“Is that Xuanyan Island up ahead?”
High in the nine heavens, dense cloud layers shrouded the sky. Dark clouds gathered thick and heavy, portending an impending storm.
A single dark cloud drifted concealed within them.
Luo Chen stood poised on the cloud. At his feet, the shrunken Tianxuan Battle Gull nodded vigorously like a chick pecking grain.
A nautical chart dropped into his hand. Luo Chen examined it closely, pursing his lips thoughtfully.
The Xuanyan Sea Domain was immense, far exceeding the familiar Jade Cauldron Domain. In truth, it was as vast as two or three Jade Cauldron Domains combined.
Yet Xuanyan Island, from which the sea domain took its name, was actually quite small.
As his spirit eyes gazed downward from afar, islands were scattered across the azure sea like glittering stars across the night sky, dotting the surrounding waters.
Anchored by the central isle, the whole layout resembled a sprawling labyrinth.
One, two, three... seventy-two!
Counting carefully, there were seventy-two islands of varying sizes clustered in neat, overlapping ranks around Xuanyan Island.
Comparing the chart to what lay below, Luo Chen let out a soft exclamation of surprise.
“A formation?”
With his current attainments in formations, he could already discern faint clues.
Combined with the water veins and reefs, the islands below vaguely formed a grand natural array.
Even so, Luo Chen could only grasp the broad strokes.
He immediately drew out the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and awakened Han Zhan.
After Luo Chen voiced his suspicions, Han Zhan studied the layout carefully before giving his verdict.
“It is indeed a formation, but not naturally formed. Human hands were involved—and it was personally laid down by a Fellow Daoist of at least the Nascent Soul stage.”
Nascent Soul Perfected Persons possessed boundless magic power.
They were beings truly capable of moving mountains, filling oceans, shattering cities, and sundering peaks.
For figures of such power, shifting islands to arrange a grand formation across special terrain was no difficult feat.
Luo Chen asked humbly, “Senior, can you tell what kind of grand array this is, and what effects it produces?”
“Bagua...” Han Zhan shook his head. “No, it should be the Nine Palaces Bagua Array, secretly matching the count of seventy-two. As for its effects...”
Pondering for a moment, Han Zhan said languidly, “Storing wind and gathering water, circulating qi and absorbing spirit—this is the most common method of coalescing spirit veins. Though the Xuanyan Sea Domain is vast, its spirit veins are scattered. The master of this place laid down the grand array to concentrate the spiritual energy of an entire region, cultivating a Tier 4 spirit vein here. After thousands of years of evolution, it is now no different from a natural spirit vein.”
At this point, he added, “Furthermore, this Nine Palaces Bagua Array possesses both offensive and defensive capabilities. The seventy-two islands are interlocked, strong on the outside and weak within. But if an attacker ignores the outer islands and strikes straight at the interior, it will instead trigger a desperate counterattack from all sides.
“Were I the master of this place, I would assign my capable lieutenants to the perimeter isles, while guarding the Central Palace alone.”
Hearing this, Luo Chen was somewhat puzzled.
“Wouldn't that leave the hub hollow, allowing an enemy to drive straight into the heart and execute a decapitation strike?”
Han Zhan chuckled softly. “And what if the one stationed in the Central Palace happens to be the strongest?”
Luo Chen saw the light.
Indeed. Arranged like that, the so-called strong exterior and weak interior became a perfect balance.
If a powerful foe truly drove straight into the heart, they would not only suffer a head-on blow from the powerhouse in the Central Palace, but also find themselves trapped in an awkward predicament, unable to advance or retreat under the coordinated encirclement of the seventy-two islands.
If a Nascent Soul being presided over the Central Palace, even if enemies of the same realm invaded, they could hardly breach Xuanyan Island without outnumbering the defender several times over.
After this analysis, he finally understood why the Ring-Headed Turtle clan had remained as steady as Mount Tai despite years of siege by the five royal demon crab clans.
“That Xuanyan Demon Emperor truly acted with meticulous care, leaving not a single flaw behind!” Luo Chen remarked with admiration.
Yet Han Zhan begged to differ.
“A formation is dead, while living beings are adaptable. As I see it, although the Demon Emperor's aura still lingers over Xuanyan Island, it is exceedingly faint and heavily laced with death qi.”
Luo Chen was startled.
“The Xuanyan Demon Emperor is already dead?”
“At the very least, he is no longer in this realm. Otherwise, he would never have let the death qi leak out.”
Luo Chen now fully understood why the five royal demon crab clans dared to assault Xuanyan Island.
When the tiger leaves the mountain, the monkey tries to crown itself king.
The demon crabs intended to overthrow their superiors and become the true overlords of the Xuanyan Sea Domain.
However, this played right into his hands!
The Ring-Headed Turtles were, after all, a great clan that had produced a Demon Emperor. Even with the emperor gone, their foundation was not something ordinary demon beasts could compare to.
In a vicious battle between them, casualties were inevitable.
That would give Luo Chen his chance to reap the spoils as the fisherman between the snipe and the clam.
For now, though, securing a hidden foothold was his main priority.
Having summoned Han Zhan, Luo Chen naturally had no intention of letting such an able assistant go idle.
“Senior, your attainments in formations and your breadth of experience far surpass mine. Would you mind finding me a secluded and suitable place to settle?”
Han Zhan merely chuckled. “Why trouble me with that? You have a sharp tool in your own hands; you can resolve it yourself.”
Luo Chen paused in surprise.
Then, he watched an object float out from the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
It was none other than the formation plate he had earlier entrusted to Han Zhan.
He had originally intended for Han Zhan to modify it so he could conveniently lay down formations suited to himself.
Seeing the plate emerge now, he felt somewhat confused.
Han Zhan promptly explained, “Upon it are nine minor formations and three grand arrays. Aside from the Sea-Sealing Bagua Array and the Billowing Cloud Dense Mist Array, I have thoroughly deciphered the final formation.”
“Oh? Please enlighten me, Senior.” Luo Chen's eyes flashed with interest.
“This array is named Spirit-Searching Soul-Seeking. While it appears to be Tier 3, its efficacy is in no way inferior to an ordinary Tier 4 array.”
“Spirit-Searching Soul-Seeking?”
Hearing the name, Luo Chen could not help but murmur it under his breath.
...
Above the clouds, an indistinct Daoist sat cross-legged with closed eyes.
Cradling a compass plate in his hand, its inner mechanisms whirred slowly.
Traced by his divine sense, the contours of the local terrain sank one by one into the compass.
Suddenly!
The Daoist formed a hand seal and tapped gently on the compass plate.
In an instant, the needle formed of condensed magic power spun frantically. Under the constant tug of esoteric qi, waves of resonance radiated in all directions.
Gradually, the magic needle slowed, settling toward a specific direction.
Luo Chen opened his eyes, a glint of delight showing on his face.
Without leaking a wisp of aura, his figure stirred, flying toward that direction.
After some time, Luo Chen slipped past the patrols of several demon beasts and made his way onto an unnamed deserted island.
On this desolate isle lay only a half-exhausted Tier 1 spirit vein. Apart from a few mindless beasts, it was virtually devoid of living creatures.
Looking around, Luo Chen felt deeply satisfied.
The island lay within the grand array's perimeter, yet it was not part of the formation's nodes, nor was it numbered among the seventy-two islands.
No one patrolled here, and no one paid it any mind.
It was perfectly suited for his base of operations.
With that in mind, Luo Chen could not resist taking a closer look at the formation plate he had seized from Zhu Qi.
What a fine treasure!
Setting aside its offensive and defensive powers, for a cultivator traveling abroad, it was nothing short of an invaluable asset!
The Billowing Cloud Dense Mist Array was ideal for shielding and obscuring a cave dwelling.
The Spirit-Searching Soul-Seeking Array was suited for tracking the aura of treasures and spirit veins; once triggered, it automatically guided the cultivator toward the direction where surrounding qi was strongest. Luo Chen had done the exact opposite, using it to locate the place where the aura was weakest to serve as his base for upcoming operations.
As for the Sea-Sealing Bagua Array, it seemed to him now that it had never been intended for combat either. Its original purpose was likely to seal off spiritual grounds and prevent qi from leaking out.
The only reason it had trapped Luo Chen during their prior battle was that Zhu Qi had modified it, incorporating his own limbs to fashion a makeshift suppressing array.
Yet doing so had created an inherent flaw, allowing Luo Chen to shatter it in a single stroke.
Viewed now, the plate united three functions—concealing a cave dwelling, seeking out the auras of spirit treasures, and sealing or suppressing an area. It was truly an unmatched tool for travel, secluded living, and violent intrigue!
“A fine treasure indeed. I don't know what you were called before, but henceforth you shall be the Fengshen Compass!”
Drawing inspiration from the names of the three grand formations and their respective functions, Luo Chen bestowed a new name upon the artifact.
Then, he set to work across the desolate island.
...
In the depths of the ocean, a five-colored clam nearly a hundred zhang across held its shell slightly ajar.
Riding the ocean currents, a figure swept in with a muffled roar.
Looking up at the giant clam, he scoffed, “Hmph, nothing more than the carcass of a five-colored clam that failed its metamorphosis. Yet that old fellow Jin Hun carries it around like a treasure wherever he goes.”
He spoke derisively, but the envy in his eyes was unmistakable.
As if aware of an arrival, iridescent light flashed across the shell, opening a barrier.
The newcomer shifted his eight legs and marched inside.
The moment he stepped in, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the warm, spacious hall.
“Fellow Daoist Chi Yan has arrived!”
Chi Yan looked up to see three figures seated in distinct corners.
One was golden from head to tail, as if clad in golden plate armor, radiating overbearing dominance.
Another was cloaked in swirling azure hues accented by strands of green algae, possessing a subtle grace.
The last demon beast, though shrunken in stature, had a protruding sharp snout, eight legs, and a pair of massive pincers that lent him a menacing, grotesque appearance.
Had a human cultivator versed in compendiums of demonic beasts stood here, they could have identified the three clans from their exteriors at a glance: the Overlord Crab, the Qingdi Crab, and the Nine-Clawed Poison King Crab clans.
“Jin Hun, Lüxiu, Jiuzhua—you're normally nowhere to be found, yet this time you've all arrived so early!” Chi Yan sneered, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Jin Hun remained silent, but Jiuzhua sneered back in retort.
“You old codger usually hide away in an extinct undersea volcano, too stingy even to crawl ashore for some sun. Now you come scrambling out drooling over the spoils, and you have the nerve to talk about us?”
Rage flared within Chi Yan. Just as he prepared to snap back, a gentle, melodious voice chimed in.
“Stop squabbling. We have all gathered here for the future of our demon crab clans—why cause such a ruckus?”
It was Lüxiu, the sole female clan head among the five royal demon crab clans.
Hearing her speak, Chi Yan snorted coldly and wasted no more breath on Jiuzhua.
Seeing everyone settle down, Jin Hun, who presided over this gathering, spoke slowly: “We only await Zhu Xiang's arrival—”
The Zhu Xiang he mentioned was the clan head of the Demon Spider Crabs.
Though Zhu Xiang had yet to arrive, Lüxiu suggested in a soft voice, “Brother Jin, why not lay out the situation in detail first so we may discuss it?”
Jin Hun looked at the three demons. “The matter is simple enough: assaulting Xuanyan Island.”
Chi Yan snorted. “We can't even get a glimpse of Xuanyan Island itself, let alone assault it.”
“That is precisely what needs discussing,” Jin Hun sighed. “No one anticipated that even though the Xuanyan Demon Emperor is gone, he left behind a life-preserving grand array for the Ring-Headed Turtle clan. Formations... for our demon kind, they are an insurmountable chasm, nearly impossible to cross.”
This lament struck a chord in every demon present.
Over these years, they had fought countless battles against the Ring-Headed Turtles of Xuanyan Island.
Their best showing had merely captured twenty-seven islands.
Yet once the turtles triggered the grand array to launch a counteroffensive, sixty to seventy percent of those twenty-seven islands were reclaimed within days, leaving only nine in the crabs' hands at present.
Such progress would make anyone die of laughter if word got out.
The five royal demon crab clans?
Is that all?
Chi Yan's brow furrowed, and he grunted, “If all else fails, I can tap into my clan's reserves to detonate the undersea volcanoes and scorch this entire sea domain clean!”
Lüxiu hurriedly intervened. “That won't do. If it damages the Tier 4 spirit vein here, how will any of us ever advance to the Metamorphosis stage in the future?”
Chi Yan grew thoroughly exasperated. “You reject this, and you reject that! You want Xuanyan's molt and you want to preserve the Tier 4 spirit vein—haven't you heard the human saying that you cannot have both the fish and the bear's paw?”
Jiuzhua mocked, “The spirit vein can be shared, and the molt goes to whoever is fated for it. Why can't we have both?”
“You!” Chi Yan's temper flared anew.
“Enough! Stop bickering,” Jin Hun said coldly. “We are all either trapped at Tier 3 peak or standing half a step from the Metamorphosis stage. We came here solely for an opportunity to advance. Regardless of who ultimately claims the chance, it provides a shot at reaching Metamorphosis, and whichever clan succeeds will serve as a patron for the rest. Now is the time for earnest cooperation—how can we let personal tempers rule?”
Chi Yan was taken aback. “Your Overlord Crab clan has always been the most tyrannical and overbearing. Jin Hun, since when did you care so much about the bigger picture?”
Jin Hun cast him a sidelong glance and said chillingly, “Without a Demon Emperor watching over the Xuanyan Sea Domain, it will sooner or later become a hunting ground for humanity. Only because the human sacred land collapsed over the past century have we had room to breathe. Even so, haven't cultivator factions caught wind of it and come hunting here? If not a single one among us steps into Metamorphosis to become a Demon Emperor within the next several hundred years, then once humanity recovers, I fear the Xuanyan Sea Domain will bear a new name!”
This lengthy speech came from the old crab's mouth, cold and indifferent, yet pressing down like an immovable mountain.
Listening to it, the others fell into somber silence.
All of them knew that a demon-hunting vessel was wandering in the vicinity.
The only reason they hadn't joined forces to annihilate it was because the cultivators on board targeted Ring-Headed Turtles.
Even so, there had been several skirmishes.
On one occasion, Jin Ao, an expert of the Overlord Crab clan, had boldly torn a Golden Core cultivator to pieces with his bare claws.
Had both sides not harbored reservations, they would have already engaged in an all-out, life-and-death struggle.
Seeing that everyone understood the grave reality, Jin Hun took a breath and continued, “The grand array on Xuanyan Island is mysterious and complex. With our understanding, we cannot unravel it; at best, we can only hammer it with brute force.
“Yet the Ring-Headed Turtles were once the foremost clan of Xuanyan Island!
“The number of Tier 3 Demon Kings among them far exceeds any of our individual clans. Only by joining all five clans together can we overpower them.
“Bolstered by the grand array, brute force cannot break them. Thus, the issue circles back to how to cleverly dismantle the formation.”
At this point, matters appeared to hit an impasse.
Yet Jin Hun changed tack. “To my knowledge, Zhu Xiang has a junior he holds in high esteem. That fellow obtained a human legacy and has a grasp of formations.”
The others were surprised. A demon crab learning human heritage?
Lüxiu hesitated. “Could it be that little fellow Zhu Qi?”
She knew a genius had arisen among the Demon Spider Crabs.
Supposedly, this junior was born frail and sickly, suffering frequent bullying within the clan.
Later, while wandering abroad, he stumbled into a human cultivator's cave dwelling and obtained a legacy, from which his fortunes began to rise.
Centuries had passed, and he was now a Tier 3 expert!
Because of that, she had once contemplated arranging a marriage, attempting to win him over with a Tier 2 Qingdi Crab bride.
“Precisely!” Jin Hun confirmed.
Lüxiu nodded in realization. “If it is him, I believe there may indeed be a chance.”
Jiuzhua said in a sinister tone, “Here comes the problem: if Zhu Xiang's subordinate breaks the formation, does that mean they get a larger share of the spoils?”
Jin Hun frowned in confusion. “Jiuzhua, aren't you on the closest terms with Zhu Xiang?”
Jiuzhua scoffed. “Friendship is friendship; interests are interests. We may not have transformed into human form yet, but we are hardly ignorant beasts. I can tell the difference well enough.
“Giving them a bit more wouldn't matter much anyway. After all, what we want most...”
Just as the four royal demon crab patriarchs were debating how to divide the spoils inside this traveling palace crafted from a five-colored clam's remains, the light barrier flickered.
A figure strode in.
“There is no need to consider the matter. My Xiao Qi has already fallen.”
The demons turned toward the sound. It was the patriarch of the Demon Spider Crab clan—Zhu Xiang!
As expected of the keenest-sensed Demon Spider Crab clan: even outside, he had caught every word of the conversation within the five-colored clam.
Yet what he said—Zhu Qi was dead?
Hearing this, the assembled clan heads were struck with shock.
A golden radiance flashed across Jin Hun's body as he bellowed in anger, “How could this happen?!”
This was the demon crab clans' sole opportunity to rise.
After countless attempts, success or failure rested almost entirely upon Zhu Qi alone.
And now he was told Zhu Qi was dead?
He could not accept it!
Zhu Xiang shook his head, sorrow lingering in his eyes.
Without delay, he recounted the details of Zhu Qi's demise.
After a long while, Jin Hun gnashed his teeth. “So it was the master behind that vicious dragon and thieving gull! Dammit! I sensed something amiss earlier and sent Jin Ao upon his emergence from seclusion to handle it, yet we still failed to catch the mastermind behind the scenes!”
Jiuzhua looked somewhat bewildered. Over these past years, only his Nine-Clawed Poison King Crab clan had been spared from Luo Chen's plundering hands.
Thus, he did not feel the pain as keenly.
Lüxiu was also incensed. “Had our attention not been fixed on Xuanyan Island, we would have dispatched an army to drag that mastermind into the open and tear him limb from limb!”
Her Qingdi Crab clan had also lost many low-tier kin over these years.
Chi Yan chuckled slyly, caring little for their woes.
His Red Rock Crab clan lived within undersea volcanoes. When they occasionally came ashore, they moved in large groups and were rarely attacked.
He had heard that they once encountered a black-scaled flood dragon, but the elder leading the Red Rock Crabs had nearly beaten it to death.
Hearing the misfortunes of the other three clans, he felt a twinge of schadenfreude instead.
However, with Zhu Qi dead, how were they to break the formation?
His schadenfreude quickly subsided.
Zhu Xiang looked on coldly at the scene in the hall.
Suddenly, he spoke:
“I have a way to break Xuanyan Island's grand array. But I have one condition: once the deed is done, you must help me hunt down that mastermind behind the scenes!”
Such a condition mattered little to them.
The method he spoke of, however, commanded everyone's attention.
In an instant, the four demons stared intently at him, eager to hear his plan.
Zhu Xiang stamped a leg onto the floor with a crisp clatter.
Carried by the shell of the five-colored clam, the sound traveled outside.
“Jin Hun, open the gate, if you please.”
Jin Hun's expression shifted slightly as he fixed a penetrating gaze on Zhu Xiang.
His lips parted faintly.
“I hope you aren't inviting a wolf into the house.”
The next moment, the light barrier rippled, revealing a tall, upright figure.
Dressed in opulent robes, with handsome features.
The instant he stepped inside, he cupped his hands in greeting.
“Gu Shaoshang of Feiyun Ravine greets all Fellow Daoists!”
A human cultivator!
Chapter 550