Chapter 178: Envy and Jealousy

At this moment, cultivators still rushing to this mountain kept joining the force violently breaking the formation.

Unfortunately the formation was unusually sturdy; even with everyone's magical power focused on one point, not a crack appeared.

And Jiang Yu happened to arrive just then; in the flicker of the formation she sensed a slight fluctuation of thunder spiritual power in the great formation.

This morning, when she joined the formation-breaking, she hadn't felt this; could it be that she had practiced a bit of the thunderfire technique from thatched hut?

Having doubts, Jiang Yu naturally wanted to clarify; she asked Elder Qian whether he sensed any thunder spiritual power fluctuating on the mountain's left side.

"Never, did you detect an anomaly?" Elder Qian's spirit shook; he knew Jiang Yu cultivated the Cavern Mystery Thunderfire Technique, so she might sense some thunder power.

Of course, under normal circumstances, those at Golden Core stage and above should be quite sensitive to the eight major spiritual powers: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, ice, wind, and thunder.

But now it is the mountain-guarding formation of the secret realm, which happens to be in an abnormal environment.

Of course, we cannot rule out someone in the crowd having a thunder spiritual root, but since no one else has Jiang Yu's sensitivity, it would be pointless.

So once Elder Qian clarified the exact direction, he flew there on his sword.

Huangfu Zhenren, the master of Xu Wu from the Myriad Sword Sect, saw him fly off to another side below; a thought moved him to send a voice transmission: "Friend Qian, have you found anything?"

"Not certain, just a guess." At this moment, no fewer than thirty Golden Core cultivators from three immortal domains were breaking the formation, while in the sky five squads of Golden Core-number Foundation Establishment cultivators were scattered, observing at all times.

Elder Qian would not boast recklessly in front of others.

But as soon as Jiang Yu approached, she immediately said: "Underground, I feel it's beneath the ground."

As she spoke, her motion of leaping down from the sword was stopped by Elder Qian: "Don't rush, breaking the formation is not just our family's affair."

"Let's come down and walk around, confirm the position, lest we become the target of everyone's anger."

"Thank you, Elder, for the guidance." Jiang Yu glanced around; several gazes drifted toward them.

Still, Jiang Tu, hidden on her shoulder, sighed: "Having an elder around is good; they can correct your conduct at any time."

During the day, Elder Qian's behavior of not asking a word and directly protecting the young made it feel very favorable.

While the place where Elder Qian brought Jiang Yu to land deviated by about ten or so zhang from what she said, the two pretended to watch the formation's light flicker, walking not quickly.

It's not that they weren't participating in breaking the formation; rather, there were rest periods during the effort. Right now Elder Qian should be resting, and Jiang Yu is benefiting from his light—otherwise a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator could not keep training for several hours in a temporary cave dwelling.

On the way, they also encountered a Heavenly Origin Foundation Establishment patrol squad; Jiang Yu would exchange greetings with everyone.

Some Foundation Establishment cultivators would occasionally observe her from afar and say to their teammates: "Jiang Yu, are you now a direct disciple of Sui Lv Zhenjun?"

"Or merely nominal."

"Why?"

"I don't know; anyway, I've never heard of them formally taking disciples. Fellow Daoist Gu, your Hundred Forges Sect is nearby—do you know the reason?"

"I don't know, but I've heard that Daoist Jiang lives on Year-start Peak, and all rations are given as direct transmission."

"How enviable and jealous! When will I be able to take a Nascent Soul as my master?"

Although their voices were low, they were heard by another squad of Isle East Foundation Establishment cultivators; the latter, loving a spectacle and not minding a big matter, transmitted the news that Jiang Yu had a Nascent Soul master to the ears of Ding Jiu of the Five Poisons Sect.

That fellow, having heard it, was not afraid; throughout ancient and modern times, many sects' direct heirs and talents have perished while exploring secret realms, and one hardly sees any Nascent Soul masters going as disciples to investigate deeply.

Moreover, East Isle and Heavenly Origin are far apart; if someone surnamed Jiang Yu died here, could her master run to East Isle to kill himself?

Thinking thus, Ding Jiu set up several barriers in his rest-quarters, carefully checking which of his poisons remained; when the chance came, he pondered which greeting would suit Jiang Yu best—or simply use them all.

Jiang Yu never saw Ding Jiu and had no idea he was scheming against her; of course, even if she knew, she would send that fellow to reincarnation in a secluded place.

At this point she had long strayed far from the intended position, but when Elder Qian said, "About time, we'll return the way we came,"

Jiang Yu was about to return when the Golden Core cultivators switched to another node to attack the great formation; under the booming techniques, she again sensed a more obvious fluctuation of thunder power ten zhang ahead.

She ran a few steps quickly, but felt nothing abnormal underfoot; so she squatted, pressed her palms to the ground, and simultaneously circulated the newly learned thunderfire technique.

This action attracted several strands of divine sense from midair.

"Also here?" Elder Qian hurried to keep up, imitating her motion.

Jiang Yu nodded, "When everyone strikes the formation, you circulate your method and sense carefully."

"Or you could use earth spiritual power to communicate with the underground."

Elder Qian gave a slight nod, then at once switched his hand to earth spiritual power, pressing it to the ground to examine closely.

At the instant the multitude of Golden Core cultivators attacked the formation again, not only did Jiang Yu sense the faint wandering thunder power, but Elder Qian also felt a slight numbness in his fingertips.

He immediately decided, marked this spot, and said, "Let's go to the first anomaly."

At this moment the two no longer strolled leisurely, but quickened their pace.

Jiang Yu was counting steps; when she called a halt, Elder Qian promptly obeyed, and the two again crouched to sense spiritual power.

"Elder, it's exactly three hundred sixty steps; let's try another three hundred sixty steps downward." Before Jiang Yu's words finished, two of the five Golden Core cultivators in the sky had already flown down to investigate.

Elder Qian signaled Jiang Yu to stay silent, took credit for discovering the anomaly, and brought the two Golden Core cultivators back and forth to investigate further.

Jiang Tu told Jiang Yu, who remained in place: "What a fine elder."

Jiang Yu laughed and replied to it: "You! Since my master personally fetched me and brought me to reside on Year-start Peak, everyone around me has been good people."

That Deng Yuanwu, didn't he early on come to the door to show friendliness?

But whether he, Xia Shijie, and Elder Sister Lu were transmitted together into this innermost layer, I don't know.

Xia Bing and company were naturally also transmitted into the inner circle; moreover, because Lu Ruochan tightly grasped Xia Shijie at the time, the two remained together underwater.

Furthermore, having encountered Lin Yuan who triggered a mechanism by mistake, the three brothers/sisters also gained a modest opportunity underwater and are now seeking an exit.

As for Deng Yuanwu and another two or three cultivators, they were transmitted to different places, each encountering their own opportunities.

Jiang Yu hadn't been distracted long before the returning verification party of Elder Qian and others brought her among a crowd of Golden Core cultivators breaking the formation.

She listened as the Golden Core cultivators discussed; the few excellent at formations had already begun to reverse-engineer the formation based on each thunder power surge location.

After a long while, an East Isle cultivator said: "The Nine Heavens Mysterious Thunder Formation, superimposed with Myriad Streams Return to the River."

"I feel there is also a Myriad Wood Formation; the three formations entwine as interior and exterior, which is why they've remained unsolved."

"In that case, pry open the thunder formation, find another two formation eyes, then split into groups to break the formation simultaneously."

"Let's get started right away, to avoid useless effort."

"Rest for half an hour."

"Agreed."

"In favor."

The cultivators' mobility is very strong; even after having spent a long time and great effort before, a brief meditation to replenish spiritual energy makes them invigorated again.

Jiang Yu does not need to rest any longer; she and the people from the Taiyi Sect who have taken turns resting guard the foot of the mountain.

When the time arrives and all cultivators move, they are assigned to exert effort in the water formation.

Just as expected, after prying the Thunder Formation, the nodes of the other two overlapping formations also become exposed.

Jiang Yu follows the senior alchemy elder ahead, simultaneously shaping her spiritual energy into fists and charging toward the eye of the water formation.

With a splash, the water roared.