The Desolate Era

Chapter 10 – This is the Vault of Treasures

“That’s because you, Uncle White, are capable of breaking the formation,” Ji Ning sent mentally. “Uncle White, we have no time to waste. Hurry up and break it. If there’s anything you need, just speak out; young master Youngflame will definitely provide it.

“Keep these Qiongqi golems a bit farther away; make it so that within thirty meters, I won’t be disturbed in the slightest.”

“Alright.”

Ji Ning immediately sent mentally, “Young master Youngflame, everyone, we are going to expand the scope of this five elements formation.”

“Expand it? The larger we make the formation, the more ice shards will strike us,” Adept Vastriver said frantically.

“My Whitewater Hound spirit-beast is able to break this formation, but he needs thirty meters of space to do so,” Ning sent.

“Break the formation?”

“Truly?”

All of them were both delighted and shocked. Youngflame Nong urged frantically, “Everyone, hurry up and do your best to hold on for a period of time.” After finishing his words, he gave Xue Hongyi a hard look, and Xue Hongyi hurriedly tried to make it appear as though he truly was going all out and risking his life to hold on.

Rumble…

The formation expanded. Youngflame Nong and his Redscale Salamander displayed their might as well; the two of them, man and spirit-beast, were able to simultaneously tie down eight of those Qiongqi Manticore golems, while Xue Hongyi managed to block one as well. As for Ji Ning and the rest of the five, they were able to block the other nine Qiongqi golems. For a period of time, the group was actually able to overpower the golems and deliver blows to them.

However, while they were overpowering the golems, they still had to divert part of their attention and efforts to blocking the icy shards. Each of them were using up astonishing amounts of elemental ki; they were all operating at maximum power, a state which they couldn’t maintain for too long.

“Arise.”

A large, snowy white hound was in the very center of the entire formation. Around him were ancient, simple-looking wooden staffs that were covered with magic runes. The staffs suddenly flew out in every direction, quickly landing in various areas. As each staff landed down, the space around them seemed to have been ‘nailed down’. All sixty four Fuxi Staffs descended on their respective locations.

Every single staff suddenly began to glow with an eye-catching, watery glow. In addition, lines of watery light began to connect between the staffs, forming an incomparably massive seal-formation.

Rumble…

The seal-formation actually began to merge with the giant formation around them.

It was like a drop of black water, falling onto a spotless white cloth, or a iron spike that was thrust into the spokes of a wheel; in short, the grand formation which had previously been incomparably harmonious and perfect was suddenly, instantly, ‘stuck’. In turn, the incomparably powerful surges of elemental energy from the natural world ceased to flow, and the attacking ice shards suddenly began to weaken in power. In but a single breath’s worth of time, they all vanished into nowhere.

And then, the entire grand formation itself completely vanished.

The ancient hall that they had been in previously once more appeared within Ning’s field of vision. They were still within the hall; they had never actually left it.

“The formation is broken?”

Youngflame Nong was stunned for a moment, but then he was wildly overjoyed. When he had been trapped within the formation, he had been consumed with the agony of despair and bitterness. Now that he had been released from it…it was hard for him to express the joy in his heart through words.

“Formidable, formidable.” Mu Northson blinked his eyes as he looked at the large, snowy white dog in their midst.

“What a formidable Whitewater Hound.” Adept Vastriver looked at the snowy white dog as well.

“Uncle White, you really are formidable,” Ninelotus sent mentally as well.

All of them were absolutely overjoyed.

Although Xue Hongyi was surprised and delighted at their escape, in his heart, he still felt extremely displeased. “Even his spirit-beast is as formidable as this in formations…why the hell don’t I have such a powerful spirit-beast? Damnable, absolutely damanable…this time, Ji Ning once again became the one to accumulate great merits in front of young master Youngflame.”

…..

No longer having to worry about the constant attacks from the overwhelming number of icy arrows, Ning and the others instantly exploded with power. By relying on the five-elements pentagonal formation, Ning, Adept Vastriver, and Yu Wei were each able to lock down four of the Qiongi golems, while Ninelotus, Northson, and Xue Hongyi were each able to lock down one. The Redscale Salamander, by itself, was able to block all of the other golems.

It was now extremely easy. Young master Youngflame didn’t even need to personally intervene; all eighteen of the golems were now locked down.

“Uncle Fang, the formation has been broken. You can come in now.” Youngflame Nong sent a spiritual message to Xiangliu Fang, who was still outside.

The two had set up a soul-bind long ago. Xiangliu Fang, this Fiendgod, was Youngflame Nong’s most loyal servant; otherwise, how could the Youngflame clan be comfortable with sending a Fiendgod to accompany their young master?

……

Xiangliu Fang had successfully fled to the outside perimeter of this palace long ago, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to enter. Thus, he could only continue to run about and flee outside of it. The entire Immortal estate was only a few tens of thousands of kilometers in size; it truly was too small. Xiangliu Fang had already completely circumnavigated this world once.

“Stop chasing.”

“That Fiendgod is too crafty.”

“And he won’t die.”

The two mightiest monstrous powers in the Immortal estate world had both given up their chase. Although their attacks on Xiangliu Fang had caused him repeated injuries, as a Fiendgod, Xiangliu Fang’s recuperative abilities were simply too astonishing. In addition, he had been using evasive techniques, causing his speed to vastly outstrip the combined Dao-soldier armies. After repeated engagements, the two forces had given up.

“This Fiendgod isn’t easy to deal with, but those humans that came in with him are far weaker. This Fiendgod is a protector for one of them; once they come out, we’ll kill the humans, then seize the key to the Immortal estate.” These monstrous powers were also waiting outside the Vault of Treasures, one of the five palaces of the Immortal estate.

As soon as Ning’s group came out, they would surround them and kill them!

This was their one and only chance at seizing the key to the Immortal estate. Leaving this Immortal estate world was something which the various monstrous races here had hoped and dreamed about for countless ages. Their ancestors had all passed down legends of how incomparably vast the outside world was, and how even Immortals could fly for days and nights without reaching the ends of the world.

Days and nights?

The monsters of the Immortal estate world couldn’t even imagine such a thing, because in the Immortal estate world, a Loose Immortal could completely circumnavigate the world in as much time as was needed to boil a kettle of tea.

“I truly want to leave.”

“I truly want to see that vast, endless world.” All the monsters shared this feeling.

At this moment, the distant Xiangliu Fang was still awaiting Youngflame Nong’s spirit-message; both of them had extremely powerful souls, and thus they could naturally communicate spiritually at a fairly long distance.

“The young master is trapped within a formation in that palace…what should I do?” Xiangliu Fang was worried as well. “I can’t go in. If no one can break the formation and the young master remains trapped in it…in the end, I’m afraid he’ll give up and leave, but if he does, that means he will have failed this trial.”

Xiangliu Fang was worried, but he had no way of entering.

“Uncle Fang, the formation is broken. You can come in now,” Youngflame Nong sent spiritually.

“The formation is broken?” Xiangliu Fang was amazed and delighted. He immediately transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the palace.

Swoosh!

He flew over at high speed.

“That Fiendgod is coming again.”

“We can’t kill him…why’s he coming?”

“Can it be that he wants to enter the palace? Let’s follow him and go in together.” The monstrous Dao-soldiers reformed into that titanic wave and the Yaksha Dao-soldier. They looked at the Fiendgod, Xiangliu Fang, but didn’t attack.

Whoosh. In midair, an enormous palace door suddenly appeared, and then the door swung open. Fiendgod Xiangliu Fang had just reached that location. With a swoosh, he flew through the palace door…and then, the illusory door once more vanished.

Xiangliu Fang and young master Youngflame’s coordination was simply perfect. As soon as he had arrived, the door had appeared, and as soon as he entered, the palace door had once more shut, causing the pursuing Dao-soldiers that were right behind him to be unable to enter at all. After all, Fiendgod Xiangliu Fang was faster than them to begin with.

“Wait! I refuse to believe he won’t come out! As soon as they come out, we’ll first kill those humans, then seize the key to the Immortal estate.” The monstrous Dao-soldiers could only choose to wait patiently.

……..

Within the massive palace hall. Ning’s group was still fighting back against the wildly attacking Qiongqi golems.

“Swoosh.” A figure suddenly charged in. It was a pitch-black, narrow-eyed, middle-aged man…the Fiendgod, Xiangliu Fang.

“Uncle Fang.” Youngflame Nong was delighted. Finally, he had reunited with Uncle Fang. After seeing Uncle Fang, his restless, uneasy heart finally calmed down. With Uncle Fang present, he was safe.

Upon entering, Xiangliu Fang immediately saw those Qiongqi Manticore golems.

“Golems?” Xiangliu Fang, with a single step, arrived next to one of the Qiongqi golems. The golem immediately bellowed, slashing out with his claws and wanting to tear Xiangliu Fang apart. But what welcomed it was Xiangliu Fang’s fist!

BOOM!

The fist smashed directly upon the Qiongi golem, like the descent of a meteor, knocking it flying back and, with a titanic smashing out, sending it smashing hard against the walls of the palace. The walls of the Immortal estate were incomparably sturdy, while the Qiongqi golem itself was a magic artifact; neither were damaged. However, the Qiongqi golem first slumped to the ground, before them clambering back to its feet.

“A Primal golem?” Xiangliu Fang frowned, and then he threw out an enormous sack. “Come.” Xiangliu Fang waved his large hands, and then his ten fingers transformed into ten giant snakes, filling the air as they seized two of the Qiongqi golems. The two Qiongqi golems struggled viciously, but weren’t able to escape from Xiangliu Fang’s snake-hands.

“Get in.” After having seized the two Qiongqi golems, Xiangliu Fang tossed them directly into the sack.

Xiangliu Fang moved as fast as lightning, his giant hands filled with boundless, awe-inspiring might. Clearly, this was a powerful divine ability he had access to. With power far greater than that of the Qiongqi golems, he snatched them two or three at a time. In the blink of an eye, all eighteen of the golems had been seized and thrown into the sack; they didn’t even have a chance to flee.

“So powerful.” Ning and the others were stupefied and speechless with amazement.

“Uncle Fang.” Youngflame Nong was delighted.

Xiangliu Fang nodded, then gave a sideways glance to the Whitewater Hound, who was still maintaining the formation. He said softly, “Whitewater Hound? There are very few monsters who are skilled in formations. Whitewater Hounds are indeed extremely intelligent and well-suited for analyzing formations.”

After speaking, Xiangliu Fang transformed into a streak of light.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! He flew to three places, smashing down viciously with his fist. Although the palace itself was undamaged, some of its decorations, such as its giant chandeliers and drapes, were smashed into tiny bits.

“Alright. I’ve already blocked the critical chokepoints to the formation.” Xiangliu Fang looked towards the Whitewater Hound. “No need for you to constantly maintain the formation.”

The Whitewater Hound retrieved the artifacts from his Fuxi Staff Formation, and indeed, the previously active enemy formation didn’t respond at all.

“Whew.” Ning and the others shared glances, then revealed smiles. With an expert present, things would indeed be much simpler going forward.

“Eh?” Xiangliu Fang frowned slightly as he looked towards a distant place in the palace. He pointed towards it, and instantly, a ray of black divine power flew out from his finger, striking against the distant palace wall. Three giant characters instantly appeared on the wall – VAULT OF TREASURES.

“The Vault of Treasures?” Ning, Northson, and Xue Hongyi were all overjoyed.

The Immortal estate world had a total of five palaces. Ning’s group had no idea what the palace they had entered was meant for. Now, upon seeing those three characters, they knew immediately that this must be for storing treasures! Originally, Youngflame Nong had promised that any treasures they were capable of acquiring from within the Immortal estate would be theirs!