A journey through the world of martial arts

Chapter 142 A Gentle Ripple
Upon hearing this, Wang Hao immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Please feel free to use your skills, I will be eternally grateful."

Seeing this, Elder Zheng said solemnly, "City Lord Wang, rest assured, as long as we can hold out for several months until our True Martial Hall arrives to reinforce us, this battle can be dragged out for a long time. The longer it goes on, the more advantageous it becomes for us."

Upon hearing Elder Zheng's words, Wang Hao was overjoyed. If the Zhenwu Hall could send more people to provide assistance, there might be a turning point in the matter.

"Thank you all for your help. I will not hesitate to ask for anything in return."

"Easy to say, easy to say"

Wang Hao dared not delay Elder Zheng and the other man from doing their work. After saying a few more words, he immediately led his men away, leaving only the Iron Guards in the courtyard.

"Two seniors, the Master of the Manor..."

Tie Zheng was anxious. If something happened to the master here, how could he face the master's wife and young master?

"You don't need to worry. Master Yin's injuries are not serious. He's just temporarily depleted of his internal energy and can't recover. As long as he rests for a while, he will naturally regain his senses."

In order to reassure Tie Zheng, Elder Zheng had no choice but to tell some things that were half true and half false. Upon hearing this, Tie Zheng did not suspect anything and nodded.

"If the two seniors need anything, Tie Zheng will certainly do his best."

Elder Zheng showed his approval, gave him a few words of advice, and then left the courtyard with Elder Zhao, leading his disciples straight to the city gate.

At this moment, Wei Feng and the other two were trying their best to restore the array's power, but because the "Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument" was damaged, the array's power could not be gathered in one place, and it would dissipate at every critical moment.

"Senior brother, the key is this magic artifact. If we can't repair it, all our efforts will be in vain," Meng Yu said, shaking his folding fan, his mood irritable.

"This magical artifact requires absorbing a large amount of blood essence, but the city doesn't currently have the necessary conditions. It seems we'll have to find another way."

Although Wei Feng is ruthless in achieving his goals, he would never devour the people in the city to repair the magic artifact. Such behavior is cruel and immoral, and if the Supreme Daoist sect found out and told the chief, he would definitely not get away with it.

"Sigh, how come our sect has become more and more like a righteous sect these past few years? Really."

Meng Yu closed his folding fan. Although he complained, he actually enjoyed the feeling.

"Enough talk. Since the Blood Luo Celestial Instrument is damaged, we'll return it to Master Yin later. Let's set up some simple magic arrays; I think Junior Brother Zheng and the others did a good job."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yu and Wang Xiao immediately nodded. They didn't know when the Blood Puppet would make a comeback, but it was always better to do something than to do nothing.

Just as the three were preparing to set up their formation, Wei Feng suddenly saw Elder Zheng and Elder Zhao approaching. He immediately led Meng Yu and the other two down from the city wall to greet them.

"Greetings to both seniors"

Wei Feng hurriedly bowed, and Meng Yu and Wang Xiao also bowed respectfully.

Regardless of the circumstances, these two must have shouldered the heavy responsibility of resisting the Blood Puppet while Yin Zhong was unconscious, and no amount of respect is too much, especially since they had a powerful figure standing behind them.

"Young friends, there's no need for such formalities. We've come here to set up an array. We wonder if the array in this city was set up by you three?"

Elder Zheng had previously noticed the faint traces of the Supreme Dao in the previous formation, and now, seeing the actions of the three people, he was even more certain of his conjecture.

"Senior's insight is truly remarkable. It was indeed set up by this junior and Master Yin together. However, my cultivation is too low, and the formation left too many flaws, which is why the blood puppet broke through it so easily."

"Well, you can't blame yourself for that. I've heard about what happened before from Lord Wang. The dead are gone, we should look to the future."

At this point, Elder Zheng asked, "Was there a diagram of the formation you set up earlier?"

If we had a formation diagram, we could save the trouble of surveying the earth's veins, and the time saved could be used to strengthen the formation itself.

"Yes, Junior Brother Meng."

Upon hearing this, Wei Feng immediately looked at Meng Yu, who took out an animal hide from her backpack and handed it to Wei Feng.

"Senior, the array diagram is here," Wei Feng presented it with both hands. Elder Zheng smiled and nodded, accepting it without hesitation.

Upon opening the animal hide, one could see clearly outlined veins, with some areas marked with cinnabar, making them exceptionally conspicuous.

"Excellent. This formation harnesses the power of the earth's veins to its own advantage, reflecting the mountains and rivers. Combined with the terrain of Nine Mountain City, this formation is undoubtedly the most suitable. I have truly underestimated you three young friends for achieving this."

The fact that Wei Feng and his two companions could study formations to such an extent at such a young age without declining cultivation levels makes them pillars of the sect. Even in the current True Martial Hall, it's hard to find many people who can compare to them.

"I am unworthy of such praise from you, senior. It is all thanks to the support of Lord Yin and Lord Wang. Otherwise, I would not be so relaxed."

Hearing Wei Feng's humble and unassuming demeanor, Elder Zheng and Elder Zhao both stroked their beards and smiled. This young man is indeed upright and honest, and does not covet credit.

"Alright, young friend Wei, if you have nothing else to do, why don't you come with us to set up the formation? With you familiar with the formation base, it will save a lot of time. Would you be willing?"

Hearing Elder Zheng's words, Wei Feng was overjoyed and immediately said, "If Senior does not despise my dullness, I am willing to serve you like a dog or horse."

Meng Yu and Wang Xiao both bowed deeply. Following these seniors, they believed that even learning just a little bit would be enough to benefit them immensely.

"Alright, Elder Zhao, you and your disciples should examine the damaged ley lines according to this array diagram, repair them, and then bury the array stones. As for the main array base, I will arrange it."

Elder Zhao nodded upon hearing this and left with his disciples. Elder Zheng called out to Wei Feng and the other two, then went up to the city wall. Looking at the array platform in the center, Elder Zheng examined it and turned to ask, "What is the array artifact for this array?"

Wei Feng pondered for a moment, then cautiously said, "Senior, you should be familiar with this treasure as well. It is the Blood Luo Celestial Instrument, currently owned by Manor Lord Yin."

"Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument," Elder Zheng's eyes lit up upon hearing this, then he fell silent. This item was originally given to Ji Ming by the Crimson Blood Demon Lord. After learning that Ji Ming had died and the item had fallen into Yin Zhong's hands, they wanted to snatch it back. However, before they could take action, the Crimson Blood Demon Lord was suppressed by the Supreme Being, and the item was left outside.

"Where is this treasure?" Although Elder Zheng no longer cared about the ownership of this item, it would be best if it could be used to set up an array.

Wei Feng carefully took out the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument. Elder Zheng looked at it and saw that the object was dull and had several fine cracks on it, clearly indicating that it had been severely damaged. Upon closer inspection, fortunately, the core inside was intact, so there was still a possibility of repair.

"Senior, this item is severely damaged. I wonder if it can be repaired?"

This item comes from the Crimson Blood Palace after all. Compared to the elders, they should have some skill. Even if it can't be completely repaired, it can still be useful if it can make some repairs.

"Repairing this treasure requires sufficient blood essence, regardless of whether it is human blood or the blood of other living beings. If I were to take action, I could restore it to its original state in less than three days."

Seeing the reluctance of Wei Feng and the other two, Elder Zheng's smile widened.

"Of course, this method is too evil. As elders of the True Martial Hall, we would never do such an evil thing. The only way now is to use the power of the earth's veins to nurture it for several months, which may restore it."

"But senior, the power of the earth's veins needs to be converted into array power, so I'm afraid we can't spare much power to nurture this thing. Moreover, this would be putting the cart before the horse and going against our original intention."

"That is indeed the case. This thing is useless, yet a pity to discard. Fortunately, I have another treasure that can serve as the foundation of the array, and its quality even surpasses that of the Blood Luo Celestial Instrument by a considerable margin."

After saying that, Elder Zheng took out the "Nine-Turbulent True Gourd" that Gu Xu had bestowed upon him.

When Wei Feng and the other two looked at it, they saw that the object had a yellow, fluorescent skin with landscape patterns on it. Auspicious clouds were piled up at the mouth of the gourd, and three golden runes shone brightly. It had a majestic aura, as if it could swallow up the four seas and melt away all things.

"This treasure is called the Nine-Turned True Gourd, a gift from our sect, and it's perfect for dealing with Blood Cloud," Elder Zheng said, a hint of pride in his eyes as he looked at the stunned expressions of Wei Feng and the other two. "With such a treasure, Senior, the Blood Luo Heavenly Instrument is no longer needed. This junior is willing to lend Senior a hand."

Upon seeing the magical artifact Elder Zheng produced, Wei Feng and his companions were invigorated. If they could use this treasure to set up a formation, along with the two seniors and many disciples of the True Martial Hall, it wouldn't be impossible to withstand the erosion of the blood cloud. They believed their cultivation was not inferior, so of course they would do their best and wait to gain merit afterward, perhaps even receiving a reward from the sect.

Just as Elder Zheng and his three disciples were rearranging the main array platform, Elder Zhao led his disciples to investigate the array nodes. Several days later, the damaged array nodes were repaired and the array stones were placed. A burst of light flashed, and the nodes responded to each other, forming a colorful light shield.

At the same time, atop the city tower, Wei Feng saw the light barrier rise and hurriedly said to Elder Zheng, "Senior, the light barrier has risen!"

Elder Zheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and said to Wei Feng, "While I am setting up the formation, the three of you will protect me. No matter what happens during the process, do not act rashly."

"We understand," Wei Feng and the other two said solemnly. They then formed three groups and surrounded Elder Zheng. Upon seeing this, Elder Zheng stood up and went to a stone platform. With one hand, he lifted the "Nine-Turning True Gourd" and it floated on the platform. Golden threads quickly disappeared into the gourd from the stone platform.

A flash of golden light appeared on the gourd's body, and its mouth opened, spewing out a burst of golden light that soared into the sky, forming a golden cloud of light. Within the cloud were auspicious clouds with runes, and thousands of golden rays descended, completely enveloping the entire Nine Mountain City.

Just as the golden cloud of light was taking shape, a rain of blood-red arrows suddenly came from the direction of Xiyuan Prefecture, crashing in with unparalleled force.

Upon seeing this, the three guardians' expressions changed. Remembering Elder Zheng's previous instructions, they dared not act rashly and simply protected Elder Zheng and themselves.

Elder Zheng, who was presiding over the formation, calmly pointed his finger at the gourd. With a tremor, an invisible wave swept across the surroundings. Just as the golden light cloud condensed, the blood arrows were stirred up by the wave and vanished without a trace in just a few breaths.

After the blood arrow was digested, there was no further movement from the direction of Xiyuan Prefecture. However, Elder Zheng sensed an astonishing aura gathering continuously through the formation, and the gradual reddening of the horizon seemed to confirm his guess.

"What follows will surely be a devastating blow; I can only hope that the people sent by Elder Gu can arrive as soon as possible."

Elder Zheng withdrew his hand, looked at the floating treasure gourd, and sighed inwardly. Although the formation was complete, the foundation of the formation was damaged. If the Blood God went all out, he probably wouldn't be able to hold on for long.

"senior"

Seeing him deep in thought, Wei Feng asked in a low voice. Elder Zheng came back to his senses and looked at the three of them, saying, "That was just the other side testing us. The formation is intact. I need to stay here and cannot leave. Although Elder Zhao and the others are responsible for guarding the formation, there are bound to be oversights..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Feng immediately said solemnly, "We understand your meaning, senior. The three of us will carefully guard the array point and prevent it from being damaged. Please rest assured, senior."

"If that's the case, then I'm much more at ease. You may proceed."

Wei Feng and the other two bowed again, then walked down the city wall and headed straight for a certain array point.

During the journey, Meng Yu exclaimed excitedly, "Senior brother, the senior didn't deliberately hide his techniques just now. The way he set up the formation was truly fluid and graceful. That one move alone was enough to broaden my horizons!"

"That's not all. Senior's skill in controlling true energy is also extremely high. It turns out that activating the array device is not about using more true energy, but about using the right amount at the right time."

Although Wang Xiao was the weakest of the three in terms of cultivation, he had the best observation skills. He could clearly see the subtle changes in Elder Zheng's true energy circulation, although Elder Zheng had intentionally let him see them.

"Although you appeared calm just now, I could sense some worry in your expression. It seems the battle to come will be even more brutal. You two must be extremely careful."

Upon hearing Wei Feng's words, Meng Yu and Wang Xiao both straightened up and responded.

Saiwonju, Xuguyuan

The Blood God looked at the golden clouds rising in the east and a playful smile appeared on his face.

"Interesting. This formation is unremarkable, but the array artifacts are of superior quality. It seems that one of you did intervene. But that's fine too. If we can deal with you, the remaining two won't be a problem."

The Blood God has always been wary of Gu Xu. It was intimidated by Gu Xu's gaze when it first appeared in the world. However, with the recent gathering of blood mist and the infusion of earth vein spiritual energy, the Blood God feels that its strength has become stronger than ever before. It no longer takes Qingshan Jun and Qi Feng seriously.

"I'll let you live a little longer. Once I've exhausted all the spiritual energy of Xiyuan Prefecture, that will be your end."

The Blood God grinned maliciously, his body hovering in the air as he flew into the blood cloud. The blood cloud churned, and strands of blood pierced into the ground, drawing up streaks of white light. Each time a strand was drawn, the ground cracked instantly, rocks collapsed in an instant, and water dried up immediately. Even the creatures corrupted by the Blood Sun seemed to have their life force drained, turning into withered bones that turned to dust with a gust of wind.

Lianyungang, Zhenwu Temple

Gu Xu sensed the changes in Xiyuan Prefecture, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. If it weren't for the fact that it wasn't the right time yet, Gu Xu would have already eliminated him.

"I'll allow you to live a few more days. This bloodshed began with you, and it should end with you."

After a moment of silent calculation, Gu Xu made up his mind that in five years, when this fiend had devoured all the spiritual energy of the Xiyuan Prefecture's earth veins, it would be the day it died and its soul was annihilated.

With a thought, Gu Xu's Azure Thunder Sword trembled slightly, and a flickering light appeared in the hall. Then, a bronze cauldron placed in the hall was neatly cut in two, the cut surface smooth and with a trace of lightning visible.

"This Clear Thunder Heavenly Sound still needs improvement. Even when cultivated to its peak, the bronze cauldron shouldn't look like this."

Gu Xuxin pondered for a moment, then closed his eyes and communicated with the jade pendant, continuously deducing within its space.

Just as Gu Xu was perfecting his divine power, a thick blood cloud suddenly appeared outside Jiushan City, with red light flashing inside and ghosts wailing and gods howling.

Elder Zheng, who was in charge of the formation, noticed it immediately and immediately activated the formation at full power. A golden cloud of light enveloped Jiushan City, and strange runes flowed continuously, emitting colorful rays of light, as if divine power was shining upon the world, and all evil was repelled.

"With Elder Zheng, Elder Zhao, and Daoist Wei here, the city lord need not worry too much. In my opinion, the power of this golden cloud is comparable to that of the blood cloud."

Seeing Wang Hao's anxious expression, Wen Sheng immediately offered words of comfort. These words were not unfounded, as everyone present could clearly see that the golden light cloud was constantly pushing back and squeezing out the blood cloud.

Hearing Wen Sheng's words, Wang Hao relaxed for the time being. He also hoped that the two experts could defeat the blood cloud. Jiushan City had already suffered too many calamities. If all else failed, they would have to raze the place to the ground and leave nothing of value behind.

On the city wall, Elder Zheng's expression was solemn. Although he had stopped the momentum of the blood cloud, he knew that this was just a test. Once he figured out the details of the formation or the principle of how the formation worked, the blood cloud would definitely rush up forcefully.

After being forced to disperse, the blood cloud quickly gathered and condensed, soon transforming into a blood-red behemoth that raised its giant blade and slashed down towards Nine Mountain City, distorting even space itself with its energy.

Elder Zhao, be careful!

Elder Zheng's expression was grave. He gave a command and poured his vast true energy into the treasure gourd. The golden light cloud rapidly expanded, forming a sphere. The moment the giant blade struck, the immense force was quickly dissipated by the formation. The wisps of blood energy were also quickly burned away by the golden flames that ignited on the light cloud. In just a short while, the blood-red giant statue was already broken in many places.

With a deep shout, Elder Zheng's face turned red. The golden sphere shrank first, then expanded, and the blood-red giant blade immediately shattered, causing the blood-red giant statue to retreat repeatedly.

Just then, Elder Zhao seized the opportunity, soared into the air, raised the golden beast-headed sword, and combined the power of the formation. A golden blade of light that pierced the sky and shattered the earth struck the blood-red giant statue squarely. With a loud bang, the blood-red giant statue shattered into pieces of blood clouds.

Taking advantage of this moment, Elder Zheng activated the treasure gourd, which released golden flames that shone brightly upon touching the blood cloud. Then, wisps of pure blood energy were absorbed into the gourd.

In Xiyuan Prefecture, the Blood God noticed that Blood Cloud had been destroyed. His eyes sharpened, and his blood energy surged. He realized that he had underestimated the power of this formation.

"This formation can absorb and refine blood clouds, but it has its limits. Since a direct attack cannot threaten you for the time being, we will use blood puppets to distract you."

Immediately, the Blood God pointed his finger, and several streams of blood energy swirled in front of him, soon transforming into four Blood Generals. Their eyes were bright and their aura was powerful, far surpassing that of naturally formed Blood Generals.

"Every so often, you will lead your blood puppets to attack Nine Mountain City. If you succeed, I will reward you handsomely. Go!"

Upon hearing this, the four generals immediately accepted the order, exchanged glances, and departed.

(End of this chapter)