Chapter 158

Chapter 158: Entering the Formation

“Roar! Roar! Roar…” From all directions, the deafening roars echoed. As they got closer to the center of Wan Nest Island, there were more mountain spirit creatures’ nests; otherwise, it wouldn’t be called Wan Nest.

The secret of the all-discipline true disciples’ talismans lay in control. Thousands of figures surged forth at his call, rushing toward the edge of the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation, dense and numerous from afar.

“Get ready!” Chef Zhao led the way, wearing a specially designed pouch to ensure he could access spirit talismans at any moment. Soon, the ground trembled intensely.

“So many!” As the formation began to activate, the night sky was filled with bright lights, and visibility improved, revealing large groups of fierce beasts approaching.

Too many! While there weren’t many feathered beasts in the sky, the ground was swarming with mountain spirit creatures beyond imagination, sending shivers down one’s spine just to glance at them. Thankfully, Chef Zhao shouted to snap everyone back to attention; when the beast horde was still about twenty zhang away, the talisman light flared brilliantly.

“Swift!”

“Swift!”

These low-level practitioners swiftly formed hand seals, using Exotic Blood Talismans, Lightning Sword Talismans, Failing Blood Talismans, and damage-dealing talismans, while others specialized in bestowing Thunder Shield Talismans and Green Scale Talismans.

The beast horde crashed against the formations like waves against rocks, shattering into countless pieces in an instant.

Li Hui didn’t even frown as the beast horde began to split to either side, attacking the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation—resulting in their quicker demise.

“Block them! Hold them back!” Chef Zhao shouted hoarsely, striking out a Blood Flowing Talisman at a massive beast ten zhang away, his hands crackling with electric light, unleashing overwhelming firepower.

As the top aide, he naturally enjoyed some advantages. The beasts were numerous, but as long as there were more talismans, their approach meant free meals for them.

Yang Jueyu observed this scene and felt a sense of relief, shaking his head, “Alas! Junior Brother, these mountain spirit creatures are merely at the same level as Concentrating Spirit stage cultivators. If we truly fought, they wouldn’t even count as cannon fodder. Don’t forget the magic puppets. Do you know how rare a Mystical Yellow Path Talisman at the Treasure Level is? I doubt Li Hui can produce more than a few.”

The expression of this true disciple nearly twisted, his grip tightening around the short flute, producing a series of ominous sounds. Though he was displeased with Yang Jueyu’s attitude, he dismissed it and waved his hand, commanding, “Go! All magic puppets below Condensed Essence Stage, go kill Li Hui.”

As soon as he spoke, over five hundred silhouettes shot forward like lightning.

Yang Jueyu sneered internally, “More than five hundred magic puppets is merely the visible number. Quan Juecheng, you’re still so petty, always wanting to keep a hand back.”

Li Hui quickly reacted, shouting, “Fight and retreat simultaneously, hold the formation, and go deeper into the formation without looking around.”

After giving the command, two Mystical Yellow Path Talismans soared into the air.

The Mystical Yellow Path Talismans could establish an ethereal path along the yellow pathway, measuring the formation’s and restrictions’ weaknesses, while temporally controlling some simple formations or restrictions.

Control the formation! What Li Hui needed to do was just that.

Having previously drawn a hundred magic puppets into the formation, they were fiercely attacking, which could somewhat slow down the formation’s operation.

The timing was just right; as they fought and retreated, the two Mystical Yellow Path Talismans radiated brilliant light, like opening two great doors, slowly splitting apart in the middle.

“Go, hurry up!” Huo Qiniang led the female cultivators forward, casting a Lightning Sword Talisman toward the beast horde while Chef Zhao stayed at the rear, guiding the retreat.

Lian Luosha pressed her forehead, “Junior Brother, you’re truly extravagant to use such precious Mystical Yellow Path Talismans, using three. The first was well-timed, but what are the last two for? Just to shift the team slightly into the formation, do you really have many of these valuable talismans?”

“Senior Sister is impressive! Even knows about Mystical Yellow Path Talismans. I had never even heard of such talismans before,” Li Hui replied somewhat embarrassedly. “I still have one left, but I’ve already calculated the position; I can reach the Lightning Trigram when the time comes, and I’ll have another means of dealing with them.”

“Wasteful, incredibly wasteful! You shouldn’t carry such burdens!” Lian Luosha stomped her foot in frustration. In her view, cultivators should be lone wolves, yet this Junior Brother of hers had turned it into an army.

“You can’t say that! If it weren’t for their help, I couldn’t focus on talisman-making and cultivation!” Li Hui smiled widely, believing in the spirit of mutual assistance. Leaving aside the issue of gathering luck, those who had stayed with him until now were all good comrades, sharing the bond of fighting side by side.

“Hmph! Carrying a bamboo book basket, do you really think you’re a scholar? Cultivators don’t need scholar-like spirit; that’ll get you killed quickly,” Lian Luosha kindly reminded him.

“Got it! My dear Senior Sister, once the team enters the Inner Ring, I’ll have them set up camp.” Li Hui quickly raised his hand in surrender; having dealt with Senior Sisters and Junior Sisters often, he had learned one truth: never argue with women, right or wrong, one would inevitably lose!

With a loud “Boom!”, the team stepped onto scorched earth as the light barrier suddenly closed behind them.

Cold light shot in from all directions, and Li Hui personally led the charge, hand gripping the last Mystical Yellow Path Talisman to discern their position. Just before the terrifying power descended, he finally found the Lightning Array within the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation and released the half-demon electric eel.

“Sizzle! Sizzle!” The electric eel, Ao Chonglin, joyously burrowed into the Lightning Array. Lian Luosha was genuinely surprised; she had never expected her Junior Brother to have a half-demon by his side. Why hadn’t she sensed any demonic energy earlier?

Gao Yuhu revealed himself in the group, not alone; Mo Xinghe and Bai Yulian had followed him in as well. As for whether Zhang Tianhua had sneaked in, it remained uncertain.

The electric eel, having become half-demon, developed front claws, its body entirely white like snow. Though its scales were tender, they were ideal for absorbing electric power. Once it entered the Lightning Array, it began to swallow lightning, causing it to swirl around it, never landing anywhere else.

Seeing this scene, Li Hui let out a breath of relief, secretly thankful, “Fortunately, the Lightning Array hasn’t been fully activated; its intensity remains within Ao Chonglin’s capability to handle. Now it depends on how determined the true disciples of the Jade Symbol Sect are to capture the six of us. They’d better charge in fiercely from the opposing side of the boundary; that way, at least half of my plan will come to fruition.”

“Boom, boom, boom…” Over five hundred magic puppets were pushing into the formation, and more beast hordes surged in, driven onwards.

Suddenly, two magic puppets raised their hands, launching two brilliant bursts of light accompanied by the sounds of wind and thunder, mixed with wailing cries as countless shadows rushed in. It seemed that great misfortune was drawing near, and Li Hui could feel waves of chill even within the formation.

The formation sensed the pressure and immediately fought back, with countless splendid rings appearing in the sky and on the ground, the formless ripples becoming visible to the naked eye, and the cries seeming to draw closer.

Li Hui was greatly moved, unable to help but exclaim, “This is the means of the true disciples of the Jade Symbol Sect! Using the Night Cry Talisman for Slaying Demons together with the Wind-Making Talisman, causing two lower-grade treasure talismans to synergize and evolve into the power of a middle-grade treasure talisman! I still have so much to learn in terms of talisman-making and application!”

Within the Lightning Array, lightning surged; Ao Chonglin didn’t care if it could handle it, just swallowing whatever came.

After half a stick of incense, the cries ultimately failed to break through layer upon layer of light barriers, crossing the advantages determined by the Mystical Yellow Path Talismans, exhausting their power in the formation.

Both the Night Cry Talisman for Slaying Demons and the Wind-Making Talisman turned to ashes. Using treasure talismans like this taught Li Hui four words: “Fortune Ascending Talismans”!