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Chapter 400: Killing with Formations
Chapter 400: Killing with Formations
Chapter 400: Killing with Formations
As the incident unfolded, the distinguished guests from the immortal sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten were still seated in the hall.
The moment Jiang Shenting unfurled the large sail, a storm suddenly erupted in the sky, and layers of whirlwinds instantly engulfed him!
His entire figure was completely obscured by the forces generated by this formation!
The sudden change shocked everyone.
The elders in the Ocean Tempest Hall were frozen in shock, unsure of how to react. Most remained motionless, while a few sprang up, ready to rush forward to rescue him. But before they could act, a thunderous shout echoed through the hall.
"Hongqiu!"
It was Huang Hanshan, the Lord of Thunderbolt Stronghold. As the only sect leader from the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten who had personally come to offer his congratulations, he was seated near the head of the hall, far from the door.
But when trouble arose, he was the first to rush toward the door. While shouting loudly, he made a seal, and three mighty figures, full of murderous qi, descended from the sky!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
One was the mount he had ridden in on the previous day—a bird with a deer’s head and scaly armor.
The second was a giant red ape, nearly ten zhang tall, with a mane of white hair, unleashing a deathly and fierce aura.
And the third was a massive nine-headed snake, each head glowing with scarlet vertical pupils, eerie and terrifying.
Feilian, Zhuyan[1], Xiangliu[2]!
Everyone present easily recognized these three as legendary vicious beasts. Despite their fearsome reputations, they all shared one commonality: each had been subdued by Huang Hanshan and had become his spirit beasts.
Didn't he summon them here a bit too quickly?
Did he really bring three vicious beasts along just to attend a banquet?
For a moment, everyone was astonished.
As these three beasts approached, the murderous qi they emitted grew so thick it seemed to pierce the very sky! Each of these creatures possessed the cultivation of the seventh realm; who would dare approach them easily?
At this moment, it could be said that Huang Hanshan alone had the power to challenge four Eminent Ones at the seventh realm!
A few elders loyal to Jiang Shenting immediately prepared to take action, but they were quickly blocked by Huang Hanshan's vicious beasts. Among these elders, only one had reached the seventh realm, while the remaining three or four were at the peak of the sixth realm.
To be honest, they still couldn’t match Huang Hanshan, even if they joined forces.
They could only angrily ask, “Lord Huang, what is the meaning of this?”
"Hongqiu is my niece; I can't stand by and watch her do something foolish!" Huang Hanshan’s voice boomed like thunder as he shouted outside the formation, "Hongqiu, even though your father was harmed by him, we don’t have evidence yet. Don’t be stubborn! If you stop now, I can ask the elders of the Whale Gang to spare you!”
In the Ocean Tempest Hall, there were more elders supporting Xu Bashan. When they saw that it was Xu Hongqiu who had made a move, they became hesitant.
As for the elders who maintained a neutral stance, they were surprised and uncertain about whom to support at that moment.
They knew that allowing the new chief to be killed in front of everyone would be disastrous, regardless of what truly happened. But taking action would mean confronting Huang Hanshan and his three vicious beasts.
Was it worth opposing Huang Hanshan for the sake of Jiang Shenting?
Huang Hanshan seemed to be persuading Xu Hongqiu, but his true intentions were highly questionable.
And the suspicion didn’t end there.
The inauguration ceremony had been meticulously arranged by Jiang Shenting's trusted aides, who must have checked everything thoroughly multiple times.
It would have been impossible to set up such a formation within a day, and only someone from within the Whale Gang could have had the opportunity to do so.
There were even fewer people who could have access to the chief's token.
Who could harbor such deep hatred for Jiang Shenting that they would plan to kill him at the inauguration ceremony, setting everything in motion days ago?
It had to be Xu Hongqiu.
The layers of formation patterns beneath Jiang Shenting’s feet rippled with increasing intensity. The talismanic scripts began to entwine his body like chains, binding him tightly and rendering him immobile.
This was the Grand Primal Origin Immortal-Binding Formation, composed of three hundred and sixty layers of intricate formations!
In the entire world, there were fewer than ten people capable of setting up such a formation. And only one person could have done so with such secrecy and skill.
That person could only be Formation Sage Dong Futu!
He was the honored ally of High Heavens Pavilion, the foremost formation specialist of his time. A man of such stature that even when entering the palace to see the emperor, he did not need to bow.
And he also happened to be Xu Hongqiu’s esteemed teacher.
Xu Bashan had been on good terms with Dong Futu, and sent Xu Hongqiu to study formation techniques under him when she was young.
And today, Dong Futu sat among the guests, dressed in wide robes with large sleeves. He was of short stature, with a black face and a neatly trimmed mustache. Despite the chaos unfolding around him, he sipped his wine calmly, his expression untroubled and composed.
Amidst the upheaval, the members of the immortal sects adhered to their principle of staying out of others’ internal affairs, choosing to remain as mere observers. It was reminiscent of when Lu Chengchou acted under the pretext of being a descendant of the Lu Clan, resulting in that incident being considered an internal conflict within the Mount Shu Sect.
During that time, the cultivators from the immortal sects who had come to witness the ceremony watched passively. They remained neutral until the Dark King Sect from the diabolical sects made a move, and only then did the righteous forces feel compelled to rise up and attack.
It was an unwritten rule in the realm of immortal cultivation that outsiders did not intervene in internal sect conflicts.
Thus, Huang Hanshan’s sudden intervention seemed all the more abrupt.
In contrast, Dong Futu's behavior did not seem out of place at all.
However, some sharp-eyed individuals began to recognize the intricate design of the formation and couldn’t help but glance toward Dong Futu.
"Master Dong, this formation..." someone quietly inquired.
"Hmm?" Dong Futu looked over, then nodded approvingly. "To think she even mastered this—Hongqiu’s talent in formation techniques is truly impressive."
"..." The others were speechless.
Who could possibly believe that Xu Hongqiu had set up this formation herself? Not even a ghost would buy that story!
...
Within the Grand Primal Origin Immortal-Binding Formation...
The woman who charged out was dressed in red. Her skin was white as snow and her beauty rivaled that of peach blossoms. She wielded a crimson and gilded saber with both hands, exuding an imposing presence and a murderous aura!
It was none other than Xu Hongqiu, the Young Lady of the Whale Gang.
Even though she was at the peak of the fourth realm, she dared to attempt to kill Jiang Shenting, someone who had recently entered into the seventh realm.
By doing so, she was not trying to seek death.
She had unwavering faith in the Grand Primal Origin Immortal-Binding Formation, which her esteemed teacher had spent forty-nine days setting up.
Jiang Shenting looked at Xu Hongqiu, who was charging at him with the saber, and groaned, "Hongqiu! What are you doing? Your father's matter has nothing to do with me!"
He had expected that Xu Hongqiu might take some action, but he never expected her to attempt an assassination so boldly, right in front of everyone.
What a ruthless woman.
"You can deceive others, but not me," Xu Hongqiu shouted as she flew toward him, her voice filled with determination. "My father always said that while you appear upright, your heart is insidious. If something ever happened to him, it would certainly be your doing, Jiang Shenting!"
As she spoke, she closed the distance, her saber already poised to strike.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—
Jiang Shenting summoned all his cultivation power, and several blood-colored dragons emerged around him, writhing and roaring as he attempted to break through the bindings of thousands of Celestial Talismans of Primal Origin. But no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free.
He had achieved a breakthrough and stepped into the seventh realm, which qualified him to compete for the position of chief. Given his age, he was already considered one of the top talents. The fact that he had managed to reach the seventh realm despite spending the last decade managing the Eastern Whale Division, with limited time for cultivation, further demonstrated his exceptional talent.
But no matter how talented he was, he was still just a newly advanced, unstable seventh-realm cultivator.
And Dong Futu, being the Formation Sage of this era, could set up formations capable of killing even the Eminent Ones!
Pierce—
Xu Hongqiu’s saber pierced into Jiang Shenting’s body.
With the enhancement effect of the formation, her vitality, qi, and spirit had been elevated to a peak.
Jiang Shenting could hardly move. His cultivation power was suppressed and his access to the Great Dao had been cut off.
It was as if he had already been pinned down and all Xu Hongqiu needed to do was deliver the fatal blow. Yet, this task was far from easy.
Xu Hongqiu’s saber blade had only penetrated less than half an cun[3] before Jiang Shenting's powerful physique stopped the penetration The skin, flesh, and bones of a seventh-realm cultivator far exceeded those of ordinary people and could not be easily pierced.
It could be said that even if an Eminent One lay unconscious on the ground, it would still be difficult for a fourth-realm cultivator to kill him.
But Xu Hongqiu was well-prepared. She gripped the saber with her left hand and formed a hand seal with her right, pressing it two chi down the blade.
Whoosh!
The crimson-gold saber suddenly radiated an unusual brilliance, with raised patterns lighting up and rotating, filling the air with a sharp, murderous tension.
It was another formation technique!
Jiang Shenting's eyes narrowed.
The formation engraved on Xu Hongqiu's saber was undoubtedly the handiwork of Dong Futu. As it activated, the saber's power surged, carrying an aura of unstoppable force.
Jiang Shenting barely had time to twist his body, shifting the point where the saber would strike.
Sssht—
The blade slid into his scapula, and blood spurted out.
A divine light flashed in Jiang Shenting’s eyes, and the drops of blood that splattered out suddenly flickered and then shot towards Xu Hongqiu!
Boom—
Xu Hongqiu was struck by the blood droplets and was thrown back four or five zhang before crashing to the ground, spitting out blood.
Although Jiang Shenting’s cultivation power was intensely suppressed by the Grand Primal Origin Immortal-Binding Formation, the spiritual energy contained in his blood was still formidable. Just a few drops were enough to seriously injure Xu Hongqiu.
This was the insurmountable gap between their realms.
Today, Jiang Shenting's encounter with this formation could be seen as a fight between him and the formation-setting Eminent One, Dong Futu. Though Jiang Shenting was currently at a disadvantage, Xu Hongqiu was merely a pawn in this grand game. It would be exceedingly difficult for her to kill him with her own hands.
But she did not give up. She flipped back onto her feet, leaving the saber embedded in Jiang Shenting's shoulder. The light of a formation glowed beneath her feet, and in a blink, she was back in front of Jiang Shenting.
It wasn't that her speed increased—it seemed that time around her had slowed down?
The formation under her feet altered the flow of time. She gripped the saber’s hilt without pulling it out, gritting her teeth as she slashed horizontally.
She seemed intent on slicing through her enemy’s shoulder and decapitating him!
...
It all happened in a flash before anyone could react. From the sudden appearance of the formation to Xu Hongqiu thrusting out her saber, it all took place in just one or two breaths.
The Whale Gang elders in the hall quickly responded, rushing forward to encircle the scene.
If the chief were really assassinated on the day of his inauguration, how could the Whale Gang retain any honor?
An elder in the crowd shouted loudly, "Lord Huang, if you continue to block the way, it will be equivalent to declaring war on the Whale Gang!"
After all, this was an internal affair of the Whale Gang, and Huang Hanshan, no matter how shameless and stubborn he was, could not continue blocking their way as he represented the Thunderbolt Stronghold.
"Hmph, I'm clearly helping out," Huang Hanshan said as he slowly backed off. "But good intentions are not appreciated."
His remark made others silently criticize him. He was indeed helping, but who he was helping was far from clear.
But due to their status, elders like him and Dong Futu could only assist to a certain extent; the actual action had to be taken by Xu Hongqiu herself.
However, just as Huang Hanshan cleared the way, another sudden change occurred.
A loud laugh echoed from mid-air, and a man with red hair and a beard suddenly descended from the sky, landing on horseback. He waved his hand, unleashing a cloud of blood fog!
Boom—
The blood fog exploded like thunder, spreading to every corner of the hall.
Immediately, the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten, along with the Whale Gang elders, were engulfed in the fog! All they could see was an illusion as relentless and fierce as an Asura.
Jiang Yuebai, who had been sitting quietly to the side, suddenly frowned as she sensed this aura.
"Shaman god's blood essence?"
Indeed, the aura in the blood fog was unmistakable—it was exactly the same as the shaman god's blood essence she and Chu Liang had encountered in the abandoned Shen Family Residence!
1. Another mythical creature. Check TL Note. ?
2. Not your typical nine-headed snake. Another mythical creature. Check TL Note. ?
3. This is 3.03cm. ?