Amidst the rubble, a colossal vortex of spiritual energy erupted.
Xu Que's eyes shot open.
"Has he broken through?" Han Xiaoyu asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
Xu Que didn't respond to her question. Instead, his gaze shifted to Liang Jinyu.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, it was the least I could do," Liang Jinyu smiled warmly.
"Eh? What's going on?" Han Xiaoyu asked, her face twisted in confusion. "I've been helping too, and our group is no smaller than hers."
Xu Que glanced at Han Xiaoyu, then turned his gaze toward the two men. "There's no time for this debate. Based on the current timeline, Wei Yanqing has already bought us considerable time. From here on, you'd better find a safe place to hide."
"What do you mean by that?" Han Xiaoyu furrowed her brow, her voice tinged with anger. "Is this how you treat people once you're done with them? Acting like a scoundrel—"
Xu Que ignored her and nodded at Liang Jinyu.
"Is it safe below?" Liang Jinyu pointed toward the pile of rubble beneath them.
"It's safe enough, but the scent of blood might attract the snow bears."
Upon hearing this, Liang Jinyu immediately understood.
"Alright, we'll wait for you on the plains below."
Xu Que nodded and watched her leave.
As the alluring woman walked away, Han Xiaoyu pouted and glared at Xu Que, her resentment palpable. She wished she could kill him with nothing but her stare.
Xu Que paid her no mind. Whether they stayed or left, he had already done all he could by warning them.
Realizing Xu Que was ignoring her, Han Xiaoyu clenched her fists and stood up, her voice full of indignation. "Let's go!"
Xu Que shook his head helplessly and opened his skill interface.
He selected the "Array: Eight Gates Golden Lock" formation and funneled thirty-five stars into it.
Instantly, a map of the formation appeared in his mind.
"Wow, this thing can actually be imprinted onto the soul!" Xu Que exclaimed in astonishment.
He had always believed that only cultivation techniques and martial arts were bound to the soul, but now this array was too!
"Apply for formation evaluation!" Xu Que quickly thought.
Moments later, a mechanical female voice echoed in his ear.
"Congratulations, human Xu Que, your formation has passed the evaluation."
Xu Que didn't feel particularly elated by the news. He had already sensed countless presences swiftly approaching.
"Congratulations, human Xu Que. After a thorough data check, your [Array: Eight Gates Golden Lock] meets the criteria for the [Formation Rankings]. Would you like to enter the rankings?"
"Yes!"
Xu Que responded swiftly and drew his black sword.
"Would you like to hide your name or use a codename? Note: Once selected, this cannot be changed!"
Xu Que quickly typed "Wu Zixu."
He had considered using the name "Shen Xu," but given his desire for vengeance and knowledge of military formations, "Wu Zixu" seemed far more fitting.
As he confirmed his choice, the reward notification soon followed.
"Congratulations, human Xu Que, you have earned the first rank on the [Formation Rankings]. You are awarded the temporary talent [Array Heart Law] (changes with ranking)."
Xu Que didn't bother to check the temporary talent just yet, for he could already see a swarm of dark figures rapidly approaching through the snowstorm.
"Congratulations, human Xu Que. As the first to reach the [Formation Rankings], you are granted the unique divine-level reward: the permanent talent [Sacred Beast Descending]."
The rewards arrived quickly, but so did the shadowy figures.
Seeing around fifty white ghosts, Xu Que's lips curled into a cold smile.
He took out ten spirit crystals and casually tossed them into the air. Instantly, only two crystals began to deplete.
Xu Que was momentarily confused but didn't have the time to inspect further. From the two depleting crystals, he could see the formation eye had already formed and was steadily expanding.
The next moment, four skill-like slots appeared before him.
"What the hell? What kind of formation is this? It's completely unconventional!" Xu Que muttered irritably. But the next instant, the four slots shocked him.
Without hesitation, he clicked the first "White Tiger" slot.
As the slot activated, a murderous aura immediately emanated from the Eight Gates Golden Lock Formation.
Simultaneously, a roaring white tiger appeared above the formation.
"Crunch, crunch," the sound of snow being trampled grew louder. The moment the white ghosts stepped into the formation, Xu Que's smile widened.
Even with his eyes closed, he could sense the positions of every white ghost entering the array.
The white ghosts stood firm, quickly nocking their longbows, then released a torrent of arrows aimed directly at Xu Que.
"Whoosh, whoosh…"
The sound of arrows slicing through the air was accompanied by murderous intent. Xu Que swiftly charged forward.
"Clang, clang!"
His sword moved swiftly, deflecting two arrows, and Xu Que closed the gap with the white ghosts.
Seeing the prey come to them, the white ghosts quickly drew their bows again.
As the second wave of arrows shot towards him, Xu Que ducked and rolled, narrowly dodging the barrage.
This was the first time he truly appreciated the importance of speed, as he could easily predict when the arrows would arrive.
"Creak!" A white ghost screeched.
The next moment, all the white ghosts drew their daggers and charged at Xu Que.
Sensing their sluggish speed, Xu Que turned swiftly, releasing a powerful sword intent in an instant.
He didn't want to waste time with these creatures. If he found an opening, he would eliminate them with a single strike.
With a burst of sword intent, a massive wave of energy shot forward, obliterating the charging white ghosts.
"Boom!"
The sword's explosion shredded the approaching white ghosts, leaving only mangled remains in its wake.
The white ghost that had screamed earlier was now writhing in the snow, clutching its severed arm.
Xu Que didn't hesitate. He knew this particular ghost had provoked him earlier.
"Thud!"
With a swift strike, Xu Que dispatched the elite white ghost, ensuring all fifty-seven white ghosts met their demise.
"This formation is truly a marvel. Not only does it slow down the enemy, but it also enhances my own abilities. It's absolutely invincible."
While he could have relied on his primal sword to cut down these ghosts, he wouldn't have achieved such a flawless victory. After all, their speed was formidable.
Had he evaded the sword's attack, the battle would have dragged on.
With the formation's aid, however, everything changed. It not only eased his burden but also summoned the white tiger.
After collecting everything, Xu Que quickly opened his personal talent interface.
[Divine Talent: Sacred Beast Descending (Each time you use an array, you may summon one of the Four Sacred Beasts: White Tiger for combat, Azure Dragon for vitality, Vermilion Bird for change, Black Tortoise for defense.)]
Seeing this talent, Xu Que couldn't help but marvel at its power.
This was truly the reason for the qualitative change in the formation!
But upon seeing the next temporary talent, Xu Que's lips twitched.
No wonder it only used two spirit crystals—this was a frugal talent…
[Temporary Talent: Array Heart Law (Each time you use an array, the spirit crystal consumption is reduced by 80%).]
"Of course, the top reward is the best!" Xu Que smiled and stored the eight unused spirit crystals, heading down the slope.
Not long after he left, a white ghost riding a snow bear appeared at his previous position.
Letting out a furious roar, it was immediately followed by over a hundred more white ghosts!
Meanwhile, hidden far away, Han Xiaoyu was glaring at the formidable woman in front of her.
"Little girl, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Is this all you've got?" Liang Jinyu sneered.
"So what? I'll challenge you to a one-on-one duel!" Han Xiaoyu retorted angrily.
"Crazy. I can't be bothered with you," Liang Jinyu said, turning her head to look in the direction of the slope.
Hearing herself being called crazy, Han Xiaoyu couldn't take it anymore.
Was she really being targeted just for asking a few questions?