What a lucky world!

Chapter 276 Breaking the Formation!
The idea that a single cultivator at the peak of the Liquid Condensation Realm could single-handedly hold off three Grandmasters sounds like a pipe dream.

Anyone who heard this story would probably think it was Lin Jinglong and Shisan Niang's "family filter" that beautified the sacrifice of Shisan Niang's brother.

The power of a Grandmaster can encompass heaven and earth. A mere Qi Condensation Realm cultivator is like a small fish in front of a huge wave. How could the wave possibly stop even for a second?
But Zhang Mu believed what Thirteen Sister said.

Because the hints from the Heavenly Secret Scroll are never unfounded!
But he was also very curious.

How exactly did Thirteen's brother manage to do that?
Looking at Zhang Mu's puzzled expression, Thirteen Sister seemed to recall some things before slowly saying, "My elder brother has exceptional talent in martial arts, but his heart is not in it."

"He preferred the art of weapon forging."

"He devoted himself to research for ten years and created a secret treasure called the 'Breaking Formation Stone'."

"Breaking the Formation?" Zhang Mu pressed, "What's it used for?"

Thirteen Sister shook her head: "I don't know the specifics of how to use it, but my brother said that this 'Breaking Formation' can kill a Grandmaster!"

Zhang Mu's eyes lit up.

That's right, the opportunity pointed to by the Heavenly Secret Scroll must be this "Breaking the Formation"!
If the Hidden Abyss Martial Village possessed the method to create this "Formation-Breaking Piece," or even mass-produced it...

"Sister Xuan, do you know how to make the Breaking Formation Piece?" Zhang Mu asked.

Thirteen Sister was taken aback, then shook her head: "That broken formation is extremely difficult to make!"

"Furthermore, the raw materials are even more difficult to obtain."

"What raw materials are needed?" Zhang Mu was still unwilling to give up.

Thirteen Sister smiled and said, "You know about the Dragon Spirit Weapon in Brother Lin's hand."

"Back then, my elder brother and Brother Lin broke into a dragon tomb and obtained that dragon spirit weapon inside."

"The raw material for breaking the formation is the heart and bones of the dragon corpse."

As everyone knows, dragons have a reverse scale, beneath which lies their heart. In reality, between the reverse scale and the heart, there is a net-like bone segment called the heart bone. If the reverse scale angers the dragon when touched, then this heart bone truly concerns the dragon's life or death.

Using one's own heart bone to forge a secret treasure—this Fang family elder brother is truly audacious.

“My brother planned to make three Po Zhen Zi (a type of protective garment), but because of Mr. An’s sudden incident, he took the two that were already completed with him,” Thirteen Sister continued.

Zhang Mu quickly pressed on, "What about the remaining half?"

"The Broken Formation Stone attracted the attention of the Demon Suppression Division. For safety, Brother Lin placed the half of the Broken Formation Stone, along with the method of refining it, into my brother's cenotaph."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Mu fell silent.

Even a cenotaph is still a tomb. You can't exactly tell Thirteen Niang that you want to rob her brother's tomb, can you?

Thirteen Sister naturally saw through Zhang Mu's thoughts at a glance, smiled lightly, and said, "If that half of the broken formation is useful, it wouldn't be a problem to take it back to protect the martial village."

"But... there's only half a piece, it's completely inanimate!"

Zhang Mu thought for a moment: "What else is missing?"

"Brother Lin said that the missing half is the trigger."

"The two completed formations were triggered by the souls of two demonic beasts that were comparable to the Gathering Gallbladder Realm."

Zhang Mu narrowed his eyes.

The soul of a demon beast comparable to the Gathering Gallbladder Realm, if used properly, could be made into a weapon spirit and forged into a spirit weapon of the Gathering Gallbladder Realm. This Broken Formation only used it as a one-time trigger and even used the heart bone of the dragon clan, which is truly extravagant.

However, if it's possible to kill a grandmaster, then it wouldn't be a waste.

"Sister Xuan, for the sake of Qianyuan Martial Village, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you with this."

"I'll figure out a way to trigger the soul."

"Please trouble you to take out that half of the tattered robe."

Thirteen Sister was already mentally prepared and readily nodded: "The cenotaph is located in my family's ancestral land. I will go down the mountain tomorrow and it will take about half a month to retrieve it."

Zhang Mu thought for a moment and said, "I'll have Han Zhou accompany you, so you can look after each other on the way."

Thirteen Sister initially wanted to decline, but considering the importance of this broken formation and that Ye Hanzhou was also at the Qi Gathering Realm, she agreed. Zhang Mu stroked his chin.

Where is that damned, destined-to-be-above-the-Gathering-Tier demonic beast now?

In the classification of demons, the realm comparable to the Gathering Gallbladder is called the Sun Devouring Realm. In the Nine Provinces, they are considered great demons. They usually don't show themselves too much to avoid being discovered by the Demon Suppression Division, so they hide very well and are not easy to find.

Zhang Mu thought for a long time and it seemed that only the green-haired turtle he had just subdued was at this level.

Since we've already taken the armory, there's no point in keeping it. Why don't we borrow it for use?

……

The green-haired turtle floated in the clear pool of water, humming an indistinct tune and blowing small bubbles.

After being subdued by Zhang Mu and having his armory confiscated, the green-haired turtle lived a very comfortable life.

Zhang Mu specially designated a small pond as its dwelling place, and also assigned someone to take care of its food.

This kind of life, it's not an exaggeration, it can enjoy for eighteen generations of this martial village!

Suddenly, a bad feeling arose in the green-haired turtle's heart.

That's not right. They survived the destruction of the Heavenly Mystery Sect, so what major event could possibly happen?
The green turtle flipped itself over in the water, retracting its head, tail, and limbs into its shell, and slowly sank to the bottom of the pool, like a stone, without releasing a single breath...

……

Zhang Mu was joking when he said he was borrowing the green-haired turtle's life.

In the past, it would have been difficult to find a monster at the Gathering Courage Realm, but things are different now.

The White Lotus Sect is now raising the banner of rebellion, and thirty-six bandits have risen up in revolt, making this a time of great upheaval.

Inevitably, some monsters will emerge, wanting to profit from the chaos.

So Zhang Mufei wrote to Bai Jingqi and Wang Wenlu, asking them to keep an eye out for information about the monsters.

……

Lanling County, Qingping Mountain.

A caravan was traveling on the mountain path of Qingping Mountain.

The escort team was not long, consisting of about fourteen or fifteen people. Their flag, bearing the name "Zhenyuan," fluttered in the wind.

This is a team called Zhenyuan Escort Agency. The head escort is a master of the Condensation Realm, and he is followed by a group of escorts who are at the seventh or eighth grade of the Meridian Opening Realm.

This shipment was an order from the Bai family of Sucheng in Taiping County, to deliver ten cartloads of fine forgings to their shop in Lucheng. However, at the same time, they also took on another shipment.

That was to send a young scholar who had passed the imperial examination to Lucheng.

"Scholar He, rest assured, there is indeed a martial arts stronghold on Qingping Mountain, but our escort agency pays homage to the mountain every year and will not make things difficult for us." The head escort said to the scholar beside him, "When the time comes, you don't need to say anything, I will handle the negotiations."

The scholar surnamed He cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your trouble, Chief Escort Li."

This scholar surnamed He, whose real name was He Tianshun, was on his way to Lucheng to visit a renowned teacher in hopes of participating in the special imperial examination next year. However, it was his first time traveling so far, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy walking along the mountain path. Fortunately, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) Li was a seasoned veteran of the martial arts world, and this shipment was from the Bai family of Sucheng, which reassured him considerably.

However, as the caravan ventured deeper into the mountain path, a sudden gust of cold mountain wind blew by, causing He Tianshun to shiver involuntarily.

Just then, a dark figure flashed through the bushes ahead. Chief Li signaled the caravan to stop, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and loudly proclaimed, "Zhenyuan and I are of one family, like twin branches intertwined... May I ask which hero has descended the mountain? I am Li, please give me your name!"

When Li Biao Tou shouted, there was no response from the forest, only the howling of the mountain wind, which made He Tianshun tense up immediately.

Li, the镖头 (bodyguard/escort), frowned and shouted again, "We're all brothers here, so please show yourselves, my comrades!"

No sooner had Chief Li finished speaking than a sinister voice rang out.

"Hehehehehe..."

"Brother, do I look like a human or a demon?"

As they were speaking, a weasel as tall as a person seemed to appear out of thin air in front of them, squinting its eyes, bowing and asking questions.

(End of this chapter)