Bab 640: Chapter 640: Master Shenxiu
"Qianyou, it's done! We're safe!" Xianxian exclaimed excitedly.
"No, this isn't safety. This is merely a foothold," Gu Qianyou replied, frowning.
"Indeed, the ominous signs I sense are not over; they even seem to be intensifying," Old Drunkard said, his face filled with concern.
"Empress, what should we do next?" Mr. Corpse asked.
"We need to buy time until His Majesty arrives," Gu Qianyou said gravely.
"Can His Majesty get here? This feng shui formation confuses the mind. Without a feng shui master, it's impossible to navigate, not even by flying. How will His Majesty enter?" Old Drunkard asked worriedly.
"Rest assured, there is no formation in the world that can trap His Majesty. We just need to buy time," Gu Qianyou said firmly.
"Yes!" everyone responded.
Although Old Drunkard was still somewhat skeptical, he nodded in agreement.
"Mr. Corpse, can you still use your ability to manipulate skeletons?" Gu Qianyou asked.
"Yes!" Mr. Corpse replied directly.
"Good. Since you can, then summon as many skeletons as you can from the ground outside the city. The more, the better. I'll give you a diagram, and you'll arrange them into a 'Skeleton Feng Shui Defense Formation,'" Gu Qianyou said.
"Understood!" Mr. Corpse responded promptly.
Mr. Corpse flew to the city tower, taking out a bell. From his throat came eerie notes that made everyone's hair stand on end; the sound was too strange.
As Mr. Corpse began his incantations, the purple-haired man from the Ageless Realm noticed the unusual activity. He realized there was resistance within the formation.
"Interesting! So they understand feng shui as well!" the purple-haired man sneered.
He extended his hand, and a ball of pitch-black energy emerged from his palm, shooting into the thick white fog ahead.
Suddenly, the black energy transformed into countless bats. With blood-red eyes and a fierce cry, they flew into the depths of the formation. In addition to these bats, countless more emerged from all sides of the formation, swarming towards the small city where Gu Qianyou's group was. The bats flew in with eerie cries, casting an ominous presence.
On the city tower, Mr. Corpse was summoning an endless number of skeletons.
These skeletons were not from the Skeleton Clan, or rather, they were the most primitive form of the Skeleton Clan, entirely mindless, crawling out of the ground one by one.
The earth churned, and skeletal hands emerged, creating a horrifying sight. More and more skeletons appeared.
In no time, the area around the city tower was filled with countless skeletons, densely packed and exuding a chilling atmosphere.
Under Gu Qianyou's direction, the skeletons arranged themselves into a strange formation around the small city.
"Screech—"
A piercing sound echoed from afar, and suddenly, a powerful shockwave struck some of the outer skeletons.
"Crack—"
Dozens of skeletons were instantly shattered into dust.
"This is bad! So many bats!" Xianxian exclaimed.
"Mr. Corpse, quickly!" Gu Qianyou shouted.
"Yes!" Mr. Corpse responded immediately.
The skeletons moved quickly into formation. As the bats approached, the number of skeletons shattered by their cries increased. By the time a tenth of the skeletons had been destroyed, the formation was finally completed.
"Activate the formation—"
Gu Qianyou called out as she flipped her hand, summoning four ancient peach wood swords. She threw them into the air, and they immediately planted themselves at the four corners of the small city, sending waves of peach wood energy into the ground.
"Humm—"
Countless skeletons suddenly trembled, releasing thick black mists—death energy of the highest concentration.
As the death energy surged upwards, it enveloped the entire small city, blocking out the sky and repelling the swarming bats. The bats, unable to penetrate the barrier, were left fluttering helplessly outside.
Above the white mist feng shui formation, a massive region of black fog appeared. The endless bats that flew into the black fog instantly fell to the ground, rapidly decaying.
The purple-haired man's face turned ashen with rage.
"Someone, send half of you into the formation and follow my commands!" he barked at the Ageless Realm disciples behind him.
"Yes, sir!"
Thus began a stalemate in the feng shui battle.
Meanwhile, Zhong Shan moved at top speed, shadow-stepping through the markings left by Gu Qianyou. He frowned at the sight of the enormous foggy area ahead but didn't hesitate and phased into it.
No formation, however intricate, could hinder his shadow body.
In no time, Zhong Shan reached the small city.
"Intruder! There's an intruder!" Mr. Corpse suddenly shouted with a grim tone.
"What? An intruder?" Old Drunkard exclaimed.
"Too fast, it's too fast, he's here already!" Mr. Corpse's face was filled with terror.
"Protect the Empress!" Old Drunkard yelled.
"It's me!" Zhong Shan's voice cut through the panic.
Everyone froze upon hearing Zhong Shan's voice.
Zhong Shan phased into a room and opened the door, stepping out.
Old Drunkard's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Your Majesty, how did you get here?"
His eyes were wide with disbelief. How could it be? How did His Majesty suddenly appear in this room?
"Are you alright?" Gu Qianyou immediately rushed to support Zhong Shan.
"Zhong Shan, your face is so pale!" Xianxian exclaimed worriedly.
Zhong Shan nodded. "I'm heavily depleted. I need to rest immediately. Guard me while I recover!"
"But what about the outside?" Old Drunkard cried out in alarm.
They had waited so long for Zhong Shan to arrive, but now that he was here, he planned to go into seclusion. What about the feng shui formation?
"Qianyou, come inside with me! The rest of you, wait outside!" Zhong Shan commanded, leading Gu Qianyou into the best room.
"How are you feeling?" Gu Qianyou asked, her worry evident.
"Don't worry, I just need some rest to recover. My mental energy was greatly depleted earlier," Zhong Shan reassured her.
"Oh!" Gu Qianyou's expression softened.
"I've already consulted with the Clay Bodhisattva about this feng shui formation. He's working on a solution," Zhong Shan said.
"The Clay Bodhisattva has come up with something!" Zhong Shan added.
Evidently, the Clay Bodhisattva in the mortal realm had quickly found a solution.
"The Clay Bodhisattva asked me to check with you, have you mastered the 'Nine-Stage Binding Formation'?" Zhong Shan asked.
"I've learned it, but I'm not very proficient," Gu Qianyou replied.
"Even if you're not proficient, it doesn't matter. The Clay Bodhisattva suggested using this formation to entangle the opponent's feng shui formation, making it immobile. Though it will be tough for you, it should hold for four to five days. By then, I will have recovered, and no formation will be able to stop us," Zhong Shan said.
"Alright! Since the Clay Bodhisattva said it's possible, I'll set up the 'Nine-Stage Binding Formation' right away," Gu Qianyou nodded.
"During my recovery, unless it's a matter of life and death, no one should disturb me. Have Xianxian guard the area," Zhong Shan instructed.
"Understood!" Gu Qianyou nodded again and left the room. Zhong Shan immediately lay down and fell into a deep sleep.
With guidance from the Clay Bodhisattva, Gu Qianyou adjusted the formation. The initially small area of black qi suddenly expanded, spreading in all directions. In a short time, the once vast area of white fog was infiltrated by threads of black qi, resembling numerous veins stretching outwards.
On the mountain peak, the purple-haired man began to sweat more profusely.
"How can this be? The formation is no longer fully under my control! All of you, get inside the formation and follow my lead!" the purple-haired man commanded his disciples.
"Yes, sir!"
The remaining Ageless Realm disciples rushed into the formation, ready to follow the purple-haired man's orders.
"Senior Brother, what's going on? Why is everyone entering the formation?" Nian Youyou asked, puzzled.
"Something's wrong, something's very wrong!" the purple-haired man's expression grew increasingly grim.
"What is it?"
"Although I can still control the formation, it's becoming more and more difficult. The opponent's feng shui formation feels like a quagmire, ensnaring mine. I can't even dismantle my formation without risking backlash!" the purple-haired man said anxiously.
"So, you're trapped in this formation and can't extricate yourself?" Nian Youyou asked with a hint of amusement.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not deeply versed in feng shui techniques, so I didn't foresee this happening," the purple-haired man replied with a bitter smile.
"You didn't foresee this happening? Hmph, Senior Brother, the Realm Lord's plan could start at any moment. Don't mess it up and become the Ageless Realm's scapegoat," Nian Youyou warned with a cold smile.
Annoyed by Nian Youyou's sarcasm, the purple-haired man retorted, "You needn't worry about that. Although I can't deal with them immediately, their feng shui formation's power is dwindling. It won't be long before it's completely exhausted."
"Not long? I hope so," Nian Youyou replied dismissively, turning to leave.
In the distant south of the Floating Blood Sea, atop a mountain peak, Ye Qingcheng, who had originally left, reappeared.
Beside Ye Qingcheng stood a group from the Ageless Realm, mostly gathered at the foot of the mountain, with only a dozen people on the peak. Standing next to Ye Qingcheng was a man in a purple robe.
The man had no eyebrows and looked very robust, but his purple robe added an air of mystery.
"Master Shenxiu, the people from the great world and Nangong Sheng have already fought each other to a standstill. Should we begin?" Ye Qingcheng asked the purple-robed man.
Shenxiu, as per Old Tian's teachings, was a feng shui master from the 'God' branch among the five branches of feng shui—Heaven, Earth, Man, God, and Ghost.
"With the dragon trapped in the urn, the sixty-four positions have been secured. Even if they weren't weakened from fighting, we could trap them. Given the current situation, it's time. Since you're eager, let's begin," Shenxiu nodded.
"It's not impatience, but rather caution against unforeseen events. They are immortals, after all, and unexpected things can happen. Acting sooner is better than letting them escape back to the great world, which would be a significant loss," Ye Qingcheng explained.
"Agreed," Shenxiu nodded.
"Begin!" Ye Qingcheng ordered the disciples behind him.
"Yes, sir!" the disciples of the Ageless Realm responded in unison.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone