Chapter 101

Wang Ping's gaze suddenly swept to the left peak; compared to the central peak, majestic as a heavenly pillar, and the right peak, beautiful as a woman, this left peak is rugged and magnificent.

With Wang Ping's eyesight he could see that on the peak, cliffs lay as if cleaved straight down by a sword, and various strange stones were scattered across the summit.

In the midst of Bimu's haste, a white vapor seemed to rise!

He is now thirty li from that peak, and at the mountain's base he can already see the vapor—one can imagine how torrential that waterfall must be!

Lan Ning Dao friend! Master Liaoru! Wang Ye Dao friend!

Wang Ping shouted loudly.

Hahaha! Lan Dao friend indeed bears great destiny!

Amitabha! Good! Good!

Lan Brother! Quickly help us break the external seal, that damned Zhao Jun, dare to trap and kill us!

Trap and kill?

As Wang Ping advanced, his face turned cold; Elder Bai only told him that several people of Tie Lanshan were trapped in a mountain peak, but did not give him detailed information.

Lan Brother, don't rush, formations are everywhere here; its core is a top‑tier third‑rank great formation, the Forty‑Nine Odd Peaks Formation! Forty‑nine mountain peaks, each is a part of this third‑rank great formation.

The mountain peak we are currently trapped in is one of the Forty‑Nine Odd Peaks Formation; while advancing, a single misstep will crush even an early Golden Core cultivator to powder under the power of the forty‑nine peaks!

Wang Ping's heart pounded with fear; he involuntarily turned his gaze to the left peak—this isn't a mountain peak at all! It's practically the Gates of Hell!

However, Dao friend, you need not worry; for over three thousand years no cultivator has maintained it, so the power of this third‑rank great formation has greatly diminished!

Wang Ping let out a breath of relief; is this right? Otherwise, wouldn't it mean that as many people enter, as many die?

Now it can barely kill a late Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Wang Ping nearly spat blood; after ten years apart, why does Tie Lanshan seem a bit degenerate?

Therefore, Dao friend, listen to my advance: do not misstep. Now, at the mountain's base, find a small path that has been trodden; follow it, rest assured—this path has already been walked by us, and there is basically no danger along the way!

Wang Ping could no longer bear this loud shouting; he involuntarily used mental transmission to say: 'Why not use mental transmission? Such loud calling will attract other cultivators.'

On the mountain summit sits a black hall; the hall is extremely tall, its architecture angular, exuding a solemn killing aura.

Inside the hall, the three of Tie Lanshan are trapped in a corner; this hall is one of the forty‑nine formation nodes, the most dangerous of all.

Within the hall, specks of formation light flicker intermittently, obviously layered with numerous formations.

Tie Lanshan now, relying on memory, mentally recreates their ascent path, while constantly recording something on the ground, repeatedly erasing and writing.

Finally he was utterly certain his calculations were correct, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Just as he was about to remind the Lan Ming Dao friend below, he suddenly received Lan Ming's mental transmission in his sea of consciousness.

He almost thought he was hallucinating; beside him, Wang Ye jumped up: 'I heard Lan Dao friend's mental transmission!'

Amitabha! I, the poor monk, also heard it! Lan Dao friend's profound mental power is admirable.

Tie Lanshan now knows he is not hallucinating; a hint of alarm arose in his heart—Liaoru and Wang Ye do not know how fearsome this formation is; as a formation master, how could he not know?

This hall is one of the forty‑nine formation nodes; formations densely fill the hall, and at its deepest point even formation patterns evolve.

Those formation patterns are not the damaged ones outside; they possess less than one‑tenth of the original power. According to his calculation, after over three thousand years, at least half of the power remains.

It is precisely this formation pattern, exerting half its power, that seals the hall's space—banning space, banning laws, banning mental transmission; only sound can be transmitted, and cultivators below Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment cannot break this shackle.

Lan Ming Dao friend had only just broken through to Great Perfection of Qi Refining ten years ago, and now at most has stabilized at early Foundation Establishment; how could he possess such vast mental power?

No, after calming down, Lan Ming suddenly realized this mental power was not vast, merely relatively tenacious.

Because the mental transmission he heard was rather faint.

Thus, Lan Dao friend's mental power is somewhat different; Tie Lanshan thought of this and smiled freely—who hasn't had an opportunity?

He immediately said in the hall: 'Lan Dao friend, formations are layered inside the hall, prohibiting mental transmission; I suppose only with profound mental power could you faintly transmit a bit—this is good, we can communicate this way more conveniently!'

Good!

Wang Ping's mental transmission echoed in Tie Lanshan's sea of consciousness!

At the mountain's base, as Wang Ping sent out his mental transmission, he felt something amiss; his powerful mental power struggled to penetrate upward, and even before Tie Lanshan's transmission, he had guessed a bit.

After spending a quarter of an hour, he found a hidden small path at the mountain's base.

This small path looks no different from elsewhere; on the ground there are several faint footprints.

Obviously left by Tie Lanshan and his group; after hesitating, trusting Tie Lanshan's talent in formations, Wang Ping set foot on the path with caution!

Dao friend, remember! Do not leave the small path, nor pick the spiritual herbs and fruits by the wayside; those herbs have spreading formation guardians, they cannot be easily picked! Dao friend, rest assured! As long as you strictly follow my instructions, there will be absolutely no problem!

As Tie Lanshan's words fell, a faint sound came from below the mountain.

Several people's faces changed; Tie Lanshan hastily asked: 'Dao friend, what happened?'

This time Wang Ping's voice did not come through; only after ten breaths did he send via mental transmission: 'Nothing! I was struck by lightning!'

Tie Lanshan anxiously said: 'Ah, Lan Dao friend, be sure to follow my instructions—do not misstep even a single step!'

I followed exactly what you said, not a single step misplaced; yet you also heard it!

Silence!

Extremely quiet!

Master Liaoru originally wanted to utter a Buddhist exclamation, but ended up holding back.

Wang Ye wanted to laugh, but strained to hold it in.

Tie Lanshan's expression shifted; finally he showed a look of sudden realization, and immediately said to the air:

I understand now—this formation generates new changes each time it is traversed; Lan Dao friend, please wait a moment while I re‑deduce it!

After a quarter hour, Wang Ping nearly got crushed to death by a surge of gravity.

After advancing another three hundred steps, a flash of light suddenly appeared in the previously tranquil void, and numerous black-blue ice arrows shot toward him.

Most crucially, those ice arrows carry a chill that can inflict frostbite on Foundation Establishment cultivators.

If not for his marvelous protective spiritual light, he would probably be frozen solid here!

After another five hundred steps upward, Wang Ping took a step, and suddenly countless strangling forces appeared all around, formless and intangible; that strangling force was extremely formidable, and his protective spiritual light, comparable to a low-grade defensive magic treasure, actually showed cracks all over.

Helpless, Wang Ping's right hand produced the Vajra Pestle, which he threw straight forward.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

Suddenly, explosion after explosion came from below!

The three in the hall listened, their hearts pounding; from this situation it looks like Daoist Lan Ming is in trouble!

These sounds continued for nearly twenty breaths before stopping.

The few from Iron Orchid glanced at each other, all feeling something was off, and they all shouted outward:

«Daoist Lan! Are you alright? »

«Amitabha! Layperson Lan, are you unharmed? »

«Brother Lan! »

«It's okay for now! I'm coming up! »

After a breath, Wang Ping's voice sounded from outside!

«Coming up? »

The few from Tie Lanshan had question marks pop up in their minds, and they all asked in unison:

«How did you come up? »

«Oh! I ran up! »

The air suddenly fell silent!