Chapter 131: Formations

Puff.

A sharp, double-edged dagger plunged into Fan Xuanyue’s defenseless abdomen. Suddenly, the green vines on her small black gourd surged, their tips striking toward Cui Ya’s brow, who wore a look of utter disbelief.

“Xiao Qiu, she didn’t mean to.” Fan Xuanyue did not give Cui Ya a chance to strike a second time. Holding the vines of the small black gourd, she wrenched the dagger away with a backhand motion while simultaneously reaching behind Cui Ya.

A crumpled talisman was snatched away by Fan Xuanyue and gripped tightly in her hand.

Boom.

The crumpled talisman erupted into a ring of yellow light. Before Fan Xuanyue could react, the blast from the talisman—which appeared to be a puppet charm—left her palm a mangled mess of flesh and blood.

“Brother Zhao often told me that the world is treacherous and human hearts are unfathomable. I suppose I’ve truly experienced it today.”

Fan Xuanyue’s Myriad Ghost Star Dress suddenly unfurled. As points of starlight emerged, phantoms and specters drifted out, while spectral guardians stood at her sides. A faint green glow bloomed from between her brows, wrapping around her entire body.

But the ordeal was far from over. The small black gourd at her waist shook violently; the various exotic beasts and the mountain demon she had previously absorbed into it exploded from within. Although the gourd itself suffered no damage, Fan Xuanyue stumbled, groaning repeatedly as the green light surrounding her flickered unsteadily.

“A magical treasure is only as good as the one who wields it; if the user is incompetent, it is all in vain.” Taoist Si watched the yellow paper talismans in his palm burn away one after another, then glanced sideways at Yin Chunxin, who remained motionless.

Yin Chunxin, sensing his junior brother’s intent, merely lowered his eyes and whispered calmly, “No rush. Let’s exhaust her energy a little more.”

Rumble.

The ground shook incessantly. Fierce tigers with white-spotted foreheads, swift jackals and leopards, and thick-skinned wild boars and black bears surged into the Fufeng Temple, charging toward Fan Xuanyue’s position.

Only then did Fan Xuanyue realize she had been careless.

Whoosh.

A flash of green light.

“Junior Brother Pu, unfurl the flag!” Yin Chunxin commanded in a low voice.

The junior brother directly opposite him immediately ran to the roof ridge, gripping a cyan banner roughly fourteen inches long. With a flick of his arm, the banner unfolded. A cyan qilin leaped from the fabric, descending into the space above the courtyard. Cyan mist spread from its four hooves, instantly swallowing the yard whole.

Though Fan Xuanyue darted back and forth, she could not break through the mist; it seemed boundless. Had she not left a faint mark on Cui Ya, she likely would have been lost in the fog immediately.

Fan Xuanyue retreated to Cui Ya’s side, clutching her wounded abdomen. Fortunately, the dagger was an ordinary mortal weapon, not poisoned or imbued with magic. Otherwise, this single strike might have incapacitated her entirely.

“You don’t have to worry about me. Save yourself and run. Their target is you, not me,” Cui Ya said, looking at Fan Xuanyue with eyes full of guilt and self-reproach.

Fan Xuanyue shook her head slowly. “This isn’t ordinary mist. It’s wood-attributed. Anything of the wood element has the nature of flexibility—this mist can expand and contract at will.”

“Can’t you use your gourd to absorb this mist?” Cui Ya asked, glancing at the small black gourd at Fan Xuanyue’s waist. She recalled that it could absorb objects.

Fan Xuanyue suddenly pulled Cui Ya aside. A ferocious tiger had been lurking behind them, hidden by the mist. Had it not been for that pull, Cui Ya’s neck would have been severed on the spot.

“It won’t work. My Profound Cyan Gourd can refine elixirs and capture demons, but it cannot contain something intangible, nor can it capture these wild beasts that have yet to turn into true monsters.”

Fan Xuanyue shook the string of bells at her waist. The spectral guardians immediately stepped forward to engage the tigers, while the spirits drifting in the mist followed the guidance of the starlight, finding and entangling the hidden beasts.

The green light surrounding Fan Xuanyue flared, dispersing the mist. She leaped into the air toward the gap, but a cyan qilin suddenly appeared within the opening. Branches intertwined between the mist, forming a rigid wooden net, with a sharp spike protruding from the center.

Frowning, Fan Xuanyue returned to the ground.

“This isn’t just Taoist magic—it’s a formation,” she said, looking up as the mist filled the gap once more.

The protective light around her was not her own. Having not yet reached the Profound Spirit realm, she could not cultivate such a barrier. It was a gift from her teacher: the One-Color Cyan Divine Light. It could immunize her against the magical arts of practitioners below the Dustless realm and repel weapons below the Spirit grade. However, her teacher had warned her specifically to be wary of formations, as this light could neither resist nor break them.

“It seems Lu Chongzhen was right; this girl relies entirely on external forces. Senior Brother Yin, now that the Cyan Qilin Mist Banner is active, why not deploy the other three? We must prevent her from pulling out any other strange treasures.”

Taoist Si looked down at the mist-filled courtyard, where the roaring beasts and drifting ghostly shadows were faintly visible.

“Her abilities end there. Very well, mobilize the remaining three flags. Let her perish in the formation so we don’t run into trouble tonight.”

Yin Chunxin watched Fan Xuanyue struggling in the mist with a cold gaze. He had originally intended to see what other treasures she possessed—otherwise, a single gourd, a string of bells, and a dress would hardly be enough to divide among himself and his junior brothers.

Yin Chunxin flickered, appearing on the roof ridge to his right. He grasped a yellow banner, also fourteen inches long, and gave his arm a flick. It slowly unfurled, and a phantom of a yellow turtle, as large as a small mountain, drifted out, landing beneath the mist. The ground beneath the courtyard rumbled, and cracks began to spread.

Sensing the danger, Fan Xuanyue tapped her gourd. It suddenly expanded, carrying her and Cui Ya into the air above the mist. The mountain beasts were not so fortunate; they fell one after another into the fissures, which closed and opened like a starving monster hunting for prey.

But this was only the beginning.

Taoist Lu, on the left side of the house, walked unhurriedly to the ridge. He grasped a plain-colored banner and gave it a flick. As it unfolded, a white tiger imbued with the winds of slaughter leaped out, diving directly into the mist.

Suddenly, a gale erupted within the fog. Each gust was like a razor, instantly carving bloody marks into Cui Ya’s skin. Fan Xuanyue quickly split a portion of her One-Color Cyan Divine Light to shield her.

Taoist Si chuckled at the sight. Just as he turned to head toward the crimson banner on his own roof, his heart suddenly trembled, and he gripped his twin maces tightly.

A man he did not know had appeared beside the crimson banner.