“Kiiill!”
But these cavalry showed no fear or hesitation in the face of this vast formation of Imperial Army soldiers.
Swish! Wootz Steel swords swept through the air as the cavalry took up Arrow Formation and heedlessly charged forward.
At this moment, the ten-thousand-man formation began to turn like a gear and spin toward the Wootz Steel cavalry. This was a battle of edge against edge, neither side backing down.
This formation of ten thousand men was tough and powerful, but what they faced was one of the sharpest weapons in the world.
“Ah!”
Screams ripped through the night as the one thousand Wootz Steel cavalry savagely stabbed into the formation. Plush! Plush! The sharp blades sliced through armor like paper, drawing out torrents of blood. The sheer force of the charge alone was enough to send some Imperial Army soldiers flying through the air.
This force was like a tiger amongst a flock of sheep, and in a few short moments, more than one thousand Imperial Army soldiers had been slain. Even with the power of the formation, they were still unable to block the terrifying offensive might of Wootz Steel cavalry.
As the saying went, a powerful man could beat ten martial artists. When strength reached a certain level, it could ignore techniques and skills.
Chapter 1757 - : The Trap Behind the Center Gate!
Chapter 1757: The Trap Behind the Center Gate!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Boom!
It seemed like these Imperial Army soldiers were about to crumble and the Center Gate was about to fall, but at this moment, the earth rumbled, and a violet pillar of energy shot up from the depths of the Imperial Palace, spreading outward in a great wave.
This violet pillar of energy was dazzling in the darkness, causing the world to experience a violet day.
For a moment, everything in the world fell silent. As countless eyes turned to look, they sensed a horrifying power coming from the energy pillar.
“What terrifying strength!”
Even the most ordinary Imperial Army soldier could sense how monstrous this power was, how it reigned above all other things in the world.
But this was only the beginning. This massive energy began to radiate outward, traveling through the ground to sweep over every part of the Imperial Palace and effecting a miraculous transformation.
Clangclangclang!
The Imperial Army force that had been on the verge of crumbling under the vicious assault was engulfed by the violet wave of energy, and a moment later, the halos under their feet began to swell in power, pouring new energy into their bodies.
Not only did the Imperial Army soldiers get stronger, the formation itself began to manifest larger and more complex patterns. The men were now even more united, their connection with each other even tighter.
“Not good!”
“What’s this?! This formation is weakening us!”
Cries of alarm came from the one thousand Wootz Steel cavalry, who saw their halos dim and felt their cultivation levels drop.
“Kill!”
The Imperial Army soldiers, with their renewed strength, now brandished their weapons and began their counterattack.
“Kill!”
But despite all these soldiers charging at them, the one thousand Wootz Steel cavalry remained fearless.
They continued to charge, as the edges of the Wootz Steel weapons were unaffected by these halos.
But even so, it was clear that their advance had been slowed.
Wang Chong silently observed all this from the rear.
“Hmph!”
With a cold snort, Wang Chong stomped forward. There was a great clattering as a massive halo began to spread out from under his feet.
The one thousand Wootz Steel cavalry were engulfed in rumbling waves of energy, and then dazzling halos began to revolve around their feet.
Their strength instantly soared, and not only did they recover their original strength, they became even stronger.
“It’s about ready!”
Wang Chong’s eyes flashed as he began to advance.
His dantian vibrated, unleashing a powerful energy that locked onto the Imperial Army soldiers. He was preparing to strike and clean up the battlefield in one fell swoop.
“Kid, wait a moment!”
A familiar and anxious voice spoke into his ears.
“This formation isn’t completely activated yet! Now is not the time to strike!”
Buzz!
Wang Chong immediately stopped and turned his head to a position far in the back. There, a short old man was observing something from atop a high wall.
In this world, there was but one man with such short stature who called Wang Chong ‘kid’: the Formation Elder.
“What has Senior noticed?”
Wang Chong drew back and immediately shot over to the wall. In order to deal with the First Prince and Hou Junji, Wang Chong had particularly requested the aid of the Formation Elder.
“Wang Chong, I know you’re anxious to attack, but it’s not the right time yet!” the Formation Elder declared, his hair dancing in the fierce winds.
“This enemy is more formidable than we thought. Besides the Center Gate where we’re located, every region around Taiji Palace has been covered by this formation. It’s a very unique formation, one that I’ve never seen despite my life of research. This must be a formation that our foe created through his own diligence and wisdom.”
There was a hint of fear in the Formation Elder’s voice.
Creating a formation was no easy task, and was something that only a genius with intelligence that only appeared once every hundred years could pull off. Even then, creating a formation would require immense time and energy.
Although the Formation Elder had spent his entire life researching formations, he had not even thought about creating one, much less one of such large scale.
To think that there would be such a man in the Imperial Palace…!
The Formation Elder was inwardly shaken.
The people of the martial arts world had always looked down on those of the Imperial Court, but from the current situation, it seemed that the Imperial Palace truly was a den of dragons. Powerful masters and experts could be found here in great numbers.
Hou Junji!
Wang Chong immediately knew who the Formation Elder was talking about. In the Imperial Palace, this was the only man with the ability to create a formation that could leave even the Formation Elder shaken!
The Formation Elder looked forward and said, “The Xun Gate, the Qian Gate, the Zhen Gate, the Dui Gate… the eight gates of this formation have already completely fused with the walls of the Imperial Palace. Wang Chong, use the energy-seeing technique your master taught you to take a look!”
With the onset of the Rebellion of the Three Princes, Wang Chong had been entirely focused on getting to Taiji Palace and saving the Sage Emperor. He simply hadn’t had the time to inspect Hou Junji’s formation. However, Wang Chong knew that the Formation Elder had to have his reasons for this request.
Wang Chong turned to Taiji Palace and found that the Formation Elder had chosen an excellent vantage point. From here, he could see more than half of the inner court.
Buzz!
Wang Chong focused his mind, gathering Stellar Energy at his eyes. A moment later, the Imperial Palace transformed, the walls disappearing, allowing Wang Chong to see an energy source of almost unfathomable size.
“……”
“This…”
Wang Chong was so shaken by this sight that he could barely speak.
Though the violet pillar of energy had told him that Hou Junji had laid down an extremely powerful formation, it was only through the world of energy that he could see just how gigantic the formation was.
Wang Chong could see a dome of energy, black tinged with violet, that soared several hundred meters into the air and engulfed the entire region around Taiji Pal
ace.
Destructive tides of energy raged within the depths of the dome, radiating in all directions.
Even a Subtle realm martial artist like Wang Chong was insignificant before this vast energy. This was an energy that reigned above all living things.
“You saw it, I’m guessing. This energy was much stronger than we expected, but if you look carefully, we can see that your cavalry still haven’t encountered any powerful resistance. This means that the enemy hasn’t unleashed this energy yet,” the Formation Elder commented.
“Without a doubt, our foe is building up strength and waiting for the right moment, and that moment is you!”
The Formation Elder profoundly glanced at Wang Chong.
Buzz!
Wang Chong said nothing, but his heart began to thump and his mind began to understand.
Swish!
The Formation Elder thrust out a finger, sending out a bolt of energy that he used to score out a line on the wall.
The Formation Elder continued to move his finger around, and a crude formation soon appeared.
Though it was crude, it clearly marked out each of the eight gates, even the formation core.
The Formation Elder was one of the best formation masters in the world, and while he couldn’t see energy like Wang Chong, his many years of research on formations had made him extremely perceptive. With just one glance, he could see sixty to seventy percent of the formation’s true shape.
“…If my guess is correct, the moment you step over the threshold of the Center Gate, the general controlling the formation from the rear will activate it. At that moment, Life and Death will change places, and the shifting of gates will have you swiftly whisked away by the formation’s power!” he Formation Elder gravely said, waving his finger, sending a wisp of energy moving from the Center Gate and traveling through the formation until it eventually stopped at an area near the core.
“You should be instantly teleported here if I’m right. Although I don’t know what they have planned for you, there’s probably at least four experts waiting for you here. Moreover, at that moment, all the energy of the formation will be focused here and used to attack you.”
The Formation Elder stopped here.
If Wang Chong were truly transported to that location and made to take the full brunt of the formation, then even though he was in the Subtle realm, he would find it incredibly difficult to survive.
Chapter 1758 - Formation Versus Formation!
Chapter 1758: Formation Versus Formation!
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
Wang Chong said nothing as he looked toward the open Center Gate. The one presiding over the Center Gate was naturally Huang Tianzhao.
As he recalled that arrogant assault from atop the palace wall, Wang Chong suddenly understood what was going on. There was no doubt that Huang Tianzhao had been trying to bait him.
“But this sort of large-scale teleportation covering such a vast area must be very limited. It must consume enormous amounts of energy.
“This is why your enemy is waiting for you to go past the Center Gate to trigger it. If you don’t go over, they won’t trigger it, and it won’t threaten your soldiers very much,” the Formation Elder said.
“Is there a way to break the formation?” Wang Chong said.
Regardless of how dangerous Hou Junji’s formation was, he didn’t have a choice. If he wanted to protect the Sage Emperor and stop the Rebellion of the Three Princes, he needed to break through the array as quickly as possible. He didn’t have much time.
“It’s very difficult!”
After a few moments of silence, the Formation Elder shook his head, his brows creasing.
“The enemy developed this formation on their own, so there are no records of it. As this is my first time seeing it, breaking through it in a short time simply isn’t possible.
“Moreover, you’re currently the strongest person in this group, but as soon as you step inside, you’ll be teleported to the center of the formation and attacked with all the formation’s power. They’re so quiet right now precisely because they’re waiting for you to take the bait!” the Formation Elder said.
This was truly a dilemma. The enemy had far more soldiers than Wang Chong did, and they had now even turned the entire Imperial City into a formation that linked together all one hundred thousand soldiers of the Imperial Army, only increasing the difficulties Wang Chong had to face.
Wang Chong said nothing as he looked ahead, his mind turning.
“In addition, the Sage Emperor is hailed as the number one expert of the Central Plains. In the past, vast amounts of manpower and resources were mobilized to add all kinds of inscriptions to the walls of the Imperial Palace. The generations of sovereigns have also added numerous formations under the palace, and there are currently more than one hundred thousand formations of various sizes.
“These numerous formations link the entire Imperial Palace together. To attack one wall is to attack the entire formation. If you want to force your way in, destroying the walls is no good,” the Formation Elder said.
He was a master of formations and knew the vast majority of them like the back of his hand. He was even familiar with the history behind these formations.
The sects had not always been separate from the Imperial Court. Several hundred years ago, the chaotic times meant that the martial arts world had once served the Imperial Court.
In that period of time, countless members of the martial arts world had come forward to leave a vast array of inscriptions on the Imperial Palace, as numerous as the stars. This made the Great Tang Imperial Palace the world’s sturdiest ‘fortress’, and it also made it a renowned holy land for formations.
“…Moreover, it is also very difficult to fly through the areas covered by the formation. From the current state of the formation, if you try to break through via the air, I estimate that at least half of the formation’s power will attack you!” the Formation Elder grimly said.
Given this formation’s strength, even half of its power was still enough to slay the Subtle realm Wang Chong.
Creee!
At this moment, a sharp cry came from above. A flock of gyrfalcons and golden hawks was chasing a single rock eagle through the air.
This was a rock eagle that Zhang Que had dispatched to scout the Imperial Palace.
The rock eagle flew into the darkness, but suddenly, a violet barrier appeared out of nowhere. The rock eagle slammed into it, plaintively shrieked, and then burned away into black ash.
The gyrfalcons and golden hawks behind it seemed to sense something and tried to stop themselves, but it was too late. Their inertia carried them in twos or threes into the violet barrier, and with plaintive screeches, the ten-some gyrfalcons and golden hawks were turned to ash.
Wang Chong’s pupils constricted upon seeing this. The Formation Elder had been right. The formation was far more powerful than he had imagined.
“So, we can only attack from the ground,” Wang Chong suddenly said.
“Mm! Although this is the case, I will still need some time to find its weakness!” the Formation Elder said. This was a new formation, meaning that his past experience was not very applicable. He was capable of breaking it, but he needed time—time which they currently lacked.
Wang Chong closed his eyes and began to silently think.
“Can a place only contain one formation?” Wang Chong suddenly asked.
“Ah?!”
The Formation Elder was taken aback by this abrupt question.
“Laying down a formation requires the proper place and time. If I were to lay down a formation outside the Center Gate next to theirs, would it be affected?”
Wang Chong opened his eyes and turned to the Formation Elder.
“You want to use a formation to fight against a formation?”
The Formation Elder instantly understood.
“Mm.”
Wang Chong gave a firm nod.
The Formation Elder was shaken. Breaking Hou Junji’s formation required time, but Wang Chong didn’t have time, so he could only think of another way.
After a few moments of thought, the Formation Elder said, “Theoretically, using a formation against a formation should work.”
“And what if I were to set up a formation inside the Center Gate, within their formation?” Wang Chong continued.
“Of course not!”
The Formation Elder shook his head without a second thought.
“A massive formation has already been laid down past the Center Gate, and two formations cannot be laid down in the same place, not even two identical ones. They will reject each other. Trying to set up a formation will cause disorder in the formation and clashing energy that would make both formations collapse—”
The Formation Elder’s body shivered as his voice came to a sudden halt. He stared with wide eyes at Wang Chong.
“Kid, you’re not thinking…”
Again, Wang Chong firmly nodded.
“!!!”
The Formation Elder’s mind was immediately tossed into great turmoil. He had never imagined that Wang Chong would think of this method to break the formation.
It was simply absurd!
Not even he had ever considered this option.
“But your chances of success are extremely small, and you have to have a formation strong enough to resist theirs. This alone is no easy task.”
Before the Formation Elder could finish speaking, Wang Chong unrolled an ancient formation diagram.
“Heh, Senior, did you forget about this?”
Wang Chong chuckled. In the northwest journey, Wang Chong had obtained the formation diagram for the Origin Immortal Formation. This was an ancient formation left behind by the Origin Immortal Lord, and in terms of power, it could not possibly be beneath Hou Junji’s Hundred Thousand God-Devil Execution Formation.
Shaking off his shock, the Formation Elder quickly began to argue. “But even with that, trying to break a formation with another formation is no easy task. First, you have to understand where the enemy formation’s eight gates are, how it is drawing energy, the rules by which it operates, and its weaknesses. And since we’re outside and can’t get into the depths of the Imperial Palace, we can’t interact with the formation’s core, multiplying the difficulty of this task.”
The Human Emperor c1-2382 Page 1078