Star Martial Soaring Cloud

Yuan Kong clasped his hands together, murmured a Buddhist chant, put several celestial epiphyllum flowers into his bosom, walked to Wu Chen's side, squatted down, took out a string of Buddhist beads from his bosom, and gently placed them in front of Wu Chen.

It was an ordinary-looking string of wooden prayer beads, the beads worn smooth and shiny, emitting a faint sandalwood fragrance, yet exuding a peaceful and majestic Buddhist aura.

"This should be able to serve as the core of the formation." Yuan Kong grinned. "My master gave it to me, saying it can save your life in times of danger. You take it and wait for us to come out."

Wuchen was silent for a moment, then reached out and took the prayer beads. The instant his fingertips touched the beads, a warm Buddhist spiritual energy surged out from them and enveloped his palm.

He carefully put away the prayer beads, nodded, and said nothing, but the carving knife in his hand moved even faster.

Yan Zixi walked over, took the jade hairpin from her hair, and gently placed it in front of Wuchen.

The jade hairpin is pure white, with a blooming catalpa flower carved on the head. It exudes a spiritual aura and is clearly not an ordinary object.

"A hairpin adorned with a hundred flowers?" Su Qinhe was slightly taken aback. She knew the power of this hairpin, which could condense the spiritual energy of a hundred flowers to defend against enemies and protect the formation.

"I'll lend it to you, but you have to return it." Yan Zixi's tone was still somewhat lazy, but the playfulness in her eyes was gone, replaced by seriousness.

Su Qinhe stepped forward, took out a jade flute from her sleeve, and placed it in front of Wuchen. Her voice was soft but firm: "Take this too. The jade flute has the effect of calming the mind, gathering spiritual energy, and defending against enemies. It might be useful when setting up an array."

Some people took off the jade pendants from their waists, some took out the amulets from their bosoms, and some handed over their treasured array stones...

One by one, the treasures were gently placed in front of Wuchen. Each one contained the entrustment and hopes of the people.

Wuchen looked at the pile of treasures in front of him, his eyes slightly reddening.

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and bowed deeply, his words carrying immense weight: "Enough. Rest assured, everyone, I stand by as long as I'm here."

He paused, then spoke again, "The rest of you, follow my orders!"

Wang Xiao took a deep breath, put the fairy epiphyllum in front of him into the cellar, looked at Wuchen with solemnity in his eyes, and said only two words: "Don't die."

Wuchen didn't turn around, but simply turned her back to him and softly hummed in agreement. The sound was as light as the wind, yet as heavy as a mountain.

Wang Xiao didn't say anything more, turned around and strode into the depths of the camp.

Ling Cheng, Yuan Kong, and Xiao He followed, their backs firm and resolute, carrying the hopes of everyone.

Four stone chambers, four tightly closed stone doors, four strategic passes.

Outside the stone chamber, Wuchen began setting up the formation, and a race against death began.

His movements were incredibly fast; the carving knife flew across the array stones, and intricate runes gradually took shape on the ground, each stroke precise and accurate.

He embedded the array stones one by one into the ground, arranging them into an array according to the heaven and earth orientation.

Then, he took out a broken bronze mirror and a jade ruler from his person.

The bronze mirror, though broken, exudes an ancient spiritual energy that can gather spiritual energy and ward off enemies.

The jade ruler and Buddhist beads were placed on either side, forming a battle formation, where Buddhist spiritual energy intertwined with the qi within the ruler.

The hairpin adorned with a hundred flowers and the jade flute hung in the formation. The spiritual energy of the flowers blended with the flute's sound, gradually forming a pale golden light curtain that enveloped the entire camp.

The light curtain flickered on and off, and the speed at which the vital energy intertwined could not keep up with the speed at which it was consumed.

Wuchen gritted his teeth and continuously poured his own vital energy into the array patterns, his face growing paler and paler.

Yan Zixi and Su Qinhe, along with the wounded who were still able to move, sat cross-legged in the formation. Everyone exerted all their strength, slowly injecting their remaining energy into the formation patterns. Some had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths, and some had throbbing pain in their meridians, but no one stopped, no one gave up—they knew that this light barrier was their last shield.

Time is running out.

Formations are a common means for cultivators to communicate with heaven and earth, gather power, and defeat enemies.

In essence, it is a process in which cultivators, through a specific arrangement, connect the free-floating primordial energy between heaven and earth, their own cultivation level, and array materials containing spiritual power (such as eight-element stones, spiritual wood, array flags, jade slips, etc.) into an energy loop according to specific Dao principles and rune rules, forming a barrier or energy field with specific effects.

It is both an aggregate of energy and a carrier of the principles of Tao.

By inscribing array patterns and setting up array bases, cultivators incorporate their understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, drawing upon the power of Heaven and Earth for their own use.

Unlike the formations on ordinary battlefields, the formations in the cultivation world are based on primordial energy, with array stones as the foundation, array patterns as the hub, and array core as the center. They borrow the power of heaven and earth, gather the power of all things, and ultimately fulfill the cultivator's desires.

The core of the formation is also known as the eye of the formation.

Once the key point of the formation is broken, the formation is like a dragon with a broken spine, with no power to hold it together.

Different formations have different effects; there are three common types.

Firstly, combat support. This is the most common use of formations.

Enemy-trapping formations can trap enemies within the formation, severing their connection with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and continuously depleting their cultivation. Amplification formations can gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to assist cultivators in their cultivation, and are often used in sects, caves, or at critical moments when cultivators break through to higher realms.

Secondly, defensive and protective items are mostly used for the protection of sects, secret realms, and cave dwellings.

The most common protective formations in sects are the mountain-protecting formations, which can resist the invasion of foreign enemies and even automatically counterattack the invading enemies. They are the solid guarantee for the sect to be passed down for thousands of years.

The formations of a cultivator's own cave dwelling are often designed for concealment and defense, such as the Concealing Breath Formation and the Illusion Formation. These formations can not only hide the location of the cave dwelling and prevent it from being discovered by external enemies, but also quickly form a defensive barrier when attacked, giving the cultivator valuable reaction time.

Third, special function categories.

These types of formations are mostly used in specific scenarios and have different functions.

Teleportation arrays can traverse space, allowing cultivators to travel thousands of miles away in an instant; sealing arrays can seal powerful demonic beasts, evil cultivators, or ancient ferocious creatures, trapping them in a corner and preventing them from causing havoc on the world.

There is no distinction between high and low formations, but there is a difference in rank, which is divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow.

The higher the rank, the stronger the power of heaven and earth that can be mobilized, the more profound the Dao principles contained, and the higher the requirements for the cultivator's cultivation and array mastery, which is difficult for ordinary cultivators to reach.

If we say that the self-cultivation of the human body is about going from oneself to heaven and earth, and constantly adapting to the primordial energy of heaven and earth, then one can transform oneself into a conduit through which the primordial energy of heaven and earth can pass without obstruction.

That formation was creating a reservoir that could hold the vital energy of heaven and earth.

The size of a reservoir and the power of its discharge depend not only on the array master's skill level, but also on the quality of the materials used and even the time taken to set it up.

The array set up by Wuchen is called the Taiji Condensed Light Curtain.

Tai Chi is the original image of Taoism, gathering primordial energy and harmonizing Yin and Yang on earth, and condensing light into a curtain in the sky.

The earth has the flow of yin and yang energies, which continuously provide energy for the light curtain; in mid-air, the semi-circular light curtain unfolds and covers everyone.

This formation can evenly distribute the attacks received to all parts of the light barrier, dissolving the enemy's attack power layer by layer, and finally channeling all the impact force into the ground, eliminating it into nothingness.

No matter how powerful the enemy is, once it is divided into hundreds of streams, how much of its power will remain?

Wuchen's mastery of array formations is considerable, but even the most skilled cook cannot make a meal without ingredients.

Time was of the essence, and materials were scarce, making it impossible to set up such an exquisite formation.

But he actually made himself the core of the formation—using his body as the core and his life as the guide, pouring all his vital energy and life force into the formation without reservation.

Outside the formation, a pale golden light curtain slowly swirled, its light rippling gently like water, completely enveloping the entire camp.

Inside the formation, Wuchen sat cross-legged in the center of the formation's core, his face as pale as paper, devoid of any color.

His hands pressed firmly against the array patterns, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably, and his vital energy leaked out wildly like a burst dam.

He used his own blood and life to create this barrier that protects everyone.

As the sun began to set, the sky was painted a dark orange-red.

No one knew when the enemy would arrive; everyone was waiting.

Some are waiting to die, while others are waiting to live.

Yan Zixi leaned against the broken wall, her gaze fixed on the pale golden light screen, her eyes filled with an overwhelming weariness.

Her injuries had not yet healed, and she had lent her Hundred Flower Hairpin to Wuchen. At this moment, she only had a short sword at her waist, which was enough to support her as she stood up.

Su Qinhe sat beside her, the bloodstains on her white clothes had long since dried and congealed into dark red lumps.

At this point, no one cared about appearance anymore. There were spare clothes in the cellar, but who had the time or inclination to change?

Lin Yueyao stood guard at the entrance of the stone chamber, feeling that only by staying here could she find some peace of mind.

Yun Qingyao had woken up, her face still as pale as paper, but her eyes were unusually clear.

The ribbons "Dancing Lightly" were wrapped around her arms, ready to strike at any moment.

Having expended too much energy casting illusions earlier, she can only exert less than half of her usual strength at this moment, yet she is still the strongest fighter on the field.

The rest of the group had already exhausted their energy and were on the verge of collapse after experiencing a series of battles and then assisting Wuchen in setting up the formation.

The remaining people were scattered throughout the camp. Some sat cross-legged, trying to barely recover their strength; others talked in hushed tones, their voices filled with despair and unease.

Li Yu and Zhang Lian were so tired that they fell asleep. At a time like this, only the two of them could still sleep.

"Do you think those Japanese cultivators... will come?" a young rogue cultivator asked in a low voice, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"They will come," replied a rogue cultivator from Dongbin, his voice carrying a melancholic air of knowing the inevitable end. "They won't let this go."

"But we..." The young rogue cultivator looked around, his voice trailing off in despair, "Can we still fight?"

No one answered.

It's not that I don't want to answer, it's that I don't know how to answer.

Just then, a soft sound came from outside the light screen.

It wasn't the sound of footsteps, nor the sound of wind, but a faint, clearly audible sound of feet stepping on gravel.

Unhurriedly, step by step, getting closer and closer, it felt like stepping on everyone's heartbeat, sending chills down your spine.

Everyone's hearts jumped into their throats.

Yan Zixi suddenly stood up, gripping the short sword at her waist; Su Qinhe also slowly stood up, her remaining energy quietly circulating, ready for battle; Yun Qingyao's ribbon "Light Dance" floated up slowly, her eyes cold, her killing intent chilling.

Wuchen slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the pale golden light curtain, looking towards the twilight-covered sky.

A figure slowly emerged from the twilight, lightly touching the ground with its toes and hovering in mid-air.

Ichiro Ansei.

He finally arrived.