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墨書 Inktalez
The ancient formations were fundamentally about harnessing collective strength to launch the most effective attacks against enemies. As the saying goes, "A group of ants can bring down an elephant!" In fact, formations originated from real combat situations. In the ancient times, when close combat was the norm, maintaining synchronization between command and attack required careful arrangement based on terrain and the strengths of both sides. This maximized the power of every soldier. Among these practical formations, the Qi Jiguang's Mandarin Duck Formation was particularly flexible and demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in defeating foes.
On the other hand, Daoist formations utilized various focal points to condense scattered spiritual energy through Daoist Arts as a medium. Each formation consisted of numerous focal points, where Killing Intent flowed continuously through these nodes. When enough energy was gathered, even a wooden or stone figure could move, and even the tiniest speck of dust could transform into countless insects. The changes were subtle and all-encompassing.
Regarding the Nine Fiends Soul-Seizing Formation, we had previously analyzed it as merely an enhanced version of the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation. Its immense power stemmed entirely from the continuous supply of Killing Intent at its focal points. If one entered through the Life Gate and exited through the Rest Gate, there was a possibility of passing directly through the Absolute Gate.
Due to our insufficient understanding of this formation, we recklessly launched an attack. Although we breached several defensive lines, upon reaching the third layer where life and death intersected, our puppet stone figures found themselves at a disadvantage. We could only rely on exhausting Mayi Divination to break through their formation.
Breaking a formation with another formation is akin to leveraging another concentrated force to contend with the power within a formation. Even if your strength is weaker, possessing sufficient operational skills can still lead to significant chances of victory. The Nine Fiends Soul-Seizing Formation certainly drew from the essence of earthly and atmospheric energies, but it lacked three focal points and had several newly formed ones, making the gathering of Killing Intent inherently unstable.
In ancient times, there existed the concept of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—known as the Three Talents. When Jiang Ziya attacked Shang Zhou Wang, he employed the Three Talents Formation, which divided into the Greater Three Talents Formation and the Lesser Three Talents Formation. The large formation consisted of hundreds of people divided into three groups. Each group had three members who were dispersed yet overlapping in front and behind. The Three Talents Formation not only enhanced firepower but also reduced damage, making it extremely effective against invisible shadow martial arts.
Following the records in Mausoleum Secrets, I clarified everything with Big Mouth Lee and Bald Qiang, instructing Dong Tong to observe the formation from a distance. With no time for rehearsal, we directly entered combat. I held my Azure Dark Sword facing Frozen Cave while Big Mouth Lee brandished a dagger toward Passageway. Bald Qiang readied his rifle with a bayonet as we formed a triangle.
All I could hear was the whistling wind; we still had no clear knowledge of our enemy's identity or numbers. This situation was often fatal—like herbivores in a jungle that could be ambushed by lurking predators at any moment. We needed to be extremely cautious; any mistake could be disastrous.
Suddenly! A flash of light from a blade swept past, revealing a white silhouette like bioluminescence in the night—though faint, I sensed it was a sharp knife. We couldn't see them, but they could see me. I narrowly dodged that strike. Within seconds, a second and third strike came at me in quick succession. Big Mouth Lee let out a loud cry as he was hit in the arm.
Bald Qiang's hearing and sense of smell were akin to that of a police dog. He raised his gun and fired into the air—bang bang bang! That volley of bullets was surprisingly blocked by white light; all I heard was a terrifying metallic clash that sent chills down my spine. "Get down!" I shouted loudly as they quickly dropped to the ground. A strange thing happened—the attacks completely ceased. Suddenly I had an idea: "It seems that not only can we not see them; they can't see me either! If I conceal my Yang Qi, then it will just be us swinging blindly!"
I dared not speak loudly; any noise would prompt an immediate attack from the enemy. I needed to administer Red Toad Powder to them as quickly as possible. That day, Lu Jianguo and I had mixed some Red Toad Powder with honey into small balls—one for each of them. After consuming it, a cool sensation spread throughout my body. I stood up and moved around; astonishingly, there were no attacks! "Get up!" As soon as I spoke those words, several knife lights flashed back toward us.
It turned out that the breath we exhaled could not mask our Yang Qi. As long as we remained silent, they would never find us; however, we also couldn't locate them: I thought to myself, "Damn it! I have to force you to reveal yourself; otherwise, what’s the point of overcoming this challenge!"
In "Mausoleum Secrets," there is a type of medicine called Glow Powder. It is made by planting radish grass in a mountain stream during the height of summer, feeding fireflies with its leaves. On the day of the summer solstice, it is covered with a gauze to obscure any light, and then it is fed mercury for three days. The glowing substance is then ground into powder and mixed with pearl powder and frozen jade powder. This Glow Powder shines brighter in darker places. If it attaches to Yin Ghosts or other supernatural beings, it will remain for ten days without fading.
Before we set off, the old man specifically gave me a packet of Glow Powder, repeatedly warning me not to use it unless my life was in danger. He lamented that each use required only a tiny amount. Ignoring his warnings, I scooped out a spoonful and scattered it around. As expected, once the Glow Powder landed, seven or eight thin black shadows revealed themselves.
These shadows were dressed in night attire, with only two holes visible on their faces, wielding curved blades that glimmered under the glow. They were clearly Satsuma Samurai, sending chills down our spines.
After Takeda Shingen's death, several retainers secretly found a thief who bore a striking resemblance to Shingen and had him impersonate him to stabilize the troops' morale and facilitate a smooth retreat while intimidating the watchful Oda, Tokugawa, and Uesugi clans. According to Japanese Warring States customs, this impersonator was referred to as a Shadow Warrior.
In fact, there was another type of warrior in Japanese history known as the "Tiger Hero" among the ninja community. They were incredibly swift and moved like shadows, capable of killing in an instant without the victim even realizing it. When Qi Jiguang dealt with the pirates, he hired the Shaolin Temple Eighteen Water Drifters, who employed even faster and deadlier methods than the Satsuma Samurai to eliminate these warriors.
The samurai within this formation were likely those Tiger Heroes. Among us three, aside from Bald Qiang's relatively strong combat abilities, we were no match for this group of Satsuma Samurai. If we hadn't formed the Three Talents Formation in time, we would have faced death multiple times.
Suddenly...
Rip!
Rip!
After several sounds of fabric tearing, a large piece of Bald Qiang's clothing was ripped away, leaving a deep wound from which dark blood flowed. Gritting his teeth, he heated his red-hot gun barrel against his wound, causing steam to rise from his body. He didn't even blink. "Damn it, he's truly a man."
The samurai casually shook off the torn fabric remnants that fell to the ground. Their movements were so swift that we doubted our own vision. "Bald Qiang, take him down!" I shouted in disbelief at how speed could surpass bullets. Although the glow illuminated them, it also revealed our positions. Without hesitation, Bald Qiang opened fire; however, his bullets missed their mark.
"Damn it! The Three Talents Formation isn't something to be trifled with!" I yelled. "Follow my lead! Bald Qiang shoot at will; Big Mouth Lee, when you hear the gunfire stop, slash around where the bullets land! We’ll fight like a rotating wheel!" They all responded affirmatively; there was no problem!
This tactic proved effective; after Bald Qiang fired his shots and shadows blocked the bullets, Big Mouth Lee swiftly dispatched one with a dagger. In this round of wheel-like combat, I quickly took down six Satsuma Samurai. Each time I eliminated one, black smoke would rise from their bodies before they vanished completely. Yet that Glow Powder remained on the ground, emitting an eerie light.
"Only one Satsuma Samurai left; take him down and we can enter the Rest Gate!" With a series of victories behind us, our spirits were high. The Satsuma Samurai was clearly terrified and had hidden himself away. However, we managed to catch him, and unexpectedly, he spoke up.
"Spare me, brave warriors! I have a three-year-old child and an elderly mother! Killing me means killing three!" I cursed, "What a cliché line! Do you think I'm an idiot? You scoundrel, stand still!"
"What do you want to do? Can you let me go?"
"No, because I'm planning to kill you."
I said lightly, "Who the hell knows if you'll let me go? Dying is the safest option! No, simply put, it's Soul Shattering!" I couldn't be bothered to waste more time talking to this thing; a smirk involuntarily crept onto my lips, but it was definitely not a smile. I slowly raised my Azure Dark Sword, staring intently at the cold light glinting off the blade, ready to strike. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out as Bald Qiang shouted, "Damn it, what's the point of keeping you alive? You might as well be my target!" The bullet struck, and blood spurted out as that thing thrashed on the ground three times before dying. "Damn it, he was really alive!" I pulled off his mask to reveal a sharp-faced figure. I rummaged through his belongings and found some documents along with a packet of something. Not in the mood to examine them closely, I stuffed them into my backpack. "Destroy the body!" Big Mouth Lee took out a talisman, ignited it with a gesture, and tossed it onto the corpse. In no time at all, it turned to ash!
We finally passed through the Life Gate and were now about to enter the Rest Gate. Inside lay even greater dangers and horrors. The three of us had to be extra cautious.
As we stepped into the Rest Gate, a chilling wind swept through. To our surprise, there was no one guarding the area; over ten yellow banners were planted on the ground. The banners hung limply until I stepped in; then they suddenly fluttered in the wind—strangely unsettling. We took three or four steps forward without any movement around us. When we reached an area resembling a chessboard in the middle of the gate, those ten banners instantly shifted positions.
I examined the banners closely; they were arranged according to a diagram resembling an Eternal Character. We had entered at the waist of this character, causing the banners to flip upside down and spin several times. We found ourselves unable to move any further, exchanging bewildered glances among ourselves—what on earth was happening?
Just as we were filled with confusion, we heard a chorus of feminine voices—soft and enchanting voices that could send chills down one's spine. The banners fluttered in the wind, revealing shadows behind them that unmistakably belonged to women...
We were instantly dumbfounded—what kind of trick was this?
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