This time, with Aqiang and Cuihua leading the way, Li Mufan's thoughts gradually became clearer.
Standing under a stone tablet, he looked at the red character "Kai" carved into it, and realization hit him.
"Xiu, Sheng, Shang, Du, Jing, Si, Jing, Kai! We've encountered the legendary ancient Bagua stone formation!"
After a moment of hesitation, Li Mufan asked, "Do you remember the general locations of each stone tablet?"
Aqiang and Cuihua exchanged glances, then Cuihua replied, "Master, I think I remember, but I can't guarantee its accuracy."
"That's enough. Listen carefully; take me to the first boulder engraved with the word 'Death.'"
"Understood!" They both nodded, grasping Li Mufan's hands on either side as they quickly moved into the fog.
"Crack!"
A strange sound echoed beneath their feet, causing the trio to pause. Li Mufan glanced down to find a yellowed bone from an unknown creature, crushed underfoot.
"Master, look! There's a weapon over there!" Aqiang pointed into the mist.
Li Mufan focused, and through the fog, he saw a weapon resembling a Fang Tian painted halberd. It was about ten feet long, the blade gleaming coldly—definitely a high-grade weapon!
He bent down to pick it up, but it wouldn't budge.
"Aqiang, try it," he instructed.
Aqiang gripped it with one hand, and the painted halberd only trembled slightly.
"Master, this weapon must weigh nearly a thousand pounds!"
"A thousand pounds?" Li Mufan was taken aback. Could a weapon really weigh that much?
His weak strength limited his imagination.
"What a treasure!" he sighed, then said, "Aqiang, you carry it for now. Cuihua, lead the way."
"Ah...?" Cuihua was surprised but complied.
After some time, the three finally reached the boulder originally engraved with the word "Death."
Li Mufan inquired, "Cuihua, how long did it take us to walk from the last stone tablet to here?"
Cuihua thought for a moment before answering, "Master, excluding the time it took to lift the painted halberd, it was about fifteen minutes."
"Okay, now let's go back along the original route. It should take about seven minutes and thirty seconds. Keep that number in mind."
"Understood!"
Li Mufan directed them to walk east and west through the mist. When he stopped under a stone tablet, he confirmed his suspicion.
"As I thought, these eight stone tablets are arranged in a circle!"
"Now, we must follow the circular path and walk from behind this stone tablet to the 'Sheng' stone tablet. Are you both sure?"
Cuihua nodded confidently. "Master, don't worry."
The trio continued closely, walking for about half an hour. They passed the stone tablets for Kai, Shang, Si, and Du before stopping under the "Sheng" stone tablet. During their journey, Aqiang's keen eyes spotted another spear.
This spear appeared to be of high quality, but unlike the painted halberd, it was much lighter—only about a hundred pounds.
"Don't let it go to waste; Cuihua, you carry it," Li Mufan instructed.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally stood in front of the Jing stone tablet. Li Mufan exhaled in relief. "Go straight ahead! We're almost there!"
They continued onward, but suddenly, Li Mufan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and in an instant, they found themselves on a mountain path.
The moon shone brightly, and the stars twinkled overhead. A gentle evening breeze caressed them, like the soft touch of a lover, lifting their spirits.
In his previous life, he had enjoyed reading various texts and had come across information about the Bagua formation in a tattered book at a street stall. He never imagined it would prove useful at such a critical moment.
Finally, they had escaped the fog and survived this harrowing ordeal!