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墨書 Inktalez
Three days had passed in this manner. The ten Cultivators seemed to be extremely patient, sitting in meditation and speaking very little.
Thunderstorm's expression, however, grew increasingly anxious.
Xunuo felt equally puzzled; these individuals remained silent and still, an unusual calmness enveloping them. It was clear they were waiting for something, and Xunuo even suspected they were lying in wait for an opportunity.
Yet Thunderstorm immediately dismissed this notion, as there was no ground for ambush here. They could not afford to create too much commotion that would attract the attention of the Merchant Alliance.
Thunderstorm suspected they were waiting for more powerful reinforcements.
From the current situation, it appeared that these two groups had already merged together. If they were to integrate more people, it would not be impossible.
However, the two groups had never interacted before and even regarded each other as Arch-Nemeses. Now they seemed to be uniting and waiting for backup.
What they were planning or what enemy they intended to confront must be formidable indeed.
The mere thought of this possibility sent chills down Thunderstorm's spine.
After listening to Thunderstorm's analysis, Xunuo's expression also turned grim. After a moment of contemplation, he probed into a storage bag he had just acquired using his Divine Sense.
This storage bag belonged to the Elder that Xunuo had slain.
During their battle, Xunuo had been suspicious of the Elder's unbalanced offense and defense, feeling that the Elder had some other means that he had not had the chance to employ.
Xunuo reached into the storage bag, and the first thing that caught his eye was several artifacts resembling the Mysterious Yin Pot. However, these Mysterious Yin Pots were clearly more exquisite and of higher quality.
Among them, two of the Mysterious Yin Pots were filled with a large quantity of Yin Soul Stones, all of excellent grade.
But when Xunuo opened a few other Mysterious Yin Pots, he discovered they contained countless souls, all intact.
Upon seeing someone lift the lid, these souls trembled in fear and let out piercing cries.
After asking, Xunuo learned that these souls were those of cultivators slain by the Elder, who had extracted their living souls and imprisoned them.
The Elder would often capture souls for amusement and torture.
Hearing this, Xunuo frowned and insisted on releasing these souls so they could enter reincarnation.
When the souls heard Xunuo mention that the Elder was dead, they were naturally pleased.
However, when it came to Xunuo's intention to free them, they hurriedly spoke in unison to stop him.
Xunuo was taken aback and asked, "Are you afraid of being released? Do you think I would deceive you? I have no such malicious intent."
A Female Spirit stepped forward and said, "Young master misunderstands. It is not that we do not wish for reincarnation. Rather, we are invaded by Yin Qi within our souls. If we are released now, it would only send us into the ghost realm. Our souls must be exposed to sunlight for three days to expel the Yin Qi before we can enter reincarnation. This matter requires your assistance."
Xunuo nodded and said, "I will ensure your reincarnation." He then closed the Mysterious Yin Pot.
What he saw next was a set of Formation Flags. This set consisted of twenty-one poles: one Main Array Flag and twenty Formation Flags.
This array was crafted using Yin Attribute Material. A chilling wind swept through it, and a palpable Killing Intent filled the air.
Xunuo contemplated for a moment and deduced the power of this array, understanding why the Elder insisted on reaching that vast space.
This was a powerful array that required a wide area to be effectively deployed. In the narrow confines of the passage, it was impossible to set up this formation.
This was an array primarily designed for trapping and killing. Xunuo roughly estimated that its power was comparable to the Heaven and Earth Four Killing Formation.
In fact, in certain aspects, this array possessed some effects similar to the Reversed Five Elements Four Kill Formation.
The Reversed Five Elements Four Kill Formation reverses the five elements, placing trapped enemies in an environment that is perpetually opposite to their Spiritual Root attributes. Their magical energy cannot be replenished and is continuously drained away. This is one of the most terrifying aspects of the Reversed Five Elements Four Kill Formation.
While this array did not reverse the power of the five elements, it would condense Yin Sha, amplifying the Yin Malevolence within the formation and attracting powerful Yin spirits to participate in the slaughter of trapped enemies.
Thus, as long as one was not a Yin Spirit Root or Dark Spirit Root cultivator—those who were not afraid of Yin Malevolence—entering this array would be akin to stepping into the Reversed Five Elements Four Kill Formation.
Upon realizing this, Xunuo lost interest in everything else and grasped the Main Array Flag, silently beginning to refine it.
Using arrays to ambush opponents was Xunuo's favorite tactic.
The power of an array does not increase with the addition of more Formation Flags or formations.
For instance, a Defensive Array can exert its power with just three to four Formation Flags; that's typically how it works. Adding more Formation Flags does not significantly enhance its defensive capabilities.
The purpose of increasing formations is to add functionality to the array. In other words, the more magical tools used in setting up the array, the more functions it has, making it increasingly complex.
Xunuo spent half a day refining the twenty-one Formation Flags.
Next, Xunuo would delve into the materials and Runes of these Formation Flags to thoroughly understand the array.
Typically, when a Cultivator acquires such an array, they must become an Array Master to explain its functions. The more complex the array, the clearer the explanation and more detailed the demonstration must be, allowing the Cultivator to unleash its full power.
A Cultivator must continuously experiment and comprehend to grasp the array's capabilities.
However, for Xunuo, an expert in arrays, he could understand the fundamentals of this array through its materials and Runes, obtaining the information he sought. Unless the Array Master's methods and thoughts were so extraordinary that he could not comprehend them.
Just as Xunuo was about to immerse himself in the Formation Flags, the Defensive Array protecting this space suddenly trembled and opened a passage. Two Cultivators stumbled in from outside.
Both were battered and exhausted, their mana depleted and breaths unsteady. Once they entered the safe zone, they sat down to recover their mana.
Thunderstorm's expression changed upon seeing them, as if he had been slapped; his face was a mix of complex emotions.
Xunuo had no choice but to pause his work and inquire about what happened. Thunderstorm stammered, “These two are part of those plotting against Cloud City and Foundation Pill.”
Xunuo felt a surge of urgency. He asked, “How many people know about the traitor in the Limitless Merchant Alliance?”
Thunderstorm's face turned pale as he replied, “Not too many; those qualified to compete have basically all come.”
Xunuo cast a complicated glance at Thunderstorm, unsure how many "not too many" truly meant.
With a sigh, Xunuo shifted his focus back to the Formation Flags. Regardless of the situation, it was essential to first secure his own safety before making further plans.
For the next two days, Xunuo conducted a thorough analysis of this formation. At the same time, he grasped the functions of the formation clearly.
This formation, based on confinement, also incorporates defensive and illusionary capabilities. It can be described as an all-purpose formation that is strong in offense but weak in defense. This relates to the Elder possessing another significant defensive treasure.
The only notable difference from ordinary formations is that to unleash its maximum power, it requires the strength of Yin Sha to deplete the enemy's mana and even attract Yin souls to enhance the formation's power.
To achieve this, it is essential to embed a Yin Soul Stone within the Formation Flag. Moreover, the quality of the embedded Yin Soul Stone will directly determine the ultimate power of this formation.
Xunuo suddenly understood why the Elder had preserved so many top-quality Yin Soul Stones.
In this storage bag, other items were scarce, particularly spirit stones, which numbered less than a hundred—far from befitting his status as an Eleventh Layer Grandmaster.
There were also some Yin Attribute Refining Materials, which held no value for Xunuo whatsoever.
After organizing his spoils, Xunuo checked his body once more. His injuries had improved somewhat, but relatively speaking, he was still far from being able to engage in combat.
During these days of healing, Xunuo had benefited most from his Divine Sense.
The Spell Sea Collapse had caused significant depletion of his Divine Sense. Recovery of Divine Sense could only be achieved through quiet meditation; there were no other methods available—at least none that Xunuo knew of.
However, under similar circumstances and without external assistance, the recovery of Divine Sense was much faster than that of mana. In just a few days, Xunuo had fully restored his Divine Sense. This could be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
With this ability restored, Xunuo felt a bit more confident.
The two Cultivators had been meditating for two consecutive days and gradually regained some mana; their faces showed signs of color returning.
For the past two days, Thunderstorm had been focused solely on refining the Formation Flag. His eyes had not closed for even a moment, each one fixed on a different side, constantly monitoring both parties.
Suddenly, Thunderstorm felt that his eyes were not enough. A group of Cultivators emerged from the passageway below.
This group consisted of eight individuals. Upon entering, they nodded slightly to the two assembled teams of Cultivators before immediately noticing the two solitary figures meditating by the edge of the formation.
One of the Qing Shan Cultivators furrowed his brow and began to communicate with the gathered Cultivators.
At that moment, the two meditating Cultivators opened their eyes, fatigue evident in their gazes as they looked around, seemingly unsure of which side to address.
After a moment, the various groups converged. With a wave of their hands, they set up a small shielding Divine Sense formation to conceal themselves.
Thunderstorm watched in astonishment, thinking to himself that it was as if the sun had risen in the west.
This action caused those Cultivators resting here to whisper among themselves, recovering their spiritual energy.
Twenty Eleventh Layer Grandmasters, all at their peak—was this going against heaven itself?
If these Cultivators descended from here and cleansed the Yin Souls in the next space, there would be no doubt about their success.
Typically, having even one such high-level Cultivator leading a team was rare; they were undoubtedly the sharpest and safest groups around.
The sudden appearance of twenty Grandmasters sent shivers down the spines of the professional Soulstone Hunters, who decided against hunting for Yin Soul Stones in the near future.
Looking at the situation before him, Thunderstorm found it difficult to predict how things would unfold.
Immediately inform Xunuo about this information regarding the Cultivators, so that if something unexpected happens, there will be someone to relay the message.
Among the groups of Cultivators, the first two teams that encountered trouble were introduced to Xunuo by Thunderstorm.
The leader of the group that just entered the Underground City, an old Taoist in a yellow robe, is named Ku Zulan.
On the other side, the middle-aged Cultivator with a severed arm is the main leader, named Luan Kuanda.
The two Cultivators with the fewest members include one named Sikong Yangming. The other, with singed yellow hair, is called Tuba Five, yet he possesses the highest cultivation level among this group of Cultivators.
Thunderstorm remarked, "He is a notch above me." This was enough to make Xunuo take notice.
The last group is led by a Qing Shan Cultivator who has no name, only a nickname: Fangtooth.
Upon hearing this nickname, Xunuo couldn't help but feel a tightening in his chest.
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