Three Spirits Pan King Formation

An incense stick's time later, the immortal's cave was dead silent. Qin Sang wore a solemn expression, lost in thought. No wonder Valley Master Mu had lavished praise upon the Jinghai Sect and the Myriad Spirit Fruits earlier, his words filled with enticements. The so-called Three Spirits Pan King Formation was an insect formation laid out with three spirit insects and an altar. Through the synergistic effects of the insect formation and the altar, the power of two spirit insects could be drawn forth and poured into the third, forcibly enhancing that third insect's divine abilities. This third spirit insect was referred to as the host insect. The Three Spirits Pan King Formation placed no restrictions on the species of the insects. However, there was one condition: of the two insects whose power was being drawn, one had to be of a higher realm than the host insect, and the other had to be at least on par with it. This condition was easy to meet. Not only did Valley Master Mu possess a natal insect gu that had reached its fourth metamorphosis—the Sea-Attracting Horseshoe Crab—he had even nurtured a Black Demon Ant in the late stage of its third metamorphosis. Qin Sang would not even need to employ the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The reason Qin Sang hesitated was that the Three Spirits Pan King Formation inflicted severe harm upon the host insect. The two insects being drained would merely suffer temporary weakness. The host insect, however, had to bear power far exceeding its own limits while forcibly driving its divine abilities. A single slip could easily cause it to detonate on the spot. Moreover, there was no guarantee they would find the entrance to the Jinghai Sect. "You must have already tested this with a Jade-Bearing Bee, haven't you?" Qin Sang asked after prolonged consideration. Valley Master Mu hesitated briefly. Knowing it would be useless to hide the truth from Qin Sang, he nodded and sighed. "The disparity in cultivation was too immense. Shortly after the formation was set into motion, the Jade-Bearing Bee could not endure the strain and burst. Rest assured, Daoist Priest, I will personally oversee the Three Spirits Pan King Formation and minimize any harm to the Fire Jade Centipede as much as possible. As long as we find the Myriad Spirit Fruit, the centipede will fully recover." Knowing well how precious a thrice-metamorphosed Fire Jade Centipede was, he offered words of comfort. Seeing Qin Sang remain silent, Valley Master Mu hurried to add, "Fellow Daoist Qi and his companion do not cultivate insect mastery. Aside from passing the Spirit Ascension Rite to you, Daoist Priest, the two of us will split whatever Myriad Spirit Fruits we obtain equally. If there are any other treasures within the Jinghai Sect, we shall each rely on our own means—whoever claims an item first keeps it. We can swear an oath to seal this agreement. What do you think, Daoist Priest?" Qin Sang's eyes flickered, and he tacked on two more conditions. "Whether we succeed or fail, I require a copy of the layout method for the Three Spirits Pan King Formation. In addition, I wish to peruse the secret insect-taming arts of Hundred Flowers Valley." Valley Master Mu's face fell into a troubled grimace. The Three Spirits Pan King Formation was fine—it was of little consequence since opportunities to use it were exceedingly rare. Yet the secret insect-taming arts concerned the very foundation of Hundred Flowers Valley. How could they be divulged lightly to an outsider? "Then we shall begin with the Three Spirits Pan King Formation first. Once we locate the entrance to the Jinghai Sect, you may fulfill the second condition. I will swear an oath on my inner demons never to reveal your sect's insect-taming arts to anyone else," Qin Sang volunteered, dispelling Mu's lingering doubts. Valley Master Mu wavered for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Very well! It is a deal!" "It is a deal!" *** Having reached an agreement, the two acted decisively, departing the immortal's cave and flying toward the Kongling Sea. Along the way, Qin Sang questioned Valley Master Mu closely about the Jinghai Sect's formation. To Qin Sang's surprise, the Jinghai Sect had actually been a Buddhist sect. Having journeyed through the Beichen Realm, the Canglang Ocean, and the North Sea for so long, Qin Sang knew that Daoist sects flourished in all three places while Buddhism languished in decline. Buddhist lineages were broken and incomplete, so much so that not a single presentable sect could be found. This was the first time Qin Sang had ever encountered traces of such a powerful Buddhist sect. Even so, Qin Sang was well aware that what Valley Master Mu had told him was unlikely to be everything they knew. Mu had certainly withheld some information and would not lay all his cards on the table. Perhaps there was some connection between the Jinghai Sect and the Witch Clan. The founding ancestor of Hundred Flowers Valley had hailed from the Kongling Sea and acquired the Witch Clan's legacy, while the Jinghai Sect was a reclusive sect that had hidden away right here. There were bound to be secrets concealed within. Qin Sang had agreed to let the Fire Jade Centipede serve in the Three Spirits Pan King Formation because it was approaching a bottleneck, and it was not as vital to him as the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. To risk a minor pawn for a major gain was an acceptable cost. Besides, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly might crack the formation on its own; resorting to the Fire Jade Centipede might not even be necessary. The Kongling Sea was indeed just as rumors described. Endless waters stretched in every direction, an unbroken, monotonous expanse. Though they had flown for a long time, not a single island came into view. Not a breath of wind stirred the surface; scarcely a ripple could be seen. After entering the Kongling Sea, Qin Sang followed Valley Master Mu for another hour before arriving above a wide expanse of open water. Valley Master Mu suddenly drifted down toward the surface, flicking a beam of flowing light into the depths. A moment later, Qin Sang sensed two auras rapidly ascending from the seabed. *Splash!* Two silhouettes broke through the surface of the water. A man and a woman. The man was tall and lean, dressed in Daoist robes with a tall topknot cap, his cheekbones prominent. He was none other than the Fellow Daoist Qi whom Valley Master Mu had spoken of. The female cultivator was likewise dressed as a Daoist nun and was an intimate friend of Qi's, surnamed Wang. Both were in the early Nascent Soul stage. "Fellow Daoist Qi! Fellow Daoist Wang!" Having already heard introductions from Valley Master Mu, Qin Sang stepped forward and offered a Daoist salute. "Greetings, Daoist Priest Mingyue!" The pair returned the courtesy, smiling warmly with hospitable manners. After exchanging pleasantries, the four submerged into the depths. The surface of the sea regained its tranquil calm. "How deep underwater is the Jinghai Sect?" Qin Sang asked via voice transmission, noticing that they were descending continuously. "We will be there soon," the cultivator surnamed Qi said, glancing back. "Did Fellow Daoist Mu not explain it to you, Daoist Priest? The Jinghai Sect was presumably built upon an island, but we cannot locate that island now. The formation is exceptionally bizarre; had an unusual phenomenon not appeared once before, even I would never have realized anything was amiss while passing through this area." Qin Sang nodded slightly. "Words alone can hardly capture it. I must experience it firsthand to understand the formation's peculiarities." Valley Master Mu slowed his flight to match their pace and turned to Qi. "Have there been any new changes over these past few days?" Qi shook his head. "None since that brief phenomenon vanished. This time, everything hinges on what you two fellow daoists can accomplish. If it still fails, I fear our only option will be to try our luck at the Myriad Demons Assembly." "The Myriad Demons Assembly?" A hint of astonishment showed in Qin Sang's eyes. Valley Master Mu uttered an understanding "Oh," then explained, "You have only recently arrived in the Boundless Sea, Daoist Priest, so you might not be aware. Nine years from now marks the next Myriad Demons Assembly, which serves as an auction and trade fair among the Nascent Soul experts of the Boundless Sea. When the time comes, masters from across the Boundless Sea will converge upon Hunmo Island—not just demonic cultivators, but even Demon Kings often make appearances. However, all the factions in the Boundless Sea have long agreed that no matter how deep any grudges may run, none may raise a hand on Hunmo Island; otherwise, all shall join forces to suppress them. With Old Demon Hunmo personally holding court, no one has ever dared break the rules in all the past assemblies. If you are interested, Daoist Priest, you might go have a look when the time comes..." Qi nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Every Myriad Demons Assembly sees the appearance of rare and weighty treasures; perhaps one capable of unraveling this formation will emerge. When the assembly draws near, an outline of the treasures will be leaked in advance. You can take a preliminary look, Daoist Priest, to see if anything catches your eye." Qin Sang nodded pensively.