Chapter 39: Crisis Approaches

The formation arrays of the Yuanwu Continent are drawn with Bagua runes and ancient inscriptions, granting them incredible abilities.

Formation arrays are divided into three major categories: offensive arrays, defensive arrays, and auxiliary arrays.

Formation arrays, like cultivation techniques, elixirs, and weapons, are ranked into four grades: Yellow-grade, Xuan-grade, Earth-grade, and Heaven-grade, from low to high; each grade is further subdivided into lower, middle, and upper tiers.

To draw a formation array, three conditions must be met: first, knowledge of the array’s structure—understanding which runes and inscriptions compose it and how they are arranged.

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

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

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

However, due to the third condition, only cultivators with a cultivation base above Wu Ling typically possess the ability to set up arrays—and even then, only the lowest Yellow-grade arrays.

But there are exceptions: on the 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 output.

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

Such formation masters need only reach the Wu Shi level to set up Yellow-grade arrays alone, and even Xuan-grade arrays.

Moreover, formation masters can collaborate in groups to create even stronger and higher-grade arrays.

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

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

They rarely need to fight on the front lines; even when deployed, they merely set up arrays from the rear.

Safe, with pay no less than that of combat cultivators.

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

Cang Luo continued flipping through “Basic Formation Studies” 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 beast using one organ or a limb.

The procedure is simple: first, subdue the beast you wish to capture, break its will, and force it to submit.

One point to note: the beast’s rank must not exceed that of the master; if the master’s Yuan consciousness is weaker than the beast’s, the contract will backfire, scattering the master’s Yuan consciousness and rendering him an idiot.

After confirming that one’s Yuan consciousness is stronger than the beast’s, place a single drop of one’s own blood and a drop of the beast’s blood onto the array’s focal point.

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 too small—a single finger is insufficient; at least one palm is required.

After deciding on the offering, output both Yuan force and Yuan consciousness through both hands to link 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 offered organ or limb will dissolve 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 dantian.

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

From that moment on, the wild beast becomes a beast pet; its strength will rise with the master’s cultivation base and may even surpass its original genetic limits.

For example, if the beast pet was originally a Rank One beast, before becoming a pet, its power would never exceed Rank One peak in its lifetime, unless it underwent a mutation.

But once it becomes a pet, if the master reaches Wu Di, the beast pet will also attain Rank Nine 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, the master suffers no harm, for the master has already paid the price with the offering.

One hour later, Cang Luo finished reading “Basic Formation Studies” and began practicing the Body-Annihilating Divine Art while half-asleep.

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

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

“Wang, you stay here and watch him. I’ll return to the sect tonight and report to Brother Chen.”

Wang’s name is Wang Lei. He nodded but added: “That Cang Luo’s cultivation base seems only Wu Shi Third Layer, right?

We two could handle him—why summon Brother Chen, who’s at Wu Shi Eighth Layer?”

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—then we won’t get tangled in trouble.”

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

Xuantian Town, adjacent to the Xuantian Sect’s outer gate, is where the sect’s laboring disciples live and work—and also where outer disciples indulge in leisure.

It was deep night; most laboring disciples, exhausted from the day’s toil, slept, dreaming of soon forming their Yuan Wheels and becoming cultivators to enter the outer gate.

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

Sipping wine, spinning tall tales, fantasizing about life as a cultivator.

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

From a guest room on the tavern’s second floor, faint, muffled gasps of a girl occasionally drifted out, clashing with the noise below.

The room reeked of sensuality; scattered on the floor were two sets of clothing.

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

The male and female disciple robes of the Xuantian Sect differed in two key ways.

First, the female robe’s tie was on the right side and embroidered with patterns; the male robe’s tie was on the left, plain.

Second, the female robe included a skirt hem, embodying feminine grace; the male robe had none.

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

The owners of these two garments now lay on a large cedar bed covered with soft fur, engaged in the forbidden act of young lovers.

The girl was plump and beautiful, her skin pale, held in the boy’s arms.

The boy was tall and muscular, effortlessly cradling her.

Her eyes glazed, cheeks flushed, she whispered: “Brother Chen, be gentle... you must keep your promise tomorrow—give me a bottle of the original... original essence... ah!”

Before she finished speaking, the powerful boy behind her activated his heart method, boosting his combat strength, swiftly overwhelming her...

The Xuantian Sect had ten thousand laboring disciples, and the medicinal broth they consumed daily was diluted from the essence the girl mentioned.

The broth accelerated the absorption of Yuan force and the formation of Yuan Wheels.

But not by much—most laboring disciples needed nearly a year of continuous consumption before they could form a Yuan Wheel and become cultivators.

The original essence, however, was dozens of times more potent than the diluted broth; those who consumed it had far higher chances of becoming cultivators, and much faster.

Thus, some low-talent female laboring disciples traded their bodies for the original essence—the girl on the bed was one such.

After the act ended, the powerful boy, whom the girl called Brother Chen, leaned back on the bed, satisfied, gazing at the girl lying face-down before him.

He grinned lazily: “Didn’t I tell you I was in seclusion, pushing for Wu Shi Eighth Layer? That’s why I forgot to give it to you.

Don’t worry, little sister—if you please me well tonight, I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”

Upon hearing his promise, the girl turned back with a sultry smile, cheeks flushed.

Seeing this, the young Chen grew restless, ready to reignite the fire.

But just then, he heard footsteps approaching the door, followed by a knock.

“Tap-tap-tap... tap-tap-tap...”

“Who is it?”

The naked pair tensed instantly. The powerful boy shouted and assumed a combat stance; the girl snatched the blanket, wrapped herself, and cowered behind him.

“Brother Chen, it’s me—Zhang Youliang.”

The knocker was one of the two shadowy figures who had spied on Cang Luo in the Beast Forest Camp—the triangular-eyed disciple who returned to Xuantian Sect to report: Zhang Youliang.

The powerful boy in the room was Chen Dalong, elder brother of Chen Dahu, Wu Shi Eighth Layer.

Chen Dalong frowned, annoyed at being interrupted mid-act, especially at this hour.

But since Zhang Youliang was someone he’d recently taken into his gang and followed him, he held back his anger.

He threw on his robe, walked to the door, cracked it open, and growled: “What is it?”

Zhang Youliang stole a glance at the bed inside, then whispered excitedly: “Brother Chen, I found that waste.”

“What waste?” Chen Dalong couldn’t recall.

“Cang Luo! The one who injured Brother Dahu...”

Zhang Youliang leaned close, whispering, avoiding mention of Dahu’s ruined genitals, only saying he was injured.

“What did you say?” Chen Dalong flung the door open, startling Zhang Youliang, who stumbled forward and landed face-first inside.

“Ah!” The girl, revealing her bare shoulder, shrieked and immediately curled into the corner.

Zhang Youliang, hearing the cry, deliberately looked up—and upon seeing the girl, his eyes lit up, filled with envy for Chen Dalong.

He wanted to look longer, but Chen Dalong grabbed his collar from behind and yanked him up.

Chen Dalong hissed through clenched teeth: “Where is that waste?”

Two hours later.

Chen Dalong and Zhang Youliang crept through the dark to the Beast Forest Camp where Cang Luo was stationed, meeting up with Wang Lei, who had been monitoring him.

Chen Dalong demanded: “Where’s that waste?”

Wang Lei pointed to Cang Luo’s tent: “Brother Chen, the waste hasn’t come out—he’s probably still asleep. Should we kill him now?”

Chen Dalong glanced at the eastern sky—dawn was approaching—and at the hundred-odd tents in the camp.

He shook his head: “Dawn’s near, and there are too many people here. If we kill a fellow sect member, we’ll draw attention.

Besides, I promised my brother I’d capture that waste alive, torture him half to death, then send him back to the sect to suffer for the rest of his life.”

Zhang Youliang and Wang Lei nodded; they would do exactly as Chen Da said.

Whether Cang Luo lived or died was none of their concern—they were merely messengers—but they both wanted to see Cang Luo’s miserable state with their own eyes.

Especially Zhang Youliang, whose memory of Cang Luo’s insults that day remained sharp; he longed to strike him himself, which was why he had rushed back overnight to the Profound Heaven Sect to report the news.

At that moment, Wang Lei, who had been watching Cang Luo’s tent, suddenly said: “Look, the waste is coming out.”

Chen Dahu immediately fixed his gaze and saw a man with a scruffy beard, dressed in the blue robe of an outer disciple, stretching as he stepped out of the tent.

Chen Dahu frowned: “That’s Cang Luo? He defeated my brother, who was at Warrior Third Level, with only Warrior Third Level himself? And he’s alone now?”

“Yes, he’s alone now,” Wang Lei confirmed. He and Zhang Youliang had been guarding the camp for a long time and had not seen Zang Feng or the others who had been with Cang Luo that day.

“Speak quieter!” Zhang Youliang whispered beside him. “Brother Chen, this man is extremely cunning—he has a rare skill for sensing sound to pinpoint location.”

“That’s how he ambushed you that day, Brother Chen Dahu—using that despicable trick to strike and injure you.”

Chen Dalong snorted softly: “Keep watch. If he’s heading back to the sect, we’ll ambush him on the road somewhere isolated.”

“If he’s entering the Beast Mountain Forest, we’ll follow him silently and strike when we reach a place far from any witnesses...”

“Understood!”