Chapter 13

Di Jun, Taiyi and the others had not yet arrived, and Qi was deeply worried.

He worried that they might encounter ferocious beasts on the way, suffer injuries, and also fretted over whether the great formation could be completed before the beast tide arrived.

All the manpower and material resources of Cloud Dream Marsh were now, under Qi's coordination, beginning to get on track.

Anyone who shows cowardice, defies management, or slacks off and drags progress shall be slain!

Qi transplanted all the spiritual roots to various places in Cloud Dream Marsh to serve as the formation eyes of the great formation's key nodes.

Using the innate top-grade spiritual treasure, the Water Hua Awakening World Drum, as the core, it suppresses the flow of spiritual power across the Cloud Dream Continent.

Furthermore, using the innate twelve-grade Purifying World White Lotus as the hub, it controls the great formation.

Using the water meridians of Cloud Dream Marsh as the channels for spiritual power flow, it ensures the great formation will not be damaged.

Gathering the spiritual roots, spiritual herbs, and spiritual ores of the various tribes of Cloud Dream Marsh, they intended to refine them into one hundred and eight formation flags; the bearers of these flags could then manipulate a portion of the great formation's spiritual power against the enemy.

The hardship involved cannot be spoken of to others.

The tribes divided labor and cooperated, clearing the spiritual qi meridians, moving mountains and filling seas, and capturing and gathering cloud qi.

While paying attention to the great formation, Qi also needed to frequently go and create disturbances for the beast tide, striking at the small-scale beast tides around Cloud Dream Marsh.

The tribes did not understand formations, nor did they know the mighty power of heaven and earth, often engaging in futile labor or making mistakes.

All of these needed Qi to correct them one by one; futile labor was tolerable, but mistakes had to be re-corrected.

Some tribes' work fell short of the standard and had to be redone.

Or conflicts would arise between tribes, requiring mediation.

These matters, one after another, left Qi with no spare attention.

Qi was also building such a great formation for the first time, and there would be omissions; these omissions sometimes would render decades of hard work wasted.

The pressing urgency of time continually pushed Qi to improve, to deepen his understanding of formations.

The threat from the beast tide left Qi without a moment's rest for about fifty thousand years, his whole being in a state of tension.

Over those fifty thousand years, the tribes' conflicts grew ever more severe, and the lack of rest caused countless beings to fill the air with complaints.

Merely under the pressure of the beast tide, the tribes barely cooperated, and their efficiency was also affected; thus far, the construction of the great formation is only about forty-five percent complete.

Although the current progress could allow the great formation to be built before the beast tide arrives, the time for drills is too short.

For such a complex and massive formation, whether one can skillfully employ it makes a huge difference.

The former can achieve twice the result with half the effort, while the latter can only achieve half the result with double the effort.

At this moment, Qi seemed to sense something, and he raised his head to look toward the horizon.

After confirming, he immediately withdrew from the design of the great formation, his face showing delight as he flew north.

"Qi, how have you been lately?"

The speaker was Taiyi.

Hearing this, Qi showed a bitter smile.

He replied to Taiyi: "I'm about to be driven mad by these trivial matters!"

He then looked at the two siblings following behind him, raised his hand in greeting: "I am Qi, the Water God of Cloud Dream Marsh; I greet you two fellow cultivators."

"Fuxi (Nüwa), I greet you fellow cultivator."

Looking at this man before him, whose fatigue was evident, with red brows and white hair, one could not see the vigor and high spirits that Taiyi and Di Jun had spoken of.

His appearance, compared to their rushing from Mount Buzhou, looked even more disheveled.

Hearing their names, Qi felt surprised yet at the same time felt it was only natural.

After all, this is the Primordial Era; it is quite normal for Fuxi and Nüwa to have some communication with Taiyi and Di Jun.

After all, they are the future Xi Emperor and Nüwa Emperor of the Heavenly Court; without some friendship, they would not have risen to rule the Heavenly Court.

After all, although their fortune is good, it also leads to karmic entanglements.

After thinking, if the present Di Jun and Taiyi invited him to join the Heavenly Court, even though he would clearly know it is a great trouble, he would probably join without hesitation.

"Everyone, please first follow me into Cloud Dream Marsh; we can discuss these matters after we enter the marsh."

Qi said to the crowd.

All said in unison: "Good!"

Fuxi and Di Jun, upon seeing the nascent form of the great formation in Cloud Dream Marsh at this moment, finally understood why Qi showed fatigue.

The scale of this formation is so large that even from its embryonic form one can already glimpse a bit of it.

There are also no traces of ferocious beasts passing through the surroundings of Cloud Dream Marsh; it must be regularly cleared.

Seeing this, Fuxi could not help but sigh:

"Fellow cultivator, you truly are a great talent, possessing great merit!"

Upon hearing this, Qi merely smiled at Fuxi and did not respond.

Nüwa, not understanding formations, could only look at Fuxi with a doubtful gaze.

Fuxi did not explain; anyway, she would know soon enough, so there was no need for him to overstep his bounds now.

Better to wait for the master of this place to explain.

Entering the flower pavilion in the lotus pond, seeing the lotus flowers stretching as far as the eye could see, Qi's mood improved considerably, and his tense nerves relaxed greatly.

He took out lotus seeds, and fine wine to entertain everyone.

For a time, they chatted and laughed happily.

After the feast, Nüwa was observing the lotus pond and discovered that this pond was actually entirely the Three-Light Divine Water!

Although the lotus flowers in the water were beautiful, yet not a single spiritual root grew there, prompting her to ask curiously:

"Fellow cultivator Qi, this pond's divine water only nurtures ordinary flowers; isn't that overly extravagant?"

"That's a long story to tell."

Just as Qi's calm state of mind was restored, it was broken again, and he explained:

There were originally more than ten lotus flowers in this pond that had become spiritual roots, and immortal flowers and grasses were also abundant.

To build the great formation, they all had to be moved into Cloud Dream Marsh; the immortal flowers and grasses were entirely refined into the formation's banners!

Upon hearing of the great formation, everyone became somewhat interested, and Fuxi and Di Jun's eyes even shone with divine light.

When I arrived, I was already curious: gathering hundreds of millions of beings, the accumulation of a vast marsh of heaven and earth among all tribes—how huge must the scale of the formed formation be!

Fuxi, while continuing the conversation, also genuinely wanted to learn more.

This formation is called the Primordial Cloud Dream Great Formation, its main gates are the four of bewilderment, illusion, entrapment, and concealment, and it also secretly contains the four gates of death, injury, life, and the universe.

I intend to complete this formation within a single great cycle, enveloping the entire Cloud Dream Marsh; once successful, the beast tide will be no worry.

Now the construction of the great formation is already nearly half done; even before the beast tide arrives, it could be completed, but the training time is much reduced, making it difficult to exert the formation's full power.

However, now with the help of many fellow Daoists, I think this calamity can be safely overcome.

Qi explained to everyone.

It's a pity that this formation takes cloud vapor as its outward manifestation; the cloud vapor's bewildering and illusory aspects are ample, but its power is somewhat small, thus the lethal and injurious gates have limited potency.

However, with Taiyi's return, taking charge of the lethal and injurious gates, this deficiency is also compensated.

In the following time, everyone divided labor and cooperated, jointly resisting the great calamity!

Taiyi was responsible for interfering with the beast tide, hindering its advance.

Di Jun was responsible for overseeing the management of the Cloud Dream Great Formation's construction, commanding the myriad tribes' living beings.

Nüwa was responsible for mediating disputes among the tribes, easing the atmosphere of Cloud Dream Marsh under high pressure.

And Fuxi, together with Qi, continually studied the Cloud Dream Great Formation, constantly adjusting its details based on the scene, identifying and filling gaps.

With united efforts, the formation was finally completed within forty thousand years.

As the last talisman-bearing copper pillar fell, spiritual energy flowed through each node, the formation's meridians became clear, and the water veins of Cloud Dream Marsh began to connect.

The vast spiritual energy between heaven and earth was drawn forth, and a fine spiritual rain fell within the formation.

The spiritual rain fell to the ground and combined with earth qi, forming a spreading mist of cloud vapor.

After ninety thousand years, the great formation was finally completed!

I had finished writing early, but I'll still post it at nine o'clock, trying to keep some draft in reserve.

(End of chapter)