Chapter 97: Chain Formation, Formation Broken!
The fifth circular passage contained water deep enough to reach everyone’s waists. Although there were no hidden darts or arrows, the road at the bottom of the water was rough and extremely difficult to navigate.
What was most unbearable was that due to the black water and uneven ground, everyone searched for a full four times before finding the exit to pass the trial, instantly wasting half a day.
Fortunately, although everyone spent a lot of time, they only used six talismans.
Qin Feilong suddenly said, looking at the three open passages before him, “There are a total of eight consecutive rings. We have three left.”
To them, each circular passage was very different, but each stage had distinct characteristics. The first was extreme yang, corresponding to Qian; the second was extreme yin, corresponding to Kun; the third was lightning, corresponding to Zhen; the fourth was strong wind, corresponding to Xun; the fifth was great water, corresponding to Kan; and for the sixth passage, although they had not entered it, looking at it now, they could see blazing fire, scorching hot, making it easy to guess it corresponded to Li.
The remaining two should be Gen and Dui.
Hearing this, the youngsters fell silent. They now only had one day left. How could they break through two consecutive rings, or even break the formation, in such a short time?
Just as He Qingqing was about to speak, she suddenly heard Ming Zhaoshuang chuckle.
“That’s incorrect, Senior Brother Qin.”
Ming Zhaoshuang raised her eyes. In the dark water flow, her eyes appeared exceptionally bright, much like the clearest eaves frost and snow in winter.
“There are nine consecutive rings in total. The last consecutive ring is for us to break the formation.”
The consecutive ring formation should perhaps be called the Nine Consecutive Ring Formation.
The previous eight consecutive rings clearly corresponded to the eight spliced blueprints and the eight trigrams. However, the final consecutive ring, the final blueprint, and the passage at the very bottom were meant for them to use the principle of trigram generation and mutual destruction to gradually remove these rings, serving as a sharp tool for breaking the formation.
Therefore, for them to break the formation, they must pass through nine consecutive rings, and then re-enter the trial repeatedly until they “removed” these rings.
When Ming Zhaoshuang passed through the fourth consecutive ring earlier, she had discovered this point, but she had not yet dared to be so certain.
However, at this instant, she had completely seen through the formation and also saw the method to break it.
Ming Zhaoshuang clearly explained it to the youngsters, and seeing their bewildered looks, she found it amusing.
In the final analysis, it was just a simple Nine Consecutive Ring principle; why couldn’t they understand?
Although Shen Liqian had not fully understood, she grasped Ming Zhaoshuang’s meaning: “Zhaoshuang, you mean we need to go through the formation at least twice to completely break it.”
They had only gone through it once so far, having only completed five passages.
Hearing this, the youngsters had various expressions: some frowned, some lowered their eyes, and some sighed.
If it were as Ming Zhaoshuang said, then they might need at least another seven or eight days on this formation. He Qingqing would have absolutely no hope of breaking the formation.
What a test of intelligence; it would be better to test something else.
A formation that was so slow, it would take at least ten days to pass.
Unexpectedly, Ming Zhaoshuang’s face remained unchanged, her eyes curved slightly as she said, “Let’s go, we’ll return to where we first came from and break the formation.”
Qin Feilong pursed his lips: “If it’s really as Junior Sister Zhaoshuang says, then the formation core should be on the ninth spirit tool. Why do we still need to go back to the starting place?”
Ming Zhaoshuang, having seen through the formation, was in a good mood. Even though Qin Feilong was asking the question now, she was happy to answer him: “Who says there’s only one way to break a formation, by finding the formation core? Can’t I force it?”
Fei Changxiu followed Ming Zhaoshuang’s steps, smiling as he said, “Oh, Junior Brother Qin, don’t overthink it. Just follow Junior Sister Ming; she’s right.”
Ming Chenxing and He Qingqing also followed.
Qin Feilong looked at Shen Liqian, his gaze filled with inquiry and confusion.
Force it? How to force it?
After Shen Liqian had cleared things up with him, their relationship was actually quite good. Seeing his completely bewildered expression, Shen Liqian lightly chuckled and asked back:
“Senior Brother Qin, don’t you know that the simplest way to break a Nine Consecutive Ring is to smash it?”
This was also why, in the original book, Qin Feilong, despite not finding the formation core, was still able to break this consecutive ring formation with his final trump card.
Is the formation core hard to find? Is the formation hard to break?
It doesn’t matter; as long as my strength is sufficient, I can destroy this formation!
Returning to the mecha room where they had first started, Ming Zhaoshuang took out more than thirty explosion talismans and more than ten lightning talismans from her storage bag and plastered them all on.
Fortunately, she felt that she used these two types of talismans the most and drew the most. Now, with more than fifty talismans pasted on, although the effect might not be as good as Qin Feilong’s trump card, it was more than enough to blast this formation.
To be safe, Ming Zhaoshuang snatched more than ten offensive talismans from Qin Feilong and plastered them all on.
Ming Zhaoshuang smiled and said, “Esteemed Senior Brothers and Sisters, prepare to watch fireworks. Are the defense talismans ready?”
Ming Zhaoshuang had drawn many defense talismans previously, to the point where her soul power was now severely depleted. But fortunately, they were all being put to use now.
After all, although Ming Zhaoshuang’s explosion talismans were drawn based on Wei Shuo’s talismans, the effect of her talismans was far less potent than Wei Shuo’s, and they couldn’t form a protective shield to keep them from being accidentally injured.
Seeing the youngsters nod, Ming Zhaoshuang and Qin Feilong simultaneously activated their spiritual power.
Instantly, talisman light burst forth, illuminating the entire room.
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”
As Ming Zhaoshuang’s clear voice fell, a world-engulfing explosion instantly swept through every corner of the formation, the immense roar causing everyone to instinctively cover their ears.
Amidst the endless firelight and lightning, layers of defense talismans shattered, fragments of light rushing towards them.
The youngsters channeled their spiritual power, yet they still felt their internal organs tremble and their hearts and livers crack.
Except for He Qingqing, who was protected in Zhu Yan’s embrace, almost everyone was thrown to the ground by the intense explosion, blood appearing at the corners of their mouths.
Zhu Yan’s snow-white fur was also hit by the debris from the mecha room’s explosion, sustaining several bloody scratches.
“Cough… cough”
Fei Changxiu coughed several times: “Junior Sister, who told you to use talismans like that.”
This power was too great.
Harming the enemy a thousand, damaging oneself eight hundred.
Fei Changxiu had not had time to experience how powerful his Nascent Soul stage self was before being injured by so many of Ming Zhaoshuang’s talismans.
Whoever said talisman masters were not adept at combat, he would be the first to disagree.
Shen Liqian also said, “Zhaoshuang, you used too many of those talismans.”
Given the power of Ming Zhaoshuang’s talismans, perhaps around forty would have been enough.
Ming Zhaoshuang had not expected her talismans to be so powerful and smiled sheepishly at everyone: “I’ll be careful next time, next time.”
Xiao Bai had said that the effect of a talisman was related to spiritual power and even more so to soul power.
Her spiritual power was still at the Early Golden Core stage. This scene now could only mean that her soul power had significantly increased recently.
Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, a furious voice suddenly came from the air.
“I said! You are not allowed to break my formation by destroying it! Why does no one listen! If you directly destroy the formation, then what is the point of me setting up this formation! What’s the point!”
“That Wei Shuo fellow is truly not a good person, to consider this as you passing!”
