The cloaked figure far away in the money house seemed to sense something unusual. He kept his head down, feeling as if something had passed through his formation and extended outward along the spiritual plants he had accelerated, moving quickly but still with power.
What have those people done?!
In Jinzhou Town's main street, those at the center of the flames realized for the first time what it truly meant to "set the city ablaze." Qi Liu was like a formation node providing a spark, while the cloaked figure's accelerated spiritual plants' formation, combined with this spark, caused everything within the range of the formation to ignite!
"He's altered the formation!" Su Yi exclaimed, finally understanding what had been done.
The person before them had used a crude yet ingenious method to push the cloaked figure's formation to its limits. Normally, an accelerated formation was designed to promote the rapid growth of spiritual plants by hundreds of times. With the cloaked figure and the Qi family's resources as a foundation, the formation had already been operating at its peak.
But this person had made a slight adjustment, including Qi Liu within the formation's acceleration range.
As a result, Qi Liu's spiritual energy received the maximum boost... In other words, wherever the cloaked figure's spiritual plants could grow, Qi Liu's flames could spread!
"If we follow the trail of flames, we can trace the roots of these alien plants…" Qi Yan suddenly grasped the brilliance of this approach. No matter how complex the root system, this method of burning would inevitably reveal the roots protected by Jinzhou Town's formation.
Qi Liu stared at the roaring flames as if seeing his own strength for the first time.
As the most useless Nascent Soul cultivator in the Qi family, though no one had ever belittled him, he had always felt inadequate. Growing up with the family's high expectations, he had struggled to find a purpose for his half-baked cultivation. In this escape from Jinzhou Town, despite having higher cultivation than the young master, he had survived only by hiding behind a small ginseng spirit's protection.
Although no one had called him useless, he had felt the shame. He had once tried to learn beast taming, but he was turned away at the gates of Xuan Yu Manor for lacking talent.
After repeated failures, Qi Liu's remaining ambition was to serve as a humble aide to the young master or perhaps manage a small branch of the Qi family's money houses.
But now, seeing his spiritual energy spread through the formation, creating a vast sea of flames, he felt something indescribable. Even though his stomach hurt terribly, and he desperately needed to find a latrine, he was deeply moved by his own power.
"Young Master, maybe after this, I can become a formation cultivator," Qi Liu remarked emotionally.
Qi Yan replied, "It's good that you're thinking this way."
Qi Liu's fire-element spiritual energy was essentially a wildfire, capable of spreading autonomously. Once integrated into the formation, as long as the cloaked figure's formation remained active, the flames could consume all of Jinzhou Town.
The ink beast, slightly off guard, watched as this person caused an immense upheaval right before its eyes.
It had seen formations dismantled by finding their core, but never someone who so brazenly and decisively burned their way through—especially using the opponent's formation against them. It had certainly never taught this person how to modify formations!
First, there was the mastery of ghost control, and now this temporary alteration of a formation. The ink beast suddenly found this person unfathomable. Wasn't he supposed to have lost his memory? Where were these techniques coming from?
"If it's all burned, we won't have to collect it anymore, right?" Zhang Fugui gasped for breath.
But when he and the ink beast glanced outside, they saw that although the alien plants were burning fiercely, the spiritual plants accelerated by the courtyard's formation were still intact.
Su Yu said, "If the outside is gone, we can still collect what's inside."
After all, much of what remained here would likely be destroyed in the end anyway. Now that Qi Liu's flames were burning, the spiritual fruits inside might as well be used to replenish his pure energy.
Zhang Fugui and the ink beast exchanged a glance: Evil cultivator! This man must be an evil cultivator!
Qi Yan and Su Yi, however, observed Su Yu in silence. For someone to alter a formation so boldly, they must have a profound understanding of formations—or, more precisely, their original expertise in formations must have been exceptional.
For someone of such low cultivation to demonstrate such mastery and daring, his expertise in formations might even surpass the cloaked figure's.
Su Yu ignored their speculations. As the flames spread, his vision was filled with an expanse of red. Amid this fiery scene, faint points of light began to emerge, standing out starkly against the fire-element energy.
These lights were remnants of Jinzhou Town's formation nodes beneath the burned alien plants. The brightest point of light must be the formation's core…
He looked up into the distance and seemed to spot an unusually bright glow.
As he was about to confirm its location, a sudden flicker near the glowing point caught his eye—a flash of something like lightning amid the sea of flames.
Su Yu frowned slightly.
"Not good!" Qi Yan suddenly shouted. "Look in the fire!"
Just as Qi Yan spoke, the bark puppets in the flames suddenly froze, standing still within the formation.
Such an alarming act—setting half of Jinzhou Town ablaze—was bound to attract the attention of those who had orchestrated this trap. As they watched the bark puppets, they saw them begin to twist and writhe, growing wildly like chaotic trees. Amid the raging inferno, the puppets intertwined and clung to one another, slowly "standing" upright.
Su Yu raised his head. Within his vision, the distinct energy of the bark figures now had clear boundaries amidst their chaotic fusion.
He stared at the chaotic cluster of energy forming into a towering mass as tall as a mountain… What?
Burning alien vines intertwined with bark puppets, twisting and contorting into a massive humanoid figure. Accustomed to being besieged by hordes of bark puppets, the group was momentarily stunned by the sight of such a colossal creature.
Qi Liu looked up in shock. "Heavens above, this is a masterpiece!"
Qi Yan and Su Yi: "..." Is this really the time for admiration?
"Qi Liu, burn it!" Qi Yan ordered.
Qi Liu froze at the sight of the enormous bark giant. How am I supposed to burn that?! A single step from the creature could crush him like an ant.
Just as the group had been celebrating their success in setting Jinzhou Town ablaze, the town's formation adapted, releasing this enormous bark puppet. The fire's broad reach was no match for the giant, whose sheer size rendered the sea of flames insignificant. Worse still, the creature could shed its burning bark, making it impervious to the fire.
Qi Liu's fire-elemental energy, which had spread so easily before, now struggled to have any effect. Burning it down seemed an impossible task.
The creature's colossal foot could squash him flat in an instant.
"Little Ginseng!" Qi Yan shouted.
The small ginseng spirit darted forward, placing itself in front of Qi Liu. But with a single sweep of the bark giant's arm, the round, plump creature was sent flying.
This was bad. Su Yi had no choice but to act. He flung several talismans from his sleeve, which formed a protective barrier of water-element techniques in front of Qi Liu. The clash of water spells and fire energy produced a hissing steam, but the barrier wouldn't last long. The strain caused the malicious energy within Su Yi to surge, making his spiritual energy falter. He staggered back a step as a dull pain coursed through his meridians.
The bark giant swept Su Yi aside, then reached out its vine-covered arm toward Su Yu and Qi Liu, who were standing within the formation.
"Kid, it's coming for you!" the ink beast warned urgently.
But Su Yu didn't move. Instead, he looked up at the lightning in the sky. "Someone's coming," he said.
In that critical moment, a streak of sword light descended from above.
Just as the bark giant's arm was about to strike the two, the sword light cleaved through it in an instant. The severed arm fell into the sea of flames, quickly engulfed by fire.
Qi Liu opened his eyes and saw a figure standing before them. The newcomer wore a grotesque mask and a familiar outfit that made Qi Liu cry out in surprise. "Mr. Gu!"
Gu Qi cast a sidelong glance, his cold eyes scanning the group before settling on Qi Liu's rear.
The boy's robes were singed black from the flames, but he stood quietly behind the others, appearing obedient and unassuming. He didn't seem to have sustained any visible injuries.
But Gu Qi knew that for a blind person to remain unharmed in such chaos was itself an anomaly.
The ink beast from the Abyss of All Evils felt an immediate discomfort upon seeing Gu Qi, recalling its own humiliating defeat at his hands in Nawu Mountain. Resisting the urge to curse him, it muttered, "Why is this sword cultivator here? Don't tell me he's interested in this formation too."
Su Yu remained silent, observing Gu Qi instead. He had studied this person many times before and had nearly been caught by him during their first encounter. Now, as Gu Qi stood before him, Su Yu keenly sensed something off.
For instance, the lightning surrounding Gu Qi was far less intense than what he had witnessed at Nawu Mountain.
It seemed… weaker.
Su Yu, knowing Gu Qi's cultivation was profound, avoided looking directly at his core to prevent detection. Instead, he examined the lightning-element sword energy around him. The energy fluctuated, sometimes strong, sometimes faint, as if it was running out of steam.
This sword cultivator seemed to have a problem.
"Wasn't Mr. Gu a healer? How does he know sword techniques?!" Qi Liu asked in confusion.
Qi Yan: "...Does it matter? Be grateful he's helping us."
Gu Qi's gaze fell on the formation beneath Qi Liu's feet. "Where are the others?" he asked.
Qi Yan, well-acquainted with Gu Qi, got straight to the point. "They were dragged away. We don't know their current location, but we need to find the formation's core first."
Gu Qi, untainted by the malicious energy that restricted the others, unleashed a barrage of lightning-element sword techniques with a wave of his hand. The bark giant's branches were severed at an astonishing speed. Yet, the more swiftly Gu Qi cut them down, the faster the giant regrew its limbs.
Each time Gu Qi severed an arm, the giant regenerated it almost instantly.
"Look at its feet!" Su Yi shouted.
Everyone followed his gaze. Among the flames, countless thick vines were sprouting from the bark giant's sides. These long, robust vines resembled the roots of spiritual plants, supporting the giant's movements.
The roots extended from every direction, some beneath the giant's feet, others stretching across the horizon as if originating from distant places.
"They're formation nodes," Gu Qi said. "This thing is a product of the formation nodes."
Roots had grown out of the formation nodes throughout Jinzhou Town, connecting to the bark giant. Each root represented a formation node. Unless all the nodes were destroyed simultaneously, the bark giant would continue to regenerate each time it was cut down. By the time the cultivators exhausted their strength, they might still be unable to eliminate it.
"Can't you try harder and burn it all down?" Qi Yan glanced at Qi Liu.
Qi Liu felt the weight of a mountain on his shoulders. "Young Master, it's not that I'm not trying, but how am I supposed to burn the entire south side of the town?"
The formation cast by the cloaked figure had limited range. Over half an hour had already passed, leaving just an hour and a half. No matter how much Qi Liu tried, he couldn't burn all the roots across Jinzhou Town. Even if he managed to incinerate one side, the other side would remain intact—it was an impossible task.
"Hey, brother! Can this formation extend any further?" Qi Liu looked at Su Yu with pleading eyes. At this point, he regarded the blind youth as incredibly powerful, capable of unleashing such strength through a single formation.
However, Gu Qi caught onto something in Qi Liu's words. This formation… was laid by this person?
Thinking back to the veil he had found earlier, Gu Qi grew more cautious of Su Yu. If his guess was correct, this person's cultivation had barely reached the Foundation Establishment stage, making him, at best, a low-level cultivator. Yet, the formation here was intricate and precise. How could an ordinary, blind cultivator create such a formation?
With Gu Qi's arrival, the ink beast and Zhang Fugui no longer dared to pilfer under his watchful eye.
"Be careful. That sword cultivator is watching you," the ink beast muttered uneasily.
"It can't be changed," Su Yu replied, standing still and playing the role of a powerless blind man. "This is all I can do; I can't manage anything else."
Gu Qi stared at Su Yu without speaking.
"Wait a second! Why is he staring at you like that?" the ink beast grumbled, clearly disliking the sword cultivator. "Does he have some ulterior motive?"
Su Yu knew Gu Qi was watching him. The lightning-charged sword energy swirling around Gu Qi nearly rivaled Qi Liu's flames in intensity. Observing this, Su Yu couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. What a waste of energy… It would've been better if I could absorb it.
As he observed the lightning energy, he noticed something else.
"Does that man have something unusual on him?" Su Yu suddenly asked.
The ink beast turned its attention to Gu Qi, sensing the differences in his presence. Back on the spiritual ship, Gu Qi had only carried a medicine basket. Now, the basket was gone, replaced by a sword strapped to his back, bound with layers of cloth straps.
"Hmm… there's a sword," the ink beast remarked, its tone laced with surprise. "Strange, I don't think I've ever seen him use that sword."
Had Gu Qi used the sword during the fight at Nawu Mountain? It seemed that from start to finish, whether against the ink beast or the bark puppets, Gu Qi had relied solely on sword techniques, never drawing the sword itself.
Just then, the little ginseng spirit, which had been battling the bark giant, landed on the ground. Its fuzzy head tilted as it sniffed the air, drawn toward Gu Qi. Breathing audibly through its nose, it moved closer.
Gu Qi stepped back, avoiding the little ginseng's approach.
But the ginseng seemed addicted to the scent, drawing nearer while anxiously clawing at the ground.
Qi Yan hadn't expected the little ginseng to behave so boldly and quickly reprimanded it. "Little Ginseng! Don't be rude!"
What was going on? The little ginseng had always been docile. When it first met Mr. Gu, it hadn't shown such audacity. This behavior only surfaced when it was fighting other spirit beasts for territory.
"This fat ball is something else! I hope it scratches him a few more times to soothe my anger!" the ink beast grumbled gleefully.
Gu Qi, now avoiding the ginseng, cast it a sidelong glance from beneath his mask. That single look carried an invisible pressure, making the once-agitated ginseng freeze. It stopped clawing at the ground.
Su Yu observed the chaotic sword energy surrounding Gu Qi and the little ginseng's behavior. While the others were distracted by the ginseng's unusual actions, Su Yu suddenly spoke up. "But I hear something. Something doesn't sound right over there."
He pointed to a location illuminated by a strange light visible through his spiritual sight.
Qi Yan and Su Yi followed his direction, noticing that the tree roots in that area seemed sparse. The fewer roots, the more likely something unusual was there.
"What kind of sound?" Qi Yan asked.
Su Yu made something up. "It's like the sound of something crawling."
Gu Qi glanced at him. The boy stood there, his eyes seemingly vacant…
It was as if he was looking straight at Gu Qi while saying these words.
This blind man is pretending.
But… Gu Qi turned his attention to the direction Su Yu had pointed. With the flames consuming most of Jinzhou Town and the eerie energy of the alien vegetation concentrated in the massive bark puppet, the anomalies of the formation were gradually becoming evident.
The area Su Yu had indicated, to the east of Jinzhou Town, indeed seemed to be the strangest part of the town.
If not for his detour to check on the group, Gu Qi would already be on his way to the eastern side.
This blind man is pretending, but his words aren't false.
Jinzhou Town, East.
Elder Liu stood furiously before a water mirror, his anger provoked by the raging sea of flames. Over half the town had been consumed by fire, with most of the alien vegetation painstakingly cultivated over the years now destroyed.
What infuriated him most was the scene in the water mirror.
The two individuals he had thought trapped like fish in a barrel were not only unharmed but had also joined forces with the sword-wielding healer.
This was far beyond Elder Liu's expectations. By now, those two should have overexerted their spiritual energy, succumbed to the malicious seeds, and become puppets of the formation. Yet, they remained unscathed and had even destroyed much of his alien vegetation.
With little room for maneuver, and the Black and White Envoys from the Rogue Cultivator Alliance still outside, Elder Liu was running out of time. If word got out that two key figures from the Qi and Su families had gone missing here, the two great clans would undoubtedly retaliate. Even if the formation were completed, it would inevitably expose its abnormalities.
Elder Liu's gaze shifted toward the core of the formation.
There was no need to wait any longer.
In one hour, these people must die.
Within Jinzhou Town, the moment the water mirror shattered, the ground trembled violently, as if the earth itself were shaking apart.
"The ground is shaking!"
"It's cracking!"
"Run!"
On the streets, the thoughts of the gathered individuals were abruptly interrupted.
The once-flat ground suddenly caved in. In the blink of an eye, several of them were separated as the ground collapsed, leaving them sprawled on the fragmented street. The courtyard's formation was forcibly severed, the rapidly growing spirit plants ceased their development, and the formation's patterns etched into the town's ground were disrupted. All that remained was the ominous black mist seeping endlessly from the ground.
The moment the black mist appeared, it coiled around the group, as if desperately seeking to invade their bodies.
"This is bad," the ink beast muttered, sniffing the air. It had finally identified the source of the foul stench from the strange fruits of Jinzhou Town. "Hold your breath! This black mist and the foul seeds come from the same origin!"
Su Yu stepped back, his sleeve covering his nose and mouth. The pervasive black mist filled his vision, finally revealing the true nature of Jinzhou Town's formation.
This "mist" resembled the energy of the ink spirit orb within his dantian. Although both were black, Su Yu found this mist repulsive—he even detested it.
"Young Master—" Qi Liu was about to search for the others when he turned and noticed the worsening condition of two individuals.
Su Yi and Qi Yan were not faring well. Despite holding their breath in time, the black mist lingered around them. Within moments, the dark traces that had stopped spreading on their arms surged once more, crawling upward. Their faces turned ghastly pale, and bark-like patterns began emerging faintly on their skin.
The mastermind had clearly lost patience and was accelerating the corruption of the foul seeds.
At this rate, not only those who had already consumed the foul seeds, but even Su Yu might be forced to inhale the malodorous black mist.
Gu Qi frowned deeply, his unease growing.
He lowered his head, his sharp senses detecting something beneath the ground—or beneath this formation—something utterly beyond his expectations was about to emerge. It was something both troublesome and difficult to handle.
If he were alone, he could tear through the cracked ground and leave. But now, with two incapacitated individuals, escape seemed far more challenging. Moreover, this formation seemed explicitly designed to target cultivators from the Qi and Su families. In his current, suppressed state, he couldn't take everyone with him.
The sword strapped to his back trembled, as if urging its master to act.
Gu Qi's gaze shifted toward the core of the formation in the eastern part of town.
If it came to the worst...
The earth continued to quake, shaking and trembling as though ready to open a gaping maw to devour them all.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Su Yu cracked open.
Gu Qi snapped out of his thoughts, spun around, and swiftly grabbed the youth, pulling him into his arms as he leapt away from the crumbling ground.
Su Yu, caught off guard, felt a strong hand pull him upward. He was suddenly enveloped in another person's aura, their breath close.
"Your sword…"
In Gu Qi's arms, Su Yu's calm gaze landed on the sword strapped to the swordsman's back. His hand accidentally brushed against the scabbard. The moment his fingers touched it, a sharp pain pricked him, and blood beaded at his fingertips.
The sword's hilt alone was razor-sharp.
With just that brief contact, Su Yu's fingers began to bleed.
The familiar scent of blood magnified a hundredfold, rushing to the swordsman's senses. The suppressed vitality within him surged uncontrollably. The last binding ribbon around the sword hilt tore halfway through.
Gu Qi's voice was icy. "Don't touch it."
The moment Su Yu's blood appeared, the ink beast hurried to seal the blood's energy, instantly healing the wound. Its chatter filled Su Yu's consciousness.
But Su Yu didn't pay attention to the ink beast's complaints. He noticed his sticky blood had vanished and felt the swordsman holding him stiffen abruptly.
Then, it hit him.
This man… is reacting to my blood.
The ancient scabbard exuded a chaotic aura. The once tightly bound ribbons were now mostly undone, leaving only a thin strip securing the blade to the sheath. Though Su Yu couldn't see the sword, he could sense the furious energy coiled within, akin to the lightning within Gu Qi's dantian. The energy roared as if desperately trying to break free.
Gu Qi sought a place to land, but a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
The voice was quiet yet struck directly at Gu Qi's heart.
"You're a swordsman. Why don't you draw your sword?"