Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Bewildering Formation
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"Does that mean we've been going in circles this whole time?"
At Tang Ho-gwan's question, Jo Seol-yeon nodded and continued her explanation.
"About two hours ago, I started breaking branches off nearby trees at regular intervals. Seeing two broken ones means this is the second tree I marked. I didn't mention it earlier, but I just found the one with a single break. If we keep going like this, we'll probably spot a tree with three broken branches soon."
Jo Seol-yeon's words made everyone's faces harden.
"Let's confirm it first."
No sooner had Tang Ho-gwan finished speaking than he launched himself forward. The rest of the group followed suit. Moments later, they found a tree with three broken branches. Just as Jo Seol-yeon had said, they were circling the same spot.
"It's a formation."
Tang Ho-gwan muttered. The others thought the same. The Heavenly Qi Master was a master of formations. They should have expected one to be set up around the secret grotto.
There were probably even more terrifying formations and traps inside the grotto itself.
The mood sank in an instant. Then, atop that heavy silence, Jo Seol-yeon's voice continued.
"The problem is whether we're just unable to break through the formation... or if we've already been caught in it."
"Ugh, what a headache."
Tang Ho-gwan grumbled as he glanced at Umun Hye and Tang Mun-yeong. These women were known for their exceptional intellect—perhaps they knew something about formations.
But as expected, both shook their heads helplessly. Formations weren't something just anyone could learn.
"I think we've already been caught in it."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because there's no one else here."
Tang Ho-gwan nodded gravely at Jo Seol-yeon's words. She had a point. The others would eventually make their way here too.
If someone versed in formations was among them, they wouldn't charge in recklessly—they'd look for a way to dismantle it.
Yet no one had found them so far. That meant the group was already trapped inside the formation, cut off from the outside world.
"It'd be great if someone here knew about formations..."
Tang Ho-gwan muttered, glancing at the Sword Demon. But the Sword Demon averted his gaze. A man who had lived his entire life wielding only a sword for the sake of the sword wouldn't know a thing about formations.
Tang Ho-gwan finally turned to Dan Hyeong-u. In tough spots, he always found himself relying on the man, whether he meant to or not. At least, that's how it felt to him.
Following his gaze, the others looked at Dan Hyeong-u with hopeful eyes too. They knew he was clueless about formations, yet they still held out hope.
Dan Hyeong-u looked at Jo Seol-yeon, his eyes asking what she wanted to do.
Jo Seol-yeon smiled brightly.
"Could we destroy the formation with sheer force?"
She asked while looking at Dan Hyeong-u, but it was a question for everyone. Some shook their heads; others nodded.
"Breaking a formation by force isn't easy under normal circumstances. And if there's even a slim chance, it had to be done before entering. It's too late now."
Tang Ho-gwan explained. Mastering poisons and hidden weapons required extensive study. Researching hidden weapons inevitably led to studying mechanisms as well.
That was why the Tang family knew a fair bit about mechanisms and formations. Of course, knowing about them and dismantling them were entirely different matters.
But what Tang Ho-gwan had just said was general knowledge about formations.
Tang Mun-yeong nodded in agreement. Renowned as the Bee Peak for her brilliance, she had studied formations to some extent herself.
Those less knowledgeable about formations just tilted their heads at Tang Ho-gwan's words. They figured raw power should be enough to smash through anything.
The Sword Demon was especially convinced of that.
"Really can't do it from inside?"
Shing.
The Sword Demon finally drew his sword. With blade in hand, he became a sharpened edge himself. A razor-sharp aura poured from his body, slicing through the air in all directions.
Swoosh.
The Sword Demon swung his sword down lightly.
Slash-slash-slash!
It was a casual downward strike, but the result was anything but. Dozens of thick sword energies shot out, hurtling toward the ground, rocks, and trees. Then something astonishing happened.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Just before hitting their targets, the sword energies veered off course. Those aimed at the ground, rocks, or trees all curved upward toward the sky and vanished into the heights.
The Sword Demon stared at the dispersing sword energies overhead in shock.
"I never imagined it'd turn out like this."
Still, the Sword Demon didn't give up. He approached a nearby tree and swung again.
Swoosh!
He was even more surprised this time. His sword didn't even graze the tree. It was as if it had passed right through. In truth, it hadn't—it had skimmed by just barely missing the trunk.
The Sword Demon swung a bit deeper.
Swoosh!
The result was the same. The sword tip still whistled past without touching. Even unleashing sword energy while swinging yielded nothing. The blade skimmed by, and the energy bent away, unable to touch the tree.
"This is tricky."
In the end, the Sword Demon sheathed his sword. He had realized his power alone wasn't enough. He had no choice but to accept Tang Ho-gwan's words.
"If we can't break it from inside, does that mean we'll circle this place forever?"
The Sword Demon shot Tang Ho-gwan a sharp look. Tang Ho-gwan could only offer a wry smile in response. In his mind, that was the most likely outcome—unless someone outside destroyed the formation for them.
"Most people who entered Cheonjung Mountain will probably gather here. Let's wait a bit longer. Someone among them might dismantle it."
At Tang Mun-yeong's suggestion, the group began sitting down one by one. Wandering now would just waste energy. Resting and conserving strength was the smarter choice for what lay ahead.
Even as everyone settled to rest, Dan Hyeong-u stood motionless, casually scanning the surroundings. Most knew he didn't sit easily, so it wasn't anything unusual. But to the Sword Demon, it was.
The Sword Demon watched Dan Hyeong-u's every move. The curiosity in his eyes had long since evolved into something more—a strange, fervent longing.
Then Dan Hyeong-u began to move.
He started by turning his head to look around, then slowly walked. As he did, everyone's gazes shifted to him.
Dan Hyeong-u wasn't heading anywhere specific—he was just circling the area where the group rested, as if searching for something.
Finally, Jo Seol-yeon stood and approached him.
"Brother, are you looking for something?"
Dan Hyeong-u nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming.
"It's here."
Jo Seol-yeon looked puzzled at his words. He was staring at empty air—nothing there, not even a common tree or rock from the forest.
"What did you find?"
Dan Hyeong-u gave a completely different answer.
"Bring everyone."
A flicker of confusion crossed Jo Seol-yeon's face at his command, but she quickly ran off to gather the others.
Though Jo Seol-yeon had called them, it felt to the group like Dan Hyeong-u had summoned them himself. Their movements quickened naturally.
"What's going on?"
Tang Ho-gwan voiced the question first. He was subtly leading the group.
"Get ready. We're going."
Dan Hyeong-u's words stunned everyone. Ignoring their shock, he drew his sword. Deep disbelief clouded the Sword Demon's face.
Having tested the formation himself, the Sword Demon understood its terror better than anyone. It felt like fighting illusions. That's why he'd given up.
Inside the formation, one couldn't even properly sense the flow of qi. They had no choice but to succumb.
Dan Hyeong-u raised his sword.
The Sword Demon's disbelief deepened. No qi stirred at all.
Even if the formation obscured qi flows, he could tell if Dan Hyeong-u was channeling any. But right now, he'd merely lifted the sword—nothing more.
Swoosh.
Dan Hyeong-u swung down.
And then the impossible happened. Space split along the sword's path.
Through the rift gleamed a landscape utterly different from their surroundings.
The group was astonished but had no time to gape. Dan Hyeong-u had leaped into the gap.
They rushed after him through the opening. The Sword Demon, face full of incredulity, was the last to dive in before the rift sealed shut.
As Tang Mun-yeong had predicted, many people had gathered at the heart of Cheonjung Mountain, blocked by the formation. Some openly formed groups, while others hid stealthily.
The open groups were centered around the Martial Alliance warriors. The hidden ones were demonic cultivators from Heavenly Demon Castle and the new strongholds of Singang and Cheonghae.
Martial Alliance Leader Dugun Un inwardly congratulated himself for stepping forward. He hadn't anticipated so many demons swarming the place. Had he not come, his forces would have suffered heavy losses.
Standing beside him was Jegal Jung-cheon, face grave.
"It looks like a simple Bewildering Formation at first glance, but there are too many suspicious elements."
"Can we pass through it?"
Jegal Jung-cheon shook his head.
"Doesn't seem like we can just walk through. We'll have to dismantle it completely."
"Hmm, dismantle it..."
Dugun Un stroked his chin, lost in thought. The best approach right now was to fully understand the formation and slip through intact.
That way, they'd gain a huge time advantage over the demons trailing behind.
Demonic cultivators rarely had anyone capable of dismantling such complex formations. There might be one or two, but they'd surely fall short of the Jegal family's expertise.
Jegal Jung-cheon had mobilized a large contingent of his clan's top talents. They were all huddled together now, studying the formation.
But no clear solution emerged. Dismantling it was easy; passing through was impossible.
Dugun Un had no choice but to nod.
"Dismantle it."
At his order, Jegal Jung-cheon turned and shouted toward his clansmen.
"Rin-ah, begin."
A young girl stepped forward to direct the others at his command. Methodically, the formation began to unravel.
Dugun Un watched the shifting scenery ahead, then glanced at the girl leading the effort.
"Your granddaughter?"
A proud smile flickered across Jegal Jung-cheon's lips.
"Yes."
"The one called White Phoenix."
Jegal Jung-cheon gazed warmly at his granddaughter. She was Jegal Rin, one of the Three Phoenixes and Two Blossoms, renowned as the Jegal clan's greatest prodigy.
Jegal Rin was the clan's finest formation master. Yet even she couldn't find a way through the Heavenly Qi Master's Bewildering Formation. Dismantling it, however, was child's play.
The formation was designed for easy dismantling in the first place, and with the Jegal talents swarming it, it fell apart in moments.
As it did, areas previously hidden by the formation grew hazy. This was a phenomenon invisible when the formation was fully active.
Dugun Un muttered while watching.
"What happens to those who charged straight in?"
"They'll wander in circles. If they don't notice, they'll loop endlessly until the formation fully collapses. Inside, stamina and qi drain much faster—that's the formation's key feature."
Dugun Un nodded. No need to worry about those who entered first, then. Quite some time had passed since his arrival. Those inside were likely on the verge of exhaustion.
"So we're in the best position."
"Yes. The terrain leaves only this path."
The hazy landscape sharpened again—but into something entirely new. A path to Cheonjung Mountain's core lay revealed, as if deliberately carved out.
"It's beckoning us."
Dugun Un stepped forward, followed by the Martial Alliance warriors.
Once they entered, the other martial artists—who had been watching—rushed in. Mixed among them, the demons slipped inside too.
In moments, Cheonjung Mountain fell silent.