Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Breaking the Formation
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Luotian Grand Offering was one of the three great Daoist heavenly offerings.
The Nine Altars and Three Offerings were divided into the Upper Three Altars Golden Casket Universal Heaven Grand Offering, the Middle Three Altars Jade Zhou Heaven Grand Offering, and the Lower Three Altars Yellow Casket Luotian Grand Offering.
However, because West Ox New Continent had long lost contact with华夏 Divine Continent, these three heavenly offerings had been lost to time.
Chen Shi's grandfather, Chen Yindu, while researching talismans, sought the lost mysteries of the华夏 gods but found nothing for a long time. Thus, he joined like-minded scattered cultivators to establish the Heavenly Court, searching for those lost gods.
They protected the gods, attempting to reestablish the华夏 Dao lineage on West Ox New Continent and revive the three heavenly offerings.
He achieved some success, recreating the simplest Luotian Grand Offering and turning it into a talisman array.
With this array, he suppressed the unruly creations for fifty years.
Chen Yindu could construct the Luotian Grand Offering in an instant, but Chen Shi could only diligently draw the talismans on the canopy, requiring two full days to inscribe all twelve hundred talismans of the Luotian Grand Offering.
Fortunately, this time he used the Judge's Dragon Whisker Brush. Even with ordinary black dog blood, the inscribed talismans possessed extraordinary power.
At this moment, the canopy unfurled, the Luotian Grand Offering manifested, and the canopy rose into the air, soon transforming into an acre-wide expanse hovering more than ten zhang in the sky.
The canopy resembled a Luotian realm, divided by astral patterns into five major regions: Eastern Heaven Azure Emperor, Western Heaven Metal Emperor, Southern Heaven Flame Emperor, Northern Heaven Dark Emperor, and Central Heaven, each governed by heavenly palaces overseeing the various gods.
They respectively commanded the Combat Division, Thunder Division, Fire Division, Plague Division, Tai Sui Division, Pox Division, Water Division, Wealth Division, and other gods in charge of warfare, slaughter, wealth, plagues.
And above Central Heaven, the gods and heavenly palaces were the most magnificent and grand.
Above Central Heaven were the Primordial Heavenly Venerable of Emptiness and Nature, the Supreme Dao Lord of Wuji Great Dao,
the Supreme Elder Lord, the Supreme Jade Emperor, the Ten Directions Great Saints who have attained the Dao, the Truest Lords and Elders, the Thirty-Two Heavenly Emperors, the Jade Void Supreme Emperor, the Jade Emperor Great Emperor.
Below were Donghua Nandi, Xiling Beizhen, Xuandu Yujing Golden Threshold Seven Lords, Qionglai Purple Tenuity Upper Palace Lingbao Truest Radiant Emperor Dao Lord, Thirty-Six Division Venerable Scriptures, Great Law Masters of the Mysterious Center, Prime Ministers, Prime Chancellors, Prime Guardians, Prime Transmitters, Twenty-Four Perfected Ones of Peaceful Lower Teachings, Western City Chief Perfected King Lord, Taiyi Perfected One, and so on.
Twelve hundred illusory figures of gods appeared beneath the Luotian, within the canopy.
With the canopy unfurled, everything below it—the ghost monsters, little ghosts, yin corpses in coffins arranged by the Candle-Lighting Man, the burial ground spells, including all the yin- and evil-qi infused treasures he had painstakingly collected—vanished into ash in an instant!
The next moment, rolling thunderfire surged from under the umbrella, and the Candle-Lighting Man's face changed drastically as he leaped into the air, attempting to escape.
But no sooner had he risen than he was entwined by fire dragons, fire crows, and fire tongues.
The Candle-Lighting Man cried out from within the flames: "Chen Shi, you've already entered the trap, fallen into the heaven-spanning earth-net of my Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall—you can't escape!"
Before he finished speaking, his flesh body was burned to charcoal.
From the charcoal, his nascent soul flew out through the crown of his head, stepping into the void to flee.
As long as the nascent soul escaped, he still had a chance at survival.
With the nascent soul free, he could find a child with an unstable soul, slay its soul, seize its body, and if he didn't lose his memories within a hundred days, he could live another life!
"Crack!"
A bolt of thunder struck from under the umbrella, instantly turning his nascent soul to ash.
Chen Shi raised his hand, and the canopy shrank, falling into his grasp.
The acre-wide heavenly palace scene from before, along with the principal god illusions from the five heavenly palaces, were all drawn back into the umbrella.
As the Luo umbrella closed, the twelve hundred principal gods reverted to individual talismans.
Chen Shi grasped the canopy, quite pleased in his heart: "This talisman soldier is truly impressive. Pity I couldn't test its limits."
After obtaining the Judge's Dragon Whisker Brush, he didn't covet the treasure; he still intended to gift it to Lord Wuwang. But he wasn't without gain—he could borrow the dragon whisker brush to draw talismans and spells for himself, refining some talisman soldiers.
More crucially, the dragon whisker brush was a treasure of the underworld judges, containing immense power. Talismans drawn with it were no weaker than those drawn with Blackie Pot's blood!
Once back, he resolved, I must use the dragon whisker brush dipped in Blackie Pot's blood to redraw it.
Double-pronged approach—its power would surely be even greater!
"Hm?"
Chen Shi looked up and around, but after the burial ground vanished, it still wasn't bright, as if shrouded in gloom.
Around him appeared numerous divine shrines, their emitted divine light like scattered candle flames, dotting the landscape and blocking his path.
And in the air, countless talismans floated at some point, hanging with characters as large as斗, electric light connecting between talismans, crackling incessantly.
His Luo umbrella could cover about an acre of space, while the heaven-spanning earth-net laid by Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall encompassed thousands of acres.
This technique, Chen Shi had seen before.
When Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall trapped the Nether Spring Soaring Dragon Sword, they used exactly this method.
Even a treasure like the Soaring Dragon Sword couldn't escape!
So, that Candle-Lighting Man's burial ground was merely the gateway to lure me into the heaven-spanning earth-net.
The moment I stepped into the burial ground, I fell into the net.
Chen Shi observed his surroundings.
The lights from these divine shrines were arranged in a deliberate pattern, clearly part of a formation.
But Chen Shi had no knowledge of formations and couldn't tell what array it was.
However, given the scale of this array, it was surely no smaller than the one that trapped the Soaring Dragon Sword!
To kill him, Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall had spared no expense!
Outside Nuandu City, Governor Gao Chang's soul sat cross-legged in the air, gazing remotely from atop white clouds at the scene a hundred li away.
Luotian Grand Offering—impressive.
He saw Chen Shi deploy the canopy, transforming it into a Luotian, and his face changed. The Gao family naturally had records of the Luotian Grand Offering legends, but it had long been lost. Their records were mere fragments, not even a tenth complete!
The gods of华夏 Divine Continent had become mere legends, so recreating the Luotian Grand Offering was impossible!
Yet someone had done it!
One could imagine the shock in his heart.
"But the heaven-spanning earth-net great array of Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall is also extremely formidable!"
He murmured, "After Chen Yindu's death, did the Luotian Grand Offering pass only to Chen Shi, or to others as well? Hopefully this divine ability won't become a lost art."
And atop the deer carriage, Baili Mu's expression was unsightly.
After the last Nightmare Wood incident, Mountain-Moving Sect suffered heavy losses: one hundred sixty Gold Core disciples and eight Nascent Soul incense masters dead successively.
This time, to seize the Nether Spring Soaring Dragon Sword, he brought seventeen Nascent Soul incense masters and eight hundred twenty-seven Gold Core disciples. Unexpectedly, nearly half the incense masters were lost!
But the sect's overall strength remained, and with Chen Shi delayed in Nuandu for two days, he gathered nearby disciples searching for Chen Shi's whereabouts and swiftly returned to the capital, calmly setting up the trap.
When Chen Shi left the city, Mountain-Moving Sect had six hundred eighty-seven Gold Core disciples and nine Nascent Soul incense masters already positioned on the unavoidable path to Great South Lake, laying the heaven-spanning earth-net, awaiting his entry!
In addition, there were seven Nascent Soul and four hundred sixty-one Gold Core from Hundred Refinements Hall, dispersed along the forward roads.
The one who lured Chen Shi in earlier was Mountain-Moving Sect's ninth incense master, the Candle-Lighting Man—pity he succeeded in drawing Chen Shi in but lost his life for it!
But fortunately, Chen Shi had entered the trap.
Baili Mu breathed a sigh of relief. With Chen Shi in the heaven-spanning earth-net, neither upper azure heavens nor lower yellow springs offered escape—not even with wings!
Camp Saintess's gaze fell on the canopy hanging from Chen Shi, her face changing as she urgently said: "Baili Sect Master, have your people withdraw immediately!"
Baili Mu laughed:
"No need for the Saintess to panic. This fiend has stepped into Mountain-Moving Sect's heaven-spanning earth-net— no road to heaven, no door to earth. In moments, he'll be done for!"
That canopy of his bears the seal of the Luotian Grand Offering!
Camp Saintess said urgently, "The Luotian Grand Offering is immensely powerful, Five Lakes Hermit's signature ultimate technique—it can shake gods and demons! Five Lakes Hermit wasn't high in realm but relied on this spell to face Soul Transformation Realm experts without falling behind! My master once called this one of the world's strongest spells! Baili Sect Master, your people facing this spell will suffer heavy casualties!"
Baili Mu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, frowning: "Chen Shi—how does he know Five Lakes Hermit's spell?"
Few knew the reclusive Five Lakes Hermit was Chen Yindu.
Camp Saintess said rapidly: "Five Lakes Hermit is Chen Yindu, Chen Shi's grandfather!"
Baili Mu asked dubiously: "Are there Chen clan families in this world?"
Camp Saintess said angrily: "Chen Yindu had poor aptitude, rose from nothing, never reaching Soul Transformation Realm in his life... Hurry and withdraw your people!"
Baili Mu shook his head:
"Saintess, it's too late to withdraw now. Mountain-Moving Sect's array is set—no one can stop it.
Rest assured, we have plenty of manpower. Even sacrificing some to remove this major threat for Young Master is worth it!"
Camp Saintess hesitated but advised no further.
From Miaoyin Abbess's mouth, the Luotian Grand Offering's power was indeed terrifying, with unpredictable transformations—even Miaoyin regarded it with awe.
But Chen Shi clearly used ordinary black dog blood and cinnabar, spending two days to draw it. Such a talisman soldier could be used at most once or twice, no more than a quarter-hour before the talismans failed and power was lost.
Only by redrawing it repeatedly every day could the talisman soldier's power endure without ruining after one or two uses.
Moreover, for this encirclement of Chen Shi, Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall deployed nine Soul Transformation Realm experts!
These nine had cultivated souls; even if Chen Shi activated the Luotian Grand Offering, they could slay him effortlessly!
Chen Shi actually masters the Luotian Grand Offering—perhaps we should spare his life, not kill him.
Camp Saintess thought to herself, He should pass the Luotian Grand Offering to Young Master.
In Young Master's hands, this spell would surely shine brilliantly!
Just as she thought this, the heaven-spanning earth-net great array activated.
Chen Shi, in the array's midst, saw the earth ahead bulge, forming a hillock. Dozens of Gold Core cultivators below sacrificed their gold cores, palms raised upward; the hillock flew up, becoming a mountain seal smashing toward him!
Within the great array, borrowing heaven and earth's power, even Gold Core disciples could unite for astonishing might!
Chen Shi's canopy flew up again, becoming an acre-wide Luotian, descending to cover—suddenly he pushed off with his feet, charging forward!
Gathering power!
Striding forth!
His speed was inconceivable. The first step left the hillock behind, crashing empty to the ground.
The second step plunged him amid those dozens of Gold Core cultivators.
Above him, under the Luotian great umbrella, the Thunder Division gods' illusions wielded their magic tools spontaneously.
Snowy lightning swirled; one by one, the sacrificed gold cores exploded!
Chen Shi leaped up, somersaulting in midair to dodge incoming talisman soldiers. The Nether Spring Soaring Dragon Sword flew from the little temple at the back of his head, severing those talisman soldiers!
He landed, thigh muscles tensing, powering forward straight to where furnace flames blazed skyward.
There lay Hundred Refinements Hall's treasure, the Profound Mechanism Hundred Transformations Furnace.
At that moment, over a hundred Hundred Refinements Hall disciples encircled the treasure, urging it on. Furnace flames lit the sky; amid the firelight, blades, spears, swords, halberds over a zhang long whistled out, curving in midair toward Chen Shi!
Chen Shi urged the Soaring Dragon Sword to block the treasure assaults. A flying sword nearing him was suddenly melted by a firelight from under the Luotian great umbrella, turning to molten copper and iron, falling powerless!
Three Nascent Soul and one Soul Transformation expert charged into the Luotian great umbrella's range, killing toward Chen Shi.
Before the four, it was as if a thunderous ocean surged; they were like skiffs adrift in the thunder sea, heart-poundingly tossed.
"Don't sacrifice your nascent souls or souls!"
The Soul Transformation expert cried.
He was Hundred Refinements Hall's incense master named Murong Yi, cultivating the Forceful Body Art. Urging his technique, his flesh swelled section by section, instantly becoming a two-zhang-tall Yellow Scarf Strongman. Soul-empowered flesh, immense strength—he waded through the thunder sea toward Chen Shi!
His body was indeed robust; even thunder striking him failed to kill.
Murong Yi charged ahead, only to see cold light like a soaring dragon, ringing out, elusive under the Luotian great umbrella, piercing the foreheads and hearts of the other three.
The cold light slew the three Nascent Soul experts in succession, coming straight at him. Murong Yi raised his hand to grab the cold light, but it vanished suddenly.
He grabbed empty air. The next moment, the cold light reappeared, stabbing his heart!
Murong Yi's chest ached, but the Yellow Scarf Strongman's body was mighty; the cold light pierced only two inches before clamped by his muscles.
The cold light halted—it was a watery treasure sword, precisely the Nether Spring Soaring Dragon Sword seized by Chen Shi.
Murong Yi's heart rejoiced; he reached for the hilt, thinking: Obtained without effort.
His palm nearly grasped the hilt when moonlight shone on the Soaring Dragon Sword, and it vanished.
Murong Yi grabbed empty again, then his throat hurt—the suddenly appearing Soaring Dragon Sword pierced his throat!
Murong Yi reached to grab; under moonlight, the Soaring Dragon Sword vanished again, then reappeared at his heart, stabbing over three inches deep at the prior spot!
Murong Yi's heart pounded wildly; he reached out but grabbed empty again.
The Soaring Dragon Sword shuttled between yin and yang realms; when he grabbed, it entered the underworld, then flew from underworld to yang world, stabbing another vital spot!
Murong Yi was struck repeatedly, on the verge of death; terror born, he turned to flee, shouting:
"Don't approach the Luo umbrella!"
"Crack!"
A thunderbolt fell, striking his crown, staggering him. Murong Yi went numb all over, knowing peril—his heart already pierced by the Soaring Dragon Sword.
The Soaring Dragon Sword vanished, reappearing at his throat, slashing his neck, then vanishing—reappearing at his brow, penetrating his brain!
Murong Yi's eyes bulged. He had faced terrors, but never such horror.
His qi and blood collapsed, strength gone; he plummeted. Not yet dead, he watched wide-eyed as those charging into Chen Shi's acre-wide range dropped dead one by one, successively slain by the Soaring Dragon shuttling yin-yang realms!
He was after all a Soul Transformation expert; body dead, but soul intact. As long as he fell outside the Luotian great umbrella's coverage, with soul-continuing spirit medicines, he could yet live.
At that moment, Chen Shi leaped back, a great brush appearing in hand. Shaking it in the wind, the long brush became seven to eight chi, like a great spear.
The long brush thrust with a whoosh, stabbing Murong Yi's brow. The tip flicked, extracting his soul from the body!
Under the Luo umbrella, thunderlight rained down on his soul.
Murong Yi scattered to smoke and ash!
Chen Shi charged forward, long brush like a spear. With a shout of "Ha!",
it thrust dozens of zhang out, flipping the Profound Mechanism Hundred Transformations Furnace. Swords from the furnace flew out, slashing every direction, sending Hundred Refinements Hall disciples' severed limbs flying in chaos.
Chen Shi retracted the great spear, rushed up, and kicked out with a clang, sending the Profound Mechanism Hundred Transformations Furnace flying!
The furnace spun airborne, flames roaring; treasures flew out everywhere. With a boom, this massive treasure smashed a huge hole in the Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall's array.
Chen Shi leaped out through the hole; outside, skies were clear, blinding sunlight pouring down.
Chen Shi raised his hand to catch the falling Luotian great umbrella; it shrank, folds closing.
Chen Shi leaned on the great umbrella, glanced back at a charging Mountain-Moving Sect disciple with a slight smile, swung the great brush to draw a Nightmare Wood talisman on him, and kicked him back into the heaven-spanning earth-net great array.
He grabbed the Profound Mechanism Hundred Transformations Furnace, plugging the array's hole.
Chen Shi turned and walked toward Great South Lake.
Behind him, screams of agony rose from the heaven-spanning earth-net great array; Nightmare Wood tendrils whipped, branches lashing out, carrying flailing people in rapid motion.
Chaos reigned in the great array; Mountain-Moving Sect disciples trying to break out were either struck down by talismans, burned by furnace flames, or hacked by blades from the firelight.
This heaven-spanning earth-net great array had become a true Asura field.
When Baili Mu arrived on his deer carriage, the heaven-spanning earth-net great array had collapsed, leaving only five Soul Transformation experts desperately resisting the siege of a massive Nightmare Wood!
The Nightmare Wood loomed like a nightmare demon king, roots writhing like black smoke, branches hanging with corpses of Mountain-Moving Sect and Hundred Refinements Hall disciples.
Baili Mu's eye twitched, fists clenched.
"Baili Sect Master, you've finally arrived."
From the Nightmare Wood branches, the corpses lifted their heads one by one, eyeless sockets staring fixedly at him, each revealing a smile.
They spoke in unison.
"Chen Shi of Qianyang Mountain awaits Your Excellency in Great South Lake. Please grace us with your presence!"
End of chapter.