Chapter 184: Breaking the Formation with a Formation
Xuan Yuan Po was still weak at this moment, even feebler than when he washed dishes in the capital, but he remained alive.
Moreover, his body now brimmed with an immensely vast true essence and an incredibly terrifying sacred aura.
All of this came from that finger of Infinite Green.
Given enough time, he could fully absorb that true essence and comprehend the heavenly principles and laws represented by the sacred aura.
Then he would become a true powerhouse.
In a sense, the opportunity Xuan Yuan Po had obtained this time was truly rare, even across the entire history of the cultivation world.
But he wasn’t elated by it; instead, he felt somewhat downcast.
“The other day, the senior taught me some very important things, but I couldn’t fully grasp them, and in the end, I still lost.”
Xuan Yuan Po lowered his head and said, “Am I really useless?”
“Losing to a figure like the Demon Lord isn’t shameful, and you successfully forced them to bring their under-the-table dealings into the open—that’s very important.”
Chen Changsheng said, “As for what the senior taught you, you’ll have plenty of time to learn it later. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me directly.”
Xuan Yuan Po was puzzled and said, “Ask you?”
Chen Changsheng replied, “Before the senior departed, he passed a set of fist techniques to me, specifying that they were for you.”
Xuan Yuan Po felt a pang of sorrow, staring at the slightly raised ground in the courtyard for a long time, then said, “I’ll study them well.”
Chen Changsheng said, “The senior’s legacy and his wife’s are now with you. When you have the chance in the future, you should go to the Longevity Pavilion and take a look.”
Xuan Yuan Po said, “I’ll go as soon as possible.”
Chen Changsheng stood up and raised his right hand.
Xuan Yuan Po bent his head.
Chen Changsheng patted him on the shoulder, turned, and walked out of the small courtyard.
He didn’t return to the Western Wilderness Grand Dao Hall to rest but went straight to the Imperial City. After exchanging a few somber words with Luo Luo, he entered that great and secret passage.
Stepping out of the passage, that snow-capped mountain once again crashed into his view, but now the night was deep and dawn hadn’t yet arrived. The towering mountain shadow obscured half the starry sky, giving it a feeling of falling stars.
Arriving at the black cliff on the opposite shore of the lake, Jin Yulu greeted him and asked, “What happened?”
This place was far from White Emperor City, yet they had still sensed the commotion from the morning.
Chen Changsheng told them.
The area beneath the black cliff fell into utter silence.
Xiao De’s gaze toward Chen Changsheng grew complicated.
Two human sacred realm powerhouses had died in White Emperor City, which would inevitably have a massive impact on their relationship with the demon race.
Xiao De didn’t know what stance Chen Changsheng would take in the ensuing turmoil, and he felt a mix of vigilance and unease.
Faint traces of fatigue could be seen in Chen Changsheng’s brows and eyes, but no anger, let alone malice, as if the matter hadn’t affected him at all.
He asked, “Any progress?”
Jin Yulu shook his head and said, “Even your sword couldn’t cut through it; we have no way.”
Xiao De suddenly spoke up, “I’ve thought of a way to break the formation, but I don’t know if it’s possible.”
Chen Changsheng and Jin Yulu looked at him.
As the true expert ranked second on the Carefree List and the strongest of the demon race’s middle generation, Xiao De’s knowledge was naturally vast.
Since he had thought of a method to break the formation, it must be highly plausible, so Chen Changsheng and Jin Yulu listened with great focus and seriousness.
“The star stones are the formation’s pivot; this restriction is a complete formation. Since it’s a formation, it’s hard to suppress with brute force—why not break it with a formation?”
Xiao De’s expression was calm, and no one could tell he was nervous.
Up to now, he still didn’t know who had written that note, or whether that person harbored malice or goodwill.
After hearing this, Jin Yulu pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, “Breaking a formation with a formation sounds reasonable, but formations are usually defensive in nature, lacking sharpness.”
Chen Changsheng was also considering Xiao De’s suggestion. Although he knew some sword formations, they were far inferior to this restriction formation that imprisoned the White Emperor.
Just then, he suddenly heard a very familiar term.
Xiao De said, “What if it’s a sword formation?”
Hearing this, Jin Yulu was stunned. The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and he said excitedly, “That’s right, the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation!”
He turned to Chen Changsheng and said, “This matter will trouble you, then.”
Xiao De also looked at Chen Changsheng.
The entire continent knew about the relationship between Chen Changsheng and Saintess Xu Yourong, so it should be easy for him to invite the disciples of Nanxi Zhai here.
“No need for such trouble.”
Chen Changsheng’s sleeve stirred slightly, and hundreds of swords flowed out of their sheaths like a stream, whistling as they soared into the air, each taking a position, hovering silently in the night sky.
Seeing this scene, Jin Yulu and Xiao De’s expressions changed.
They hadn’t attended the Heavenly Selection Ceremony and hadn’t seen the battle between Chen Changsheng and the Demon Lord, so this was their first time witnessing such a sight.
These swords weren’t exactly the same as the legendary sword technique, nor were they like the swords Xiao De had seen that year in the Northern Military Command Alley. Just by looking at this scene of wind-and-rain swords, it was hard to guess the name of the technique, but connecting it to the earlier conversation, a conjecture naturally surfaced in their minds.
Xiao De’s voice was a bit hoarse as he asked, “Is this… the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation?”
Chen Changsheng hummed in affirmation.
Jin Yulu shook his head with emotion, feeling both gratified and nostalgic, like an old wave lying on the beach, refusing to get up again.
Xiao De’s expression grew solemn, and he didn’t say another word, like an iron tree too shy to bloom again.
In the past, he had always thought his realm and cultivation were higher than Chen Changsheng’s, and his talent and brilliance were no weaker. He believed he couldn’t defeat Chen Changsheng because Su Li had passed down his sword techniques to the latter, and because of Chen Changsheng’s fortune in the Zhou Garden. In other words, it wasn’t a failure of skill—just that Chen Changsheng’s luck or opportunities far surpassed his own. But now, looking at the wind-and-rain swords in the night, sensing the stark sword intents, the connections between them, and the hidden formation intent yet to be unleashed, he could no longer say such things.
In just a few short years, how had Chen Changsheng’s sword cultivation become so powerful? How had he done it?
Was it because the Pope had the support of the entire national religion, or was it simply the most straightforward reason?
Was he just that talented?
…
…
Knowing what to do didn’t mean knowing how to do it.
Using the Nanxi Zhai Sword Formation to break the restriction formation within the black cliff took Chen Changsheng half an hour just to find the entry point.
Countless stark sword intents swept across the lake, gathering the freshest, almost icy breath from heaven and earth, then slashed at the invisible formation intent around the black cliff.
Pressed by the sword formation, the hidden restriction formation within the snow mountain gradually revealed its true form.
Deep within the snow mist, the faint projection of that star stone wall could be seen, blocking the path ahead.
As time passed, the range of this restriction formation became increasingly clear, far exceeding the area of the snow-capped black cliff, covering a radius of over ten li.
Some swords from the formation even left the ground, heading toward higher peaks of the snow mountain—was that area still within this restriction formation?