Chapter 766: Setting up a Formation

After leaving the Five Elements Sect, Shen Haoran immediately summoned Changmao. He then had Changmao lead the way as the two of them descended toward the Red Flame Spiritual Vein deep beneath the Sect.

Shen Haoran had previously discovered the Red Flame Spiritual Vein in the Five Elements Sect’s Celestial Level Cultivation Room. Back then, however, he could only enter it using his Spiritual Thought as a vessel. This time, under Changmao’s guidance, Shen Haoran’s physical body was able to enter as well.

RUMBLE…

The two arrived in the Underworld. Below them, the Red Flame Spiritual Vein was still churning restlessly. A massive Spiritual Power Vortex raged within the ocean of Spiritual Power, and a roiling wave of its pressure washed over Shen Haoran, as if trying to drag him into the depths.

But Shen Haoran was no longer the weakling he once was. A colossal wave of Spiritual Power surged toward him, but before it could get within ten meters, it was cleaved in two by his sharp, imposing aura and whistled harmlessly past his sides.

“That great war must have destroyed the Arrays here. The Spiritual Power can’t be channeled out anymore. No wonder the Spiritual Power around the Five Elements Sect has gotten so weak!” Shen Haoran muttered, gazing at the space above the Red Flame Spiritual Vein.

“It’s not just that. The Spiritual Power in this Red Flame Spiritual Vein seems to have grown violent, too,” Changmao added grimly. “It’s like water in a pool with a blocked drain—it just keeps rising. Sooner or later, it’s going to overflow. When that happens, this Red Flame Spiritual Vein will probably destroy the entire Red Flame Mountain Range!”

“It looks like we were right to come,” Shen Haoran said, letting out a long breath. He then retrieved a smooth Crystal Stone from his Storage Ring. It was the Source Stone he had previously obtained from this very Red Flame Spiritual Vein. He had originally planned to use it to build a small Source Vein for the Shen Family, but before he had the chance, a great calamity had befallen them.

‘Does this count as returning it to its rightful owner?’ Shen Haoran thought with a bitter smile. He then tossed the Source Stone into the Red Flame Spiritual Vein below. He needed to use this Source Stone to inscribe an Array that would guide the Spiritual Power out once more.

The Source Stone fell into the ocean of Spiritual Power and vanished without a trace, like a stone dropped into the vast sea. A moment later, however, the once-violent ocean of Spiritual Power suddenly grew still. The whistling Spiritual Power Vortex fell silent in an instant. The entire Red Flame Spiritual Vein seemed to have been suppressed, unable to stir even a single ripple.

Gazing at the suddenly placid Red Flame Spiritual Vein below, Shen Haoran took a deep breath. He then began to form a Seal Technique with his hands. An immense wave of Spiritual Thought surged from his Sea of Consciousness, plunging directly into the ocean of Spiritual Power.

BOOM…

Shen Haoran’s Spiritual Thought smashed into the ocean of Spiritual Power like a meteorite, sending up a massive splash. A moment later, the placid ocean began to boil. Countless bubbles of Spiritual Power rose to the surface, and great columns of it shot toward the heavens.

Seeing this, Shen Haoran quickly used his Spiritual Thought to bind the columns of Spiritual Power. Then, following the Array Map for the Spirit Gathering Array in his mind, he began to draw it out.

Array Masters had all but vanished from the Xingluo Continent. Apart from using Array Maps left behind from Ancient Times or discovered in Secret Realms, very few people knew how to construct an Array anymore. Shen Haoran was only able to inscribe the Spirit Gathering Array thanks to the Alchemy Inheritance within his Sea of Consciousness.

However, Shen Haoran’s Spirit Gathering Array was different from a typical one; it was reversed. In other words, he wasn’t trying to gather more Spiritual Power into the Red Flame Spiritual Vein. Instead, he was gathering Spiritual Power for the Five Elements Sect, simply using the Red Flame Spiritual Vein as a power source.

Aided by his Alchemy Inheritance and the Source Stone, Shen Haoran quickly finished inscribing the Spirit Gathering Array. Once the Array was complete, the calm ocean of Spiritual Power began to churn once more. Dozens of columns of Spiritual Power shot skyward, struck the Spirit Gathering Array, and transformed into innumerable streams of pure Spiritual Power that were channeled out toward the Five Elements Sect. Before long, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power of the Five Elements Sect would grow dense once again.

After finishing his work, Shen Haoran let out a long sigh of relief. With a flicker, he shot back toward the surface. He checked the time. ‘By now, the other powers from the Southern Domain should have arrived.’

「At that moment」 Outside the Five Elements Sect, three massive Flying Beasts were slowly approaching. Atop them stood several figures, their hands clasped behind their backs. They exuded an unintentional kingly air that made the very beasts beneath their feet tremble in fear. These individuals were from the superpowers of the Southern Domain, factions whose strength was no less than that of the Five Elements Sect in its prime. They were the Guiyuan Saint Child of the Guiyuan Sect, the Illusionary Saint Son of the Illusion Transformation Sect, and Zi Yuexi of the Purple Luo Palace.

“Tsk, tsk. To think the Five Elements Sect was once the number one Sect in the Southern Domain. Even we had to show them some respect. But look at this pitiful state it’s in now. How unpredictable the world is!” the Guiyuan Saint Child mocked, looking down at the Spiritual Power-deprived Sect below.

“The number one Sect in the Southern Domain?” the Illusionary Saint Son snorted with contempt. “We were just giving Chen Yu some face back then, that’s all. We couldn’t be bothered to compete with him. Them? Worthy of being called the best in the Southern Domain? What a joke!”

To the side, Zi Yuexi merely glanced at the Five Elements Sect below, saying nothing. After a moment, she leaped from her Flying Beast and began walking toward the Sect on foot. ‘After all, this is someone else’s territory. We can’t just swagger in on our Flying Beasts,’ she thought. ‘No matter how far the Five Elements Sect has fallen, they still deserve at least that much respect.’

Watching Zi Yuexi dismount, both the Guiyuan Saint Child and the Illusionary Saint Son snorted with contempt. ‘Respect?’ they thought. ‘Respect is earned with strength. The current Five Elements Sect is not qualified to earn our respect.’ Ignoring the attempts of the disciples below to stop them, the two flew directly into the Five Elements Sect on their Flying Beasts.

“Halt! Flying is forbidden in the airspace above the Five Elements Sect! We must ask you two to descend!” the disciples below shouted, hastily mounting their own Flying Beasts to block their path.

“Insolent!” The two snorted, looking at the Five Elements Sect disciples blocking their way. With a wave of their hands, several bolts of Spiritual Power shot out, blasting the disciples from the sky.

Zi Yuexi shot a cool glance at the Guiyuan Saint Child and the Illusionary Saint Son high in the sky, her elegant brows furrowing. Her figure flickered, and she moved to catch all the falling Five Elements Sect disciples, landing them safely. From that height, they would have certainly been killed by the fall.

“Hmph. What a busybody,” the Guiyuan Saint Child and his companion snorted upon seeing the Five Elements Sect disciples were unharmed. Without a backward glance, they continued flying into the heart of the Sect…