“Senior Zhou said the same thing, but we can’t draw any conclusions right now. This formation is extremely old, while the art of formation has long been on the decline. There’s no person or faction left who can erect such a massive formation. This formation was definitely set down by the Origin Immortal Lord, and even if we don’t have the real treasure map, it’s definitely connected to it in some way. There’s no way this can be a simple trap.”
The Demonic Emperor Old Man had also been carefully inspecting his surroundings. He had pondered on the nature of the Origin Immortal Palace and come upon the same problems that Wang Chong had thought of.
Buzz!
At this moment, the world began to sway and the surrounding space began to shake. Wang Chong felt as if some giant hand had taken hold of the space and begun to shake it around, and he instantly grimaced.
A thought flashed through his mind. The formation is changing!
Wang Chong had once learned a few things about formations from Elders Du and Fang, and knew that formations were divided into post-heaven and pre-heaven. Post-heaven formations, once set up, would no longer change. Pre-heaven formations would cover an extremely large area, and once one entered these formations, one’s position would constantly change. Most importantly, the majority of these changes would be extremely dangerous. Very few people could emerge from such formations alive.
“…You might have already noticed that this formation shifts once every hour, and not all the positions change in the same way. According to Senior Zhou, there are eight types, eight changes. One moment, the position you occupy might be safe, but a moment later, it might be fraught with danger. But it’s fine. The position we occupy should be safe for at least twenty-four hours. This was also why I brought you inside.”
“Master, how did you come to know all of this?”
Wang Chong put on a strange expression. Although his master possessed a profound cultivation, he was not particularly skilled in the field of formations. Logically speaking, he should have had nothing to say about this place. He seemed more like…
“Of course, I myself know nothing about such things. It was Senior Zhou who told me. He ended up in one of the formation gates, but as he understands the ways in which formations change, he’s probably much safer than we are. Just six hours ago, he was pushed by the formation to a place close to me, where he told me all these things. And based on what he said, after another six hours, the formation’s shifting will unite his location with our location,” the Demonic Emperor Old Man calmly explained.
Wang Chong became much quieter after hearing this. The Formation Elder was a grandmaster of formations, perhaps the most formidable formation master of the current age. If he believed that their positions would join together after six hours, this was probably the case.
The older a formation, the more dangerous it is. Recklessly moving around in a place like this might cause a chain reaction that only draws one further into death’s embrace. I should wait until we join back up with Senior Zhou before doing anything, Wang Chong quietly said to himself.
Aooooww!
As Wang Chong was thinking, he suddenly heard a howl of pain from nearby, followed swiftly by another, each of them extremely shrill. Wang Chong’s face flickered as he got to his feet.
“Save me!”
“Ah! My face!”
“What sort of place is this?! Treasure! I want treasure! Ah!”
These voices were like the fleeting wails of ghosts and made one’s hair stand on end. Wang Chong rushed in the direction of a voice, but after he had walked just a few steps, it came to a stop. His surroundings fell eerily silent. A few moments later, one wretched scream could be heard, but this time, its position was constantly changing and difficult to pin down.
But both kinds of screams chilled one’s soul.
The Demonic Emperor Old Man closed his eyes and raised his head before indifferently saying, “They’re probably dead!
“There are many dangers in this formation. For those that lack power but are so overcome with greed that they recklessly rush in here to end up like this is not surprising.”
The Demonic Emperor Old Man’s face was cold and indifferent. He felt no pity for these sect martial artists who had heedlessly rushed into the formation. As they said, ‘one’s character is not suitable for one’s position’. Even though they had lacked strength, they had still longed for the world’s number one art. The Demonic Emperor Old Man had never had a good opinion of these people.
“Chong-er, get ready. Our own trial is coming!” the Demonic Emperor Old Man suddenly said.
Wang Chong was dazed, but he quickly sensed something and focused his mind.
Rumble! A few moments later, the space in which Wang Chong resided began to quake, but this was different from before.
Wang Chong felt like the space was rumbling like a high-speed train that had crashed into something. Hiss! Suddenly, dark green smoke began to pour into the space from all sides.
As the dark green smoke rushed in, the space hissed with the sound of corrosion.
Poison!
Wang Chong’s mind trembled in understanding. He immediately radiated out Stellar Energy, which shrouded an area for several feet around him. At the same time, the Demonic Emperor Old Man trembled as he released his own flood of Stellar Energy to protect himself.
Hisss! A few moments later, the dark green smoke had engulfed the master and disciple. This poisonous mist was like acid, but all of the smoke was repelled by the hardy and dense Stellar Energy surrounding Wang Chong and the Demonic Emperor Old Man.
At the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s level, he was practically immune to poison, with only the strongest being capable of bringing him down.
“Aaah! My eyes, my eyes!”
As the master and disciple were putting all their strength into fending off the poison, a burst of screams and a chorus of thumping and banging could be heard. Several people rushed out of the poisonous mist and toward the pair.
“There’s no need to worry about them! The minds of men are evil, and those who enter this place are responsible for their own lives. If they want someone to blame, they should blame themselves!”
The Demonic Emperor Old Man closed his eyes, his expression stiff and cold. In his life, he had been betrayed by his disciple, attacked by both the righteous and evil, and been made a wanted man hunted by tens of thousands of people. Wang Chong and his sister had somewhat softened his heart, even making him willing to go all the way to Talas to assist Wang Chong and the Great Tang against the Arabs.
But this softheartedness was only for the people of the court and proper society. His attitude toward the people of the martial arts world was completely different. No one understood more than him just how sinister, crafty, cunning, and treacherous these people were. In the world of sects, if one wasn’t being backstabbed, one was the backstabber. There was no one worth trusting.
“Ah!”
The screams continued, the pain within them cutting at Wang Chong’s heart like blades. As Wang Chong saw those figures charging off elsewhere and then rolling and writhing on the ground, he couldn’t help but sigh. He naturally understood what his master was thinking. In truth, from the moment they had stepped into the northwest, Wang Chong had already sensed that his master’s personality had subtly changed.
But…
Chapter 1388 - Master’s Progress!
Chapter 1388: Master’s Progress!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Forget it! I still can’t just watch people die! Wang Chong inwardly muttered.
With this thought, he quickly stood up and sent torrents of Stellar Energy sweeping out toward those screaming martial artists. Those martial artists had their hands over their eyes and were still fiercely shuddering.
“Swallow it!”
Wang Chong took out a pill and thrust it into the mouth of a martial artist. At the same time, Stellar Energy rumbled into the bodies of
the other martial artists. A moment later, dark green mist began to seep out of their pores and orifices.
“Sit cross-legged on the ground and focus on circulating your energy!” Wang Chong sternly said.
Knowing that Wang Chong had no ill intentions and knowing that they were surrounded by danger, these unaffiliated martial artists did not dare to be lax. They hastily sat cross-legged on the ground and began to circulate their energy.
“Haaah…”
The Demonic Emperor Old Man couldn’t help but sigh.
“Fine!”
With this word, the Demonic Emperor Old Man sent his own Stellar Energy sweeping forward, dragging several other unaffiliated martial artists into his Stellar Energy barrier, and then with another rumble, he forced out the poison in their bodies. Although he had many grudges against the people from the sects and was not willing to involve himself too much with them, the Demonic Emperor Old Man could not overcome the stubbornness of his own disciple.
Wang Chong’s heart was too soft. For the sake of the people of the southwest, he had ridden off alone to beat back Mengshe Zhao and Ü-Tsang. For the sake of the Great Tang, he had led an army to battle against the Arabs who far outnumbered them. And even though the people of the Great Tang’s capital misunderstood him and caused his heart to knot up in depression, he never gave up, never struck back… Wang Chong had a personality completely unlike his master’s.
But this was precisely what the Demonic Emperor liked about this disciple.
After spending more than two years with him, the Demonic Emperor Old Man had not only failed to change his disciple, but was the one who had been changed.
With the assistance of Wang Chong and the Demonic Emperor Old Man, these people were able to stabilize their breathing.
“Master, thank you!”
Wang Chong looked at the nearby Demonic Emperor Old Man with a hint of shame in his eyes.
“Enough, enough! It’s just a few ants. Saving them is as easy as raising my hand. No one else made you my disciple!”
The Demonic Emperor Old Man waved his hand.
Wang Chong instantly smiled upon hearing this. He knew that while his master talked tough, he did not have a bad heart. Even if he weren’t here, his master would have still offered his assistance.
Time slowly passed. Suddenly, Wang Chong’s eyes flashed as he sensed something.
“It seems like the poison here has a time limit. After a certain amount of time has passed, it will start to disperse.”
Wang Chong could see that the dark green poisonous mist was slowly thinning out. A few moments later, it had completely vanished.
Cough, cough!
At this moment, he heard coughing. Those unaffiliated martial artists who were being protected by the Stellar Energies of Wang Chong and the Demonic Emperor Old Man had finally come around. As they slowly stopped circulating their energy, they appeared rather pale, but they did not have any severe injuries.
“Ah!”
Suddenly, one of the martial artists stared in wide-eyed shock at the nearby Demonic Emperor Old Man. As if he had seen a venomous snake, he pushed both palms against the ground and flew backward in fear and panic.
“De-De… Demonic Emperor!”
Alarmed by this man’s voice, the other martial artists also turned toward that cold and imposing figure of the Demonic Emperor Old Man, and then they backed away in panic and unease.
Everyone in the martial arts world knew of Demonic Emperor Zhang Wenfu’s infamous reputation. Moreover, it wasn’t too long ago that they had seen that illusion of the man in the air. How could seeing the real man not inspire panic and terror?
“Run!”
One of the martial artists got up and immediately charged outward, soon vanishing without a trace.
Wang Chong did not try to stop him, but his eyes suddenly turned cold. At almost the same moment, a hint of killing intent flitted through the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s eyes. His five fingers clenched and then slowly loosened.
“Damn it! How did we run into a demon like this!?”
A few other martial artists, their faces and bodies trembling, also rushed outward.
Wang Chong’s eyes turned even colder.
This massive formation was fraught with danger. If all went as expected, these people were doomed. This time, however, Wang Chong did not intend to go to their aid. Everyone chose their own paths. Wang Chong had already saved them once, and he would not do so a second time.
“Ah!”
A few moments later, a burst of screams came from the distance, and then silence. Back at the formation gate, those martial artists who had not rushed out trembled in fear as they understood.
Wang Chong paid them no further attention. Now that it was safe, it was time to worry about what came next.
In around two hours, Senior Zhou should appear, Wang Chong inwardly muttered.
Bzzz! Wang Chong opened his eyes and entered the world of energy. In a flash, the world transformed into a gorgeous and bizarre world of flowing energy.
What a complicated energy world!
Through the world of energy, he could see that this formation was formed from thousands of different kinds of energy. When he looked up at the formation, he felt like an ant looking up at a majestic mountain, insignificantly tiny.
Not only that, when Wang Chong looked around and tried to observe other places, he could clearly sense some invisible energy interfering with him so that his range of vision in the world of energy was limited.
This must be the effect produced by the seal around the Origin Immortal Mountain.
Although one’s vision was not affected by ordinary barriers in the world of energy, energy could impede energy and affect his observation. Wang Chong sensed that the entire Origin Immortal Mountain was enclosed in a dome of energy.
A familiar voice resounded in his ear. “You should have already seen it, yes? This formation isn’t just a formation, but also an energy formation. It seems like a good portion of that missing energy Senior Zhou mentioned—when he spoke of this as a diagram of the universe—was gathered here. As the formation changes, so does the energy. Each formation gate is a different kind of energy, and from the current situation, there are more than one thousand of these formation gates. If we can’t figure out the law governing them, we will find it very difficult to leave this place.”
“Master!”
Wang Chong suddenly noticed that his master was standing next to him.
Through the world of energy, the energy in his master’s body was milky-white and dense, appearing stronger than any other energy he could see. And when Wang Chong looked over, he was instantly drawn to his master’s eyes. Unlike normal eyes, in the world of energy, his master’s eyes were dazzling balls of golden energy.
This golden energy seemed to Wang Chong to be of an extremely high level, but for some reason, Wang Chong felt it to be extremely familiar, as if he had seen it before.
Buzz!
A moment later, in a flash of insight, Wang Chong finally understood where he had seen this golden energy before.
“Master, you…!”
Wang Chong’s eyes widened as he finally understood.
In the Battle of Talas, when Arab War God Qutaybah had just broken into the Subtle realm, this kind of golden energy had also appeared in his body. This was the energy of the Subtle realm, an energy that came from a higher dimension.
Could it be that his master had made even more progress in his martial arts and touched the Subtle realm?!
Wang Chong was both shocked and elated. On the other side, the Demonic Emperor Old Man seemed to have understood what Wang Chong was thinking and slightly nodded, a smile on his lips.
“Wonderful!”
Upon receiving his master’s affirmation, Wang Chong clenched his fists in excitement.
“Your master truly did manage to comprehend a few things while battling with that foreign War God. Once we treat your cultivation defect, your master will tell you ev
erything. In your current state, this kind of energy is not necessarily good for you,” the Demonic Emperor Old Man said.
What the Demonic Emperor Old Man was most worried about at this time was his disciple. Of all his disciples, Wang Chong brought him the greatest contentment, and only Wang Chong was worthy of inheriting all he had. This journey to the northwest was primarily for Wang Chong, while he himself was secondary.
“Your disciple understands!”
Wang Chong nodded. His body currently contained more than one thousand kinds of energy. If he added the energy of the Subtle realm into the mix, it would probably cause the energy in his body to erupt, only causing him more problems.
“Get ready!” the Demonic Emperor Old Man suddenly said. “The formation is about to change again.”
Rumble! A few moments later, the formation shifted again. Dangerous energy surged forward, and Wang Chong instantly released his Stellar Energy to its maximum extent. But as his eyes passed over those unaffiliated martial artists, Wang Chong hesitated, and then he swiftly took those martial artists under his Stellar Energy barrier.
As time slowly passed, a burst of screams would occasionally echo through the formation surrounding the Origin Immortal Mountain. Innumerable people were dying within this ancient formation, but just as the Formation Elder had said, the formation gate where Wang Chong and his master resided was relatively safe, at least for people of his and his master’s strength.
Wang Chong would occasionally enter the world of energy and work together with his master to try to see how this ancient formation operated. Wang Chong had also tried to use Psychic Energy, but his efforts had produced little result. The enormity and complexity of this formation far exceeded his imagination. While Wang Chong had managed to obtain some information, successfully comprehending this ancient formation laid down by the Origin Immortal Lord was still far in the future.
It seems like we’ll have to wait for Senior Zhou, Wang Chong muttered to himself. In the end, he and his master were skilled in martial arts, not formations.
Chapter 1389 - The Formation Elder Appears!
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 870