The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  Chapter 1389: The Formation Elder Appears!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  After a few moments of thought, Wang Chong removed a book from his bosom. This was none other than the ‘Void Movement Technique’ manual he had obtained from that man in black. Wang Chong had browsed through it earlier, but time had been short, and he had not had time to finish.

  All was quiet, and there was even some air flow. Other than when the formation shifted, this place was rather safe.

  As there was nothing else to do, Wang Chong decided to cultivate the void movement technique while he waited for the Formation Elder.

  Those unaffiliated martial artists kept their distance when everything was quiet, and his master was still trying to understand the laws of the formation through the world of energy. For a moment, no one noticed Wang Chong and the void movement technique manual. Even if someone did notice, they only shot it a passing glance before hurriedly looking away.

  ‘The void is limited while the mind is boundless. When one’s mind is unified, one can travel as skillfully through the void as a master butcher’s cleaver slides through the sinews of an ox!

  ‘Use the heart to control the mind, the mind to control the body, the body to control space, and all things will be unreachable, and no one will detect you. Thus, this is no simple body movement technique.’

  ……

  As Wang Chong read line after line, he quickly immersed himself into the void movement technique.

  These men in black were dangerous, vicious, and extremely mysterious. Their martial arts were truly profound and far more formidable than the majority of the martial arts the people of this era had access to.

  Wang Chong quickly began to cultivate according to the prescribed mantra.

  This void movement technique had little to do with his internal energy. Thus, cultivating it would not worsen the current situation in his body. This was also why Wang Chong had chosen to cultivate it.

  Time slowly passed, and Wang Chong had soon almost completely grasped the secrets of the void movement technique. After all, he was a peak Great General, so it was much easier for him to cultivate this kind of technique.

  As Wang Chong was immersed in cultivation, the Demonic Emperor Old Man suddenly said, “It’s here!”

  Wang Chong’s heart trembled as he raised his head. Looking up, he saw that after the passage of hours, even that dim and gray sky had begun to darken.

  Although it was not possible to determine direction in this vast and complicated formation, one could still see whether it was daytime or night through the color of the sky.

  Rumble! A few seconds later, the space began to quake as the formation was once more set into motion.

  “Zhang Wenfu, foul brat, where are you?” a voice suddenly resounded, and Wang Chong suddenly sensed a familiar aura coming from his left. Bzz! In a flash of light, a short and proud elder wearing a Daoist robe came walking out of the gray fog.

  “Senior Zhou!”

  Wang Chong immediately stood up, and at the same time, the Demonic Emperor Old Man strode over, heartily laughing.

  “Old rascal, I’ve been waiting for hours! You’re finally here!”

  As the Demonic Emperor Old Man spoke, he gave the Formation Elder a vigorous embrace.

  “Release me! You old thing, you’re going to wring me to death!”

  The Formation Elder was both worried and angry, so tightly embraced by the Demonic Emperor Old Man that his face was red. As he bellowed and cursed, he kicked at the Demonic Emperor Old Man’s kneecaps. As it turned out, the Demonic Emperor Old Man had lifted him up into the air with his vigorous hug.

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man heartily laughed before finally loosening his grip.

  The Formation Elder glared at the Demonic Emperor Old Man before turning to Wang Chong.

  “Hey, kid, you actually dared to play around with Song Yuanyi and Luo Qiyin! You’ve got guts! I suppose that’s to be expected of the Demonic Emperor’s true disciple. You didn’t let down your master’s reputation! This old man underestimated you! Your daring has given this old man a better opinion of you!”

  The Formation Elder’s face was brimming with arrogance and seemed to be conveying the message that he now felt Wang Chong worth teaching.

  When Wang Chong saw this, he found himself both vexed and amused.

  “Yes, this junior accepts your teachings!”

  After exchanging these pleasantries, the trio calmed down and began to discuss the situation.

  “Old rascal, do you have a plan? Based on the current situation, this formation has already imprisoned seven to eight hundred people, and the longer we stay here, the stronger the formation becomes. I’ve already tried several times, but I haven’t found a way to get out of here!”

  The Demonic Emperor Old Man looked at the gray fog around them as he spoke.

  When those martial artists who had been saved heard these words, they trembled in fear. Everyone knew of the Demonic Emperor’s strength, and if not even he could leave this formation, then neither could they.

  “This matter isn’t as simple as you think!”

  The Formation Elder had a solemn expression, a hint of concern in his eyes.

  “The Origin Immortal Lord’s attainments in the art of formations were far more formidable than I had imagined. This formation has 1024 formation gates in total, with a total of 12,288 permutations. Each time, it shifts in a different way. Just calculating how the formation shifts is already rather complex. I can only calculate a portion, which is why I was only able to determine that we could meet in six hours. But I’m far from calculating a way to leave this place!”

  “Why do we have to leave? Why can’t we go into the Origin Immortal Mountain? Do none of you want the Origin Immortal Art?” one of the martial artists curled up in the corner blurted out. Only after he had spoken did he realize that he had been too agitated. To dare mouth off in front of the Demonic Emperor was seeking death!

  “Hmph! You idiots!” the Formation Elder suddenly said, turning to face them with an expression that oozed disdain. “Do you still not get it? There is no Origin Immortal Mountain here!”

  “Impossible! All of us saw that massive Origin Immortal Mountain.”

  “The Origin Immortal Art is the world’s number one art. Such a treasure must definitely be surrounded by dangers. You can’t just obtain treasure without experiencing risk!”

  “That’s right! The Origin Immortal Mountain must be in the depths of this formation. As long as we pass through this formation, we can definitely reach the Origin Immortal Mountain!”

  The martial artists began to chime in, their desire for the world’s number one art overcoming their fear of the Demonic Emperor.

  “Pah, the depths of the formation? What a pack of idiots! Based on the area covered by this formation, if the Origin Immortal Mountain really were inside, it would only be ten feet tall,” the Formation Elder jeered.

  Buzz!

  The martial artists shuddered at the Formation Elder’s words, instantly struck dumb. An Origin Immortal Mountain that was ten feet tall was naturally impossible. There had to be some sort of problem.

  All fell silent. Wang Chong had no comments, but a thoughtful look appeared on his face. He had been in the formation for several hours, and he had used various methods to try and observe it.

  The Origin Immortal Mountain simply didn’t exist in this place…

  This was something he had already begun to suspect, but only when the Formation Elder had appeared had the truth been exposed.

  “How could that be? Everyone saw that massive mountain! It seemed so real! How could it be a fake!? I don’t believe you! I don’t!” one of the martial artists said in wide-eyed disbelief, an extremely stubborn look on his face.

  He had traveled a great distance in pursuit of this supreme art, overcoming many dangers and being pursued many times, even getting into fights with many of the martial artists gath
ered here. After entering this formation, he had suffered from poisonous mist and had been ambushed by others, but he had endured it all so that he could obtain the supreme art and one day become the greatest expert in the world.

  But now, the Formation Elder was saying that this was all fake. How could he possibly accept it?

  “I don’t believe you, you swindlers!”

  The agitated martial artist seemed to go insane, and before anyone could react, he charged into the gray fog.

  “Ah!”

  The other martial artists couldn’t help but call out in surprise, but a few moments later, he was gone.

  “Hmph! Those blinded by greed are only seeking death!”

  The Formation Elder coldly grunted before turning back around.

  Wang Chong and the Demonic Emperor Old Man had nothing to say. One had to choose their own path. The Formation Elder had already warned him, and if he still insisted on charging headlong into danger, no one could stop him.

  “Let’s get back to the formation! I calculated for many hours, hoping to find a pattern to the formation’s shifts, even just a little, but I failed each time. There was also something inexplicably off about my calculations. I get this feeling that there’s someone operating this formation!” the Formation Elder said.

  “What?!”

  Wang Chong and the Demonic Emperor Old Man trembled, expressions of shock on their faces.

  “How could this be?!”

  Wang Chong creased his brow and began to think. Such a massive formation should not be something that a human could control. It was more feasible that this formation had been set down by the Origin Immortal Lord several hundred years ago. If what the Formation Elder said was true, this matter took on an entirely different nature.

  “Old rascal, are you serious?” the Demonic Emperor Old Man said, his expression grave.

  “I also hope that it’s not the case, but I calculated three to four hundred times and felt something fishy each time. I really hope that I’m overthinking things.”

  The Formation Elder didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  “Senior Zhou, I once dabbled in the art of formations. Why don’t you teach me a little, and I might be able to help you with your calculations,” Wang Chong suddenly said.

  Chapter 1390 - Bizarre Formation!

  Chapter 1390: Bizarre Formation!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  While Elders Fang and Du had still been around, Wang Chong had learned a little about formations from them, and in the apocalyptic era, Wang Chong had also interacted somewhat with formations. It was just that he had never had any systematic education. However, Wang Chong undoubtedly knew more than the common person with regards to formations.

  “This… Fine. In any case, I couldn’t think of an idea after this long, so there’s no harm in you trying. It’s better than doing nothing.”

  As the Formation Elder spoke, he extended a finger. Swish! A bolt of energy flew through the air, and as the Formation Elder’s finger moved, it began to draw out a formation on the ground.

  This was a gigantic circular formation with more than one thousand formation gates and more than ten thousand permutations. Completely drawing out such a massive formation was almost impossible. Even the Formation Elder could only draw out something thirty to forty percent similar.

  But this was already rather astonishing and would certainly alarm many people if it ever got out. After all, the Origin Immortal Lord had been the greatest formation master of the Central Plains.

  Moreover, these ancient formations had already been lost, so the Formation Elder had obtained this rough estimate of the formation’s shape through his own deductions.

  “It’s great that you have some foundation, but this is still a formation left behind by the Origin Immortal Lord. How much you can comprehend will depend on yourself. I can only give you a rough explanation.

  “The art of formations is one of constant transformation, but none of the shifts are ever far from the base. All formations essentially share the same foundation, the eight gates of Life, Pain, Rest, Stop, View, Death, Alarm, and Open. As long as you can grasp the key shifts of these gates, you should theoretically be capable of opening up all formations, though that’s only theoretically.”

  The Formation Elder continued to write on the ground, lecturing Wang Chong on the changes in formations while also providing some supplementary knowledge.

  The Formation Elder had never been a good teacher, nor did he have the time to devote to teaching a disciple. However, the Formation Elder had already busied himself over this formation for many hours with little progress, so he had nothing better to do except teach Wang Chong.

  Moreover, even if he didn’t care for the monk, he had to care for the Buddha. It was better to get into the good graces of the Demonic Emperor Old Man.

  “So, each of the eight gates corresponds to 128 formation gates of this formation with 1536 permutations?” Wang Chong finally said after listening to the Formation Elder’s explanation.

  The Formation Elder’s face froze upon hearing these words, and he looked strangely at Wang Chong.

  He had only roughly explained the basics to Wang Chong, but Wang Chong had already been able to deduce something like this, far surpassing his expectations. Such comprehension was truly incredible.

  This kid isn’t just good at martial arts! He also has tremendous talent when it comes to formations!

  As this thought flew through the Formation Elder’s mind, he shot a glance at the Demonic Emperor Old Man. At that moment, he suddenly had a strange idea.

  A momentary silence ensued, during which the Formation Elder calmed down so that he could continue lecturing Wang Chong about formations.

  “The Open Gate, Rest Gate, and Life Gate are auspicious gates and are generally not that dangerous. The Death Gate, Alarm Gate, and Pain Gate are inauspicious gates, and if you enter the formation gates corresponding to them, you’ll be in grave peril. Entering the gates of the Death Gate is particularly dangerous, and you generally won’t come out alive. As for the Stop Gate and View Gate, they are rather balanced, between the auspicious and inauspicious gates. They aren’t that dangerous, but they aren’t that safe either. You and your master are currently in the Rest Gate.

  “The Rest Gate is the gate of recuperation. In a formation, the formation gates are constantly changing. Once inside, if a martial artist doesn’t die, they’ll be exhausted from trying to survive, as there’s simply no time to rest. Only in the Rest Gate can one get a chance to catch one’s breath. In these formation gates, you can meditate and recuperate, recovering your Stellar Energy. This was also why when your master got in touch with me through the world of energy, I told him not to leave. This formation was the creation of the Origin Immortal Lord, and it uses the energy of the world. Once you leave the Rest Gate, even someone as strong as your master will be in grave danger.”

  The Formation Elder spoke in an extremely grave tone. This formation was far more dangerous than anyone could imagine. Not even the Demonic Emperor Old Man would dare to say that he was safe in here, much less anyone else. Even a master of formations like the Formation Elder could only guarantee his own safety.

  When moving from his current position to this one, he had felt like he was treading on thin ice. Otherwise, he would have never taken such a long time.

  “But, Senior Zhou, according to your explanation, as the Rest Gate is an auspicious gate, there should be no danger here at all. Yet not long ago, we were attacked by the formation within the Rest Gate. This doesn’t seem at all like the place for rest and recuperation that you say the Rest Gate should be,” Wang Chong said, his brow creased.

  “Heh, I wasn’t finished yet. For you to quickly notice this is not bad, not bad!”

  The Formation Elder stroked his beard, casting a praising glance at Wang Chong as he nodded.

  “The Rest Gate isn’t as simple as you think. It’s only less dangerous w
hen compared to the other formation gates, but it’s not completely free of danger. Once you enter a wondrous formation like this, there is no position that is completely unchanging, completely safe. As they say, pull a hair and put the entire body into motion. The moment you enter the formation, you set off a chain reaction. Only by finding the Life Gate can you leave.

  “The Rest Gate is about rest and only rest. You can’t just stay there forever. At the Rest Gate, there will be a shift every twenty hours, a point where the place is beset by traps and poison gas. This is unavoidable.”

  Wang Chong looked up at the Formation Elder and said, “But… if we continue on this line of thought, one should only face danger once a day, yet my master and I have been attacked twice since I came in. This isn’t at all in line with Senior’s theory.”

  The Formation Elder was a master of formation arts, and he shouldn’t have been wrong. But Wang Chong had swiftly noticed parts of the Formation Elder’s explanation that did not line up with reality.

  The master and disciple had spent many hours here, and he could not possibly have miscounted.

  “You!”

  The Formation Elder was struck dumb by Wang Chong’s words.

  “Haaa, this kid! What a pity what someone with such ability is following a master like this!”

  “Old rascal, put aside that idea right now! This old man will never hand his disciple over to you! Expel that thought from your mind!” the Demonic Emperor Old Man suddenly said icily. Although his gaze was elsewhere, he was well aware of what was going on around him.

  “Zhang Wenfu, what in the world are you thinking? Has this old man ever talked about stealing your disciple?”

  The Formation Elder was rather embarrassed, his face turning red upon being exposed.

  He had always been a solitary man, and on this journey to the northwest, he hadn’t even brought a servant. From this, one could see that it wasn’t that he was proud or aloof, but because he had never found a disciple that he liked. To be at his age without a successor, how could he not be concerned?

  But being anxious about this matter wouldn’t deliver him a disciple. After all, not everyone could serve as an inheriting disciple. His harsh way of speaking further increased the difficulty of finding an appropriate disciple.