Chapter 39: Crisis Approaches

The formation arrays of Yuanwu Continent are drawn with Eight Trigrams runes and ancient inscriptions, possessing unimaginable abilities.

Formation arrays are divided into three major categories: attack arrays, defense arrays, and auxiliary arrays.

Formation arrays, like cultivation techniques, pills, and weapons, are also ranked into four tiers: Rank 3 Yellow-level, Rank 3 Xuan-level, Rank 3 Earth-level, and Rank 3 Heaven-level, each subdivided into Lower, Middle, and Upper grades.

There are three conditions for drawing a formation array: first, knowledge of the array's structure—what runes and inscriptions compose it and how they are arranged.

The second condition is the material used to draw the array, which must be a medium capable of holding or conducting Yuan force, such as Yuan stones, demonic beast blood, or hide armor.

The third condition requires a stable and continuous supply of vast Yuan force, along with a powerful Yuan consciousness.

As long as one possesses these three conditions, one can draw a formation array.

However, due to the third condition, only cultivators above the Spirit Stage typically possess the ability to set up formation arrays, and even then, only the lowest Yellow-level arrays.

But there are exceptions: on Yuanwu Continent, there exists a rare class of cultivators, extremely few in number, who are born with blocked meridians.

These cultivators can still cultivate, but they can only practice heart methods and cannot cultivate or use martial techniques.

Because their meridians are blocked, they cannot convert Yuan force into martial techniques.

Yet this misfortune brings fortune: they possess immense Yuan force and powerful Yuan consciousness, making them natural formation masters.

Such formation masters need only reach the Warrior Stage to independently set up Yellow-level formation arrays, even Xuan-level arrays.

Moreover, formation masters can collaborate in groups to set up even stronger and higher-level arrays.

Major powers on Yuanwu Continent recruit formation masters to serve them, and the formation masters are more than willing.

Because their work is considerably safer and easier compared to other cultivators.

They generally do not need to fight on the front lines; even if they must go, they only need to set up arrays from the rear.

Safe and secure, yet their pay is no less than that of combat cultivators.

Seeing this, Facing Facing Cang Luo decided to add formation studies to his learning plan from this moment forward, vowing to become a formation master.

Facing Facing Cang Luo continued flipping through Fundamentals of Formation Arrays and soon found the method for using the Beast Pet Contract Array.

The book explained: the Beast Pet Contract Array is an auxiliary array; a cultivator may sign a contract with a demonic beast using one organ or a limb.

The procedure is simple: first, subdue the demonic beast to be tamed, break its will, and force it into submission.

One point to note: the demonic beast's rank must not exceed that of the master; otherwise, if the master's Yuan consciousness is weaker than the beast's, the contract will backfire, scattering the master's Yuan consciousness and turning him into a fool.

After confirming that one's Yuan consciousness is stronger than the beast's, place one drop of one's own blood and one drop of the beast's blood onto the array's core.

Then, press one hand on the array and the other on the beast's forehead.

Simultaneously, envelop one organ or limb with a thread of Yuan consciousness as the offering.

Note: when choosing a limb as the offering, it must not be insufficient—a single finger is unacceptable; at least one palm is required.

After deciding on the offering, output Yuan force and Yuan consciousness from both hands simultaneously to connect oneself and the beast to the array.

As long as the master's Yuan consciousness surpasses the beast's, the beast can be tamed.

When taming a beast pet, the chosen organ or limb will transform into a mist of blood and merge into the beast's body.

At the same time, a Beast Pet Space Array will form within the master's Lower Dantian.

Normally, the beast pet may reside within the Beast Pet Space; when needed, activate the array to summon it forth.

From this point onward, the wild demonic beast becomes a beast pet, its strength rising with the master's cultivation level and capable of surpassing its original genetic limits.

For example, if the beast pet was originally a Rank 1 demonic beast, before becoming a pet, its power could never exceed Rank 1 peak in its lifetime, unless it underwent an anomaly.

But once it becomes a pet, if the master reaches Wu Di, the beast pet will also reach Rank 9 demonic beast strength.

Master and beast pet complement each other, sharing a spiritual connection.

If the master dies, the beast pet dies!

Conversely, if the beast pet dies, it causes no harm to the master, for the master has already paid the offering as price.

An hour later, Facing Facing Cang Luo finished reading Fundamentals of Formation Arrays and began practicing Meiti Shengong while dozing lightly.

Outside the tent, two shadowy figures lurked in the night, whispering about Facing Facing Cang Luo's tent.

One of them, an outer disciple of Xuantian Sect with triangular eyes, whispered to another outer disciple: "Good things come to those who wait—we finally found that waste."

"Wang Dizi, you keep watch here; I'll return to the sect tonight and report to Brother Chen."

Wang Dizi, named Wang Lei, nodded but added: "That Facing Facing Cang Luo's cultivation seems only Warrior Stage 3, right?

We two could handle him—why summon Brother Chen, who's Warrior Stage 8?"

The triangular-eyed disciple shook his head: "Too many eyes around, and that brat is cunning.

Better let Brother Chen come himself—let him settle his brother's grudge; we avoid getting entangled."

With that, the triangular-eyed disciple sprinted toward Xuantian Sect...

Xuantian Town, adjacent to the outer gate of Xuantian Sect, is where Xuantian Sect's laborer disciples live and work, and also where outer disciples indulge in leisure.

It was deep into the night; most laborer disciples, after a day's toil, had fallen asleep, dreaming of soon forming their Yuan Wheels to become cultivators and enter the outer gate.

Yet some laborer disciples with no heavy work tomorrow remained awake, gathering in twos and threes at still-open taverns, chatting and boasting.

Sipping wine, spinning tall tales, fantasizing about how they'd live once they became cultivators.

At this moment, in a brightly lit tavern in southern Xuantian Town, many laborer disciples drank, among them several outer disciples, each arm-in-arm with female laborer disciples, leering with lewd smiles.

From a guest room on the tavern's second floor, faint, intermittent gasps of a girl could be heard, out of place amid the noise below.

The room was thick with sensuality; two sets of clothing lay scattered on the floor.

One was a female laborer disciple's gray tunic; the other, a male outer disciple's blue tunic.

Male and female Xuantian Sect robes differed in two main ways.

First, the female robe's front tie was on the right side and embroidered with floral patterns; the male robe's tie was on the left, with no patterns.

Second, the female robe had an additional skirt hem, to reflect feminine grace; the male robe had none.

As the saying goes: male left, female right; male yang, female yin—this distinction was fully embodied in their attire.

The owners of these two garments now lay on a massive cedar bed padded with soft fur, engaged in the forbidden act typical of young boys and girls.

The young woman was plump, with fair skin and a beautiful face, held in the arms of the youth before her.

The youth was tall and burly, immensely imposing, and holding the young woman was effortless for him.

The young woman's eyes were hazy, her cheeks flushed, and she breathed softly, "Senior Brother Chen, go easy... You must keep your word this time. Tomorrow, you must give me a bottle of the original... the original pulp... ah!"

Before the young woman could finish speaking, the imposing youth behind her suddenly activated his mental technique, boosting his combat power significantly, causing the young woman to quickly succumb...

The Profound Tianmen has ten thousand menial disciples, and the medicinal soup they consume daily is indeed blended from the original pulp mentioned by the young woman.

The medicinal soup can accelerate the speed at which menial disciples absorb primal energy and condense their primal wheels.

However, it is not much faster; the vast majority of menial disciples need to consume it continuously for nearly a year before they can possibly condense a primal wheel and become a Martial Artist.

The medicinal efficacy of the original pulp is dozens of times that of the blended medicinal soup; after consuming it, the probability of becoming a Martial Artist is far higher than for those who drink the medicinal soup, and the time required is greatly shortened.

Therefore, some female menial disciples with low aptitude choose to exchange their bodies for the original pulp of the medicinal soup, and the young woman on the bed is exactly such a case.

With the battle over, the imposing youth, whom the young woman called Senior Brother Chen, leaned back on the bed with a satisfied expression, looking contentedly at the young woman who lay on her stomach with her back to him.

He grinned, speaking absentmindedly, "Didn't I say last time I was in seclusion breaking through to Warrior Stage 8? That's why I forgot to give it to you.

Junior Sister, rest assured, as long as you make Senior Brother comfortable, I will definitely give it to you tomorrow."

Upon hearing his promise, the young woman immediately turned back and gave him a seductive smile, her face blooming like peach blossoms.

Seeing this, the Chen surname youth instantly felt an itching in his heart and prepared to reignite the flames of war.

However, just then, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching outside the door, followed immediately by the sound of knocking.

"Knock, knock, knock... knock, knock, knock..."

"Who is it?"

The two naked people in the room instantly became alert; after the imposing youth shouted, he assumed an attacking posture, while the young woman grabbed a blanket to wrap her body and nervously hid behind the youth.

"Senior Brother Chen, it's me, Zhang Youliang."

The person knocking was one of the two black shadows who had spied on Facing Facing Cang Luo in the Beast Mountain camp, the triangular-eyed disciple who rushed back to the Profound Tianmen to report the news, named Zhang Youliang.

And the imposing youth in the room was Chen Dahu's older brother, Chen Dalong, with a cultivation of Warrior Stage 8.

Chen Dalong frowned, very unhappy that someone was disturbing him while he was doing a good deed, and so late at night.

However, since this Zhang Youliang was someone he had recently brought into the gang and was following him, it was not good to lash out.

Putting on his clothes, Chen Dalong walked to the door, opened a crack, and frowned, "What is it?"

Zhang Youliang stole a glance at the large bed inside the room from the corner of his eye, then excitedly whispered, "Senior Brother Chen, I have found that trash."

"Which trash?" Chen Dalong could not recall for a moment.

"Facing Facing Cang Luo! The one who injured Senior Brother Chen Dahu..."

Zhang Youliang leaned close to Chen Dalong and whispered, not daring to mention Chen Dahu's castration in front of him, only saying he was injured.

"What did you say?" After hearing this, Chen Dalong suddenly threw the door open, startling Zhang Youliang so much that he lost his balance and fell into the room, landing face-first.

"Ah!" The young woman on the bed, exposing her fragrant shoulder, screamed and immediately lowered her head, shrinking into the corner.

Hearing the sound, Zhang Youliang intentionally looked up, and upon seeing the gorgeous young woman on the bed, his eyes instantly lit up, feeling great envy for Chen Dalong in his heart.

Zhang Youliang wanted to look a few more times, but Chen Dalong grabbed him by the collar from behind and lifted him up.

Chen Dalong, suppressing his anger, shouted in a low voice, "Where is that trash?"

More than two hours later.

Chen Dalong and Zhang Youliang, moving in the dark, arrived at the camp in the Beast Mountain where Facing Facing Cang Luo was located and met up with Wang Lei, who had remained there to monitor Facing Facing Cang Luo.

Chen Dalong said impatiently, "Where is that trash?"

Wang Lei pointed to Facing Facing Cang Luo's tent and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother Chen. That trash has not come out; he is probably still sleeping. Should we take the opportunity to finish him off now?"

Chen Dalong looked at the eastern sky, where the sun was showing signs of rising, and then looked at the more than one hundred tents in the camp.

He shook his head and said, "It is almost dawn, and there are too many people here; it is not good to act. It would be bad if others discovered we killed a fellow disciple.

Moreover, I promised my younger brother that I would capture that trash alive, torture him half to death, and then send him back to the sect, letting him live the rest of his life in pain."

Zhang Youliang and Wang Lei nodded; whatever Chen Dalong said, they would do.

Whether Facing Facing Cang Luo lived or died had nothing to do with them; the two were merely errand runners, but they also wanted to see Facing Facing Cang Luo's miserable state with their own eyes.

Especially Zhang Youliang; the words Facing Facing Cang Luo had retorted to him that day were still fresh in his memory, and he wished to act with his own hands, which is why he was so eager to run back to the Profound Tianmen overnight to report the news.

At this moment, Wang Lei, who had been staring at Facing Facing Cang Luo's tent, suddenly said, "Look quickly, that trash is coming out."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dahu immediately focused his gaze, seeing a person covered in stubble, wearing the green robe of an outer sect disciple, stretching as he walked out of the tent.

Chen Dahu frowned and said, "Is he Facing Facing Cang Luo? The one who defeated my younger brother, who has a Warrior Stage 5 cultivation, with only a Warrior Stage 3 cultivation? Is he alone right now?"

"Yes! He is alone right now." Wang Lei confirmed; he and Zhang Youliang had guarded the camp for a long time and had not seen Cang Zhen and others who were with Facing Facing Cang Luo that day.

"Speak quietly!" Zhang Youliang on the side whispered, "Senior Brother Chen, this person is extremely cunning and possesses a supreme skill of locating by sound.

Let us speak quietly; that day, he used this despicable method to launch a surprise attack and injure Senior Brother Chen Dahu."

Chen Dalong snorted coldly and whispered, "Keep a close watch; if he is returning to the sect, we will find a deserted place on the way to intercept and kill him.

If he intends to enter the Beast Mountain, then we will follow him secretly and strike when we reach a place where few people tread..."

"Yes!"