critical moment was fast approaching.

...

The one-month deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.

Black Reef Island, three thousand li outside Dengxing Island.

The island lived up to its name, composed entirely of a hard black reef rock. It was full of jagged, grotesque rocks and sparse vegetation; only some salt-tolerant shrubs and lichens remained, appearing desolate and lifeless under the constant erosion of the sea breeze.

The waves constantly crashed against the interlocking, jagged rocks of the shore, creating an eternal roar. Aside from that, only the occasional cry of a seabird pierced the sky.

On this day, just after noon, three streaks of light of different colors—all deliberately restrained—quietly arrived from the direction of Dengxing Island as if by appointment. They landed almost simultaneously on a relatively flat, massive black rock in the center of Black Reef Island.

The radiance faded, revealing three figures: Long Yunzi, Master Chihuo, and Fairy Bibo.

All three had changed into less conspicuous attire suitable for action.

Long Yunzi wore deep gray Daoist robes; Master Chihuo had swapped his usual crimson battle armor for a set of dark red martial attire; and Fairy Bibo wore a form-fitting, dark green long dress designed for mobility.

The three of them had condensed Auras and sharp gazes. Though they appeared calm, their Divine Sense had already swept through the small island and the surrounding sea several times like mercury spreading over the ground. Only after confirming there were no ambushes or other anomalies did they relax slightly.

"This place is quite secluded," Master Chihuo said in a muffled voice, his gaze sweeping over the desolate island.

"Nangong Hai hasn't arrived yet," Fairy Bibo said softly, her eyes fixed on the horizon where the sea met the sky.

Long Yunzi said nothing, merely standing with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly. In his mind, however, he once again mentally rehearsed the information from Nangong Hai's letter and the data he had privately consulted over the past month.

After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, an inconspicuous green streak of light flew rapidly toward Black Reef Island from the edge of the sky.

The newcomer also seemed to have deliberately restrained his Aura; his speed was not slow, yet he made little sound.

Soon, the streak of light landed before the three, revealing the figure of Nangong Hai.

He had also changed into a set of dark blue martial attire suitable for movement, his face wearing a perfectly measured expression of respect and an irrepressible hint of "excitement."

"Nangong Hai pays his respects to the three Vice Island Masters! I have kept the three Island Masters waiting; it is this Junior's fault!" Nangong Hai stepped forward and gave a deep bow to the three, keeping his posture extremely low.

"No need for such formality, Hall Master Nangong."

Long Yunzi raised a hand to signal him to rise. His gaze swept over Nangong Hai, confirming that he was indeed alone and that his cultivation showed no abnormalities. The last trace of doubt in his heart diminished slightly.

"Since everyone is here, let us depart. How much further is the journey to the site of the ruins?"

"Reporting to Vice Island Master Long, the sea region where the ruins are located is quite remote; it is still about half a month's journey from here. Along the way, we will pass through several areas marked on the sea chart where powerful Yao Beasts might appear or natural hazards exist, so we must be careful to avoid them. Please follow this Junior."

As Nangong Hai spoke, he took out a leather sea chart from his robes that looked quite old. He unfolded a corner and pointed to a winding route marked with special pigments.

Long Yunzi and the other two leaned in to look. The sea chart was ancient, the leather yellowed, and the ink marks and annotations appeared somewhat blurred. However, the trajectory of the lines and certain island markers were indeed quite different from modern sea charts, exuding an ancient Aura.

This made them believe in the authenticity of the ruins a bit more.

"Lead the way," Long Yunzi nodded.

The four said no more. Each took to their streaks of light and, under Nangong Hai's lead, turned into four flows of light of different colors, flying toward the desolate and remote northern deep sea, away from the prosperous areas of the Inner Star Sea.

Along the way, Nangong Hai strictly followed Lu Qiu's instructions, playing the role of a treasure hunter who was both excited about discovering the ruins and apprehensive about the road ahead, while simultaneously doing his best to curry favor with the three "strong experts."

At times he would point at the sea chart and recount how he had "accidentally" obtained it; at other times, when passing through certain sea regions, he would remind everyone of the "dangers" marked on the chart. Occasionally, he would "inadvertently" reveal what treasures he had prepared for this exploration, his words filled with dependence and gratitude for the "protection" and "guidance" of the three Vice Island Masters.

His performance was flawless. He was neither overly sycophantic to the point of being annoying, nor did he fail to show his high regard for this trip and his awe of the three. Gradually, he wore down the little remaining vigilance in their hearts.

Especially for Long Yunzi, whenever he occasionally asked about blurred ancient place names or marks related to Formations on the sea chart, Nangong Hai was always able to provide plausible yet ancient-sounding answers based on the materials Lu Qiu had provided beforehand. This made Long Yunzi feel even more that this lad had truly done his homework for this trip and was not faking it.

Traveling by day and resting by night, carefully avoiding the "danger zones" mentioned by Nangong Hai, they flew for about half a month.

On this day, the group arrived at a sea region where the color of the water was an ominous deep gray and the sky seemed lower and gloomier than elsewhere.

A faint, strange odor—like a mixture of rust and sea brine—permeated the air, and the Spiritual Qi felt thin and turbulent.

According to the final markings on the sea chart in Nangong Hai's hand, that "Ancient Cultivator Ruins" was located about a hundred li ahead, beneath an inconspicuous deserted island standing alone on the gray sea surface.

"That island ahead is the one."

Nangong Hai pointed to a black dot becoming increasingly clear on the distant horizon. His voice carried a hint of "finally arrived" excitement, mixed with a trace of "fear of the unknown."

"As shown on the chart, the entrance to the ruins is deep inside a cave hidden by a natural illusion Formation and simple Restrictions in the heart of the island. At the end of the cave lies that guardian Ancient Formation."

Long Yunzi and the others focused their gaze, their Divine Sense reaching out like invisible tentacles toward the deserted island.

The island was not large, covered entirely in grayish-white rocks that looked as if they had been eroded by acid rain. Only a few scattered clusters of hardy, dark-colored salt-tolerant plants dotted the landscape. Overall, it looked deathly still, without any Spiritual Qi fluctuations, no different from countless other deserted islands.

But it is often in such seemingly ordinary places that secrets are best hidden.

When their Divine Sense touched the surface of the island, they did indeed feel an extremely weak, unnatural sluggishness in the spiritual power, as if something were interfering with their probe. This was consistent with the concealment features often found on the outskirts of Ancient Ruins.

The four lowered their streaks of light and landed on a relatively flat grayish-white rocky beach at the edge of the deserted island.

The sea breeze wailed, kicking up fine sand and grit that slapped against the reefs with a rustling sound.

"The entrance is in the heart of the island, obscured by scattered rocks; we need to search carefully," Nangong Hai said, leading the way toward the area of jagged rocks in the center of the island.

Long Yunzi and the others followed closely behind, their Divine Sense constantly scanning their surroundings.

The interior of the island was equally desolate, the ground made of hard gray rock with some moss growing in the cracks.

Soon, in the center of a seemingly natural, haphazardly piled array of giant black stones, Long Yunzi keenly detected a trace of abnormal spatial fluctuation and extremely sophisticated traces of illusion techniques.

"It's here."

Long Yunzi stopped in his tracks, his gaze locked onto a gap in the shadows formed by several intersecting giant stones.

He waved his hand and struck out a probing incantation. The space there rippled slightly, and an extremely thin, nearly transparent light membrane—perfectly blended with the color of the surrounding rocks—emerged. Extremely ancient and simple runes flashed briefly upon it before the light membrane and the concealment Restriction quietly dissipated together, revealing a pitch-black entrance extending downward, just large enough for one person to pass through while stooping.

A breeze carrying the dust of ages and a cool chill slowly blew out from inside the cave.

"What a sophisticated natural illusion Formation combined with a simple Restriction! If one didn't know beforehand and wasn't proficient in this field, it would be extremely difficult to discover!" Long Yunzi's eyes shone with brilliance; he no longer had any doubts about the authenticity of the ruins.

Such concealment methods were definitely not something an ordinary Cultivator could set up.

"Vice Island Master Long truly has a Wisdom Eye!"

Nangong Hai offered a timely compliment, his face filled with "admiration" and "anticipation": "Last time, I only explored as far as this entrance before being deterred by the vast pressure of the ancient Formation inside. I didn't dare go in even an inch further."

"Hmm, let this old man have a look." Long Yunzi took the first step, stooping to enter the cave without hesitation.

Master Chihuo and Fairy Bibo exchanged a glance and followed close behind.

Nangong Hai walked last. Before entering, he looked back seemingly at random, his gaze quickly sweeping over the surroundings of the deserted island and the gray sea in the distance. Deep in his eyes, a cold smile flashed briefly before he too stepped into the darkness.

The cave was extremely narrow at first, allowing only one person to pass, and it slanted downward with a slippery path.

After walking no more than dozens of steps, the path ahead suddenly opened up, and a massive underground space appeared before everyone's eyes.

This cavern had clearly been artificially refined. It was irregularly circular, about three hundred zhang in diameter and dozens of zhang high, making it quite spacious.

The four walls were embedded with some 'Moonlight Stones' that had long since exhausted their spiritual power, leaving only faint glimmers that cast a hazy light over the cavern.

In the center of the cavern stood a massive Formation covering an area of fifty to sixty zhang! It was composed of eighty-one ancient stone pillars of varying heights, thirty-six jade steles carved with complex star charts and cloud patterns, and a dizzyingly complex array pattern outlined on the ground with some kind of dark gold metallic lines.

The Formation was not fully activated, remaining in a semi-dormant state. However, the ancient runic light faintly flowing on the stone pillars and jade steles, the obscure yet powerful sealing and spatial fluctuations emanating from the dark gold lines on the ground, and the ancient Dao charm exuded by the entire Formation—which felt as if it had endured for eternity—caused the four people who stepped into this place to catch their breath instantly!

The moment Long Yunzi saw this Formation, his eyes were like those of the most devout believer seeing a miracle, erupting with an indescribable, burning light!

He forgot the purpose of this trip, forgot the companions by his side, and even temporarily forgot any potential dangers. His entire mind was captivated by this infinitely profound 'Ancient Formation'!

He stepped forward quickly, as if on a pilgrimage, circling the edge of the Formation. He carefully and greedily observed the texture of every stone pillar, the star chart on every jade stele, and the trajectory of every metallic line.

"Wonderful! Truly wonderful! The flow of these Formation patterns... it secretly aligns with the principles of the rotation of the stars in the heavens! These jade stele star charts... they actually share seventy percent similarity with the long-lost 'Thirty-Six Heavenly Stem Demon Suppressing Chart'! And these gold lines on the ground... could this be a variant of the legendary 'Void Spiritual Patterns'?!" Long

Yunzi muttered to himself, his beard trembling slightly with excitement. "This Formation... this Formation definitely comes from the hand of an ancient Formation Great Grandmaster! Its grade far exceeds anything this old man has seen in his life! If I can comprehend even a fraction of it, my path in Formations will surely advance by leaps and bounds!"

Although Master Chihuo and Fairy Bibo were not proficient in Formations, they were also shocked by this magnificent and ancient-looking grand Formation.

Master Chihuo felt the sealing power faintly emanating from the Formation, which even made the true fire within his body throb slightly. He grinned and said, "This Formation looks impressive! There must be good stuff behind it!"

Fairy Bibo's beautiful eyes also shone with brilliance, and the last trace of doubt in her heart vanished.

Such a magnificent ancient Formation was definitely not something Nangong Hai, or even any Nascent Soul Cultivator of this era, could forge out of thin air!

This ruin had to be real!

She had already begun to calculate the treasures that might exist within the ruins.

Nangong Hai stood near the entrance, watching the three of them completely captivated by the Formation. He sneered in his heart, yet his face maintained an expression of respect and anticipation.

He knew that the real show was just beginning.

For the next entire month, Long Yunzi was completely immersed in the "pleasure" of cracking this "Nine Bends Spirit Sealing Formation."

At times he would calculate with his fingers; at other times, he would take out the Formation Plates and Formation Flags he carried with him to perform deductions and trials. Occasionally, he would strike out various experimental incantations to activate certain regional reactions of the Formation and observe the changes in its spiritual power flow.

He was fully focused, forgetting to eat and sleep. His face would shift between confusion, realization, and wild joy; he had completely entered a state of "Formation obsession."

Master Chihuo and Fairy Bibo were responsible for acting as Protectors, while also carefully exploring other parts of the cavern.

However, aside from this grand Formation and some scattered ordinary stalactites and stalagmites devoid of spiritual power, they found nothing else of value.

This instead made them more certain that all the secrets and Treasure Troves were hidden behind this guardian grand Formation.

Nangong Hai behaved very "sensibly" and "industriously."

He not only provided some blurred records and legends about this Formation from the "sea chart" but also took the initiative to handle chores such as clearing clogged spiritual power nodes on the Formation's periphery and cleaning up debris shaken loose during the exploration. He acted just like a dutiful Junior eager for the guidance of his Seniors.

Finally, on the thirty-first day, Long Yunzi struck the last meticulously refined "Void-Breaking Formation Flag" into an extremely well-hidden spiritual power node at the core of the Formation. Simultaneously, he struck seven distinct yet interlocking unsealing seals into the seven surrounding auxiliary nodes.

"Buzz... Rumble... Crack, crack, crack..."

The entire dormant "Nine Bends Spirit Sealing Formation" was suddenly startled awake, like a sleeping ancient behemoth!

The eighty-one stone pillars and thirty-six jade steles simultaneously erupted with a dazzling yet not blinding spiritual light. The dark gold lines on the ground flowed like mercury, emitting a low rumble that sounded like the pulse of the earth!

All the light and spiritual power, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, converged frantically toward a single point at the very center of the Formation!

Under the gazes of Long Yunzi's wild joy, Master Chihuo and Fairy Bibo's anticipation, and the cold light deep in Nangong Hai's eyes, the space at the center of the Formation began to violently twist and fold. Finally, a stable, oval light gate about two zhang high and one zhang wide—its edges shimmering with flowing light and its interior filled with a soft white light—slowly emerged!

The light gate rotated steadily, emitting a strange suction and spatial fluctuation, as if connecting to another world.

"It's done! The Formation is broken! The portal is open! Hahaha!" Long Yunzi couldn't help but laugh toward the sky. The fatigue of the past month seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by an unparalleled sense of accomplishment and endless longing for the world behind the gate.

"Senior Brother Long Yun's skills are truly divine!" Master Chihuo and Fairy Bibo also couldn't hide their excitement, praising him in unison.

They felt as if they could already see the mountain-like piles of ancient treasures, lost Cultivation Technique Jade Slips, and rare natural spiritual materials behind the gate beckoning to them.