Chapter 239: The Awakening Formation
Chapter 239: The Awakening Formation
A crisp sound rang out, as if heaven and earth were shattering.
The charging cultivator staggered and collapsed like a withered flower at Cheng Lingyu’s feet.
At the same moment, Cheng Lingyu’s foot landed, causing the ground to crumble. The man in green and the charging cultivator were the first to be hit—their bodies exploded into a rain of blood, their souls scattering.
In the blink of an eye, the two peak Soul Martial cultivators from the Heavenly Palace lay dead.
“What… What… Am I seeing things?”
“This kid’s… too… ruthless.”
Everyone froze, including Nie Jiaolong and Tian Feng. They knew Cheng Lingyu was strong, but never imagined he’d obliterate two Heavenly Palace cultivators so easily.
The unspoken grudge between Cheng Lingyu and the Heavenly Palace was the root of this.
The remaining eight Heavenly Palace members stood stunned. Though all were in the Blood Martial Realm, this outcome left them speechless.
A mere Soul Martial Fifth Realm cultivator unleashing such brutality in public—this was madness.
Cheng Lingyu stood calmly, spotless, as though he were merely watching.
The man in white snapped back to reality, snarling, “You brat! Today’s your end!”
Cheng Lingyu smirked. “Many have claimed that before. Yet I still breathe.”
The man in white spat, “A Soul Martial Realm ant dares act so arrogantly? You’ve no idea how vast heaven and earth are!”
Cheng Lingyu taunted, “Can’t resist teaching me a lesson?”
Their realms differed drastically—if the man in white attacked, he’d be mocked for bullying a junior.
The man in white hissed, “You think words will save you?”
Cheng Lingyu ignored him, scanning the valley. “You’ve lingered here, yet still don’t understand this place.”
A cultivator blurted, “You know?”
“I do. But some might not let me speak.”
Everyone knew he meant the Heavenly Palace.
The man in gray cut in, “Speak freely. I’ll ensure none harm you.”
The man in white roared, “Duan! Stay out of this! I’ll kill him!”
The man in gray retorted coldly, “Kill him after he talks. Touch him now, and I’ll rip your head off.”
Forty-six cultivators surrounded Stone Valley. The Heavenly Palace had ten, while the other thirty-six split into six groups. The man in gray held the strongest position.
The man in white was at the late stage of Blood Weapon Second Level; the man in gray, mid-stage Blood Martial Third Level—a vast gap.
Of the forty Blood Martial experts present, two were Blood Martial Third Level, over ten Blood Weapon Second Level, and the rest Blood Martial First Level.
Cheng Lingyu studied Stone Valley. Rectangular and compact, it had six sections forming an ancient, cryptic formation unrecognizable to most.
The formation’s complexity made it deceptive. Bloodstains littered the ground—likely remnants of past intruders who’d met grim ends.
Cheng Lingyu didn’t recognize this formation, but the mysterious grass in his mind stirred on its own, sensing something unusual.
Meanwhile, the Nine Ring Star Vortex within his Immortal Soul grew restless, probing the formation in the Stone Valley.
The man in white from the Heavenly Palace glared at Cheng Lingyu and sneered, “I’ll let you live a bit longer. Soon, I’ll show you your fate.”
Ignoring him, Cheng Lingyu’s body shimmered with light as his Dreamy Magic Eyes scanned the formation for flaws.
Combined with the mysterious grass and Nine Ring Star Vortex, his eyes quickly pinpointed weaknesses.
The man in gray observed silently, not disturbing Cheng Lingyu’s focus.
Nie Jiaolong and Tian Feng returned to Cheng Lingyu’s side but could make little sense of the complex formation.
Cheng Lingyu’s earlier reaction from The Source Pearl suggested hidden resources here. Now, though he found none, he’d uncovered something else.
“An Awakening Formation… an Unsealing Pool… Could this be the Xuan Star Saint’s work?”
The mysterious grass revealed the formation’s name and purpose—an invisible Unsealing Pool gathering a Powerful Force.
As Cheng Lingyu calculated, a flash of Spiritual Light crossed his mind.
Everyone watched his shifting expressions, trying to gauge his progress.
After glowing steadily for half an hour, Cheng Lingyu snapped back to awareness.
The man in gray asked, “Well?”
“This formation seals something deeply. Without the right method, it’s unbreakable.”
“How do we crack it?”
“It’s too eerie for small groups. We need six Forces working together.”
“Six? Must it be exact?”
“If you want to see what’s sealed here, yes. With seven factions present, gathering six should be easy—but claiming the treasure afterward won’t be.”
Cheng Lingyu continued, “First, six groups of four Blood Martial Realm experts must position at six points, acting in sequence. Second, we need a spirit artifact to suppress the Core of the Formation in the valley’s center.”
“What then?”
“A shockwave will erupt when the seal breaks. As for what’s inside? Given the formation’s complexity, likely priceless treasures.”
The man in gray addressed the crowd: “Shall we try?”
“How?”
“Work together to break the seal, then compete fairly. No attacks until it’s open. We’ve wasted enough time—let’s test our Luck.”
His words struck a chord. After days of waiting, none wanted to leave empty-handed.
“Agreed. But how do we trust that boy?”
“He’s right here. What tricks could he play?”
The crowd murmured approval while the Heavenly Palace faction stayed silent.
The man in gray invited all factions to plan together.
Later, he approached Cheng Lingyu for details.
Calmly, Cheng Lingyu explained: “Six unique formations at six points, activated in order. We must rehearse to avoid mistakes. Also, prepare extra spirit artifacts—the Core might destroy low-grade ones.”
“We’ve seven spirit artifacts here, including a mid-grade.”
Cheng Lingyu then taught the experts engraved formations principles, impressing them despite their Blood Martial Realm knowledge.
As preparations began, Nie Jiaolong whispered, “Why take this risky task?”
“I need their strength to break the formation. Mutual use is common here.”
She nodded, asking no more.
Hours later, Cheng Lingyu stood atop a formation, instructing: “Place a spirit artifact in the valley’s central hole first. Test the outer formations.”
The man in gray ordered a low-grade spirit artifact—a glowing dagger—placed at the Core.
Guided by Cheng Lingyu, six groups of twenty-four experts activated six formations designed to amplify their Blood Martial Realm power.
The valley trembled as formations glowed, channeling natural energies. Onlookers held their breath, anticipation swelling with each tremor.