Chapter 159

Chapter 159: Fire Raven

In the Jade Symbol Sect, there were rumors that a true disciple’s leg hair was thicker than an outer disciple’s waist.

Some even joked that outer disciples were picked up off the street, inner disciples were illegitimate children, while true disciples were the legitimate heirs. The majority of the sect’s resources were concentrated in the hands of true disciples, and the distinction was more than just being a Condensed Essence Stage practitioner.

Among scattered cultivators, there were equally Condensed Essence Stage practitioners, but when compared with true disciples, they simply could not compete in terms of wealth.

The magic puppets attacked the formation with considerable force…

At this moment, the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation had become a refuge for Li Hui and the others.

As time passed, the hundred magic puppets forcibly pulled into the formation gradually vanished without a trace. Outside the formation, chaos erupted as streams of unknown poisonous insects surged forth, and the five hundred magic puppets regrouped, ready to break into the formation and attack Li Hui.

A series of thunderous sounds erupted, as if the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation had been provoked, suddenly bursting forth with countless flames that turned vast areas of land to scorched earth, leaving countless poisonous insects and wild beasts dead or injured.

Li Hui remained calm. The more ferocious the outside assault, the safer it was within the Lightning Array. The simple-minded Ao Chonglin danced joyfully, drawing lightning to him like a magnet, with thunder circling around him. The practitioners sat down to have breakfast and chatted, as though enjoying a scenic view.

There was still some time before dawn, but no one could predict what the fight would look like after sunrise, so everyone took the opportunity to replenish their strength.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced the sky, Li Hui felt a slight warmth in his chest.

He didn’t need to look; he knew the Fortune Ascending Talisman had finally burned away its last trace of ash. This moment had finally arrived, but he did not rush. Deep down, he had an idea: “If the silver snake bracelet devoured a large number of ritual artifacts, could it allow this talisman to unleash power beyond that of an ordinary talisman?”

As soon as this thought emerged, it became uncontrollable.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The mountains shook, and two blinding mushroom clouds rose in the distance. Li Hui clenched his fist and said, “It’s started! Yang Jueyu finally couldn’t hold back and is launching an attack on the formation from the other side!”

The Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation was caught between the outer ring and the inner ring, covering a vast area. Naturally, it could be broken from the other side, but to reach Li Hui, they would have to penetrate two-thirds of the formation. Who would want to do such a thankless and exhausting job if there was an easier way?

Yang Jueyu did just that, not out of desire, but because Quan Juecheng had invested too much. Summoning so many poisonous insects and wild beasts to assault the formation was no small task. Even though he could just watch, as a senior brother, he had to show some intention to cooperate.

Two treasure talismans erupted, sending up bright red mushroom clouds, disturbing the formation. The Condensed Essence Stage magic puppets surged forward, and Yang Jueyu laughed, “Junior Brother, look! I’ve found fifteen Condensed Essence Stage magic puppets. To maximize their potential, I first buried Golden Silkworm Poison to activate their abilities, then embedded one hundred and eight Demonic Essence Dissolution Talismans. Now I’m going to force a path through, and I’ll need your help.”

“Golden Silkworm Poison and Demonic Essence Dissolution Talismans? Senior Brother, your wealth is impressive—it’s no wonder you’re the sect leader’s direct disciple,” Quan Juecheng raised an eyebrow, filled with disdain. “The Jade Symbol Sect has turned into an empty shell, yet you, Yang, have oozing wealth and only bring this little treasure to make do. How stingy!”

Fifteen Condensed Essence Stage magic puppets crashed into the formation, igniting a tremendous firestorm and igniting flames everywhere.

Yang Jueyu and Quan Juecheng were careless about the magic puppets because they were originally from the Hongmo Sect, and controlling them wasn’t smooth sailing. If disciples of the Hongmo Sect realized they were manipulating the magic puppets, it would lead to trouble. It was better to seize this opportunity to sort things out.

The true Condensed Essence magic puppets displayed their might, causing the air to vibrate violently and the ground to shake heavily. The immense pressure spread, forcibly lowering the power of the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation.

The winds howled, thunder and rain poured down, and the formation surged with thick, fiery clouds, resembling a raging fire dragon spanning a thousand miles. The ground and sky lit up with countless light halos, intertwining with patterns and shining brightly. From afar, one would feel incredibly small, the heavens and earth transformed into an expansive formation, then the scene became blindingly bright, causing many practitioners to cover their eyes and scream.

Li Hui also shut his eyes; it was just too bright. The ground shook even more violently, and everyone lay down, feeling heat waves pass overhead.

This was the true power of the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation. Yang Jueyu and Quan Juecheng stepped back several paces, their expressions turning grim.

The formation revealed its true form, the wild beasts and magic puppets charging in were annihilated, and the Light Spirit burst forth from the formation to wipe them out. The fifteen Condensed Essence Stage magic puppets that had entered the formation exploded one after another, leaving only two that seemed close to being rendered useless.

Two other practitioners beside Yang Jueyu suddenly spoke up.

“Turns out this is the complete version of the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation. At least ten dual-attribute ritual artifacts are hidden within, and there should be one to three Miao Jade altars. Wait a moment; we’ll go over now. You two must send all captured magic puppets for consumption. By the time we arrive, the power of the formation must be reduced by thirty percent; otherwise, we’ll throw you both in.”

Yang Jueyu and Quan Juecheng looked angry but did not resist. They cupped their hands and replied to the two practitioners, “Yes, we will obey.”

Before long, around a thousand magic puppets emerged, charging toward the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation like moths drawn to a flame, setting off another round of competition, with more poisonous insects and wild beasts gathering.

From the early morning until the sun climbed high, the battle raged fiercely, and Li Hui couldn’t help but admire Yang Jueyu’s endurance. The simple-minded Ao Chonglin was extremely dissatisfied; the power of the Lightning Array not only failed to increase but also began to steadily decline, indicating that the formation’s potency was gradually diminishing.

Lian Luosha quietly asked, “Junior Brother, what will you do if Yang Jueyu breaks through the formation?”

Li Hui honestly replied, “I haven’t thought that far. I don’t believe he can break the formation even if he kills me. After all, the terrain here is special, and Condensed Essence Stage practitioners who return to the outer ring may face annihilation. If he dares to test the law, I welcome him anytime, anywhere.”

Lian Luosha shook her head, pointing at Li Hui’s forehead, scolding him, “You’re such a little rascal.”

“Not good!” They both looked far away simultaneously, suddenly spotting a massive cloud of fire approaching, its speed incredible, disregarding all kinds of restrictions in the sky.

“Quack, quack, quack!”

The calls echoed continuously, and when the fire cloud reached above the formation, they realized it was not a cloud of fire at all, but a vast swarm of red crows.

Chef Zhao shouted, “What the heck! Aren’t crows supposed to be black? Why are they all red, even redder than a monkey’s butt? Could they be top-grade ingredients? I want to try one!”

“Quack, quack, quack!” At least hundreds of thousands of fire red crows squawked, unleashing a deluge of feathers that rained down from the sky in a magnificent fiery shower. Chef Zhao covered his mouth, mumbled, “I’m never mentioning eating crows again!”

The Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation awakened like a giant beast, rising with mist, lightning, frost, golden light, and flames that extinguished the fire rain, while three formation positions erupted with light pillars, causing the formation’s operation to accelerate tenfold.

Lian Luosha looked in shock at the three light pillars and said, “Three Miao Jade altars! This is the original version of the Five Elements All-Destroying Flame Formation. Its power can be boosted several times more!”